A simple question - do all of the D&D worlds. Grewhawk, Faerun, Darksun, Planescape, etc. use the "THE WEAVE" as the source, rationale, explanation, and logic, for magic in the game?
Or are there alternative explanations/sources in some of the assorted game worlds?
I am not interested in answers in other games (heroes, call of cthulhu, etc.) just published WOTC D&D stuff. Just interested in official published D&D stuff and which book it is in.
Thanks.
A simple question - do all of the D&D worlds. Grewhawk, Faerun, Darksun, Planescape, etc. use the "THE WEAVE" as the source, rationale, explanation, and logic, for magic in the game?
I'm fairly certain the Weave is strictly FR/Faerun.
The Weave is definitely a strictly FR idea--I have never seen it used in any other D&D campaign setting officially. Indeed the "source" of all magical is rarely spelled out that specifically in most other campaigns, perhaps hinted at but never stated "all magic comes from here" that I can tell.
Greyhawk -- Not sure, but I'd really like to know.
Faerun -- Weave/Shadow Weave
Darksun -- The planet's life energy. Spellcasters are separated into Preservers and Defilers.
Planescape -- Presumably the same as Greyhawk - it uses the same cosmology, iirc.
Ravenloft -- I'd assume the mists have something to do with it.
Eberron -- Similarly to Dark Sun, magic comes from the world's own energies - sometimes condensed into dragonshards. However, the energy is much more plentiful than on Athas - no need for Preservers or Defilers.
Others -- No idea.
FR's Weave (and its Shadow Weave) only applies to casters on Toril itself, and potentially the handful of other planets that orbit Toril's sun.
On the planes, other worlds on the prime material, the Weave is neither present nor do its strictures impact spellcasters in any way. Don't like the way Mystra says you can or can't use magic, leave Toril and go beyond the sphere of her influence.
The Weave on Toril is just one example of local laws of magic that trump everything else while you're there. The defiler/preserver dynamic on Athas is another such example, and various individual planes will have the very nature of their metaphysical fabric interacting with and influencing the effects of individual spells, entire schools of spells, or in the case of the Infinite Spire in the Outlands sometimes all magic of any flavor or type.
In Ravenloft the magic comes from the "Dark Powers" and in some lands the land itself. Magic in Ravenloft usually is tainted or corrupted so that all your spells change you and the people they effect like a healing spell will make a person grow tentacles or scales, etc.
Canonically speaking, it is an FR creature.
However, if you find it a good way to handle the magic, you should go ahead. I find it to be as good a rationale as any.
While in faerun, arcane and divine magic users need a weave (Mystra's or Shar's) a psionic creature or person needs neither as a psionic creature/person is considered to have its own 'weave'.
heh I never even heard of the weave; I thought it came from the dietes or from the concordant opposition tension with the planes and/or from one or more of the Old Ones who are slumbering (one is inside the concordant opposition which is why there is a god circling it watching); This is all the stuff from 1st ed, but that is what is in the dieties and demigods and in the manual of planes; I thought in Forgotten Realms it came from Mystra; isnt she described as being magic itself?
I thought in Forgotten Realms it came from Mystra; isnt she described as being magic itself?
Magic comes from the Weave, and the Weave comes from Mystra. Additionally there is a Shadow Weave, which exists in the dark spaces between the Weave; the Shadow Weave comes from Shar.
I thought in Forgotten Realms it came from Mystra; isnt she described as being magic itself?Magic comes from the Weave, and the Weave comes from Mystra. Additionally there is a Shadow Weave, which exists in the dark spaces between the Weave; the Shadow Weave comes from Shar.
Not exactly my understanding of it. Magic exists as energy throughout the world (and cosmos?) of Faerun, but is unusable in its raw form by mortals. Mystra's Weave is an interface and matrix through which spellcasters can draw bits of magic and shape into various spells and effects. Mystra doesn't "make" magic; she just makes it accessible.
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Not exactly my understanding of it. Magic exists as energy throughout the world (and cosmos?) of Faerun, but is unusable in its raw form by mortals. Mystra's Weave is an interface and matrix through which spellcasters can draw bits of magic and shape into various spells and effects. Mystra doesn't "make" magic; she just makes it accessible.I thought in Forgotten Realms it came from Mystra; isnt she described as being magic itself?Magic comes from the Weave, and the Weave comes from Mystra. Additionally there is a Shadow Weave, which exists in the dark spaces between the Weave; the Shadow Weave comes from Shar.
IIRC, Mystra maintains the Weave. It's a constantly shifting thing that if left to its own devices can have disastrous consequences for the whole world. In the Avatar trilogy, when the old Mystra was killed, all of Faerun became a wild magic zone to one degree or another. Even further back, when a Netherese archmage (name eludes me atm)absorbed the original Mystra's divinity for a brief moment, magic was cut off from all mortal use for a few moments and the netherese floating cities fell from the sky.
Not exactly my understanding of it.
You're probably right. I've never really paid too much attention to matters of FR.
I have a pretty nice adventure set up for finding the source of magic :) My adventures have been working on it on and off for about 10 years now, they are very close to the end; all said they have probably only spent about 3 months on this particular issue, but then i use the old stuff as i mentioned in my prior post so you guys already have a big clue.
That would be Karsus, Tessius. :)
That would be Karsus, Tessius. :)Thanks Lilith :) I knew it was something close to that but the Big Walking Worm's name kept coming to mind.
Kyuss as a Netherise arcanist? Hmm...
I'm fairly certain that arcane magic in Greyhawk comes from Boccob, and in Faerun comes from either Mystra or Shar. No clue about the other ones though. :P
I'm fairly certain that arcane magic in Greyhawk comes from Boccob...
For what it's worth, I'd describe that as opinion.
No GH source describes (or even hints at) what the source of arcane magic is, and Boccob is typically described as a wielder and protector of magic, not as a source.
Personally, I'm happy to keep things that way IMC -- the less players know about the nature of magic, the less they can come up with disruptive schemes to take advantage of that nature. (I've never been one to try to fill in holes in a setting unless there is a pressing reason to do so.)
My two cents :)
Jack