Nameless
10-18-2000, 11:14 AM
I posted this topic for those wonderful skotos people to allow players and story tellers alike to put in their ideas and opinions on combat and magic to better game play for us.
But before I begin I would like to qoute what a friend once told me :"We eat to exist not exist to eat". Magic and combat are here just to spice up Roleplaying and we are not here just to kill each other , this is not a shoot em up game or a hack and slash campaign. Please put only those suggestions that you might think would better role palying and not destroy it by giving players too much power.
I have been playing a while with three characters (one of which is raving lunatic) and I have noticed that combat (dueling ) is quite alright there appears to be a technique to it . There seems to be three types of stances (guard ,rest and dodge) . I suggest a fourth stance :Attack. An attack stance over extends all your attacks to do more damage foregoing most of your defensive maneuvers. This allows you to do greater damage but you tire easily and take more when hit. Also there shoul be the advance and retreat maneuver ( Advancing appears to do nothing at the moment) Retreat should give you breathing space, allowing you to rest until your opponent or you advances , no strike whatsoever should hit while you are away from your opponent.
In the case of magic I have developed a way of dividing groups of mages untraditionally. Unlike most games where mages are grouped according to speciality of magic type or sphere or whatever, I grouped my mages according to the way they cast their spells.
In my world there are five major mage groups these are as follows:
1) The "Castrato" (castrated ones) use voice and song to focus magical energy their spells usually focus on mind influencing but is restricted on spells affecting the spirit and spirit world. Their members are mostly male and they hold the most power but due to the rather unique initiation process they are effeminate. They organize themselves in groups called choirs and bands.
2) The "Illuminati" (enlightened) their focus is items and chants .Usually books and charms are held in an intricate ritual performed with repeatitive chants are done to activate a spell. Consequently their spells mostly focus on curses and the spirit realm and are inefficient in combat as most of their spells take a lot of time to perform but they are experienced artificers and are credited with the creation of a few of the most powerful artifacts in history. The members are exclusively female and are similar to witches of lore. They organize themselves in groups called covens.
3)the "Militantes " are war mages. They focus their attention on winning battles. Their magic is strong and fast but requires much from the caster. Unlike other mages they borrow their power from something (life forces of captured slaves, bottled spirits, magic drained from an item, etc. ) as well as add some of their lifeforce to produce spell effects. This taxes the mage and thus motivates the group to assault others so that they may fuel their spells. Their focus tends to be weapons and they must be motivated by desire for something (usually power, greed , money, bloodlust, etc.). Though they are powerful per se they will never lead because of the dissent that exists within their ranks( their selfishness blinds them from the bigger picture). They are organized like an army with ranks and regiments, platoons ,companies so on and so forth.
4) The "carnivora" . the flesh eaters are indeed the strangest of them all. Their power stems from life forces. Life forces which they drain or rechannel. Their focus is usually the act of eating raw flesh (animal ,plant, human or otherwise) and their items are made from body parts (bones, skin, blood , you name it). They are the most secretive and enigmatic and weild the greatest power. It is rumored that their leaders are immortal thanks to their dark power. They are organized in groups called packs with a leader called an alpha.
5) The "Geomancer" . the shamans are the most benevolent of all mages. Their power focuses on healing and regeneration and are deficient in offensive magic. They despise those who seek to defile the earth. Though they may appear weak they are closely - knit are will help each other without hesitation.
They have little in way of organization though they are lead by twelve enigmatic figures called the council of trees.
But before I begin I would like to qoute what a friend once told me :"We eat to exist not exist to eat". Magic and combat are here just to spice up Roleplaying and we are not here just to kill each other , this is not a shoot em up game or a hack and slash campaign. Please put only those suggestions that you might think would better role palying and not destroy it by giving players too much power.
I have been playing a while with three characters (one of which is raving lunatic) and I have noticed that combat (dueling ) is quite alright there appears to be a technique to it . There seems to be three types of stances (guard ,rest and dodge) . I suggest a fourth stance :Attack. An attack stance over extends all your attacks to do more damage foregoing most of your defensive maneuvers. This allows you to do greater damage but you tire easily and take more when hit. Also there shoul be the advance and retreat maneuver ( Advancing appears to do nothing at the moment) Retreat should give you breathing space, allowing you to rest until your opponent or you advances , no strike whatsoever should hit while you are away from your opponent.
In the case of magic I have developed a way of dividing groups of mages untraditionally. Unlike most games where mages are grouped according to speciality of magic type or sphere or whatever, I grouped my mages according to the way they cast their spells.
In my world there are five major mage groups these are as follows:
1) The "Castrato" (castrated ones) use voice and song to focus magical energy their spells usually focus on mind influencing but is restricted on spells affecting the spirit and spirit world. Their members are mostly male and they hold the most power but due to the rather unique initiation process they are effeminate. They organize themselves in groups called choirs and bands.
2) The "Illuminati" (enlightened) their focus is items and chants .Usually books and charms are held in an intricate ritual performed with repeatitive chants are done to activate a spell. Consequently their spells mostly focus on curses and the spirit realm and are inefficient in combat as most of their spells take a lot of time to perform but they are experienced artificers and are credited with the creation of a few of the most powerful artifacts in history. The members are exclusively female and are similar to witches of lore. They organize themselves in groups called covens.
3)the "Militantes " are war mages. They focus their attention on winning battles. Their magic is strong and fast but requires much from the caster. Unlike other mages they borrow their power from something (life forces of captured slaves, bottled spirits, magic drained from an item, etc. ) as well as add some of their lifeforce to produce spell effects. This taxes the mage and thus motivates the group to assault others so that they may fuel their spells. Their focus tends to be weapons and they must be motivated by desire for something (usually power, greed , money, bloodlust, etc.). Though they are powerful per se they will never lead because of the dissent that exists within their ranks( their selfishness blinds them from the bigger picture). They are organized like an army with ranks and regiments, platoons ,companies so on and so forth.
4) The "carnivora" . the flesh eaters are indeed the strangest of them all. Their power stems from life forces. Life forces which they drain or rechannel. Their focus is usually the act of eating raw flesh (animal ,plant, human or otherwise) and their items are made from body parts (bones, skin, blood , you name it). They are the most secretive and enigmatic and weild the greatest power. It is rumored that their leaders are immortal thanks to their dark power. They are organized in groups called packs with a leader called an alpha.
5) The "Geomancer" . the shamans are the most benevolent of all mages. Their power focuses on healing and regeneration and are deficient in offensive magic. They despise those who seek to defile the earth. Though they may appear weak they are closely - knit are will help each other without hesitation.
They have little in way of organization though they are lead by twelve enigmatic figures called the council of trees.