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COWBOYS & VIKINGSCompendium of the Wild Wastes

Catalog / Skill Actions / Detect Magic

Detect Magic

Skill Actions · Mysticism

Skill Mysticism
Cost None
  • Exploration
  • Concentrate
  • Trained

You sense magical auras. The longer you study an area or subject, the more you learn. 1 minute: whether there are any magical auras. 5 minutes: how many different auras there are, and the power of the strongest. 10 minutes: the strength and location of each aura; for auras on things in your line of sight you can make Lore checks to learn each one's school of magic (one check per aura, DC 15 + the spell's Complexity), and for an aura from a magic item you can try to identify its properties (DC 15 + the item's level). Magical areas, mixed magic or strong local emanations can blur or hide weaker auras. Aura strength: spell Complexity 4 or less faint, 7 moderate, 10 strong, 13 overwhelming; magic item level 5 or lower faint, 6–11 moderate, 12–17 strong, 18+ overwhelming (an aura in two categories shows as the stronger). Lingering aura: after its source ends or is destroyed, an aura lingers as dim (weaker than faint) for 5 rounds (faint), 5 minutes (moderate), 1 hour (strong) or 5 days (overwhelming).