A Beginner's Guide to the Arcane Arts

A Beginner's Guide to the Arcane Arts is a book written by Mara Massée in 798. A copy was found in the basement of Granlund Manor in Meredith's Hook.

    First I would like to congratulate you. If you are reading this then you have decided that you would expand both your mind and your combative capabilities by studying the arcane magics. On top of that, I assure you that you have chosen well in your instructional method. This book will take you from zero to the basics of wizardry. Combined with continued studies, you can one day join the ranks of the master wizards, with this as your start.
Now before we begin you must understand that going from zero to even the basics will take you years. There’s a reason most people aren’t wizards. It requires a lot of time and effort, more than most people have to give. The goal of wizardry is attainable, but only if you really commit yourself.

    Before we begin with spells you will have to prepare. I highly recommend getting an arcane focus. This is an object that allows you to do, as the name would apply, focus your arcane energy. That’s right, your arcane energy! You do have access to the world’s arcane forces. Everyone does. You simply need to learn how to access it. You do this through your words and the motions of your body, usually your hands. Most spells are cast this way. It’s not always easy for beginners to understand casting with their hands, so a wand or staff is usually used in place. On top of this, an arcane focus allows you to bypass the material components of many spells. So before you begin your studies, I’d recommend buying an arcane focus to make your spellcasting easier.

    Here I will teach you the steps to perform the ritual spell Find Familiar. I have decided this would be a good spell for beginners for several reasons. First, it is a ritual, and rituals are harder to mess up as long as you focus and perform the steps as instructed. Second, it’s suitable for beginners. Even if you do everything perfectly in the casting, a beginner wizard would not be able to cast Wish, after all. Power progresses naturally as you study, and Find Familiar is something that doesn’t require a master wizard’s power. And finally, familiars are fun! Nothing will make you feel like a true wizard quite like having a magical pet to keep you company.
    First, you should purchase about 10 gold worth of what we like to call “arcane kindling”. This is incense, herbs, and charcoal specifically made for burning in the casting of a ritual spell. Yes, I did say 10 gold. Unfortunately being a wizard isn’t the cheapest occupation. Many spells require material components that you will have to purchase. Some can be bypassed by using an arcane focus, but not all. And some of these consume the components in the process, Find Familiar being one of these spells. But enough on that, on with the spell itself. First, place your arcane kindling in a small brass brazier…

{Instructions on how to cast Find Familiar as a ritual are printed}

    Another useful spell that is suitable for beginners is Fog Cloud. This spell is not a ritual, and it requires your concentration, so only once you have mastered the previous section of the book, then attempt this one. This spell, when cast properly, allows you to conjure a cloud of smoke, as the name implies. While it may seem trivial, in this world of danger it has been useful many times to me, allowing me to hastily escape a band of goblins through the fog, for example. I’ll leave the uses to your imagination, and instruct you on how to cast it so you can use it yourself.
    Thankfully, this spell requires no material components, meaning that if you’d like, you can cast it without your arcane focus if you’d like extra practice. Also this is a concentration spell. This means that you can keep this cloud up for a long time, up to an hour, so long as you keep the idea of it in the back of your mind, and don’t cast any other concentration spells. Try keeping the spell up for as long as you can. Now back to the casting itself. First, you should spiral your hand (or your focus) in a counterclockwise circle and speak the following incantation...

{Instructions on how to cast Fog Cloud are printed}

    On the back page of this book you should find the sigil sequence of the teleportation circle for the Pollington Academy of the Arcane campus. Should you continue your studies to the point where you can cast advanced spells such as Teleportation Circle, I would love to discuss these studies with you and see how you are progressing, and what you thought of my lessons.

{On the back page is an illustration of a circle with intricate runes around it}