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[evictedSaint]

To reiterate how expense levels work for mages:

Cheap can be cast by any Wizard or Apprentice
Expensive can only by cast by a Wizard
Very Expensive can only be cast by a group of wizards working in tandem, or a very high-level wizard depending on the nature of the spell.
National Effort can only be cast by al-Mutriqa

[Madman198237]

Well then

Just as well it's an academy based a new spell now...Thanks for pointing that out, whoever-did-even-though-I'm-too-lazy-to-scroll-down-and-find-your-name

[Kashyyk]

A magical academy with a specially modified version of Detect Thoughts (where the target has to be willing, nearby and possibly do some of them leg work themselves) sounds reasonable, as a design then, but definitely not a revision.

I could be convinced that trading a design action for an additional revision (plus some sort of bonus to our mages) would be efficient if we could guarantee the credit. But I'm not certain, so I still prefer my Passive Antichronic Reverbramancy.

[Happerry]

Personally, I'd like to research some sort of Heat spell this turn, as the cold is kicking us repeatedly.

Heat From Hell
It's well known by sages that Hell can be accessed by digging deep enough, until one finds a realm of flame and burning stone. More specifically, a very hot realm. This spell calls upon that heat that lies below, and brings it up to the surface to visit hell upon the heretics before they die instead of letting them find out the cost of their sins merely after their death. The sweltering heat arising from the ground in this spells area of effect should be especially effective against our cold loving enemies.

[NUKE9.13]

That's the genius: With a faster casting time, we don't need to.

We cast it at night, at first. And even then, only if we can't carry a single extra mage on our ship (Remember, we're throwing all our knowledge at it to improve all its parts) to sustain and direct the storm.

Madman. Our ships cannot reach the enemy.
Sneak attacks might work, but then you're banking on every aspect of your upgrade working, and even then, sneak attacks are less effective than main-battle attacks (mechanically, I mean). You'd also be risking the lives of senior wizards.
So no, I think we do need some way to get into range safely before Storm Strike will be effective.


Anyway, my suggestion for our design. I tried to think of something fancier, but all my ideas required technology we don't have (what I wouldn't give for an electromotor).

Propulsion Tube: This Adamantium tube (made thereof in order to withstand the high pressure within) is inscribed with wind enchantments, that suck air through it at an incredible rate. It tapers slightly at both ends, to create a focused push/pull effect, providing the tube with plenty of forwards momentum.
We shall attach these tubes to the sides of the Alsamma Safina, on special mounts, allowing the tubes to be rotated to be completely vertical, providing max lift, or completely horizontal, providing max speed. This provides the airship with both the carrying capacity and manoeuvrability it needs to be truly effective. 

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Personally, I'd like to research some sort of Heat spell this turn, as the cold is kicking us repeatedly.

Heat From Hell
It's well known by sages that Hell can be accessed by digging deep enough, until one finds a realm of flame and burning stone. More specifically, a very hot realm. This spell calls upon that heat that lies below, and brings it up to the surface to visit hell upon the heretics before they die instead of letting them find out the cost of their sins merely after their death. The sweltering heat arising from the ground in this spells area of effect should be especially effective against our cold loving enemies.

We already have a Heat Environment spell, so revising that would likely be more efficient

[Madman198237]

NUKE, you're assuming that the ships must REACH the enemy. They have to, with this spell, merely sit tight a little ways away, and direct a storm. Since Alsamma Safinas have no need to land, they just sit tight right above the horizon and call down a storm. Easy...relatively.

Also, the ships can EASILY get in view...and so can a small party of mages. You don't need to risk a mainline army assault or whatever just to see them.

And the point is that skirmishes could EASILY become as important as the battle. If we have mages with our accurate wands of lightning, using the cover of the revamped storm, strike their camps at night and fry their cannons, we will win the battles, every time.

And, darnit, BREECHLOADING!?!?!?! Screw this guys. We're going to have to work out some RAILGUNS soon.



The school should be alright even as a revision---we're effectively making a simpler version of a preexisting spell and integrating it into our study program for young apprentices.

[NUKE9.13]

Godsdammit.

evictedSaint: Is the range our airships currently operate at close enough to cast Hammer/Spear of Allah?

[Kashyyk]

(0)Cannon of Allah -
(1)Passive Antichronic Reverbramancy - Kashyyk
(0)Wrath of Allah -
(0)Heat from Hell -
(0)Propulsion Tube -

Lets see.

The Cannon of Allah is a lightning cannon? I feel we could do more by investing directly into Storm Strike and it's descendants rather than trying to build our own cannons.

Wrath of Allah however, is the right idea. Updating one spell will bring back three spells worth of investment to put us back on top of the artillery contest. Or it would, if it had the range. I'd be willing to vote for this if we traded out the reduced time or number of mages for being able to summon storms at any visible point in the sky. Due to how LoS and the curvature of the earth works, that'd technically be beyond LoS artillery.

Heat from Hell feels like a second way to counter the enemy cold towers, when we've already got a spell we could be improving. It would be better to work more on Desert Winds, or make a load of heated armour. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Changing the temperature of the region would warm our soldiers and the enemy, giving us an advantage whilst removing theirs. It would however involve trying to out design something they've probably put double figures worth of actions into by now. Heated armour would be much easier, as we're only heating very localized areas instead of entire theaters. They would have to put a significant amount of extra effort in to counter it, as most of the energy would effectively be wasted in making areas we aren't in even colder. We'd be able to remove our cold weather disadvantage, but we wouldn't remove their advantage. Make a design doing one of those two and I'd consider switching my vote.

If the Propulsion Tube came with some sort of metric as to how fast the airship could go I'd be interested as well as how easy it would be to change course, but a nebulous faster isn't enough for me yet.

[evictedSaint]

evictedSaint: Is the range our airships currently operate at close enough to cast Hammer/Spear of Allah?

Yeah.  The Hammer can be cast from further away, though, because you just need to see the area you're hitting.  The Spear needs you to actually identify the target you're hitting, but is much more accurate.  Both require Line Of Sight to the target, though.

Your mages can cast Storm Strike, Clear Skies, Hammer, and Spear from the deck of your ships.

[Kashyyk]

Yeah.  The Hammer can be cast from further away, though, because you just need to see the area you're hitting.  The Spear needs you to actually identify the target you're hitting, but is much more accurate.  Both require Line Of Sight to the target, though.

Your mages can cast Storm Strike, Clear Skies, Hammer, and Spear from the deck of your ships.

So as it stands, the Wrath of Allah design will allow our ship-board mages to lightning the crap out of them from the same range as the ballista?

[evictedSaint]

I am wary about saying "this design will work" or "this design won't work"

I'll gladly explain how your current spells work, though.

[NUKE9.13]

Huh. What'd'y'know? Alright then, sign me up for Wrath. If all we need is LoS to Hammer them, it will be quite useful.

(0)Cannon of Allah -
(1)Passive Antichronic Reverbramancy - Kashyyk
(1)Wrath of Allah - NUKE9.13
(0)Heat from Hell -
(0)Propulsion Tube -

[Kashyyk]

I am wary about saying "this design will work" or "this design won't work"

I'll gladly explain how your current spells work, though.

I'll rephrase. Assuming the cold isn't an issue, can mages aboard an Alsamma Safina use Storm Strike and Hammer of Wrath on an enemy at edge of LoS?

[evictedSaint]

Yes, they can cast Storm Strike, the Hammer, and the Spear on targets in their LoS while aboard the ship.  Currently, the lack of cooperatig weather prevents you from using lightning.