Deep Dive: Natural Magic (Patreon)

The world is full of magic. I don’t mean that in the metaphorical sense; the world of Terra is literally brimming with magical energy. It is this energy that natural spellcasters are able to sense and manipulate, allowing them to commune with and affect the world around them. Of the four spellcasting divisions, natural spellcasters are considered the most versatile, being just as capable of healing as they are destruction. As far as raw power output is concerned, they fall slightly behind they’re divine and arcane casting brethren, but that only pushes them to think more creatively.

The most common spells in a natural caster’s repertoire are focused around things like the climate, the elements, and animals. They will use their magic to not just check the weather, but to change if it is not to their liking. They are able to start fires, create water, call down lightning, or cause earthquakes, and are also extremely proficient healers, able to treat wounds, remedy poisons, and cure diseases. Depending on the type of spell being cast, the magic may call for parts of a plant or animal as spell regents or focuses. It is also common for these casters to form deep bonds with their animal companions, including connections of a supernatural nature.

Like most spellcasters, a natural caster’s powers first become apparent in childhood. These children may do things like speaking to animals, changing the direction of the wind, or even starting a small storm. However, because most of these actions are near impossible to prove are a child’s doing, it may take many years before someone notices they are the result of the child’s magical gifts. Should they continue to practice these gifts, but forgo any formal training, these individuals will often be known as sages. It is not unheard of for a sage to act as a healer for smaller or more remote villages, places where finding someone with training, or trying to receive any training at all, may be impossible.

Druids are perhaps the most well-known type of natural spellcaster, and the one most easy to seek training for, with most druid circles eager to train new initiates. Druids typically focus their abilities in two ways: direct spellcasting, and shapeshifting. Direct spellcasting is exactly what it sounds like; similar to a wizard or cleric, druids cast spells that directly affect things on the field. This can range from something simple like a fireball or calling down lighting from a storm, to the more complicated spells of summoning vines to root you in place, crafting weapons from ice, and summoning electricity without the need for a storm at all. Shapeshifting is the druid’s other skill of choice, transforming their bodies into the shape of an animal, granting the druid all of the animal's senses and instincts, but retaining their conscious mind. Typically, a druid must first spend time with and study an animal in order to achieve its form, and most druids will have multiple preferred animal forms committed to memory for different situations. More complicated animals require more power and concentration, and very powerful druids are even capable of only transforming individual body parts.

While still possessing many of the same abilities as a druid, Shamans are more interested in dealing with nature spirits than direct spellcasting. Shamanism as a practice is one that is typically passed down, an older shaman choosing to take one or two apprentices when their abilities become apparent. A shaman’s spellcasting revolves around communing with nature spirits, adding their strength to the shaman’s own. A shaman might ask for the speed of a wolf spirit, the sturdy constitution of a tree spirit, or the power to move the winds like an air spirit. As the connections they forge grow deeper, shamans will often create totems: small trinkets dedicated to a specific spirit, which allow for a stronger connection, and one that can be made over longer distances. Like all natural spellcasters, their abilities - the types of spirits they can contact - can be limited by their environment.

The most misunderstood type of natural spellcaster, Witches can be found either solitary or in a coven. Some male witches prefer to go by the term warlock, though ‘witch’ is a gender-neutral title. Similar to shamans, a witch's spellcasting is focused around working with the spirits of nature. Unlike shamans, a witch is less interested in adding the spirit's power to their own, and more in working alongside them. While still capable of casting spells like a druid or shaman, a witch’s magic is more focused around rituals, often casting their spells from their own homes, or having the spirits act as their magical messengers. Their gifts also tend to push them towards potion making, with friendly spirits being more than happy to pass along or guide the witch towards powerful ingredients. While many natural casters often form strong bonds with their furry, featherey, or scaley companions, a witch’s familiar is not actually an animal at all, but an animal spirit. This spirit chooses to bond with the witch in a special one-on-one connection, one that grants both the familiar and the witch new powers, such as the ability to see through the other’s eyes, or share the effects of a spell from a distance. Curiously, there are certain witches who connect not with spirits, but with gods and other creatures of a divine nature, blurring the lines between Natural and Divine magic.

While not thought of as a formal type of spellcaster, it is not unheard of for certain individuals with a latent or low-level natural spellcasting ability to go by the title of Ranger. They can be found in woodland or other rugged areas, often working as a tracker or hunter. Though not all rangers are spellcasters, those that are often seek out a sort of informal training, something that an increasing number of druid circles are beginning to offer. This training focuses on how to best apply their magical talents to their profession, in ways such as heightening their senses to help with tracking, sensing what the weather may be before their next hunt, and training their animal companion to be their most loyal ally. Rangers learn that though their magical abilities give them an extra tool to fight with, it is still just a tool, and a skilled ranger knows not to rely on only one part of the whole.