Everyone everywhere is aware that magic exists. However, most people not themselves in the trade are not certain what it can or cannot do.
Priests almost everywhere, including non-adventuring priests, can cast first-level spells. There are even worlds (Wregin is one) where any pious believer is deemed to be a priest and can cast first-level spells. In most rural locations, the only magic the locals ever see is the first-level spells cast by their village priest. The locals know that more powerful magic exists, but have usually never seen it performed and only have the vaguest ideas about what it can and cannot do.
Non-adventuring higher-level priests exist in most cities. City-dwellers will usually have seen higher-level clerical spells performed, and have a reasonable idea of what they can and cannot do. There are undoubtedly also rural locations where priests wishing for peace and quiet congregate, and in due course I may detail a few, and in these locations also there will be non-adventuring higher-level priests.
Wizard magic uses a particular magic system, developed and refined over the course of centuries. It is abstruse and not something one can pick up instinctively. In order to learn to cast wizardly spells, one must, at some point, have formal training in magic. This may be in a city with magical colleges or universities, such as Megalopolis, Atlantis or Xenby, or it may be by apprenticing oneself to a wizard of at least 5th level. To gain a specialist wizard's research bonus, one must study at one of the three listed city locations. Experienced player characters with 17 intelligence who wish to dual-class may be presumed already to have seen magic in action and to have taken an intelligent interest in it; in their case, the required formal training period may be no more than a hundred days. Beginning wizard player characters with lower intelligence have either studied at a college for several years or spent most of their childhood apprenticed to a wizard. Bard player characters must also have undergone a similar period of study, but need not have been paying close attention (which may be why their spell-casting is so erratic).
People living in cities will have seen wizards, and regularly encounter apprentice and student wizards. People living in rural locations may be more fortunate. 5th-level wizards are rare, and if there is not one living nearby, or if the one living nearby keeps himself to himself and does not take on apprentices, then the locals will never have seen wizard spells cast, and will only have heard rumours (usually exaggerated) about what wizards can and cannot do.
Psionic powers are more common than wizard magic, in that it is entirely possible for psionic wild talents to develop their native talents untrained. However, outside a few locations, people will just look blank if someone uses the term psionics. People know that priests and wizards do magic, and rangers and bards have similar-looking powers, and people will, if they see something unusual happening, call it magic.
Trained psionicists are even rarer than wizards. To train as a psionicist, one must either study at one of the two institutions which teach psionics (in Megalopolis and Atlantis) or, better, be taught by an experienced psionicist who is prepared to take pupils (there are several in Rajeya and may be one or two in other sizeable cities).
By and large, magic in the Fifty Worlds follows the AD&D system. However, where the AD&D manuals refer to memorisation, substitute preparation. The rationale behind memorisation simply does not make sense. I do not claim this as an original idea, and I acknowledge that I am far from being the only person to make this substitution, and almost certainly not the first.
Spell preparation works on the assumption that magic is a slow process. For example, it takes about ten minutes even to perform the processes involved in a sleep spell. To adventurers, that is useless. So the trick they have come up with is this. When preparing for adventure, they perform all the processes involved in the sleep spell before setting out. This takes about ten minutes, and is called preparation. It is possible, and straightforward, to make the magical effect happen immediately, and it is only slightly harder to store the magical effect so that it happens only when the wizard who has done the preparation triggers the effect by saying some obscure words and making some unlikely gestures. The process of creating the spell effect by saying the words and making the gestures is much faster, usually taking about six seconds, and is called casting. As with angling (which uses the same terms), preparation is slow but casting is fast.
Contrary to various handbooks, spell preparation can be done at any time of day, not only immediately after breakfast. However, in order that no mistakes are made, the wizard doing the preparation must be sober and neither tired nor stressed. Assuming normal sleep patterns, mid-morning is usually best.
Many more spells are known than are listed in the standard lists of adventuring spells.
Firstly, and least interestingly, there are the minor-variant spells. For every known spell of less than 9th level, there are:
A good library, such as may be found in the College of Knowledge in Megalopolis or the appropriate Institute in Atlantis, will include books listing all of these minor-variant spells. These books are huge.
These spells can be "researched" simply by going to such a library and reading through the spell books. It is a slow process, but success is guaranteed. If (for example) a player character wants a 3rd-level version of charm person with no verbal component and against which victims save at -1, and she already knows and understands the standard 1st-level spell, researching the new spell is automatically successful.
Next, there are the more interesting spells which must, logically, be possible as they are weaker than known spells. Consider, for example, the 1st-level spell sleep. Making people fall asleep is quite a powerful effect: they become unable to defend themselves, unable to take aggressive (or indeed any) action, and unaware of what is happening around them. An enchantment spell which affected the same number and type of victim as sleep but, instead of making the victims fall asleep, made them clap their hands, or cheer the hero and hiss the villain, or sing and dance, is clearly a weaker effect, since the victims can still defend themselves to some extent by dodging, can still take some voluntary actions (although perhaps not strike for damage in melee), and remain aware of what is happening around them. All of these major-variant spells must be possible.
As with minor-variant spells, research into weaker major-variant spells should, in principle, automatically succeed if the researcher knows and understands the original spell. However, it may not simply be a matter of looking through heavy tomes to find it. Some original work might be necessary (for example, determining appropriate substitute material components). I would insist on a "learn spells" roll at the end of the research, but if the roll failed the researcher could then choose just to spend more time and money and try again.
Finally, there are the commercial spells. Commercial spellcasters do not have the same time constraints as adventuring spellcasters. They do not separate preparation from casting. If it takes thirty minutes to make a 3rd-level spell effect happen, they take thirty minutes and charge the client appropriately.
It is not automatically possible to adapt a commercial spell for adventuring use. Even when a commercial spell exists, determining how to separate it into preparation and casting is real research. In some cases, where the spell is close to the limit of what is possible for that level, the adventuring version may have to be a level higher. Even if the player character doing the research already knows and understands the commercial version of the spell, I would insist on a "research" roll.
Conversely, where an adventuring spell is comparatively weak for its level, the equivalent commercial spell (if there is one) could well be one level lower.
If a player character wants a spell which does not come into any of these categories, he is probably trying it on - even if it looks OK on paper, be very suspicious. And insist, at the very least, on both a "research" roll and a "learn spells" roll.
Magical items are reasonably common in some places, and very rare in others.
In some rural areas, there might be no magical items at all. In cities with long-standing traditions of magic, magical items will be reasonably common: all wealthy families will have a magical family heirloom or two, and wizards actively researching new spells create new magical items from time to time in order to test their theories.
In lawful areas (such as in the Yjsbson Empire), low-level magical items such as swords, +1 are reasonably common, but more unusual magical items are extremely rare. In neutral to chaotic areas (such as Rajeya), magical items are rarer, but such magical items as there are, are more powerful and less standardised.
There are no Artefacts in the Fifty Worlds.
There are, however, quite a number of semi-artefacts. A semi-artefact is a magical item which contains a small fragment of the personality of its creator. In general, semi-artefacts can be used by a large number of people, but can only be used safely by a small number of people who match this personality fragment in some way.
The important point to note is that the small number of people must always be at least two. If there is only one person who can safely use the semi-artefact, things get boring. If there are two people who can safely use it, things get interesting.
Semi-artefacts are, in general, no more powerful than some of the things which turn up on the tables in the DM Guide (rings of elemental command, for example, or special-purpose intelligent magical swords).
Semi-artefacts were created in the past by powerful wizards. The theory behind them is that if someone gains possession of all of the semi-artefacts created by any particular dead wizard, that someone becomes the reincarnation of the wizard. The theory is probably sound, but is unlikely ever to be tested, as all such sets of semi-artefacts have at least one item which has been irretrievably lost.
Unless, of course, you want to base an adventure around disposing of the last item before the person with all the others finds it.
Where the semi-artefact is a weapon, or used as a weapon (e.g. striking in melee with the staff of the magi), the wielder takes damage if he/she is of an incompatible alignment, as is normally the case with aligned weapons. Also, if the user of any semi-artefact is of an incompatible alignment, his/her alignment will gradually change to match that of the semi-artefact (and the usual penalties for voluntary alignment change should be enforced), and there will be other problems using the powers of the semi-artefact (e.g. it might fail to understand command words because people from the wrong alignment cannot pronounce them correctly).
The complete (if not, as yet, all that specific) list of semi-artefacts is as follows:
Adding to this list is OK, provided that one condition is met: maintain the current distribution of alignments. The current list has a built-in bias towards lawful good characters (they need all the help they can get, after all). But it is not a particularly strong bias - chaotic good and lawful evil characters do nearly as well, and even chaotic evil characters get something.
As well as the semi-artefacts themselves, there are also several powerful intelligent magical swords which are nearly, but not quite, as powerful as the semi-artefacts. Add as many of these as you like, but again, try to maintain the proper distribution of alignments.
The main power of the Wand of Reality is to "realise" magical effects. Once a magical effect is "realised", it becomes non-magical reality. Detect magic does not show it to be magical, and it cannot be dispelled using dispel magic. The effect is a combination of illusion (alter reality) and abjuration, and the wand can only be used by someone capable of casting spells from both schools.
The Ring of Tricky Wishes grants unlimited wishes. All the usual tricks apply, especially the one about wishes being perverted wherever possible. However, the main trick is this: immediately after granting a wish, the ring disappears from the finger of the person making the wish and appears on the finger of the person most harmed by the wish. Meta-wishes (for example wishing for more wishes, or wishing that the ring would not disappear) are ignored.
This is deliberately difficult, but not entirely impossible.
There are places where one can buy potions for cash. The best source is the Learned Society of Alteration and Alchemy in Atlantis. Most large cities will have at least one potion-seller, who will either be a charlatan or a merchant selling imported Atlantean potions at inflated prices.
There are a few places where one can sometimes buy scrolls for cash. The Learned Societies of Atlantis, as part of their duty to magic-using professionals, regularly create scrolls of the spells their society promotes. Unfortunately for adventurers, these are most commonly spells with commercial uses rather than spells with adventuring uses. Most large cities will have at least one scroll-seller, who will either be a charlatan or a merchant selling imported Atlantean scrolls at inflated prices.
If one wants any scroll other than that of a commercially-useful wizard spell, the best person to see is Stamekun Thertrah, a wizard living in Megalopolis. Thertrah does not create scrolls himself, but will know someone who does. Prices are exceptionally high, as you have to pay for Thertrah's commission as well as the time and effort of whoever creates the scroll.
There is one, and only one, place in the Fifty Worlds where items other than potions and scrolls can be bought for cash. This is Autumn Leaf Plain in Atlantis. Let the buyer beware. The goods sold here are not always reliable. In principle, what the buyer gets is an item (wand, amulet, whatever) with a limited (very limited) number of charges of a single spell. If the spell is something relatively weak and not all that useful to adventurers (unseen servant, for example), the item probably works as advertised. If the spell is any stronger or more useful to adventurers than unseen servant, there is probably something wrong with the item. The item can, in principle, be recharged, but only by the wizards of Autumn Leaf Plain in Atlantis. Before letting anyone buy anything, remember two things: (1) the wizards of Atlantis have a vested interest in keeping society stable - they will never sell anything which could cause a serious breach of the peace; (2) the wizards of Atlantis like making profits, so they will never sell any item which does not need recharging, or any item which can be recharged by anyone other than themselves.
Apart from potions, scrolls and limited-use items, it is impossible to buy magical items for cash. Impossible means impossible. It cannot be done.
Conversely, it is amazingly easy to sell magical items for cash. Once word gets out that someone is foolish enough to want to sell a magical item for cash, all sorts of people will turn up with the cash. However, best practice is to sell it either to the appropriate Atlantean Institute or to the College of Knowledge in Megalopolis. These bodies can be relied upon not to use the magical item for evil or unlawful purposes, and not to turn around and use the magical item against the person stupid enough to sell it.
Trading magical items is possible. There are three ways of going about it.
Firstly, if one is looking for a one-for-one swap, the best person to see is Stamekun Thertrah, as above. He will, for a cash commission, introduce one to someone else looking for a one-for-one swap. What happens then is not his business. If the person to whom one is introduced wants to play winner-takes-all, or wants to con the player character into swapping a good item for a cursed one, that is not Thertrah's problem.
Thertrah is far from being the only person in the Fifty Worlds who makes money by introducing people to one another. However, the others are even more unreliable.
Another, somewhat better, option is available to members of the gangs of Qwanet (and it is entirely acceptable to join a gang for this specific purpose). In principle, it is customary in Qwanet for gang members to turn over to the gang any magical items they take possession of in the course of gang-related activities. This custom is honoured more in the breach than the observance. It is also customary for gang members to be rewarded for turning such items in. This custom continues to be observed; typical "rewards" are about half the value of the items turned in.
For example, suppose a thief has come into possession of a ring of wizardry (rated at 4000xp). That's no use to him. So he goes to the headquarters of his gang and hands it over, dropping a hint that boots of levitation (rated at 2000xp) would be particularly useful for something he has planned. He stays overnight at the gang headquarters. During the night, there is a knock at the door. When he opens the door, there is no-one there, but whoever knocked has left a pair of magical boots.
The gangs give such rewards in good faith, but do not have the resources to check everything they hand over for curses. In the example, it is possible that what the thief has received are boots of dancing rather than boots of levitation. I would give this a 1 in 10 chance; less generous DMs might well make it 1 in 8 or even 1 in 6.
There is also the possibility that the gang simply does not have what the player character wants. Don't bother rolling dice. Base your decisions on credibility (does the gang have the required item?), character development (should the player character own such an item?) and plot development (would the item help or hinder any plots coming up?).
Best of all, for those who can get there, is the Quartermaster's Stores in Yjsbso. The purpose of the Stores is to equip the Yjsbson Army. In general, it works like this:
The Quartermaster's Stores is notoriously honest (to the extent that if the player character thought he sent them a sword, +1 but it is in fact a sword, +2, 800 credits are added to his account). For this reason, everyone who can manage it trades with them. And for this reason, they will in all likelihood have whatever the player character wants. If they do not, they will send a message to the nominated lawful temple to inform the player character so (e.g. "We do not have crystal ball with ESP (5000 credits) in stock. We do have crystal ball with clairaudience (also 5000 credits). Is the substitute item acceptable?")
The Quartermaster's Stores also has the resources to check for cursed items. Anything coming from the Quartermaster's Stores is exactly what they say it is.
In times of war, the Quartermaster's Stores will not sell items with obvious military uses (weapons, armour, wands of fire and so on). However, since the purpose of the Quartermaster's Stores is to equip the Army, not spies, the Stores will happily continue to buy swords and sell espionage equipment in return.
The game purpose of the Quartermaster's Stores is, of course, to remove all those swords, +1 which medium-level characters are forever finding and never know what to do with.
I suggest that the following conditions apply to wishes:
So far, several listed NPCs can cast 9th-level spells, but only two of them can cast Wish. One is Bzaran the Genocide. Player characters would have to be desperate to ask him. The other is Xanzvaltria Paretizoya, at the Institute of Necromancy in Atlantis. Depending on whether you fear having your body messed with more than having your mind messed with, she might be even worse.
There is one more NPC, not listed as yet, who can cast Wish: Roltrogangore, an 18th-level chaotic neutral drow enchantress who lives in the same city as Niearma and is known to him. Player characters would have to be out of their minds to ask her.
But this could change in a matter of a year or less, as at least three of the major NPCs have 18 intelligence (or higher) and only need another couple of levels. It is no coincidence that all three are conjurors and are members of the Teleport Society.