STUDENTS. I HAVE RETURNED FROM A SOJOURN INTO MADNESS ITSELF, SO THAT I MAY FIND MY NOTES AND INSTRUCT YOU ONCE MORE. BE IN YOUR SEATS IN TEN MINUTES.

1720262
So the notes were located behind someone's couch?

1720286
They were gone. I had to battle demons and monsters and my mother in law to get them back.

1720298
Huh. So which would you gladly face again?

1720315
I'd take the demons, personally. I can deal with those.

1720298
I think you exaggerate. If you would have had to have battled your mother-in-law, you wouldn't be alive to tell us of the battle.

1720333
It wasn't battle so much as sneaking into her house while she was asleep.

1720321
Hopefully you'll forgive me for asking but are those a specialty of yours?

1720339
Still. That was a recklessly dangerous endeavor.

1720351
I can deal with them most effectively. But no, they were not my specialty.

1720357
You're telling me.

1720363
Did you even have a healer with you?

1720375
No, because every time I bring him along, he bucking pulls, and I can't tank with the healer down and the warlock out of mana.

1720385
I can't say I've ever experienced that feeling. Can't say I ever want to either.

1720398
It's terrifying.

1720385
To be fair, the warlock is always out of mana. That's why you need a thief and monk instead. And a mage to innervate the healer.

1720405
Don't even start. Just don't.

Now, let's begin. Tonight we will focus on hazards faced by beginning spellcasters. Can anyone here tell me one of those three hazards?

1720407

1720412
Miscast spell through improper runes?

1720412
Magical burnout!

1720418
You're very close, and a bit too specific. The first hazard, and by far the most common, is that of a runaway spell.

Many primary spells and incantations are run on willpower and emotion, and are closely supervised by the mentors of beginning students. Students can run into this scenario once they begin to get a feel for their newfound powers. Usually, runaway spells are a product of power being put into something either too complex or too unpredictable. Students encountering the unexpected or perplexing often let their emotions get the better of them, and for someone with little practice at controlling their thoughts that can be dangerous.

1720433
So the problem that mentalists have that I think you mentioned before, just with basic spells for everyone?

1720433
Is there any way of checking a student before they let their spell get out of hand?

1720453
Yes. Mentalists are very closely tied to powerful emotions, and many beginning students allow themselves to be influenced by fear, excitement, and so on. Emotion can be a very powerful force in magic, but it requires control from a trained mind. mentalists have difficulty with this precisely because the work so closely with emotions.

1720455
Not really.

In order to diffuse this sort of situation, several courses of action may be taken. The first is for the student to regain control of their work. This is done by carefully and slowly bringing their emotional and mental center back, at which point the flow of magic may be regulated once more. Many students will choose to simply end the spell at this point. The next course of action is for an older, more experienced magic user to intervene. This can take the form of wresting control of the spell from their student, or simply using an inhibitor ring. The final and most dangerous scenario is the student no longer having the energy to maintain the spell, at which point the incantation or enchantment will simply cease.

1720471
Is it less of a problem on the logical side of the magical spectrum with mages and paladins?

1720491
With time, yes. But every young spellcaster will inevitably lose control of a spell at least once.

1720489
What would happen if the student was forced into a period of unconsciousness?

1720498
This is the most dangerous scenario because, as we know, magic involves the use of one’s essence to manifest. The reservoir of arcane energy many students possess can be depleted quickly if it isn’t regulated, and as magic is tied closely to the animating force that drives us all, it can be very easy for some of the life force to be drained from the student. Thankfully, many students in this situation will pass out long before they give up too much of their energy. The lack of mental direction or emotional response will force the spell to discorporate before lasting damage can be done. However, complete depletion of the magical reservoir will oftentimes result in an inexperienced magic user using their own life force, which can result in illness, brain damage, and accelerated aging.

1720489
How fatal is burning yourself out on a runaway spell?

1720509
Okay, so life-force casting is bad?

1720525
It can be. Other times it can be looked at as a way to bolster your own magic. using too much, too fast, can be deadly.

1720509
I'm sorry but I seem to not be understanding this too well. So if a student were to lose consciousness, that would be a very bad thing during a runaway spell but then at the same time it's a good thing because they protect themselves from draining away too much of their own life? I mean in very simple terms, striking an individual who is lost to a runaway spell in the back of the head to cause unconsciousness would be fatal or save their life?

1720548
Or give them a concussion and possibly brain damage.

1720548
If you lose consciousness during a spell, then your animating forces of emotion and mental control are gone. It cannot continue. So yes, clubbing someone over the head would save them. But there are several varieties of spells, especially in Battle Magic, which will force the user to remain conscious as a safety measure.

1720571
Thank you for clearing that up. Now why would a spell force you to stay conscious as a safety measure? Could you give an example?

1720580
Sure. Let's take a look at some of the Battle Magical sub-facets. Say you wanted to assault an opponent by opening a portal into the heart of an active volcano. However, it's a bit more than you can handle. Normally, you would be knocked out by the backlash, but there is a problem. Portal spells are notoriously unstable, and if you lost consciousness, the portal could then switch paths and lead somewhere else. So, you are forced to remain conscious, and spend a bit more magic than you were prepared for to close it.

1720604
I would give that caster an A+ for creativity and showmanship, but an F for practicality.

1720621
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I had to funnel a thunderstorm through a magical barrier once. Not a good day.

1720604
And I'm guessing that this could take you into using your own life as the power source. Now I get that the portal could switch paths but since the spell uses your power, why doesn't it just close if you lose consciousness? Where would it draw its power from?

1720634
It's a long discussion using mage-speak, which sounds like a cross between a physics lesson and a philosophy lesson. As near as I can tell, it takes energy from the Aether as well as yourself. If you fall unconscious, the spell will still be in effect because the Aether is still supplying its half of the energy. To switch off the portal, you need to make an actual effort to cut off your flow of magic, at which point the Aether will reciprocate.

Right. The next threat often faced by first time magic users is something we in the business refer to as "magical predators". Could either of you tell me what that is?

1720699
Creatures that feed on magic?

1720699
An entity that feeds off of excess magical power being used in a spell or something that gets in drains you of your magic if you don't a have a tight leash on your power?

1720705
Good. There are certain types of creatures that are not only attracted to magic, but actively feed on it. These can range from the relatively harmless, such as sprites, all the way up to the major Fae and their cousins the Mira.

1720718
Don't forget the Chimera. One head eats your magic, while the other eats your flesh. And the other other one just roars really loud.

1720726
We actually classify that as a type of Fae, believe it or not.

1720731
I thought those were more like Faerie Dragons and greater Pixies?