Description
The magical world of Alyria is a complex one. The same underlying forces that create the effects known as magic can be tapped in varied ways, producing many different disciplines of the occult and spellcasting. For instance, Wizards will call upon the ethereal forces using combinations of reagents (ingredients designed to fuel a spell), speech (words and inflection), and/or somatic movements (hand and arm movements, as well as body stances). Druids, on the other hand, can call upon elemental forces present in the physical plane and channel them through their bodies by using will power alone, although they cannot produce as complicated and specific an effect as the Wizard.
Scrolls and Spellbooks
Most magical spells start out scribed with magical ink on specially- prepared paper. These are known as SPELL SCROLLS. Scrolls can be USEd directly to swiftly cast a spell once with the MAGICAL ITEMS proficiency, and do not require reagents in those cases. Spell scrolls can also usually be SCRIBED into SPELLBOOKS, increasing the spell's skill power. Once directly cast, or scribed into a spellbook, the scroll will disappear.
Spellbooks are collections of magical spells. These books themselves have power, but are not required to cast any spell which you have the proficiency in casting. Casting a spell still may require a combination of magical reagents, verbal intonations, and some somatic gestures to pull off.
Magical Reagents
One common similarity among most of the magic-using classes is the requirement of REAGENTS. Reagents are the ingredients that make up most powerful magics they are specially-prepared substances capable of producing reactions when combined with other reagents and the binding forces of the ethereal plane. Reagents are required for many spells, as they provide additional power and definition in a spell's outcome. Magic users can attempt to cast some spells without reagents, and in cases where the will and power of the caster is strong enough, may succeed.