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Intro:

Mages are able to use, control and interact with magic. In order to qualify to be a mage, one must be an elf, a human, or a Qunari. Dwarves cannot be mages, as they are unable to connect with the Fade. This is due to their prolonged exposure to lyrium, becoming immune to its effects.

Characteristics

In Thedas, magic is a natural physical phenomenon such as gravity or magnetism. Some people are born with the ability to interact with, control, and shape it. The Tevinter Imperium even had mage genealogies of all families that would produce children with magical talent. Eventually, several social classes of mages were established in Tevinter, from the "Altus" (magisters), mages who had a long lineage of magic in their bloodlines, to the "Laetan" - mages with no family history of magic use.
Conventional magic originates from the Fade, the realm where spirits dwell and where humans, qunari, and elves visit when they dream. For non-mages, entering the Fade while dreaming is a fleeting experience; but for mages, they are fully conscious during the entire incident. Mana is a measurement of one's ability to channel energy from the Fade, and this energy is expended in the practice of magic. Just as the Fade can be reshaped by those who have grasped its nature, so can the world of Thedas be manipulated by magic via willing things into being. The ability of a living being to expend mana is what defines a mage and certain people are born with this potential, although noone knows the reason why.

The act of drawing power from the Fade can draw the attention of the spiritual beings on the other side of the Veil, leading to an increased risk of demonic possession if the mages are not vigilant enough. A possessed mage becomes a distortion of their former self, a twisted monster known as an abomination that has enough power to wipe entire villages off the map. It is for this reason that a mage must have enough willpower to master their magic so they can resist demons while they are "awake" in the Fade.

With the proper training, mages are capable of manipulating the basic elements, such as conjuring gouts of flame and small, localized ice and electrical storms. There are also spells that allow for the temporary reanimation of corpses and the draining of an opponent's life-force. More altruistic mages can use their powers to help and heal, or summon benevolent spirits in times of need. Though they are often ostracized to the point of persecution, mages are key for everyday life in Thedas. They serve as its healers, scholars, scientists, and weapons of war.

Spirit mediums are called the mages who possess the rare talent of detecting and communicating with demons and spirits.

There are limitations to the application of magic, however. Just as a man has the strength to lift only so much weight and no more, a mage cannot work more magic at one time than his mana allows. If he wishes to work magic that would be beyond his strength, a mage must bolster his mana with lyrium. Without lyrium, it is possible for the reckless to expend their own life-force in the working of magic, and occasionally, ambitious apprentices injure or even kill themselves by over-exertion.

Teleportation, resurrection (under normal circumstances) and physically entering the Fade (in the absence of a great deal of lyrium and potentially the aid of blood magic) are not possible. Magic also cannot prevent a potentially fatal incident such as falling from a building. Furthermore, the powers of a mage require a direct line of sight to a target, and have a limited range.

There are two schools of magic that bear no connection to the Fade: blood magic, which draws power directly from blood, and blight magic, which is driven by the taint.

The Working of Magic

A mage uses magic by tapping into the power of the Fade to essentially question reality, rendering it mutable and able to be reshaped. To this end, templars are the ideal foils for mages, having been trained specifically to counter and "deny" magic. This is done by a unique method of reinforcing the reality and immutability of the world. Like a door being slammed in the mage's face, magical effects dissipate and the mage is unable to reshape a suddenly stubborn world. From a mage's perspective, it appears to be less spell interruption and more a templar reinforcing a reality in which that spell cannot be cast in the first place.

Schools of Magic

• Blight
• Blood
• Creation
• Entropy
• Primal
• Spirit
• Force
• Elemental
• Arcane (Arcane Warriors/Knight Enchanters)
• Nature (Dalish Keepers)
• Necromancy
• Fade
• Healing
• Shapeshifting

History

No one knows who first discovered magic, but it has been a part of the world of Thedas for as long as people can remember. From the elves of Arlathan to the mages of Tevinter, both humans and elves have been known to wield magic.

Before it became the Imperium, Tevinter was ruled by a dynasty of kings. And long before the Chantry there was a Circle of Magi: the society of mages in each city. The titles the modern Circles use—enchanter, senior enchanter, first enchanter—all originated here. But above the first enchanter, the Circles of Tevinter had another office: magister.

The magisters formed a council of the most powerful mages in the kingdom. They convened in Minrathous and held dominion over all magic in the land. When Darinius seized the throne in -1195 Ancient, the Court of the Magisters became the royal court, and "magister" was the only title of nobility recognized in Tevinter.

Prior to the Circle’s formation, magic was either practiced by the Magisters of the Tevinter Imperium or in remote areas, knowledge handed down from one generation of practitioners to the next. “Hedge mages,” as Enchanters of the Circle refer to them, or “witches” as legend would name them, do not always employ forbidden magic. Quite often their talents lie in the creation of charms, the use of curses and the ability to change their own forms.[12] Examples of such Hedge mages and witches include the so-called "witches" of the Chasind wilders or the "shamans" of the Avvar barbarians.

Elves were heavily reliant on magic in the days of Arlathan, and it is possible that it was they who taught blood magic to the Tevinter magisters. Legend holds that the first known blood mage, at least for the humans, was a Tevinter: Archon Thalsian. Thalsian was supposedly taught how to use blood magic by the Old God Dumat. Over the years, some historians have argued that this is merely a myth, and that Thalsian learned about blood magic from the elves. Thalsian taught blood magic to others and soon amassed an army, which he used to conquer Elvhenan, the homeland of the elves. This was the start of the Tevinter Imperium, which grew to include most of Thedas, and which worshipped the Old Gods.

The Imperium was not satisfied with control of Thedas, however, and in an incredible act of hubris, the magister lords attempted to enter the Golden City and supposedly usurp the Maker Himself. Their efforts failed, and to punish them, Chantry historians believe that the Maker transformed them into the first darkspawn. These darkspawn fled underground, and eventually found Dumat and transformed him into the first Archdemon. Thus began the First Blight, which would continue for two centuries and greatly weakened the Tevinter Imperium.

In the wake of the First Blight, the people of the Imperium became disillusioned with the Old Gods, and soon began to follow Andraste, a former slave who united the barbarian tribes and led them to break the Imperium's hold on Thedas. Andraste was ultimately betrayed by her husband, Maferath, and burned at the stake, but her death inspired the creation of the Chantry, an event that would alter the face of magic for centuries afterwards.

The Chantry

In 1:20 Divine, the Chantry and the Inquisition signed the Nevarran Accord, and created the Circle of Magi, the Templar Order and the Seekers of Truth.

As magic had been the source of the Imperium's power, it was all but banned when the Chantry became the new dominant force in Thedas. Blood magic was completely forbidden, and those who practiced any kind of magic were confined. At first, the Chantry detained mages and had them continually light the eternal flame in every chantry in Thedas, with all other forms of magic forbidden. For such powerful beings to only use their powers in such mundane ways, it surprised almost no one when the mages of the Grand Cathedral protested. Divine Ambrosia was surprised and almost ordered an Exalted March on her own Cathedral, until her own templars advised her otherwise. The Circle of Magi was established to regulate the use of magic throughout Thedas, and the Templar Order was founded to police the Circles and capture or eliminate apostate mages.

Arcane Warrior

Among the ancient elves, there were mages who trained their magical arts to augment their martial prowess. They channeled magical power through their weapons and bodies, becoming terrors on the battlefield. Most consider these skills lost forever, but they may still linger in forgotten corners of the world.

Blood Mage

Every mage can feel the dark lure of blood magic. Originally learned from demons, these dark rites tap into the power of blood, converting life into mana and giving the mage command over the minds of others. Such power comes with a price, though; a blood mage must sacrifice their own health, or the health of allies, to fuel these abilities

ADMIN PERMISSION IS NEEDED FOR THE BLOOD MAGE SPECIALIZATION

Shapeshifter

Rumors speak of barbarians that hold secrets of transforming the body into the form of animals. The Circle of Magi denies such rumors, but this rare art survives in the forgotten corners of Thedas. Mastery of their bodies allows shapeshifters some protection, even in human form, making them durable opponents and staunch allies.

Spirit Healer

Not all entities of the Fade are demonic. Many are benevolent entities consisting of life energy, which can be called upon to mend flesh and heal disease. Spirit healers focus on channeling the energies granted by these spirits, making them indispensable members of a party of adventurers.

Battlemage

Some mages specialize in spells that permit them to engage in combat from afar. Battlemages, by contrast, prefer to wade into the fray alongside their blade-wielding companions, close enough to read the fear in their opponents' eyes. Their spells primarily concern personal preservation as well as control of the elements in their immediate surroundings.

Keeper

Every Dalish clan has a keeper, a wise mentor dedicated to preserving the elves' ancient lore. It is exceptionally uncommon for a keeper to teach anyone other than a fellow clan member about the unique Dalish understanding of nature magic, which focuses on control of the roots beneath the earth.

Force Mage

Force mages are a fearsome sight on the battlefield, bending the laws of nature to crush, toss, and debilitate their foes.

Knight-Enchanter

These rare mages received special dispensation from the Chantry to serve in battle. They summon blades from the Fade and are experts in protection and defense.

Necromancer

These mages specialize in binding the spirits that are drawn to death. They can put the fear of death into enemies, bring spirits to fight on their behalf and even cause devastating explosions when their enemies die.

Rift Mage

These mages draw upon the force of the Fade, either pulling matter from the Fade to attack or twisting the Veil itself into a weapon to stagger or crush their enemies.

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Intro:

Rogues are crafty combatants who succeed in battle by combining speed, subterfuge, and a wide range of abilities to bring their opponents down in unexpected ways, sometimes before the enemy even perceives danger.

Rogues can pick locks with great skill, incapacitate enemies with ease, or sneak up on targets to deliver a devious and crippling backstab.

Weapons

Rogues primarily utilize two weapon classifications; Dual Wielding and Archery.

Dual Wielding involves the usage of twin daggers while Archery encompasses the use of a longbow, short bow, or crossbow.

Rogues are also skilled in the arts of lock picking, stealth and trap making.

Assassin

The assassin finds any notion of fairness a quaint ideal that has no place in combat. Poisons are their weapon of choice, as are crippling strikes that inflict persistent wounds on their foes. As killers, assassins are a marvel of stealth and efficiency. While every assassin is different, some favoring up close and personal kills and others striking at range, they are all deadly predators and skilled at exploiting their foe's weaknesses.

Bard

Bards follow an Orlesian tradition, acting as assassins, spies, saboteurs and following other secretive pursuits in the constant, and sometimes petty, struggles between nobles. Having taken the minstrel's art to new levels, bards are skilled performers and master manipulators; bards can inspire their allies or dishearten their foes through song and tale.

Duelist

Duelists are deadly combatants who prefer to fight in light armor and strike with light, but precise attacks. Experienced duelists have preternatural reflexes that allow them to evade their opponents' clumsy blows, as well as strike with remarkable precision.

Ranger

Rangers have an affinity for open country and wilderness, but as independent scouts and militia, they are opportunists, not stewards of nature. They exploit every advantage of their environment and can lure wild beasts to attack their foes.

Legionnaire Scout

Most tales of the dwarven Legion of the Dead are likely minstrels' fabrications, but the trail of darkspawn corpses that the Legion leaves behind proves the efficacy of their training. Legionnaire scouts often travel ahead of their companions, and consequently become renowned for unusual hardiness, able to survive battles that would kill any other rogue.

Shadow

Shadow rogues employ misdirection and an unassuming façade to waylay their opponents with devastating attacks. There is no order or organization of shadows--they are self-taught elite rogues, masters of concealment and ambush. They strike from darkness, employing personal decoys and hallucinogenic poisons to distract enemies before sliding a dagger between their ribs.

Artificer

Intricate mechanisms are the core of the artificer’s craft: Deadly traps; Distracting contraptions; Marvels of engineering turned to deadly purpose. If an artificer is standing at the far end of a seemingly innocuous stretch of the battlefield, you should find another path. If they are smiling? Best just to hope your affairs are in order.

Tempest

These unpredictable experts specialize in using alchemical mixtures that wreathe them in frost or flame. Fast, chaotic, and possibly mad, they wade into the fight and dare enemies to face the storm.

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Intro:

Warriors are the front-line fighters, the backbone of any party under assault. They are supplemented by powerful special abilities that draw from deep reserves of stamina. They can withstand and deliver a great deal of punishment, and have a strong understanding of tactics.

Weapons and Fighting Styles

Warriors are able to utilize a myriad of fighting styles including longsword, short sword, sword and shield, greatswords, mauls, and more. Most warriors are proficient in one fighting style, if not two.

Some warriors also choose to train in ranged weapons such as the longbow.

Berserker

The first berserkers were dwarves. They would sacrifice finesse for a dark rage that increased their strength and resilience. Eventually, dwarves taught these skills to others, and now berserkers can be found amongst all races. They are renowned as terrifying adversaries.

Champion

The champion is a veteran warrior and a confident leader in battle. Possessing skill at arms impressive enough to inspire allies, the champion can also intimidate and demoralize foes. These are the heroes you find commanding an army, or plunging headlong into danger, somehow making it look easy.

Reaver

Demonic spirits teach more than blood magic. Reavers terrorize their enemies, feast upon the souls of their slain opponents to heal their own flesh, and can unleash a blood frenzy that makes them more powerful as they come nearer to their own deaths.

Templar

Mages who refuse the Circle's control become apostates and live in fear of a templar's powers--the ability to dispel and resist magic. As servants of the Chantry, the templars have been the most effective means of controlling the spread and use of arcane power for centuries.

Guardian

Many warriors foolishly believe that they can control the tide of a battle on their own, but a guardian realizes that an ally's survival is as important as an enemy's death. Guardians prefer to protect party members directly, but if necessary, they are prepared to make personal sacrifices to ensure that their companions live.

Spirit Warrior

Although spirit warriors employ magical abilities, they are not mages; instead, they flirt with inhabitants of the Fade who agree to augment mortal abilities in exchange for a glimpse of the physical world. Naturally, the Chantry's templars rarely acknowledge that distinction.