Magic
On the world of Oberon magic is a type of vital force that can be called upon by suitably gifted or favoured individuals in order to create some effect that may replicate, exceed or replace some form of physical act.
Types of Magic
Magic can be broadly classified into one of the following broad areas:
- Divine Magic
- Planar Magic
- Arcane Magic
- Elemental Magic
- Nature Magic
- Shadow Magic
These are further described below.
Practitioners of one type of magic are not necessarily limited only to that type. Many individuals learn more than one type of magic throughout their career but few of these people every master it as well as someone who specialised in an area could.
Divine Magic
The Gods of Oberon are a strange, fickle collection of entities who take some perverse pleasure (or duty) in meddling with it the affairs of mortals. Any entity that is of least "Ascended" status in the hierarchy of divine beings is able to influence the mortal realm by granting the power to cast a specific form of power called 'divine magic'.
Just to clarify this: Divine magic is granted DIRECTLY from a God (Greater, Lesser or Demi), or one of their assigned proxies (not to be confused with the Divine Vassals known as Proxies, to a mortal with whom they have some connection, either through faith, oath or pact.
Divine Magic is capable of all of the various tricks that other forms of magic are except that it is also capable of directly influencing a mortal's passage to the afterlife by returning that mortal to life. This can occur even if the mortal's soul has been resident in their afterlife for years or even decades. It can also be used to repel or destroy totally those creatures that are classified as 'undead' such as vampires or even liches.
It is sometimes said that Divine magic has "intent" - that is to say, that Divine magic is bestowed for a purpose and it's use always changes the influence of some deity upon the Prime Material Plane (positively or negatively, depending on its use).
Divine magic is the primary form of magic for Clerics, Paladins and some Warlocks.
Planar Magic
Planar magic is that which resides within boundaries between the mortal realms (the Prime Material Plane) and the Divine Sphere. This area is often referred to as the "Outer Planes" and contains the power directly invested in the planes such as Arborea, Elysium, the Abyss, the Nine Hells. It also, technically, includes the Astral Plane.
This is the type of magic that is granted to anyone who receives their power DIRECTLY from one of these planes, usually via an Extraplanar being, such as a Demon Prince, Archdevil, any of the "Great Old Ones", some very powerful Celestials or similar creature. These beings are not "deities" and don't have Religions (but usually do have Cults) are are still significantly powerful in their own right and will teach mortals how to access the power of their plane.
To clarify: Planar magic comes from the plane itself, not a specific creature, but to access it a mortal must usually be shown the path by an Extraplanar Being.
Planar magic, to some extent, can appear to be very similar to Divine magic and can include some healing magic. However Planar magic is raw energy has no "intent" behind it as Divine Magic has.
Planar magic is the primary form of magic for most 'Fiend' pact Warlocks, 'Great Old One' pact Warlocks and Divine Soul Sorcerers.
Arcane Magic
The actual origin of arcane magic is, currently, still something of a mystery, but the best scholars in the Empire believe that it is drawn directly from the Prime Material plane - the Universe in which Oberon is situated at the centre of. The basis for this belief is the the Prime Material is closely bound to the Ethereal, Astral, Elemental, Nature and Shadow planes into which arcane magic allows direct access. Users of arcane magic have the most versatility and their power appears to come from all planes that the Prime Material borders on to. Hence the source of this power is, most likely the Prime Material itself.
Arcane magic can be obtained directly from study. No supernatural heritage, divine grace, pact or other bond is required to access this. It can learnt much as one might learn another language. Whilst it might take some people years to learn even a few cantrips, anyone of sufficient intellect is actually able to use arcane magic. It is for this very reason the the teaching of magic is regulated by the Chancery.
Arcane magic is also able to create a facsimile of life itself. Wizards are able to create Homunculi, Simulacrum and Clones. These 'vessels' may have some semblance of intellect but none have souls. Additionally, arcane magic may be used to prolong life via the creation of Soul Jars and Phylactery - stopping the soul from reaching the afterlife. Unlike Divine or Planar magic this is never in accordance with the will of a Divine or Extraplanar being, although it can (and frequently does) invoke their ire.
Some scholars have put forward a theory that a lifetime of channelling such raw power, without the assistance of Divine or Extraplanar being to shield them from the most destructive forces, gradually erodes the one thing that connects the user to the Outer Planes: their soul.
Arcane magic is the primary form of magic for Wizards, Bards, Arcane Tricksters, Eldritch Knights, Dragon Sorcerers, Wild Magic Sorcerers.
Elemental Magic
Elemental magic is the primary form of magic for Storm Sorcerers and some Barbarians. Druids also cultivate access to elemental magic.
Nature Magic
Beyond the Green Veil is the Feywild - the plane of existence from which the Fey originate and which is also the source of Nature Magic.
The Feywild is a plane immediately adjacent to the Prime Material and the barriers between these two planes is sufficiently weak in places that creatures sometimes stumble across the point of access from one plane to another. The barriers between the Feywild and the Prime Material additionally become stronger or weaker depending on the seasons. Midsummer Night is well known to be the time at which the two planes are most in synch with each other.
The flora and fauna of the Feywild are not like that of the Prime Material for they are linked in an intricate network of energy that specialists in Nature Magic can tap into and use to affect flora or fauna posses on the Prime Material. Nature magic cannot be used to affect the incorporeal or deceased for such things are disconnected from the network.
Nature magic is the primary form of magic for Druids, Rangers, 'Archfey' pact Warlocks and some Barbarians.
Shadow Magic
Beyond the Shadow Veil is the Shadowfell - the plane of existence is the source of Shadow Magic.
Although typically shown as being in opposition to the Feywild, the Shadowfell is not actually a discreet plane but more like a writhing mass of black tendrils which exist anywhere within the inner planes. Shadow can be found under the storm clouds and rocky outcrops of the elemental places, under the boughs of the great trees of the Feywild, and behind all mortals illuminated by the morning sun. It forms a web through which all the Inner planes are linked and, as such, draws raw energy from.
Shadow magic can be used to form objects out of shadow, regions of darkness, summon spectres or even to traverse the inner planes.
Shadow magic is the primary form of magic for Shadow Sorcerers and Hexblade Warlocks.
