Magic, Amended

            Magic in Halicker operates very similarly to the apparatus upgrade system. A character picks certain spell effects at the start. Certain Story Tellers will require these spells to follow a theme that fits the character while others will not. These spell effects can be of any type or appearance with varying combat and RP potential. As a character plays through the game he or she will get the opportunity to upgrade these spell effects by getting alchemical components. These show up in various forms- fire stones, cockatrice feathers, golem blood etc. Once enough of these components have been found, a character can either pay an alchemist or perform the proper alchemical procedures to create spell upgrades or new spells.

Once a character has chosen his or her spells, he/she must declare a physical representation of this spell. This usually is interpreted as magical tattoos on a character’s body, but can also be represented as magical designs or decorations on an apparatus. Once a spell is upgraded, the tattoo can be developed into a more ornate design, or a character can get new tattoos; any form of body modification is allowed to show spells and upgrades, and players are encouraged to be creative when coming up with their own. 

Spells require "Whispers" (a.k.a. manna) to be used. A character starts out with three, (five if you’re a Red) and you can get more Whispers by acquiring a complicated list of alchemical components. As well, a Story Teller can be nice and give a character who fancies themselves a "mage" or "wizard" more Whispers, or a few spells (free spells, or “Frells”) that are weaker but require no Whisper. Characters can upgrade regular spells to be Frells through a complicated alchemical process. 

Noticing a pattern here? As mechanics is to machinery and apparatus, alchemy is to magic.

Characters who do not want to do magic themselves can enchant their apparatus so that spells emanate from the machine as a opposed to the character. This might not seem like a much of a change but certain enemies can do weird things to characters with magic tattoos or the like, and said enemies will be in the manual when I am rich enough to publish said manual.