Detect Magic
Contents
Detect Magic Ingame
A caster can detect the magical auras of objects within the spellcone of Detect Magic cast ingame. Objects that will report include certain FX, Doors, Items, Placeables and their inventory, Triggers, Waypoints, Spell Traps, and finally Creatures and their effects and inventory.
Concentration Check
The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject. Caster rolls a Concentration Check to determine rounds of study. Checks include Concentration modifiers and buffs.
Roll Rounds Result 1 0 Rounds Failure 2-6 1 Round There is magic within range. 7-13 2 Rounds Number of auras and the power of the strongest aura. 14+ 3 Rounds Location of auras, and a Spellcraft Check vs. power of item to learn its school of magic.
Failure
A natural 1, with or without modifiers, means the caster fails their casting and learns nothing.
Round 1: There is Magic Within Range
A roll of 2 to 6 earns one round of information that tells the caster simply that there is magic within range. After 1 Round, they get a server message that their concentration breaks.
Round 2: Power of Magic
A roll of 7 to 13 earns Round 2 of information: generalized number of auras within range and the strength of the strongest aura. After 2 Rounds, they get a server message that their concentration breaks.
Round 3: Location, Individual Power and Possibly School of Magic
A roll of 14+ earns Round 3 of information: the power and location of each aura in range. Also, at this time the caster rolls Spellcraft against the power of each aura to discover the school of the aura.
Building for Detect Magic
Some VFX, Creatures, Doors, Items, Placeables, Triggers and Waypoints (including spell traps) either automatically report or can be set up to report their magical auras to a caster of Detect Magic.
SpellSchool Variables
A builder can add up to three sets of ACR_SPELLSCHOOL, ACR_SUBSCHOOL, and ACR_SPELLPOWER variables to Doors, Placeables, Triggers, and Waypoints to place an aura of any school, subschool and power.
Sample versions of Doors, Placeables, Triggers, Traps and Waypoints, with the variable slots on them but zeroed out, exist in toolset under the category ALFA_DetectMagic (or ALFA_Traps_Spawn). Builders can change the name, tag, resref, appearance, description of these sample objects to anything. Only the variables are checked by the spell. Placeables do not have to be useable.
To place an aura, only ACR_SPELLSCHOOL and ACR_SPELLPOWER are required. The others are optional and can be left as 0s or empty fields.
School of Magic
For instance, if you wish to suggest that a catapult has an ability to hurl fireballs, set ACR_SPELLSCHOOL to 5, for Evocation. If you want to suggest those fireballs are Transmuted magically from some solid fuel, set ACR_SPELLSCHOOL2 to 8, for Transmutation. A further suggestion that the whole thing is protected against good could use ACR_SPELLSCHOOL3 set to 1, for Abjuration.
Variables (and the way they report to the caster) include:
- ACR_SPELLSCHOOL (integer) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation"
- ACR_SPELLSCHOOL2 (integer) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation and Transmutation."
- ACR_SPELLSCHOOL3 (integer) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation and Transmutation around a central core of stored Abjuration."
Integer School of Magic 1 Abjuration 2 Conjuration 3 Divination 4 Enchantment 5 Evocation 6 Illusion 7 Necromancy 8 Transmutation 9 General/Universal Magic
SubSchool strings are optional. A builder can enter classifications such as "Sonic" or "Mind-Affecting", or any subcategory or descriptor of spells. For instance, the hypothetical Catapult of Fireballs could be "Fire" or "Elemental". Or blank, if you don't want the PC to get that hint.
- ACR_SUBSCHOOL (string) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation (Fire)."
- ACR_SUBSCHOOL2 (string) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation (Fire) and Transmutation (Earth)."
- ACR_SUBSCHOOL3 (string) -- "This catapult has an aura of Evocation (Fire) and Transmutation (Earth) around a central core of stored Abjuration (Evil)."
Power of Magic
ACR_SPELLPOWER is required. The other two are only needed if you want multiple schools of magic. Enter the spell level of the spell being represented. For instance, our Catapult of Fireballs would be ACR_SPELLPOWER 3 for Fireball, ACR_SPELLPOWER2 5 for Transmute Rock to Mud (for loading in coal and getting out napalm) and ACR_SPELLPOWER3 8 for Unholy Aura.
- ACR_SPELLPOWER (integer) -- "This catapult has a Faint aura of Evocation (Fire)."
- ACR_SPELLPOWER2 (integer) -- "This catapult has a Faint aura of Evocation (Fire) and a Moderate aura of Transmutation."
- ACR_SPELLPOWER3 (integer) -- "This widget has a Faint aura of Evocation and Moderate Transmutation around a central core of stored Powerful Abjuration (Evil)."
Spell Level Power of Magic 1-3 Faint 4-6 Moderate 7-9 Strong 10+ Overwhelming
Objects Automatically Detected By Detect Magic
Portals, Glyphs and Symbol Traps, Walls of Force, some FX, magical Creatures and Creatures with active spell effects, and Items with standard magical properties will be automatically found by Detect Magic, whether the object is placed in toolset or created on the fly ingame.
Portals
Portals can be triggers or placeables. Placeable portals do not have to be useable at the time of casting Detect Magic. If they have "_portal" in the tag, they will report to the caster as Strong Conjuration.
Glyphs and Symbol Traps
Glyphs of Warding and Symbol Traps can be triggers or placeables. Placeables do not have to be useable. If they contain certain words in their tags they will report as follows:
Type Anywhere in Tag Report Glyph of Warding _glyph_ward Faint Abjuration Symbol of Pain _symbol_pain Moderate Necromancy Symbol of Sleep _symbol_sleep Moderate Enchantment Symbol of Fear _symbol_fear Moderate Necromancy Symbol of Persuasion _symbol_pers Moderate Enchantment Symbol of Weakness _symbol_weakness Strong Necromancy Symbol of Stunning _symbol_stun Strong Enchantment Symbol of Death _symbol_death Strong Necromancy Symbol of Insanity _symbol_insanity Strong Enchantment
Walls of Force
Forcefields with "Forcefield" in their names or "forcefield" in their tags are Walls of Force. Placeables do not have to be useable. They will report as Moderate Evocation.
Visual Effects
If placed or spawned without changing their tags, or at least maintaining the portion of the tag noted below, effects will register as follows.
Type Anywhere in Tag Report Containment Field _containment Faint Abjuration Wall of Force _force Moderate Evocation Ioun Stone _ioun Strong Transmutation Elemental _elemental Moderate Conjuration Arcane Symbol Projections _proj as well as three letter abbreviation for school (_abj, _con, _div, _enc, _evo, _ill, _nec, _tra) Faint {Insert School} Arcane Lamp _arcane_lamp_ Faint Evocation Teleport Gem Blue abr_afx_gem_energy_blue (entire tag) Strong Conjuration Other Energy Gems _gem_energy Faint Evocation
Spell Traps
More information on tooling traps can be found on the ACR_Traps page.
Spell Traps, not mechanical traps, will report school and power to the caster based on the spell they cast.
ACR_TRAP_SPELL_ID
If tooled up and placed in toolset, they already have the required spell ID on them. If spawned, they do not. To have a spawning trap report to the caster, its spawnpoint also needs to have the spell ID on it. (Mechanically, even though the tooled up trap has the trap integer on it in toolset and if placed, when it is *spawned* that trap integer disappears so it has to be on the spawnpoint, to register.)
- ACR_TRAP_SPELL_ID (integer) -- Add this to the spawnpoint. Value is the row number of the spell from the Spells 2DA.
TRAP ORIGIN
Spell Traps also require a nearby origin point, a Placeable tagged as TRAP_ORIGIN. It can have any appearance.
Spell Traps report auras on both the origin and the location of the trap, which is not always at the origin point.
For instance, a spawned or placed Fireball Trap originating from a burning torch where the flame is a placeable tagged TRAP_ORIGIN would have the ACR_TRAP_SPELL_ID of integer 58. If proximity to the torch itself is the trigger, that radius is already set on a correctly tooled or spawned trap. Origin and trap or trap spawnpoint are put on top of each other. It will report as "Torch Flame 2m to the Southeast gives off an aura of Faint Evocation."
If the trigger is a nearby stone pressure plate, then the origin is the placeable flame and the trap or spawnpoint are placed on the pressure plate. This would report as "Torch Flame 2m to the Southeast and a circle centered on a point 4m West of Torch Flame give off an aura of Faint Evocation."
Creatures
Creatures are the most complex use case. They can have racial auras, active spell effects, and inventory.
Creature Report
A creature's report will start with Racial Auras, if any. Next comes a Functioning Spells section, if any spell effects are currently active. After that, the item reports begin, starting with an item summary, then moving to equipped items, and finally a blurb about inventory.
Racial Auras
Some Creatures will register automatically. For instance: "Pegasus has a lingering aura of Innate Magic."
Race School Construct Transmutation Elemental Conjuration Fey Enchantment Magical Beast Innate Magic Outsider Conjuration Shapechanger Transmutation Undead Necromancy
Their power is based on 1/2 their CR.
CR Power of Magic 1-6 Faint 7-12 Moderate 13-20 Strong 20+ Overwhelming
Creatures with Active Spell Effects
PCs or NPCs with active spells will report their aura by cross-referencing the spell effect with the school and level from the Spells 2DA.
Any active spell will register. Examples:
Spell School Power Death Ward Necromancy Moderate Protection from Evil Aburation Faint Invisibility* Illusion Faint/Moderate/Strong Detect Scrying Divination Moderate See Invisibility Divination Faint Wildshape Transmutation Faint
Note: Invisible creatures report only location of auras, not that they are on a creature or that creature's name.
Items
SpellSchool Variables
Like other objects, items can have up to three sets of SpellSchool Variables added manually, but these should be used sparingly, since Item auras also automatically report based on their item properties. An Item can have both automatically reporting properties and SpellSchool properties, but use SpellSchool variables only:
- No matching item property: If a builder wants to add an aura that no item property automatically generates;
- Cast Unique: To supplement the aura information for items with the item properties: Cast Spell: Unique Power, or Cast Spell: Unique Power Self Only, or Cast Spell: On Hit. These properties each call tag-based event scripts that Detect Magic can't read, and which it will report as "This item has a complex aura of arcanity." Add SpellSchool variables to explicate the complex aura.
For instance: a builder has created a spoon that magically sweetens any porridge it scoops up. The item property Cast Spell: Unique Power is placed on the spoon, which calls event script i_spoon_ac. The caster will get the "complex aura" message, and if the builder places an ACR_SPELLSCHOOL of 8 and an ACR_SPELLPOWER of 1 on the spoon, will also get a Faint Transmutation aura to represent the famous Transmutation spell: Sugar Hit.
Otherwise, Items report automatically based on the following guidelines.
Tag Based Auras
Some items return an aura based on their tag, rather than their properties. Note: These items can have other properties, too, but will return at least the following:
| Item | School | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Symbol | Abjuration | Faint |
| Scrying Multi-Tool | Universal | Faint |
Spell Casting Properties
Any item that casts any spell is cross-referenced against the Item Property Spells 2DA and the Spells 2DA to get school and power.
Enhancement Properties
The SRD under Magic Items and Detect Magic says:
Item School Armor and protection items Abjuration Weapons or offensive items Evocation Bonus to ability score, on skill check, etc. Transmutation
Power is based on amount of enhancement:
Enhancement Power +1 Faint +2 Moderate +3 Strong +4 Overwhelming
Miscellaneous Properties
Property School Power Bonus Feat Transmutation Faint Bonus HP Transmutation Faint Darkvision Transmutation Faint Freedom of Movement Transmutation Moderate Haste Transmutation Faint Immunity Damage Type Abjuration Strong Immunity Misc Abjuration Strong Immunity Spell Level Abjuration Strong Improved Evasion Transmutation Strong Light Evocation Faint Regeneration Transmutation Strong Spell Resistance Abjuration Moderate True Seeing Transmutation Moderate
Loose Items
Items on the ground or otherwise outside of a container or creature's inventory report individually, just like any other object.
"A Tower Shield 10m Northwest gives off an aura of Moderate Abjuration."
Items in a Placeable
Placeables report their items based on whether they are open or closed. "Something in Chest 5m to the South gives off a Moderate aura of Conjuration." Or "An unidentified potion in a Chest 5m to the South gives off a Moderate aura of Conjuration. "Or if identified because the PC recognizes it "A Cure Moderate Wounds potion in a Chest gives off a Moderate aura of Conjuration."
Items on Creatures
Summary: Creatures generate a more complex item report than any other object type. The first part of the Creature Item report is a summary of how many auras of each school of magic surround the creature. "Little Red Riding Hood has around half a dozen Abjuration auras. Little Red Riding Hood has 1 Necromancy aura."
Equipped: Items equipped on a visible creature report individually. "Bracers worn by the Big Bad Wolf gives off a Strong aura of Transmutation."
Inventory: Items in a Creature's inventory are reported in one statement at the end of the creature report. "The rest of the auras are in Big Bad Wolf's inventory."
End of Report
"That is all you learn."
