Note: I found this, and in the event that it was someone else's hard work that made it, the original copy of this was found at http://www.duchastel.com/~tld/arcanum/rpg/HM3.html.
Elven High Magic, the rarest and most wonderful of magic still practiced on Toril today, is called Arselu'Tel'Quess, or the "Great Art of the People". High Magic is nearly a myth among the other races, referred to erroneously as Old Magic or Ritual Magic. Wielders of this powerful Art are called Selu'taar, the Art's Disciples, or the High Mages.
To understand High Magic, one must fully understand the elves. From birth, they are part of a communal tribe, community, and race that shares a subconscious mental link. They can boost this link through magic and other rituals to actually become of one mind and spirit with other elves of like attitudes.
High Magic both interferes with and fulfills the needs of exceptional elves by allowing them to touch the Weave and become part of a greater whole while still in mortal realms. It is a path of learning, power, and self-discovery that few tread, but those who do touch aspects of the elven nature that most find only when they pass beyond to Arvandor.
To become a student of High Magic, and elf must have a basic understanding of magic and its related forces. They must also be among the most erudite and wise of their race in order to contemplate and perform the rituals of High Magic.
A student of High Magic must undertake a voluntary apprenticeship to a High Mage. This apprenticeship lasts as long as the tutor deems necessary. While the finer points of a High Mage's education are cloaked in secrecy, enough elves have witnessed some of the practices to get a broad view of the elements of training. Students are taught meditative techniques to allow themselves to more readily feel, see, and sense the Weave around and within them. In the latter half of their apprenticeship, High Mages are taught the true names of animal and folk, the location of places of power across Toril, and ways to unravel Arcane magic after it is cast (rather than preparing counter-spells ahead of time).
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d4
Requirements:
• Race: Elf, except for Drow and Half-Elves
• Spellcasting: Ability to cast 9th level arcane spells
• Feats: Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Endurance, Cooperative Magic
• Spellcraft: 20 ranks
• Concentration: 20 ranks
• Knowledge (Arcana): 20 ranks
• Special: Must be taught how to perform High Magic.
Class Skills: The High Mage's class skills are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Int).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: High Mages gain no proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Skill Points per level: 2 + Int modifier
| Class Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | |||||
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | View Magic, High Magic | |||||
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Illusion Resistance | |||||
| 3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Improved Counterspell | |||||
| 4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Spell Power +2 | |||||
| 5 | +2 | +0 | +0 | +4 | Reactive Counterspell |
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the High Mage prestige class.
View Magic: All High Mages, by their very close affinity with the Weave, can detect magic in a manner akin to seeing. In effect, High Mages view the Weave and the physical world at the same time.
Illusion Resistance: By using the Weave to view the world around them, High Mages develop an ability to see through illusion/phantasm spells. They receive a +4 save bonus to see through or resist illusions/phantasms.
Improved Counterspell: Grants the benefits of the feat by the same name.
Spell Power +2: This ability increases the DC for saving throws against the High Mage's arcane spells and caster level checks for her arcane spells to overcome spell resistance by +2. This stacks with other Spell Power abilities.
Reactive Counterspell: Grants the benefits of the feat by the same name.
High Magic: A High Mage learns how to perform the rituals of High Magic by tapping directly into the parts of the Weave that are in all elves. The major drawback of using the Weave in this manner is that it clashes with casting arcane magic in the normal sense. If a High Mage intends to perform a ritual of High Magic during a ten-day, she cannot memorize any spells during that time. If spells were cast or memorized, the High Mage must meditate for a full ten-day before she can again perform High Magic. This stricture also applies to the use of spell scrolls though not rings, wands, and other magic devices.
Additionally, High Magic depends on the unity of mind, spirit, emotion, and sense of self and community within the High Mage and its surroundings. This communion is not restricted by physical distance. However, if there is no elven community on the same plane as the High Mage, then a High Magic ritual cannot be performed. If a large number of elves are at odds with their community, the emotional conflict can spill over into the Weave and disrupt a ritual. Dissension among the elves makes High Magic nearly impossible, for it relies on the supportive power from the surrounding community. It is a measure of elven solidarity that this has rarely happened since the Crown Wars and the Descent of the Drow. It is this need for cultural and communal togetherness that deny the Dark Elves and other races the use of High Magic.
There are other restrictions as well. A High Mage can never perform more than 4 rituals total during any ten-day. Additionally, if a High Mage performs more than one multiperson ritual in a ten-day, then they must make a Fortitude save versus DC 20 or die (though the Ritual still succeeds). Finally, due to the damage caused to the Weave by the Time of Troubles and the death of Mystryl, performing High Magic is dangerous to a High Mage. Any time a ritual is performed, all High Mages involved must roll on the High Magic Consequences Table found on page 131 of the Cormanthyr book.
All rituals require participating High Mages to completely open their minds to the Weave and to each other. While performing, a High Mage automatically fails any Will saves and is considered flat-footed. To protect the High Mages, a Ritual Ward is commonly erected first (described below). A High Mage may stop performing at any time, ruining the ritual. However, the failed ritual will still count against the High Mage's limit of rituals per ten-day, and the High Mage must still roll on the High Magic Consequences Table.
There are three types of Rituals. Each ritual must be taught to a High Mage by another High Mage who already knows that ritual. The most basic form of High Magic is called a Ritual of Solitude because it is performed by only one High Mage. Rituals of Solitude take 10 minutes to perform, and a High Mage must have an Intelligence and Wisdom score of at least 18 to perform the ritual.
The mid-range High Magic rituals, called Rituals of Complement, require three High Mages to cast different parts of the ceremony. One is treated as the primary caster, though each of them is considered as having performed the ritual when determining how many rituals a High Mage can perform in a ten-day. Rituals of Complement take one hour to perform, and a High Mage must have an Intelligence and Wisdom score of at least 20 to perform the ritual.
Rituals of Myriad, the highest form of High Magic, require a team of at least five High Mages that form an inner ring. Often times, they are supported by concentric outer rings of arcane casters who lend their power and energy to aid the inner ring. Though it is never admitted, even non-elven arcane casters can join an outer ring and aid the ceremony. Rituals of Myriad take a day to perform, and a High Mage must have an Intelligence and Wisdom score of at least 22 to perform the ritual.
The first minute of any ritual is spent cleansing and purifying the site where the ritual will occur. This erects an invisible Ritual Ward around all the High Mages (10' radius for each High Mage involved). The Ward has the same hit points of the primary caster, except that his Intelligence bonus is substituted for his Constitution bonus to determine extra hit points per level. It has an Armor Class of 20 with a Hardness of 10. Any intruder foolish to pass through or attempt to disrupt the ritual suffers dire consequences. Against physical intrusions, including missile weapons, a 50' long arcane bolt lashes out at the intruder causing 20d6. Against magical intrusions, the caster is immediately the target of a Sink spell. Against mental or other intrustions, the intruder is absorbed into a small gem created by the Ritual Ward as a Trap the Soul spell. All of these effects allow a Will save (for half damage when appropriate) against a DC of 30.
What follows below are rituals that have been known to exist. There are others that are rumored as well, though they are no doubt lost to time. Of these, only a subset are still known to existing High Mages. And there are currently no known High Mages that know the secrets of Myriad rituals. High Mages know more rituals then they can cast in a ten-day. The description of the spells can be found in the Cormanthyr book.
Ritual List
Solitude -- The Reverie of Ages, Life of Duty and Form of the People's Needs, Starshine Upon the People, The Song of Enevahr, Skin and Breath of the Wyrm, Flights of True Mark and Arrows of Art, Gift of Alliance, Summoned Shield and Conjured Screen, One Heart -- One Mind -- One Breath, A Message on Birds' Wings of Silver
Complement -- The High Revival and Restoration, The Traveling Path, Sacrements of Seldarine Blessing, Tribute of One's Duty to the People, Hidden Homeland, Corrosion/Erosion, The Forms of Age and Unity Among the Forests, The Vow Tangible, The Revival.
Myriad -- Storm Erosion, Place From All Around and Nowhere -- Home of Summoning, The Banishing -- Binding Outside of the People's Lands, The Sundering -- At War with the Weave
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