Star Magic - Wisdom of the Magi

It all started when the first mortal looked up at the night sky. There he saw the infinite dance of the stars. The short trip from wonder to questioning took but an instant. From those first questions the magi sprang. The magic held in the stars represents the powers that the gods used to make the world. The stars stand as the anchor points in the universal design. Channeling their power allows the magician to create effects in the world without fundamentally altering the shape or nature of the universe.

It is a subtle, gentle magic based on knowledge and personal exploration, not the rending and tearing of the world. Magi stand at the summit of the star magic world but nearly any arcane magician can learn to channel a few stars or constellations. A magician's knowledge of the stars progresses naturally from studies of other schools of magic. A student can sample from many styles and schools without limiting himself to one.

Many arcane magicians find their abilities greatly enhanced with the addition of a few stars or constellations to their spells. If nothing else the study is good for them, enhancing their knowledge of the universe. A few find the subject so fascinating that they turn their backs on the other schools of magic entirely, focusing all their hearts and souls into a single area of study. In this they join their brothers the necromancers, diviners, and transmuters of the world looking for the key to power in a single source.

This volume of the Encyclopaedia Arcane series gives players and Games Masters alike the information they need to begin using star magic in their campaign. You will find chapters exploring the interaction between star magic and standard schools, discussions of the various character classes in relationship to star magic, and an exciting new set of feats to help you customize characters. New magic items and a host of new spells await you as well.

Star magic is not for every player. It requires forethought, planning, and a considerable patience to be successful. Unlike the 'standard' schools star magic requires a host of prerequisite knowledge in order to use the higher-level abilities. Those who lack the discipline to see beyond their immediate needs will end up seriously weakened as they gain experience.

For those with the willingness to plan though star magic represents a unique approach that rewards their care. Magi possess powers that other arcane magicians can only envy. They also accept limits that would harrow another magician's soul.

Additionally classes other than magicians gain benefits from star magic. A unique set of feats provides all character classes with advantages for being born under a favorable star. These signs represent just one way that non-magical classes could reap benefits from including star magic in a campaign.