Magic System
To make it easier to track your character’s Magical Spheres and Paths, see our Magic Powers List Creator.
Unlike most systems, there is not a designated affinity for each path of magic in Huldufolk. Instead, when a character learns the first level of a Greater Path, they decide which affinity they want use for that Path. The chosen affinity is then used to calculate their test pools whenever necessary, and changes the form and appearance of their magic. That Path and that affinity are forever tied together. If a character loses access to the Affinity, their magic will be weakened, denying access to the spend effects of the Path. If a characters has a Focus on that Affinity, they gain +2 to pools in that Path.
No two Huldufolk use magic the exact same way. A character who works the miracles of the Creation [Life] Path based on their Computers affinity may create autonomous drones or AI systems, while a character who works that Path with their Artistry affinity may bring sculptures to life or grant sentience to paintings. Because of this variance, and the relatively broad nature of Huldufolk powers, it can be very difficult to know for certain what Path and power is being used at any given time. A player can describe their magic in any way appropriate to their affinity and Path.
Resolving Magical Conflicts
There are several powers in Huldufolk which directly oppose another character’s efforts. Typically, a character defends against a magical attack with their defensive threshold. However, in cases where both characters are attempting to achieve a mutually-exclusive goal (e.g., two characters both attempting to claim a Demesne), each character builds their attack pool as normal, and contests with that. Given the many variances in Huldufolks’ approaches to magic, the conflicts can be very strange events.
EX: Bill the Elf and Sally the Demon both attempt to claim Demesne over a single location. Bill is using his Quality of Domineering and his affinity of Computers. Sally is using her Quality of Avaricious and her affinity of Diplomacy. Bill’s spell takes effect as a cloud of electricity attempting to paralyze Sally and throw her out of the contested area. Sally’s power manifests as whispered words, twisting and shaping Bill’s mind until he realizes that he abandoned the claim apparently of his own volition. Unless specified in a power description, magic does not inflict mechanical damage even if its narrative effects would otherwise do so. A character using Melee Combat to bludgeon their enemy into submission finds that the damage is illusory and fades as soon as the contest of powers is over.