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Magic in Riven is very different than what you'd expect in a standard Dungeons & Dragons campaign, although some pretty standard D&D spells will end up being used. Although some races in the past, notably the Sidhe who enslaved and bred the humans many generations ago, do have natural and innate magical ability, humans -- both Bred and Unbred -- do not. Therefore the only reason they can work any magic at all is because of the unique aspect of the world of Riven.

First, it's important to understand that all things -- living or not -- have both a spiritual and a material component. In the spiritual realm, all things exist as a reflection of what they are in the material realm. This duality doesn't cause anything special to happen day to day except when certain catastrophic imbalances occur.

For instance, when someone is killed, their spirit leaves their body and moves on to the first stage of the afterlife. However, in some cases of catastrophic imbalance, the spirit and the body can become separated and this will not happen. Usually this happens when some dire curse or circumstance causes death, and the spirit lingers as a mad, vengeful thing; a ghost, spectre or wraith of some kind. However, this imbalance causes strange supernatural events to occur, and to those who know and have the wherewithal to harness it, it can somewhat controlled and directed.

The world Riven itself, of course, also exists spiritually and physically, but the physical world is shattered and ... well, riven. Hence the name. This causes a catastrophic imbalance; in essence, it can be said that the entire Realm of Riven is "dead" and indeed haunted by the spirit of the whole, unriven planet. Of course, this spirit isn't sentient per se, although a thick undercurrent of madness and insanity plague any who would commune with it too often. However, it is this which allows magic to be used at all.

In theory, anyone can learn to cast spells, although cloistered scholars and the like are most likely to actually do so, in most cases (the NPC Expert class.) Spells are cast by knowing the correct ritual to cast them, and take some time to cast. The knowledge of spells comes from obscure tomes and scraps of hidden knowledge. Since knowing spells is a heresy under the laws of Cassant (with the exception of rare and slavish state-sponsored sorcerers) finding spell knowledge is difficult at the best of times, except for those who really take it to heart to search out such knowledge.

Casting spells involves skill checks, often with skills that are not common, such as Spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana) or others. Each individual spell has a DC, and the amount of skill checks that must be made to successfully cast it. Unless stated otherwise, skill checks must be made every 10 minutes during the ritual. Failing a skill check means that ten minutes have passed and the spell is in danger of failing. If two skill checks are failed in a row, the spell fails and the caster(s) suffer the failure effects associated with the spell. Any spell components are consumed regardless of success or failure of the spell, and the backlash effect is suffered regardless of the success or failure of the spell as well.

Spells can be interrupted without causing them to fail, but for each round the spell is interrupted, the DC for the next skill check is increased by 1. Spellcasters can only take 10 on spells that have no failure result.

All spells also affect the Sanity of those who cast them. This Sanity loss is automatic, and is equal to the effective level of the spell x 2.

Naturally, any spell found during the campaign will be very specific, and will be distributed to the player(s) who read it at that time, but here's a sample spell to show how the system works:

Call Forth the Dweller
Divination
Effective Level: 6^th
Skill Check:Knowledge (arcana) DC 20, 6 successes
Failure: Falsehood
Components: V, S, M, F, XP, B (backlash)
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This incantation contacts the enigmatic, extradimensional being known as the Dweller on the Threshold, an entity that imparts knowledge about its specific obsession: doors and other entrances. To cast call forth the Dweller, the caster must inscribe forty-two mystic symbols around an open doorway, then begin the chants and supplications required for the spell. If the spell succeeds, an image of the Dweller -- an inky mass of tentacles and mouths -- appears on the other side of the doorway. The Dweller on the Threshold truthfully answers any questions it is asked about a particular door. For example, the Dweller can provide a magical password that unlocks a door, indicate how to disarm a trap on a door, reveal the weaknesses of a door's guardian, or describe the room that lies beyond the door. It's answers are clear and fairly specific, if somewhat terse. The caster may well appreciate such concise answers, because one of the forty-two symbols inscribed around the doorway during the casting of the spell fades away with each word the Dweller on the Threshold speaks -- and when all the symbols are gone, the Dweller disappears.

If the doorway used as the focus is one that the Dweller has been asked about in the past, the caster gains a +4 bonus on the Knowledge (arcana) checks during the spell.

Failure: If the caster fails two consecutive Knowledge (arcana) checks, the Dweller on the Threshold gleefully lies, employing falsehoods that demonstrate its inclination toward mischief and cruelty.

Material Component: Forty two mystic symbols inscribed around the perimeter of the doorway from diamond dust (cost: 500 gp). As described above, these symbols gradually disappear during the time the spell is in effect.

Focus: An doorway large enough to allow a Medium creature to pass through it.

XP Component: 400 XP

Backlash: After speaking with the Dweller on the Threshold, the caster is exhausted. Also, casting the spell costs 1/1d10 Sanity. Witnessing the spell (but not being part of the casting) costs 0/1d6 Sanity.

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    System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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