Magic in Faerun, the Forgotten Realms in general, and in all of D&D comes from something called the Weave. It's sort of the bedrock foundation of reality, existing in all places simultaneously and binding the multiverse together. Certain gifted individuals can manipulate the Weave for different effects, pulling on its individual strings to call forth power from different places. This is called Magic.
There's the weave, which is basically the laws of physics that keep the wild energy that is magic in check. Spellcasters can tap into it using focuses, gestures, and incantations.
Casting a spell is sort of like tapping a tuning fork, and your will is made real through whatever frequency you tapped.
Wizards learn how to do this, it's like quantum mechanics level knowledge. Sorcerers can do it naturally, they have an innate connection to the raw fiber of existence. Warlocks gain their attunement from their patrons. Bards... they're basically literal tuning forks https://omegle****/https://xender.vip/ .
Across the entire breadth of D&D? Definitely. One of the big events of the Forgotten Realms timeline is the Time of Troubles. Iirc the god of magic either died or abdicated the position, and as you can imagine that had major consequences for the whole setting. Basic spells going wild was just the start of it. And there's the Dark Sun setting, where arcane magic can leech the life out of the land from repeated use. Now, I don't believe 5e has published any official adventures or suchlike that play into that; they've generally avoided writing material that outright hobbles certain classes, but spend some time searching online and I'm sure you can find all kinds of suggestions on how to apply some chaos to spellcasting.
Magic in Faerun, the Forgotten Realms in general, and in all of D&D comes from something called the Weave. It's sort of the bedrock foundation of reality, existing in all places simultaneously and binding the multiverse together. Certain gifted individuals can manipulate the Weave for different effects, pulling on its individual strings to call forth power from different places. This is called Magic.
Is the weave really this fundamental to existence? Didn't it collapse at least twice (Karsus Folly and then the Spellplague)? Both timed magic ceased to function, but reality continued just fine without it.
Is the weave really this fundamental to existence? Didn't it collapse at least twice (Karsus Folly and then the Spellplague)? Both timed magic ceased to function, but reality continued just fine without it.
Not so fundamental in the 2014 PH, where the Weave is described as a mere "interface" between spellcasters and the true raw magic of reality.
Magic in Faerun, the Forgotten Realms in general, and in all of D&D comes from something called the Weave. It's sort of the bedrock foundation of reality, existing in all places simultaneously and binding the multiverse together. Certain gifted individuals can manipulate the Weave for different effects, pulling on its individual strings to call forth power from different places. This is called Magic.
Is the weave really this fundamental to existence? Didn't it collapse at least twice (Karsus Folly and then the Spellplague)? Both timed magic ceased to function, but reality continued just fine without it.
“Just fine” is a bit of a stretch, given that magic is a part of that reality and iirc it tended to misfire or have wild magic type events spontaneously happen at least during the Spellplague.
During Karsus folly all spells not woven into something ( items, etc) as well as the Mythallars of the Netherese cities failed. The Mythals woven with elven high magic ( and maybe epic level magic didn’t fail. The weave unraveled, except for those parts linked to items or other deities of magic in Faerun’s prime material (Correllon?). In the spell plague the weave again unraveled settling into a different structure (). Since the shadow weave followed the weave it too fell apart during 4e magic rules. This at least suggests that there is some sort of underlying structure/existence to magic that Mystra takes and weaves. I would posit that deities (and possibly psions) tap directly into this underlying “sea” of magic. Epic and elven high magic may also tap directly into this “sea”
Magic in Faerun, the Forgotten Realms in general, and in all of D&D comes from something called the Weave. It's sort of the bedrock foundation of reality, existing in all places simultaneously and binding the multiverse together. Certain gifted individuals can manipulate the Weave for different effects, pulling on its individual strings to call forth power from different places. This is called Magic.
Is the weave really this fundamental to existence? Didn't it collapse at least twice (Karsus Folly and then the Spellplague)? Both timed magic ceased to function, but reality continued just fine without it.
“Just fine” is a bit of a stretch, given that magic is a part of that reality and iirc it tended to misfire or have wild magic type events spontaneously happen at least during the Spellplague.
What I meant is that if the weave was "the bedrock foundation of reality" you'd assume that without the weave there was no reality. The multiverse would fall apart, all life would cease to exist. But, people still lived on, Toril kept turning, "reality" continued to exist. Doesn't feel like a "bedrock foundation of reality". More like a "bedrock foundation of all magical effects".
That is what it is - the foundation of magic not of all reality. - and maybe not even the real foundation of magic but just the surface layer that folks normally interact with.
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Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
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Hi all,
Is there anything I can read, or does anyone have information on where magic comes from in Faerun?
Where does it originate?
Thanks!
Magic in Faerun, the Forgotten Realms in general, and in all of D&D comes from something called the Weave. It's sort of the bedrock foundation of reality, existing in all places simultaneously and binding the multiverse together. Certain gifted individuals can manipulate the Weave for different effects, pulling on its individual strings to call forth power from different places. This is called Magic.
Thanks this was exactly what I was looking for. I will google more about this.
Check out the forgotten realms wiki for lots of detail on this
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
There's the weave, which is basically the laws of physics that keep the wild energy that is magic in check. Spellcasters can tap into it using focuses, gestures, and incantations.
Casting a spell is sort of like tapping a tuning fork, and your will is made real through whatever frequency you tapped.
Wizards learn how to do this, it's like quantum mechanics level knowledge. Sorcerers can do it naturally, they have an innate connection to the raw fiber of existence. Warlocks gain their attunement from their patrons. Bards... they're basically literal tuning forks https://omegle****/ https://xender.vip/ .
Are there any adventures that play into some part of instability when it comes to the weave? Like some sort of doomsday?
Across the entire breadth of D&D? Definitely. One of the big events of the Forgotten Realms timeline is the Time of Troubles. Iirc the god of magic either died or abdicated the position, and as you can imagine that had major consequences for the whole setting. Basic spells going wild was just the start of it. And there's the Dark Sun setting, where arcane magic can leech the life out of the land from repeated use. Now, I don't believe 5e has published any official adventures or suchlike that play into that; they've generally avoided writing material that outright hobbles certain classes, but spend some time searching online and I'm sure you can find all kinds of suggestions on how to apply some chaos to spellcasting.
Is the weave really this fundamental to existence? Didn't it collapse at least twice (Karsus Folly and then the Spellplague)? Both timed magic ceased to function, but reality continued just fine without it.
Not so fundamental in the 2014 PH, where the Weave is described as a mere "interface" between spellcasters and the true raw magic of reality.
“Just fine” is a bit of a stretch, given that magic is a part of that reality and iirc it tended to misfire or have wild magic type events spontaneously happen at least during the Spellplague.
During Karsus folly all spells not woven into something ( items, etc) as well as the Mythallars of the Netherese cities failed. The Mythals woven with elven high magic ( and maybe epic level magic didn’t fail. The weave unraveled, except for those parts linked to items or other deities of magic in Faerun’s prime material (Correllon?). In the spell plague the weave again unraveled settling into a different structure (). Since the shadow weave followed the weave it too fell apart during 4e magic rules. This at least suggests that there is some sort of underlying structure/existence to magic that Mystra takes and weaves. I would posit that deities (and possibly psions) tap directly into this underlying “sea” of magic. Epic and elven high magic may also tap directly into this “sea”
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
What I meant is that if the weave was "the bedrock foundation of reality" you'd assume that without the weave there was no reality. The multiverse would fall apart, all life would cease to exist. But, people still lived on, Toril kept turning, "reality" continued to exist. Doesn't feel like a "bedrock foundation of reality". More like a "bedrock foundation of all magical effects".
That is what it is - the foundation of magic not of all reality. - and maybe not even the real foundation of magic but just the surface layer that folks normally interact with.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.