The Secret of Magic
Since I'm now officially stalling for the next Marooned in Morrowind update, I've decided to try a forum game premise that I've been toying with for a while. Please
read this before signing up. This is
not going to be a casual game, and I want players who will learn it and stick with it. Player will be selected from applicants, not given first-come-first-serve, so don't feel like you need to reserve a spot immediately. Game #1 will be only four players and if the pace is reasonably fast, Game #2 might be more. So even if you're not selected, follow the thread if you're interested.
Basic game genre:
Magic themed pvp with perma-death, goal is to eliminate other players. There will be a map. Gameplay will involve moving around on the map, developing your character, building permanent structures on the map, engaging in and avoiding combat with other players, all while juggling a couple of Global effects that affect the magic system in ways that will variously be helpful or detrimental to some or all players. If this system works and people like it, there will be a "king of the hill" persistent upgrade in the form of benefits that may be carried over between games. Win one game, and you'll receive a benefit in the next, while simultaneously becoming a target for other players. This is not a game that is played forever. This is a game where you kill everybody else and win, and then the next game begins. Maps and players may change between games. (And possibly rules and spells, should gameplay reveals balance issues.)
The experimental format: Action points with linear turn processing by forum post orderIt's a common problem in forum games that different players are online at different times and frequencies. Sometimes a couple players are on but one isn't, meaning that everybody has to wait for the missing player to do anything. Sometimes players are on but the GM isn't, meaning that everybody has to wait for turns to be processed before they can do anything. This system is an attempt to reduce these difficulties, and in a way that creates what will hopefully be an interesting pvp mechanic. Here's how it works:
* Turns will be processed
in the order that they are posted.
* Players accumulate "action points" and may use
any number of their allowable actions at any time, over single or multiple posts.
*
No editing posts. Any post that is edited will result in both turn forfeiture and
loss of all action points at the time of the post.
* When turns are processed, action points regenerate for all players
equally, up to a base cap 5. This means that if you used up all your actions but some body else didn't, you won't be allocated the full five immediately.You'll be allocated however many it takes to get at least one player up to 5.
* Should the game ever be "waiting" on a single player who has 5 action points available while everyone else has zero, the GM may allocate action points anyway, causing the missing player to go above the cap. This means that while a single player can't completely hold up the game, neither does anybody need to worry too much about falling behind just because they took a day off. However, doing this is at the GM's discretion, and under no circumstances will any player's Action point total ever be allowed to exceed 10. Any points allocated above ten are simply lost. Exceeding the cap is intended for player convenience and to accommodate varying schedules and that whole Real Life(tm) thing that some people have. Deliberately manipulating the cap to gain advantage is frowned on, but, players should be advised that it can legitimately happen, and a player right next to you sitting on a bunch of action points is potentially more dangerous than a player who lacks them.
* Turns will be processed
indiscriminately and at any time by the GM
I have attempted to make the rules clear, and to eliminate game-breaking holes or inconsistencies. But this game is complicated, and it's possible I might have missed something. Game #1 is a test. If there are rule problems, I will attempt to reconcile them. If anyone has questions, ask away. I'll give it a day or two before I pick players and start. Note that if anybody points out glaring problems that I've missed, changes might be made between now and game start.
Let us say that there are two players in the game: Arcturus and Baelphegor. Both have 5 actions available. Arcturus posts first:
Arturus:
* [1] Move to location 17
* [1] Cast a spell: barrier on self
Arcturus has used two action points, leaving him with 3. Baelphegor has not yet posted, and has still 5 action point. A few hours pass, and Arcturus get impatient and posts another turn:
Arcturus:
* [1] Claim location 17
Notice that Arcturus created a new post for his action, and notice that he didn't need to wait for Baelphegor to be online or to use any turns before he used any more of his. But neither was he obligated to use them all. A few hours later, Baelphegor logs on and uses an action:
Baelphegor:
* [5] Research Sorcery
At this point, Arcturus has 2 Action points and Baelphegor has 0. The GM logs on and processes turns:
turn update
* Arcturus moves to Location 17, casts magic barrier on self, then begins fortifying location 17 Progress (1/20)
* Baelphegor performs second order Sorcery spell research. 5 stone and 5 mana consumed. Progress (5/20)
Action points
Arturus: 5
Baelphegor: 3
(Assorted other turn information)
When the turn was processed, Action points regenerated up to the base AP cap, but that regeneration is applied as +1 to everybody until
any one character reaches the cap. Not everyone gets restored to full at time of turn processing. In this way, players who are somewhat less active are not at a huge disadvantage vs players who are on bay12 12 hours a day.
Now, let's say that Arcturus goes to sleep, and Baelphegor and the GM are both on. Baelphegor decides to take advantage of this, and uses all his AP:
Baelphegor:
[3]Research Sorcery
Turn update
* Baelphegor performs second order Sorcery spell research. 3 stone and 3 mana consumed. Progress (8/20)
Action points
Arcturus: 6
Baelphegor: 1
What happened here? Well, Baelphegor used up all his AP. But since the GM processed the turn and the game was waiting on only oneplaye, Arcturtus, the GM allocated AP over the base cap. Had there been another player in the game with AP, that wouldn't have happened. But in this case, it did, and Baelphegore doesn't have to wait for Arcturus to log on. He can use that extra AP he gained right away. Realizing that he's out of stone and lacks a quarry, he impatiently uses his only AP to leaves his castle at location 4 to head towards the quarry at location 3. Of course, with only 1 AP he can't quite get there. But hoping that the GM is still online processing turns, he makes his move:
Baelphegor:
[1] Move to location 9
Unfortunately for Baelphegor the GM has logged off and the turn doesn't get processed immediately. After waiting an hour,he gives up and logs off too. But the following morning, the GM logs on and processes the turn:
Turn update
Baelphegor moves to location 9
Action points
Arcturus: 7
Baelphegor: 1
See what happened? Regardless of whether Arcturus posts a turn, Baelphegore can keep getting those +1 action points at a time (up to the hard cap of 10) just so long as the GM keeps processing turns. And that missing player, Arcturus, isn't particularly suffering for it because he's accumulating turns too. But unfortunately for Baelphegor, Arcturus (with his now 7 AP) posts before Baelphegor does:
Arcturus:
[4] Move (12,7,8,9)
[1]Cast flame dart at Baelphegor
[2]Attack Baelphegor
[free] loot everything
(Also, I won, right?)
First notice that there are multiple paths from location 17 to location 9,and Arcturus wisely specified the route he took.
Next, see what happened? Arcturus logged on only was 4 map locations away from Baelphegor and with 7 AP. While ordinarily a player would cap at 5 AP, which would have given him only enough to cover that distance and attack at most once, because Baelphegor pushed the AP higher, Arcturus was able to cover the distance and attack three times, and if he rolls well on his flame dart damage, possibly win the game.
Players may issue turn "commands" for their character by spending Action Points. You may spend or not spend any number of AP up to your current total in any sequence. There is no "turn order." Some actions might require additional information. A target, a location, a number of times to be used, etc. For clarity, please specify the number of AP being spent in brackets. For example:
[3]Meditate
[2]Rest
...means to use three AP meditating and 2 resting, which would (probably) would restore 9 mana and 6 health.
[4]Move to 25
Means to move to location 25. But sometimes a path might need to be specified. For example, looking at the map below, there's only one path of that length from location 29 to location 25. The GM knows the path the player is taking. In some cases there might be multiple paths. If the player were at location 17, for example, he would need to specify:
[4]Move (16,15,21,25)
That way the GM knows which route he's taking. Sometimes it could make a difference.
Move - 1 action point per location (Requires destination Location, and possibly a route)
Move to an adjacent map territory. You may move as many spaces as you're willing to spend Action points. The presence of fortifications and other players does not interfere with movement. A hostile conjured entity or Defending player at location you enter will attack you immediately upon entering the location, but you may freely enter and leave the location regardless.
Attack - 1 action point (Requires target)
Engage in melee combat at the present location. Target should be specified, though note that you won't always be free to attack any target you want. If you attack a player sitting in a location with a conjured entity he owns, the attack will be redirected to the entity. Whereas if there are two players in the same location, or a player and an entity belonging to a different player, you may need to specify. Melee attacks will deliver your Melee stat + any Enchanting Imbue bonus as damage, minus your targets defense stat. Note that nothing is stopping you from engaging in multiple Attacks in a single post, nor are you required to remain in a location after attacking.
Claim/Fortify - variable, see 'Claiming and Fortifying locations' below
Take possession of a map location, build fortifications, or remove fortifications belonging to other players
Dismiss - 1 action point
Dismiss a friendly conjured entity at the current location. This costs no mana, and since only one entity may exist per location, you might want to do this to conjure a more powerful one.
Cast spell - variable
Use mana to cast a known spell. You may cast any spell for which you know the given spell school and order. For example, if you have Sorcery(3) that means you know and can cast any first,second or third order Sorcery spells. You may cast as many spells as your mana and action points allow.
Inventory actions/loot/drop - free action
Stone, character staves and robes are in game items that may be freely exchanged between your bag of holding and the ground. Players may not take items from the ground of a location fortified by another player.
Rest - 1 action point
Resting restores 2 health per action point spent. Resting while in a castle that you own will additionally restore the level of the castle in health per AP. For example, resting in a level 4 castle that you own would restore 6hp for 1 AP.
Meditate - 1 action point
By default, every action point spent meditating will restore 2 mana. Certain factors may modify this amount. Most notably, castles and mana springs. Every mana spring under your control increases the effectiveness of your meditation by +1 regardless of your location, and while resting in a castle that you control, the level of the castle is added as well. For example, a player who controls two unenchanted mana springs could meditate for 4 mana per AP, and if they also owned a level 3 castle, they could meditate for a 7 mana per AP while at that castle. Note that there are a couple of spells that affect mana spring effectiveness.
Research - variable (Specify spell school to be researched)
Spell school research may only be performed at a castle that you own. The level of the research is limited by the level of the castle. For example, at a level 1 castle you may perform spell research for first order spells, at a level 2 castle you may perform spell research for second order spells, etc. There are other requirements as well. See spell research.
Defend - no costDefend mode is primarily intended as a convenience for players who want to engage in resource collection without slowing the game down. For example, in a case where a player needs 50 stone for their next level of spell research, they might choose to simply sit on a quarry and defend it, allowing other players to accumulate Action points unhindered. Defend mode may only be engaged while sitting on a location with a terrain feature. While defending,the player will be treated as a conjured entity, receiving a free attack on any player who enters the location, and preventing anyone from claiming the location for themselves so long as they're alive. Additionally, while the defending player will continue to accrue Action points, they will be
ignored for action cap considerations, though note that they will still not ever be allowed to go over the 10 point limit.
Explanation of defend:If a defending player's cap is allowed to raise indefinitely, it becomes game-breaking. For example, someone with 20 actions points could possibly traverse the entire map and whittle another player to death with a 1 damage dagger in a single turn without any reasonable way to be stopped.
But, there are possible situations in the game where a player might legitimately want to sit around not doing anything for a while, and it's silly to expect everyone else to be dished out one Action point at a time
Example of defend mode handling:Arcturus and Baelphegor are the only remaining players in the game. Arcturus has 3 action points, and Baelphegor has 5. Baelphegor uses one action point to move to a quarry, then enters Defend mode. Before Arctrus posts, the GM processes the turn:
Turn update
Baelphegor moves to location, and defends it
Action points
Arcturus: 5
Baelphegor:6
Baelphegor had 5 AP, moving took him down to 4. Defending costs nothing, but now Arcturus is the only player in the game being counted for Action point cap considerations. He has 3 AP, so everyone gets 2 AP to bring Arcturus up to 5.
(Note: this map may see revisions between now and game start)
Circles are locations. Lines between circles show which locations are connected, and thus may be moved to. Castle are castles. Hammer and pick are mines. Starbursts are mana springs. Note Location 17 in the middle has both a mine and a mana spring.
Quarries that are
claimed generate 1 stone every time the GM allocates an action point to players during a turn update. That stone remains at the location and must be manually carried back to a castle to be used for upgrading.
Mana springs that are claimed increase the mana regeneration rate of their owners when they meditate, regardless of where they are on the map.
Castles are personal fortresses belonging to players. Every player starts with a level one castle that is defended by a complimentary castle guardian conjured entity. Castles provide a number of benefits, are the only place where spell research may take place, and can be captured just like any other location.
Conjured entitiesCertain spells may place conjured entities at locations. Only one entity may exist per location. Conjured entities at map locations will have their owner marked. For example:
Location 7: Earth Elemental (Arcturus)(20 health, 4 defense, 5 attack, fire immunity)
Conjured entities do not prevent player movement, but they do prevent claiming that location by other players. Additionally,conjured entities that have attacks will automatically attack any player other than their owner that enters the location, and will attack again for every action taken by that player while in the location. Additionally, any attacks on their owner while in that same location will be re direrected to the entity.Conjured entities may only be placed if the location is owned by the caster.
Claiming and Fortifying locationsLocations may be
claimed by players to gain the benefits of that location and any terrain feature on it. In general, to claim a location, move to that location, remove any hostile conjured entities that are there, and then engage in a Claim action, and spend a number of action points. Every AP spent claiming will either reduce the Fortification level held by another player if that player has the location fortified, or will increase the Fortification level of that location in your favor. A Location with zero fortification is considered to be unowned. A location with any positive value of fortifiction considered by owned by a player.
Note that:
* Note that an Enhance Spell Range + Fortify/Claim spell combo does allow claiming of a location from an adjacent location.
* Under no circumstances may a location be claimed while a hostile conjured entity is at that location. Enhance Spell Range + Claim does not overcome this limitation. Friendly conjured entities (conjured by you) do not prevent claiming by you.
* The presence of you or another player in the same location does not prevent you or them from engaging in claim actions on that location.
Different locations have a maximum capacity of Fortification, dependent on the terrain feature present.
Nothing: 5 points
Quarry: 10 points
Mana Spring: 10 points
Quarry+Spring: 20 points
Castle: points equal to the level of the castle times 10. A level 1 castle = 10 points, level 2 = 20, etc.
Let's say that Arcturus has fortified location 17 to (2/20). IT doesn't need to be fully fortified to be considered in his possession. Any positive value is enough. On the game status post, we might see something like this:
Locations:
3: Mine[/n] (Baelphegor's Magic Spirit: 3 health, physical immunity), (Fort: Baelphegor:1/10)(2 stone)
17: Mine/Spring (Fort: Arcturus:2/20)(12 stone)
etc
Arcturus is collecting mana and stone from location 17, but it has no conjured entity defending it and it is not well fortified. Baelphegor wants to capture the location, so he does thefollowing:
Baelphegor:
[3] Move to 17
[1] Claim
[1] Cast Fortify
Followed by a GM turn process:
Turn update
Baelphegor moves to 17, fully claims it and casts Fortify. Location 17 is now: (Fort: Baelphegor:10/20)
Since it was owned by Arcturus, Arcturus' fortification had to removed before Baelphegor could claim the location for himself. Fortunately, it had only 1 point of fortification, so by engaging in a single AP worth of the "Claim" action, he was able to reduce it to zero, at which point he could cast claim and bring it up to 10/20 Fortification in his favor.
[/quote]
We will be using bay12 user names for character names. This game is complicated enough without needing to consult charts to see who is who.
Every character starts the game with an unenchanted dagger, unenchanted robe, a level 1 castle and a bag of holding with infinite capacity.
Characters start with 20 chargen points to distribute as desired among the following stats.
Health (Hit points keep you alive. Every point here is worth 5hp. Note that you start with a free +10 from your castle.)
Melee (Physical attack bonus. 1:1)
Defense (Physical defense bonus. 1:1)
Mana (Used to power spells. Every point spent here is worth 5 mana. Note that you start with a free +10 from your castle.)
Magic (This is a temporary chargen-only stat used to purchase spell orders. See below.)
Every point of stat costs points equal to the new level, and point costs are cumulative. For example, increasing from 0 to 1 costs 1 point, increasing from 1 to 2 costs 2 and increasing from 0 to 2 costs 3. No points may be kept in reserve.Stats may begin the game at zero.
After spending chargen points, Magic points may then be used to purchase starting spell orders using the same sort math as above: every order of of spells costs magic points equal to its level. First order costs 1 magic, second order costs an addition 2 for a total of three, etc. Note that after character creation, magic stat isn't used for anything. It's purely for purchasing starter spells.
LordBucket
Health: 2 (1+2 = 3 chargen points)
Melee: 1 (1 = 1 chargen point)
Defense: 0
Mana: 3 (1+2+3 = 6 chargen points)
Magic: 4 (1+2+3+4 = 10 chargen points. 4 here enables to me to choose 4 orders worth of spells below:)
Geomancy: 1 (Costs 1 Magic, this gives me all first order Geomancy spells)
Elemental: 2 (Costs 1+2=3 Magic, this gives me all first and second order Elemental spells)
The above would result in the following:
LordBucket
Health: 20 (5 per point, plus 10 from level 1 castle)
Melee: 1
Defense:0
Mana:25 (5 per point, plus 10 from level 1 castle)
Geomancy: 1
Elemental: 2
Inventory: Dagger, Robes
Spells are divided into four schools:
* Geomancy - for altering and interacting with the game map
* Enchanting - used to create and modify tools and artifacts
* Elemental - spells involving the elemental of earth,air fire or water.
* Sorcery - schools that primarily concern magical forces rather than material objects
Each spell school posses five orders of spells, of increasing difficulty. "Magic" points applied at character creation may be used to gain access to each order, and additional spells may be unlocked during gameplay.
Spell types: Instant, Passive, GlobalInstant spells immediately affect their target.
Passive spells may be applied to a target. Sometimes the caster, sometimes another character, or an npc. Passive effects remain in play until a certain condition occurs. For example, a passive shield might absorb an attack and then dissipate. In general, passive spells may not be stacked for additional effect.
Global spells, once cast, have game-wide effects that remain until the spell is successfully removed from play, either by killing the caster or via the level 5 Sorcery spell, Disjunction.
CombatCombat is a relatively simple affair. Use action points to cast spells or engage in melee with a suitable target. For example,
Arcturus:
[2]Move to 14
[1]Attack Baelphegor
[1]Cast Flame Dart on Baelphegor
When the turn is processed, we might see:
Turn update
Arcturus moves to location 14, attacks Baelphegor for 1 damage, the casts Flame Dart for 2 damage. Arturus is now at (7/10)
Damage types: physical, fire, frostPhysical damage is done by hitting someone, with or without a weapon. Anyone may engage in physical attacks on any target in the current location, and they consume no mana. Physical attack damage is reduced by the defense stat. Most conjured entities do physical damage. Most attack spells do fire damage.
Your Castle, Spell Research, Upgrading and YouEvery player starts the game with a level 1 castle that they control with the full 10 points of Fortification and a complimentary Castle Guardian entity to reduce the chance of castle rushes. Castles provide a number of benefits:
* Spell research can only be conducted at a castle
* They may be used to safely store stone and "in process" spell research
* They provide a bonus to Rest and Meditate actions equal to their level
* Every level of castle in your possession adds +10hp and +10mana to your total.
Important: your castle can be claimed by another player just like any other location and players can own more than one castle. Hp/mana gains are cumulative. A player who owns multiple castles will receive gains from all of them.
Spell school research may only be performed at a castle that you own. Every player starts with a level 1 castle, and may therefore research first order spells from every school, if they so wish. Every order of spell research costs 10 action points, 10 mana and 10 stone per level. For example, if you already know Geomancy(1), then learning Geomancy(2) will require 20 each, action points mana and stone.
The level of the research is limited by the level of the castle. For example, at a level 1 castle you may perform spell research for first order spells, at a level 2 castle you may perform spell research for second order spells, etc. See spell research.
Incomplete spell research will remain on the castle as a lootable item. If a castle is captured with research in process, the new owner may resume that research, but it is not possible to learn "skip" spell orders, so research acquired in this way will beapplied to the lowest unknown order of the particular spell school. Once research is applied, it is removed as a lootable item.
Full Spell ListUnless specified, spells can only be used on targets at the caster's location.
First Order
Fortify - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action points
* Applies 5 fortification points worth of fortification to the current location.
* Usable only on locations not currently fortified by another player.
Second Order
Stone wall - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action point
* Raises a protective wall of stone at a location. While the wall cannot attack, like all conjured entities it does prevent the location from being claimed until destroyed, and when its owner is at the location, redirects attacks on its owner to itself.
* Stone wall stats: 5 health, 1 defense, fire immunity
Dig - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action point
* Does 10 damage to any Geomancy school conjured entity.
Third Order
Conjure stone, 1 mana, 1 action point
* Conjures 10 units of stone to the current location, usable as construction material
Fourth Order
Claim - Instant, 10 mana, 1 action points
* Remove up to 5 points of fortification belonging to another player.
* This spell is blocked by hostile conjured entities, just like manual claiming.
Fifth Order
Earthgate - Instant, 20 mana, 2 action points
* Transports the character to any location on the map that they have claimed.
Earth Elemental - Instant, 20 mana, 3 action points
* Conjures an elemental to the current location that will attack any other character who enters, and like all conjured entities prevents the location from being claimed until destroyed, and when its owner is at the location, redirects attacks on its owner to itself.
* Elemental stats: 20 health, 4 defense, 5 attack, fire immunity
First order
Magic spirit - 1 mana, 1 action point
* Conjures a magic spirit to defend a terrain feature. Note that a magic spirit can only be conjured to a terrain feature (mine/spring/castle) and not to an empty location
* Magic spirit stats: 3 health, physical immunity
* Can only be summoned to locations with terrain features
Imbue 1 - Instant, 10 mana, 1 action points
* Applies a non-cumulative +1 combat bonus to staff or robe. Can be cast on each, but must be cast separately.
Second order
Enchant quarry - Instant, 10 mana, 1 action point
* Enchants a quarry terrain feature to generate +1 stone per action point. Note that this effect remains even if the location is claimed by another player.
Third order
Imbue 2 - Instant, 20 mana, 3 action points
* Applies a non-cumulative +2 combat bonus to staff or robe. Can be cast on each, but must be cast separately.
Enhance Entity 1 - Passive, 10 mana, 1 action point
* Adds an (Strong) tag to a conjured entity, giving it +1 to attack, defense and health
Fourth order
Enchant mana spring 1 - Instant, 10 mana, 1 action point
* Enchants a mana spring terrain feature to generate +1 mana per action point spent meditating. Note that this effect remains even if the location is claimed by another player.
Enhance Entity 2 - Passive, 20 mana, 1 action point
* Adds an (Powerful) tag to a conjured entity, giving it +2 to attack, defense and health
Fifth order
Imbue 3 - Instant, 30 mana, 5 action points
* Applies a non-cumulative +3 combat bonus to staff or robe. Can be cast on each, but must be cast separately.
Grand enhancement, Global, 30 mana, 5 action point
* So long as this spell is in effect, every entity you conjure will receive a (Powerful) tag, granted +2 to attack, defense and health
First Order
Flame dart - Instant, 2 mana, 1 action point
* Does 1-2 fire damage to a single target
Second Order
Stoneskin - Passive, 5 mana 1 action point
* Applies a +1 physical defense modifier to target
Fireball - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action point
* Does 1-4 fire damage to a single target
Third Order
Wind barrier - Passive, 10 mana, 2 action point
* Deflects the next physical attack from any source
Frost Nova - Instant, 7 mana, 1 action point
* Does 1-6 frost damage to a single target
Fourth Order
Fire shield - Passive, 5 mana, 2 action points
* Deflects the next fire attack from any source
Frost shield - Passive, 5 mana, 2 action points
* Deflects the next frost attack from any source
Fifth Order
Fire Elemental - , 40 mana, 3 action points
* Conjures a fire elemental to the current location, and like all conjured entities prevents the location from being claimed until destroyed, and when its owner is at the location, redirects attacks on its owner to itself.
* Fire elemental stats: 10 health, 7 attack, fire immunity, physical immunity
Stone to Mud - Global, 30 mana, 5 action points
* Completely halts stone production at all stone quarries
First Order
Phantom - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action point
* Conjured a phantom to the current location, and like all conjured entities prevents the location from being claimed until destroyed, and when its owner is at the location, redirects attacks on its owner to itself.
* Phantom stats: 1 health, 0 defense, 5 attack
Second Order
Magic barrier - Passive, 10 mana, 1 action point
* Applies a passive barrier to any target in the current location that cancels out the next spell targeted at them by any caster, including self.
Dispel - 5mana, 1 action point
* Remove a passive effect from any target at current location.
Third Order
Enhance spell range - Passive, 1 mana, 1 action point
* Passive spell effect that increases the range of the next targetable spell that player casts by one.
Heal entity - Instant, 5 mana, 1 action point
* Restores a conjured entity to full health
Fourth Order
Banish - Instant, 20 mana, 1 action point
* Unconditionally removes an conjured entity from play
Fifth Order
Silence - Instant, 20 mana, 1 action point
* May be cast on any player in the current location. Applies a passive spell effect to them that absorbs the next 10 mana worth of casting from them. Does not stop movement or physical attacks.
Disjunction - Instant, 10+(variable) mana, 5 action points
* Attempts to disjoin any single passive or global spell in play, anywhere in the game, on any target.
* In addition to the 10 mana casting cost, the caster may apply any desired amount of mana up to their maximum to increase the chance of success
* Chance of success will be determined by the result of a die roll weighted by the relative strengths of the target spell vs the mana spent on Disjunction. For example, a 20 mana Disjunction targeted on a 10 mana Silence would have a 20 vs 10 = 2/3 chance of success.
Warp magic - Global, 30 mana, 1 action point
* Halts all mana spring and castle level bonuses to meditation. Meditation at 2/AP is the only source of mana so long as Warp Magic remains in effect. Use with caution.
Panacea - Global, 50 mana, 1 action points
* Doubles rate of spell research for all players in the game.
Great Unsummoning - Instant,20 mana, 6 actionpoints
* Removes every conjured enrity from the map
Questions/suggestions/signups?
Again, note: this is experimental. Rules, spells, the map etc. may be subject to adjustments between now and game start, and actual gameplay may reveal issues that require adjusting even after the game has begun. I realize it could be inconvenient to develop your character in a way based on rules that later need to be adjusted...but again, this is an unusually complicated ruleset. Please understand if adjustments are required.
: "Hello, my little humans. Welcome to-"
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: Why must they create such terrible mountains of paperwork? Don't they understand-"
: "TI---AAAA! We're soooooooooooo boooorrreed! Is there nothing to DO in Equestria anymore?"
: "BOOOOOOOORRRRRRRREEEEDDDD!" the purple alicorn whined, adorably stomping her forehooves on the palace floor, leaving several holes in the stone in the process
: "Oh, Lulu. If you're so eager for something to do, why not-"
: "Nay! Thou shalt NOT waste a single precious iota of Our time on that atrocious tax code of Thine! We must say, sister, hadst Thou not banished Us to the moon, a thousand years of darkness would have been the lesser evil by far!"
: "We have better things to do with Our time than waste it on mere games."
: "Very well, We shall consider Thy proposal. What game?"
: "Alfalfa monster?"
: "Thou wouldst not dare!"
: "Wait, stop. What about this? Morrowind?"
: "Ha! Indeed this looks fun! Thank you, sister. I shall avail Myself of Your offer. No more of this ridiculous pretty princess nonsense! Just like the olden times, again shall I be the Princess of the Night! Hark! Dost Thou remember, dear sister, how friend and foe alike wet themselves in fear at the merest rumor of My coming? How the world itself shook beneath My hooves as I danced in the blood of the wicked?"
: "Violated Heroine? That would be hilarious, but it would be locked fast. Xeen? A Xeen let's play would be fun. Not sure I'm in the mood for that though. Plus, it would take forever. Xeen is a really big game and it would take months, at least, to get through it. I'd rather something I can do for couple months and be done with it."
: "That was me."
: Since when was the sword pushed?"
: "Is there an instance of you in each of those universes?"
: "Oblivion is basically infinite, and takes up infinitely many dimensions. Well, maybe not literally infinite, but close enough as to not matter. Anything that's possible, exists. Imagine your entire universe where you come from, except one bit of...we'll use your model, one atom in your nose is different. That universe with a single different atom exists and is just as valid as the universe you're from. Now imagine that universe except the atom to the left of that other atom is different instead. And so on for every atom in the entire universe. All of those universes exist."
There are viable strategies that involve spending GP on the 'create 99999 shadow clones at once' option. But don't do it unless you know what you're doing.