Magic is an essential part of everyday life of the Moonlands. All Eliwan have some latent magic ability, and its not at all uncommon to find a carpenter in Naroom with ability to cast minor spells or an Underling gardener with a dream creature ring.
The Magi of the Moonlands use Dream Energy to summon creatures, power relics and cast spells. Each class gains Dream Energy at a certain rate, and is able to use varying amounts depending on their class. The classes gain more dream energy as they gain in levels. Each class has a statistic that most of their casting is based on, and high scores in that statistic will increase the amount of Dream Energy gained.
At first level, each magi starts with a Reserve of dream energy equal to half of their primary statistic, rounded up. The Full-Magi classes (Adept, Artificer, Summoner) gain Dream Energy equal to their level when they gain a new level; the Semi-Magi classes gain half (again, round up). To that, the magi may add a bonus equal to their primary statistic bonus. For characters who are multi-classed, their level is considered to be the sum of ALL magi classes, not just the class they are gaining a level in.
Example:
Cumula (an Arderial magi) starts out as a 1st Level Adept. Since Adepts have Intelligence as their primary statistic, Cumula starts with Dream Energy equal to half of her intelligence at first level. She has an Int of 14, so she starts with 7 points of Dream Energy. Later, she gains a level as an adept, and gains 2 (level) + 2 (Int bonus) more Dream Energy, for a total of 11. At 3rd level, she gains 5 more, bringing her total to 16.
Korall is an Orothean Defender. At first level, he has Dream Energy equal to half his Wisdom (the primary statistic for Defenders). Korall's wisdom is 17 - he is quite wise - so he starts with a whopping 9 points of Dream Energy. Later, he gains 2nd level as a Defender. Since the defender is a Semi-magi class, he only gains 1 (half the level) + 3 (Wisdom bonus), bringing his total to 13. Upon reaching 3rd level, he takes a level as a Summoner. The summoner's primary statistic is Charisma, not wisdom, and Korall only has a Charisma of 13. So he gains 3 (he's 3rd level, and summoner is a full-magi class) + 1 (Cha bonus). Now he has 17 Dream Energy.
Each magi has a Reserve of Dream Energy. However, they cannot access it all at once - the Dream Energy flows through them. Their Dream Energy Reserve is how much magic they can command before being fatigued, not how much power they have at their fingertips. Magi have a limit to the amount of energy they can use each round; this is known as their Dream Energy Pool. This amount is equal to their level plus 4, so a first-level magi will have 5 points of energy available in her Pool, while a 7th level magi will have 11. This is the maximum amount the magi can normally expend in one round. Each round, the magi regains points back up to his or her pool. However, if the magi cannot use energy beyond their total Dream Energy Reserve.
Example
Cumula, at 3rd level, is dueling. She can access 7 points of Dream Energy per round. In the first round, she uses up 6 energy to cast a 2nd level spell. She now has 10 left in her reserve. In the next round, she has another 7 points of Dream Energy to use. She casts another 2nd level spell, again using up 6 points of Dream Energy. She only has 4 left in her reserve. In the 3rd round, she only can use up her remaining 4 energy - she doesn't have any more to use for the day. She considers whether she should have let her Flutter Yup protect her...
In order to access more energy more quickly, a magi may elect to Focus. Focusing allows the magi to draw upon his reserves and use them up at a much faster rate. This allows a magi to cast higher level spells that he or she knows, and summon larger creatures. To focus, a magi must Concentrate (as a full round action), and make a Concentration check. The effect varies depending on the die roll:
| Roll | Effect |
| 15-19 | Next Round the magi can use 1d6 extra Dream Energy |
| 20-24 | The magi may access half of the energy remaining in his Reserve, or Twice his normal amount, whichever is greater |
| 25-29 | The magi can access ALL of the Dream Energy in his Reserve in the next round |
| 30+ | The magi can access ALL of the Dream Energy in his Reserve for the next 3 rounds. |
A magi may never access more energy in a round than he has left
in his reserve.
The Dream Energy of each region is slightly different. Each region has a distinct blend of energy from primal nodes which power the magic of the Moonlands. These nodes, which correspond to Life, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void, provide a particular 'signature' for any creatures, magi, relics, and spells of that region. Because of that, magi find it more difficult to use spells that do not correspond to their region. Relics from a different region are even harder to master, since the dream energy has been fixed within the relic.
A magi inspecting the magical aura of a spell, relic, or dream creature may make a spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level or creature CR) to identify the region or regions of the spell, relic or creature.
If the node energies are balanced, the result is a relic, spell, or creature which can be used, accessed or controlled by any magi, regardless of region. These relics, spells, and creatures are called Universal.
Core Energy is a particular type of dream energy that is tainted and corrupted - in short, evil. Core energy taints and twists anything which it affects. While exposure to fire will char a tree or reduce it to ash, exposure to core energy might twist it into a mockery of its original state. A creature which takes core energy damage may have some minor physical change - for instance a tropical vinoc might exude a foul sap or have its leaves turn a vile color. Such changes are normally only cosmetic, and will disappear when the creature returns to the Dream Plane.
Core energy sustains Core creatures, and powers most Core spells. A core spell will leave a residual taint in the area it was cast, or on the target it was cast upon. The core taint can be sensed by someone with the Magic Sense feat, and sensing a taint is a DC 15 check.
Cleansing energy is the reverse of Core energy. It specifically only affects Core creatures, and counters Core effects. Cleansing energy is generally only found in certain creatures which were specifically magined to combat the Core.
Any damage from a cleansing energy attack ONLY damages Core creatures. It will remove the core taint from an area, though most Core creatures, relics and magi cannot be cleansed so easily.
A magi may also summon a Dream Creature as a Standard Action, with a Dream Energy cost of 3 times the CR of the Dream Creature summoned. The magi must have the appropriate ring for the creature. See the Creatures section for more information.
Relics - magic items either left by the ancients or created by modern Artificers - also require Dream Energy to power them. Each relic will have one or more powers that a magi can use. In some cases, using the powers of the relic, or even empowering it to be usable, requires dream energy expenditure. See the Relics section for more information on the relics.
To use a relic to its full potential, a magi must attune to it. Each region has a different method for magi to attune to their relics; therefore each relic will have an attunement test listed (generally an ability or skill check); if multiple tests are listed, the magi must succeed in all tests to attune the relic. A magi must succeed in the attunement test, or they will not be able to use the true powers of the relic. A magi may retry attuning XXX. In some cases, a relic has an entry for Unattuned, which indicates what abilities can be used if the magi has not been able to attune the item (in some cases, trying to use the item while unattuned may have a detrimental effect).
Each magi will have a number of spells at his or her disposal. A magi casting a spell of either their own region or a spell common to all regions expends 3 points of Dream Energy per level of the Spell cast. 0-level spells (also known as Cantrips) cost 1 point of Dream Energy. A magi casting a spell from a different region (a Weaver casting an Orothean spell, for instance) spends 4 points of Dream Energy per level of the spell cast, or 2 points of Dream Energy for cantrips. Certain spells may have extended effects which may be produced by expending extra energy, either as the spell is being cast or once it is in effect. See the individual spell descriptions.
All magi classes learn spells at the same rate, regardless of class. Upon gaining a new level, a magi is eligible to learn new spells. However, magi must learn spells from a teacher who already know the spells they want to learn. Typically, a magi learns spells from a more senior magi, most of whom are willing to provide instruction for their fellows. Elders are particularly popular sources of spell information.
A magi learning spells may normally only learn spells from their own region, or those spells common to all regions (aka, Universal spells). Learning such a spell typically takes one day per level of the spell. A magi may learn a spell from a different region (provided they find someone to teach them). A magi who wants to learn spells from a diffferent region may have to spend a little more effort to persuade a magi from that region to teach the spell. It also takes twice as long (two days per level of the spell) to learn a spell from a different region.
Most Core spells are never learned by non-Core magi. For one thing, casting a Core spell just feels wrong. Most Core spells are simply too vile for an untainted magi to cast. However, there are a few spells that originate from the Core which different regions have learned to cast. The Core spells will mention who can learn and cast them. However, there always are some extra effects from harnessing the energies of the Core. Of course, finding someone to learn a Core spell from is another problem.
Each Core spell that is cast has a taint associated with it. For instance, Dream Rift opens a rift into the Dream Realm, and can be cast by Arderians. However, the spell invariably opens a rift into the darkest part of the dream realm, even though an Arderian casts it. The air around the rift would certainly feel unnnatural to any Dream Creature or untainted magi. Other spells have a similar magical feel - the feeling of taint isn't easy to conceal. Paradoxically, the taint of a Core spell is much smaller when cast by a Core magi. The Core magi isn't trying to bend unnatural magic to his will; instead he is commanding the unnatural magic naturally.
A non-tainted magi who casts a Core spell will find that their creatures are uneasy around them in the following round or two. Particularly sensitive creatures, such as Tillants, may even refuse to serve the magi for a small number of rounds [need game effect here]. At the very least, the morale of the creatures will be shaken.
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