From: Burton Choinski (burt@ptltd.com)
Date: Tue 29 Jun 1993 - 17:12:21 EEST
Yes, it's another....
SORCERY SYSTEM
Don't panic, it's not runic. :)
I know the Oliver & Co. already have a Sorc system in the works, but I'd just
thought I'd put up some thoughts I had on this "unified sorcery" system.
Feel free to peel out anything useful. My personal thoughts on the
results at the bottom.
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Sorcery, like the rune of Law, is built upon three parts -- Skills,
Spells and Studies.
Skills are the sculptor's hands of the Sorcerer, for the basic elements
of magic are weak when formed. Sorcerous Skills include _Duration_,
to support and sustain the magical matrix; _Intensity_, to reinforce the
basic matrix for greater effect; _Range_, to extend the mystic reach of
the Sorcerer; _Multispell_, to allow the sorcerer to combine effects of
several spells.
Spells are the fundementals of Sorcery, the underlying manipulation of
natural forces. Each spell has it's own effect, but cannot operate
alone.
Studies determine the form, the path the magic will travel.
Spells intertwine with studies to weave the axtual matrix which is manipulated
by the skills. Each study must be learned and improved on it's own.
GENERAL USE:
Take the lower value of any spell, study or skills required as the chance
of successfully casting the whole. Easy. :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
STUDIES:
Substance Studies:
Bronze, Fire, Water, Iron, Wood, etc.
Characteristic Studies:
STR, DEX, CON, SIZ, APP, INT, POW, Location AP, Location HP
Sense Studies:
Sight, Smell, Touch, Hearing, Taste, Darksense, etc.
Attribute Studies:
Fatigue, Magic Points
Runic Element Studies: (okay, so I lied ;)
Light, Fire, Luck, Darkness, etc.
Species Studies:
One study per species
Power Studies:
Magic, Damage, Spirit
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SPELLS:
Animate <substance>
Form <substance>
Sense <substance>
Alter <substance> NEW
Summon <species>
Dominate <species>
Bind <species>
Detect <species>
Shapechange <species> to <species>
Genesis <species>
Make Familiar <characteristic>
Diminish <characteristic>
Enhance <characteristic>
Tap <characteristic>
Drain <attribute>
Fill <attribute>
Phantom <sense>
Project <sense>
Dim <sense> NEW
Clear <sense> NEW
Mystic <sense>
Boost <power>
Resist <power>
Reflect <power>
Resist <power>
Neutralize <power>
Grasping <runic element>
Fleeting <runic element>
Conjure <runic element>
Banish <runic element>
------------------------------------------------------------
Enchant is a general purpose spell used by the sorcerer to fix a spell
for all time using bits of his or her own aura. Using enchant fixes
the spell in place using 1 POW per intensity. Obviously, some spells are
worthless unless enchanted (i.e. Genesis) since the results won't
mature before the spell ends.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASSIFIED SPELLS:
The following spells are classified using the above system:
Animate = Animate
Armoring = Enhance <Location AP> w/Enchant
Binding = Bind <species> w/Enchant
Cast Back = Reflect <Magic>
Create Basilisk = Genesis <Basilisk> w/Enchant
Create Familiar = Make Familiar <characteristic> w/Enchant
Create Vampire = Genesis <Vampire> w/Enchant
Damage Boosting = Boost <Damage>
Damage Resistance = Resist <Damage>
Diminish = Diminish <characteristic>
Dominate = Dominate <species>
Drain = Drain <Fatigue>
Enhance = Enhance <characteristic>
Fly = Grasping <Air>
i.e. provides better traction with air.
Form/Set = Form <substance>
Glow = Conjure <Light>
Haste = Grasping <Earth>
Hinder = Fleeting <Earth>
Magic Point Matrix = Fill <Magic Points> w/Enchant
Mystic Vision = Mystic <Sight>
Neutralize Magic = Neutralize <Magic>
Phantom = Phantom <sense>
Projection = Project <sense>
Sense = Sense <substance>
Shapechange = Shapechange <species> to <species>
Skin of Life = Conjure <Air>
Smother = Banish <Air>
Spell Resistance = Resist <Magic>
Spirit Resistance = Resist <Spirits>
Strengthening = Enhance <Location HP> w/Enchant
Summon = Summon <species>
Tap = Tap <Characteristic>
Unclassified Spells (at present):
The following spells have not yet been classified:
Apprentice Bonding
Holdfast
Homing Circle
Immortality
Palsy
Protective Circle
Regenerate
Spell Matrix
Stupifaction
Telepathy
Teleport
Treat Wounds
Venom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
This "unified theory" system is anything but complete, if you feel the above
"unclassified" spells must be added. They might fit in just as well as
"stand-alone" spells that have their studies built in.
The above provides a logical track for creating new spells. For example, I
figured "Fly" simply added to one's movement ability in air. Since most
people don't skid too well on clouds, the normal move is 0. So the "Fly"
skill "adds" to the "speed" of one when interacting with air. So, when cast
on a flying creature it would allow them to fly faster. Extending this to
another element, say earth, one could create the sorcery equal of mobility.
Smother is a tricky one that could be done in several ways. You could
Banish <Air> centered on the target's head, or you could Conjure <Water>
to drown them (though this requires Form/Set as well so that you could
keep it's form about the head.
Some spells become immensely more powerful, however. Joe Wizard could just
put a Banish <Air> about your head for a few hours, just to be sure.
I would say that in the case of direct harm to the target, duration is
measured in melee rounds instead of 10-minute periods. Thus one could
conjure up a fire ball on some pour shmuck's armor and roast him.
The generic "Enchant for Permanence" is an interesting concept. It allows
permanent effects much like one might read in High-fantasy stories. One could
Stick an intensity 1 Conjure <Light> with an enchant on a stick and make a
perpetual torch. :)
"Spell Matrix" might fit well as a "final condition"...you could cast the
spell, or add the Spell matrix condition and Enchant to store it away.
Several NEW spells fell out of the ordering when I was working this up.
ALTER is what is used to enchant things like Iron or Quicksilver. Unless the
Enchantment is put in, these alterations are temporary.
DIM reduces the sense by 5% per intensity, CLEAR adds 5%.
TAP is an odd spell. In RQ3 it is NOT an enchantment...you just cast it like
any other spell. But the effects are permanent.
In this unified form, the tapped points return to the user
at the rate of 1 every time interval once the duration of the TAP ends. MP
gained by the Tap dissapate if not used. This interval is a number of minutes
equal to the Intensity required. Thus, 1 point of INT would return every
5 minutes.
Throwing a high level Fleeting <Earth> on someone is nasty...they are
nearly frictionless on the ground and cannot move or stand. Fleeting <Water>,
cast on a sailed ship actually has the same result as Grasping <Air> cast
on the sails.
Assuming you could protect yourself from it, casting a Grasping <Fire> would
allow you to climb flames, but the footing is very tricky. :)
-- Burton
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