H

Ayche looks around his office beneath the Chamber of Fire for the final time.

He's done his part. It's time for him to figure out what comes next.

And now, he's got all the time in the world to do so.

I have a clarification question - Scions are limited to 6m spells. With this amendment, would a brisk step with a focus look like this?

6m base > focus doubles to 12m > subtract 4m as T3 brisk step has an 8m range. Final range is 8m.

(Basically, can a focus be used to get up to the range listed in lore, if the spell would normally have a shorter range than the one in lore?)

Ayche sits in a dark room alone, staring at nothing. Once the adrenaline has faded, and he's no longer in the midst of combat, he's left to contemplate his actions. He's left to contemplate what he was forced to do after.

"I wish there had been another way," he murmurs to nobody in particular. They're the first words he's said since before the event, and nobody is around to hear them.

"Whatever else happened - you were strong in a way many magi weren't. In another world, we would have fought together."

An hour later - maybe two - he rises with shaking hands and goes to burn his bloodstained robes and mask. They've already served the one purpose they were made for, anyway.

Name of the Artifact:

         Arcanic Agility [Spellforge]

Is this a combat related Artifact? If marked as “no”, it will not be usable in combat situations:

         Yes

MC Name of the person(s) currently in possession of the Artifact:

         Xydraus

 RP Name of the person(s) currently in possession of the Artifact:

         Ayche

MC Name of the creator(s) of the Artifact (N/A if not applicable, e.g. for event items):

         Xydraus

RP Name of the creator(s) of the Artifact (N/A if not applicable):

         Ayche

Screenshots showcasing the attempted creation of the artifact (use an imgur album or a spoiler please | if an event item just screenshot the item itself | If you're resubmitting an old MArt put N/A:

TBD on acceptance.

MC Item description (the exact description that will be used for the MC item if this MArt is accepted):

N/A [Spellforge/Magnum Opus]

Effect(s) of the Artifact:

Note: This will be restated below and in redlines, but this spell is primarily for flavor and for RP. Balance-wise, it does not allow a Scion to do anything that the existing Redirect spell or the Tawkins Heightened Dexterity mutation does not allow, and in fact is arguably worse than Redirect because it can’t be cast at range and still sets off combative potions in the Scion’s face. I think it’s pretty cool as far as flavor and non-combat RP potential goes, though, and I feel like the potential overlap with Redirect for the combative portion is no more than the overlap between certain existing spells in different voidal magics. Arcanic Agility doesn’t overlap with any existing Scion spells. 

[T2] Arcane Scion - Arcanic Agility

Mechanics:

Red Lines of the Artifact:

• Due to the taxing nature of using this spell, it can only be used two times per combat scenario.
• Movement is restricted to four blocks on the emote that the spell is used.
• After each cast of this spell, it cannot be cast again for two emotes in order to allow the body to recover.
• Can only be learned or used by an Arcane Scion. Access to the spell should be marked on one’s Arcane Scion FA and a character must maintain their Arcane Scion FA to be able to use it.
• CANNOT be used in melee combat or to dodge, block, or deflect melee attacks that the Scion wouldn’t have been able to react to without spells. Only useful in order to react to incoming projectiles.
• Not an offensive spell. Cannot be used to make a quick attack.
• Can only be used to react to one projectile at a time. Cannot be used to react, dodge, or deflect multiple projectiles at once (for example, cannot be used to avoid a spray of sand or multiple-projectile evocation spells).
• Cannot be used to catch projectiles from spells, though it can be used to bat them away or dodge them.
• Can only be used to deflect or catch solid projectiles, not gaseous/flame/etc, and cannot be used to deflect, catch, or dodge continuous attacks (like a flamethrower or some sort of beam spell). 
• Does not allow one to react to projectiles moving faster than an arrow (or low-powered crossbow bolt - crossbows that take three or less emotes to use). This means that it cannot be used to dodge, deflect, or catch very high speed projectiles like those from an arbalest or ballista.
• Does not allow the Scion to move further than normal to respond to a projectile. Limits movement to four blocks when being cast. Does not make the Scion physically stronger. 
• Cannot be used to catch or bat away combative potions - they will explode and take effect anyway at the Scion's location if this is attempted. Special projectiles besides combative potions that take effect on impact would also take effect anyway if caught or deflected.
• Cannot be used to deflect or redirect projectiles at anyone specific. Caught projectiles (like thrown knives) can technically be thrown at others after catching, but standard throwing rules apply, and this process cannot start until after the Arcanic Agility emote (this means one additional preparation emote + one throw emote).
• Does NOT lend the Scion’s weapon or armor any sort of enhanced durability when batting away projectiles. 
• Cannot be used to quickly gather information (for example, reading a page that’s only visible for a fraction of a second). 
• Uses the same amount of mana as other T2 spells. Cannot be used to react to projectiles without spending mana. 
• Cannot be used while the Scion is actively charging another spell without interrupting it (this should be implied by voidal lore, but restating here for clarity).

Explanation of the effect(s) (i.e. how it does what it does - slight bending of magic lore is allowed):

IC:

OOC:

Number of duplicates of this Artifact:

         N/A

Do you understand that there is a three-month cooldown between posting MArts per-player, and that cooldown begins upon acceptance? (Denial does not trigger a cooldown period.)

         Yes

 Have you applied for this Artifact before, and had it denied? If so, link the app:

         No

I'm ambivalent on the idea of fire evocation becoming a two slot magic. This seems like a well-written rewrite, but I'm not sure why fire evocation needs a rewrite in the first place. It looks like one of the biggest issues with the old lore, the Flamethrower spell, hasn't been addressed in this one, either - where an eminent with Incanter's Flow up can cast Flamethrower within two emotes if connected.

The level of power Flamethrower offers with Incanter's Flow seems a little high given the emote count, since it's almost always a fight-ending spell against a standard combatant (given the pain and burns will disorient someone enough to prevent them from effectively avoiding the continuous flames), and since Incanter's Flow can be reached almost immediately after a fight begins with the following steps:
 

Given your emote counts for this lore, the same would still be possible under the new lore - I'd advise potentially changing the T4 variant of Flamethrower to T5 but keeping the same emote count (so that Incanter's Flow won't interact with it) or specifically specifying that Incanter's Flow won't work on Flamethrower.(Edit: This will be much less of an issue if sam's Incanter's Flow amendment passes, so this doesn't necessarily need to be changed.)

Also, I'm a bit confused by Flame Implement - Enwreathe can be cast on an ally's weapon, can the Flame Implement be handed off, or does that count as 'losing grip'? Also, if it maintains the current connection guidelines that Enwreathe has, then it would mostly only be usable by Eminents (once Incanter's Flow is up) and Scions. However, since it's T4, Scions wouldn't have access to it - Is this intended to be an Eminent-only spell?

All that being said, I do like the new modifiers, and they look pretty interesting. 

Ayche is in the Vizier's office beneath the Chamber of Fire, making preparations for the next battle, when the news comes. 

Peace has been achieved. The war is won. 

He pushes his paperwork aside - it's redundant now, anyway. He's proud of the work the Hohkmati battlemagi under his command have done for Petra, and proud to have fought alongside the Covenant.

"Victory," he murmurs to himself. A smile crosses his face as he heads upstairs to join the other magi celebrating in the streets.

My character has agreed to teach Sahar.
 

My character has agreed to teach Sahar.
 

Ayche’s armor is stained with black powder residue when he rejoins his Chamber’s magi, shortly after the ceasefire command is first given. He finds Faeryel in the crowd and grins.
 

The other Hohkmati magi have been slinging spells towards Drusco Keep. Ayche has not. The ritual that has returned his strength has also crippled his magic, and the most powerful of voidal spells are now beyond him. So he’d put his muscles to work moving ammunition for cannons instead.

He’d left his Chamber’s magi in good hands. Faeryel's been invaluable ever since he was appointed to the Chamber of Fire, and he’s decided - one day, when this war is over - that she’ll take his place as Vizier when he decides to retire.
 

But until then, there’s still work to be done. 
 

His magic is no good at range, anymore. His mana pool is too small for a proper fireball. But a blast of sand to the eyes can be just as deadly as a boulder, given the right circumstances. A jet of air to redirect an incoming arrow can make just as much of a difference as a compression spell, if it saves the right person.

And, of course, steel can be as deadly as mana. It's a philosophy he's tried to drill into the men and women of the Chamber of Fire; never underestimate the danger of a blade. Never let your magic blind you to the value of mundane tools. Never use a fireball when a blast of sand to the eyes and a quick jab with a spear will do. 

It's a philosophy the battlemagi under his command have learned well.
 

“CHARGE!” Someone calls. Ayche's grip tightens on his warhammer.

And the rest, from there, is easy.
 

Ayche stands amongst the ruins of Drusco. His cuirass is stained with blood and black powder residue. The Covenant forces are picking over the battlefield now, sorting the dying defenders from the dead - and sending the former to the latter. His longsword vanishes into a voidal pocket as he stops to catch his breath. 

His gaze is drawn back across the valley. The magical city of Hohkmat is clearly visible from here. The siege camp he'd spent the first hours of the battle in is just meters away from the newest district of the city.

It's a good reminder of why he fights. It's a good reminder of home. 

In the distance, he spots one of his Chamber's members, engaged in a sudden duel with a surviving defender. He watches as she teleports out of the way of an orcish spear.

The air around him crackles with static. Sparks fly as a new weapon falls into his hands, summoned from thin air - a warhammer, this time. He charges to aid her.

There's still work to be done. For Hohkmat, for Petra, for the Covenant.

For home.

 

My character has agreed to teach.
 

My character's agreed to teach Sarah. 

some excellent lore from lotc's greatest wizard

My character's agreed to teach!

My character has agreed to teach!

My character's agreed to teach Faeryel.
 

MC Name:

         Xydraus

Character's Name:

         Ayche

Character's Age:

         Extremely Old

Character's Race:

         Mali'ker

Link to your accepted MA:

        https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/210827-air-evocation-ma-xydraus/

What magic(s) will you be teaching?

         Air Evocation

Describe this magic or a creature as a whole:

Air Evocation is a voidal magic that allows a mage to conjure either gusts of wind or more solid projectiles formed from conjured air. At higher tiers, air evocation can even be used to create sounds - these sounds can be loud enough to even disorient enemy combatants. A mage can manipulate the temperature or humidity of conjured air to an extent - however, conjured air will never be hot enough to burn or cold enough to cause damage, nor will it be humid enough to put out a fire. Through these manipulations, air evocation spells can carry mist or even snow. However, these manipulations do not give the spells any combative advantage - they are mainly for aesthetic. 

Are there different sections or subsections of magic? Can those be elaborated upon?

Air Evocation spells, for the most part, all revolve around using gusts of wind or air in different ways. Two spells use some form of compressed air as a projectile, one uses air to create a disorienting sound, and one uses compressed air to launch targets upward. The divisions between these methods of conjuring air aren’t necessarily distinct enough to call them true subcategories, but I’ll go over each spell in turn.

Conjure Air is a way for a mage to conjure air in nearly any form. Like other Conjure spells in other Evocations, this spell is noncombative and doesn’t necessarily have a strict emote count outside of common sense (larger or more complex emotes take longer). At tier four, the mage has more precise control, and can begin to use this spell to conjure sounds - but as this spell is noncombative, these sounds cannot be used to stun or cause harm. A tier five mage can conjure up to fifty cubic meters of air. 

Gust is an extremely simple spell that takes three emotes to cast - it simply involves summoning a gust of wind to push back a target. At tier five, this spell can knock those affected back five meters, or cause them to fall over if aimed at their feet. Gust’s power scales with the mastery of the mage, and each tier the mage gains in Air Evocation increases the power of this spell. At tier one, this spell doesn’t do much more than blow away light objects and will barely affect a descendant. 

Redirect is a defensive spell that uses a small jet of air to redirect a single projectile. It’s fairly quick to cast - just two emotes - and can cast an incoming projectile off to the side and prevent it from hitting its target. It is only reliable against small projectiles (about the size of two fists). Gaseous substances smaller than this size will simply dissipate when redirected. If a projectile is larger than this, Redirect will only slow the projectile down. If a projectile is moving faster than a bolt from a hand crossbow, this spell will also only slow it down or even fail to affect it. Redirect cannot be used to redirect an incoming projectile at another target.

Air Sweep is another spell that involves a gust of wind in some way - this spell takes three emotes to cast, and causes a jet of air to explode outward from the mage’s feet in a three meter radius. This can knock over those caught in the spell, and those knocked over must take at least one emote to get back up. The mage is unaffected by their own Air Sweep, but their allies are not - this spell can affect everyone in its radius. 

Air Shield is a spell that conjures a wall of air - this takes just two emotes to cast and can be sustained for up to four. It can be conjured in the form of a two meter tall, three meter long barrier. At tier four or above, it can be conjured in the form of a dome with a three meter radius centered on the mage (this takes an extra emote, three total). This dome can be sustained for up to five emotes. These barriers affect projectiles, but do not block melee attacks or prevent opponents from walking through said barrier. At tier five, an air evocationist can conjure an air dome which will deflect projectiles moving at crossbow bolt speed or lower. 

Air Blast is a projectile spell that uses compressed and compact air. This takes three emotes, and up to three can be conjured at one time - each additional projectile takes another emote. Like other projectile spells, these projectiles must all be fired in the same direction if conjured at the same time. These compact air projectiles are strong enough to bruise a target or cause minor fractures. It might dent plate, or cause the target to stumble back by a meter. 

Launch is a spell where the Air Evocationist conjures a pocket of air beneath a target - this pocket then explodes upward and launches the target into the air. This takes three emotes, and those affected will be launched a meter and a half into the air. This will take at least one emote to recover from and may result in a sprained ankle. This spell can also be charged as a sort of ‘trap’ in a three by three meter area, which can be activated once a target steps on it. This trap can only be maintained for up to five emotes. When cast as a trap, the spell cannot be moved. Large targets, like ologs, golems, or others of similar weight, are unaffected. 

Sound Blast is the only Air Evocation spell that uses sound offensively. It creates a bubble of sound that explodes outward, causing temporary stunning or deafness. It can be cast around the mage or fired towards a target location. It takes three emotes to perform, and expands outward in a two meter radius around where it activates. At tier four, it stuns those affected for one emote, and at tier five, it stuns those affected for two emotes. It also causes temporary deafness for three emotes at tier five. Those stunned cannot attack or move great distances, and connected mages will have their concentration broken and be disconnected once stunned. The casting mage is not immune to the effects of their own Sound Blast if caught inside.

Windstorm is a spell that can create a powerful torrent of wind in front of them - it takes five emotes to cast and can be maintained for up to six. This torrent of wind is either eight or twelve meters long and three or five meters wide. Those caught within the torrent may be pushed backwards and will find it difficult, though not impossible to move. Objects thrown into the gust will be blown out of it, though large objects will be moved more slowly. The mage cannot move while casting or maintaining a windstorm.

Compression is a more powerful form of Air Blast using compressed air that explodes outward on contact. It takes five emotes to cast and has a range of twenty meters. It has two variants - Slam and Burst. Slam targets a single individual - when the Compression spell hits, it can blast the target back and cause broken bones. Armored foes may be bruised and will be thrown back five meters. Burst is a less targeted version that explodes outwards in a three meter radius - those affected are pushed back as if they’d been hit by a tier four Gust spell. This spell cannot be easily canceled after it has been charged for two emotes - if the mage’s concentration is disrupted, the spell will explode in their face. This spell is never invisible.
 

The Whirlwind spell allows a master Air Evocationist to conjure a tornado - this takes eight emotes, and is cast on the sixth. The focal point of the tornado has a radius of one meter, but the highest portion of the tornado can have up to a five meter radius. This spell can be maintained for up to six emotes and prevents a mage from casting any other spells until the encounter ends. Those within eight meters of the focal point will be slowly pulled towards the whirlwind, but can resist the pull. Those within five meters will find it even more difficult to resist the pull. Those within three will find it extremely difficult to escape the whirlwind. The whirlwind will suck up small objects and can become dangerous if sharp objects are caught inside the tornado. 

Can you give an example of a casting emote, of a spell of your choice?

The following is a list of emotes for a Redirect spell.

[!] Ayche’s eyes glow with a crackling electric light as he connects to the void. Then he steps into the doorway.

[!] The enemy combatant, having prepared for him to peek around the doorway again, flings his knife at Ayche.

[!] Ayche snaps his hand closed into a fist. A jet of air strikes the incoming knife, causing it to fly into the corner of the room harmlessly.

Can you give an example of a teaching-emote (interacting with another) of a spell of your choice?

It’s a warm, sunny afternoon, and Ayche is making the most of it. He’s sitting under a tree and snacking on a bag of sunflower seeds when his student arrives.  “You’re-.” 

His student puffs out his chest. “On time. Don’t you dare say I’m late. I’m half an hour early today.”

Ayche shrugs. “You’re still early in your air evocation education, but I think it’s time to teach you one of your most important defensive spells. Connect to the void.”

His student grins - he's finally won. This time, there's no way for Ayche to claim he was late. His eyes begin to glow with an ethereal purple light as he connects. 

“I want you to conjure a jet of air to deflect an incoming projectile. It’s the same sort of thing you’ve been practicing - just faster, and you’ll have to hit a moving target.” Ayche picks up a nearby pouch - there’s a large pile of them on the ground beside him. Each pouch is tied shut and filled to bursting with sunflower seeds.

“When do we begin?”

“Now. Think fast.” Ayche hurls the pouch at his student’s face.

His student doesn’t react in time - he’s hit in the face, and he stumbles back. The purple glow in his eyes fades. “Hey!”

“You were late.” Ayche picks up another pouch. 

His student glowers. “I wasn’t ready.” He brushes a stray sunflower seed off his face and reconnects to the void. His eyes flare with purple light.

“Be ready.” Ayche flings the second pouch at his student - but slower, this time.

This time, his student reacts in time. He takes a half-step back and gestures at the incoming projectile. The purple glow in his eyes intensifies as a jet of air strikes the pouch and sends it flying off into the grass. 

“Excellent work. Now, go bring that back - we’re going to eat those seeds when we’re done.” 

Say your student powergames during or after teaching, how do you reprimand that?

As always - If my student accidentally powergamed during teaching, depending on the way in which they’ve powergamed, I would gently remind them of the proper limits and redlines of the magic, and of the proper emote counts required for whatever spell they’ve just cast. Then, I would give them a chance to re-emote properly. 
      

If they powergamed after teaching, that would be more of a concern, as it would mean that they either did not fully understand the magic, or that they were intentionally powergaming. In this case, as soon as I heard about potential powergaming, I would reach out about the situation, and if it seemed unintentional, would remind them of the proper limits and redlines and would clarify any questions they may have had. I would then prompt them to reach out to those affected by the RP to allow them to void it, if it had already happened, or to re-emote following the proper guidelines, if the RP was in progress. If they did not do so, or the powergaming seemed intentional, it would be time to reach out to staff and reconsider teaching the student. 

Do you have a magic(s) you are dropping due to this app? If so, link it:

         N/A

Do you agree to keep the ST updated on the status of your magic app?:

         Yes

Have you applied to teach this magic on this character before, and had it denied? If so, link the app.

         N/A

MC Name:

         Xydraus

Character's Name:

         Ayche

Character's Age:

         Extremely Old

Character's Race:

         Mali'ker

Link to your accepted MA:

        https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/211051-earth-evocation-ma-xydraus/

What magic(s) will you be teaching?

         Earth Evocation

Describe this magic or a creature as a whole:

Earth Evocation is a voidal magic that allows magi to conjure rocks, sand, dirt and gems from the Void. It has four subsections - Conjure Earth, which is the noncombat, freeform manifestation of earth, Sand Offensive, which encompasses sand spells meant to blind their targets, Earthen Offensive, which contains projectile spells from pebbles to boulders, and Earthen Defensive, which conjures earthen walls and domes that can withstand a predetermined amount of blows before they crumble and daze the mage.

Like other voidal magics, Earth Evocation requires line of sight, a voidal connection, and cannot manipulate existing material (meaning it can’t manipulate existing earth). It cannot be used to lift objects or support weight.

Are there different sections or subsections of magic? Can those be elaborated upon?

Conjure Earth is the freeform evocation of earth. It has no emote count beyond common sense, with larger spells requiring more emotes. The mage’s tier determines how much earth they can conjure. Tier five mages are able to conjure twenty cubic meters of earth. Conjure Earth spells vanish when combat begins. 

Sand Offensive contains Sand Blasts and Sandstorm. Sandblasts are quickly-cast blasts (two emotes) of sand which blind their targets for two emotes, unless the target is covering their eyes or wearing eye protection. Sandstorms require three emotes to cast. They produce a sandstorm within a five meter diameter of where they’re casted, blinding those within and lightly scratching skin.

Most Earth Evocation spells fall into the Earthen Offensive subcategory. The simplest and fastest spell is the Pebble, which can be cast in the same emote as connection; it causes minor bruises at most, and may disrupt a mage’s concentration. Summoning more than two pebbles at once requires an extra emote. Rocks and Spikes can also be conjured with three and four emotes, respectively. Rocks will fracture the bones of unarmored targets or cause concussions, but will only cause light bruising and slightly denting the plate of armored ones. Spikes act as a heavy hammer blow on armored targets, and skewer flesh to the bone on unarmored ones. Boulders are six meters in diameter, require five emotes to cast, move at the speed of an arrow, and will knock the wind out of targets and bash them to the ground. If it crushes a target against a wall, those wounds may be fatal. Earthen Cyclone, Earth Evocation’s only T5 spell, creates a storm of rocks and spikes in a ten meter diameter. These will pierce flesh and terribly dent armor. It takes seven emotes to cast and requires unmoving focus.  

Earthen Defensive spells revolve around forming walls or domes of earth to shield oneself or others. There are two spells in this category - Earthen Barrier and Earthen Dome. Earthen Barrier takes three emotes to cast, and can be maintained for up to seven emotes (though each strike against the barrier reduces that emote count by one). Spells that strike the barrier remove emotes equal to the tier of the spell. Earthen Barriers can be up to a meter thick, and either seven by two meters or four by three meters. Earthen Dome is a variation of this spell, which takes one additional emote (four total) and forms a dome centered around the mage with a three meter radius. Like Earthen Barrier, it can last up to seven emotes. The same rules for weakening the Barrier (strikes remove one emote of duration, spells remove emotes equivalent to the tier of the spell) apply to the Dome. When either Earthen Barrier and Earthen Dome are broken or interrupted (even voluntarily) the mage will be disoriented for at least one emote. In the case of Earthen Dome, this becomes two emotes if the dome is broken by an attacker rather than dropped voluntarily. It takes six direct hits with a pickaxe, broadsword, or heavy weapon to shatter a Dome - it takes seven to shatter a Barrier. Neither of these spells form instantly - they take time to do so and will form over the course of the casting emotes. 

Can you give an example of a casting emote, of a spell of your choice?

The following is a list of emotes for a spike without spending an extra emote to produce another.
      
[!] Ayche’s eyes flare with a pale, electric light as he connects to the Void. 
 

[!] He raises his hand. Chunks of rock clatter, crackle and crunch as they pop into existence above his palm, and coalesce into a larger mass of earth.

[!] Ayche’s eyes narrow in focus as the rock before him lengthens and thins into an angular, conical shape. The end of the projectile forms into a point.
 

[!] Ayche snaps his hand into a fist. The earthen spike jolts forward, spiraling towards its target at the speed of an arrow. It hits the wall before him with the harsh crack of stone on stone. 

Can you give an example of a teaching-emote (interacting with another) of a spell of your choice?

It’s sunrise when Ayche’s wait comes to an end, and the light on the mountaintop is still cold and gray. He’s rolling a coin along his knuckles - it flashes with silver light now and then as the sun catches it - but when his student arrives, the coin vanishes into his sleeve with a bit of legerdemain. “Late again.” 

His student climbs the last few feet up to the peak, and leans against a rock to catch his breath. “...I know. But, really, a mountain? I get the rock symbolism, but you know that the weakness is starting to set in, and I get tired more easily-”

Ayche holds up a hand to stop him. “We’ve done enough work offensively. Today we’re moving on to earthen walls.”

His student sighs, but otherwise falls silent, letting Ayche speak interrupted. He’s used to this by now.

“A meter thick, two tall, seven long.”  Ayche idly traces the shape of the spell with a finger as he talks.   “Immune to swords, but picks and the like will get through it eventually - you’ll be disoriented when it breaks, so be prepared for that. Connect.”

His student closes his eyes; when he opens them again, they glow with an ethereal purple light.

“Envision stone like you’re used to. Picture the shape I’ve described in your head, and drag it from the Void. It will likely form more quickly than you’re expecting.”
 
His student exhales, raising a hand, focusing on a strip of mountainous land in front of him. About three meters out, a nascent mass of stone begins to emerge, crumbling and cracking as it pulls itself from nothing. It lengthens and widens, forming the base of an earthen wall. 

Ayche almost smiles. “Nearly there. Keep at it.”

His student lets out a harsh breath, his eyes narrowing in focus, sweat beading along his hairline. The stone rises into a full-on wall, seven meters long, one thick, and two high; he pants as he maintains his focus on it, brow furrowed.

“Well done. Now let’s see how long you can maintain it…”

Say your student powergames during or after teaching, how do you reprimand that?

As always - If my student accidentally powergamed during teaching, depending on the way in which they’ve powergamed, I would gently remind them of the proper limits and redlines of the magic, and of the proper emote counts required for whatever spell they’ve just cast. Then, I would give them a chance to re-emote properly. 
 

If they powergamed after teaching, that would be more of a concern, as it would mean that they either did not fully understand the magic, or that they were intentionally powergaming. In this case, as soon as I heard about potential powergaming, I would reach out about the situation, and if it seemed unintentional, would remind them of the proper limits and redlines and would clarify any questions they may have had. I would then prompt them to reach out to those affected by the RP to allow them to void it, if it had already happened, or to re-emote following the proper guidelines, if the RP was in progress. If they did not do so, or the powergaming seemed intentional, it would be time to reach out to staff and reconsider teaching the student. 

Do you have a magic(s) you are dropping due to this app? If so, link it:

         N/A

Do you agree to keep the ST updated on the status of your magic app?:

         Yes

Have you applied to teach this magic on this character before, and had it denied? If so, link the app.

         N/A

Crates of equipment, weaponry, and medical supplies are stacked up in the Chamber of Fire. Ayche moves past them as he steps onto the lift to the War Room below. It won't be long before the Chamber's magi and the magical forces of Hohkmat will be joining the Petran war effort. 

My character's agreed to teach Gavilar!

I've got this one!

7 hours ago, Jentos said:

amped reflexes allows one to automatically dodge or even swat away a projectile. its effectively a guaranteed 2 emote block of a 3 emote nock, draw and shoot emote, let alone the dodging of an even larger spell. Instant dodges have often been sort of "problematic" in lore.

 

10 hours ago, HurferDurfer1 said:

-snip-

The design intent for Amped Reflexes was to balance it around the Redirect spell which already exists. This is also a guaranteed 2 emote block of a 3 emote nock, draw, and shoot emote. It's also balanced around Air Shield, which is a 2 emote block of multiple projectiles at once (as it forms a 2x3 meter wall). Brisk Step also exists as an instant dodge with up to 12 blocks of movement attacked to it as well, which currently allows a mage to instantly avoid melee attacks, ranged attacks, or spells with an incredible level of movement attached in 2 emotes (1 if they're already connected). 

Our goal was for Amped Reflexes to not change combat balancing whatsoever compared to existing spells, which should be the case.

As for Lightning Step, the intent is for the spell to be useful but not overpowered - as the spell does not boost a mage's strength, and does not allow them to cast or charge any offensive spells while it's being used, it shouldn't make the mage's increased movement overly oppressive. I've broken down the math in an earlier post, but in short: Lightning Step is significantly worse than competing options in Translocation, and potentially worse than not using a spell at all and just being a regular swordsman on foot.

Lightning Step vs. Regular Swordsman:

7 hours ago, Jentos said:

As well, for the general effect of lightning on people, you'll have to explain it in full detail. how does it affect non-living beings like undead? how does it affect muscles and flesh? realistically speaking, if ur wearing full armour irl and you get hit by lightning that armour is going to conduct the lightning into the ground, and every time that I used lightning evo back in the days that same argument came up. 

As mentioned in the lore, lightning has no effect that is not explicitly stated in a spell description. Real-world logic and conductivity rules do not apply, specifically to avoid the sort of clarity issues that previous Lightning Evocation had. It has no effect on muscles and flesh beyond what is specifically mentioned in a spell description. Full armor only has the interaction with lightning that is listed in the lore. 

The idea is that evoked Lightning is not real Lightning, and plays by different rules. This allows for it to be balanced around what would be narratively satisfying and mechanically balanced compared to other evocations, not real-world physics or logic. This isn't without precedent - pretty much every evocation element works slightly differently than their real counterparts, especially Fire.

That being said, we hear you, and for thematic reasons (as well as to avoid any potential loopholing) we've made the following changes to Amped Reflexes and Lightning Step:

• Amped Reflexes can no longer be used to dodge melee attacks, only projectile attacks. This makes it effectively identical to Redirect (maybe slightly worse, because an arrow fired at an ally across the room can be Redirected, but not stopped with Amped Reflexes).
  • In practice, this shouldn't change anything from the original write, because using Amped Reflexes to dodge or parry a melee attack would be worse in every way from using a non-magical dodge or parry - it would cost mana and use up the mage's major action for that turn, while using a non-magical dodge or parry would cost no mana and still allow for some form of attack or major action. Remember, if a mage chose to parry, Amped Reflexes wouldn't have boosted their strength anyway.
  • However, because this makes Amped Reflexes identical in combat usage (if not flavor/noncombat RP utility), we're hoping this should settle any balance questions.
• Lightning Step and Amped Reflexes can no longer be maintained at the same time. If Amped Reflexes is cast during Lightning Step, the Lightning Step ends. This removes any interaction between the two spells, allowing Amped Reflexes to be assessed balance-wise entirely on its own. As stated above, it is in practice identical to Redirect.

I'll be adding a changelog at the bottom of the original post to track these changes.

 As of now, the changelog looks like this:

 

With all that said, thank you for taking the time to read the lore, and thank you for your feedback. I know this has been a very controversial magic in the past, and our goal was to try and bring it back with its own niche, greater clarity, and without changing the balance of combat RP compared to current magic.

- THE CHAMBER OF FIRE -

The Chamber of Fire has elected to publish its charter, so that the people of Hohkmat may understand what we do and who we are.

Our Responsibilities

The Chamber of Fire draws its responsibilities from the ‘Three Mysteries’ - it is meant to preserve sorcerous power, protect the magical state, and protect the Grand Magister. Two explicit mandates are given by the Grand Magister in execution of these duties.

Our first mandate is the Defense of the City-States of Hohkmat and its Magi. We achieve this by:

° Training inductees in martial, alchemical, and magical combat.

° Equipping inductees with martial, alchemical, and magical weapons, armor, and tools.

° Recruiting and maintaining constructs such as golems, atronachs, sorvians and automatons.

° Contracting mercenaries if necessary to bolster the city’s forces.

° Serving as Liaison to foreign military forces.

Our second mandate is to inflict indescribable violence apply combative force in service of the Grand Magister, both at home and abroad. We achieve this by:

° Serving as the Grand Magister’s personal guard. 

° Defending the city against violent attack.

° Organizing expeditions to inflict indescribable violence apply force where and when the Grand Magister desires; typically against the undead, the demonic, and the rogue magi. 

° As per the Merzhin-Garmont Traité, “[providing] strategic and tactical mages to support [The Commonwealth of the Petra] in times of war.”

° Defending against internal threats to the stability of Hohkmat.

Our Philosophy

As is built into the culture of Hohkmat, powerful magi should be independent. To that end, we eschew traditional facets of a military such as a uniform, formations, salutes, gate duty, or a complex rank hierarchy. We will not waste our magi’s time, and we will not keep qualified recruits from advancing because they’re new to the Chamber. 

When it comes to our magi, our sole concern is forging them into a formidable, highly-equipped fighting force. They should wear what they like, when they like, and do what they like, so long as they can be called back to use their skills to defend the city and its interests when necessary. 

Whether a Chamber of Fire magus is acting in service of Hohkmat, or acting to achieve their own goals on their own time, they will fight harder, smarter, and more effectively than their non-Seared peers. Let others study the Void, broker alliances, or engage in commerce. Above all else, a Chamber of Fire magus knows how to wage war. 

Our Organization

The Vizier

The Vizier is the leader of the Chamber of Fire, selected by the Grand Magister. Of all the Viziers within Hohkmat, he is the most lethal - one of the few capable of standing toe to toe with a Lord or Lady Magister.  He is responsible for reporting to the Grand Magister, negotiating with the Hohkmati government, organizing expeditions, running the Immolation, delegating duties as he sees fit, and above all, seeing that the responsibilities of the Chamber are carried out.

The Seared

The Seared are full members of the Chamber of Fire who have undergone the Immolation and bear the Striker. They have received the best training and equipment the Chamber can provide. They have few day-to-day duties beyond training inductees and inflicting indescribable violence applying their skills when directed to by the Vizier or the Grand Magister.

The Kindling

The Kindling are the inductees of the Chamber of Fire. They are trained by the Seared and the Vizier in martial, alchemical and magical combat and equipped with martial, alchemical, and magical weapons, armor, and tools. They also assist the Seared when they mete out indescribable violence act in service of Hohkmat.

The Pyroclasts

The Pyroclasts are the constructs that serve the Chamber of Fire. Their duties mirror those of the Seared, but they do not undergo the Immolation, nor do they bear the Striker. They may, however, go through the process to become Seared if they are loyal, skilled, and sapient. Pyroclasts have a special duty to carry on the traditions of the chamber, often living much longer than most of its members.

The Immolation

The Immolation is the ritual by which the Kindling becomes the Seared. 

The Striker

The Striker is the identifying mark of the Seared. Those who carry it are full-fledged members of the Chamber of Fire. It is a red signet ring bearing this symbol: 

Recruitment

There will be no uniforms, no formations, no saluting, and no gate duty. We won’t waste your time. If you want the best magical combat training and the best equipment, and are willing to loyally follow the mandates of the Chamber, join us. 

You may send a letter to the current Vizier, Ayche ((Xydraus)) or his secretary Faeryel ((Faeryel)). You may also go to the Chamber of Fire, located within the Ziggurat of Hohkmat ((1566 112 -3)) to express an interest to join in person. 

Previous combat or magical experience is not necessary - just a sharp mind and the desire to serve. You will learn combative magic as part of your training.

(Drafted on 3rd of Snow’s Maiden, 1951 by Faeryel Artenin)

5 minutes ago, Andustar said:

-snip-

I appreciate the kind words and the feedback! 'Amped Reflexes' is balanced around the Air Evocation 'Redirect' spell, which does effectively the exact same thing at time of writing. (1 connect + 1 cast, redirect projectiles). The intent is for Amped Reflexes to be an alternative way of accomplishing this with fun flavor.

As for Lightning Step, our hope is that the complete inability to move after 2 turns of boosted movement, along with the existence of Translocation spells (which currently allow for a voidal mage to instantly blink 12 meters in a single emote, 16 meters with one emote of preparation, or 32 meters with two emotes of preparation - or double all of those distances with the use of a focus) make this spell a useful, but not overly strong alternative.

In terms of covering ground, a translocationist vs. a lightning evocationist might look something like this, assuming both void mages are already connected:
 

We also considered the outcome of Lightning Step vs. a non-mage:

In this instance we're hoping this would also be considered balanced.

In addition, Lightning Step prevents the mage from casting any spell other than Amped Reflexes for its duration, which we intended as another balancing measure.