Idea to spur magick hatred

[Ktavialt]

I'm all for helping to make for a more brutal, hate-filled environment
on Zalanthas and I think I know a skill of sorts which would add to it,
somatic concealment.

Basically, if you don't know what it is, it's an AD&D skill which allows
a mage to cast a spell without drawing attention to himself. I think it
would add to the fear and hatred of magickers, being that someone
could cast a spell, possibly harming you or a friend, and you may not
know who it is. Currently, if a magicker casts a spell in Allanak, sure
they may hurt you, but they're basically screwed, so they don't do it.
Being in a crowd, and not knowing which person casted a spell on
you or another I think would be awesome. Also, having it not 100%
chance of being wanted each time you cast a spell outside of your
'naki temple would be cool too.

Anyways, I think it's an awesome idea, but flame on.

[Armaddict]

I could see long-lived, extremely experienced magickers doing it.  Controlling the magick well enough to be able to be somewhat discrete.

[EvilRoeSlade]

That would be pretty god damn cool.

[X-D]

Yup, I like it, high end branched skill of course.

[Ktavialt]

I could see long-lived, extremely experienced magickers doing it.  Controlling the magick well enough to be able to be somewhat discrete.

Well, consider this. Right now when you cast a spell you see something
like 'Winds swirl around [PC]', or so forth, I don't see it as that
particularly difficult for a PC to keep those winds from swirling around
you in the first place. Even the most basic spells to a Whiran do far, far
more powerful things that still the winds around you. Speaking of, perhaps
rather than somatic concealment, a spell such as 'Still Winds', if it isn't
in already, could be made. Main effect being that if you're out in the
desert, sand doesn't blow around you blinding you even in a harsh
sandstorm, secondary effect being when you cast, those "I know exactly
whose casting this spell" winds don't swirl around you. Better yet, make
it randomly swirl around someone else. Would be nice to see someone
who isn't a magicker accused of having the power. As for the other
elements, I dunno what happens when they cast, but I'm sure something
similar would be do-able.

Now I'm not saying a neophyte, "just learned how to cause a breeze"
magicker could do it, but I don't think you gotta be an ultra-experienced
elder magicker either. For game balance issues, if you wanna say that,
then perhaps. But for reasonableness, I'm not very convinced.

Right now Allanak is pretty much an impregnable fortress to magickers
(excluding the 'rinth), and at least in Allanak, the hatred and fear for
magick is somewhat artificial. I say lets give it some substance.

[Lazloth]

You're off-topic, Ktavialt.

Regarding the somatic thing, neat idea, but if implemented, what caster would use a traditional cast (unless the hidden mode had a mana penalty or somesuch).  And short of being nifty, what's it adding?  A mechanism to avoid a crimflag on success and suppressing echoes?

[Armaddict]

I think it adds an element of surprise.  As is, -everyone-, including those completely untrained, know casting is happening.  I agree, it's hard to be afraid of something that everytime it uses what you fear, it's instantly cut down.  What's to worry, the soldiers will handle it with brutal efficiency.

What it adds, is the reason for commoners to hate them.  Never know when those shifty magickers are cursing you.  They just come out of nowhere.  Something bad happened to me a few days ago, I bet that magicker I saw did something that I didn't even know about!

It also makes magickers much more employable by people...if they could exert their powers without being noticed doing it...perhaps they could help the business, somewhat.  But damn, that templar will notice, I bet.  I dunno, I think it adds a nice facet for magickers to play, and for how people will react to them, since it would then -really- be possible for them to do things without you knowing.

[Larrath]

As long as balance is maintained (no discrete, I-don't-know-who-did-it fireballs), I think this idea has a lot of potential as a mid-range or high-end ability.

I don't know about the 'still winds' example, but a more generic 'silent casting' could be good.  Well, whatever, really...maybe it could be kept to only some types of magickers.  Either way, I think it could be useful for more secret magickers that live in either Allanak or Tuluk.

Of course, only a handful of spells should be applicable for the non-crimflag thing, since we really don't want Krathis running around and burninating the countryside without having to worry about any concenquences.


I leave it to the powers of be to decide.  Personally, I am for this idea.

[Ktavialt]

You're off-topic, Ktavialt.

Regarding the somatic thing, neat idea, but if implemented, what caster would use a traditional cast (unless the hidden mode had a mana penalty or somesuch).  And short of being nifty, what's it adding?  A mechanism to avoid a crimflag on success and suppressing echoes?

Don't know how I'm off topic, it's Code Discussions? Am I wrong?

Actually when I first thought of it, I did think a mana penalty, or perhaps
a much greater chance of failure, or both, would be a good thing. I just
forgot to add it, and when I make suggestions, it doesn't mean that my
particular style to the suggestion is the say all end all to how it's done.

What it is adding is it makes it so casting spells in town isn't certain death
for magickers. Because of this additional power given to magickers,
commoners will actually fear magickers in town as well as out. Given this
ability, I could see the common taverns not allowing magickers in it, I
could see commoners pressing templars to keep the magickers in line, and
to make sure that they're properly gemmed. I could see three Bynners
sitting in the Gaj, while all of a sudden one of them gets afflicted by a
spell [not going into IC specifics, but I'm very aware of spells that can
be brutal in a single dose], a cloaked man ends up running away and the
group goes chasing after him to find out who it is. I could also see a
person whose friend getting hurt like this taking a hatred to a commoner
that is being far too nice to a gemmed elementalist in a "You know what
that thing's capable of?!?" kind of way. I could see one known Drovian
getting killed by commoners because a different unknown Drovian casted
a spell which hurt his friend.

All of the above, I see, are -good- environmental effects on Zalanthas,
which is really the aim I have in suggesting this idea.

- Ktavialt

[EvilRoeSlade]

Regarding the somatic thing, neat idea, but if implemented, what caster would use a traditional cast (unless the hidden mode had a mana penalty or somesuch).  And short of being nifty, what's it adding?  A mechanism to avoid a crimflag on success and suppressing echoes?

There are a number of drawbacks that could be added to a skill like that.  But the biggest one is already inherent: risk of failure.  Like the steal skill but far worse, failing at this skill would seriously fucck you over.

As for what it would accomplish, it would give magickers a mechanism to harass the populace.  Increasing the friction between the two groups, as well as making it a good deal less one-sided, could only be a good thing.

[wizturbo]

I really really really like this idea.  

Templars and other magickers should be able to determine the source of a spell though.  This would give more experienced magickers a bit more leeway in using their arts, where in the cities its absolute suicide to do so.

[Ghost]

Brilliant idea indeed.

[adgohan]

This is a great idea. If it suppressed the criminal code, it would be a good way to bring the fear of gemmed magickers back into existence, where I believe it is currently severely lacking.

It doesn't really address the problem with the fear of magickers(warriors/rangers attacking elementalists straight up in the wild after they cast, though it may prevent people from noticing them as much) but I'd say it's a damn good start.

[JollyGreenGiant]

since we really don't want Krathis running around and burninating the countryside

And all the thatched roof cottages.

I really like this idea, for all of the reasons everyone has mentioned.  Perhaps to maintain balance, the skill can be toggled on and off, and when on, increases the chance of spell failure, regardless of whether or not you succeed at your "still spell" skill check?

[spawnloser]

Ktavialt, your post in Ask The Staff about this would probably best be sent to the mud account email rather than posted in Ask The Staff.

Editted to add: Oh, and idea it in game.

[Ktavialt]

Ktavialt, your post in Ask The Staff about this would probably best be sent to the mud account email rather than posted in Ask The Staff.

Editted to add: Oh, and idea it in game.

Well its already posted so... oopsie, but I'll do the other two, hopefully
the staff won't think I'm trying to bombard them with this idea, since
ultimately its really their call and coding resources .

[Dakkon Black]

Has someone Idead this? Because this would be a skill that would add much to the game system.

[Sir Diealot]

What if, instead of a skill.. it's a new 'word'. .like 'nil'.. that costs something like double or triple the mana to use, and has a MUCH higher chance of failure, until you kick -ass- at the spell.

Also, some spells shouldn't be able to use that word to cast ..fireball for one.

[Krath]

Im not going to lie, a skill like this, would scare the living shit out of my PC, if he ever found out
magickers could do something like this. Could you imagine, not being able to tell when the most
dangerous and feared people in the world could not be caught doing such things!  Awesome I like it.

[Angela Christine]

Im not going to lie, a skill like this, would scare the living shit out of my PC, if he ever found out
magickers could do something like this. Could you imagine, not being able to tell when the most
dangerous and feared people in the world could not be caught doing such things!  Awesome I like it.

But how does your PC know that they can't do this now?  I don't think that most people know that you have to stand unarmed and make a spectacle of yourself to cast a spell.  It could be that tapping his fingers on the top of the bar or fiddling with with his earring is all he needs to do to cast a spell.  Maybe all he need to do to curse you is give you the evil eye.


AC

[Krath]

Maybe all he need to do to curse you is give you the evil eye.

A new reason to fear female PCs  :shock:

[Twilight]

For coded spells, I suppose its fine.  However, I would only suppress the initial message, letting people you know you are casting.  I wouldn't suppress any following messages (if any), and I wouldn't suppress the crim code all -that- much.

You don't fear a magicker because he comes up to your face and casts a spell at you, right in front of you, right where you can hack off his head.  You fear a magicker because she sits in her temple with a lock of your hair and makes your head crumple into a putrid mass of goo as you are lying in the comfort of your crowded hovel.

The populace doesn't fear magickers because of coded spells.  The populace has no freaking clue what a coded spell is.  Almost all of them have no idea what someone casting a spell looks like.  They do know that magickers are damn dangerous, and can do weird, amazing, and destructive things.  Thats about it.

You just need to forget what you know about the code.

This includes magicker players.  I think if magicker characters used means beyond the code, ie mailing the staff with other magickal alternatives, and assuming it ever became known, you would see people fear magickers a lot more than even this skill suggestion.  But thats just IMHO.

[Akaramu]

This is the best idea since the invention of the wheel.

I'm seriously tired of people not taking my magickers seriously because they OOCly know how easily an elementalist can supposedly be killed, and how limited they supposedly are. =P

You know who you are!

[DustMight]

I like this idea as well.  Does the inspiration for it come from the Dark Sun gaming system?  I remember rules for Sorcerers to allow for this kind of undetected casting?  I always wondered why it wasn't part of the game world brought over to the online version.

[Ktavialt]

For coded spells, I suppose its fine.  However, I would only suppress the initial message, letting people you know you are casting.  I wouldn't suppress any following messages (if any), and I wouldn't suppress the crim code all -that- much.

You don't fear a magicker because he comes up to your face and casts a spell at you, right in front of you, right where you can hack off his head.  You fear a magicker because she sits in her temple with a lock of your hair and makes your head crumple into a putrid mass of goo as you are lying in the comfort of your crowded hovel.

The populace doesn't fear magickers because of coded spells.  The populace has no freaking clue what a coded spell is.  Almost all of them have no idea what someone casting a spell looks like.  They do know that magickers are damn dangerous, and can do weird, amazing, and destructive things.  Thats about it.

You just need to forget what you know about the code.

This includes magicker players.  I think if magicker characters used means beyond the code, ie mailing the staff with other magickal alternatives, and assuming it ever became known, you would see people fear magickers a lot more than even this skill suggestion.  But thats just IMHO.

In my forty-five or some such characters, I have never seen a magicker
turn anyone's head into a pile of goo, or anything even remotely close to
that. Sure, you don't know about magick as a commoner, but in order to
actually fear something, someone has to at least see -something- that's
crazy. This will let magickers actually do that something.

- Ktavialt