User:MisterSinister/TOToM (3.5e Sourcebook)/SRP1/Schools and Tags

Schools and Tags

Schools of Magic
The eight schools of magic (plus the universal abilities, which aren't actually a school in themselves) are broad definitions of abilities that define what sort of effects they have. These have their own rules in some cases.

Abjuration
Abilities from this school affect other abilities. These abilities are usually defensive in nature, but also often interfere with the workings of other abilities, or cause them to function in ways they normally wouldn't. Most protective abilities are abjurations.

Special: If an abjuration ability creates a barrier that keeps out certain creatures or objects, this barrier cannot be pushed aggressively against such creatures or objects. If this is done, the user will feel a pressure against the barrier, and repeated attempts will cause the ability to fail.

Conjuration
Conjuration abilities create matter in all forms. [Summoning] and [Calling] abilities are nearly always conjurations, as well as any abilities that create objects out of thin air. Creatures that you conjure usually, but not always, obey your commands. Conjuration cannot manipulate matter (like transmutation), nor does it create or manipulate energy (like evocation).

Divination
Divination abilities give access to information or sensory input that would not otherwise be available to the user. All abilities that involve perceiving anything that wouldn't normally be visible, audible etc., predicting things to come, or viewing remote locations are divinations.

Special: A divination with a cone-shaped area extends from its user the given distance, and can move with them. It extends in the direction that the user looks, and the cone defines the area that the user can sweep or cover each round.

Enchantment
Enchantment abilities affect, control or alter the minds of other beings. Abilities that induce fear, emotion or similar things, as well as anything that affects memory, are enchantments. Most enchantments have the [Mind-Affecting] tag.

Evocation
Evocation abilities create, control and alter energy. Abilities with the [Teleport] tag or that involve planar travel, as well as anything that controls gravity, fire or a similar energy, are all evocations. Evocations tend toward big, explosive effects. Evocation cannot create or manipulate matter (that's what conjuration and transmutation are for, respectively).

Illusion
Illusion abilities affect, control or alter the senses of other beings, as well as magical or supernatural 'senses'. Abilities which create images of things that are not real, alter appearances and dull or remove certain senses are all illusions. Illusion cannot give access to genuine information, and also cannot be used to give senses (as both of those are divination's job).

Necromancy
Necromancy abilities manipulate life and death. Abilities that deal with negative and positive energy, healing, souls and the undead are all part of the school of necromancy.

Transmutation
Transmutation abilities alter and manipulate matter. Transmutation cannot create matter (that's conjuration's job) and it can't create or alter energy (that's evocation).

Tags
These are ability descriptors that give more information about the ability that just their school would suggest. Some tags are grouped, while others are standalone.

Tag Groups
This includes all tag groups. These contain the following tags. The full list is here.


 * [Calling]
 * [Complex]
 * [Darkness]
 * [Elemental]
 * [Energy]
 * [Exotic]
 * [Image]
 * [Light]
 * [Negative]
 * [Phantasm]
 * [Positive]
 * [Simple]
 * [Summoning]
 * [Suppressible]
 * [Transferable]

Individual Tags
These are standalone tags. The full list is here.


 * [Charm]
 * [Compulsion]
 * [Creation]
 * [Death]
 * [Fear]
 * [Force]
 * [Investment]
 * [Language-Dependent]
 * [Mind-Affecting]
 * [Object]
 * [Ray]
 * [Scrying]
 * [Sonic]
 * [Spread]