Learning to Channel

This section details how characters gain access to the Magic skill, improve it, and manage the Mana Points that fuel their supernatural Effects.

Initiating the Magic Skill

Before a character can wield magical Effects, they must first awaken their connection to arcane, divine, or other supernatural energies through their Narrative Anchor (see Chapter 7 Introduction). This crucial first step, often representing the culmination of dedicated study, a profound spiritual experience, or an innate awakening (as defined by the character’s background and agreed upon with the GM), requires a significant investment:

• Cost: Spend twenty Experience Points (20 XP) to gain the Magic skill.
• Baseline Skill: The skill initially appears on the character sheet at its baseline percentage value, which is equal to the character’s Mind statistic.
• Significance: Gaining this skill signifies the character can now sense and potentially manipulate magical forces, learn specific Effects, and possesses a Mana Pool (see below). This 20 XP cost is typically a one-time investment reflecting the foundational effort needed to unlock magical potential.

Advancing the Magic Skill

Once initiated, the Magic skill represents the character’s growing aptitude and control over mystical energies. Improving this skill is vital for any dedicated user of Effects, as it directly increases both the reliability of successfully activating Effects (the percentage chance on a d100 roll) and the size of their Mana Point reservoir (as Max MP equals the Magic skill percentage).

• XP Cost: Like other skills, Magic is improved by spending earned XP, following the standard cost structure outlined in Chapter 2:
  • Each percentage point increase costs one XP up to a skill value of 60%.
  • Pushing beyond this level represents true mastery and becomes more demanding, costing two XP for each percentage point increase from 61% up to the typical maximum of 100%.
• Representation: Investing XP in Magic reflects the character’s continued study, practice, meditation, or deepening connection to their power source.

Mana Pool (MP) and Recovery

• Mana Points (MP): Your maximum Mana Points always equal your current Magic skill percentage score. This pool represents your reservoir of available magical energy. Spending MP to activate Effects depletes this pool temporarily.
• Recovery: Characters naturally replenish their spent Mana Points through rest. After at least six continuous hours of sleep, or an equivalent period of restful meditation or trance suitable to the character’s nature (e.g., a monk’s meditation, a druid’s communion with nature), a character’s Mana Point pool refills completely back to their maximum.
• Interrupted Rest: If this period of rest is significantly interrupted (e.g., by combat, loud disturbances, needing to perform strenuous activity), the character may not fully recover their MP. They might regain only half their MP, or potentially none at all, subject to GM discretion based on the severity and duration of the interruption.

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File Created: 05/07/2025
Last Modified: 05/07/2025