Magic and Languages in Kyrell
PDFThe Orders of Wizardry are the only sanctioned path to formal arcane training in Kyrell. All wizards receive their training from the Orders and at least nominally belong to the Order. Arcane casters who do not belong are Renegades. See the Orders of Wizardry document for full details.
The Orders and Arcane Training
The Orders of Wizardry are the only sanctioned path to formal arcane training in Kyrell. All wizards receive their training from the Orders and at least nominally belong to the Order. Arcane casters who do not belong are Renegades. See the Orders of Wizardry document for full details.
Sacred Magi -- The Language of Magic
The arcane language of Kyrell is Sacred Magi -- literally "the language of the gods" -- rather than Draconic as in most settings. All spellbooks, Order documents, and magical inscriptions are written in Sacred Magi.
Rules:
- Sacred Magi is a standard language and must be learned (costs one language selection, or is available as a bonus language where applicable).
- Knowledge of Sacred Magi grants no casting ability whatsoever. It is literacy and communication only.
- Without Sacred Magi, a wizard cannot read a spellbook -- including one they previously wrote, if they have since lost the language. This applies equally to the wizard's own spellbook and to spellbooks scribed by others.
- Anyone may learn Sacred Magi. The Orders restrict who may use magic; they do not restrict who may read their documents (beyond restricted collections requiring special authorization).
Draconic -- The Forbidden Language
Draconic is not merely rare in Kyrell -- it is actively forbidden by social and political consensus, and by the dragons themselves.
- All dragons, including good-aligned ones, will not tolerate mortals speaking their language. This is a matter of draconic cultural sovereignty, not morality.
- Learning Draconic requires a willing teacher (nearly impossible to find) or a Tongues spell (temporary comprehension only; does not teach the language permanently).
- Openly demonstrating knowledge of Draconic attracts immediate hostile attention from the Orders of Wizardry and serious social consequences everywhere in civilized Dracomere.
- Sorcerers with draconic bloodlines would normally receive Draconic as a bonus language (PHB p.102). In Kyrell, they instead receive Sacred Magi. Pursuing Draconic knowledge is a significant in-world choice with dangerous consequences.
Teleportation Instability
All teleportation magic is inherently risky in Kyrell.
Rule: Whenever a character casts a spell with the teleportation tag (Misty Step, Thunder Step, Dimension Door, Teleport, Word of Recall, Plane Shift, etc.), the caster makes an Arcana check against a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. On a failure, roll on the Teleportation Mishap Table.
Misty Step and similar 2nd-level-or-lower spells may use a DC of 12 flat at the GM's discretion for lower-lethality games.
Teleportation Mishap Table (d20):
| d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival is off-target by 1d6 × 5 feet in a random direction. No harm done. |
| 2 | All carried items clatter loudly to the floor at the destination. Everything arrives intact; the noise is considerable. |
| 3 | Arrive at the correct location but completely disoriented. Disadvantage on your first attack roll or ability check before the end of your next turn. |
| 4 | The arrival is announced by a burst of light and a resonant crack. Every creature within 60 feet that can see the destination knows exactly where you appeared. |
| 5 | One nonmagical item the caster is carrying is left behind at the point of departure (GM's choice; roll randomly if needed). |
| 6 | All travelers arrive deafened until the end of their next turn. |
| 7 | The crossing leaves a traceable magical residue. Detect Magic cast at the destination within the next hour automatically reveals where you arrived. |
| 8 | Arrive at the correct destination 1d4 rounds later than intended. From the destination's perspective, nothing appears until you arrive. |
| 9 | The caster loses concentration on any currently maintained spells. Passengers are unaffected. |
| 10 | Arrive 1d6 × 10 feet off-target in a random direction. |
| 11 | Each traveler must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of their next turn. |
| 12 | A spell slot of the caster's lowest available level is drained by the crossing. Passengers are unaffected. |
| 13 | All travelers arrive with 1 level of Exhaustion. |
| 14 | One random passenger (or the caster, if alone) is separated, arriving at the intended destination 1d4 rounds later. The rest of the group arrives normally. |
| 15 | Each traveler must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of their immediate surroundings until the end of their next turn. |
| 16 | The caster takes 2d8 psychic damage from the strain of the crossing. Passengers are unaffected. |
| 17 | Caster takes 4d6 force damage from planar turbulence. Passengers are unaffected. |
| 18 | The crossing attracts the notice of a planar entity. Something is now aware of the travelers' location; the GM determines its nature and intentions. |
| 19 | Group arrives at the correct destination but inside solid matter; each creature is shunted to the nearest open space and takes 2d6 force damage. |
| 20 | Caster and all passengers are delayed 1d4 rounds in a planar interstice, unable to act. Any creature capable of reaching into planar space may target them during this time (GM's discretion). |
Languages of Kyrell
Standard Languages
| Language | Script | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tradetongue | Common | Default language across Dracomere |
| Dwarvish | Dwarvish | Language of the Thwarch |
| Elvish | Elvish | Low form used by High Elves with outsiders |
| Gnomish (Gnomoi) | Dwarvish | Language of gnomes |
| Goblin | Dwarvish | Language of goblinoids |
| Halfling (Hearthspeak) | Common | Language of halflings |
| Orc | Dwarvish | Language of orcs |
| Barric | None -- no written form | Language of the Eastern Plains barbarian tribes |
| High Rondic | Common | Ancient Weohstan formal tongue; still used in noble ceremonies |
| The Wind | None -- no written form | Language of Wild Elves |
| Tarrun | Dwarvish | Language of Minotaurs |
| Undercommon (Shadowwhisper) | Elvish | Underworld trade language |
Exotic Languages
| Language | Script | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elysorian | Elvish (Fey variant) | True tongue of High Elves. Never taught to outsiders. |
| Kajimi | Common variant | Language of the Kajiman people |
| Drow (Drastii) | Elvish | Language of the Drow. Velkhrun speak i'Drastii (mutually intelligible). |
| Sacred Magi | Sacred Magi | Language of magic. Required to read spellbooks. Grants no casting ability. |
| Celestial | Celestial | Language of good-aligned outsiders |
| Abyssal / Infernal (Marusk) | Infernal | Language of evil-aligned outsiders; both are used |
| Draconic | Draconic | Language of dragons. Dragons actively hunt anyone known to speak it. |
| Primordial | Dwarvish | Language of elementals |
| Sylvan (Feyen) | Elvish | Language of the Fey |
Special Rules
Barric and The Wind have no written form and cannot be written down in any meaningful way. No spell, feat, or ability creates a written form for these languages -- they exist only as sound, inflection, and physical gesture. Comprehend Languages allows a character to understand them when heard, but not to read them (there is nothing to read).
Elysorian: High Elves will not respond in Elysorian to any non-High Elf, regardless of circumstances. A character who has learned Elysorian through extraordinary means will find that High Elves switch to another language rather than acknowledge it. Using Elysorian in the presence of High Elves is at minimum a serious social violation; within the Forest of Slumbering Dreams, it is grounds for immediate expulsion or worse. Tongues allows a character to speak and be understood in Elysorian, but High Elves will respond in Common anyway.