Magic

Magic
	Magic in the world of Nomad Quest isn't nearly as strictly defined as magic was in Banished Quest. The talents of a mage are generally divided into the fields of creation, manipulation, and destruction. A mage uses creation when they spew lightning or fire from their fingertips, hurl a shard of ice at their enemies, mend a wound, boil the skin off their enemies, or force crystalline essence to sprout from a substrate. They use manipulation when they rip stone from the ground to unbalance an enemy, whip the air around them into a protective shroud of wind, enchant an item, or assert their control over an existing flame or body of water. Destruction is arguably the most powerful tool in a mage's arsenal, and is undoubtedly the simplest. A mage uses destruction when they unbalance the field of magic that binds all matter together, either to carefully deconstruct some item or to unleash the ravenous black flame that consumes all in its path.

	Powerful mages are able to reverse gravity, bend space around themselves to cross short distances in an instant, wield the forces of destruction with all the precision of a surgeon's scalpel, and incinerate scores of enemy soldiers with a gesture. However, the consequences of attempting magic which one is either unable or unprepared to cast can be grave indeed. Nearly every mage alive struggles with nosebleeds and headaches, but those with an excess of ambition and absence of caution have been known to render themselves catatonic, drop dead without warning, drive themselves insane, and paralyze their limbs. The winds of magic will strip flesh from bone and burrow holes through a man's mind. Thus, care must be taken to ensure that one does not overreach.

	A mage's skill with magic and their ability to channel the primordial forces of creation without suffering consequences both grow with time and use. This is due to the essence-lined channels carved through their flesh and bone by continued magic use. These channels amplify the mage's influence over their surroundings, and serve as more efficient transportation for the will. Prior to the discovery that gold and other precious metals can serve in a similar capacity, older mages resembled desiccated husk of men with glowing veins of magic running just beneath their skin. In this more enlightened age, dedicated mages who undergo the painful rituals necessary to incorporate the gold or silver markings of a true Sorcerer need not fear the degradation of their physical and mental health to the same degree.

	Mechanically, there are going to be two traits which determine a character's ability to use magic. These are channeling capacity and magical skill. Channeling capacity will track how much magic the character in question can use before suffering backlash. It can be increased by simply using magic. Magical skill, on the other hand, will track how efficient a character is in their use of magic and also their knowledge of magical theory. It can be increased by using magic, studying magical tomes, and learning under skilled mages. These two traits will be graded on the following scales:

	Channeling Capacity:
		Nonexistent: -50
		Negligible: -40
		Very Small: -30
		Small: -20
		Below Average: -15
		Average: -10
		Above Average: -5
		Significant: +0
		Impressive: +5
		Large: +10
		Very Large: +15
		Huge: +20
		Enormous: +30
		Legendary: +40
		God-Like: +50

	Magical Skill:
		Untrained: +/-0 to Magic (5 Feats to Advance)
		Amateurish: +5 to Magic (10 Feats to Advance)
		Trained: +10 to Magic (20 Feats to Advance)
		Skilled: +15 to Magic (40 Feats to Advance)
		Significant: +20 to Magic (80 Feats to Advance)
		Impressive: +30 to Magic (160 Feats to Advance)
		Masterful: +40 to Magic (320 Feats to Advance)
		God-Like: +50 to Magic