Magic

To cast magic is not just to act—it is to shift. To become a vessel and a channel of volatile power.

The practice of magic in Narateer is not a memorized trick or mechanical task. It is a surrender to something vast. You do not control magic—you open to it. Whether ancestral, elemental, divine, primal, psionic, infernal, or unknowable, the current flows through you in raw and volatile form. Every spell is a risk. Every surge is a story.

Each caster must learn to enter a Trance—a dangerous alignment of body, breath, focus, and will—to serve as conduit for the power they wield. In doing so, they do not command magic. They survive it.

To act, to burn, to shape, to fracture—it begins with how much power you dare to hold.

What Is Magic?

Magic is the act of surrendering to a power beyond the self and shaping it into form. This act is mediated through a Trance, a heightened state that allows a character to convert Action Dice (AD) into Magic Dice (MD).

Magic is:

• A force shaped through surrender and control.
• A resource flow tied to your Skills and limits.
• A volatile current that pushes back when forced.
• A state of attention, risk, and transformation.

Ask yourself:

• What stirs your magic: emotion, memory, pain, purpose, faith, hunger, command, or communion?
• How does your Trance appear at the table?
• What does it cost you to hold the current open?
• What happens when you reach for more than you can safely bear?

Magic Dice and Dice Conservation

Magic Dice are not separate points, slots, charges, or tokens. They are your own dice turned toward magic.

A Trance changes the state of your dice. It does not create new dice.

Dice Conservation: Your total number of Action Dice and Magic Dice should always equal your current dice body. Magic changes dice state; it does not create extra dice.

For example, if you convert 3 Ready AD into 3 Ready MD, you now have 3 fewer Ready AD and 3 more MD. Your total dice count has not changed.

Magic Pool Structure

Your Magic Pool tracks the flow of Magic Dice (MD) as they move through three zones on your personal Magic Pool Card.

• Ready MD — Magic Dice ready to spend.
• Casting Zone — Dice currently committed to a spell.
• Used MD — Magic Dice already used or depleted, awaiting refresh or release.

Magic Dice may move between these zones through Trance, spellcasting, refresh, release, Scene Reset, and Overcharge.

Magic Pool Limit

Your Magic Pool Limit (MPL) is the maximum number of Magic Dice you can safely hold across all Magic Pool zones.

Magic Pool Limit = Highest magic Skill Level

Your MPL includes:

• Ready MD
• Used MD
• MD committed in the Casting Zone

You cannot safely hold more MD than your MPL. If your total MD exceeds your MPL, your Trance becomes Overcharged.

Trance Uses

A caster can only safely open or deepen a Trance a limited number of times before rest.

Trance Uses per Long Rest = Highest magic Skill Level

You spend 1 Trance Use when you:

• Enter Trance safely.
• Deepen Trance safely.

A Trance Use represents opening the channel with discipline, preparation, and control. Once all Trance Uses are spent, you may still force magic, but doing so is dangerous.

Trance States

A Trance has a base state and may also become Overcharged.

Do not track Stable and Unstable Magic Dice separately. Track the Trance itself.

If any part of the current Trance is created by Forced Entry or Forced Deepening, the entire Trance becomes Unstable until it ends.

If your total MD exceeds your MPL, your Trance becomes Overcharged. While Overcharged, the entire Trance behaves as Unstable. Overcharge ends when your total MD is equal to or lower than your MPL.

If the Trance was Stable before becoming Overcharged and was not otherwise forced, it returns to Stable when Overcharge ends. If the Trance was already Unstable, it remains Unstable until it ends.

Entering Trance Safely

You may Enter Trance safely if:

• You are not already in Trance.
• You have at least 1 Trance Use remaining.
• You have Ready AD available to convert.

To Enter Trance safely:

1. Spend 1 Trance Use.
2. Choose how many Ready AD to convert into MD, up to your Magic Pool Limit.
3. Move those dice directly into your Ready MD zone.
4. Your Trance becomes Stable.

No roll is required.

Example: Safe Entry

Senna has Magic Pool Limit 3 and 3 Trance Uses remaining. She spends 1 Trance Use and converts 3 Ready AD into 3 Ready MD. Her Trance is Stable.

Deepening Trance Safely

If you are already in Trance, you may Deepen Trance safely if:

• You have at least 1 Trance Use remaining.
• You have Ready AD available to convert.
• You have space remaining in your Magic Pool.

To Deepen Trance safely:

1. Spend 1 Trance Use.
2. Choose how many Ready AD to convert into MD, up to your remaining Magic Pool space.
3. Move those dice directly into your Ready MD zone.
4. If your Trance was Stable, it remains Stable.

No roll is required.

Example: Safe Deepening

Marrow is already in a Stable Trance and currently holds 1 Ready MD. Her MPL is 3, so she has room for 2 more MD. She spends 1 Trance Use and converts 2 Ready AD into 2 Ready MD. She now holds 3 MD total and remains Stable.

Forced Entry or Forced Deepening

If you have no Trance Uses remaining, or you choose not to spend one, you may force the channel.

Forced magic is dangerous. You are opening the current without safe control.

To Force Entry or Force Deepening:

1. Choose how many Ready AD you attempt to convert into MD, up to your available Magic Pool space unless a spell, power, relic, feature, or Guide ruling permits deliberate Overcharge.
2. Roll those dice.
3. Each die showing ⚫⚫ or ⚫ becomes 1 Ready MD.
4. Each die showing ⚪ fails to convert. Reroll each failed die:
   • ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → the die becomes Used AD.
   • ⚪ → the die becomes Wounded AD.
5. If this is Forced Entry and no MD are created, you do not enter Trance.
6. If this is Forced Deepening, your current Trance becomes Unstable whether or not new MD are created.
7. If at least 1 MD is created by force, your Trance becomes Unstable.
8. If your total MD now exceeds your MPL, your Trance becomes Overcharged.

Forced magic cannot create extra dice. Each die can only become one die: Ready MD, Used AD, or Wounded AD.

Example: Forced Entry

Veyra has no Trance Uses remaining but needs magic now. She attempts to force 3 Ready AD into MD.

She rolls: ⚫⚫ | ⚫ | ⚪.

Two dice show dots, so 2 dice become Ready MD. The blank fails to convert and is rerolled.

The reroll is ⚪.

That die becomes Wounded AD. Veyra enters an Unstable Trance with 2 Ready MD and suffers 1 Wounded AD.

Overcharged Trance

Overcharge occurs when your total MD exceeds your Magic Pool Limit.

While Overcharged, the entire Trance behaves as Unstable. This means your Used MD do not refresh automatically, and Scene Reset or Release uses the Unstable rules while the excess remains.

Overcharge Amount = Total MD − Magic Pool Limit

When your Trance becomes Overcharged, immediately test the excess MD before you may spend, release, refresh, or convert those dice.

To test Overcharge:

1. Count your Overcharge Amount.
2. Choose that many MD in your Magic Pool as excess MD, unless an effect says otherwise.
3. Roll those excess MD.
4. Resolve each die:
   • ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → the die holds. It remains MD in its current MD state.
   • ⚪ → the die burns out. Convert it into Wounded AD.

Unless an effect says otherwise, the caster chooses which MD count as excess. If an enemy effect causes Overcharge, that effect may specify which MD are tested.

At the start of each of your turns, before refreshing MD or taking actions, test Overcharge again if your total MD still exceeds your Magic Pool Limit.

Overcharge ends when your total MD is equal to or lower than your Magic Pool Limit.

If the Trance was Stable before becoming Overcharged and was not otherwise forced, it returns to Stable when Overcharge ends. If the Trance was already Unstable because of Forced Entry, Forced Deepening, violent disruption, or another effect, it remains Unstable until it ends.

Principle: Power is not dangerous because it exists. It becomes dangerous when it exceeds the vessel carrying it.

Deliberate Overcharge

Safe Entry and Safe Deepening cannot exceed your MPL.

Forced Entry, Forced Deepening, spells, relics, class powers, unstable environments, or magical backlash may push you beyond your MPL. If they do, your Trance becomes Overcharged.

A caster may deliberately force beyond their MPL only when a spell, power, relic, feature, or Guide ruling permits it. Otherwise, ordinary Forced Entry and Forced Deepening are limited by available Magic Pool space.

Example: Overcharged Trance

Ivara has MPL 3 and already holds 3 MD. A forbidden relic floods her with 2 additional MD, bringing her to 5 total MD.

Her Overcharge Amount is 2.

Before she can spend, release, refresh, or convert those dice, she immediately tests 2 excess MD and rolls: ⚫ | ⚪.

One die holds as MD. One burns out and becomes Wounded AD.

Ivara now holds 4 MD, still 1 above her MPL, so she remains Overcharged. While Overcharged, her whole Trance behaves as Unstable.

At the start of her next turn, before refresh, if she still holds 4 MD, she tests 1 excess MD again.

Refreshing Magic Dice

Magic Dice refresh differently depending on whether your Trance is Stable, Unstable, or Overcharged.

Stable Trance Refresh

If your Trance is Stable, Used MD refresh automatically.

At the start of your turn:

• Move all Used MD to Ready MD, unless your refresh is impaired.

If your refresh is impaired, roll Used MD as normal for an Impaired Refresh:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → returns to Ready MD.
• ⚪ → remains Used MD.

Unstable Trance Refresh

If your Trance is Unstable, Used MD do not refresh automatically.

At the start of your turn:

1. Roll all Used MD.
2. Each ⚫⚫ or ⚫ returns to Ready MD.
3. Each ⚪ remains Used MD.

If another condition or effect also impairs your refresh, apply that effect as stated by the condition or rule.

Overcharged Trance Refresh

If your Trance is Overcharged, resolve Overcharge before refreshing.

At the start of your turn:

1. Check whether you began the turn Overcharged.
2. Test Overcharge if your total MD exceeds your MPL.
3. Check whether your Trance is still Overcharged.
4. If you began the turn Overcharged, refresh Used MD as Unstable for this turn, even if the Overcharge test reduces your total MD to your MPL or lower.
5. If you did not begin the turn Overcharged, refresh according to your current Trance state: Stable or Unstable.
6. Continue your turn.

Example: Unstable Refresh

Nyra is in an Unstable Trance with 3 Used MD. At the start of her turn, she rolls them: ⚫ | ⚪ | ⚫⚫.

Two dice return to Ready MD. One remains Used MD.

Spellcasting Sequence

Casting a spell follows the standard Skill Check sequence unless the spell says otherwise, with additional magical costs and effects.

Steps:

1. Declare what you attempt.
   • You must be in Trance.
   • State the spell, target, intent, and effect.
2. The Guide confirms whether a Skill Check is required.
3. Pay Casting Cost:
   • Spend 1 Action Die (AD), unless the spell says otherwise.
   • Spend 1 Ready Magic Die (MD), unless the spell says otherwise.
4. Decide whether to Boost:
   • You may Boost the spell by adding additional Ready AD, Ready MD, or a combination of both.
   • Unless the spell says otherwise, the maximum number of Boost dice you may add equals the Skill Level used for the spellcasting Skill Check.
   • AD committed to Boost a spell represent effort, focus, movement, breath, aim, force of will, or bodily strain poured into the casting.
   • MD committed to Boost a spell represent deeper magical current poured into the casting.
   • If a spell refers to MD used to Boost this spell, only Magic Dice count for that effect. AD Boosts can strengthen the casting attempt, but they do not count as MD-specific magical intensification.
   • If a spell is cast as a Reaction, it cannot normally be Boosted unless the spell or another rule specifically allows it.
5. Roll all committed casting dice.
6. Resolve the Edge Phase, if Advantage or Disadvantage applies.
7. Count dots: ⚫⚫ = 2, ⚫ = 1, ⚪ = 0.
8. Compare the result to the target number.
9. Resolve the Class Power Phase, if triggers apply.

Success = total dots exceed the target number.

Failure = total dots equal to or less than the target number.

A spell's target number may be a Difficulty Rating, a creature's Readiness Score, an active response roll, a Melee Exchange result where a spell specifically calls for one, or another score named by the spell or Guide.

If a spell attack targets a creature that cannot respond, the spell usually uses target number 0 unless the spell, scene, or Guide sets another number. If the target spends AD to respond, use the relevant active response roll or named response score.

After the spell resolves, all MD committed to the spell move to the Used MD zone unless the spell says otherwise. AD committed to the spell become Used AD unless another rule says otherwise.

Spell Boosting Principle

AD can strengthen the casting attempt. MD can strengthen the magical effect when the spell specifically says so.

This distinction keeps spellcasting aligned with ordinary Skill Checks while preserving the unique importance of Magic Dice.

• AD Boosts help the caster succeed at the spellcasting check.
• MD Boosts help the caster succeed at the spellcasting check and may also fuel spell-specific magical enhancements when the spell says they do.
• A spell only gains extra effects from Boost dice if the spell explicitly says so.

For example, a fire spell might say, “For each MD used to Boost this spell, increase the Burning duration by 1 round.” In that case, AD Boosts would still add dice to the casting roll, but only MD Boosts would increase the Burning duration.

Example: Spellcasting Skill Check

This example follows a Witch casting the Tier 1 spell Scorchpulse as a Skill Check attack.

1. Declare Spell: Greta, a Wildling Witch in Trance, declares Scorchpulse at a hulking brute. She names her target and intent—blast him with primal fire. Scorchpulse is a ranged spell using her Survival skill to aim and channel the effect.
2. Guide Confirms & Casting Cost: The Guide confirms this will be resolved as a spellcasting Skill Check. Because this is an attack spell, the brute's response determines the target number. If the brute cannot respond, the spell uses target number 0 unless modified. If the brute responds, Greta rolls against its active response.
3. Casting Cost: Greta pays the spell's casting cost: she spends 1 Action Die and 1 Ready Magic Die from her Magic Pool to cast Scorchpulse.
4. Decide on Boost: Greta may Boost the spell with Ready AD, Ready MD, or a combination of both, up to the spell's Boost limit. Scorchpulse uses Survival, and Greta has Survival SL 3, so she may add up to 3 Boost dice. Greta has only 1 Magic Pool Limit and has already committed her single Ready MD to cast the spell, so she Boosts with 3 Ready AD. Her total casting dice are now 1 AD + 1 MD + 3 Boosted AD = 5 dice.
5. Roll Casting Dice: Greta rolls all 5 dice together for the spell attack: ⚫ | ⚪ | ⚫ | ⚪ | ⚪ = 2. This gives 2 dots.
6. Edge Phase: Scorchpulse has Thermal Amplification—if the area is already aflame or heated, the spell attack is rolled with Advantage. In this scenario, the environment is normal, so no Advantage or Disadvantage applies.
7. Compare to Target: Greta's 2 dots exceed the brute's target number of 1. The spell attack hits.
8. Resolve Spell Effects: Scorchpulse deals fire damage and may inflict Lingering Harm (Burning), as described by the spell. If Scorchpulse includes any extra effect based on MD used to Boost the spell, Greta does not gain that extra effect because she Boosted with AD, not MD.
9. Move Used Dice: The MD committed to the spell moves to Used MD. The AD committed to the spell, including AD used to Boost, become Used AD.

Scene Reset: Holding the Trance

A Scene Reset marks a meaningful shift in the fiction: a battle ends, a new scene begins, significant time passes, the tone changes, or the story moves from one dramatic beat to another.

When the Guide calls a Scene Reset, a caster in Trance must decide:

• Release the Trance before the reset; or
• Attempt to carry the Trance through the reset.

If the caster releases the Trance, resolve Voluntary Release.

If the caster carries the Trance forward, roll to see what remains.

Stable Trance at Scene Reset

Roll all MD in your Magic Pool.

For Ready MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → remains Ready MD.
• ⚪ → returns to Ready AD.

For Used MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → remains Used MD.
• ⚪ → returns to Used AD.

If no MD remain, the Trance ends.

Unstable or Overcharged Trance at Scene Reset

If your Trance is Overcharged at Scene Reset, test Overcharge first if your total MD exceeds MPL. Then resolve the Scene Reset according to the resulting state.

If the Trance is still Overcharged, or if the underlying Trance is Unstable, use the following rules.

Roll all MD in your Magic Pool.

For Ready MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → remains Ready MD.
• ⚪ → reroll that die:
  • ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → becomes Used AD.
  • ⚪ → becomes Wounded AD.

For Used MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → remains Used MD.
• ⚪ → becomes Wounded AD.

If no MD remain, the Trance ends.

After the Scene Reset is resolved, if your total MD still exceeds your MPL, your Trance remains Overcharged and you must continue testing Overcharge at the start of each turn.

Example: Stable Scene Reset

Kael ends a battle in a Stable Trance with 2 Ready MD and 1 Used MD. The Guide calls a Scene Reset.

He rolls the Ready MD: ⚫ and ⚪. One remains Ready MD; one returns to Ready AD.

He rolls the Used MD: ⚪. It returns to Used AD.

Kael still has 1 Ready MD, so his Trance continues into the next scene.

Example: Unstable Scene Reset

Ivara carries an Unstable Trance across a Scene Reset with 2 Ready MD and 1 Used MD.

Her Ready MD roll ⚫ and ⚪. One remains Ready MD. The blank is rerolled and comes up ⚪ again, becoming Wounded AD.

Her Used MD rolls ⚪, becoming Wounded AD.

Ivara keeps 1 Ready MD, but the unstable current burns her badly as the scene shifts.

Voluntary Release: Ending Trance Safely or Unsafely

Once on your turn, as a Free Action, you may voluntarily release your Trance.

If your Trance is Overcharged, test Overcharge before you may release the Trance.

When MD leave Trance, they return to the matching AD state. A die cannot exit Trance in a better state than it currently holds.

• Ready MD may return as Ready AD.
• Used MD may return as Used AD.
• Unstable or Overcharged release may worsen dice into Wounded AD.

Stable Release

If your Trance is Stable:

• Move all Ready MD to Ready AD.
• Move all Used MD to Used AD.
• Your Trance ends.

No roll is required.

Unstable or Overcharged Release

If your Trance is Unstable or still Overcharged after any required Overcharge test, roll all MD in your Magic Pool.

For Ready MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → returns to Ready AD.
• ⚪ → reroll that die:
  • ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → becomes Used AD.
  • ⚪ → becomes Wounded AD.

For Used MD:

• ⚫⚫ or ⚫ → becomes Used AD.
• ⚪ → becomes Wounded AD.

After all dice are resolved, your Trance ends.

Example: Stable Release

Senna ends a Stable Trance with 2 Ready MD and 1 Used MD.

The 2 Ready MD return to Ready AD. The 1 Used MD returns to Used AD. Her Trance ends cleanly.

Example: Unstable Release

Orric ends an Unstable Trance with 1 Ready MD and 2 Used MD.

He rolls the Ready MD and gets ⚪. He rerolls it and gets ⚫, so it becomes Used AD.

He rolls the 2 Used MD: ⚫ and ⚪. One becomes Used AD. The blank becomes Wounded AD.

Orric's Trance ends, but the forced current leaves a wound behind.

Empty Pool

If you ever hold 0 MD, your Trance ends automatically.

No release roll occurs. There is no current left to release.

External Disruption

Some effects may end, suppress, or violently disrupt a Trance.

If an external effect suppresses or closes your Trance without violence:

• Ready MD become Used AD.
• Used MD become Used AD.
• Your Trance ends.

If an external effect violently tears, shocks, severs, corrupts, or overloads your Trance:

• Resolve Unstable Release, even if your Trance was Stable.

If an effect specifies its own result, follow that effect instead.

Repeated Magic and Scene Pressure

Magic is not an unlimited background action. If a character attempts repeated magical casting after the immediate dramatic moment is resolved, the Guide should call a Scene Reset before further meaningful magical effects continue.

This applies to any repeated magical effect: healing, harm, warding, divination, shaping, control, or other spellcasting. The rule is not about the spell's purpose. It is about the strain of keeping the current open beyond the scene that called it forth.

Guide Principle: If magic is being used to extend, bypass, or grind through the aftermath of a scene, call a Scene Reset before further meaningful magical effects continue and test whether the Trance carries forward.

Caster Archetypes — Magic Pool Themes

All casters use Magic Dice and enter Trance, but how that magic manifests—its tone, ritual, and feel—is yours to shape. These variations do not alter mechanics, but they define identity and deepen roleplay.

Quick Reference: Trance States

Quick Reference: Spell Boosting

Unless a spell says otherwise, the maximum number of Boost dice you may add equals the Skill Level used for the spellcasting Skill Check. Reaction spells cannot normally be Boosted unless the spell or another rule specifically allows it.

Summary

• Magic is accessed through Trance, converting AD into MD.
• Magic changes dice state; it does not create extra dice.
• Total AD + MD must conserve the caster's current dice body.
• Magic Pool Limit (MPL) = highest magic Skill Level.
• Trance Uses per Long Rest = highest magic Skill Level.
• Safe Entry and Safe Deepening each cost 1 Trance Use and require no roll.
• Forced Entry and Forced Deepening roll the AD being converted, up to available Magic Pool space unless Overcharge is explicitly permitted.
• In forced conversion, dots become Ready MD; blanks are rerolled. A second blank becomes Wounded AD.
• A Trance is Stable if entered and deepened only with Trance Uses.
• A Trance becomes Unstable if any part of it is created by force.
• A Trance becomes Overcharged if total MD exceeds MPL.
• While Overcharged, the whole Trance behaves as Unstable.
• When Overcharge begins, immediately test excess MD before spending, releasing, refreshing, or converting those dice.
• Unless an effect says otherwise, the caster chooses which MD count as excess.
• While total MD remains above MPL, test excess MD again at the start of each turn before refresh.
• If you began the turn Overcharged, refresh Used MD as Unstable for that turn even if the Overcharge test ends the Overcharge.
• Overcharge ends when total MD ≤ MPL.
• If the Trance was Stable before Overcharge and was not otherwise forced, it returns to Stable when Overcharge ends.
• If the Trance was already Unstable, it remains Unstable until it ends.
• Stable Trance refreshes Used MD automatically unless impaired.
• Unstable Trance rolls Used MD to refresh.
• Casting a spell follows the standard Skill Check sequence unless the spell says otherwise.
• Spells compare their result to a target number, which may be a DR, Readiness Score, active response roll, Melee Exchange result where the spell calls for one, or another named score.
• Spells spend Ready MD and may be Boosted with Ready AD, Ready MD, or a combination of both unless the spell says otherwise.
• Unless a spell says otherwise, a spell's Boost limit equals the Skill Level used for the spellcasting Skill Check.
• AD Boosts strengthen the casting attempt and become Used AD after the spell resolves.
• MD Boosts strengthen the casting attempt and may also fuel MD-specific magical enhancements if the spell says so.
• A spell only gains extra effects from Boost dice if the spell explicitly says so.
• If a spell is cast as a Reaction, it cannot normally be Boosted unless the spell or another rule specifically allows it.
• At Scene Reset, roll MD to see what remains in Trance.
• During a Stable Scene Reset, Ready MD either remain Ready MD or return cleanly to Ready AD.
• During a Stable Scene Reset, Used MD either remain Used MD or return to Used AD.
• Used MD cannot return as Ready AD.
• Stable Release: Ready MD → Ready AD; Used MD → Used AD.
• Unstable or Overcharged Release may convert MD into Ready AD, Used AD, or Wounded AD depending on state and roll.
• If you hold 0 MD, Trance ends automatically.
• Repeated magic beyond the immediate scene should trigger Scene Reset pressure before further meaningful magical effects continue.