Magic Systems Index

Overview of the four distinct magic systems from The Gods Are Bastards, adapted for D&D 5E.

What Is Magic?

In this world, magic is the suspension of objective physical law and the imposition of subjective physics upon reality.

Objective Physical Law

Under normal circumstances, the world operates under objective physical law—the consistent, universal laws of physics that govern reality. These are the fundamental principles that determine how matter, energy, space, and time behave. In areas without active magic, these objective laws hold absolute sway.

Subjective Physics and Magic

When magic is used, the laws of the universe are suspended, and a subjective set of physics—defined by the type of magic being used—supersedes them. Each of the four magic systems represents a different way to impose its own subjective reality upon the objective world.

How Magic Works

Suspension: The objective physical laws that normally govern reality are temporarily suspended in the area affected by magic
Imposition: The subjective physics of the magic system being used are imposed upon that space
Effect: The desired effect occurs according to the rules of that magic system, rather than the rules of objective physics
Return: When the magic ends, objective physical law reasserts itself

The Four Magic Systems

This campaign features four separate and distinct magic systems, each with its own underlying mechanics, sources of power, and practitioners.

🟦 Arcane Magic

Color: Blue/Purple tones
Primary Users: Mages, Wandslingers, Arcane Tricksters
Source: Ambient magical energy, structured patterns learned through study and practice

Fundamental Nature: Arcane is the magic of Understanding. Fundamentally, it is about understanding how the world is supposed to work, and making small changes that alter its normal operation. The more you know about the nature of the universe, the more ability in Arcane Magic you have.

Arcane magic is the manipulation of raw magical energy and the fundamental forces that underlie reality. It is power drawn from ambient magical energy that flows through the world—structured, mathematical patterns that can be learned, understood, and replicated. Arcane magic must be learned through rigorous study, practice, and understanding of complex magical formulas and patterns.

Most importantly, arcane magic is the foundation of an industrial revolution sweeping across the world. Through industrial-scale enchanting, practitioners have created a technological revolution that powers horseless carriages, airships, rail systems, communication devices, and countless other innovations.

See: Arcane Magic Overview for detailed mechanics

🔴 Infernal Magic

Color: Red/Orange tones
Primary Users: Warlocks, Barbarians (Path of the Infernal Torment), Clerics (Infernal Domain)
Source: Hell (created by Elder Goddess Scylith), demonic pacts, hellfire and demonic energy

Fundamental Nature: Infernal is the magic of Entropy. It is about a rejection of order and a rejection of the way that things are. Its corrosive, caustic nature degrades all it comes in contact with, driving the world around it towards chaos. It is also in many ways the magic of mutation. Where the imposition of chaos on the world causes decay, it acts on life to cause change. This is why so many infernal entities are able to live—they evolved to deal with the infernal.

Infernal magic is power drawn from the infernal realms of Hell, channeling hellfire, demonic energy, and the uniquely corrosive forces of the lower planes. Unlike arcane magic (learned), divine magic (granted by gods), or fae magic (granted by nature spirits), infernal magic is accessed through pacts with demonic entities—bargains, negotiations, and contracts with the denizens of Hell.

Infernal magic is inherently dangerous and corrupting. It represents power that comes with strings attached—every spell cast channels destructive, corrosive energy that can twist and mutate the caster. The power itself wants to be used, flowing freely to those who can handle it, but the price is often corruption, mutation, and loss of one's mortal form.

See: Infernal Magic Overview for detailed mechanics

🟩 Fae Magic

Color: Green/Nature tones
Primary Users: Druids, Rangers, Monks (Way of the Astral Self), some Bards
Source: Naiya (Elder Goddess of Nature), the Fey Realm, relationships with fey creatures and natural forces

Fundamental Nature: Fae is the magic of Growth. It is about nurturing that which can grow and change and letting it proceed beyond its normal limitations. Healing through the Fae arts is about accelerating what the body already knows how to do. Its emphasis on nature is because it is among living things that the Fae has most strength.

Fae magic is power drawn from the natural world and the Fey Realm, connecting practitioners to the life force that flows through all living things. Unlike arcane magic (learned), divine magic (granted by gods), or infernal magic (accessed through demonic pacts), fae magic is granted through relationships with fey creatures, elemental entities, and natural forces.

Fae magic represents the organic, wild, and untamed aspects of nature. It flows with natural rhythms, responds to the needs of the living world, and connects casters to the fundamental forces of growth, change, and the cycles of life. Fae magic is the safest magic system to use—no risk of exhaustion, burning, or corruption.

See: Fae Magic Overview for detailed mechanics

🟨 Divine Magic

Color: Gold/Yellow tones
Primary Users: Clerics, Knights, Bards (all Bards are Divine casters)
Source: Deities and divine power, granted through faith and devotion

Fundamental Nature: Divine is the magic of Order. It is a rejection of chaos and an imposition that all things should be in their proper state. Thus Divine magic is best used in acts of creation—the formation of shields, the conjuration of objects. Its healing works by imposing the idea of how the body should be and making reality conform to that. Similarly, the divine is the realm of mind magic. It excels at taking chaos (such as a mind) and imposing upon it the order necessary to interact with it.

Divine magic is power granted directly by the gods, channeled through faith, prayer, and devotion. Unlike arcane magic, which is learned through study, divine power is not learned but granted in response to faith, service, and alignment with a deity's will. The gods themselves are the source of this infinite power, but mortal bodies cannot handle unlimited divine energy, creating harsh limits on usage.

Divine magic uses Wisdom as the spellcasting ability for Clerics and Knights, and Charisma for Bards (who channel divine power through charismatic performances, particularly through connection to Vesk, God of Bards, Stories, and Song).

See: Divine Magic Overview for detailed mechanics

⚫ Shadow Magics

Color: Black/Dark tones
Primary Users: Historically none — but see Recent Development below
Source: Leftover remnants from deceased Elder Gods

Shadow Magics are not a functional magic system in their own right. Rather, they are leftover remnants—scraps of powerful magical systems that belonged to now-deceased Elder Gods. These shadow magics no longer function as complete systems in the world, but they persist as fragments of the once-mighty powers that existed before the current Pantheon rose to power.

Nature of Shadow Magics

Shadow Magics represent the broken, incomplete remnants of magical systems that were destroyed when the Elder Gods fell. These are not systems that can be learned or mastered on their own—they are fragments, echoes of power that no longer have a source or structure to sustain them.

Interaction with Primary Magic Systems

While Shadow Magics cannot function independently, all four of the primary magic systems can interact with shadow magics in very small ways to produce otherwise impossible effects. These interactions are limited and specific, but they allow practitioners to achieve feats that would be impossible using only their primary magic system.

Key Principle: Shadow Magics provide the framework or structure, while the primary magic system provides the power source and execution mechanism.

Example: Shadow Jump (Infernomancy)

The best-known example of shadow magic interaction is Infernomancy's shadow jump ability. This technique works in two stages:

Shadow Magic: Uses shadow magic to fold space, creating a pathway between two points
Infernal Mana: Uses infernal mana to bore a hole through the folded space, allowing the warlock to follow the path

Without shadow magic, infernal magic alone cannot achieve this kind of spatial manipulation. Without infernal mana, shadow magic cannot create a traversable pathway. The combination of both allows warlocks to achieve teleportation-like effects that would be impossible with either system alone.

Other Shadow Magic Interactions

While shadow jump is the most prominent example, other interactions between primary magic systems and shadow magics may exist. These interactions are typically: - Limited in scope: Only specific, narrow effects are possible - Require expertise: Understanding both the shadow magic fragment and how to channel primary magic through it - Rare and specialized: Most practitioners never encounter or learn these techniques

Historical Context

Shadow Magics are remnants from the era of the Elder Gods, when magic worked entirely differently and each Elder God granted their own unique magic system. When the Pantheon overthrew the Elder Gods, most of these systems were destroyed, but fragments persist as shadow magics—broken, incomplete, but still capable of being manipulated when combined with the primary magic systems.

See: Infernal Magic Overview for shadow jump mechanics and other shadow magic interactions

Recent Development

For the first time in recorded history, shadow magic has begun to manifest as a usable tradition in its own right — wielded directly, not merely as an adjunct to the four primary systems. Scholars who credit the reports at all consider it impossible: a remnant with no coordinating source should not answer a caster's will. Yet it does — in some places, for some practitioners, and with a peculiar dependence on certain relics. See Shadow Magic for the emergent tradition.

Magic System Interactions

Opposing Systems

Divine ↔ Infernal: These systems are diametrically opposed. Divine magic can dispel infernal effects more easily, and vice versa. Areas of strong divine presence make infernal magic harder to cast, and areas of infernal corruption repel divine magic.
Arcane ↔ Fae: Arcane and fae magic are in opposition. Strong arcane enchantments in an area can prevent fae magic from working properly, and areas saturated with fae magic can disrupt arcane spells.

Compatible Systems

Divine + Arcane: Can work together, though not as synergistically as some combinations
Fae + Infernal: Rarely interact, but when they do, it's often unpredictable

See Magic System Interactions for detailed interaction mechanics and rules, and Mana for how different mana systems interact.

Class to Magic System Mapping

Class	Primary Magic System	Alternative Options
Mage	#Arcane	-
Sorcerer	#Arcane	-
Artificer	#Arcane	-
Cleric	#Divine	#Infernal (Infernal Domain, serves Elilial)
Knight	#Divine	-
Warlock	#Infernal	-
Occultist	#Infernal	-
Druid	#Fae	-
Ranger	#Fae	-
Bard	#Divine	-
Monk	#Divine (Divine Mana)	#Fae (Way of the Astral Self uses Fae Mana)
Barbarian	None	#Infernal (Path of the Infernal Torment)
Wandslinger	#Arcane (mana pool, no spellcasting)	-
Rogue	None	#Arcane (Arcane Trickster uses mana pool, no spellcasting)

Note:

Mages are the full casters for Arcane magic (not "Wizards")
Knights replace Paladins and use Divine magic
Bards are all Divine casters in this setting
Wandslingers and Arcane Tricksters use arcane mana pools but do not cast spells—they manipulate magic items instead
Monks use Divine Mana (or Fae Mana for Way of the Astral Self) instead of Ki points
Sorcerers use Arcane Mana (Charisma-based)

See Classes Reference for detailed class adaptations.

Visual Identification

In this vault, each magic system has been assigned a color scheme:

Arcane: Blue/Purple (#Arcane tag will appear in blue/purple)
Infernal: Red/Orange (#Infernal tag will appear in red/orange)
Fae: Green (#Fae tag will appear in green)
Divine: Gold/Yellow (#Divine tag will appear in gold/yellow)
Shadow Magics: Black/Dark (#Shadow-Magic tag will appear in black/dark tones)

These colors are used throughout the vault in tags, callout boxes, and visual elements to quickly identify magic system affiliations. Note that Shadow Magics are not a functional system but rather remnants that interact with the primary systems.

Spell Lists by System

Mana and Resource Systems

Each magic system uses different resource mechanics:

Arcane Magic: Uses a mana pool system calculated as Base Mana + (Intelligence Modifier × Caster Level). Recovers 100% on long rest. Arcane Recovery allows recovery of mana equal to Mage level + Intelligence modifier during short rests.
Divine Magic: Unlimited source with harsh daily and instant limits. Daily Limit = Divine caster level × Wisdom modifier (or Charisma for Bards). Instant Limit = Proficiency Bonus + Wisdom modifier (or Charisma for Bards). Recovers 100% on long rest, 50% on short rest.
Fae Magic: Uses traditional D&D 5E spell slots (granted through relationships with fey creatures, elemental entities, and natural forces). Base half-caster progression, supplemented by relationships. Recovers half level slots on short rest, all on long rest.
Infernal Magic: No daily limit, but unknown tolerance thresholds with severe consequences for overuse. Tolerance = Constitution modifier + Infernal caster level (Intelligence adds to effective tolerance). No daily recovery, but exhaustion recovers on rest (mutations persist).

See Mana for complete mana system mechanics and resource management.

Integration with D&D 5E

These magic systems integrate with standard D&D 5E mechanics:

Mana-based casting (Arcane, Divine, Infernal) or spell slots (Fae)
Spell components (verbal, somatic, material)
Concentration and spell durations
Spell save DCs and attack rolls

See Rules/House Rules and Mana for specific mechanical modifications.