The Wizard’s Tower is tall, and the dungeon underneath runs deep.
This is one of the toughest overarching subjects a worldbuilder can tackle if their campaign setting and/or system don’t already have magic conventions established. Lucky for me, Dragonbane RPG already has three really well-honed schools of magic, and the Book of Magic is going to add more fairly soon.

Currently we have:

• Animism.
• Elementalism.
• Mentalism.
• Plus General Magic: spells common to pretty much all Mages.

Soon we will have:
• Alchemy.
• Demonology.
• Harmonism.
• Illusionism
• Necromancy.
• Symbolism.
• Witchcraft

Book of Magic cover. Mmm Necromancy.

Let’s talk about the ones we know from the Dragonbane RPG.

Animism is all about the spirit world. With all of the spirits and would-be gods in the world, this is as close as Dragonbane comes to having any type of priest or cleric. Most spells are healing or nature based. It goes without saying I’m most personally partial to this school of magic given my own beliefs. I’m curious to see how this will overlap with the schools in Book of Magic, if at all.

Elementalism is the most straightforward of the three in the core book. Earth, Water, Air, and Fire are the main subgroups. Elementalist mages may pick and choose. They are not bound to any one flavor of element. Of the three schools in the main book, this one has the most room for expansion.

Mentalism as presented in the main book is a bit confusing to me. On one hand it looks a lot like monasticism, like the Dungeons & Dragons monks. On the other hand, it looks a lot like these mages are more like Psionicists or psychics in any other number of games. They can fly and even teleport. I still can’t fathom why Telekinesis is not on this list.

General Magic is cool. It’s a lot of basic stuff we’re used to from other games such as Dispel, Shield, and Permanence. This also has plenty of room for expansion in Book of Magic.

Then there’s the stuff that’s coming up.

Alchemy, again, seems pretty straightforward. Potions, transmuting one thing into another, and if we’ve learned anything from D&D, probably some kabooms.

Demonology might be interesting. So far the main campaign setting of Dragonbane, the Misty Vale and adjacent areas, doesn’t have a set pantheon of gods, demigods, demons, etc. I think this is going to be the Dragonbane equivalent of the D&D Warlock. Part of me wishes they would lean into the Games Workshop style of Demonologists. I like how that campaign setting spells out the four worst baddies.


Harmonism is one that I’ve only more recently learned about. From what I can tell, it’s going to involve sound, probably even musical instruments or vocal music as its magical conduit. Think sonic blasts, bardic charm, disruptive frequencies, and maybe even some healing vibrations. I’m guessing this will appeal to players who want to take center stage, literally. If they lean into bard archetypes, we might see Harmonists who can soothe or shatter with a note. I’m already picturing some unique roleplay opportunities with spells tied to songs, chants, or performance.

Illusionism seems like a no-brainer to add to Dragonbane. I fully expect this school to be tricksy and mischievous, full of light-bending glamours, veils, phantasms, and maybe even some dream magic. In a game like Dragonbane where combat and exploration go hand-in-hand, I’m hoping we get tools for misdirection, stealth support, and non-lethal manipulation. Not everything has to be solved with a fireball, after all.

The other sweet, sweet part of Illusionism is I used to build some pretty sick illusion based dungeons back in ye olden days for that other d20 fantasy game. As long as the players can’t sneeze to disbelieve/dispel illusions, this is gonna be frickin cool. Have I mentioned I also enjoy playing as an illusionist? It was a class in AD&D back in the day as well as Earthdawn.

Necromancy is the one that probably has me the most excited. Not just for the edgy, undead-raising villains we all love, but because it fits the world of Dragonbane so well. Spells that speak to bones, manipulate life essence, or command ghosts would all feel right at home. If Free League decides to explore both the creepy and the mournful sides of Necromancy, it could be a very nuanced tradition. The potential for moral gray areas here is chef’s kiss.

Symbolism is the wildcard. If I had to guess, I’d say it will deal with runes, wards, sigils, and maybe magical writing (ofudas?) or glyphs. I picture this school blending magical theory with mystical geometry, allowing casters to prepare battlegrounds in advance or layer ongoing enchantments into their environment. I’d love to see Symbolists carving sigils into armor or hiding traps with encoded spell effects.

Witchcraft, as a tradition, may stir some real-life feelings depending on how it’s portrayed. Personally, I hope Free League takes the route of folk magic. Hedge witches, herbal brews, hexes, and protective charms all seem like excellent candidates for this tradition. Depending on how dark they go, this could also be the “rural wisdom” magic somewhere between superstition and supernatural. I’ve toyed with using this school as the centerpiece for a witch-hunting campaign, but I’ll admit that idea could be controversial depending on your table.


If you want to check out the Book of Magic Kickstarter and see what’s been officially revealed so far, you can follow this link: Arkand and the Book of Magic for the acclaimed Dragonbane RPG – Kickstarter:

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.