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Total Members Voted: 2

[RoseHeart]

So as for spell requirements. If it's just a generic 'mana' there could be resources to make them.

[Glass]

Maybe basic spells would be only mana, but I feel like most spells should require ingredients. Also, let's say we have a pool of 10 mana per turn right now, and a basic enchantment/spell (let's say durability enchantments or magic that can give 4 people the nutritional equivalent of a full meal) would cost 1 mana. And maybe some spells are ingredient-optional, but have a higher mana cost without the ingredient.

[RoseHeart]

Well this is a big guild so shake out some options. Important, even if temporary.

[bloop_bleep]

I've actually been thinking of making a magic mod for DF, so perhaps we can use some of the ideas I came up with.

First of all, the main ingredient in all spells, magical tools, and alchemical constructs is mana, which can be stored in solid form as "mana crystals." There are various kinds of mana, fire, water, earth, lightning, etc. Mana can be obtained in several ways:

• Killing and harvesting the corpses of mana elementals. (Mana elementals will also have different types corresponding to the mana they produce.)
• Finding it in loot chests (Ranger's Guild gets to place these.)
• Extracting it out of the environment (atmosphere, ground, water pools, volcanoes, etc.) using certain tools in magical biomes. (Ranger's Guild also has authority over the placement of these.)

There are also various other ingredients -- "astral dust" can be made from grinding gems, or is found in bags as loot. Spells are actual physical objects, which can be crafted, and have to be stored in crystal orbs to not vaporize instantly. Certain spells require ingredients which can only be harvested from special creatures -- shield spells could need the shells of "perhons," creatures which are nearly impervious to most kinds of magic. Spells have different tiers depending on how powerful their effects are. Spells are fired by wands -- essentially twigs with runes carved on them and plastered with astral dust. Wands also have different tiers -- the higher tiers have higher ranges, higher firing speed, and are able to fire more kinds of spells (wands can only fire spells whose tier is less than or equal to their own.) There could also be specialized wands, wands which can only fire one type of spell (only shield spells, or only fire spells) in exchange for higher wand quality and easier crafting requirements.

Another idea I had is that by combining "elemental shells" (have a small chance of being obtained from the corpses of mana elementals, and can also be crafted) with mana and various other ingredients, you could be able to summon your own mana elementals which can fight for you.

There would also be several alchemical contraptions, for extracting mana from the environment, purifying materials, etc.

If we go with this system, we probably need to compile a list of mana types, as well as a list of basic ingredients and how they can be obtained. Then we need to write out a list of spells, and design the wands. (We could also perhaps design some magical melee weapons; I didn't think of any because those aren't really possible as a DF mod.) Then we can go on to the more complicated things, like summoning mana elementals and doing alchemy.

[Glass]

Smoke Mirrors and I set up a magic system a while ago for Necrothreat; we could use it for mana types. The basics are here, and some add-ons are here.
If you have any questions, just ask.

[bloop_bleep]

Smoke Mirrors and I set up a magic system a while ago for Necrothreat; we could use it for mana types. The basics are here, and some add-ons are here.
If you have any questions, just ask.

Ah! I myself was thinking more material-and-phenomena for mana types, but this could work even better.

I've also thought of several other ingredients for spells and the like, along with vague descriptions of what they're supposed to do, so it's easier to determine which recipes they should and shouldn't go into:

• Astral dust. Can be made by grinding gems; is also in loot chests. Acts as a sort of "conduit" for mana -- it's present in nearly every recipe.
• Pheonix feather. Can be plucked from pheonixes, also commonly found in magical biomes. A quill made from this feather can be used to inscribe runes.
• Unicorn horn. Must be taken from the bodies of unicorns, commonly found in magical biomes. It's widely known that unicorns derive their power from their horns, which keep the unicorn's bodily functions afloat. It acts as a sort of programmable "valve", allowing more structured output of mana, for the more complicated spells.

It seems like finding a magical biome will be pretty important for aspiring wizards (unless we change this up), so perhaps we could invent a way of navigating to one? Or perhaps we won't, and leave the location of magical biomes to rumor and hearsay. Trying to locate a magical biome might make quite the adventure.

[bloop_bleep]

Sorry for the double-post, but I think it's time that we got this show rolling. This game is hardly even functional yet. Glass, could you please set up a ballot for my magic system, just to make it official (or reject it)? If the vote passes, I'll contact the Ranger's Guild and tell them to work magical biomes into the map, and start designing the pheonix and unicorn creatures.

[Glass]

Edit made to the poll list in the third post, and added an actual poll.

[bloop_bleep]

Well, three days have passed, which is the length of time roseheart allotted for the Merchant's Guild elections. Granted, I'm the only one who has voted, so should we wrap up the poll now, or wait a bit longer?

[RoseHeart]

As the main election is going on till March 2nd. We'll extend guild ones till that time. (I will be voting Glass).
As they should overlap, usually.

My question is how does the magic create jobs? And for whom?

Let's get atleast some "ambient" non-consequential weather going soon please.

The Rangers Guild will always be happy to help seed incrediants in the world. We will just use the most fitting areas we have, and change it(do to overgrazing or over harvesting ect) when a BETTER area is available.

We DO need a wizard liaison at the Rangers Guild to represent you there, and us here.

[Glass]

I believe that we decided that the weather is currently clear. Or maybe it was rainy.
The point is that we definitely decided on something. I'm just not sure what it was.

[bloop_bleep]

+1 to any ambient, inconsequential weather. I personally would prefer sunny weather, to set a theme for a "promising new day."

Magic creates jobs by allowing a way for characters to gain power, as a sort of character progression. Players will need to go on quests to obtain the ingredients they need to make more and more powerful tools and spells, which they can use to go on Ranger quests to make gold for themselves, or perhaps to get even more powerful tools and spells. A starting mage quest could be trekking to a magical biome to kill mana elementals for basic spell/wand ingredients, for example.

Once I finish the details of the combat system I'll help the Ranger's Guild design a type of mana elemental (perhaps red? or yellow?) so we can get this quest up and going.

[Glass]

Blue elementals would be most common, as that's the color of magic that pertains to... well... magic. Grey ones would likely come next.
Presumably, all non-physical elementals (which would likely be the blue, purple, indigo, and possibly orange elementals) contain at least some blue magic, while the physical ones (likely green, red, grey, and yellow) have some amount of yellow magic.
I don't think you'd be able to find naturally-occurring violet elementals.

But yeah, based on the colors system SM and I made, anyone who doesn't have some amount of inborn magic will need either someone with powerful blue magic to give them some, or else need a yellow mage to make them a tool to channel magic with, so yellow elementals should be a good first quest.

[RoseHeart]

I mean the weather should be changing.

Perhaps for these crystals, they need to be identified by a wizard to use.

[bloop_bleep]

So are we going to use inborn magic then? My original idea was that magic would be more of a skill which anybody can use, given enough practice and ingredients. Makes it more inclusive.