Principles of Magical Physiology

Principles of Magical Physiology provides a comprehensive guide to the physiology of spellcasting for fantasy writers and tabletop roleplaying enthusiasts, including 5e players and game masters. Presented as a fictional physiology textbook, it combines real human anatomy and physiology with an original magical system to explain how living tissue detects magic and produces controlled effects. Across 13 chapters, the text builds from cellular fundamentals to complete spellcasting, examining how magical abilities develop and why even powerful casters remain subject to physiological limits.

Detailed explanations connect familiar fantasy concepts to the mechanisms beneath them. Wand dependence receives a physiological basis, while potion pharmacology reveals how a preparation can improve one aspect of casting at the expense of another. The same approach extends to specialized magical disciplines and the disorders that disrupt them, culminating in an examination of necromancy and the biological requirements for resurrection. Throughout, practical examples explain why apparently similar spells can succeed or fail for very different reasons.

Clinical examples and chapter summaries help readers connect individual mechanisms to the functioning caster. A quick-reference guide gathers key relationships and potion comparisons for convenient consultation, with a glossary supporting unfamiliar terminology. For worldbuilding or use alongside a tabletop campaign, the book offers a physiological foundation for developing magical abilities with meaningful limitations and characters whose experiences of magic are as individual as their bodies.