Book of Magic Design Journal #1
A First Look at the Book
Long before there were comic books, before there were cosmic rays or strange visitors from doomed planets, stories of mythic heroes were all about magic. Whether birthright, gift of the gods, or hard-earned through study and practice, heroes wielded supernatural forces, giving them powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals. Magic is, in many ways, the oldest of “super-powers,” dating back as far as we have stories.
Magic in the comic books also has a long history, and some of the earliest and the most successful superheroes have ties to the mystical and supernatural. The Book of Magic is a complete sourcebook on comic book magic and mysticism for the Mutants & Masterminds superhero roleplaying game, giving you all the information you need to include in your game all the mystic elements and characters of the comics.
The Book of Magic is divided up into four main chapters:
Chapter 1: The Mystic World starts with an overview of how magic and mysticism have been portrayed in the comic books, followed by how you can incorporate them into your own M&M game. It includes a look at genre conventions, the intersection between mystics and “mundane” reality in the comics, and mystical dimensions and their place in the overall setting.
Chapter 2: Mystic Heroes is all about creating mystic characters, from spell-slinging magicians to supernatural beings. It goes through the various aspects of character creation with an emphasis on trait choices of importance to mystics. It includes a variety of traits looked at through a mystic lens, some new character options, and a selection of pre-designed powers, mystical devices, and heroic archetypes you can use to create new characters quickly.
Chapter 3: The Mystic Series is for the Gamemaster, providing information on how to put together an M&M series based around, or simply including, mystic characters. It looks at the all-mystic series, or a game with just one or two mystics among a team of mainstream superheroes. It also includes supporting cast and villain archetypes along with a bestiary of mystical creatures for your games.
Chapter 4: The Mystic World of Freedom takes a look at the shadowy supernatural side of the Freedom City campaign setting, giving you a ready-to-use setting for mystical M&M adventures. It includes information on the major figures in the mystic community, the cosmology of dimensions, and the various supernatural forces at work in the World of Freedom, along with dire mystical threats to menace the heroes and the world!
What The Book Is Not...
While we’ve tried to make The Book of Magic a complete resource on comic book magic for M&M, there are some things explicitly not included in its pages. Readers should be aware of the following:
• The Book of Magic is not a guide to fictional magic in general. In particular, it doesn’t attempt to cover the vast range of magic in fantasy fiction, from the sword & sorcery pulps to classics of fantasy literature. You won’t find many bearded wizards in robes bearing gnarled staffs in this book, nor faithful clerics of a wide pantheon of gods.
• The Book of Magic doesn’t deal with magic in the horror genre per se, except as found in many horror comics from the 1970s onward, and in more modern occult horror comic books like DC Comics’ Swamp Thing or Hellblazer. In particular, superhero comics are about heroes overcoming mystical threats, rather than succumbing to them, as the protagonists of horror stories often do. If Unspeakable Elder Gods exist in a superhero setting, the characters are more likely to fight them than fall victim to their madness!
• Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, The Book of Magic is not about real-world occultism or spiritual belief systems, even when it touches upon or uses them as examples or inspiration. This is a book of comic book style magic. Its deities are the “gods” put forth by comic creators like William Marsden, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Neil Gaiman, and countless others. Its cosmology is suited for a superhero game rather than a carefully thought-out model for how the cosmos really works. Its ancient spiritual traditions are sources of fantastic super-powers more than spiritual enlightenment. Readers should keep this in mind before taking it seriously, either pro or con.
Ultimately, the “magic” the book is about is the sense of wonder when we first look out into a fantastic astral “dream-scape” or read the first heroic incantation; when we cheer on the lone magician, standing guard on the gulf between our world and the unknown, or the thrill we feel at seeing the sinister occult villain revealed for the first time. It’s the magic of the comic books themselves, which we capture and transmute and make into our own stories in games like Mutants & Masterminds. So, through this book and all others, may your games always be magical!
