A History of Magic: The History of Transmutation (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Conjuration Subschools and Selected Spells

It has been suggested several times that Transmutation is the lost art of positive necromancy, or its direct descendant. The rampant growth and metamorphosis of positive energy mediated and controlled. The historical record, however, disputes this. The first efforts in transmutation were expressions of elementalism contemporary with the initial experiments in creating matter. Both groups grew from the earth and water focused expressions of elemental force in material form. While their contemporaries sought the creation of matter these individuals instead worked to change that which already existed in hopes that they could produce more dramatic effects for less energy.

The result is that while the proto-conjurers spent substantial time increasing the amount of power invested in their constructs these early experimenters found that their work required a far more nuanced touch and that the formulae from their outer path roots generally suggested an overabundance of energy relative to the finesse required. From familiarity with protective abjurations used in evocative research they began working towards more balanced calculations. Through these efforts they were able to unlock some dramatic alchemical advances and forwarded what we would recognize as the alteration subschool. However, they felt there were far greater possibilities in the application of elemental energy to the living form. The issue being that the elemental calculations they worked with were still subjecting their targets to intense levels of energy, creating disastrous results.

This would ultimately lead these alterers to studying necromantic calculations and processes. It is through this work we see both dramatic strides in achieving their desired ends with living forms and the influence of positive energy manipulations on their work. 

Next: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells

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I have hated the handling of transmutation for a couple editions now. It has consistently gotten more broadly defined as "changing things." This has always bothered me, as that's effectively the definition for all of magic, and continued building until I had Wish described to me as the quintessential transmutation spell, because it changes reality. No. No, no, no.

I've tried to place transmutation back into line with the other schools of magic. Where conjuration creates material, necromancy and evocation manipulate energy I've approached transmutation by refocusing it on changing the material world. As one friend described it; it's fullmetal alchemy. (I am, apparently, woefully under anime'd these days.) With my selected spells I hope I'll manage to show that, with some obvious exceptions (time stop), this doesn't really remove the ability to do a number of things. What it does is force them to be approached in a manner that's coherent with a definition narrower than "magic."