In today's post, we'd like to tell you a little more about the magic system in LotRT and Arthurian legends!
In games like Dungeons & Dragons, magic is governed by strict rules, making it highly predictable and understandable, but in medieval texts, it's presented very differently!
Arthurian literature is a literature of the marvellous (from “merveille”, a word that appeared in the 11th century meaning “admirable, astonishing things”), where magic is not supernatural, i.e. it is not beyond or outside nature and the world. The marvellous can be allegorical, religious (pagan or Christian) or secular in nature, and serve to provide an explanation. Some magical acts are akin to natural disturbances (rain, flood...), while others are more radical and less easily explained (petrification, invisibility). We also find changes in appearance, especially in Merlin (metamorphosis), or abilities linked to seeing the future or the past (divination, prophecy).
Magic is often the prerogative of the Otherworld (of Celtic origin), populated by fairy folk and from which many enchantresses like Viviane or Morgane originate and are educated. As a result, magic still retains an element of mystery that only certain chosen ones or non-human beings can tame (remember that Merlin is the son of a human and the devil!).
In LotRT, our knights have a grimoire - given to them by Merlin - which lists all the spells they can cast. These spells are either general (usable all the time) or adventure-specific. The former are vast in scope: they can modify the deck of cards, boost certain characteristics, reduce malus or penalties, heal... The latter can be used to advance the story. In all cases, each spell must be “prepared” by a certain combination of cards before it can be cast.
You'll also acquire some very interesting enchanted items and weapons to equip to give you the edge over your enemies! There are many enchanted items to be found throughout Arthurian legend, starting with Excalibur, capable of slicing through any material!
What's more, some of your enemies will also be skilled in “enchantment” (the art of magic in LotRT) and will attempt to paralyze your knights, turn them into sheep, reduce their morale and cast many other spells!
And, of course, we could go on and on about creatures and monsters from medieval folklore and bestiaries. There's so much more to be said about magic and enchantment in our world.
If you're eager to discover more about the magic in LotRT, be sure to join our social media and be alerted of the upcoming playtests!
Until next time!
Clélia & the Artifice Studio team