It is civilization's dawn. Over the last several centuries, bronze tools and weapons have spread into favor; iron is still unknown. In the early days, several tribes wielded unstable, destructive magics. In fear, they were wiped out.
For most people, magic was myth or urban legend. Someone occasionally awakened to magic, usually destroying themselves shortly. The rare survivors either hid or were eventually killed - Unstable magic was illegal for a reason.
For the Hybisians, times are changing. The newly ascended King Ropale wishes to try again to harness magic, and has offered a full pardon, and generous funding, to those mages who would work for him. A few have come forward. He wishes them to found a guild, for the study and teaching of magic.
Name:
Personality: (3 words)
Apparent Loyalty: Perfect
Leadership 2
Magic Skill 1: Level 2
Mundane Skill 1: Level 3
Mundane Skill 2: Level 1
Mundane Skill 3: Level 1
Trait: Leader - The one in charge has various effects on the guild, and has a significant boost to loyalty.
Name:
Personality: (3 words)
Apparent Loyalty: Very High
Magic Skill 1: Level 2
Magic Skill 2: Level 1
Mundane Skill 1: Level 2
Mundane Skill 2: Level 1
Trait: Bonus Magical Finesse OR
Bonus Magical Power (choose 1)
Name:
Personality: (3 words)
Apparent Loyalty: Moderate
Magic Skill 1: Level 1
Magic Skill 2: Level 1
Magic Skill 3: Level 1
Mundane Skill 1: Level 1
Mundane Skill 1: Level 1
Trait: Works well with [The Rookie]
Name:
Personality: (3 words)
Apparent Loyalty: Moderate
Magic Skill 1: Level 1
Mundane Skill 1: level 2
Trait: Works well with [The Rainbow]
Outskirts of the capital
Start in a medium-sized building. Buying new land to expand will be expensive.
Increased trade, missions, recruits, and security against outside threats.
Greatly increased reputation changes - The eyes of Hybise are upon you. Beware of dangerous experiments.
Outskirts of a military town
Start in a small building, with enough land for a large estate.
Decreased recruits.
Town specializes in training, housing, and supplying troops.
Greatest threat of outside conflict.
An out-of-the-way village
Start in a hastily built shack, with abundant land.
Decreased trade and missions. May face small-scale threats. Must search for recruits elsewhere.
Small, insular community is unfriendly.
Ease of hiding failed experiments and only showing off positive results.
Optional: Start with 5 guards, paid for and technically commanded by the king.
IronyOwl has graciously allowed me to outright copy-paste his magic system.
Principle Schools are somewhat eclectic schools based around a given method, or principle. Most Principle Schools have a twin school, often thought of as the other side of the same coin or similar metaphors, that covers "the opposite" of their principle; some practitioners insist that true mastery of a school requires both sides of this coin, while others find little value in learning the opposite of what they want to do.
Principle Schools are known for their versatility and breadth. They are often paired with Elemental Schools to "flavor" the Principle School's effects with elemental essence, such as by producing flaming zombies or skeletons that can swim.
Necromancy
The malign manipulation of life. Necromancy can cause damage, pain, and debilitation to living things, as well as manipulate their souls and reanimate their corpses.
Necromancy is valued for its flexibility in dealing with living enemies, its ability to create undead servants, and its ability to manipulate souls for enchanting or undead creation purposes. Necromancers often dabble in Destruction to better project their disruption of life, Enchanting or Runecrafting to better imbue objects with souls, and Vitamancy to allow them to take the life energies they disrupt for their own benefit.
Vitamancy
The benign manipulation of life. Vitamancy can heal wounds or afflictions, and enhance bodily attributes.
Vitamancy is most highly valued for its ability to heal, but also well respected for its ability to mend more complicated injuries or afflictions, and to empower living entities. Vitamancers often dabble in elemental magics to better empower entities with those elements' likenesses, Protection to help ward against harm rather than restoring it after the fact, and Enchantment to produce more persistent boons.
Thanamancy
Mastery of both Necromancy and Vitamancy is sometimes referred to as Thanamancy. Thanamancers are known for their unrivaled ability to manipulate the forces of life, notably by empowering themselves with the stolen life force of their foes.
Destruction
The destruction and projection of materials and forces. Destruction can hurl, break down, or shatter materials or energies.
Destruction is valued for its ability to hurl projectiles of energy or matter, add force or destructive energy to existing attacks, and directly break down or shatter things. Destructors often dabble in elementalism to provide additional substances to pummel foes with, and Necromancy to improve their potential to damage living targets.
Protection
The preservation and exclusion of materials and forces. Protection can hold things together, harden them against damage, and weaken or prevent things from entering or damaging areas or objects.
Protection is valued for its ability to create wards and shields around allies or areas. Protectors often dabble in elementalism, especially Earth Magic, to provide shields of or against specific elements, and Vitamancy to help defend or augment the vitality or life force of their target.
Shaping
Mastery of both Destruction and Protection is sometimes known as Shaping. Shapers are known for their unrivaled manipulation of energies and materials in motion, notably in shifting between or combining attacking and defending with the same forces.
Summoning
The incarnation of complex things. Summoning can summon creatures and equipment to serve the caster.
Summoning is valued for its ability to summon minions of all varieties. Summoners often dabble in elemental magics to access elementals, Necromancy to access undead, and just about anything else to widen their pool of summons in unique and personal ways.
Conjuration
The incarnation of simple things. Conjuration can conjure materials and forces as the caster directs.
Conjuration is valued for its incredible flexibility, notably in hampering enemies with sticky, slippery, unbalancing, or directly harmful materials or forces. Conjurers often dabble in elemental magics to widen their array of substances and forces, and just about anything else to widen their options further.
Binding
Mastery of both Summoning and Conjuration is sometimes known as Binding. Binders are known for their unrivaled ability to summon anything they like, notably composite entities or forces that might not exist naturally.
Alteration
The manipulation of physical objects. Alteration can lift, move, or stop physical matter, and alter its hardness or weight.
Alteration is valued for its flexibility in altering the physical world, its ability to levitate and hurl projectiles, barriers, or the caster, and its ability to lighten or otherwise render objects more convenient. Alterors often dabble in elemental magics to better control their elements, Protection to strengthen objects being used as shields, Destruction to strengthen the force of hurled projectiles or make them explode on impact, and Transmutation or Transmogrification to better manipulate the nature of used objects.
Illusion
The manipulation of perceptions. Illusion can create mirages and other false sensory artifacts, and manipulate emotion and perception directly.
Illusion is valued for its ability to create illusory images, sounds, or occasionally other senses, magnify love, fear, hate, or other useful emotions in others, and subtly massage interpretations of events and information to the caster's benefit. Illusors often dabble in Alteration to better ground their deceptions in reality, Enchantment or Runecrafting to help their constructions stick to targets better, and just about anything else to improve their repertoire.
Warping
Mastery of both Alteration and Illusion is sometimes known as Warping. Warpers are known for their unrivaled control of the world and its inhabitants, notably their ability to trap victims in half-real, half-illusion constructs.
Transmogrification
The alteration of form. Transmogrification can alter the size and shape of objects or material.
Transmogrification is valued for its ability to transform the caster and objects into more convenient forms, and enemies into less convenient forms. Transmogrifiers often dabble in Transmutation to alter a substance's makeup as well as form, Vitamancy or Necromancy to better control their manipulation of living beings, elemental magics to better manipulate their respective materials, and just about anything else to add to their options for transforming things.
Transmutation
The alteration of substance. Transmutation can alter the properties or makeup of materials.
Transmutation is valued for its ability to improve the quality of an item's material, weaken or otherwise worsen the material of obstacles or enemy items, and transform portions of the caster's body to iron or some other more convenient material. Transmuters often dabble in Transmogrification to alter a material's form as well as makeup, and elemental magics to better control their element's material.
Polymorphing
Mastery of both Transmutation and Transmogrification is sometimes known as Polymorphing. Polymorphers are known for their unrivaled control over physical makeup and form, notably their ability to transform beings and objects into completely different ones.
Enchanting
The attachment of simple forces. Enchanting can imbue objects and materials with simple, persistent magical forces.
Enchanting is valued for its ability to wreathe weapons in energy, harden or otherwise improve armor, and extend the duration of other magical effects. Enchanters often dabble in just about anything to expand their repertoire of available forces and concepts.
Runecrafting
The attachment of complex forces. Runecrafting can imbue objects and materials with situational or complicated magical forces.
Runecrafting is valued for its ability to make weapons and armor more effective in specific situations, and to ward or empower areas for or against certain occurrences. Runecrafters often dabble in just about anything to expand their repertoire of effects and triggering conditions.
Artifice
Mastery of both Enchanting and Runecrafting is sometimes known as Artifice. Articifers are known for their unrivaled ability to attach magical forces to objects or locations, notably their ability to create incredibly complex magical effects.
Alchemy
The refinement and expression of mystical potential. Alchemy can turn mundane or magical ingredients into potions or other immediately consumable forms, as well as refine them into more potent reagents.
Alchemy is valued for its ability to create reliable bottled effects on demand. Alchemists often dabble in just about anything to expand their list of viable potion effects.
Infusion
The infusion and magnification of mystical potential. Infusion can turn mundane or magical ingredients into more potent receptacles of mystic power.
Infusion is valued for its ability to create power sources for rituals and powerful spells. Infusers often dabble in Transmutation to improve their works' affinity for their chosen energy, Enchanting to empower their ability to take in or put out energy, and just about anything else to expand their list of viable energy types.
Chrysopy
Mastery of both Alchemy and Infusion is sometimes known as Chrysopy. Chrysopists are known for their unrivaled ability to bring out the potential in magical or mundane ingredients, notably in creating overcharged consumables with wide-ranging, transformative effects.
Gating
Physically traversing the veil between worlds. Gating can permanently transport things to or from other worlds, with the right foreknowledge or exchange.
Gating is valued for its ability to trade with extraplanar entities and ensnare carefully researched objects. Gaters often dabble in Communion to get a better sense of what they're trading with, knowledge skills to better understand what they're looking for, and just about anything to expand their list of valid targets.
Communion
Astrally traversing the veil between worlds. Communion can sense and communicate with things not of this world.
Communion is valued for its ability to locate targets for other extraplanar actions, acquire distant business partners, and seek out wisdom and knowledge from higher beings. Communers often dabble in knowledge skills to better understand what they're looking for, social skills to more gracefully establish contact with entities, and just about anything else to expand their list of valid targets.
Calling
Mastery of both Gating and Communion is sometimes known as Calling. Callers are known for their unrivaled connection to the beyond, notably their ability to coordinate two-way rituals with otherworldly forces.
Elemental Schools are fairly predictable but incredibly diverse schools based around the manipulation of a specific material or energy, or element. Elemental magics can usually move and shape the element in question, condense or create it, and affect its properties or makeup. This makes Elemental Schools incredibly versatile within their element, but leaves the exact nature and value of this manipulation wholly dependent on the nature of the element.
Virtually any element is possible, including insubstantial concepts like emotions or time, though some sources break these off into their own categories. Narrower than usual elements, such as Stone rather than Earth, are possible and stronger in their chosen field, but usually not enough to warrant their use in most peoples' eyes. Broader than usual elements, such as Matter rather than Earth, are likewise possible, but tend to likewise be considered too weak to be worth the boost in versatility by most.
Elemental Schools are known for their coherent foundation. They are often paired with Principle Schools to empower the elements with new ways to behave, such as by creating explosions of earth or water that appears deeper than it is.
Fire
The manipulation of fire. Fire is generally thought of as an aggressive, offensive element, best used to indiscriminately light things on fire. It also sees some utility use in cooking food, lighting dark places, and even smelting.
Fire Mages most often dabble in Destruction for better control and force in lighting everything on fire, Transmutation to focus hotter or otherwise different flames, and other elemental magics to better combine or light the additional element on fire.
Earth
The manipulation of soil and stone. Earth is generally thought of as a defensive utility element, best used to shield or sheathe things in dirt and manipulate the ground for utility's sake. It also sees some use disabling or slowing foes down.
Earth Mages most often dabble in Protection to better shape soil defensively, Alteration to better move chunks of stone, and Transmogrification to better mold solid stone.
Water
The manipulation of water. Water is generally thought of as a flexible support element, best used to augment or aid other allies or skills using water as a delivery mechanism.
Water Mages most often dabble in Vitamancy to produce soothing healing waters, Alteration to better move water around, and Conjuration to produce water on demand rather than condensing it from the air.
Air
The manipulation of air and wind. Air is generally thought of as a flighty utility element, best used to help the caster flee danger.
Air Mages most often dabble in Alteration to help themselves levitate or fly, Conjuration to summon exotic gasses, and Destruction to buffet enemies with obstructing or unbalancing winds.
Ice
The manipulation of ice. Ice is generally seen as an offensive utility element, best used to slow or disable foes as it damages them.
Ice Mages most often dabble in Destruction to add more force or harm to their ice, Conjuration to summon ice directly rather than condense and freeze it from the air, and Alteration to better control and hurl chunks or spikes of ice.
Lightning
The manipulation of lightning. Lightning is generally seen as an offensive utility element, best used to damage and paralyze foes with bolts of lightning or crackling electricity.
Lightning Mages most often dabble in Destruction to add more force to their assaults, Necromancy to more effectively paralyze the living, and Enchanting to let paralyzing electricity stick to targets better.
Flesh
The manipulation of soft meaty parts. Flesh is generally seen as a questionable utility element, best used to warp oneself or others to more (or less) suitable forms.
Flesh Mages most often dabble in Necromancy to better harm their enemies, Vitamancy to better aid allies, and Transmogrification to better control the shape of a creature's fleshy parts.
Bone
The manipulation of hard organic animal parts. Bone is generally seen as a questionable utility element, best used to strengthen the caster's skeleton or grant them protruding bone plates or spikes.
Bone Mages most often dabble in Necromancy to better harm their enemies and control "loose" bone, Vitamancy to better reinforce and heal the bones of allies, and Transmogrification to better effect horrifying transformations.
Light
The manipulation of light. Light is generally seen as a utility element, best used to light dark places or make things harder to see, despite some practitioners' seeming obsession with focusing it into beams of destructive power.
Light Mages most often dabble in Illusion to grant their distortions increased convincingness, Protection to better warp light around themselves defensively, and Destruction to pursue their bizarre dream of destroying their foes with lasers.
Shadow
The manipulation of darkness. Shadow is generally seen as a utilty element, best used to dim foes' vision and hide oneself.
Shadow Mages most often dabble in Illusion to grant their distortions increased convincingness, Protection to better warp darkness around themselves defensively, and Destruction to hurl sight-obscuring shadows directly at foes.
Training in an existing school is relatively safe at lower levels, even without a teacher, but is time consuming. Learning an entirely new school(new to the one learning) is dangerous - Critically dangerous with no teacher or learning materials. Better teachers will alleviate the risk. It is suggested that you leave learning new schools to rookies, or send expeditions to distant lands to seek out barbarian tribes who have magic.
Not everyone is a potential mage. Recruits are a valuable resource. You may either unlock their power by training in a senior mage's discipline, or, much more dangerously, try to learn their natural affinity with no teacher. You do not know if natural affinity can be determined ahead of time.
Some people have useful non-magical skills. These could be nearly anything a bronze-age society would have access to - Blacksmithing, trade, haggling, leadership, or swordfighting, to name a few.
Lots of magic types work well together. Magic is a fairly personal thing, but it is possible, if dangerous, to have two or more mages cooperate on a spell. It would be a good idea to train them to work together to cast this particular spell beforehand. (It's hard to draw a circle of protection against Outsiders if you know little about them. It would take serious practice and/or codified guild knowledge to make it as effective as it would be if the warder knew as much as the summoner.)
The guild will slowly gather skill over time towards what it does. If you regularly have infusion specialists working with artificers, the accumulated knowledge will eventually allow even relative novices to create results nearly as effective as if they had skills in both. Similarly, if you train lots of pyromancers, they will write books and making further pyromancer training easier.
Security and secrecy are things to consider as your guild grows. A sufficiently long-lived guild
will have drop-outs or traitors. Depending on how you limit materials, guild members will train more slowly, but you would have more time for vetting and earning loyalty before handing out
The Secrets of Mass-Harvesting the Souls of the Innocent. Do not expect free access to build loyalty enough to keep psychopaths from memorizing your dangerous spells and leaving, to wreck havoc on the surrounding areas (and hurting your reputation).
Reputation is pretty important, of course. Magic is hard to control, dangerous, and scary. At the start of the game, no magic is illegal, but some is scarier than others. Accidentally releasing demons down the capital's main road would be very bad for the guild's continued existence. Setting up free healing centers would earn the support of the people. Recruits would be more comfortable seeking you out and initially be more loyal, you'd get donations, the gratitude of merchants and soldiers, some protection against bad events, and the next king would be happier keeping you around.
This is a suggestion game: Everyone controls the same people and guild, through votes.
Before we get started, I'll need character sheets for our initial four mages, and a name and location for the guild.
Author
Topic: Arcane Guild of Hybise - Ended (Read 15666 times)