Caldwen Colleges of Magic

In my endeavor to flesh out the various colleges of Caldwen, it became necessary to define what their general disciplines were. For this, I followed existing wisdom, so to speak. I didn't like the original definitions I found, however. They seemed imprecise or flawed in some way. I wrote new ones to minimize overlap, which will cause some spells to shift from what players may be used to, to new groups. That's not necessarily an issue, since Calidar relies on a system neutral way of referring to game mechanics (therefore spell names are never mentioned specifically in the text.) In and of itself, this is a design challenge. Here's the list of my definitions. Feel free to kibbitz!

Abjuration: The will to reject or deny evokes the power to block, remove, undo, dismiss, or banish unwanted conditions or creatures. Abjuration is the primary form of magic for protective spells.

Alteration: The will to change what already exists into something else evokes the power to subtly modify or completely transform a condition (metathesis), an object (transmutation), a creature (metamorphosis), or their locations (transference—generally moving away, otherwise see Conjuration).

Conjuration: The will to call forth what exists elsewhere evokes the power to fetch an object or summon a creature (generally moving toward the caster, otherwise see Alteration).

Divination: The will to perceive what is unknown evokes the power to distinguish what lies beyond normal senses, or attain a higher consciousness to learn and comprehend what lies out of reach.

Invocation: The will to bring into existence something that did not exist evokes the power to create matter, energy, and visible or invisible forces that are tangible.

Enchantment: The will to enable or disable evokes the power to bestow properties upon objects and beings, or manipulate the will and abilities of others (affecting natural senses, however, pertains to Illusions).

Illusion: The will to deceive evokes the powers to control one’s natural perception of reality, to suggest thoughts and emotions, to impair logic, to blur the limit between conscious and subconscious, and to bring to life the imaginary. Illusion parallels Invocation in that effects may be tangible, as imagination, if strong enough, taps directly into Calidar’s world soul—the very source of magic and life itself.

Necromancy: The will to master death evokes the power to control or corrupt the nature of one’s own life or the lives of others, and all that dwells between life and death. It is an essential discipline meant to unveil the fabric and origins of Calidar’s world soul, the netherworld, and the divine.