User:Crush/Magic System

These are just some ideas i have regarding the magic system.

Casting spells

• Player selects a spell to cast, casting time begins
  • Keyboard and mouse: Hotkey or selecting from spell menu
  • Gamepad: Open ring menu with available spells with "spell button", use cursor keys to select spell, press "attack button" to cast spell
• During the casting time the player selects the target
  • Keyboard and mouse: Player clicks on target
  • Gamepad: Cursor keys to cycle through available targets for target-based skills, ground cursor that is controlled by cursor keys for ground-based skills, "attack button" to log in target
• When the casting time is over and the target has been logged in the spell is cast (that means spellcasters can delay a spell by not selecting a target)

Available spells

Every spell has a minimum skill level required for using it. To use a spell the character has to carry a spellbook describing the spell in its inventory. Common spellbooks can be bought from NPCs, rare spells are obtained through quests or dropped by magic-related enemies.

The number of spellbooks the character can carry with it at the same time is limited by its wisdom. Books for more powerful spells require more wisdom.

IDEA: Spellbooks can be copied by a crafting skill. More powerful spells require more expensive components (paper and ink) and have a higher chance of failing when the skill level is low. Failing destroys both the material and the original spellbook so attempting to copy rare spells will be a tough decision.

IDEA: Special "Batch Spellbooks" that carry multiple spells and require less wisdom than all individual spells together.

IDEA: Spellbooks can be enchanted to change the attributes of the spell (damage, casstime, range, required wisdom...). This makes the choice of spells even bigger. Enchanting a spellbook can fail and cause it to be destroyed.

Casting time

spell_casttime * (min_skilllevel / current_skilllevel)

Types of spells

Effects

Negative:

Damage

Just plain old damage to a single target.

Splash damage

Hurts the target and targets around it with reduced power.

Damage over time

Hurts the target at regular intervals

Attribute reduction

Reduction of an attribute by percentual or absolute value. Might or might not stack.

Positive:

Healing

self-explaining.

Healing over time

Heals the target at regular intervals.

Attribute increase

Reduction of an attribute by percentual or absolute value.

Restore

Removes negative effects.

Targeting modes

Single-targeted spells

Targeted spells are spells that hit exactly one target.

Area-targeted spells

Area spells can be cast on any position the caster has a sightline to.

Cross-target spells

Same as Area but will attack in more than one direction (four-ways, left-and-right, front-and-back, etc.)

Untargeted spells

Spells that have a fixed damage zone based on the position and heading of the caster

Diminutive spells

Same as Untargeted but the damage zone changes size depending on the distance from the caster.

Projectile spells

Spells that are cast like single-targeted spells but fly towards the target and hit the first enemy they collide with.

Rapid spells

Multiple weak Projectile spells, much like a rapid-fire gun. Functions the same as Projectile but can hit multiple enemies.

Spell ideas

Spell	Element	Effect	Target	Further description
[element] Bolt	(one for each)	damage	projectile
Call [element]	(one for each)	damage	single
[element] Nova	(one for each)	splash damage	single
[element] Ball	(one for each)	splash damage	projectile
[element] Explosion	(one for each)	damage	area
[element] Storm	(one for each)	damage over time	area