Magic is a rare sight on Novus, but is still obtainable if you're involved, active, and persistent. Please follow these sections carefully, as they will help you with your quest to acquire magic, walk you through the acceptable ways to utilize it, and show you how to go about becoming a strong magic user.
All inhabitants on Novus automatically receive the gift of lesser telekinesis. This allows them to utilize weapons and accessories, dress themselves in outfits and armor, and lift things in character. This is widely accepted as a gift from Tempus himself. Be aware that this gift is
very limited:
- Characters cannot manipulate items more than 5 feet away from them.
- Characters cannot manipulate items that weigh more than 5 pounds.
- The lesser telekinesis cannot be leveled or refined, unless the character chooses to go such a route with their purchased magic.
- The magic a character may obtain is in addition to this lesser telekinesis, which they will still retain regardless.
- You are not required to list the telekinesis in the "Magic" subsection of your profile.
Aside from the inherent telekinesis, there are two main types of magic that exist within Novus. One of them is Passive Magic, which is defined as magic that controls design elements that may be harmful or beneficial to another character. It cannot be innately "wielded", controlled, summoned or leveled. It does not need to be tied to your Court's values, and costs 1,000 signos in the Agora. Each character can have up to (2) Passive Magics at once.
Examples of passive magic could be, but are not limited to, the following.
- A fiery mane that gives off heat and can burn other characters.
- Venomous fangs.
- Toxic skin secretions.
- Unnatural "luck."
- See existing ideas in the Passive Magic records!
Not examples of passive magic: The following are of magic that would instead be classified as active, for various reasons.
- Conjuring and shooting off fireballs, ice shards, etc.
- Harmful flaming, ice, etc elements that can be controlled or turned off at will.
The second type is active magic, which is magic that can be wielded and leveled. Active magic must somehow tie into the values of your character's Court, and costs 2,000-2,500 signos in the Agora.
As of October 2019, characters now have the option to earn
two Active Magics! A new, "Secondary Magic" item has been added to the Agora that will grant a character a second Active Magic. Please note: Active Magic must be purchased before Secondary Magic! Secondary Magic also has a separate levelling system, so be sure to check out the
Levels below.
Parvus Magic, meaning 'small magic,' is a type of magic similar to passive. It is
only obtainable through purchasing Active magic, but is completely optional. The only caveat is that it
must be related in some way to the attached Active Magic. So if your character has fire manipulation, they could additionally have flaming elements as well for no extra cost. If the character has fire manipulation, but wants a nature-related passive such as plant growths on their skin, they would have to purchase a passive magic separately.
Examples of active magic include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Elemental manipulation.
- Shapeshifting from equus or cervidae form to a lion, wolf, etc form.
- See existing ideas in the Active Magic records!
Since magic is considered rare and we don't want to see every other character with the ability to use it, obtaining magic is an uphill battle (as can be seen by the steep cost of 1,000 to 2,500 signos). However, it's definitely not impossible! Participating in the world of Novus, posting with your characters, and helping other members out will get you to your goal eventually. Once you have earned enough signos, follow these steps to start using your magic ICly.
- Purchase the the applicable magic item - Active or Passive - from the Agora.
- For Active Magic:
- Come up with a creative way to link your desired magic to your Court's values. Since magic is seen as a gift from the gods, your magic has to be something that would make sense for your patron deity to gift to you. If you need help, staff are happy to brainstorm with you!
- An example would be a Dawn court citizen with water manipulation, because water is often seen as a symbol of clarity and truth - two values closely linked to the pursuit of knowledge.
- Come up with a Parvus magic, if desired, that relates to your Active magic.
- Design a magic ladder (see the Leveling section below for magic levels and guidelines). Magic Ladders are unique to each specific type of Active magic, and will show how refined the type of magic gets as the character advances their level - from Discipuli, all the way to Dominus.
- Fill out the "Magic" section of your profile with both the magic ladder that you designed above and a description of the Parvus magic.
- Respond to the Restricted Items Redemption thread with the correct form filled out.
- Staff will review your purchase for two things: 1) that the magic makes sense with your Court's values, and 2) that your magic is not too powerful as you level. If anything needs to be fixed, they will contact you privately to work on it.
- Upon approval, staff will replace your Magic item with the Tier 1: Discipuli. They will also fill out the "Magic Specialization" section of your postbit and let you know that your magic has been accepted. You are now able to use magic ICly!
- For Passive Magic:
- Fill out the "Magic" section of your profile with all the details of your Passive magic.
- Respond to the Restricted Items Redemption thread with the correct form filled out.
- Staff will review your purchase to ensure your Passive magic is actually passive and not too powerful. If anything needs to be fixed, they will contact you privately to work on it.
- Upon approval, you are now able to use your passive magic ICly!
- Since magic is considered an Original item, you must go through the above process regardless of whether it's for a new or existing character.
- Overall, it is possible for your character to obtain 6 total magics:
- 2 Active magics from purchasing or winning the Active magic item in the Agora.
- 2 Parvus magics as a bonus from purchasing or winning the Active magic item in the Agora.
- 2 Passive magics from purchasing or winning the Passive magic item in the Agora.
- To Change Magic:
- Purchase the Change Magic item for 700 signos from the Agora.
- Come up with a creative new magic that matches your desired magic to your Court's values. New magics should be easily distinguishable from your old magic. If you need help, staff are happy to brainstorm with you!
- An example of a new magic would be changing your character's magic from Fire to Ice manipulation, as they are two different elements. You do not need to purchase this item if you would like to make minor changes to your character's magic levels; contact a staff member to help plan out your changes! All changes must be approved by staff.
- Come up with a Parvus magic, if desired, that relates to your Active magic. If you had an existing Parvus magic with your old Active magic, it must be removed or changed to fit the new Active magic.
- Design a magic ladder (see the Leveling section below for magic levels and guidelines). Magic Ladders are unique to each specific type of Active magic, and will show how refined the type of magic gets as the character advances their level - from Discipuli, all the way to Dominus.
- Fill out the "Magic" section of your profile with all the details of your new Active and Parvus magics.
- Respond to the Update An Item Redemption thread with the correct form filled out.
- Upon approval, you are now able to use your passive magic ICly!
Using magic in IC posts can easily tread a line between those role-play faux pas that are against our site's rules. While we have created the guidelines below to assist you whenever you include magic in your writing, it is ultimately up to your best judgment.
- For magic use during battles, you must follow the guidelines set out in the Fighting section of the guidebook.
- Magic use in all other threads is unrestricted. You may use it as little or as often as you wish. With that said, please respect the following things:
- If the magic will affect the other character directly in any way (good or bad), you must ask the other role-player beforehand. This must be stated somewhere in the thread as an OOC note. Otherwise, it will be considered power-playing.
- "Directly" means magic that is specifically targeting the other character. For writing purposes, indirect magic will be allowed - for instance, your character can make the immediate area hot or cold without prior permission.
- Always pay attention to your character's magic level (as outlined in the section below this). For instance: if they are a Vexillum, they will not be able to hold their magic for long periods of time or do anything powerful.
- Magic should not be copied without the permission of the original creator. The only exception would be cases of magic that is very common, like being able to summon fire, or shapeshifting.
- Since magic is seen as a gift from the gods, you must be loyal to whatever Court your magic pertains to. If you voluntarily leave your Court, these rules will apply:
- If you already have magic, you will not be able to use it for one season (two real life months).
- If you don't have magic yet, you will not be able to obtain it for one season (two real life months).
To keep things as simple as possible, magic leveling goes hand-in-hand with experience (see the
guide for more information). See the bullet points below for a description of each level of magic, and what is required to reach the next level.
- Tier 1: Discipuli — The "learner" magic level. Discipulis tire extremely easily, and do not have a trustworthy grip on their gifts. Parvus magics will sputter out randomly. Active magics will only last for a few minutes at a time before they are drained and need to be replenished.
- As the beginning magic level, there are no requirements to obtain Discipuli magic except for purchasing the Magic item. Both Active and Secondary magics will start at Discipuli.
- Tier 2: Vexillum — The "standard" magic level, and the most common magic seen on Novus. Vexillum magic is neither weak nor strong, and mistakes are still common (but not as frequent as discipuli magic). Parvus magics will now function continuously, but will fluctuate between very strong effects and very minimal effects. Active magics can now last longer, but still drain the user.
- 25 experience
- 125 experience for secondary magic
- 25 IC posts
- Tier 3: Periti — The "proficient" magic level. Peritis are advanced magic users confident in their gifts - mistakes are few and far between. Parvus magics will remain functioning at a consistent level, although the user's emotions and surroundings may cause a heightened or dulled effect. Active magics can be used steadily for longer lengths of time, although the user will still need to replenish energy.
- 50 experience
- 150 experience for secondary magic
- 50 IC posts
- Tier 4: Dominus — The "master" magic level, and the rarest magic seen on Novus. Dominus users are experts with their gifts. Parvus magics' effects will always be strong unless the environment or user's emotions soften them. Active magics can be utilized whenever, and it takes an extreme amount of time and heavy use to drain them.
- 90 experience
- 190 experience for secondary magic
- 100 IC posts
