Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Yamo 07-05-03, 10:32 PM	Forgotten Realms is unique among campaign worlds in the way its magic works through a "Weave" (two, actually). Does this mean that when FR spellcasters travel to worlds (like Greyhawk) where Weaves aren't a part of the magical ecology, that their magical abilities are weakened or lost? Seems to me that it would be like travelling to Europe and then trying to plug your hair dryer into an electric socket with the wrong-shaped slots and incorrect voltage. You'd be out of luck without some way to adapt.
Gadodel 07-05-03, 10:38 PM	Good question. Though, since the authors of the FRCS assumed that the characters would be adventuring on Toril or within its Cosmology; the answer may not be forthcoming. It would be up to you to decide.
Herr Doktor 07-05-03, 10:54 PM	I suppose since Mystra exists only on Toril that so does the Weave only exist on Toril. Without the Weave people could still draw on the raw magic that resides within all matter. Perhaps spellcasters could draw on this raw magic on other planes, though it's probably hazardous to the enviornment and drains away the planes raw magic. This raw magic may only be found on Toril, but I'm not sure. If that is the case... I'd just treat places without the Weave as Dead Magic Zones. ----- While typing this I thought of Elminster in Hell, and how the Devils most certainly could cast magic though they were on another plane. I guess Mystra does actually cater to more planes that just the Prime and Faerūn. It's really hard to say.
Kuje31 07-06-03, 12:08 AM	Mystra only exists in Realmspace. The Planes themselves ARE made of magic, and no god or goddess controls magic there, except within thier own domain. For example Greyhawk has a different way of doing magic. As does Krynn, which has/had the the three god/desss of the three moons, who are also the god/dess of magic.
Psionycx 07-06-03, 01:14 AM	The short answer is that various worlds and planes have independent magical infrastructures that are connected to each other, but do not depend on each other. For example, during the Time of Troubles, when Mystra's fall had destabilized the Weave in the Realms, Midnight discovered that magic continued to function normally on the outer planes. The various planes of existence have their own magical natures, often tied to the nature of the plane. Hence, elemental spells work better on the plane that matches the element in question. Magic on the lower planes has a noticeable bent towards Evil, while magic on the upper planes is slanted towards Good. The various Prime worlds typically have magical properties related to who's in charge of magic. On Oerth, Boccob is responsible for overseeing magic and does so in a dispassionately Neutral fashion. Magic works there much as on Toril. Krynn, on the other hand, has three gods of magic who provide a conduit equivalent to the Weave. It is notable that during their recent absence, that conduit was unavailable and spellcasters were unable to channel magical energies until they discovered how to draw upon raw magical energy directly from themselves or through the elements. This proved to be very flexible, but also far less efficient (and powerful) than the methodology provided by the gods. Athas, the world of the Dark Sun campaign setting, is a perfect example of world which has no inherent magical conduit (god-given or otherwise) of it's own. All spellcasters therefore have to have a defined source for where their magic comes from. Most wizards draw power from life-force taken mainly from plants and coverted into magic. Clerics and Druids channel power that ultimately comes from the elemental planes. Most outsiders draw power through their connection to the magic of their homes, but the ephemeral nature of such contacts on Athas seems to cause most that permanently take up residence there to eventually adopt one of the local methodologies. It is this absence of inherent magic that makes psionics so prominent among Athasian races. Generally-speaking, it seems that the gods of the various worlds have reached a rough agreement to conform to certain magical "standards" (not unlike the Internet Engineering Task Force that hammers out the protocol standards that allow us to all use the internet). Thus, magic behaves roughly the same on most worlds, and onto the planes, except in the case of unusual worlds like Athas. Hence, a spellcaster from Toril can travel to Oerth and continue to use magic normally. Presumably, when the caster attempts to form a mental connection to "the Weave", their mind automatically connects to the local equivalent, assuming that one is available.