In areas where magic is widely used and is not a source of dread for the common folk, bits and pieces of magical lore trickle all the way down to the peasantry. Such magic is not fast or flashy, and is never combat-effective; however, it comes in very handy. (The botches are more impressive than ordinary household screwups, but the masterpieces are truly excellent. Either way, the amounts of power involved are of very low magnitude.) P C Hodgell’s God Stalk provided much inspiration for this notion. These magics originated centuries ago with people who asked relatives who were priests or wizards for a little help around the house during home visits, and the helpful relative composed a little chant or song so Mom could do these tricks while they were away.
Folk magics (also called craft magics) operate on your Fu, Attunement, or Magic stat + your appropriate skill for the activity. Those that operate off Fu tend to require using internal energy, those that work off Magic require a certain amount of commanding focus, and those that work off Attunement require a person to be in fairly good standing with the forces they work with. They cost (6 + X)xp each, where X is your new total number of craft magics. They typically consist of collections of songs and chants that are performed while a person goes through a day-to-day activity, creating subtle effects. These are all trivial things for trained elementalists who channel Ecos; other mages and priests find these things trivial as appropriate to their spheres and realm of power. (An elementalist who taps the power of the elements might have trouble doing Brew Magic, for instance.)
| Hearth Magic | Miscellaneous cantrips to do with fire: getting green lumber to burn, making a campfire catch in a stiff breeze, banking a fire for the night, and getting the temperature in your kiln just right. |
| Brew Magic | A variety of techniques dealing with single-celled organisms, capable of making beer ferment faster, speeding up the rising of bread, and improving flavors. |
| Weaver Magic | Small magics that deal in the way fibers cling together. Used by weavers to get troublesome knots out of wool, hairdressers to undo tangled hair and arrange elegant coiffures... |
| Forge Magic | Earth magics that deal in metallurgy. Aids blacksmiths in getting their steel just right, honing that fine edge, and mending broken pots as good as new. Popular with tinkers. |
| Cauldron Magic | Charms for dealing with chemical effects like dye setting, paint mixing, and so on. Good for making sure that vibrant colors come out. Talented cooks use this style of magic for layering spices well. |
| Mason Magic | Cantrips that affect ceramics, used by potters and bricklayers. Helps get mortar of a smooth, even consistency, arrange that drying occurs properly, and more. |
| Health Magic | Gives bonuses to healing rolls, prevents infections... |
| Tunnel Magic | Aids in working stone: a pick can carve out bigger chunks, and the resonances between the worksong and the ringing of the pick on stone can guide a miner toward a vein of useful materials. |
| Shaper Magic | Primarily used for shaping magical substances, including living crystal and objects infused with quintessential elements, and producing low-level enchantments with them. Uncut gems are slightly responsive to these magicks. |