Components and Foci - The Materials of Magic

What is it all for? Why this abundance of impedimenta, the curious, the dried-up, the priceless and the revolting? Why does arcane magic – and some portion of the divine – so often depend upon the use of odd bits of this and that? When hags cackled over their eye of newt and toe of dog, did they for one moment stop to consider why it was that eye of newt should be necessary? These questions will all be answered within these pages.

Magic is not entirely a science, but it does work on principles. The choice of material components for a given spell can now be shown not to be a pointless piece of arbitrary restriction, there to make spells harder to cast, nor a definite and unalterable requirement but instead a time-honored way of achieving a given effect. When the principles underlying magic are understood, more variables enter the equation. The more you know, the more you can change. The more you can change, the more you can craft spells to your own liking.

Components and Foci: The Materials of Magic is another volume in the Encyclopaedia Arcane series, focusing on libraries and the tomes within them, both mundane and mystical. Designed for easy integration with any fantasy-based D20 games system, the Encyclopaedia Arcane series does far more than merely introduce new spells or items to extend existing magic-using character classes. Instead, each book covers wholly new forms of magic or details aspects of magic-using characters’ lives in extensive detail, adding fresh dimensions to campaigns. Such information is not intended solely for the Games Master to use in association with non-player characters, however. Each book of the Encyclopaedia Arcane gives full details for players themselves to try the new systems presented, along with plenty of information to aid the Games Master in the introduction of each book into his campaign.

This volume presents the first ever serious study of the long-neglected questions of why material components are used in spells, what logic governs their use and whether or not it is possible to change them. We look at the typical components used in arcane spells and outline the key principles on which they work. An exhaustive treatment of the standard arcane spells is then provided which will inject new life and creativity into spellcasting. By daring to challenge the wisdom of the ages and use their own home-brewed recipes rather than keeping slavishly to the old ones, players may gain hitherto inaccessible levels of spell potency. Beware, however, for there is a price; he who presumes to tamper with magic must be very sure of himself, or he will cause an imbalance in the arcane forces and he will be the first to suffer for it. Even the slightest error can cause a side effect. While some of these are relatively harmless, others can cause disfigurement, crippling injury or even death. To the courageous mages who are willing to read on, this is a risk well worth taking.