Wards, runes and various magical languages

[Acaro]

Hiding would be cool. Maybe it would make sense as a mage to learn fighting with normal weapons to a certain degree so they don't need to show everybody they are mages whenever they get attacked by a drunk. Magic should be something learned under greatest risk in secret and only used in the biggest danger, not in every fight with some poor hungry escapees of a war.

[Mandrake]

Master hiding won't be easy in itself since it's easy to let yourself go...
Plus don't forget that doing magic will still be an inferno of explosions, mini black holes and misbehaving summons...

[tbiggy]

I don't mind a magical language to solve puzzles to enter certain areas of a venture or quest. But to use every day as a mage would be a dredge. The simple system will be difficult anyway the way the Dev's have it so far, don't make it impossible to play.

[master]

I don't mind a magical language to solve puzzles to enter certain areas of a venture or quest. But to use every day as a mage would be a dredge. The simple system will be difficult anyway the way the Dev's have it so far, don't make it impossible to play.

I don't think it would be impossible to make it fun to play. while I do see how a magic mimicing a programmin language where you have to specify how long the spell lasts and how much power each effect takes and a large number of other variables, it could be simplified for everyday use.

Say having magic items with imprints of spells acting as focuses. of course it would have the drawback of having to be prepared beforehand, so any spells you need to make on the fly would have to be done on the fly.

or maybe once made magi could learn spells and have them be macroed or whatever, but you'd still have to make them.

I'd find it interesting to see magi each have their own dictionary of words trying to keep them a secret to hold an advanatge. if a mage knows the words for copy and illusion, he could create a spell that copies and object and makes and illusion of that object, if a magi did'nt know the word for illusion, he may not be able to come up with a counterspell. though he could come up with a general disperse magic spell, the illusionist could build protections against that counterspell into his own spells if it was well known.

[drakedude]

You could have a mix of words and runes. The words would be more powerful without additional power pumped into them, but runes would be both easier to cast and more powerful for enchantments.

[master]

You could have a mix of words and runes. The words would be more powerful without additional power pumped into them, but runes would be both easier to cast and more powerful for enchantments.

well maybe a rune could be the written form of a word. and there may be different situations where each are useful. I'd rather not see a difference in power, but in utility maybe. Say a rune couldn't be use while you are holding an item [if you are tracing it in the air with your hand [ie mouse]] say when you are eating or whatever, but words would be audible to other players [be pretty interesting if players could use mics, but with voice recognition being as crappy as it is, maybe an option of typing words] and could either out you as a magi, or give your knowledge to a rival.

[drakedude]

Nice thoughts! And you're right, not a difference in power, but a difference in intricacy. A picture is often worth a thousand words, sure, but many a time words give that level of detail you wouldn't otherwise have. You might have a rune which allows you to commune with animals, say, but that will only let you pass along the essence of what you're saying -attack, breed, defend, chase, obey, observe- but using words let you say do this and that with that in here to him. Or for the less subtle approach, a rune approach, a rune of earth moving will let you cause a mountain ridge to shake and dislodge that boulder, but a word will let you fine-tune it to exactly how much and were.

[master]

Nice thoughts! And you're right, not a difference in power, but a difference in intricacy. A picture is often worth a thousand words, sure, but many a time words give that level of detail you wouldn't otherwise have. You might have a rune which allows you to commune with animals, say, but that will only let you pass along the essence of what you're saying -attack, breed, defend, chase, obey, observe- but using words let you say do this and that with that in here to him. Or for the less subtle approach, a rune approach, a rune of earth moving will let you cause a mountain ridge to shake and dislodge that boulder, but a word will let you fine-tune it to exactly how much and were.

maybe basic spells could use either words or runes. more advanced spells could use both. Maybe if a player could use a mic for words and tracing for runes he'd actually have to be careful how he pronounced words and drew the runes.

Of course the runes would be the broad part of the spell and the words would be the modifiers, for example you draw a rune for light [as an effect of the fire thread] and you say fifty mana, which would be divided equally through the amount of time you specify and give the radiance.

if you wanted to summon a hurrican you'd draw the runes for wind, water, lightening, etc. which would equal hurricane. You'd use words to modify it so you don't destroy your allies.

[tbigness]

Remember that this has to be duable as a possible coding for the game. You ask for too much process for a game with so many features in it, that this may be well out of the hands of the Team. The learning should require a decipher mechanism and casting needs to require a mechanism for a spell to be attempted that is not entirely crippling on the system to register the effects.....

[Copper Dragon]

You also have to remember, since the fall, magic has had to be hidden. A lot of complication, fancy effects, odd words, ... will draw unwanted attention. A mages life depends on not being uncovered. If the mage uses magic, the last thing they want is any thing that can alert any one else that they did it. As they grow in power so do the mishaps that happen around them. Drawing a rune in the air can be a death warrent if the wrong one sees it and you can never be sure you are completely alone. Subvocalizing would also help cover what words are needed to cast a spell. (limited range of being heard.) Runes on the other hand can be hidden in the hand or worn and provides a focus point for casting. Different runes may require different materials. Earth, hematite. Air, clear (natural)topaz. Water, sapphire. Fire, ruby. Lightning, diamond. Plant, emerald. Death, smokey quartz. Life, clear quartz. Illusion, rose quartz. A mage lives with the fear of being discovered so magic is hidden for a reason. Instead of gems, perhaps different materials can be shaped to form the needed rune. Grass tied a certian way. A piece of bone or bone dust. A pinch of tar. Perhaps marked on a simple stone if several runes are needed. Things easily disposed of, hidden, or simply look harmless to the untrained eye. A ring with a few runes worked into the design. It depends on how runes interact with magic and what form they take. Stealth, guile, and misdirection are some of the tools a mage uses to remain hidden. A mage has a hard road to walk with death waiting with every spell and mistake. Just my two copper on the subject.