Monday, August 10, 2009

Game Mechanics: Spell Casting

In forge of the elements, there are 4 magic schools and 8 elements. Energy from a element is needed for each spell. Any spell in any school can be cast as long as the player's spell level is sufficient to cast the spell, regardless of elemental focus. In the following post, I will break down the mechanics of spell casting and list the spells. Additionally each element has it's own spells.

Spell Level:

Spell level determines the power, duration, mana cost, and failure rate of each spell. For spells within a school, spell level is equal to spell mastery/4 + school/2 + element/2. A mage casting a death spell in the enchantment school with 8 points in spell mastery, 13 in death, and 7 in enchantment would cast the spell at spell level 12. For non-school spells, the spell level is equal to spell mastery/4 + element. Element specific spells are designed to not only provide distinction between focuses, but also provide non-specialists to have access to casting through one primary skill.

All spells will scale with spell level. Even the lowly level 1 spells will scale to match higher level spells. However, due to application and effect the hardest spells to learn will offer the greatest advantages in play.

Learning Spells:

Elemental mages will begin the game with their two first level spells. Spells can only be learned by reading a spell book and meeting the base proficiency for the spell.

Failure Rate:

Each spell has a base failure rate of 50%. For each spell level over the base spell level, that amount is reduced by 30%. You intelligence bonus is then subtracted from that amount. Finally your armor penalty to casting is added. A caster, casting a spell with base level 3 at level 5 proficiency with an intelligence bonus of 8 and no armor penalty would have a failure rate of 16%.

Schools:

Evocation: Evocation is a school focused on releasing pure elemental energy. Evocation is a single minded school of damage oriented spells. Evocation spells provide the most efficient and devastating offensive spells.

Conjuration: Conjuration focuses on manifestations of elemental energies. Conjuration offers a grab bag of utility, summons, debuffs, and damage spells.

Enchantment: Enchantment harness elemental energies to offensively alter a caster's foes. Enchantment spells devastate foes through damage over time effects and negative effects.

Transmutation: Transmutation harnesses the elemental forces in Forge of the Elements to alter reality. Transmutation are mainly used for enhancement, though transmutation can be used for offensive purposes as well.

Spell Targeting:

Spells can be focused in a variety of ways, resulting in differing areas of effect.

Bolts: A blast of energy is released from the caster, a bolt however can be blocked or dodged.

Ball: A ball of energy is lobbed at a foe, on contact the ball explodes effecting all enemies within it's radius.

Ray: A ray releases a wide beam towards the target, effecting all in it's path.

Personal based area effect (pbae): The caster releases a blast of energy originating from the caster.

Target: A spell directly targets a single foe, bypassing defenses.

Spell List by School:

Evocation-------

22-- "Plasma Ray" {Fire} {Ray} -- 1/2 Fire 1/2 Temporal Damage, Heavy Damage.

22-- "Dissolve" {Acid} {Ray} -- 1/2 Acid, 1/2 Temporal Damage, Heavy Damage.

20-- "Ice Wave" {Cold} {PBAE} -- 1/2 Physical, 1/2 Frost Damage, High Damage, Large Area of Effect.

20-- "Psywave" {Mind} {PBAE} -- 1/2 Psychic 1/2 Physical Damage, High Damage, Large Area of Effect.

18-- "Smite" {Life} {Target} -- Life Damage, Good Damage Stun.

18-- "Vampiric Feast" {Death} {PBAE} -- Negative Damage, Moderate Damage, Drains Hit Points, Moderate Area of Effect.

14-- "Quake" {Earth} {PBAE} -- Physical Damage, Moderate Damage, Huge Area of Effect.

14-- "Disintegrate" {Temporal} {Ray} -- Temporal Damage, Moderate Damage

10 -- "Heat Blast" {Fire} {PBAE} -- Fire Damage, Extreme Damage, Small Area of Effect

10 -- "Sun Beam" {Life} {Ray} -- Life Damage, Moderate Damage

7 -- "Cone of Cold" {Cold} {Cone} -- Cold Damage, Good Damage, Medium Range

7 -- "Psy Lance" {Mind} {Ray} -- Psychic damage, Good Damage

5 -- "Crush" {Temporal} {Target} -- Physical Damage, High Damage

5-- "Sulfuric Blast" {Acid} {Cone} -- Acid damage, Good Damage

3 -- "Nether Bolt" {Death} {Bolt} -- Negative Damage, High Damage

3 -- "Sand Blast" {Earth} {Bolt} -- Physical Damage, Blind, Medium Damage

1 -- "Burn" {Fire} {Bolt} -- Fire Damage, High Damage

1 -- "Frost" {Cold} {Bolt} -- Cold Damage, High Damage

1 -- "Sting" {Acid} {Bolt} -- Acid Damage, High Damage

1 -- "Psy Dart" {Psychic} {Bolt} -- Psychic Damage, High Damage

Conjuration-------------

22 -- "Blizzard" {Ice} {PBAE} -- Ice Damage, Frozen, Daze, Moderate Damage

22 --"Summon Lich" {Death} {Target} -- Summons a Pet Lich, a powerful dark caster

20 -- "Entomb" {Earth} {Self} -- Surrounds caster with stone walls

20 -- "Hell Fiend" {Fire} {Target} -- Summons a powerful Hell Fiend

18 -- "Force Ball" {Temporal} {Ball} -- Physical Damage, knock back, Medium Damage

18 -- "Caustic Vapors" {Acid} {Ball} -- Acid Damage, Blind, Medium Damage

14 -- "Flash of Light" {Life} {PBAE} -- Life Damage, Blind, Medium Damage

14 -- "Illusory Horrors" {Mind} {Cone} -- Psychic Damage, Confusion, Medium Damage

10 -- "Ice Golem" {Ice} {Target} -- Summons a hearty Ice Golem

10 -- "Mud Elemental" {Earth} {Target} -- Summons a loyal Mud elemental

7 -- "Venom Ball" {Acid} {Ball} -- Acid Damage, poison, Medium Damage

7 -- " Summon Horror" {Death} {Target} -- Summons a stealthy Horror capable of instilling madness

5 -- "Nightmare" {Mind} {Target} -- Fear, Confusion

5 -- "Fire Ball" {Fire} {Ball} -- Fire Damage, Moderate Damage

3 -- "Temporal Bubble" {Temporal} {Target} -- Stop

3 -- "Dazzling Light" {Life} {Ball} -- Life Damage, Daze, Medium Damage

1 -- "Summon Imp" {Fire} {Target} -- Summons a fire flinging Imp

1 -- "Frozen Spike" {Ice} {Bolt} -- 1/2 Ice 1/2 Physical Damage, High Damage

1 -- "Stone Spike" {Earth} {Bolt} -- Physical Damage, High Damage

1 -- "Summon Zombie" {Death} {Target} -- Pet Zombie

Enchantment-----------

22 -- "Judgment" {Life} {PBAE} -- Life Damage, Burning, Blind, Moderate Damage

22 -- "Dominate" {Mind} {Target} -- Enslaves the target's mind, target must be susceptible to confusion.

20 -- "Stop Time" {Temporal} {PBAE} -- Freezes Time (PBAE stop)

20 -- "Necrosis" {Death} {Ball} -- Weakened, Diseased, Poisoned, Dazed

18 -- "Consuming Flame" {Fire} {PBAE} -- Ignite,Fear

18 -- "Crystallize" {Earth} {Ray} -- Paralyze

14 -- "Deep Freeze" {Ice} {Cone} -- Immobilize, Frozen

14 -- "Sepsis" {Death} {Target} -- Weakened, Diseased, Poison, Dazed

10 -- "Corrosive Blast" {Acid} {Ball} -- Corrode, Poison, Weaken

10 -- "Mind Rot" {Mind} {Target} -- Disease, Daze, Confuse

7 -- "Stoning" {Earth} {Target} -- Paralyze

7 -- "Slow Field" {Temporal} {PBAE} -- Slow

5 -- "Courage" {Life} {Self} -- Resist Fear, Resist Confusion

5 -- "Freeze" {Ice} {Target} -- Frozen, Immobilize

3 -- "Torch" {Fire} {Bolt} -- Ignite, Fear

3 -- "Envenom" {Acid} {Cone} -- Corrode, Poison, Weak

1 -- "Slow" {Temporal} {Target} -- Slow

1 -- "Lull" {Mind} {Target} -- Lull

1 -- "Horrify" {Death} {Target} -- Afraid

1 -- "Awe" {Life} {Target} -- Weakened, Life Damage, Medium Damage

Transmutation----------

22 -- "Earth Meld" {Earth} {Self} -- Wall Walking, Resist Fire+, Resist Cold+, Resist Temporal+, Resist Acid+,Con+

22 -- "Warp" {Temporal} {Cone} -- Temporal Damage, Daze, Push, Heavy Damage

20 -- "Sublime Essence" {Acid} {Self} -- +Dodge, +Speed

20 -- "Deava Form" {Life} {Self} -- +Wisdom, Resist Blind, See Invisible, +Constitution

18 -- "Ambient Drain" {Cold} {Cone} -- Frozen, Mana Drain

18 -- "Flowing Mind" {Mind} {Self} -- +Mana Regen

14 -- "Corrosive Barrier" {Acid} {Self} -- +Def, Resist Poison

14 -- "Dragon Skin" {Fire} {Self} -- Resist Burning, AC

10 -- "Bend Light" {Temporal} {Self} -- Invisibility

10 -- "Rot" {Death} {Cone} -- Disease, Corrosion, Negative Damage, Moderate Damage

7 -- "Regen" {Life} {Self} -- Regen

7 -- "Blast" {Fire} {Ball} -- 1/2 Fire 1/2 Physical Damage, Knock back. Good Damage

5 -- "Infuse Undeath" -- {Death} {Self} -- Resist Disease, Resist Confusion

5 -- "Dig" -- {Earth} {Ray} -- Digs into walls

3 -- "Chill" {Ice} {Target} -- Frozen, Stun

3 -- "Clairvoyance" {Mind} {Self} -- +Dodge

1 -- "Etching of Ability" {Acid} {Target} -- +Dexterity

1 -- "Displace" {Temporal} {Bolt} -- Temporal Damage, pull, High Damage

1 -- "Heal" {Life} {Self} -- Heal

1 -- "Strength of Stone" {Earth} {Self} -- +Strength


Fire-----------------------

17 -- "Hellfire" ***** {PBAE} -- Fire Damage, Ignite, Good Damage

13 -- "Flame Breath" ***** {Cone} -- Fire damage, High Damage

8 -- "Pillar of Smoke" ***** {Ball} -- Blind, Daze

2 -- "Set Ablaze" ***** {Bolt} -- Fire Damage, Ignite, Low Damage

Ice-----------------------

17 -- "Blizzard Elemental" ***** {Target} -- Summon Frost Elemental

13 -- "Frost Nova" ***** {PBAE} -- Frozen, Cold damage, Medium Damage

8 -- "Ice Shards" ***** {Cone} -- 1/2 Cold 1/2 Physical, Daze, Good Damage

2 -- "Fling Ice" ***** {Bolt} -- Cold Damage, Daze, Low Damage

Acid-----------------------

17 -- "Toxic Sludge" ***** {PBAE} -- Acid Damage, Immobilize, Good Damage

13 -- "Acid Breath" ***** {Cone} -- Acid Damage, Corrode, Good Damage

8 -- "Alkaloid" ***** {Self} -- Regen, Resist Corrode

2 -- "Spit" ***** {Bolt} -- Acid Damage, Corrode, Low Damage

Earth----------------------

17 -- "Hammer Strike" ***** {Ball} -- Physical Damage, Stun, Good Damage

13 -- "Iron Skin" ***** {Self} -- +Defense, Regen

8 -- "Fling Mud" ***** {Bolt} -- Physical Damage, Immobilize, Medium Damage

2 -- "Earth Knowledge" ***** {Self} -- Magic Mapping


Temporal-------------------

17 -- "Escape" ***** {Self} -- Travel to level entrance

13 -- "Teleport" ***** {Self} -- Randomly relocates

8 -- "Blink" ***** {Self} -- Relocates within view

2 -- "Teleport Foe" ***** {Target} -- Teleports a foe to an adjacent tile

Mind----------------------

17 -- "Fade Memories" ***** {Self} -- Invisible, enemies forget caster

13 -- "Mass Sleep" ***** {Ball} -- Sleep

8 -- "Mana Burn" ***** {Bolt} -- Mana Damage, Psychic Damage

2 -- "Identify" ***** {Self} -- Identify

Life----------------------

17 -- "Heroism" ***** {Self} -- +Strength, Haste

13 -- "Holy Shield" ***** {Target} -- +Block, +AC

8 -- "Cleanse" ***** {Self} -- Removes several status effects

2 -- "Remove Curse" ***** {Self} -- Removes curses

Death---------------------

17 -- "Hand of Death" ***** {Target} -- Paralyze, 1/2 Cold, 1/2 Negative Damage, Medium Damage

13 -- "Terror" ***** {Target} -- Afraid, 1/2 Negative, 1/2 Psychic, Medium Damage

8 -- "Flesh to Power" ***** {Self} -- Converts hp to mana, Fear

2 -- "Drain Life" ***** {Bolt} -- Negative Damage, Heals Caster




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