Greetings, fellow practitioners of the arcane. Ever since the initial release of Dungeons and Dragons in 1974, magic has been an integral part of the machinations of the game, contributing to the feeling of majesty and fantasy that draws us ever more interested in D&D. Wizards perform rituals, bards sing their songs, and sorcerers sling their fire, not to mention the menagerie of monstrosities that use these arcane abilities along side us. But where does this magic come from? A question asked by the earliest of magicians, and a question that has only partially been answered to this day. We know that in the beginning of the world, Mystryl was formed of both light and dark essence, from the flesh of Shar and Selune. As Mystryl was formed, so too was the Weave: the layer of magic under the world, waiting to be used in wonderous and extreme ways. The Weave is sometimes referred to as Mystryl's body, which may or may not be entirely true. However, we know that the Weave has a few constant properties: 1, that it can be damaged and warped, 2, it can be used to create energy, and 3, it is the body of Mystra. These properties will become extremely important later.
Property 1: the Weave can be damaged and warped. We see many instances where some great calamity has made some section of the Weave unusable by mortal spellcasters, or an anomaly that distorts the spells cast in a certain area. Sometimes, the Weave can slowly repair these rips and tears, returning magical potential to an area. Let's compare the Weave to a cotton plant for a minute: a traumatizing event, some sort of insect chewing at a branch or a small flame burning away a section, and the plant can no longer produce cotton in this particular area. However, like a plant, the Weave slowly grows back any lost sections and continues to supply magic in time.
Property 2: The Weave can be used to create energy. Every spell available to adventurers has one thing in common: it creates energy of some sort, or at the very least, doesn't remove energy from the equation. Teleportation spells use energy to break the fabric of the dimension to exit and enter the dimension at different locations. We call this creating energy for the same reason it uses energy to break the bonds of molecules. Spells that create fire use this energy to increase the temperature of a given area until the air itself bursts into flame. The same is true for lighting and thunder spells; the energy is used to increase the vibration of molecules. There are, however, exceptions to this property. Most commonly 9th level spells achieve effects that cannot be explained by an increase of energy. This is where the two types of magic come into play. Let us compare the Weave to a cotton plant once again. The cotton plant grows cotton, fluffy white material, raw material that is not useful for much other than adding energy in various forms. This 'cotton' is the material that beginner and intermediate spellcasters use, merely using energy to alter the world around them. This 'cotton,' I like to refer to as 'restricted' magic. Its use is restricted to merely adding energy to the world, however expansive this one purpose ends up being. Each magic-using class has their own way of using this type of magic as well, and these differences determine what they are categorized as. Sorcerers have an innate ability to take cotton right from the branch and manipulate it just as cotton. Wizards take this cotton and weave it into thread, making it much more versatile in its uses, and able to string multiple of these threads together for more complex spells, while they still abide to the limitations of being restricted magic.
Property 3: It is the body of Mystra. Once a caster reaches a certain level, they gain access to a very different type of magic: 'lawless' magic. Lawless magic is primordial and much more dangerous than restricted magic, and is used for much grander purposes. I believe that the essence of gods and the gates between universes itself to be made up of lawless magic, the single most powerful substance to exist in the world of D&D. If we look at the cotton plant again, lawless magic can be compared the the stem, bark, and leaves of the plant; the true body of Mystra, which produces restricted magic for mortals to use in place of lawless magic. Casting a spell like Wish or Time Stop can be compared to taking a sliver of bark from the plant, peeling the tiniest bit of Mystra's body off to use as magic.
An interesting note: Divine spellcasters take from the lawless magic of whatever go they worship. The difference between Mystra and other gods is that Mystra produces restricted magic as a cotton plant produces cotton, and other gods are merely made up of lawless magic as a bush would be compared to a cotton plant. Divine spellcasters use their god's lawless magic to cast spells, but they do not need to have the great skill or talent required to take it; rather, their god gives it to them so that they may use it in moderation.
Another note: All of this speculation only holds the little credibility that it does have in the Forgotten Realms; Mystra and other events do not exist in others.
Last note: All of this is theory and speculation. There is no evidence to back up these wild claims, and the small evidence that does exist varies from DM to DM. Don't try to use this as hard evidence, for your own sake.
Property 3: It is the body of Mystra. Once a caster reaches a certain level, they gain access to a very different type of magic: 'lawless' magic. Lawless magic is primordial and much more dangerous than restricted magic, and is used for much grander purposes. I believe that the essence of gods and the gates between universes itself to be made up of lawless magic, the single most powerful substance to exist in the world of D&D. If we look at the cotton plant again, lawless magic can be compared the the stem, bark, and leaves of the plant; the true body of Mystra, which produces restricted magic for mortals to use in place of lawless magic. Casting a spell like Wish or Time Stop can be compared to taking a sliver of bark from the plant, peeling the tiniest bit of Mystra's body off to use as magic.
So if there's a Magic which it runs by-the-LAW ( and restricted ), and another one ""LAWLESS" which it runs freely, then I can notice both kinds of Magi are totally opposites to each other, so the only missing part is, Where is the ZERO zone of Magic ???? And if it exist, what name does it have ???
Needs further investigation, for sure. Needs insight checks with the Patrons, yeahh, that too. Nothing it's written........... yet.
Greetings, fellow practitioners of the arcane. Ever since the initial release of Dungeons and Dragons in 1974, magic has been an integral part of the machinations of the game, contributing to the feeling of majesty and fantasy that draws us ever more interested in D&D. Wizards perform rituals, bards sing their songs, and sorcerers sling their fire, not to mention the menagerie of monstrosities that use these arcane abilities along side us. But where does this magic come from? A question asked by the earliest of magicians, and a question that has only partially been answered to this day. We know that in the beginning of the world, Mystryl was formed of both light and dark essence, from the flesh of Shar and Selune. As Mystryl was formed, so too was the Weave: the layer of magic under the world, waiting to be used in wonderous and extreme ways. The Weave is sometimes referred to as Mystryl's body, which may or may not be entirely true. However, we know that the Weave has a few constant properties: 1, that it can be damaged and warped, 2, it can be used to create energy, and 3, it is the body of Mystra. These properties will become extremely important later.
Property 1: the Weave can be damaged and warped. We see many instances where some great calamity has made some section of the Weave unusable by mortal spellcasters, or an anomaly that distorts the spells cast in a certain area. Sometimes, the Weave can slowly repair these rips and tears, returning magical potential to an area. Let's compare the Weave to a cotton plant for a minute: a traumatizing event, some sort of insect chewing at a branch or a small flame burning away a section, and the plant can no longer produce cotton in this particular area. However, like a plant, the Weave slowly grows back any lost sections and continues to supply magic in time.
Property 2: The Weave can be used to create energy. Every spell available to adventurers has one thing in common: it creates energy of some sort, or at the very least, doesn't remove energy from the equation. Teleportation spells use energy to break the fabric of the dimension to exit and enter the dimension at different locations. We call this creating energy for the same reason it uses energy to break the bonds of molecules. Spells that create fire use this energy to increase the temperature of a given area until the air itself bursts into flame. The same is true for lighting and thunder spells; the energy is used to increase the vibration of molecules. There are, however, exceptions to this property. Most commonly 9th level spells achieve effects that cannot be explained by an increase of energy. This is where the two types of magic come into play. Let us compare the Weave to a cotton plant once again. The cotton plant grows cotton, fluffy white material, raw material that is not useful for much other than adding energy in various forms. This 'cotton' is the material that beginner and intermediate spellcasters use, merely using energy to alter the world around them. This 'cotton,' I like to refer to as 'restricted' magic. Its use is restricted to merely adding energy to the world, however expansive this one purpose ends up being. Each magic-using class has their own way of using this type of magic as well, and these differences determine what they are categorized as. Sorcerers have an innate ability to take cotton right from the branch and manipulate it just as cotton. Wizards take this cotton and weave it into thread, making it much more versatile in its uses, and able to string multiple of these threads together for more complex spells, while they still abide to the limitations of being restricted magic.
Property 3: It is the body of Mystra. Once a caster reaches a certain level, they gain access to a very different type of magic: 'lawless' magic. Lawless magic is primordial and much more dangerous than restricted magic, and is used for much grander purposes. I believe that the essence of gods and the gates between universes itself to be made up of lawless magic, the single most powerful substance to exist in the world of D&D. If we look at the cotton plant again, lawless magic can be compared the the stem, bark, and leaves of the plant; the true body of Mystra, which produces restricted magic for mortals to use in place of lawless magic. Casting a spell like Wish or Time Stop can be compared to taking a sliver of bark from the plant, peeling the tiniest bit of Mystra's body off to use as magic.
An interesting note: Divine spellcasters take from the lawless magic of whatever go they worship. The difference between Mystra and other gods is that Mystra produces restricted magic as a cotton plant produces cotton, and other gods are merely made up of lawless magic as a bush would be compared to a cotton plant. Divine spellcasters use their god's lawless magic to cast spells, but they do not need to have the great skill or talent required to take it; rather, their god gives it to them so that they may use it in moderation.
Another note: All of this speculation only holds the little credibility that it does have in the Forgotten Realms; Mystra and other events do not exist in others.
Last note: All of this is theory and speculation. There is no evidence to back up these wild claims, and the small evidence that does exist varies from DM to DM. Don't try to use this as hard evidence, for your own sake.
Three bugs on a keyboard
So if there's a Magic which it runs by-the-LAW ( and restricted ), and another one ""LAWLESS" which it runs freely, then I can notice both kinds of Magi are totally opposites to each other, so the only missing part is, Where is the ZERO zone of Magic ???? And if it exist, what name does it have ???
Needs further investigation, for sure. Needs insight checks with the Patrons, yeahh, that too. Nothing it's written........... yet.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
The Weave is mentioned in quite a few d&d books - has anyone compiled these references?
Not me, but I gonna stalk it, Bratan !!
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk