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Blight and Collapse

Magic reshapes the world as well as those who wield it. In Mundus Atrox, excessive or reckless use of Mana does not vanish harmlessly—it damages the living systems through which Mana flows. This damage progresses through three recognizable stages: Blight, Corruption, and Ecological Collapse.

These states describe the condition of a region, not an individual creature.

Ecological Integrity

Every region has an Ecological Integrity Level (EIL) representing the health of its living systems and how Mana interacts with them:

  • Intact (EIL 3): A balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem. Mana flows cleanly through living systems with no distortion.
  • Blighted (EIL 2): Ecological injury is present, but underlying natural patterns remain intact. This state corresponds to Blight.
  • Corrupted (EIL 1): The ecosystem’s rules have been rewritten. Life persists in altered, unstable forms. This state corresponds to Corruption.
  • Collapsed (EIL 0): The living system has failed entirely. Mana no longer mediates through nature. This state corresponds to Ecological Collapse.

At Intact (EIL 3), Druids are supported by a healthy living system:

  • Druids have advantage on saves to avoid Mana Burn.
  • Druidic rituals are more efficient and harmonious, often requiring less time, fewer components, or causing no additional ecological strain at the GM’s discretion.

Most settled lands exist at Blighted (EIL 2). Ancient or carefully protected wilderness may be Intact (EIL 3). Wastelands, cursed regions, and dead zones approach Collapsed (EIL 0).

Blight (EIL 2)

Blight is ecological injury: damage to the living system that has not yet rewritten its underlying patterns.

Causes of Blight

  • Repeated Mana Burn events (see Consequences of Magic Use)
  • Sustained use of high-level Mana magic
  • Necromancy and planar contamination
  • Industrial exploitation without remediation
  • Local catastrophes (fire, poison, magical storms)

Cultural Stabilization in Settled Lands (Bards)

In settled regions, Bards act as cultural stabilizers, reducing the ecological strain normally imposed by dense populations.

Through performance, ritual, oral tradition, and shared identity, Bards help maintain coherent patterns of meaning that Mana can safely flow through. Where Druids preserve natural balance, Bards preserve cultural balance.

In regions with an active Bardic presence:

  • Settled lands may remain Blighted (EIL 2) without drifting toward Corruption.
  • Narrative signs of Blight manifest as tension, unrest, or decay of morale rather than ecological collapse.
  • The loss or silencing of Bardic traditions often precedes sudden ecological decline.

This stabilization does not restore ecosystems to Intact (EIL 3), but it can delay or prevent further degradation.

Bardic stabilization is cultural and communal; it does not shield individual Bards from personal magical strain.

Effects of Blight

  • Vegetation shows rot, mutation, or stunted growth
  • Wildlife becomes scarce, aggressive, or displaced
  • Food and clean water are unreliable

Spellcasting Effects

  • Artificers: Unaffected while using inert conduits. Some Artificers exploit degraded environments to harvest unstable materials or excess Mana.
  • Bards: Cannot reduce Mana costs or mitigate Mana Burn
  • Clerics: Spellcasting functions normally
  • Druids: Mana costs increase by 1
  • Sorcerers: Some bloodlines resonate with Blight; such Sorcerers may experience narrative advantages or reduced strain at the GM’s discretion.

Blight is reversible if addressed.

Corruption (EIL 1)

Corruption occurs when Blight persists long enough to alter the rules by which the ecosystem operates. Life continues, but no longer behaves naturally.

Causes of Corruption

  • Unchecked or prolonged Blight
  • Abyssal, Far Realm, or alien influence
  • Artifact overuse
  • Failed divine interventions
  • Repeated large-scale Mana disturbances

Effects of Corruption

  • New or twisted species emerge
  • Weather cycles destabilize
  • Moral and ecological ambiguity: survival comes at a cost

Spellcasting Effects

  • Artificers: Mana Batteries and infusions degrade; stored Mana may leak
  • Bards: Disadvantage on Mana Burn saves
  • Clerics: Divine spells function, but miracles may warp narratively
  • Druids: Must succeed on a Constitution save (DC 10 + spell level) to cast spells; failure triggers Mana Burn automatically
  • Sorcerers: Certain origins adapt to Corruption, gaining narrative leverage or altered manifestations rather than penalties.

Corruption is difficult to reverse and leaves lasting scars.

Ecological Collapse (EIL 0)

Collapse is the death of an ecosystem. The living field that once mediated Mana has failed entirely.

Causes of Collapse

  • Prolonged Corruption
  • World-scale magical catastrophes
  • Planar incursion or severance
  • Industrial replacement of natural systems

Effects of Collapse

  • Natural food chains cease to function
  • Constructs, undead, and artificial systems thrive
  • Weather stagnates or becomes violently unstable

Spellcasting Effects

  • Artificers: Spellcasting and devices function normally
  • Attuned Casters: Essence-based abilities function normally unless otherwise specified
  • Bards: Can cast spells only if another living creature is present; otherwise limited to cantrips. Without living minds to anchor meaning, Bardic magic falters.
  • Clerics: Spellcasting functions, but healing effects are halved
  • Druids: Cannot cast spells
  • Warlocks: Unaffected

Collapse is not easily reversible.

Escalation and Drift

At major narrative milestones, the DM may evaluate a region’s integrity:

  • Regions subjected to repeated Mana Burn, artifact overuse, exploitation, or the loss of cultural continuity (such as the destruction of Bardic traditions) may degrade by one EIL step.
  • Regions actively tended by Druids, restored through ritual, or relieved of corruption sources may recover one EIL step.

This progression should occur slowly and narratively, not as moment-to-moment bookkeeping.

Ecological Scars

When a region recovers from Corruption or Collapse, it often bears a Scar:

  • Altered climate or terrain
  • New endemic species
  • Lingering magical phenomena
  • Cultural or spiritual taboos

Scars are permanent reminders of past damage and serve as story hooks rather than penalties.

Design Note (For the GM)

Blight and Collapse are not punishments. Ecological Integrity Level (EIL) is the authoritative mechanical expression of Blight, Corruption, and Collapse. They are consequences that make magic a world-shaping force. Use them to:

  • Encourage restraint and planning
  • Give Druids narrative authority
  • Make artifacts feel dangerous
  • Allow the world to remember player choices

Warlocks are generally unaffected by changes in Ecological Integrity, as their power bypasses regional Mana mediation entirely.

Magic does not simply fade in Mundus Atrox. It teaches the land how to break.