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Skip Navigation LinksHigh Fantasy HERO>Content>Magic>Magic Systems>Aeldenaren>System
Aeldenaren

Aeldenaren
Aeldenaren System Aeldenari Aeldenaren Variants Aeldenari Package Deals
GM Notes on Aeldenaren
Aeldenaren (ALE-din-NAR-in), practitioners of which are properly called Aeldenari (ALE-din-NAR-ee), but in some parts of the world are called Old-blooded, and Gifted.
Unfortunately for those not born to it, Aeldenaren cannot be learned and no master may teach it no matter how dedicated the student or how determined the instructor might be. This Magic is instead a Gift that can only be given by the vagaries of heredity. Aeldenaren flows in bloodlines, and when found among Humans it is believed to be a sign of some non-human ancestry in the past.
In some lands Aeldenari might be viewed as special and worthy of envy, while in some other lands those born Gifted are believed to be spawns of dark powers or descendants of demons or devils that have lain with Humans.
Casting Model
Instead of relying on an infrastructure of learned theories in the form of Knowledge Skills, Spells, Known Spell lists, Variable Power Pools, and suchlike, Aeldenaren is based on Talents that must be taken at character creation that grant access to purchasing Power Constructs directly.
AELDENAREN GIFTS
As a Campaign Restriction, Aeldenaren Gifts can only be taken at Character Creation. A character might have only one of the Gifts, or all six, or anything in between as suits the player; further a character might start with one or more Gift Talents, but not yet have any Powers related to it -- the potential exists, but the character has not yet fulfilled it.
Each Gift is represented as a Custom Talent that costs one character point, that grants access to specific HERO System Powers for the character with that Gift.
There are six Basic Gifts and six Advanced Gifts in Aeldenaren, each with a corresponding Talent as detailed below which does nothing save grant access to particular sorts of Powers.
The Gifts determine what Base Powers can be used to construct Power Constructs for a character. For instance, only an Aeldenaren with the Gift of Shifting can have one or more Power Constructs that use the Shape Shift Base Power.
Each Power Construct that a character wants to use must be purchased separately and paid for with character points without the benefit of Power Frameworks except an Elemental Control, and without Charges.
Because of this Aeldenaren can be very costly to a character, but on the positive side a Gifted character can use their particular abilities as often as their fatigue level allows.
BASIC GIFTS
Basic Gifts represent the more common abilities found among Aeldenaren and generally tend toward more subtle, less direct effects.
ADVANCED GIFTS
Advanced Gifts represent more uncommon abilities found among Aeldenaren, and often allow more obvious, direct, or flashy effects than the Basic Gifts. In some campaign settings they may not exist at all, while in others they may require GM permission either as a group or individually.
Such extremes aside, it is assumed that if Advanced Gifts are allowed then an Aeldenari must have at least one Basic Gift per Advanced Gift. Thus an Aeldenari could have three Basic and three or fewer Advanced Gifts, but could not have one Basic Gift and six Advanced Gift. As there are six Basic and six Advanced Gifts, to have access to all six Advanced Gifts an Aeldenari must also have all six Basic Gifts.
BASIC GIFTS
GIFT OF BASE POWERS
AFFECTING This Gift allows the Aeldenari to affect other living creatures directly. They can heal any living thing or sap the essences of life from them. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Aid
  • Drain
  • Healing
  • Succor
  • Transfer
COMMANDING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to control the minds of any sentient creature or create nightmares and hallucinations capable of inflicting real harm upon the victim. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Mental Illusions
  • Mind Control
  • EGO Attack
  • Entangles (BOECV)
DECEIVING This Gift enables the Aeldenari to fool the senses of others. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Images
  • Invisibility
KNOWING This Gift gives an Aeldenari the capacity for vast mystical awareness. An Aeldenari that has this Gift may purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Clairsentience
  • Telepathy
  • Enhanced Senses
  • Find Weakness
  • Mind Link
  • Mind Scan
SHIFTING This Gift gives an Aeldenari control over their own form. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Shape Shift
  • Multiform
  • Growth
  • Density Increase
  • Shrinking
WILLING This Gift enables the Aeldenari to force their will upon the world around them, changing nearly anything in the surrounding environment and the environment itself  into anything the Aeldenari can imagine. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Change Environment
  • Transform
  • Entangles (non-BOECV)
ADVANCED GIFTS
KILLING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to inflict direct harm upon the people and world around them. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Energy Blast
  • Hand Attack
  • Hand Killing Attack
  • Ranged Killing Attack
RESISTING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to protect themselves from harm. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Damage Resistance
  • Knockback Resistance
  • Lack of Weakness
  • Power Defense
  • Damage Reduction
WARDING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to erect magical barriers. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Force Field
  • Force Wall
  • Entangles (Barrier Only)
STABILIZING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to counteract and prevent the disruption of static reality. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Dispel
  • Suppress
RIFTING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to bend Space to their will, allowing them to travel far distances in their own plane of existences and perhaps (with GM's Permission) into others as well. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Teleportation
  • Extra Dimensional Movement (with GM's permission)
DEPRIVING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to deprive others of their own senses. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using:
  • Darkness
  • Flash
Restrictions
There are a number of restrictions which apply to this type of Magic Use, as follows.
POWER FRAMEWORKS
Aeldenari usually have an Elemental Control for their Powers; in fact it is so common one is included in their Basic Package Deal. However, an Aeldenari does not have to have an Elemental Control if they do not wish to; all listed Powers will need to be refactored accordingly. As an Aeldenari grows in Power, they may increase the size of their Elemental Control accordingly.
Aeldenari cannot use Variable Power Pools or Multipower Pools for their Powers as a Campaign Groundrule.
SPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX)
Aeldenari are Arcane Magic Users, their Magic interacts normally with Dispel, Suppress, and other Adjustment Powers as such, and each Aeldenari has the SFX of Aeldenari, Magic, and Arcane. Further, the Gift which a Power belongs to is part of the SFX of an individual Power as well. These SFX cannot be disguised or removed even with Variable SFX. Thus an Aeldenari Power based on Transform has the SFX of Arcane, Magic, and because it falls under the Gift of Willing it also has the SFX of Aeldenari Willing.
REQUIRED/FORBIDDEN MODIFIERS
AELDENAREN POWER DESIGN RESTRICTIONS
  • Gestures may not be taken
  • Normal Incantations may not be taken
    • Voice Range Incantations are allowed
  • No Power may be on Charges
  • No Conscious Control and Independent may not be taken on any Power
  • All Powers must either cost END by default or take the "Costs END" Limitation
    • Gifts may take Reduced END
    • Gifts may take "Costs END Only to Activate" where allowed by the rules normally
      • All Costs END only to Activate Gifts must have a defined termination, expressed either as a duration or a specific and reasonably common event
  • Powers may not be imbedded in a Focus, but may require an item to be activated; use Restrainable instead of Focus in these cases
  • No Power can Require a Skill Roll
ALLOWED LIMITATIONS
Aeldenari don't "cast Spells"; they just use their Gifts. As every Aeldenari might have a unique set of Powers with differing activation limitations, each Power may require different activation methods, however these activation methods should not be "Spell-like".
Concentration, Extra Time, Extra Endurance, and Side Effects are all very common and appropriate Activation Limitations.
INCANTATIONS & GESTURES
Aeldenari Spells don't use normal "Word of Power" Incantations or Gestures.
Some Aeldenari Powers, particularly expressions of the Gift of Commanding, do use the Voice Range variant of Incantations however.
VOICE RANGE
Aeldenari use the "Voice Range" variant described on page 133 of Fantasy HERO for Hero System 5th Edition for Incantations for most of their Powers that have Incantations (if any).
Unlike normal Incantations which must be obvious "words of power", this form of Incantations can be disguised as normal conversation, singing, or other vocalizing but the targets of the Spell must be able to hear the Incantations clearly.
FOCI
Some Aeldenari have a "mental crutch" in the form of an object they need to work Magic. Use Restrainable (by preventing access to the object) instead of Foci to represent this.
CHARGES
Aeldenaren Powers never use Charges.
COSTS ENDURANCE
The single greatest restriction on this Magic System is that all Spells must cost Endurance to activate.
ENDURANCE RESERVES
Many Aeldenari have END Reserves to fuel their Powers (and one is included in the Base Package below). Some Aeldenari buy some or all of their Powers to use either their personal END or their END Reserve using the standard +1/4 Advantage.
MAGIC SKILL ROLLS
Aeldenari do not use Magic Skill Rolls of any sort for their system of Magic.
SPECIALIST AELDENARI
Aeldenari do not have a concept of "Specializing" in a formal sense, but some Aeldenari only have one or two Gifts and could be said to be "Specialists". Thus a character that only had the Gift of Commanding, but had a lot of Commanding Powers could be considered to be a Specialist in that kind of Magic, as could any Aeldenari who had a disproportionate number of Commanding Powers.
MAGIC ITEMS
Some Aeldenari can craft Magic Items and can also even "enchant" people with abilities like a Magic Item, but they use the Transform Power (part of the Gift of Willing) to do this.
This is accomplished using the "Adding Powers" rules under Transform, adding Powers to a mundane object or person. This does not cost character points, and GM's should regulate its use. A convenient means of controlling the proliferation of this type of item is to insist on a very common "Heal Back" clause for the Transform, such as contact with Dispel Magic.