Lore
Magic
Magic is the means by which people and creatures do the physically impossible.
In this world it exist in a great number of ways whether bending elements to your will, animating the dead, creating magical objects or otherwise.
However there is one very big universal rule of magic that all creatures and things must obey.
It can either be internal or external of the body.
Various theories, involving ideas of self-hood, the soul, and the nature of magic exist on why this is, however those will be discovered IC.
Internal
Internal magic is, as you guessed inside the body. There exist some limitation that magic inside the body can not exist outside of it.
Internal magic is the nature of magical creatures, and certain people of various kinds that made the choice to be an internal mage.
Internal magic excels at enhancing the body. It can improve any of the stats giving various bonuses as super stats are increased. (Auto successes, 9 again, 8 again,re-rolls)
It can also give special capabilities, like those found within the various races already presented. Scales, claws, wings, extra limbs all come to mind.
Some special capabilities could be justified with just about any internal, regeneration, super stamina, enhanced senses, all come to mind. These are fairly generic effects of having your entire magical power internally.
Enhancing or gaining super stats is just a matter of training.
Enhancing or gaining more of the special capabilities, requires becoming more in touch with the racial aspect that gave them to you. Become more Draconic, or more vampiric for instance.
External
Externals however do the exact opposite, they can only manifest their magic, about an inch away from their skin.
Which means everything I just said an internal can do, they can never do. They can try to recreate some of the effects but it has to be second hand and is inherently less effective.
For example, where an internal can simply regenerate, an external would have to create a healing force or energy in one hand then apply it to his own wounds. An incredibly skilled healer may be able to make that healing spell come out of the wound then be close enough to heal it, and there are important differences there between that and true regeneration.
For flight and external has to make a platform to stand on, or manipulate the wind etc etc. Where the internal just has wings...(If they do).
Externals do however get a much greater amount of versatility, while they will never be as good with elements and magic outside of the book they choose, they can learn many types of magic, and they can with training and practice apply that magic in almost any way they can think of.
This means externals can not give themselves super strength or other super stats and even with force manipulation or telekinesis, it would always be better to just throw raw force than try to enhance yourself, the gap between you and your magic, means it will always be two separate things.
So which is better?
Yes
Internals will always beat Externals in a close combat fight.
Casting takes concentration, fine movement and time.
Stabbing does not.
Externals will always beat internals at sufficient range.
Bows and throwing knives do not compare to lightning bolts and avalanches.
Both work best when working together.
A Pyromancer, shooting down enemy spells and attacks, obscuring his ally with smoke, and then enchaining his were wolf partner's weapon with fire can be much much more effective than a lone pyromancer.
Where as the benefits to the werewolf are equally obvious.
In fact an entire mechanic exist around this type of cooperation which you will learn about later.
