The primary purpose is to allow greater longevity to the search for power by mages and priests. Greater levels of diversity will allow for more diversity of combat tactics. Higher levels of power will also allow for monster improvements. GM moderation can allow for rare spell components. Alchemy will be possible as well. An online interface will allow for easy changes to spell choices. Together, these should improve playability of the game and improve the learning curve for new players.
Specific Changes
All spells and miracles will be allocated to the most appropriate domain.
This will mean that certain miracles will become spells and vice-versa.
Skills for mages will become four skills, one for each of the elements.
Miracles are assigned to one of the four central alignments.
While priest skill will remain a single skill, power costs for miracles
will vary based on alignment.
Spells/miracle each has levels. Some are capped while others are not.
Power point cost will be independent of level.
Spells will require components. Not all components will be available
for purchase.
All skill increases (both priest and mages) will require experience.
Skills will not be capped at 99.
Miracles will have to be learnt (purchased, requiring xp).
Spells can be learnt through experimentation but will require xp per
test.
Alchemy will allow creation of magic items.
Potions, staffs, scrolls will be useable in combat.
Single on-line form for allocating spell/miracle-casting parameters in
combat.
Restricted spells/miracles only given out through moderation.
Mage skill in a domain will count as armour against damage in specified
domain.
Casting miracles change alignment. Set alignment causes loss of xp when
actions are contrary to faith.
Mages
The skill of a mage within a domain will now determine his resistance to spells in the domain, his ability to learn not only new spells but also improve the spell level. Spells at higher levels will require more components to cast although the lack of components will still allow the spell to be cast at a lower level. There will be five grades of components, these are commonly available in shops; available in some shops and periodically restocked; found in the wilderness; produced by clerics/magicians and given through moderation.
Some spells will be restricted and only given out either through moderation or due to an in-game item, such as discovery of a location or item. You can bet that these will require only the most rare of components.
Conversion
Priests will simply convert although the level of spell they start with will be modified by their alignment in a reverse of the system used to calculate power point costs.
Magicians will be required to select how they will divide their skill between the various domains. There will be a number of options allowing them to select % of their skill into each field.
Alchemy
A new aspect to spell changes involves the creation of permanent magical items. Everything from bonus items through the magical affects and even slaying weapons can be forged. All these will require a gold value, components and experience. The level and type of spell will determine the effect.
Summoning
For the future - it is intended to allow certain spells to summon/bind creatures to a party. We hope to include NPC's joining the party for a limited time as well.
Priests
Is a Fleyshur priest casting healing miracles against the tenets of his faith?
Yes. Fleyshur loves suffering and death through combat. Any suffering, any death, whether it is the faithful or infidels. Logic is not a god's strong point. Yes, the long-term goals of the god will be best served by healing his loyal followers, but so sodding what. That is of no consequence to a deity.
Baldor will not accept his disciples murdering his enemies just because it is the most expedient means to an end. In fact the term 'means to an end' is quite simply anathema to gods. It is not a question of what you achieved, it is merely a case of how you lived. Did you slay lots and go out kicking and screaming? If yes then you are faithful servant of Fleysur. Did you bring peace and charm monsters into making schools of learning? Well done, chosen of Phyloqure.
Rather than altering a priest's skill for the purpose casting miracles belonging to other domains, we have elected to alter the power point cost. The theory being that it is harder to channel gods whose alignment differs from the channelling cleric. The distance on the alignment chart determines the increase in power points required to cast the miracle. Gods that are diametrically opposed to the alignment of the character, generate the majority of the modifier, although having alignment that is not pure further adds to this modifier.
Example: As a priest of Baldor becomes evil, casting life miracles costs more power. However straying towards War or Peace also increases the cost of casting Life miracles although the increase is proportionally less. Priests of Fleyshur for example channel both War and Death miracles equally, but neither as good as a Sundonak priest channels War or a Ythcal priest channels Death. They do however channel War better than Ythcal priests and Death better than a Sundonak priests.
A question raised was why does a follower of Gathrana for example find it harder to channel Death than say a priest of Baldor who by definition is totally opposed to Ythcal?
The answer to this is that while Baldor is opposed to Ythcal, he is different side of the same coin. The two are joined and understand but reject each other. War and Peace however are beyond the understanding of these two deities and as a consequence more remote.
This creates the eight-pointed star within the alignment box showing the lines of greatest disparity.
At this point we have not decided on the method of point modifiers.
We have four options (don't worry about the numbers used in the examples, they are simply used for reference):
1. A floating point modifier that adds to the cost of the power points of the miracle, i.e. +0-80 points as the alignment tends to away with a +0-25 points as the alignment tends to the side. Examples: A true Baldor priest would have all Death miracles increased by 80 points and War and Death increased by 65 (40+25). A true Fleyshur priest would have all War and Death miracles increased by 25 points but channel Life and Peace at +105 (80+25). A true neutral priest would have all miracles increased by 40 points. A priest that was neutral but tending towards Life and War would have a fraction of this modifier. This would be shown as 4 Numbers, e.g. Life +35, Death, +65, War +30, Peace +48.
2. A stepped point modifier that adds to the cost of power cost of the miracle, i.e. +0, +40, +80 and +0, +25.
3. A floating modifier that multiplies the cost of the power points of the miracle, i.e. x1-x5 as the alignment tends away with a x0-x1 as the alignment tends to the side. These are added together to give the overall modifier. Examples: A true Baldor priest would have all Death miracles increased by x5 points and War and Death increased by x3.5(x2.5+x1). A true Fleyshur priest would have all War and Death miracles increased by x2 points but channel Life and Peace at x6(x5+x1). A true neutral priest would have all miracles increased by x2.5 points. A priest that was neutral but tending towards Life and War would have a fraction of this modifier. This would be shown as 4 Numbers, e.g. Life x1.5, Death, x4.9, War x2, Peace x3.8.
4. As above but stepped, i.e. x1, x3, x5 away and x0, x1 across where the total is the sum of the multipliers. Example: A Gathrana cleric will have the following modifiers: Death x6, Peace x6, War x2, Life x2; A Baldor priest will have Life x1, War x3, Peace x3, Death x5. A neutral priest will have all at x3.
Stepped is good for simplicity, floating gives more shades of grey and a fair amount of book keeping (although we could show power costs on the online chart).
Note that alignment will not change until the end of the turn.
NB - The fourth one was agreed as best at the pubmeet.