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Please use this thread to post feedback and report any typos or errors in chapter 5 of the BETA PDF of the Rulebook Dragonbane. Guidelines to remember:

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page 61, "You can learn additional schools of magic by first acquiring the heroic ability Multi Mage (page 35)"

Actually, the heroic ability is called Archmage.

page 61, "You can learn additional schools of magic by first acquiring the heroic ability Multi Mage (page 35)"

Actually, the heroic ability is called Archmage.

Per my comments in the character creation thread, it would be good if there was a mechanism for non-mages to learn magic after character creation as currently Mage is the only profession that locks away special abilities (ie anyone else can learn the other heroic abilities) and seems counter to the more skill-based (rather than class-based) approach that the rest of the game takes. Changing the Archmage Heroic Ability to be ‘Magical Talent’ and making it available for non-mages as well as Mages let’s characters pick up a magical path without undermining the Mage profession as they still need to advance the skill and learn spells separately (whereas Mages start with their (first) magic-path as a Trained skill and with spells).

page 61, "You can learn additional schools of magic by first acquiring the heroic ability Multi Mage (page 35)"

Actually, the heroic ability is called Archmage.

Per my comments in the character creation thread, it would be good if there was a mechanism for non-mages to learn magic after character creation as currently Mage is the only profession that locks away special abilities (ie anyone else can learn the other heroic abilities) and seems counter to the more skill-based (rather than class-based) approach that the rest of the game takes. Changing the Archmage Heroic Ability to be ‘Magical Talent’ and making it available for non-mages as well as Mages let’s characters pick up a magical path without undermining the Mage profession as they still need to advance the skill and learn spells separately (whereas Mages start with their (first) magic-path as a Trained skill and with spells).

Agreed, that would be nice.

Casting Spells
Focus

A Focus is one of 4 types of requirements of casting spells. Seven objects in the Studies & Magic section of the Gear chapter can be used as a focus (Amulet, Brooch, Chalk, Hourglass, Orbuculum, Reliquary and Wand). Should staff also be a focus? I mean the first picture on page 4 shows a wizard holding what appears to be a magic staff.

Banish and Purge are the only spells that require a focus and it is specified as (holy symbol (assuming amulet?)).

Fireball, Fireblast and Firebird list a focus in the description each stating, "from your hand or focus at the target", and yet Focus is still not a Requirement. I think having a focus should be required in these cases especially since you don't want to get burned. Foci seem like such an interesting thing to use in magic. It would be nice to see more game use of them, perhaps even some sort of benefit.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a way for other characters to dabble in magic but I also like it being treated like a lifelong pursuit to be a full mage, and requiring the background for maximum power potential too.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a way for o th er characters to dabble in magic but I also like it being treated like a lifelong pursuit to be a full mage, and requiring the background for maximum power potential too.

That’s what I was going for with my suggestion above. Being able to pick up a magic skill at the base, untrained, level (which is what ‘Archmage’ provides) means someone can dabble in magic but it will take a long time, and a lot of advancements, before they’re anywhere near the ability of a character who started as a Mage.

One concern I have about an open magic feat is that, over time, many characters would pick it up diluting the effectiveness of mages and making magic more “common” (and some spells seem pretty powerful)

I have a couple of thoughts/ideas on this:
Firstly, non-Mage characters can use magic in the game as is, but only through magic items. The Magic Seal spell states that the mage casting decides how the spell is activated by any user, so this could be touching an amulet, speaking words for a spell from a magic ring, drinking a potion… Therefore you could have a non-mage who ends up adventuring for items, and carries around a lot of tiny amulets and charms containing spells (I even thought of a mage creating a spell book where each page is a single use spell that can be cast by another, non mage character)…I’m already thinking of a fastidious mage character who makes amulets for their servants containing ‘repair clothes’ magic tricks to make sure that they are always smartly dressed.

A second idea I had, which I also mentioned in the skills forum, is that non-mage characters could learn spells as separate secondary skills- this would partially “open up” access to magic, but keep it more restrictive and also keep mages as something special.

A second idea I had, which I also mentioned in the skills forum, is that non-mage characters could learn spells as separate secondary skills- this would partially “open up” access to magic, but keep it more restrictive and also keep mages as something special.

I would suggest a Heroic Ability called Dabbler that allows a single Magic Spell to be learned as a Secondary Skill. Not sure if an additional Willpower cost when casting the Spell should be included - tempted to make it an additional 1 Willpower, but perhaps it could be an additional 1 per Spell Rank to make "dabbling" in higher rank spells harder.

p. 61, under "Learning Magic"

Teachers: The easiest (but often most expensive) way to learn a spell is from a teacher who already knows it. The lesson takes one Shift, but you cannot activate the new spell until the end of the game session. You must then use an Advancement Mark (page 65) for the school to learn the new spell instead of trying to increase your skill level in the school. Make a roll against INT, with a boon. On success you learn the spell, otherwise you do not.

Page 65 leads to the Animism/Elementalism spell description split. Was page 31 (Experience > Magic) where this reference was supposed to point to?