In the multiverse, there is mana; an ephemeral energy that creates and binds all things in the Weave. This energy is split into ten values: Deceit, Intellect, Death, Decay, Fury, Chaos, Life, Nature, Order, and Protection. In turn, the cosmic order split these values into pairs of two, and assigned to each a natural element that they would be bonded to.
Deceit and Intellect flowed like water, becoming individual islands in a sea of knowledge.
Death and Decay pooled like mold and compost, becoming like the morass of a swamp.
Chaos and Fury bubbled and spat, becoming like magma locked beneath the mountains.
Life and Nature groaned and hummed, becoming like wind blowing through the trees of the forest.
Order and Protection glowed and warmed, becoming like sunlight shining down upon the plains.
Today, these values and mana fill and connect all things, as all beings have connections to at least one mana pool. However, beings who are truly powerful usually pull from two or three different pools. And this is how planeswalkers and the multiverse truly grew.
Mana in D&D 5e
This is the Mana System as many of us know it from the popular card game Magic: The Gathering. If you folks want a way more in-depth look at how this could work in 5th Edition, check out Fil Kearny’s amazing bundle of all his books he did specifically for this question. I am going to be going a little lighter than this, but Fil’s books are fantastic for those of you who want to get super crunchy with it! For this series - entitled Mana Burn - I am going to be splitting the Mana System into a couple different variations.
This new edition of the book - filled with brand new original art by Deja Blue and updated text - will discuss how you can use the Mana System specifically for 5e alignments. Alignments in 5e have been a messy and somewhat confusing piece of D&D, as they don’t really do anything. Most parties I play with or run for often completely forget about their alignments and usually even out somewhere between chaotic neutral or neutral good. This new rendition of the Alignment Table, paired directly with the values of the five mana, offer a new way to look at how alignments work, and offer added roleplay flavor to your characters and table as a whole if you are a group who really enjoys MTG.
- from the publisher's blurb