Sagwort

I vouch for this man's magic.

MC name: Sagwort

Character's name and age: Ambros, age unknown (I honestly don't know), been around since Aegis, however

Character’s Race: Human

What magic/s did you learn?: Transfiguration, Sensory Illusion, Pyromancy 

Who/how did you learn magic/s?: In lore I learned from Ogland, however, this subject is a bit fuzzy since I 'learned' magic in Aegis which was a bit of a chaotic time in terms of magic.  I have spoken with Tsuyose about this and he has people willing to vouch for my past use of magic.  I was told to create a self-teaching app due to my situation.

Offer an explanation of said magic/s you learned:

Transfiguration - The art of changing the properties (Enchanting), appearance (Transmogrification) or performing defensive magicks (abjuration).  Rigorous study must of items and spells which the caster intends to alter take place, however, before such spells can be cast.

Sensory Illusion - Manipulating the senses by projecting false images, sounds, smells, etc... unto another.  Granted, the caster must have experienced said 'senses' before casting the spell (It takes one to known one, as they say).

Pyromancy - The art of conjuring voidial flames from the great beyond via understanding the properties of the element and bringing it into the physical realm.

On a side note, I do think GMs should be held to a higher standard and think someone should exercise the power to remove bad GMS (NOT NECESSARILY MOOT AND RAEL).  For often times there have been GMs who have shown REAL failure to carry out their duties properly and they went unnoticed or were ignored for numerous reasons.

 - A near featherless raven would return to Dain Stormcrow, convulsing up a slimy letter from within its bowels. -

To Whom it May Concern,

Though we do not write poetry within the Guild of Historians, your poise with words and weaving them together in these fine verses is very desirable amongst writers of history.  I would congratulate you for your acceptance into the venerable Guild of Historians.  Do contact me so that an interview might take place to determine your place within the Guild and conduct further testing on your knowledge of history.

Yours Truly, Most Regards, In Anticipation, Sincerely,

Senior Historian Ambros

I agree with Pandan.  Although I would love to see this implemented as the core magic system (please god), it does seem rather broad on its own.  In fact, it almost works as it's own sub-type (ie. druidism, arcanism, shamanism, etc...) seeing as it can do most of the things every other magic sub-type can do simply through different methods which is essentially what separates each sub-type from each other, the method by which the caster goes about using their magic.

-For Later Use-

What an idea! I also love the Mistborn series.

If ever we decide to redo magic altogether (that'll be the day) I would like to see this made the canon magic lore in-general. It's so straightforward and well...'simple' for the player to incorporate into role play. I see you really thought this through with the various materials and even the little rolling system you incorporated which I appreciate and I think more magic users should use.

It would also force the players to actually use rp items whilst rping the magic. Though this might be only an addition to the current magic system, I think that this works excellently as a stand alone system for magic which I would do a back flip for to make it the official magic lore. Adding things to it would also be easy, just add another material.

P.S.

There is also endless possibilities to incorporate science into this sort of magic based on the material used.

P.S.S.

I do agree that there are some kinks that need working out, but other than that it's an excellent concept.

The Historians Guild

Est. 1510

“The past is but a procession of the present”

All Glory to the Enlightened Owl

This scholarly order seeks to objectively study the history of the realm from ancient to avant-garde and the foreseeable future.  The Guild holds no allegiance other than the realm and offers their services, with a small expense, to any who require it.  By researching both archaic and modern documents, excavating ancient runes for their deepest and most esoteric mysteries, and inquiring with those who have lived through history itself, the Guild unravels the past and helps weave the future.

The Historians’ Codex

-The historian has two core tasks: the search for historical truth and its transmission through teaching and publication-

-The historian must not dismiss counter evidence without scholarly consideration-

-The historian must be even-handed in treatment of evidence and eschew picking and choosing history-

-The historian must clearly indicate any speculation-

-The historian must not mistranslate documents or mislead by omitting parts of documents-

-The historian must weigh the authenticity of all accounts, not merely those that contradict a favored view-

-The historian must take the motives of historical actors into consideration-

-The historian must look beyond ethics, moral, and law, recording history under any circumstance and in the most raw of forms-

The expansion of the above articles are learnt when inducted into the Guild

The Hierarchy

The ethical historian seeks no fame or fortune for their work, thusly, they have a fairly loose construction.  The Guild is led by a council of Senior members who deal with Guild politics, reviewing historical analysis written by members of the Guild and keeping the Guild in order.

Below the Senior members are the simple, yet crucial Historians.  They serve no other purpose than to read, research, and record.  Historians have numerous duties bestowed upon them by the Seniors.  Historians may become chroniclers, wandering the realm and recording events as they happen, keeping the Guild’s immense records up-to-date and organized, or their services may be chartered out to those who can afford it such as a kingdom or noble orders.  So common it is for Historians to focus on a certain aspect of history, such as natural, geographic, magical, political, or militaristic.

Those who are newly inducted into this prestigious order or but simple acolytes, apprentices, students, novices, etc…  They are assigned a Senior member who is to train them in the methods and practices of history keeping.  Once the Senior feels they can function independently they are given the rank of Historian.

The Knowledgeable Loremaster Anaximander

Still, there remains a most esteemed and honorary title.  That of “Loremaster”.  The appellation given to only the most adept and skilled Historians of the Guild who have become experts in their craft.  Granted, a Historian remains ever a student and can never truly master that which never ends.

Services

Chartered Chronicling

Those Historians who have the more adventurous spirit are chartered out to various kingdoms, clans, and countries to record the history of said country as it occurs.  The chronicler has no ties to the organization, they are, however, expected to be treated with the utmost hospitality.  These Historians are also tasked with studying the chartee’s history and rewriting and organizing it into a coherent document for the Guild’s use.  If a patron wishes to hire a chronicler do inquire below and proper payment shall be negotiated.

Public Access

The Guild’s expansive archives and the Historians’ combined knowledge serve as an almost endless source of historical documents, accounts, and research.  It being their duty to transmit history to the realm, the Historians allow full access to their archives for study.  History repeats itself, it is wise for one to know their past mistakes.

Cartography

Understanding the contours and geography of the realm is a vital aspect of history and its comprehension.  Thusly, the Guild provides masterful artists and map makers to bring the realm to ink and paper.  Commissioned maps of a particular piece of land are also available.  Inquire below.

An Aspiring Cartographer

“A man who does not know history is like a leaf who does not know it’s part of a tree.”

Induction into the Guild

The Guild of Historians only takes on the most dedicated, scholarly, and empirical of potential students.  Students are expected to possess a fairly advanced knowledge of ancient and modern history upon requesting entry.  Their knowledge will be tested rigorously and their writing and scripting abilities will also be tested, to make sure the potential student writes in a coherent, unbiased and detailed manner.

If one wishes to join this most venerable order it is asked that they send word to one of the Senior Members of the Guild so that their skills might be tested.  A note may also be posted below giving your name and two examples of your work as a scholar and writer. [MC name should also be posted]

Skilled cartographers are also encouraged to join our ranks.  Send one of the Senior members of this illustrious order at least two examples of your work. Or, once again, post a note below in a similar fashion to that which is stated above.

-A letter is sent to all accepted aspiring mages-

To Aspiring Mages and Novices,

If you novitiates of the arcane sciences seek apprenticeship under one of our more adept and masterful instructors and teachers, contact me so that we might assign a suitable master in the particular school of magic you wish to delve into.

Yours Truly, Most Regards, Sincerely, In Anticipation, Love,

Scholarch Ambros 

I would like to point out that I am not trying to be modest. I'm being sarcastic.

The Sup-Par Guide to Role Playing

By: Sagwort

Forward

Before I begin I would like to point out that I do not consider myself the best role player, nor an above average one.  This guide is simply a product of me browsing the inter-webs using my computer processor.  I came across some blogs about writing, namely novels.  I have often compared role playing to writing a novel and thought: “Huh, I wonder what this is  all about.”  So an hour later I have fifteen different tabs open and I haven’t blinked in at least thirty minutes and I’ve been holding in a **** that could feed half of central Africa.  Reading further you will find what I have managed to scavenge from the thing they call “The Writing Community” and how I think it applies to role playing.

You probably won't have the patience to read through have of it, so pick and choose what you want to learn more about.

Character Creation

Perhaps the most amusing part of role playing is preparing for it.  Creating your fresh new dark elf that you’re going to cyber with over Skype.  What terrible disease will they be inflicted with?  What color is one eye going to be and the other not?  How heavenly attractive should they be?  These are the questions that go through some of our heads as we start meandering through DeviantArt for concept pictures of our hunky hot elf sex god.

I’ll say this now, this is perhaps the most crucial part of role playing.  The character you decide to create will set a tone for the rest of your role playing experience.  Read this section with the utmost of sincerity.

Character Profile

This ‘profile’ that we often create with of our characters (mostly thanks to the application system) is the pitfall for all good characters.  Now I’m not saying character profiles are the anti-christ, they are good for outlining concepts for a character.  Your character at ‘first glance’, if you will.  However, what makes a truly spectacular character is one that you get to know...intimately.

 Take your character out on a steamy date, meet them in a coffee shop, arrange an

accommodation to grab a pint with them on a Friday night.  There is a HUGE difference between ‘knowing’ your character and ‘understanding’ your character.

'Knowing' a character is what everyone else sees, what they look like, how old they are, their backstory, their favorite food, etc...   ‘Knowing’ a character is the aspect we reach when someone gives you a 100 question long profile for your character.  I say, THROW IT OUT, THROW IT OUT NOW.  No one cares about your character’s favorite color, no one cares about what they have in their left pocket.  What people care about is how your character is going to interact with theirs.  This is when ‘Understanding’ your character comes into play.

To the tune of ‘Understanding’ and with the aid of a writer’s blog, I have come to the conclusion that there are Seven Pillars to a strong character: Fear, Secret, Flaw, Quirk, Desire, Strength, and Inner Conflict.  Now I am sure you have immediately misinterpreted what many of those words mean so allow me to elaborate.

The Fear

"Fear is multi-dimensional." – Art Markman

Fear is one of the driving forces for anybody.  You fear losing your job so you work hard, you fear getting a divorce so you love your spouse, you fear the man with a chainsaw so you run.  Fear is a powerful thing.

 

It should be noted that when I say ‘fear’ I do not mean the superficial thing you fill out on one of those tacky little character profile things.  I’m talking about the primordial fear, the stuff that made cavemen live in caves, the stuff that makes us have night lights, and check under the bed.  This is not simply ‘arachnophobia’.  Even fears as specific as that have primal roots.  A good technique is to ask yourself ‘Why’ until you get to the ‘Root Fear’.

 

Using arachnophobia as an example:  Why do you fear spiders?  Because they might bite me.  Why are you afraid they might bite you?  Because they might kill me.  Why are you afraid of them killing you?  Because I don’t want to die.

 

There you go, your character doesn’t fear spiders (even though they might).  They fear ‘death’.  This Root Fear does not have to be obvious, you're character does not have to wear it on their forehead for the world to see.  Though it should influence how your character makes decisions.  Also, why does your character have this fear?  Did their parents never love each other so your character avoids commitment?  Maybe they were beaten as a child so are always trying to please those around them to avoid disappointment and punishment.

 

Here is a short list of some Root Fears:

 

Death

Mutilation/Pain

Loss of Autonomy/Control

Isolation

Embarrassment

Rejection

Failure

Criticism

Insignificance/Lack of Value

Success

Poverty/Scarcity

Hurting Others

The Unknown

Competition

Controversy

Ill Health/Old Age

Loss of Status

Loss of Identity (fracturing of the self-concept)

 

These fears branch of into more specific fears, but at the root your character is deathly afraid of ONE OF THESE.  And I say one of these because it is tempting to grab a handful and slap them onto your character.  The issue with that is that many of these fears are still connected, even at the roots.  Someone might fear old age due to death or they might fear old age due to a loss of status and rejection.  One fear can sum up your entire character, choose wisely.

 

Now the most important question: How does your character react to fear?  It's much more complex than just fight or flight.  They could freeze up, they could break down, they could reason.  Any number of possibilities exist as to how they act when they must face their fear.  Here is another list (I love lists) of how your character might react to fear:

 

Denial

Regression

Acting Out

Disassociation

Compartmentalization

Projection

Reaction Formation

Repression

Displacement

Intellectualization

Rationalization

Undoing

Sublimation

Compensation

Assertiveness

 

Also, what does your character think of their fear?  Do they see it as weakness and hate themselves for it?  Do they see it as a simple fact of life?  Or perhaps they hide it for whatever reason.

 

One final point:  Apply, apply, apply.  Knowing your character's deepest, darkest fear will do you no good if you don't apply it to how your character acts in day to day role playing.  Now don’t over do it and have your character running through the streets screaming bloody murder.  But have your character perhaps avoid situations which might lead to their fears, and if they end up encountering their fear, make them suffer for it.

The Secret

“Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”

– Mark Twain

This is a Pillar I feared you would misinterpret.  When I say secret I do not necessarily mean: “She was raped as a child and doesn’t want anyone to know.”  Granted, this could very well be your character's secret.  It could also be: “I collect toe nail clippings in a jar beneath my bed.”  The reason for a secret is not to make your character edgy and ‘misunderstood’ it is to add drama.  Give other people a reason to get to know your character.  Give them something to find out, a mystery that will make roleplaying with you intriguing.

 

A secret does not have to be physical either, it could be entirely abstract and emotional.  Perhaps your hardened dwarf warrior doesn’t want anyone to know that he is really a sappy guy.  Maybe your human nobel doesn’t want people to know that he drinks with peasants on the weekends.  Maybe...maybe they are keeping a secret for someone else.  Secrets do not have to be ‘dark’ and ‘mysterious’, granted, come up with something more interesting than: “My elf shits his pants.”

 

Now there are two aspects to a secret we need to understand: why they are keeping the secret, and how they came about obtaining that secret.  First, there needs to be a reason they are keeping their secret a secret.  Maybe your character is keeping a trade-secret and doesn’t tell anyone to keep their business afloat.  Perhaps telling anyone would bring great shame to their family and result in a loss of status.  Maybe its nothing more than a result of embarrassment.  What if its a combination of all three!  How interesting!  Depending on the secret your character might have varying degrees of intensity on how far they will go to keep their secret secretive.  The “I eat my boogers” secret may not be so dire as the Krabby Patty Formula.

 

Finally, how did your character come about acquiring their secret?  Usually this is a result of backstory (which is not as important as you might think, we’ll cover that later) or in-game events, even better.  Whatever it is, there needs to be a reason as to why it is.  Your character does not enjoy eye-ball licking sex just because, there needs to be a reason for it.

 

Remember, apply it to role play!  Perhaps when someone mentions the word ‘melons’ your character starts to sweat a little.  Maybe they blink, rub their hands together, or start trying to change the subject.  Or your character might be a total badass and not react to anything!  (We’ll cover body language later)

 

Here are some links to get you thinking:

http://www.springhole.net/writing_roleplaying_randomators/character-secret.htm

http://thoughtcatalog.com/rachel-hodin/2013/09/38-of-the-most-shocking-wtf-secrets-from-38-strangers-on-the-internet/

The Flaw

“Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.” – W. Somerset Maugham

A flaw is the sort of mistakes your character makes, the kind of thing that makes other people cringe or even hate your character.  It is also through flaws that we most identify with our characters.  We all like to imagine a perfect character with not a single defining flaw.  Phooey to it!  Now be warned, many of us are also guilty of creating characters with so many flaws that they might as well be a vegetable.  Flaws do not make or break your character, but they do define them.  It is through flaws that your character makes mistakes, thus creating conflict.  And as we all know, conflict is what makes role playing fun, but that is for later.

 

Again, when I say flaw I do not mean: “They have a pimple on their forehead” or “They like clams a little too much.”  When I say flaw I mean flaw in a broad sense.  Is your character envious, are they greedy, lustful (hint: seven deadly sins make excellent flaws (hinthint: so do the four humors)).  Perhaps they’re all talk and no walk, self-deprecating, self-destroying, stubborn, etc...etc…  An interesting idea to play with is a Polar Flaw.  A Polar Flaw is a good trait or virtue that has been used to excess.  For instance:

 

“I’m only trying to help!”

 

“I’m only being honest!”

 

 

Maybe they are kind to the point of smothering.  You know, the whole hug a rabbit until it suffocates and dies situation.

 

Now comes the hard part, putting a flaw into effect.  Allow your character to make mistakes.  Don’t get this confused with ‘don’t god-mod’.  Your character could very well be a god, but allow their flaws to trip them up.  Make them choose the wrong path, trip over their own ignorance, become engulfed by their own lust for power.  This is not only interesting for other people to witness and rp with, but also to rp.  Sometimes its even difficult or uncomfortable to rp because you just a manly man.

 

“The bigger the flaw, the sweeter the victory.” – Kristen Lamb

 

How aware is your character of their flaw?  Well, it’s easy to say they are, but what if they’re not?  There are various reasons as to why one might not be aware of their own shortcomings.  Here’s a list from one of those hipster writing blogs:

 

Anchoring – focusing on only one of a number of pertinent pieces of information

Bias Blind Spot – not believing they are biased

Choice-Supportive Bias – believing past choices were better than they were

Confirmation Bias – supporting preconceptions by focusing on information that fits

Empathy Gap – not realizing how much something will affect someone

Moral Credential Effect – feeling justified in a few wrongs because of a good track record

Normalcy Bias – the denial of unusual events, causing a lack of preparation or reaction

Omission Bias – seeing harmful acts as worse than equally harmful omissions

Restraint Bias – underestimating temptation

Semmelweis Reflex – rejecting new evidence because it doesn’t “fit” with what is “known”

 

Final note, as with the secrets and fear: why does your character have this flaw?  What caused them to be this way?  Maybe it’s just in their racial credentials (greedy dwarf, ignorant elf) but those are usually cliche and uninteresting.  Maybe your dwarf is an attention seeker because they were ignored as a child because their parents were always in the mines.  Whatever!  Get creative.  We’ll go more in-depth in the backstory section.

The Quirk

“A quirk should never exist JUST to make the character memorable or look pretty.” – MJ Bush

This is a fun little section that most people glaze over.  Quirks may seem pointless at first glance, or even over indulgent in the whole character profiling thing.  Quirks are a crucial part to characterization.  A quirk, by definition, is a peculiarity.  Usually something unusual or deviant in one’s behavior or appearance (No, your elf with trimmed ears and a height of 5ft does not count, granted, it might have at one point but it is so common now that it is hardly unusual).

 

A quirk should do at least one of the following:

 

Symbolize another aspect

Ground the backstory in the present

Reinforce one side of a personality contradiction to make it more believable

Represent a whole contradiction

Symbolize half of an inner conflict before that half is revealed

Push the plot with unintended consequences, including reactions from other characters

Push the plot with the continuance of a habit in a stressful situation (quite realistic)

 

When I say symbolize, I mean just what you think: symbolize something. (That sentence was redundant…)  Perhaps your character fears missing out on life, their quirk might be that they have difficulty blinking. (A symbol of how they don’t want to miss a second of life, you know, the sort of stuff you learned in english class).  

 

A backstory quirk may be a limp or an eyepatch due to fighting a massive white bellied whale named Moby ****.  

 

Contradicting quirks are just that, they are meant to contradict something in your character.  Maybe you have a massive buff orc who has tiny hands, or a high pitched voice.  You’ll understand the inner conflict when we get to that section.

The Desire

“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” – Kurt Vonnegut

This is perhaps the most important aspect of a character.  Your character is motivated by fear and desire.  That’s it.  There is literally no other way to motivate someone.  Most often they work together.  It is fear and desire which makes Frodo stand up and continue scaling Mt. Doom.  It is fear and desire that makes you wake up in the morning...if you really think about it.  Maybe you fear the back of your parents hand, or you desire perfect attendance at school (nerd…).  Desire is the positive motivator.   It is the force which makes us work towards something instead of running away.

 

Your character’s desire needs to be a powerful life-altering desire.  The very thing that makes your character tick.  Even if your character is a simple minded farmer they have desires.  They desire to bring in a good harvest, to feed their family, to have success.  To be the best damn farmer this side of the King’s Road.  Even dark, depressed, suicidal characters have desire.  Maybe they desire to be loved, to be noticed, to have an intimate relationship, or even death.

 

According to writer blogs there are two types of desire:

 

Surface Desire: What your character wants physically such as marry a particular woman, become king of a particular nation, etc...etc…  A sort of desire of the moment.

Root Desire: This is the desire which caused the surface desire to occur.  Much like the Root Fear, the Root Desire is the primordial ‘unf’ that defines your character.  Simple, broad words are often root desires. (Love, power, etc…)

 

There is also something known as Conflicting Desire.  This is a desire which gets in the way of another.  For instance, your character really wants to marry the princess of elves.  However, your character also wants to become king of Oren for the obvious power there.  The twist being that the princess of elves hates Oren and won’t marry unless you promise not to become king.  There is inner conflict here (read inner conflict section) thus we have tension and suspense and what we call interesting role play.  Your character could get into arguments with his elf princess girlfriend, or perhaps try to live a double life of corrupt Oren politics and sensitive elven love.

 

That being said, your character can have more than one desire.  It is often advised so that if your character accomplishes one desire they can go for the next.  Notice, however, that if you choose a good Root Desire they will never be able to reach their goal.  Their lust for power is always driving them, their need for love is never quenched.

 

Also, as I have already stated, there needs to be a reason as to why your character has this desire.  Is it vengeance?  Or something else?

The Strength

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzeneger

A strength is the counter characterization for a character’s flaw.  Granted, they shouldn’t cancel each other out.  “Lol, my character is really greedy, but he is super charitable.”  Cardinal virtues, much like deadly sins, make excellent strengths.  Personally, I think your character should have at least two strengths: an emotional and physical strength.  Perhaps they are kind and caring, and an excellent lute player.

 

This is when the debate of god-modding comes into play.  I trust everyone here enough that they won’t pick a strength that is going to make their character overwhelmingly powerful.  Cheers!

 

Despite that, one can have more than one strength.  They can be nobel, charitable, kind, sympathetic, yada yada yada. (Perhaps, though, they have a dark and terrible secret…).

 

Here is ANOTHER list of possible emotional strengths:

 

Charity

Chastity

Kindness

Diligence

Humility

Patience

Temperance

Ambition

Determination

Honesty

Honor

Love

Loyalty

Passion

Boldness

Patience

Resourcefulness

Responsibility

Active-citizenship

Selflessness

Valor

Humanity

Justice

Transcendence

Wisdom

Creativity

Curiosity

Open-mindedness

Love of learning

Fairness

Leadership

Self-control

Forgiveness/mercy

Prudence

Gratitude

Appreciation of beauty/excellence

Hope

Humor and playfulness

Spirituality/sense of purpose and coherence

Fortitude

Self-respect

A strength could also double as a moral principle or belief.  Perhaps your character believes in honor, as a result they might be very courageous and noble.  Maybe they’re a scholar, so could be open-minded and wise.

The Inner Conflict

“There are always two forces warring against each other within us.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

This is what makes your character interesting.  This is what creates situations to role play in (and not just walk around until you find role play).  Essentially, the best way to produce inner conflict is to take two of the above characterization pillars and put them against each other, or even themselves (Such as the Oren King, elven Princess example).

 

Does your character fear dying alone?  However, their flaw is extreme shyness?  That is inner strife and turmoil.  Perhaps your character desires power, but fears pain and war.  For obvious reasons, power is difficult to obtain without one of those things.

 

Inner conflict is not a characteristic so much as a tool for producing instances in which to role play in.  Too often do I see people (me included) walking around aimlessly until they come across a large group of role players.  They are ‘looking’ for RP.  Screw that.  They’re RP sucks anyways.  Make your own role play.  The best way to do this is by using inner conflict to spark something. 

Backstory

Perhaps the most unnecessary part of character creation.  If there was one thing you wanted to skip, skip this section.  The ONLY thing that backstory should really be used for is for explaining why one of the above characterization pillars are the way they are.  Everything else in a backstory is just fluff.  Was your dog killed by Undead?  Sure, now how does that define who your character is?  Does your character desire power because they lived in squalor and poverty?

Physical Description

UGGGG.  Another pointless part of character creation.  The only ‘important’ physical description is the character’s quark, and that is not even always physical.  No one cares if your character has rock hard abs (unless you’re cybering) or if they’re left eye is green and their right is blue (not a viable quark).  If you do insist on explaining how tall your character is, do it in rp.  For instance:

[!] Nick bites his lower lip in pleasure as Cassandra runs her hands down the various contours and crevices of his sculpted abdominals. (Wow, I should go into erotic novella)

 

[!] Leya looks her in the eyes, one eye seeming to hide in a deep sea of blue while the other glares with vibrant green hues.

 

[!] Dave looks down upon Phil, his shadow casting long dim figures across the dwarf.

 

 

You do not need to put, in your description, “Dave is 6’2’’ and has brown hair.”  *****, DO YOU THINK I’M BLIND. I SEE HE HAS BROWN HAIR BECAUSE THE HAIR ON YOUR ******* SKIN IS BROWN!!@!!
 

Your skin does a great deal of physical description you don’t have to do.  In fact, take advantage of the physical entities on your skin.  Describe how your character scratches his stubble, or runs long fingers through dirty blonde hair.

Remember, show, don’t tell.

Character Consistency

The only way the above characteristics will do any good is if you stay consistent with them.  Don’t change your character’s fear just because it suits the situation.  Don’t make them care (or not care) about things they wouldn’t otherwise care about.  This is why ‘understanding’ your character is so important.  Get to know them on a personal level.  

Don’t let role play dictate your character.  Your character should be dictating role play.  They should be making the decisions, the mistakes, the choices, that will progress role play.  And all of these things should be done in accordance to how YOUR CHARACTER  would react, not yourself.  So often we react to things in role play because that is how we personally want to react.  Well, think of you and your character as separate entities.  Even if you don’t agree with what your character’s judgements, go on with it.  Step outside your comfort zone.

One point I would like to address, I know that many people on this server are role playing because it is a subconscious release from their real life (Even if they don’t realize it).  I will not go into details as to why people might consider role play a release from their otherwise unappealing lives but don’t let that hold you back.  People who view role play as just a second life are role playing not as what their character might do but how they want to be perceived by others.  I beg you to avoid this, sure you might be deep with emotions and personal strife, but those are your emotions.  You are playing with pixels, they mean nothing.  Getting attached to your characters for such hysterical reasons can only lead to poor role playing.

Character Development

This basically contradicts everything I just said but bare with me.  You might have heard that good books and movies have character development.  For example: Lord of the Rings (Frodo and Sam), Harry Potter, Star Wars.  All of these classics have characters which are almost entirely different people from where they started.  Luke Skywalker was an enthusiastic young padawan and turned into a vengeful, angry cyborg.  This didn’t come to pass over night.  It occurred over time, things happened to his character which changed him (some for the better, others for the worse).  He was taken from his family on that desert planet...I don’t even know the name, his mother was killed by those ISIS space men.  His anger slowly consumed him and he even killed the woman he loved, and betrayed his master.

Now we grow quite attached to our character’s personas when we start, but things change, and change is good.  Allow your character to not only react to events but also change with them.  By this, I don’t simply mean: “Wife is killed by Undead, he hates Undead now.”  No, it should be deep and impassioned.  His wife dies due to the Undead and he has lost faith in the Creator.  He goes into alcoholism, whatever.  Even subtle things like how he might look upon children with great affection because they never had children.  The seven Pillars can change.  In fact, this is the best way to go about producing character development.  Change one of the Pillars as a result of some in-game event and see how it ripples across everything else.

Scene Synthesis

When I refer to a ‘scene’ I’m talking about a small blip of role play your character participates in.  For instance: your character walks into a tavern and starts talking to the bar tender.  Now how do we make these scenes more interesting.  I’m sure you all like casual conversations about the weather but I tend to nod off as soon as someone comes to me with role play that redundant.

A scene needs to have two elements: goal and conflict.  A goal can be as simple as ordering a pint from the bartender or complex as slaying an Undead Mage.  Conflict is what makes the scene come to life.  Conflict can be defined as stakes.  What will happen if my character does not achieve this goal?  In return, it will make the goal something your character wishes to strive for.  What could happen that your character never gets his pint?  What would happen if he does not kill the mage?

Now you’re probably thinking: “**** off Sagwort, I’m not going to make every single instance of role play an action drama film.”  Well, chances are, you are doing it without realizing.  You walk into Petrus and overhear a group of men talking about a rebellion.  Interested, you join.  The goal: learn about the rebellion.  The stakes: never hear about the rebellion.  It can be as simple as that.  But a scene should never be: “Hey...weather is nice...bye.”  Unless, of course, your character has a reason for doing so.  Maybe they’re woefully awkward and just looking to make friends.  Maybe they’re bored.  Moral of the story, don’t just do things to do things.  Give your character a reason for doing it.  That will make role play seem more meaningful, and chances are, it’ll last longer too.

Emotes

If you read no other section, I BEG you to read this section.  

Emotes are a thing some people use too much of, and others use too little.  A good rule of thumb is: “Will the emote affect the other person in any way?”  If not, don’t emote it.  Don’t add pointless fluff just to seem like a ‘good role player’.  A good role player gets their point across in an efficient way.  Similarly, I have seen people use too little emotes such as:

[!]Paul pours Jim some beer and hands it to him.

 

 

No.  That is boring, monotone, not interesting to read.  When you do emote, and it is being emoted for a reason make it interesting to read.  However, don’t go over the top.  Don’t give me five emotes of how Paul pours Jim a pint.  I got places to be.

[!]Paul carefully selects a half clean mug from the cabinet and slowly walks over to the keg where he happily pours a pint of splendid ale.

 

 

That is disgusting, a good length, but disgusting.  You may think, “Oh that's good RP, did you see all those details?”.  Well, it is ‘good’ RP but not fantastic.  First, cut out the adverbs.  We don’t need them, instead use strong active verbs.  Instead of ‘slowly walks’ use a verb like ‘dawdles’ which means the same thing as ‘slowly walks’.  Cutting out unnecessary adverbs we now have:

[!] Paul culls a half clean mug from the cabinet and dawdles over to the keg where he taps a pint of splendid ale.

 

 

Much more interesting to read.  In my opinion, a better emote would be something along the lines of:

 

[!] Paul designates a hazy mug, scuffling over to the keg where he siphons out a cup of ale.

 

Now I know sometimes adverbs just need to be used to get a point across.  All I ask is that you think before you say “Quickly Runs” and instead say “Sprints” or “Races”.

Also note that not every noun needs to have an adjective tied to it.  Not every sword needs to be sharp, not every cloak needs to be ragged.  Granted, if the defining feature of the cloak is that it is ragged, point it out.  Otherwise adjectives can make a sentence seem overly choppy.

[!] Tim brings his round mug with the pale ale to his dry lips.

 

I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster when I read that, up and down, up and down.  Think to yourself, what is unnecessary?  Can we agree that most ale is pale?  And that most mugs are round?  Unless there is a defining characteristic to the noun that requires an adjective, such as being a cube, don’t use it.  Also, if someone has already described an object with emotes, you don’t need to redescribe it.  If the bartender already noted that the mug of ale was a cube, you don’t need to restate that in your emote.

 On the flip side, we might want to know that Tim’s lips are dry because it shows that he has probably not had anything to drink for a while.

[!] The bartender slides an oddly cube shaped mug over to Tim.

[!] Tim brings the mug of ale to his dry lips.

 

It could use some work, but overall, it’s a smoother read.  Less ‘hilly’.

Finally, show, don’t tell.  If your character is sad don't emote:

[!] Loshanda looks sad.

 

Describe it, how does she look when she’s sad?

[!] Letting out a groan, Loshanda buries her face into her hands.

 

We can insinuate that Loshanda is sad because of the way she acts.  Not just because you said ‘my homegirl looks sad.’  Also note that I switched up the sentence structure.  I didn’t just say:

[!] Loshanda buries her face into her hands as she lets out a groan.

 

Doing emotes like this over and over again becomes choppy, and monotonous.

[!] Bill washes his hair and cleans his ears.

 

[!] Bill goes into the kitchen and cooks himself some sausage.

 

Mix it up ya’ll.

[!] Cleaning his hair and ears, Bill cooks himself some sausage after walking into the kitchen.

 

Not only did we condense two emotes into one, we also created a slightly smoother and more interesting read.

Side note: PLEASE don’t emote what your character is feeling or thinking.  Don’t do emotes like:

[!] John thinks to himself that everyone is really bad at rping.

 

[!] Lisa concentrates as she connects with the void, imagining a water ball.

 

[!] Laquifa remembers her dead son.

 

NO, NO, NO.  All of these things can be fixed by the show, don’t tell.  Other characters cannot read minds, so don’t encourage them to by doing this.  SHOW how Lisa concentrates, maybe her eyebrow creases or her palms begin to sweat.  SHOW how Laquifa remembers her dead son.  Perhaps her eyes go to the sky, a hand over her bosom.

Dialogue

Phew...emotes were a big thing.  Dialogue...not so much.  Some major points to hit are that your character should have a voice.  They should not talk passively, imagine how your character would talk and apply it to typing.  Now I realize this is quite difficult, but emotes can help with that.

[!] With a voice like melting butter, the handsome bard sings a song, “La la la”

 

Also realize that your High Elf is not going to talk the same as your dwarf.  Accents are a major part of Lord of the Craft races, utilize them.  I see some humans do excellent jobs at this with their medieval slang and what not.  Even more specific, a farmer will not talk the same as nobles.

Even within accents, all characters should have a voice.  This is difficult to develop.  Even though Gandalf and Legolas don’t have any noticeable difference in accent they talk VERY differently.  Gandalf is very casual, upfront and straightforward.  Legolas is more poetic, sophisticated sounding.  The rules about emotes do not apply to dialogue.  Dialogue belongs to your character and should suit however your character should sound.

Would they use words like ‘adore’ or ‘really like’.  Would they say ‘Yes sir’ or ‘Of course’.  This is something that comes with practice and the more you role play with your character the more you come to find their voice.  This is one of the main things I think separates good role players from excellent role players.  Their ability to adopt a voice specific to their character, and change at a moments notice.

Body Language

This sort of goes under Emotes but meh.  It’s a major thing.  Body language is the best way to convey emotion and personality through emotes.  Is your character effeminate and reserved?  Perhaps they cross their legs when they sit.  Is your character rebellious and dark?  Maybe they lean against walls with their head down.  Maybe your character is feeling a little nervous so they start fidgeting, rubbing their arm.

Blah!  I am no psychologist, here is a reference sheet for body language I find very useful.

http://writerswrite.co.za/body-language-reference-sheet

Finding Role Play

Oop, here we go.  The biggest problem with role players, not matter how good is that “There is no rp”.  Well you should just go kill yourself.  You know why you can’t find rp?  Because your looking for it!

To role play you have to create your own.  Remember what I said about conflict and goals?  Of course you don’t…

Any-hoo, there is no such thing as ‘finding’ role play.  There is only creating role play.  A sub-par role player looks.  A great role player creates.  Now I’m not talking about getting on the event team and having a dragon attack the most populated city.  It can even be subtle.

Engage people.  Talk to other people, emote and see if any one reacts.  Give your character a goal and conflict and see to it that they carry out those goals.

One thing I noticed recently are the fools who walk up to you, shift click, and run away.  Well you know what, **** THEM.  If they want to know if your character is attractive enough to cyber with, have them work for it.  Ask them why they are bowing, engage with them.

That is the key word, engage.  Don’t be passive and let roleplay just go by.  Create it.

The time for the party is now!

Bring your shindigyness.

Notice

The date has been corrected as Saturday, is in fact, on the 13th.  Damn sun flower.

That being said, we will now reveal the location and time of the Sorcerers' Shindig

---

[[saturday,  13 September 2014]]

[[x: 1000 z: 1400]]

[[1:00 am CST, 11:00 am PST, 7:00 pm GMT]]

---

-The Wizards' Guild-

-In the middle of whatever manner of business you were attending to at the exact moment, you feel a slight tingling in the back of your throat as if you had a terrible case of acid reflex.  As time passes, as time is warranted to do, the tingling turns into a tickle, you feel a cough coming on.  As expected, the cough does come, it comes all over your throat and out your mouth and produces a most terrible of hacking noises.  Upon exactly the seventh hack a wadded up, slimy piece of parchment is evoked from the depths of your esophagus..-

---

The Sorcerers’ Shindig

It is once again that time of year when Wizards do exactly the same thing they do every day, party.  The Sorcerer’s Shindig is our (some amount of time)-ual party which we host at our immediate place of residence, that being, The Institute.  It is a few elven months off of last year, mostly because our sunflower time piece cannot keep proper track of the dates.

Regardless!  The festivities will commence upon the date therein stated:

[[saturday,  13 September 2014]]

No sooner and no later.  Not upon the 11th nor upon the 13th, but preciously upon the date therein stated.

There will be recreational drugs, busty baes, Wizard Foam, deep acoustic wave driven music of a highly intoxicating sort that one might raise their fist up in down and/or jump up and then down in accordance to the laws of gravity, etc… and such, and things, so on so forth, yada yada, yes.

All are invited, except those who are not.

There is no dress code, though we advise you bring all your shindiggyness to the festivities.

[[x- 1000 z-1400]]

[[1:00 am CST, 11:00 am PST, 7:00 pm GMT]]

-The Wizards’ Guild-

Notice

A reminder to all Wizard Guild employees: we have established our base of operations in the southern most portions of Athera in a location we cannot reveal.

We expect full attendance at various Guild functions from here forth.  If you do not know the location of The Institute, then we advise you go into the study of astrological navigation as we are located in the longitude of Pisces and under the node of Gemini.

-Chair Wizard Ambros-

​PS: The Spider Goat Initiative Program is now in full effect. 
 

Notice

A reminder to all employees.  Upon our arrival to this new land we will immediately begin our Spider Goat Initiative program, where we will breed a species of goats which produce spider silk fibers in their milk.

 Destruction of an entire continent is not an excuse to stop getting results.  We expect your full attendance upon our arrival.

"Have a Great day today, and a better day tomorrow"

-Chair Wizard Ambros-

Ser Paul Ryan immediately sends his messenger eagle, seeking entrance 

 

 

 

A beautifully inscribed haiku lies below:

 

 

Oh, sweet liberty

You mean everything to me

Paul Ryan is cool

-An ornate teacup shoots from a nearby shrub, cracking to display a sumptuous note within-

------~=+O+=~------

Paul Ryan is not 'cool'

Paul Ryan is not at all 'cool'

Paul Ryan will never be 'cool'

-The Gentlemen's Society-

------~=+O+=~------

Est. 1475

gen·tle·man [jen-tl-muh n, pl -men]

a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man: He behaved like a true gentleman.

------~=+O+=~------

The Gentlemen’s Society is an order of extraordinary and exquisite men of a higher standard in living.  Together, we learned Sirs hope to educate and explore the more affluent contours of philosophy and disciplines.

------~=+O+=~------

The Gentleman’s Code

1. The Gentleman means what he says and says what he means

2. The Gentleman shall observe scholarly, and judge indifferently

3. The Gentleman is always presentable

4. The Gentleman does not utter foul language, it shows no class

5. The Gentleman’s preferred form of combat is bare knuckle boxing

6. The Gentleman’s facial hair is habitual, scriptural, and beneficial

7. The Gentleman is well versed in the philosophical, inebriant, belvederes, muliebrous, and vestments

8. The Gentleman is punctual

9. The Gentleman has jurisdiction over his fervor

10. The Gentleman takes great honor in his hat

------~=+O+=~------

“The world is full of boys, be a man”

------~=+O+=~------

The Chevalier Gazette

“Look Sharp, Live Smart”

For the literate patrician, the Gentlemen’s Society offers The Chevalier Gazette: a contemporary and illuminating commentary on the most current and alluring occurrences of the realm.  It also includes guidance upon vestments, euphoria, and living a more illustrious and ethical lifestyle.

Members will receive a complimentary subscription, though those who are not so fortunate may compensate with a 20.00 mina payment per Gazette.  Inform our Vice-Chairman if you wish for an accession.

------~=+O+=~------

Aquantincing

The Society is decidedly selective in who they admit into the circle of Gentlemen.  Several rigorous trials must first be concluded before the initiation process may take place.

To those who adhere to the Society, we invite you to compose a poem and install it below.  If the poem meets a most poignant and passionate of precedents, an invitations will be sent to those the Society believes to meet the communal definitive of our doctrine.

The Board

------~=+O+=~------

- Chairman Ambros -

- Vice-Chairman Jingeh Claw -

- Beverage Dissemination Officer Wikz Claw -

- Somatic Cajolery Consultant Draen Aris -

Affiliates

------~=+O+=~------

-Xavier de Sola-

-Nathaniel Wilde-

------~=+O+=~------

“Swagger is for boys, class is for men.”

-From the desk of Ambros-

[Note that this is not lore, simply a theory that has been synthesized by the slightly addled mind of my character]

Forward

Common knowledge now suggests that what we call “magic” are these near miracle feats conducted by those willing to take the time and resources to perform such.  Such magic ranges from the ritualistic and spiritual views of the shaman to the naturalist and aspectual practices of the druids.  What lay on the other end of our occultist spectrum is Arcane.

 

Most recently, within the past thousand or so years, studies conducted by modern day scholars came to conclude that Arcane magic came from a spectral realm we call the “void”.  To our knowledge, physical beings cannot exist within the void as the void is both conceptual and mental in existence.  Rather, our minds exist within the void and the void exists within our minds, as above, so below.  This is magic.

 

This outrageous concept of a realm which is, in all terms, conceptual.  As a scholar and philosopher of modern perceptions and abstractions, I do not want to be caught studying “magic”.  Any intellectual should seek a more enlightening art.  Thus, I have come to study what I believe to be the true science of what we call “magic”.

 

Most of us consider this transfiguration.  An archaic term to describe the art of making something appear as another.  Instead, we shall call this transmutation.  This is, of course, an alchemical term though it seems to describe the same process we are performing.

 

In this treatise we will be exploring the more plausible and scientific doctrines of how Arcane Sciences may truly be taking effect.

 

The Prima Materia

Those less educated call the “life force” mana.  It is the theoretical, unseeable substance which flows through all living things.  This is outrageous.  Living things are not connected by some veiled energy.  We perform on a basis of highly developed motor skills, muscles and organs.  Any capable physician would know this.

 

What is it then, that magic is fueled upon?  Our Arcane Science needs some sort of vestige to begin the process of reacting.  This, my fellow scholars, is the Prima Materia.  The First Matter.

 

If we are to break down anything, all forms of matter and physical entities, we would come down to the most pure of substances.  The basic unit of existence.  The quintessence of “being”.  All things are made of the Prima Materia and the Prima Materia can make all things.

 

By manipulating the Prima Materia we can alter the appearance of something to whatever we choose.  All we must do is break down an object into its most basic essence, and then reconstruct.

 

The Prima Materia is eternal as it cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.  The Prima Materia remains as it existed before the concepts of time and space came to man.  Due to this, nothing is destroyed, or created.  It is simply recycled back into Prima Materia to turn into another. 

 

 

In theory, then, magic is quite simple.  We must simply break down an object into its primordial state and then reconstruct it.  Unfortunately, how is it that we should go about transforming the Prima Materia?  The Prima Materia exists as everything and one thing, it does not make up the identity of an object.  It simply makes the object exist.  So, we must further delve into the second layer of matter to discover how the art of transmutation takes place.

 

The Tria Prima

Thus far, we know that everything is constructed with Prima Materia, the most basic form of existence.  There is, however, three pieces left of the riddle.  The Spirit, the Body, and the Oil.  This is the triumvent of identity.  Together they make the difference between a flower and a rock, a speck of dust and an Uruk.

 

The Body

This is the raw essence of what makes things physical.  It is the vessel in which the Oil and Spirit exist within.  In theory, everything has the same Body, or Salt, and so once the Spirit and Oils are extracted from an object, it exists simply as the Body and would be unidentifiable from something elses Body.

 

The Oil

This is a masculine influence on an object.  The Oil gives an object its active properties.  It is what makes food flammable, and and ice melt in heat.  Essentially, it gives an object its properties as to how it will react to other forces.

 

The Spirit

The feminine influence upon an object, it is passive and hidden.  It essentially gives an object its identity.  It is what makes a human a human and a rock a rock.

 

Now that we have the three energies which give an object it identity, we can now look into the process of transmutation.

 

Transmutation

All Arcane Sciences we know in existence can be traced back to the act of turning one object into another.  Matter cannot be created or destroyed, thus, we can only transform it.

 

When we summon a spark, we are simply transforming the air around us into a volatile substance.  When we freeze the water beneath our feet, we are rearranging the Body so that the water changes states.

 

The first step is the act of separation.  We must take the object we wish to transform and elucidate the three energies, the Body, the Oil, and the Spirit.  We must cast away the impure substances so that we have what is pure.

 

Then, we must refine the three energies.  This takes the most effort and energy.  We must filter the energies so that they are as unadulterated as possible.  Masters will be able to produce the most pure of energies.  Novitiates will not be so adept.  The less refined the energies, the more less drastic the changes we can produce.  The water may become a slush as we try and freeze it, the fire may only be a spark.

 

Finally, comes the act of reintroducing the energies together so that we may produce something else.  Note that according to the Law of Sympathy, objects which are more like the object you wish to synthesis are more effective and easier to transmute.  

 

From a surface viewing, it appears that anything can be transmuted into anything.  This is the ideal situation we scholars wish to be in, however, it is not so simple.

 

Firstly, we cannot create or destroy matter so what we are transmuting must be the same mass of what we wish to synthesis.

 

Secondly, we must transmute two things in order to turn one into another.   For instance, if we do not have the Spirit of Fire and the Body of Air, we cannot hope to produce a surging storm of flames.  So, both fire and air must be transmuted.  Of course, we can rearrange the air itself so that it becomes a gust of wind, or make the fire a roaring inferno.

 

There is one last issue to address.  How is it that we, as mortals, go about performing the act of transmutation?  What energy source do we draw our power from?

 

Well, much like the old ways of Arcane “Magic”, we must do this process in our minds.  Those of strong will may imagine the object before them, separating into the three energies, then the energies becoming pure, and then reintroducing them with other energies.  In order to do this scholar must fully understand the properties of the objects they wish to transmute.  Due to this, there will be those who specialize in certain fields.  Some may research and experiment into the physical and active properties of stone and earth while others may delve into the sciences of volatile reactions.

 

The effect, of course, is much like exercising.  One sweats, they become sore, tired, and perhaps even faint as the over use of it.

 

In Conclusion

The old ways of “magic” are outdated and were due for reform.  We must not base our ideas upon things which we cannot see, but what we may understand.  This is the way of a scholar.

Through experimentation and examination may we understand the most raw forms of existence and life.

 

I've been around since Aegis...early Aegis...people...I say.

-A new piece of paper is nailed into a rock, though the rock has split in half due to a nail being in it so the paper lays atop a pile of small stones shards-

Congratulations to the following Test Subjects:

Trull Hagman

Kazotar

Hazle

Synda

Below

Danak Battlebeard

Alexander

You are to find the Wizards' Guild at our tower located in a location which can only be located by locating someone who knows the location as we will not tell the location at this current location.

-You see a pure white sheet of paper nailed into the ground...-

Are you useless?  Will no one miss you if you die?  Then the Wizards’ Guild Test Subject Program is for you!  Below you will find a series of questions for the application process to becoming a crucial part in progress, science, and industry.

Upon successfully completing your time as a Wizards’ Guild test subject you will be rewarded 1,000 minas for your contributions.

1. What is your favorite color?

a) Fuchsia

b) Sea Foam Blue

c) Champagne Pink

d) Beige

e) Teal

f) Malachite

g) Gamboge

h) Biloxi

i) Yellow-Blue-Brown

j) Tea Green

2. Are you currently in a relationship of any kind?

a) No

3. Do you require any jewelry for health reasons?

a) Yes

b) No

4. Do you suffer from any of the following disorders?

a) Arctic Hysteria

b) Aboulomania

c) Caffeine-Induced Anxiety Disorder

d) Boanthropy

e) Autophagia

f) Alien Hand Syndrome

g) Erotomania

h) Cotard Syndrome

i) Bibliomania

j) I would like to be

h) No

5. Pick the incorrect use of the word “jubilant”

a) He was jubilant

b) She was jubilant

c) I am jubilant

6. Complete the sentence,

7. Upon your eventual demise will you willingly give your organs, in the name of magic?

a) Yes

b) No

8. What is your favorite flatware

a) Soup Spoon

b) Demitasse Spoon

c) Grapefruit Spoon

d) Dessert Fork

e) Oyster Fork

9. Have you ever used a Rotavator

a) No

b) Yes

10. Do you know what a Rotavator is?

a) Yes

b) No

Congratulations, you have successfully completed the Wizards’ Guild test subject application process.  Please sign below.

Note that, in signing this, you agree that the Wizards’ Guild does not take responsibility for:

loss of vision, loss of Hearing, loss of touch, loss of smell, loss of life, development of one of the the disorders stated in question 4, loss of gender, development of a gender, loss of sexuality, development of a sexuality, loss of virginity, lack of 1,000 minas, incineration, liquefaction, or putrefaction.

Sign Here: ____________________________

Ok, first of all, bud, these rules have been on arcane magic since this whole "system of magic" was created several...many months ago.  I am not restricting, I am taking what is already there and making it a 3 step easy system that people can understand.

In fact, I left out huge chunks of other 'rules' about more specific things like illusion, and evocation, and how the void works, and how you can't physically enter the void yada yada yada YADA.  This is nothing more than a simplified version of what is already in place.