What is the difference?
Spirits are divine power; spells are personal power. Spells come from the sorceror’s skill, and knowledge. Spirits come from the gods.
Spells tend to be flashier than spirits. Spirits are often either subtle or devastating. Where a spell will cast a lightning bolt, a spirit of nature would call lightning from the skies. A spell could engulf a few targets in a ball of fire; a retribution spirit would destroy an entire village.
What is the purpose of spirit manifestations?
Spirit manifestations are grants of divine power to a prophet. There are three basic reasons that spirit manifestations are used: to further a plot or plan of a god, to aid the worshippers of a god, and to increase the number of worshippers for a god or pantheon.
Increasing the number of worshippers can come through the conversion of non-worshippers, and the spread of current worshippers. Sometimes the two will be combined, as when the worshippers of one pantheon defeat the city or state of another pantheon’s worshippers. Often, to complete the victory, the winner will tell the loser that their god or gods are really just lesser deities of the winner’s pantheon, or different forms of a similar deity in the winner’s pantheon. Some of the losers will believe it and convert without it being called conversion.
Researching spells
In the game world, researching spells is mostly a matter of taking the time and money to create the spell formula: the mental impression, words, gestures, and/or ingredients necessary to cast the spell. As player, however, you’ll need to work with the Adventure Guide to create the spell description and requirements. All proposed spells are subject to the approval of the Guide; however, if you’re willing to work with the Guide you should be able to come up with a spell description that fits the game world your character is in.
Spirit types and finding new manifestations
A spirit can do anything related to that spirit’s type. The manifestations in Divine Lore are examples, but if you can design a new manifestation with a cool name, and your Adventure Guide allows it, your spirit can do it. Spirit manifestations must be related to the spirit type and must be religiously inspired: that is, they must be something that shows the power of your character’s god.
It’s easier if you can plan ahead, and work with the Guide to create the manifestation outside of the game. However, if you come up with one during a game session, the Guide will make a guess at the appropriate level and then add two for the level you’ll use until the Guide has had time to think about what level it should be and what its effects and requirements should be. You’ll want to make spirit manifestations as low level as you can, and then scale the effects upward, to keep the manifestation list short.
Spell types
There are six different spell types. Most spells are one of those types. A few will be more than one type.
Mental (Mentalist)
Mental magic controls and shapes a creature’s mental reactions. Mental magic can make friends, influence decisions, create illusions, and link minds.
Summoning (Summoner)
Summoning magic calls on extra-normal forces to do the sorceror’s bidding. The summoner can call on the spirits of the dead or their corpses, can summon creatures and forces from other planes or places, and can ward creatures from entering a protected area or attacking a protected creature or thing.
Divination (Diviner)
Divination magic seeks out information, detects information, and discovers hidden truths and concealed secrets.
Transmutation (Transmuter)
Transmutation magic alters existing things. It can change shapes, change materials from one type to another, and can even change a creature from one kind to another. It can alter a creature’s abilities or change physical aspects of creatures and things.
Metamagic (Metamagician)
Metamagic works with and alters other magics. The metamagician can control the effects of spells, work with and modify spell impressions, and even take advantage of another sorceror’s spells.
Conjuration (Conjuror)
Conjuration magic creates physical things from fire, earth, water, and air, the combination of elements that permeate the world. It can make objects or energy, though often its creations are transitory.
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