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Ability Types


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Ability Types

Ability types are types of ability categories, such as healing or enchantments. Not all ability types are listed here, but we have included the ability types which should have special notes or notice upon them when writing lore.

 

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Enchantments/Runes/Alteration

For purposes of clarity;

An “Enchantment” is defined as an item which is magically altered to give different effects.

A “Rune” is defined as something inscribed upon an item or place which gives it different effects.

An “Alteration” is a loose term which defines any other method in which one would permanently alter the properties of an item or place. For permanent or semi-permanent fixtures or changes to areas, see General Criteria: Special Lore Locations/Artifacts.

From here on forth, unless specifically mentioning so, all three of these terms will be referred to as “Enchantment”. Please use best judgment when following the reading and finding out where it may apply to your lore.

 

To take note, the following should be noted when writing some form of Alteration within your lore.

 

  • Any ability that you intend to be able to be used as an enchantment, must be labeled as such, this is to help showcase to everyone what kind of enchantments we can expect. 

    An item must be designated as “Player Signed” or “ST-Signed”. An ST Signature warrants a Story Team member to inspect the item, determine the validity of the roleplay involved in its creation, and to log the item after Signing it with a unique signature confirming its validity.

    When it comes time to write the guide, you will be expected to include a section on what an enchanted item looks like if the item is ST-Signed, for both players and ST to utilize.
     
  • Recharging an enchantment is now antiquated, and highly discouraged in lore. Passive recharging, such as recharging that happens naturally or without roleplay, is fine. However, recharging which would require Story Intervention or logging, is disallowed within lore.

 

  • One type of enchantment is called a Passive Enchantment. Passive enchantments are enchantments which require no direct activation, and simply by existing, provide some effect. Please consider how this may interact with inspection, common tasks/movements/actions, and counters as to how this interacts with other items or magics. Be light with passive enchantments, as this allows effects to be placed and used freely on a holder without effort involved.

 

  • Another type of enchantment is called an Active enchantment. Active enchantments are enchantments which require a user to consciously activate an item in some manner to trigger an effect subsequently. In these cases, consider if a user has to (And should) spend an emote activating that item without performing other actions. In most cases, activating an enchantment and attacking can be looked at as performing two attack emotes in one, and can provide an unfair advantage for a small item at use. Remember to avoid Dualcasting as such is banned, and is attacking twice in the same emote, which is an unfair advantage. Consider how these may interact with passive enchantments that may be on a character, and with other active enchantments too. Don’t forget, an enchantment which must be activated to provide a passive effect afterward is still an active enchantment.

 

  • Be sure when writing an enchantment, that it is a “Permanent” effect. Enchantments should typically not wear out or have an expiration date, as this can be inconvenient when the item suddenly becomes inert, despite the signature and description leading to the illusion that the item does indeed have an effect. If an item does have limited uses or an expiration, be sure it is clearly denoted as a requirement in the enchantment, and define what that limit is.

 

  • Charges, or otherwise limits of how many times an enchantment can be used (If not a permanent effect on the item), should clearly be listed how they recharge, and when. We typically recommend using “Per Combative Encounter” as a measurement, or 24-IRL Hours. Both of these allow sufficient charges to be used and easily tracked by a player, so that they do not overuse an item. Consider how effective an enchantment is and what benefit it grants, and use that to weigh how many charges should be utilized in an encounter.

 

  • Spellbreaks are things which would cancel an enchantment or otherwise interrupt its effect. Be sure to define, if possible, what can stop the enchantment from activating, or what can break the enchantment entirely. Take into account what items can be enchanted also. While a flame-throwing gauntlet may be interesting, consider someone may attempt to use that as a sword- and while in melee combat, shoot a flamethrower out. This is insanely powerful, and can effectively allow someone to both cast a spell, and attack with a sword, at the same time. Consider how this could be incredibly unfair to someone who has just a sword, or just magic, at their side, and be cautious about where your enchantment can be used and how it can be countered.

 

  • When writing an enchantment, take into consideration how it may interact with other lorepieces, such as Thanhium or Auric Oil. As well, take into account how it may “Bloat” a lore, or otherwise give an incredible advantage to someone. An enchantment should likely have some disadvantage which makes one without the enchanting-magic as strong as the enchanter. Make sure too that an enchantment does not take spells or effects from other lore to the best of your ability, and particularly be cautious that it does not do what other lore may intend to do, but better. If by example, one lorepiece has an enchantment which heals burns and takes four emotes, you should try and avoid making an enchantment which does the same thing, but in three emotes.

 

  • In the case of Runes, consider how the runes may function. Do they need to be on a specific part of the item? Can people take these apart and put them on other items? Can people decipher the meaning of these runes? Once inscribed, can they be taken off, or must the item be destroyed to lose the effect? Consider how other players may interact and ask questions about these items and how you should address that in your lore.

 

  • In the case of Alterations, these can be tricky. Transfiguration has had an ability which allows them to modify the density of items, and while interesting, has caused issues before where players make mundane items that are “finely-tuned” and min-max’d to allow them as much power as possible down to the percentage of alteration. Please be cautious with these, and disallow getting too technical with their usage.

 

  • Take into account that enchantments should be simple to understand and easy to use. When taking an enchantment or enchanted item, a player of any assortment should be able to take that item and immediately understand what it can and cannot do. Avoid being over-complex within your writing, and take into account from a new-player’s eyes how these things may work.

 

 


 

 

Healing

Healing abilities require more effort the more they are capable of healing. Healing someone from the brink of death should not be done in a handful of emotes like old healing magics allowed for. 

 

On top of the RP needing to be extensive (or broken into multiple RP sessions that aren’t all crammed into a day), the healing should be interesting and/or interactive for the one being healed. Simply emoting some magic energy fixing the person is neither of those. Healing should have a lasting effect on both characters involved, and should do it’s best to be thematic to the lore, while also not simply “Undoing” whatever roleplay may have occurred to cause that wound to begin with.
 

If you are healing in a combat situation, you should aim to have your ability revolve around stabilizing rather than fully healing someone to the point where they can re-enter a fight. You can read more about the subject under Explanation Topics: Healing.

 

 


 

 

Empowerment

Empowerment is tricky but can be a very interesting part of lore. Empowerment should be something which can be heavily beneficial, but should likely be in the short term strictly. Empowerment is something which should have either a “Wind Up” or “Wind Down” period in which a character is more vulnerable, weakened, or both, to allow for fair counterplay and to not simply have a temporary steroid which makes a user far too strong. The following are some guidelines for Empowerment in each kind.

 

Physical

Physical empowerment, such as augmenting your body, is tricky and should often have some drawback such as enhanced exhaustion, less endurance, and less stamina before or afterward. Unique effects are welcome too, for small empowerments or changes, one may have effects that change how a character is roleplayed. Tawkin takes well after this, with some small augments having beneficial roleplay effects, with minor detriments. Maybe a physical empowerment gives one thicker skin to resist cuts, but it often peels and cracks- deforming them and not wearing well with armour.


 

Physical empowerment of strength can be tricky. Typically, peak of their native descendant race is typically acceptable without drawbacks. The stronger, quicker, or more durable, one can be, the more detriments should be associated either in the short term, long term, or both. 

 

 

Mental

Mental empowerment is much more easy to implement. Things like boosting comprehension, intelligence, and so on, are generally acceptable without consequence. However, something such as a “Mental Barrier” is something which should require more drawback. In some lores, a Mental Barrier may prevent one from being susceptible to illusions or mental invasions from other lores. While interesting with certain pieces, it should make sense within the lore, and should absolutely have drawbacks associated with it.

 

 

Direct Casting

Magic empowerment in the form of directly boosting your magic’s strength via a spell is very tricky and often difficult to implement. For reference, there is no such thing as “Tier 6” spell. Without going above tiers, empowering spells should include augmenting or increasing the charge of the spell, changing its effects. An example of this could be found in Fire Evocation, where normal spells have normal emotes, but with +1 emote, can be explosive, or burning-blue hot. This increases the charge time and the mana cost, but makes the spell more potent. 

 

There are interesting ideas, like making certain areas or placing down something like runes on the ground which empower spells if you stand upon them. While interesting, these can be tricky to memorize which blocks are empowering, and it can be emote-inefficient to take a long time to place down an empowerment then to fire an empowered spell. Keep these things in mind when utilizing this concept.

 

Be sure to define Enchantments being empowered. The ST generally dislike empowering enchantments given that anyone may use them.

 

 

Ritual Casting

Magic empowerment in the form of a ritual is something which often does not do well in PVP-combat. The ST do not recommend making ritual-casting for combat. However, for events, ritual casting is granted either hard-written definitions, or even full freeformity, with ET permission. Voidal Circling, by example, allows any number of voidal mages to gather and work together to make a “super spell” of any kind to have special effect within events. This should be ET-Friendly, and should not act as a insta-win, or death spell, and should be interesting and thematic for covens and guilds to work together to make a great show. This should not be something which ruins the fun of an event for others by ending it too quick. 

 

Object

Object empowerment is effectively a short-term enchantment. This is allowed and often fine, but should be well defined in its capabilities, requirements, and so on. One should define how empowered objects may as well interact with things like Auric Oil or Thanhium, how long an object-empowerment lasts, etc.. Be sure to clarify Object Empowerment is short term, and that it is not an enchanted effect.

 

 


 

 

Poisons & Disease

Poisons in their entirety are heavily discouraged by The ST to use or write in any lorepiece. Given their nature, they often may be uninteresting or uninteractive for RP. Poisons which are lethal in any capacity are grounds for automatic denial in a lorepiece.

Poisons however which are nonlethal, can be more interesting and are cautious, but allowed. Poisons should always be well defined in a lore, and should require ST or Player signature on an item. Poisons too should be clearly distinguishable, and should not be something completely unnoticeable within an item. 

 

Diseases and Diseased items are alright too, given the follow the above. A disease or diseased item within a lore should be clearly defined, and entirely non-lethal. A disease inflicted upon a character should be temporary, lasting IRL days at most, while allowing the user to take that further if they OOCly consent to so. While diseased, a player should not be required to constantly ask whoever gave them so how it works. It should be clearly defined and explained within the lore. 

 

Both poisons and diseases should not last long, and should have an option for a cure. This cure can be mildly difficult to require, but should not be troublesome or annoying to do. Poisons and Disease are aimed at creating interesting or unique roleplay which may temporarily alter a character, but should not in any capacity be something used in bad faith or to make someone dislike how their character is played. 

 

 


 

 

Portal Creation/Teleportation/Blinking

In a lot of fantasy settings, things such as magical portals and teleportation are possible. In LotC this is the case as well, but there are some restrictions to it. Consider the difficulties of representing these mechanically and placing that within lore.

 

Portals:

  • No portals should be established that lead to other areas of the map. This is considered hard to do, given there is no current method of fast travel for lore/magic useage. “Roleplay” methods of traveling long distances are accepted, but in no instance could you request a /tp or /warp to any area through this method.
  • Portals leading to Aengudaemonic related areas should be made with a PK clause understanding if they go in they will immediately be obliterated upon entry. These are generally discouraged within lore. 
  • Players should not have some form of mechanical or physical representation for these portals or realms. These can be aesthetic alternatives for Shulkers or Ender chests. In the case of places you visit, you may build this and roleplay in it yourself, but you should avoid writing in your lore usage around these given they aren’t practical for players to roleplay around or move to.

 

Long Range Teleportation:

  • Not allowed outside of soulstones.
    • This includes any kind of long range teleportation around the map, along with teleporting characters or items to you from afar.
    • One may “Thematically” or “Aesthetically” explain how they may teleport long range, as example “I used a Translocation spell to warp from X nation to Y Nation”. This is acceptable. One may under no circumstance mandate /tp, /warp, or a warp sign to be utilized within their lorepiece. 

 

Short Range Teleportation (Blinking):

  • Should be considered how potent these spells are with movement, and if/how a character can interact while casting these spells (Can they swing a sword? Cast another spell? Continue movement?)
  • It is disallowed to write a teleport where one cannot reach mechanically without replacing, placing, or destroying blocks.
  • Short range teleportation in noncombative instances may be aesthetic re-skins for Lifts. With signs not able to be /lwc lock-ed, one cannot lock a lift sign. 

 

 


 

Sensing/Tracking/Locating

This group of ability types are strongly discouraged as they mostly act as a tool for what is essentially lore approved metagaming when used against other players or their items/builds.

 

Sensing abilities revolve around being able to detect things, sometimes in a vague fashion and sometimes in a very precise manner. You should not have any ability that is capable of distinguishing special traits about a person, such as being able to tell someone is an undead or practices a certain magic. Vague sensing abilities where you can tell that a person is around in a small radius around you is what is currently allowed. Tracking/Locating abilities where you can hunt a person down from across the map or magically see where someone is through a mirror is not allowed. The same goes for animals doing this, such as bloodhounds.

 

For small aesthetic, or otherwise flavourful things, this is fine. Small hints or “spider senses” are alright. Modified sensory organs (Such as nightvision, enhanced hearing, etc). Should be clearly defined and with some drawbacks for utilization. These should most often be utilized in events, and when in player combat, should not be an “Automatic Sense” which acts as a guaranteed win or effect onto another player- which would be considered powergaming. 

 

One should never be able to sense, track, or locate someone of a specific MA, CA, or Feat. Even if one may share the same MA, CA, or Feat, this is very highly discouraged given it can lead to bad faith roleplay.

 

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