I'll start the discussion with a vision statement:
"Magic using characters should be, in general, useful in the day to
day aspects of life in Olympia while the experienced mage should be
capable of being a uniquely fearsome foe or powerful influence."
Here's some new spell ramblings I've put togather to stimulate
discussion. Much is fuzzy intentionally, mainly in the areas
interesting to the 'game balance' weenies.
wrj.
Olympia Magic System, New Spells:
Enhancement Spells:
Strengthen Unit
Increases health > 100%
(10% / level ?)
Enhance Skill
Temporarily increases skill of 1 unit
(1 level / 3 levels of spell)
Ward Damage
Improves defense rating
(10% / level)
Spell reversal possible making unit clumsy and
reducing their defense rating.
Enchant Weapons:
Permanently improves a weapon's rating. Spell level is used
to determine the number of weapons and amount of adjustment.
Friends Spell:
Shifts the target unit's attitude toward you one step. If
the unit is neutral, casting this spell would make it
cooperative and you could stack with it. Casting it
again would shift them to friendly to you.
Charm:
At lower levels, has the effect of persuasion. At higher
levels, unit can be temporarily controlled. Maybe compare
the skill level in spell with the target unit's loyalty divided
by ten. Thus, it would take level 7 to temporarily control
a unit with 60 loyalty.
Polymorph:
Temporarily changes the target unit into the entity type of the
caster's choice. All attributes of health, combat skill,
abilities, are conferred upon the unit. Unit remains loyal.
The choice of entity type depends on caster's level.
Illusion:
Capable of making a unit appear to have attributes other than
reality. Attributes which can be affected are:
- size (double the unit's size per level)
- skill
- faction association???
- entity number???
The rationalization for affecting the faction and entity number
are based upon the illusion that the unit looks like someone else.
Invisibility:
Capable of rendering a unit invisible to all regardless of
observation skill. Even hides the units entity number, faction
number, etc. in combat at higher levels.
Extremely high observation notices low level uses of the
spell?
Farseeing:
Gets a location report of any locale as though you had a unit
there performing a look. Things noticed in the locale should
be as though the mage's level in Farseeing were his level in
observation. Spell reversal is possible preventing the use
of farseeing on a locale. Level matching would determine the
outcome of farseeing performed on a 'protected' locale.
Maybe higher levels have a duration allowing the caster to see
the comings and goings, attacks, etc.
Attack Spells:
The Blaster
If a unit has The Blaster, it is capable of inflicting
magical damage during combat. Use is automatic.
Damage should start out low (Level 1 = ~15 points/round)
and be pretty useful at level 5 (1000 points/round).
This level 5 damage would make a single experienced mage
worth ~13 level 3 combatants with longswords. Magical
damage should ignore mundane armor but not magically
enhanced armor or the effects of the Ward Damage spell.
Fearsome Image
Makes a unit look extremely fearsome to other units in
combat causing them to attempt to flee before normally
required to do so by damage.
Confusion
Cast on a stack leader, causes a random shift in attitude
in all units in the stack. Only works if the spell level
of the caster is greater than the military leadership of
the stack leader. Factor in loyalty of units???
Telepathic Bond:
Forms a bond between the caster and the unit which results in
the unit's activities to appear in the caster's turn report.
Only works if accepted by the target unit. Great for planting
spys. No control over the unit is conferred.
Channeling:
Allows the caster to use a remote entity for casting spells.
Summoning:
Summon Noxious Fog
Forms a noxious fog which lasts a number weeks
equal to caster's level. Causes damage/day unit
cohabitates with fog. Damage should not be so
excessive as to kill in a single month. Maybe one
health point / day. Wind would blow it away.
Summon Beasts
summons forth NPC beasts which will be initially
stacked with the caster and will fight as part of
the stack. Loyalty is high of summoned beasts but
will disperse after some period of time. Number of
beasts summoned and duration of stay determined by
level. Beast types would not be fantastical.
Summon Undead
Zombies, yea. Also, wraiths, wights, specters,
vampires, etc.
Summon Demons
Summons forth fantastical creatures of the abyss.
Use as in beasts.
Beasts are capable of combat and inflict mundane damage. Undead
creatures, in addition to ordinary damage, have the opportunity
to sap a unit's skill levels. Higher level undead inflict magical
damage. Maybe demons are only damaged by magically enhanced weapons.
Call to Arms:
Causes some percentage of the indiginous popluation to form and stack
with the casting unit. They will stay and fight for only one month,
after which time the person count will erode rapidly over a few weeks.
May only be performed once/game year for any locale. The percentage
of population 'drafted' is based upon the spell caster level in the
spell * 10 (i.e. level 5 will net you 50% of the local population).
Loyalty and health of the draftees will be lower than recruited men
but will appear armed with farm implements.
I actually believe that this 'effect' should be related to military
leadership instead of a magical spell.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Wes Jones Voice: (404) 514-3385
AT&T Tridom Internet: wrj@eng.tridom.com
"Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who
are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win
before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win."
- Zhuge Liang, 3rd century C.E.
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