Four-by-Five Magic System

for the Fudge RPG

This page last updated July 29, 2001
Copyright 1999 by Steffan O'Sullivan
Four-by-Five Magic for Fudge
Four-by-Five Magic is a system similar to The Gramarye. You might use this system
instead of The Gramarye, not in addition to it. Four-by-Five Magic derives its name
from the Four Actions and Five Realms. In this sense it is similar to The Gramarye, but
instead of buying individual Actions and Realms as skills, you can only buy Spells from
the resulting twenty combinations of Actions and Realms.
The magic system is written for Five-Point Fudge, a simple character creation system
currently under playtest. If you are not using Five-Point Fudge, ignore any references
to points.
[Note as of March 8, 2000: At this point, I have abandoned work on
this system. I now realize it would require more work than I'm willing
to give to it to make it easy to use. So this germ of the idea is all you
get - if you can take it and run and expand it to something useful,
congratulations! Everything else on this page was written May 7,
1999, or earlier, except the final "Grimoire" section, added in 2001.]
Magical Talent Gift
The Gift, Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic, is required to learn spells in this system.
This may be bought in multiple levels - each level provides three points of mana, which is
recovered as described in The Gramarye. In Five-Point Fudge, you must have one
level of Magical Talent for each point you spend in Magic skills.
The Four Actions
Enhance: Strengthen, Heal, Enlarge, Repair, Sharpen, etc.
Diminish: Weaken, Damage, Injure, Reduce, Break, Dull, Deteriorate, etc.
Communicate with, or Sense: Read, Seek, Inform, Determine, Understand,
etc.
Control: Shape, Hold, Command, Form, Direct, Dictate, etc. Control is difficult
to learn, and you may not learn Control spells unless you spend at least three
points in the Magic Skill Group - shown by [3] after the appropriate spells.
The Five Realms
Body: Living body of sentient beings, animals, plants.
Mind: That which normally inhabits and animates a body
Spirit: That which no longer inhabits a body, or never did but bears some
resemblance to mind, or that unnaturally inhabits a body or other dwelling
(undead, etc.). Spirit is difficult to learn, and you may not learn Spirit spells unless
you spend at least three points in the Magic Skill Group - shown by [3] after the
appropriate spells.
Energy: Fire, water, air, magic, [electricity, etc.] - and, if the GM is willing, time.
Matter: Solid material with no mind - stone, metal, wood, leather, paper,
[plastic, etc.]
The Twenty Spells arranged by Realm
Enhance Body: Physical Healing, increase Strength or Agility, counter fatigue,
increase size, increase movement ability, etc.
Diminish Body: Damage, shrink, weaken, make clumsy, etc. Opposed by
Health.
Sense Body: Read an opponent, determine skill level, diagnose, determine
whereabouts, etc.
Control Body: Shapeshift, freeze in place, cause hand to attack owner, cause to
stumble, enable to fly, etc. Opposed by Health. [3]
Enhance Mind: Mental Healing, increase memory, temporarily raise intelligence,
counter mental attacks, encourage, etc.
Diminish Mind: Confuse, make stupid, induce headaches, memory loss or
distraction, discourage, etc. Opposed by Willpower.
Communicate with Mind: Telepathy, both read and send, languages. May be
Opposed by Willpower.
Control Mind: Dictate actions, emotions, attitudes, loyalties, beliefs, etc.
Opposed by Willpower. [3]
Enhance Spirit: Heal, increase size, encourage, counter attacks, etc. [3]
Diminish Spirit: Injure, shrink, weaken, etc. Opposed by the spirit's Willpower.
[3]
Communicate with Spirit: Communicate with spirits, summon. May be
Opposed by the Spirit's Willpower. [3]
Control Spirit: Dictate actions, emotions, banish from this plane, etc. Opposed
by the spirit's Willpower. [3]
Enhance Energy: Increase the size of fire, a flow of water or air, aid a wizard in
casting a spell, etc.
Diminish Energy: Reduce fire, flow of water or air, counter a magic spell, etc.
Sense Energy: Sense types of energy, clairvoyance, psychometry, foresee, etc.
Control Energy: Fireballs, jets of water or air, magical bolt, etc. [3]
Enhance Matter: Repair, strengthen, sharpen, increase utility or aesthetics,
enlarge, etc.
Diminish Matter: Damage, shrink, dull, break, warp, etc.
Sense Matter: Sense type of matter, seek out closest of a given type, determine
quality, strength, etc.
Control Matter: Shape inanimate matter, telekinesis, animation, open locks, etc.
[3]
The Twenty Spells arranged by Action
These are the same descriptions found above, simply arranged by Action instead of
Realm in case you think that way. However, sample spells, found below, are only
arranged by Realm.
Enhance Body: Physical Healing, increase Strength or Agility, counter fatigue,
increase size, increase movement ability, etc.
Enhance Mind: Mental Healing, increase memory, temporarily raise intelligence,
counter mental attacks, encourage, etc.
Enhance Spirit: Heal, increase size, encourage, counter attacks, etc. [3]
Enhance Energy: Increase the size of fire, a flow of water or air, aid a wizard in
casting a spell, etc.
Enhance Matter: Repair, strengthen, sharpen, increase utility or aesthetics,
enlarge, etc.
Diminish Body: Damage, shrink, weaken, make clumsy, etc. Opposed by
Health.
Diminish Mind: Confuse, make stupid, induce headaches, memory loss or
distraction, discourage, etc. Opposed by Willpower.
Diminish Spirit: Injure, shrink, weaken, etc. Opposed by the spirit's Willpower.
[3]
Diminish Energy: Reduce fire, flow of water or air, counter a magic spell, etc.
Diminish Matter: Damage, shrink, dull, break, warp, etc.
Sense Body: Read an opponent, determine skill level, diagnose, determine
whereabouts, etc.
Communicate with Mind: Telepathy, both read and send, languages. May be
Opposed by Willpower.
Communicate with Spirit: Communicate with spirits, summon. May be
Opposed by the Spirit's Willpower. [3]
Sense Energy: Sense types of energy, clairvoyance, psychometry, foresee, etc.
Sense Matter: Sense type of matter, seek out closest of a given type, determine
quality, strength, etc.
Control Body: Shapeshift, freeze in place, cause hand to attack owner, cause to
stumble, enable to fly, etc. Opposed by Health. [3]
Control Mind: Dictate actions, emotions, attitudes, loyalties, beliefs, etc.
Opposed by Willpower. [3]
Control Spirit: Dictate actions, emotions, banish from this plane, etc. Opposed
by the spirit's Willpower. [3]
Control Energy: Fireballs, jets of water or air, magical bolt, etc. [3]
Control Matter: Shape inanimate matter, telekinesis, animation, open locks, etc.
[3]
In addition to these spells, each of which is a skill, a character may also learn:
Alchemy *
Thaumatology *
There is no separate spell-casting skill in this system - each skill contains the ability to
cast the spells inherent in it.
Spell Potencies
Spells are divided into Potencies, rated at Fair through Superb. The potency is the same
as the target difficulty - that is, a Fairly potent spell needs a Fair or better result in order
to succeed. In addition, potency determines mana cost, at 2 mana per level - Fair spells
burn two mana, Good spells burn four, and so on. These figures can be adjusted up or
down if you want a magic-rich or magic-scarce campaign.
The GM may use a system of bonuses and penalties to the skill roll. Something similar to
those found in Section 7.14 of Fudge itself can be adapted fairly easily.
Fair Potency Spells include things that don't seem like magic to most people, but are
nonetheless caused by a magician. Some sample Fair spells include:
Enhance Body: heal a minor wound in one day instead of five.
Diminish Body: give an enemy a -1 to strike at you.
Sense Body: discover an opponent's skill level by the way he holds his sword.
Control Body: [none]
Enhance Mind: being able to remember a fairly long list of items.
Diminish Mind: allow your weak disguise to pass all but intense inspection.
Communicate with Mind: stare into a person's eyes and convey a four-word
message without speaking or moving.
Control Mind: [none]
Enhance Spirit: [none]
Diminish Spirit: [none]
Communicate with Spirit: [none]
Control Spirit: [none]
Enhance Energy: keep a fire going ten minutes after it should have died out.
Diminish Energy: kill a fire that should have kept burning.
Sense Energy: sense which rooms in the inn you are at have a lit fire.
Control Energy: [none]
Enhance Matter: make a sword less likely to break.
Diminish Matter: snap a taut rope by touching it.
Sense Matter: sense the quality of a sword by touching it.
Control Matter: [none]
Good Potency Spells include still normal events, but those which happen at strange
times. Some sample Good spells include:
Enhance Body: temporarily raise someone's Strength by two levels.
Diminish Body: cause a speaker to go hoarse.
Sense Body: diagnose the most difficult disease accurately.
Control Body: cause someone to stumble as they walk.
Enhance Mind: temporarily raise someone's Reasoning power by two levels.
Diminish Mind: make someone drunk after they've had only one small drink.
Communicate with Mind: send a silent message to someone in the same room.
Control Mind: cause someone to see something out of the corner of their eye -
nothing really there.
Enhance Spirit: strengthen a spirit by +1.
Diminish Spirit: weaken a spirit by -1.
Communicate with Spirit: ask a spirit yes or no questions and understand
the answers.
Control Spirit: [none]
Enhance Energy: increase a gust of wind to a strong blast.
Diminish Energy: reduce an attack spell by -2 damage.
Sense Energy: hear words spoken into the wind a few minutes ago.
Control Energy: cause fire to leap out of the fireplace a short distance.
Enhance Matter: allow a wooden staff to parry a sword without damage.
Diminish Matter: snap a board with a light touch.
Sense Matter: determine how much money a person is carrying.
Control Matter: open a lock with a lockpick in a few seconds - without the
lockpicking skill.
Great Potency Spells include things that most people will acknowledge to be magic -
things that go beyond the natural. These are still relatively minor effects, however. Some
sample Great spells include:
Enhance Body: run twice as fast as otherwise possible.
Diminish Body: weaken a warrior so that he can't lift his sword.
Sense Body: look at person and know their physical skills, including levels, at
+/-1 accuracy.
Control Body: freeze someone in place.
Enhance Mind: teach someone one of your skills at your level; lasts one day.
Diminish Mind: make someone forget one mental skill for a day.
Communicate with Mind: read surface thoughts of a subject.
Control Mind: create illusions which can be seen, heard, smelt, felt.
Enhance Spirit: strengthen a spirit to twice its potency.
Diminish Spirit: weaken a spirit to half its potency.
Communicate with Spirit: talk freely with any spirit.
Control Spirit: bind a spirit to specific object or allow a spirit bound in place to
roam free.
Enhance Energy: cause water to overflow a dam.
Diminish Energy: stop a fireball from doing damage.
Sense Energy: psychometry - feel the personality of the last person to use an
object.
Control Energy: ride the wind.
Enhance Matter: grow a knife into a sword.
Diminish Matter: shrink a spear to an arrow.
Sense Matter: imprint your signature on an object - be aware of who touches
it over the next week.
Control Matter: animate a pair of scissors to operate at your will from a
distance.
Superb Potency Spells include things that everyone will admit is major magic. Some
sample Superb spells include:
Enhance Body: restore a missing limb.
Diminish Body: cause damage to an enemy as if struck by an invisible sword.
Sense Body: sense when a specific person walks into a room a mile away.
Control Body: shapeshift into a hawk.
Enhance Mind: restore an insane person to mental health instantly.
Diminish Mind: drive someone mad instantly.
Communicate with Mind: read subsurface thoughts.
Control Mind: cause a character to attack his friends.
Enhance Spirit: cause a spirit to grow ten times its size.
Diminish Spirit: cause a zombie to disintegrate, freeing the spirit from the body
forever.
Communicate with Spirit: summon a spirit from another realm.
Control Spirit: banish a spirit from this plane entirely.
Enhance Energy: create a wind storm from a normal gust of wind.
Diminish Energy: nullify another magician's powerful spell.
Sense Energy: sense when magic is being used in a castle a mile away.
Control Energy: cast a large, potent fireball.
Enhance Matter: make paper as hard as rock.
Diminish Matter: snap a sword by touching it.
Sense Matter: locate the nearest quantity of gold within a mile.
Control Matter: shape stone as if it were soft putty.
Note that there are certainly more potent spells than these, but they are not available to
PC magicians. Well, they might encounter such magic ... but they can't cast it.
The Sample Spell Effects arranged as a Wizard's Grimoire
Communicate with Mind:
Fair: stare into a person's eyes and convey a four-word message without
speaking or moving.
Good: send a silent message to someone in the same room.
Great: read surface thoughts of a subject.
Superb: read subsurface thoughts.
Communicate with Spirit:
Fair: [none]
Good: ask a spirit "yes" or "no" questions and understand the answers.
Great: talk freely with any spirit.
Superb: summon a spirit from another realm.
Control Body:
Fair: [none]
Good: cause someone to stumble as they walk.
Great: freeze someone in place.
Superb: shapeshift into a hawk.
Control Energy:
Fair: [none]
Good: cause fire to leap out of the fireplace a short distance.
Great: ride the wind.
Superb: cast a large, potent fireball.
Control Matter:
Fair: [none]
Good: open a lock with a lockpick in a few seconds - without the lockpicking
skill.
Great: animate a pair of scissors to operate at your will from a distance.
Superb: shape stone as if it were soft putty.
Control Mind:
Fair: [none]
Good: cause someone to see something out of the corner of their eye - nothing
really there.
Great: create illusions which can be seen, heard, smelt, felt.
Superb: cause a character to attack his friends.
Control Spirit:
Fair: [none]
Good: [none]
Great: bind a spirit to specific object or allow a spirit bound in place to roam
free.
Superb: banish a spirit from this plane entirely.
Diminish Body:
Fair: give an enemy a -1 to strike at you.
Good: cause a speaker to go hoarse.
Great: weaken a warrior so that he can't lift his sword.
Superb: cause damage to an enemy as if struck by an invisible sword.
Diminish Energy:
Fair: kill a fire that should have kept burning.
Good: reduce an attack spell by -2 damage.
Great: stop a fireball from doing damage.
Superb: nullify another magician's powerful spell.
Diminish Matter:
Fair: snap a taut rope by touching it.
Good: snap a board with a light touch.
Great: shrink a spear to an arrow.
Superb: snap a sword by touching it.
Diminish Mind:
Fair: allow your weak disguise to pass all but intense inspection.
Good: make someone drunk after they've had only one small drink.
Great: make someone forget one mental skill for a day.
Superb: drive someone mad instantly.
Diminish Spirit:
Fair: [none]
Good: weaken a spirit by -1.
Great: weaken a spirit to half its potency.
Superb: cause a zombie to disintegrate, freeing the spirit from the body forever.
Enhance Body:
Fair: heal a minor wound in one day instead of five.
Good: temporarily raise someone's Strength by two levels.
Great: run twice as fast as otherwise possible.
Superb: restore a missing limb.
Enhance Energy:
Fair: keep a fire going ten minutes after it should have died out.
Good: increase a gust of wind to a strong blast.
Great: cause water to overflow a dam.
Superb: create a wind storm from a normal gust of wind.
Enhance Matter:
Fair: make a sword less likely to break.
Good: allow a wooden staff to parry a sword without damage.
Great: grow a knife into a sword.
Superb: make paper as hard as rock.
Enhance Mind:
Fair: being able to remember a fairly long list of items.
Good: temporarily raise someone's Reasoning power by two levels.
Great: teach someone one of your skills at your level; lasts one day.
Superb: restore an insane person to mental health instantly.
Enhance Spirit:
Fair: [none]
Good: strengthen a spirit by +1.
Great: strengthen a spirit to twice its potency.
Superb: cause a spirit to grow ten times its size.
Sense Body:
Fair: discover an opponent's skill level by the way he holds his sword.
Good: diagnose the most difficult disease accurately.
Great: look at person and know their physical skills, including levels, at +/-1
accuracy.
Superb: sense when a specific person walks into a room a mile away.
Sense Energy:
Fair: sense which rooms in the inn you are at have a lit fire.
Good: hear words spoken into the wind a few minutes ago.
Great: psychometry - feel the personality of the last person to use an object.
Superb: sense when magic is being used in a castle a mile away.
Sense Matter:
Fair: sense the quality of a sword by touching it.
Good: determine how much money a person is carrying.
Great: "imprint" your signature on an object - be aware of who touches it over
the next week.
Superb: locate the nearest quantity of gold within a mile.
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