About Magic

As I have said, magic for Wizards will be vancian, while Noldor will have the use of clerical magic but they won't have to prepare their spells before adventuring and they won't need a spell book. Yesterday, Reshaim wrote to me asking for explanations about the Black Magic spell list, and the reason why it included various spells that will also appear in the Wizard's spell list. My point is that, while some magic is definitely "evil" in nature, the rest may be "good" or "evil", depending on how it is used. Still, I understand why Reshaim was puzzled. Therefore I have thought of two possible solutions, and I would like to ask you what you think of these:

• Gifts of Darkness: Only two spell lists (Wizards and Noldor). Particularly powerful creatures of darkness (i.e. Balrogs, Dragons, Ring-wraiths, evil Wizards) will have one or more Gifts of Darkness. These are spells that work as special magical abilities. Many of the Gifts will not be on the Wizard spell list.
• The Easy Peasy Way: Only two spell lists. The difference between light and darkness is in the spells that are cast and in the use that one makes of a spell. For example, consider the spell Wormtongue: Gandalf appears to have used it a couple of times like a Jedi would have used the Force, both in Edoras and in Minas Tirith, while Gríma appears to have made extensive use of that spell, empowered by Saruman through the Palantír. On the other hand, the use of spells like Curse are paving the road to ruin.

Also, Greyharp will be absent for a couple of days. In the meantime this blog will be possessed by the well known Syntax Monster! So please, if you note of any horrible mistakes - report it.