Limits of Magic

Hermetic magic is subject to various limits that even the most powerful and most sophisticated spell can not overcome.

Limit of the Divine

This limit states that hermetic magic can never override the power of the Divine.

Limit of Essential Nature

This limit states that all things have an essential nature that can not be changed by hermetic magic.

Lesser Limits

There are lesser limits that, unlike the two fundamental limits above, may be overridden by powerful or sophisticated hermetic magic - at least temporarily, or to a lesser, incomplete degree.

• The Limit of Aging
• The Limit of Arcane Connections
• The Limit of Creation
• The Limit of Energy
• The Limit of the Infernal
• The Limit of the Lunar Sphere
• The Limit of the Soul
• The Limit of Time
• The Limit of True Feeling
• The Limit of Vis
• The Limit of Warping

Not Strictly Limits, But...

There are other things magic is not generally capable of doing, or doing well:

• The Limit of Experience: Houses of Hermes: Societates 68 states that "...the creation [including transfer] of Abilities is currently beyond the limit of Hermetic understanding".
• The Limit of Universal Magic Resistance: As explained by the Line Editor on several occasions, no tradition of magic should be able to grant universal Magic Resistance. Every tradition breaks a Lesser Limit in some way, and Hermetic Magic breaks it by allowing magic resistance against anything in the form of the Parma Magica, Aegis of the Hearth, and so on. Other Magical traditions should provide partial Magic Resistance at best. Note that non-Magical traditions, such as Divine or Infernal ones, may offer universal magic resistance.

See also

• Hermetic Breakthrough
• Ancient Magic
• Tradition
• Magic Resistance Design

Reference

• ArM5, page 79

Legacy Page

The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:limits_of_magic