Cadwallon MUSH Redux

[Ataru]

Greetings friends!

After a period of leaving the internet (and TV and basically everything ... the monastic life is fun like that), I am returning to the development of a MUSH based on the Cadwallon RPG (now defunct rpg designed by Rakham who develop miniatures).

The original discussion on this development can be found in this thread: http://wora.netlosers.com/index.php?topic=1534.0

Anyway, going to use this thread for brainstorming various ideas, pinging interest and general discussion on its development. The old DB with the work that was already done is still intact, so its just a matter of getting back to where I left off.

Due to its out-of-printness, here is a link to a PDF (not great quality mind you) of the main book for those interested:

http://www.geocities.com/attolmo/Cadwallon.-.Players.Book.pdf

In any case, if people are interested feel free to mail me here or find me at OGR as Ataru. Good to be back!

[Ataru]

Just a few updates ....

There's a website! http://cadwallon.isunlimited.net with links to a forum and wiki.  The wiki is lower in priority right now so not much going on there. The forums for the moment will be a place to post updates on development, discussion, etc etc. Feel free to register if you want to or just follow here.

As detailed in the old thread, we will be using FUDGE.  I am currently working on integrating Cadwallon specific themes of its mechanics into the Fudge system, which is thankfully easily customizable. There was a discussion at one point about how the proposed attributes forced Choice of Action ... I've attempted to address this and will post about that in more detail later.

Theme and setting files with its various fluff is closer to finished than not now. Chargen is being worked on as well as the various +fudge files detailing the system.

The biggest project is Building. The city of Cadwallon is very well detailed in the books and I hope to include all the very intesting and cool locations in the city onto the grid without bloating it. For now I will be focusing on creating just one of the fiefdoms of the city, Soma, as it is the port of entrance for people ICly arriving in Cadwallon. That should provide a good starting point of RP when we open up for BETA. Again if anyone is interested in receiving updates more regularly feel free to register on the forums or email cadwallonmush@gmail.com and I'll put you on the mailing list. Thanx!

[Ataru]

Just an update ...

* +NEWS files on theme and setting are coming along smashingly. Probably about 75% done now.

* Initial Build of grid of the fiefdom of Soma will start this week, as I'd like to get that district of the city built for Beta RP.

* Chargen has some more tweaks to go and *cross fingers* its looking like once I can see the old CryptMUX Magic system, something based on that will be used and will need to be installed.

* Also tweaking of little things like +census and other such sundries.

[Blue]

Crypt was done with the Amber Diceless RPG system, and (if I recall) its scale was kind of all over the place. I don't know how compatible that'll be with a FUDGE-based system that uses dice and scales more evenly.

[Ataru]

Yeah ... I'm looking at the CryptMUX stuff now ... its a loose guide really ... the basics of the Fudge system will stay but it was more the way sources of magic combined with the sub-school was laid out I was more interested in

[Blue]

Cool!   I'm glad it worked out for you.  It's been (holy shit!) roughly fifteen years since Crypt closed down, and I was never very involved with the magic there, so my memory of it was fuzzy at best.

Does this mean you're using a different flavour to the magic of the setting than is found in the Cadwallon source book?  Just a point of curiosity, rather than anything else.

[Ataru]

Magic is a bit complicated in Cadwallon, but here's a basic rundown along with the main issues to deal with.

First there are basically three different types of magic ... Incantation (Arcane type casting), Divination (Divine type casting) and Tarot Magic (very Cadwallon city specific).

First Incarnation. Magic is fueled by the essence from the Realms (planes of existence that touch the world of Aarklash) and are generally elemental based (Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Light and Darkness). In order to use magic, a person needs to have a gem which has one of these elements instilled within it ... there are Ephemeral Gems (good for one spell) and Immortal Gems (which recharge themselves). Basically they are the mana of the elements crystallized. A group called the Voyagers travel to the Realms and collect the gems to sell throughout Aarklash.

ISSUE: Here is the main issue. The idea of gems and their use is very much geared towards the Tactical game mechanics of Cadwallon RPG which we aren't using. So ... do we get rid of gems altogether or not? Do we issue an Immortal Gem of a casters main element at chargen but gems of other elements they'll have to acquire ICly? How do we approach this? Do we have the use of gems purely RPed or do we create that as special objects with their own code?

Now there are a lot of Paths of Magic. Depending upon the culture someone comes from, they are generally geared towards a specific Path ... Orcs for instance generally start with the Path of Instinctive Magic. Other paths may be acquired later. The Paths are:

*Air: Magic that has to do with movement, emotions and the element of air itself ... generally practiced by swindlers, spies and thieves.
Black Magic: Magic that uses blood and suffering, the sacrifice of living beings and the like, mainly practiced by Akkyshan elves.
Chtonian: The dark magic that deals with the depths of the earth, draining energy from living things and corruption, mainly practiced by Mid-Nor dwarves.
*Darkness: Used for bringing suffering and terror to others and is used by those who fight for Darkness itself.
*Earth: Deals with making one invulnerable and tough and protection and the element of earth itself. Often used by those who deal wishing to be tougher.
Fayery: Working with nature and the fay, generally used by Daikinee elves.
*Fire: Powerful and unstable, Fire deals with the element itself is often used by warriors, soldiers and brutes.
Hermetism: Magic as an art and a science, invented by the mages of Alahan and linked with Light.
Howls: The preferred path of the Devourers of Vile-Tis ("evil" Wolfen), it deals with the bestial nature of things.
Instinctive: Restricted in use to the Orcs, Instinctive magic breaks the rules by using neutral (non-elemental) energy to fuel it in order to commune with nature.
*Light: This magic has to deal with peace, both inner and exterior. It is soothing and illuminating and used by peacemakers.
Necromancy: Allows for the speaking with the dead, giving appearance of life to death ... basically necromancy. Preferred by those from the Barony of Acheron.
**Primagy: This is basic magic, used by every culture, not really a path at all. It has to deal with basic spells (like aura reading, minor curing, minor strengthening, etc etc)
Shamanism: Used mainly by the Sessair Kelts, it has to deal with the close relationship with nature, the use of talismans, etc.
Solaris: Drawing power from Light, it is almost a technology, using magic to fuel various effects. Developed and generally used only by Cynwall elves.
Sorcery: Used by the goblins of the No-Dan-Kar Empire, it uses writing, calligraphy and glyphs. Similar to the onmyoji occult tradition of Japan ... or "paper magic".
Technomancy: The Science of the alchemists of Dirz, it is the combination of organic and mineral ... biology, genetics and magic all in one (Yes think Dr. Frankenstein).
Tellurism: The manipulation of lines of earthly energy through alchemical methods. Used often by the dwarves of Tir-Na-Bor.
Theurgy: Used by the Akkylanians, it is not seen as occult magic but a gift from their monotheistic god, Merin (different than Divine magic though).
*Water: Myterious and fleeting, Water deals with the element itself and is used by many interested in the art of concealment.
Whispers: The magic used by the Wolfen of Yllia, while similar to Howls, it is more controlled, less wild.

* These are the base elemental paths and are available to any culture. All the others are generally more culturally specific, although that does not exclude them from others.
** Primagy is basic magic ... its possible that a Fair rating in this may be given to call spellcasters for free out of chargen. Not sure yet.

ISSUE: Okie. There are A LOT of Paths. Most of them are culturally specific though. So the question is ... how to incorporate it all. Lets say you have someone in chargen who creates a dwarf of Tir-Na-Bor ... their preferred Path is Tellurism. In chargen do you allow them only to purchase Tellurism and base Elemental paths? Open all paths up as they wish to purchase? Keep in mind if someone takes Cadwe (someone born and raised in Cadwallon) as their culture, all paths are open to them from the get go ... or should that be the case? Things to discuss and decide on.

[Ataru]

Okie ... now Divination, or Divine Magic ....

Divine Magic is not fueled by the elementals but by the gods. It also has paths, called Litanies. Each has its own flavor and is generally associated with a particular cult. They are:

Universal Litany: These abilities are common to all the cults and can be accessed by each of them, well at least if spends points in the Litany. They are generally about simple healing, protection and divination.
Litany of Light: Those who serve the gods of goodness  are interested in protection, not destruction ... interested in the preservation of civilization.
Litany of Darkness: The work of Evil in the world. Followers of warlike and evil gods, interested in destruction, massacre and submission. Followers are ambitious and power hungry.
Litany of Destiny: Followers of wild, ancient and merciless gods, they are about survival, nature and instinct and are in harmony with Creation.
Litany of Felicity: Heralds of Felicity center around the circles of Cadwallon power, prevelant within the Duke's court and the retinues of the peers. The only ones who have the power to perform a spell which naturalizes one as a Cadwe citizen. It does not have to do with the gods and more about faith in the City of Thieves itself.
Litany of Pain: Another relatively Cadwe specific faith, it is about the suffering of others, sharing the suffering and relieving it. Followed by the cult known as the Minstrels of Pain. Friends to the poor and downtrodden of Cadwallon.
Litany of Destiny: While sharing the same name as above, this is the cult of the Bards of Destiny, with roots in Cadwallon and linked to the beliefs of the Daikinee elves.
Litany of the Aegis: The dwarven litany following the gods living at the top of the Aegis Mountains. Restricted to dwarves and about protecting their people and culture.
Litany of Merin: Akkylannie (a human empire) has one cult, the monotheistic faith that follows Merin. Militaristic with missionaries everywhere ... they even have a Pope. Think High Church.
Litany of Quithayran The original religion of the elves, but now only by the Daikinee elves. It is about harmony with nature, faerie and the cycle of life and death.

Divine magic uses prayer, rituals and various customs (each specific to a Litany).

ISSUE: None really ... just the same general issues with magic and how to incorporate it into the FUDGE system.

I'll detail in the next post the last type of magic, Tarot Magic, and then point out a couple other issues.

[Whirlwind]

In the setting, can anyone crack open a spellbook and (with the right sort of gem for the right sort of spell) start firing off Incantation magic? Or is it limited by having to be born with the knack, or develop the knack, or spend a prohibitive amount of training time, etc.. ?

I'd say feel free to ditch worrying about who has what gems, unless the gems are the only thing that prevents everyone from using magic daily.

[Ataru]

Last is Tarot Magic. This is VERY specific to the city of Cadwallon and generally not found in the rest of Aarklash. It has to do with the finding of the original Tarot by Duke Vanius, the first Duke of Cadwallon. Each of these Tarot cards were very powerful artifacts and he gave them to the first peers of the fiefdoms. Centuries later, copies of the Tarot have been made (the originals are held by some of the peers, some are lost) and other cards added.

You have two different types of spellcasters who follow Taromancy ...

Tarot-Mages: The true inheritors of Taromancy. Through the bonding of themselves with a Cadwallon tarot deck, they gain the ability to use their cards for various effects of enhancement, protection and the like.
Cartomancers: Lesser tarot-mages. They don't have the full range of powers, but are generally seen as the users of the Tarot for divination.

Taromancy is comprised of different uses ... these are:

Divination: This is basically card-reading. Depending on whether the tarot-mage or cartomancer is following the Set of Doors or the Voice of the Keys, they can get different results and that have impact.
Evocations: This uses the cards to enhance himself or others ... generally requiring two cards in hand.
Invocations: Tarot-Mages can use the cards to summon arcane familiars (based upon the card used). These little familiars are useful in many ways. Invocations are used to enchance the familiars for specific tasks.
Sublimations: This requires the destruction of one of the Tarot-Mages cards and so is rarely used (as it requires them to go through the harrowing experience of bonding with a new deck). It transforms their summoned arcane familiar into a full-fledged elemental.
Abjurations: This ability has to do with counterspelling. Tarot-Mages are the only ones who have the ability to negate or stop the magic cast by another spell caster (whether arcane or divine).

Okay ... Taromancy is a bit different in its set up from the other types of magic. Instead of paths, they have various abilities which all users have access to in some degree. Their limitation is that it all requires the use of their cards and without the tarot cards, they have no power at all. Also the abilities of the Tarot-Mages only work within the boundaries of the city of Cadwallon itself (Cartomancers can use their more limited abilities anywhere).

ISSUE: With its different set up, how do we incorporate Taromancy appropriately into the FUDGE system in-game so that it works with the others forms of magic?

[Ataru]

Hey Whirlwind,

1. Gems are a limited commodity, totally controlled by the Voyagers and then further controlled by those groups which act as corporate-go-betweens to the general populace. Remember, except in Cadwallon, the rest of Aarklash is in the middle of a world-spanning war. So essentially gems are in high demand in order to fuel the magics of war. Because of this, people aren't casting spells willy-nilly ... their not going to waste the one-time-use ephemeral gems on anyting unimportant, and even the recharging immortal gems can be used only so much per day before it needs to recharge.

2. Your first question is a good one. It is only prohibitive when it comes to training time really ... people aren't born with a special gift for magic. Anyone can learn it if they put the time into it. However, despite this you don't have a huge number of spellcasters in Aarklash. It is not like, lets say Eberron, where magic is fueling everything around you. Many of these Paths and Litanies are tightly controlled by the cultures from which they come. Even Taromancy, the Cadwallon specific form of magic, is not wide-spread (although a lot of Cadwallons have decks, use them in card games and generally consider it a national icon), due to the harrowing experience associated with bonding oneself to a deck.

In the setting, can anyone crack open a spellbook and (with the right sort of gem for the right sort of spell) start firing off Incantation magic? Or is it limited by having to be born with the knack, or develop the knack, or spend a prohibitive amount of training time, etc.. ?

I'd say feel free to ditch worrying about who has what gems, unless the gems are the only thing that prevents everyone from using magic daily.

[Ataru]

So ... a few issues.

1. In the system each Path, Litany and ability of Taromancy has with it about 6-8 specific spells (listing specific gem cost, duration, other statistics) with specific results. The FUDGE system is about having a rating from Terrible to Excellent in a specific system. So do I rank each spell within those categories and they open up as people raise those levels, or do I make more general descriptions of what people can do at certain levels in a Path or Litany and let people make up specific effects?

For example: The Chthonian path has these spells listed -- Celerity of Shadows (Cost 2 Fire), Confusion (Cost 3 Fire), Curse (Cost 3 Fire), Harassment (Cost 1 Fire), Hydra's Resilience (Cost 2 Fire), Putrefying Skin (Cost 2 Fire). And that's it. Do I make Harassment the Fair level ability, the Cost 2 ones the Good level abilities and Confusion the Excellent level ability? Or do I describe the types of abilities Chthonian has to deal with and describe the extent to which people can effect things depending on their level in it and allow them to come up with specific effects?

This is really one of the BIG issues to deal with.

2. How to make the gems work. As mentioned above. Do we just have people RP their use out? Do we have people's level in a Path, Litany etc determine how many spells they can cast rather than the extent of effects (thus reflecting their gem power)? For example if someone is Good at Water, they can use X number of spells per day with their Immortal Water gem + X number of spells (of extra one-use ephemeral gems)? So in other words should the Terrible-Excellent levels of FUDGE in a Path determine the fuel stored in an immortal gem rather than the array of abilities? Or do we use coded-objects for gems, which when someone uses an ability (however that is done from Issue #1), they then +use gem and it drains power from that gem which has a specific number of "charges" per day ... with ephemeral ones usable only once.

3. Also keep in mind that only Incantations (arcane magic) uses gems. So a system needs to be incorporated that is similar across all three different types of magics while still taking into consideration the gems. Divine magic and Tarot magic do not require the use of gems ... so how the use of those abilities are limited and described needs to both different (in the exclusion of gems) yet similar enough so as not to be too confusing in chargen (both for the player and the code).

The magic system is really cool, but its incorporation into FUDGE is going to be a main sticking point.

[Ataru]

Posting here from the Cadwallon Forums:

Okie ... so I'm starting to get some ideas and one of them is to rework the Paths. There won't be specific spells, but merely examples of what one is able to do depending on their potential rating in a path (Terrible, Fair or Good .... I've eliminated Great altogether. Cadwallon is not about awe-inspiring, world shattering magical power. Such magic is possible but only under unusual circumstances and can be RPed out under the direction of staff).  I've decided to keep the gems, however they are not always required. For spells of Terrible difficulty, they must only be in the casters possession. For spells of Fair or Good, a gem may effect the results of a magic roll depending on what kind it is. An ephemeral gem (of the appropriate element for the spell/path) can reduce the difficulty of a spell by one, but is then destroyed in the process. An immortal gem has 1-4 power points to it (All mages receive an immortal gem of rating 1 out of chargen in their appropriate element for their primary path for free. 2-3 level gems are rare and their acquisition or purchase must be RPed out. Rating 4 gems are nigh near impossible to find and would requires a whole storyline to acquire). One can use the gems to add +1 to their rolls to the limit of the gem itself. (So if one had a Rating 2 Earth gem, they could cast two spells at +1 to their rolls for an Earth powered sphere, or one spell at +2 to the roll). Once used up a gem is restored of its power points only after a day has passed (essentially in game that means one would have those power points to spend per encounter unless RPwise another encounter happened ina time frame just following the first one. For the most part people should have all their power points to use from their gems each encounter in game). Even if an immortal gem is drained of its power points that does not mean it is dead. It can still be used as a requirement to cast spells in general, it just can't be used to add a benefit to the rolls.

Now for those who have the book, the paths just present various spells. I am redesigning the paths ... the next posts will be what I've done for three of those paths. Please let me know what you think.

EDIT: It should be noted that the gem stuff is only for the arcane type Paths ... I haven't worked yet on the Divine or Tarot stuff yet and how to deal with those.

[Ataru]

Air

Drawing on the Realms of Air, those who pursue this Path are capable of not only the elemental control over air itself, but also the moods and emotions of those around them. The caster must have an Air gem (ephemeral or immortal) with them in order to fuel their spells.

Decorum: The preferred path of the culture of the caster.

Terrible: At this level, the caster can stir or quell gentle breezes or send short messages over short distances. The caster is also able to sense the moods of those around them in limited ways, detecting powerful emotions such as hostility, anger or other passions.

Fair: A Fair caster in the sphere of air is able to summon stiff breezes or stop them. They can also effect the weather in a small area (in game terms, the area of effect would be the district of a fiefdom), but only to a small degree from the already existing weather. For example bringing dark clouds to a clear day, rain when its already cloudy or intesifying a spring rain into a thunderstorm. Also the caster is now able to detect more subtle moods around them, gaining an empathic ability to sense such less passionate emotions such as fear, hesitation, contentment, etc. Finally, the caster is able to speak the language of the Sihirs and elementals from the Realms of Air.

Good: The power to create powerful winds is now attained. Such winds could break the branches from trees, hurl unresisting objects and slow down a creature attempting to move agains it to a snails crawl. Flying creatures must land or risk severe injury, and the howls of the winds can be so strong as to prevent someone from hearing another speak. The caster is able to withstand any winds or other effects of this rank or lower as they weave a calm shield of air about them. Weather can now be effected in a larger area (an entire fiefdom) and can be made more severe, such as turning a calm day into a raging thunderstorm. Also at this level, the caster is able to use the currents of air to fly. Finally, at Good level, the air caster is able to now effect the emotions of others, stirring one to anger, civility or the like. Only one target may be effected at a time, and one can only effection emotions, not command another person to act in a particular way or make specific decisions. The air caster is now respected by Sihirs and elementals of air (or feared depending on the situation) and they receive a bonus when parlaying with them.

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Black Magic

Favoured by the Akkyshan elves, Black Magic is born of blood and suffering. Casters must periodically sacrifice living creatures in order to fuel their magical capabilities. Whenever a spell of Black Magic is cast, those in the area gain a feeling of uneasiness, which is strong the more powerful the spell is. In order to cast any spells, along with period sacrifices, the Black Magician must also have a Darkness gem in their possession.

Decorum: Mages of this path look like they are weaving a web before them, all the while making deep sounds.

Terrible: At its basic level, Black Magic can be used to cause uneasiness and a sick feeling in others, as well as mildly enchance the caster. By drawing on the power of blood, the caster is able to cause another to feel sickened or nauseated, causing distraction. Also, the caster can gain the power to see the webs of magic in an area to determine their source and effect (in game terms able with enough time to detect the Path of magic used, the elemental source of the mana and given enough time the effect produced), even days after its casting as a residual "cobweb" of sorts.

Fair: The Fair caster in Black Magic is now able to harm others directly. By drawing on the dark power within them, they are able to cause wounds to open up where they touch another as they cause webs of magical darkness to slice through the skin. They can also, from a distance cause a target to suffer from extreme nausea and sickness so that they are immobilized for a short time by vomiting and coughing (only living creatures are so effected). The caster of Black Magic at this level is able to enchance their own bodies by becoming swifter, stronger and to improve their minds or resolve (in game terms a temporary +1 bonus to a roll).

Good: Finally, at Good level, the caster of Black Magic is now able, from a distance, to open up bleeding wounds on a target as dark web-like shades cut and slice around the victim. Their power over anothers suffering now extends to causing prolonged nausea that can last days, as well as the ability to poison the victim with a touch (as long as the caster as the Toxic gift), as they draw on the toxicity of their own blood and instill it into the target.  The caster is capable of enchancing themselves in disturbing ways, from the ability to walk on walls, to steeling their minds with such resolve so as to be incapable of being influenced magically, to gaining the temporary strength to lift objects many times their weight.

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Chtonian

Cthtonian magic deals with the depths of the earth, and the dark energies found there. It is not strictly just Earth magic, but also draws on the powers of Darkness to drain the energies of life to fuel foul spells. The dwarves of Mid-Nor are masters of this Path of magic. A caster of the Cthonian Path, must possess an Earth gem in order to use their powers.

Decorum: The rites of this path are very strange, and can appear as a nervous dance made by jerking motions or even the appearance of being overcome with spasms. The Mid-Nor dwarves may also manipulate their canopic dolls, as they invoke their true names.

Terrible: Cthonian magic encompasses a wide range of abilities, but focus mainly on curses and self-enhancement. At this level, the Cthnonian mage is able to cause a target to feel confused momentarily as they are unsure where they are or what to do for a few moments. They are also able to give their skin the resiliency of stone for a short period of time.

Fair: The Fair caster of Cthonian magic is now capable of a wider range of curses, anything from blindness to deafness, or even ill-luck. The duration of the curse is not permanent, but effective. At this level, the caster is now also able to scoop up the earth or stone at his feet like it was of a soft material and immediately heat the ball into its molten form which can then be hurled as a weapon. The material must be a natural mineral and relatively unworked (the stones of a cobbled street would suffice, while the polished marble inside a building would not be. Metal is not a suitable material for this ability). The caster is now able to draw on the Darkness of the underworld in order to make themselves swifter, gain the resiliency of iron for a brief period or even walk through unworked earth or stone. They are able to speak the language of the Sihirs and elementals of Earth and Darkness (although those of Earth can be afraid or distrustful depending on their own predelictions towards the powers of Darkness).

Good: A Cthonian mage who has fully mastered his Path is capable of terrifying curses which can blind or deafen permanently, cause ones skin to putrefy, make plants and animals sicken quickly and die, or a person to rapidly age over the course of a couple of months as they waste away. If one doesn't resist the curse, only the powers of Light or some of the curative abilities of other Paths which draw on the Light are able to save one. The earth and stone around a Cthonian mage is now more readily manipulated as they can cause small areas of materials to become molten, as well as deteriorate and crumble worked stone into dust if given enough time. The mage is now able to take on a body of stone, making them all but invunerable to normal attacks for a short duration, as well as draw on the Darkness to become shadowy and hard to see unless in sunlight. Sihirs and elementals of Darkness and Earth now respect the mage (although those of Earth who lean more towards the Light or goodness are hostile).

[Ataru]

Alright ... here are three more of the paths (Darkness, Earth and Fayery). Please feel free to comment!!

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Darkness

The magic of Darkness is used to bring suffering and terror to its victims and is practiced by those who fight in the name of Evil. A mage following the Path of Darkness must have a Darkness gem in their possession to use their spells.

Decorum: The preferred path of the culture of the caster.

Terrible: At its lowest level of power, Darkness grants the caster the ability to weave the shadows around them, making a lighted area shadowed or a shadowy area pitch dark. This ability does not work in full sunlight. The mage is also able to surround themselves in shadow, making them hard to distinguish in shadowy locations. Finally, the caster can make themselves more intimidating, giving them a bonus to cause fear or cause someone to cower.

Fair: At this level, the caster can use the powers of Darkness more substantially. He can create tendrils of shadow that have a physical manifestation that can be used to grapple or bludgeon a target. Drawing on the suffering that Darkness wishes to propagate, the mage can cause another to be wracked with pain and fear. While the target is not actually wounded, the pain can be debilitating and is always accompanied with an unnatural sense of fear. The mage is also able to speak the language used in the realms of Darkness by the Sihirs and elementals that reside there.

Good: A servant of Darkness at this level is a greatly feared adversary. They are able to plunge even large, sunlit areas into impenetrable darkness that causes unnatural fear to those lost inside. Also, by having such a masterful control over another's fear, they are able to cause their targets to suffer incredibly painful wounds which cannot be healed by purely natural means. At this level, the mage is able to use Darkness' most powerful gift ... their spirits can leave their bodies (which remain in a death-like state) to become creatures of pure shadow, able to move freely without suffering from the limitations of the physical world. In shadowy or dark areas, this makes them all but invisible as well. The Sihirs and elementals of Darkness afford the mage of Darkness a great deal of respect.

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Earth

The Realms of Earth allow casters who draw on its power mastery over stone and earth, as well as unparalled protection against the dangers of the world. In order to use Earth magic, the caster must have an Earth gem in their possession.

Decorum: The preferred path of the culture of the caster.

Terrible: A practioner of Earth magic at this level is able to alter the basic properties of earth, such as cause a hard-packed dirt road to become loose and shifting, to weaken stone so that one might use an axe to, given time, cut through it. They are also able to give their skin the resiliency of stone for a short period of time, as well as solidify their mental resove to withstand minor magical mental effects.

Fair: At this level, the mage can turn rock to mud and vice versa, or summon short walls of stone from the ground. Small, localized tremors can be created that could slow advancing foes or cave in small, poorly maintained mines or tunnels. Metal weapons and armor can be enchanted for brief moments or weakened to a brittle state. The Earth mage can also make himself immune to most geological threats such as quicksand, cave ins, tremors and the like. By shaping stone around him, they can even create basic implements. At this level, the caster is able to defend their minds from any magical attempts to intimidate, cause fear, influence or confuse. They can now speak the language used by the Sihirs and elementals from the Realms of Earth.

Good: Earth masters are formidable spell casters. No earth, stone or metal can resist their power. They can create walls of iron from the ground, change metallic properites such that a reinforced wall will literally crumble at their desire. Metal weapons and armor can be enchanted for hours on end, or crumble with a single casting. Foes can be petrified to stone for short durations, and they can also cause their own bodies and those of their allies to harden to near invulnerability. They can cause terrifying tremors, although still only in small areas (a district of a fiefdom for example) and are able to pass through earth and stone. At this level, they can now extend their mental protections to their allies. Earth Sihirs and elementals afford these casters a great deal of respect.

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Fayery

Fayery is magic that deals with the symbiotic relationship between nature and the fayrees. The caster of this Path is, unlike other paths, not usually the one effecting the world around them, but more has to do with drawing on the aid of the fayree themselves. Upon entering this Path, a mage gains a small Wisp (See Wisps below) as a companion and with whom he forms a symbiotic relationship. When a mage of the Path of Fayery casts a spell, it is really either their Wisp or another fayree that does so, although the mage must still have an elemental gem that matches their Wisp on their person.

Decorum: Using a clear voice, the casters sings quietly to the fayree about the beauty of the eternal forest, while making intricate patterns in the dirt or carving on a piece of wood.

Wisp: Wisps are small fayree of different elements. Each Wisp is attuned to a particular element (although Light and Darkness Wisps are rare and cannot be chosen as a mage's companion) and are able to fly, speak telepathically and use the powers of nature. They appear composed of the element they are attuned with and are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand (they are not anthropomorphic ... water wisps for instance appear as globules of water with an inner blue light).

Terrible: At this level, the caster is only able to receive the aid of their Wisp whose powers are limited. The Wisp is able to fortify the caster with life, granting him two extra Wound boxes before becoming Hurt. They can also be coaxed into acting as sentries, giving their masters the ability to never be unguarded. While the Wisp is limited in its abilities, the caster does receive the ability to understand the language of the Fayree as well as the language of the Sihirs and elementals of the elemental Realms of the type of Wisp they have much sooner than other mages.

Fair: When a Fayery Mage reaches this level, they are now able to call upon the aid of more powerful fayery. If in a natural setting (any setting not of worked stone, wood or other material), they may call upon their Wisp to grant them the ability to move swiftly without being hindered by natural obstacles (undergrowth, vines, quicksand, rubble, etc). The Wisp can also cause the plants and vines in the area to awaken and attempt to snare, trip or bludgeon foes. If in the presence of a tree, the mage can also summon a sylph from a Quithayran Forest. The sylph will aid the caster in whatever way is needed, from fighting to protection or even for information or other magical assistance. The sylph is under no commanding obligation to help the mage, but is friendly towards them, although they will not remain far from the Quithayran Forest for long. At this level, the mage is on friendly terms with fayree and elementals of their chosen element and are now able to speak the languages of the Realms of the other three main elements (So if the mage had an Air Wisp, at this level they could now also speak the language of the Fire, Earth and Water Realms).

Good: The Path of Fayery is one where the mage allows for less personal power, but is granted the friendship and companionship of the fayree. At reaching this rank in the path, the mage is able to summon a wide array of fayree, depending on her need. Fayree come in all forms and have many different skill sets at their disposal. Generally speaking, the caster must be in an environment or near a natural source or object (for instance if she wanted to summon a Water Sprite, she would need to be at a river, lake, pond or the sea). The forms and abilities of the fayree are too many to name and any such summoning should be presented to the staff for adjudication (staff should then RP the summoned fayree in question). The caster also gains the ability to take on some of the unearthly aspects of the fayree for short periods of time, including unnatural beauty, the power to step into one tree and teleport to another as an exit, etc. These abilities while many are limited in their scope of power and duration. Remember the power of the Path of Fayery comes from the fayree themselves, not necessarily the mage.

[Ataru]

Here are some more Paths ...  I know they are long posts and I apologize ... in creating these Paths I'm mainly concerned with balance. Some paths are going to be more powerful than others, but also will have more restrictions in their casting. Any comments on balance would be great

Fire

The Path of Fire is powerful and unstable. It gives the wielder mastery over the element itself for startling results as well as the ability to invigorate themselves and make themselves more physically powerful. In order to use the spells, the caster must have a Fire gem in their possession.

Decorum: The preferred path of the culture of the caster.

Terrible: The beginner of the Path of Fire has limited power of their element. They can ignite easily combustible substances, such as oil or dry wood, or heat metal so that it cannot be held without protection. He can manipulate an already existing fire to turn a campire for instance into a bonfire as well as reach into a fire, take hold some of it in his hands and throw it at a target (the ball of fire does not explode on impact, but can damage the target and catch flammable materials on fire). By seeking the fire within, the caster is able to invigorate themselves so that they can ignore the ill effects of being at the Scratch level on the Wounded chart.

Fair: At this level, the caster is able to combust substances such as living plant life and most textiles, as well as heat glass so that it is easily shaped. He can summon an explosive ball of fire to shoot at a target, or a ray of flame. The caster is also now immune to all magical and mundane fire. He can now shroud himself in fire to protect himself from attacks, sheathe a weapon in flame, or create a small wall of fire. The fire within can now be harnassed to give the caster a charismatic attitude, thus improving his attempts at diplomacy or intimidation. He can now also strengthen himself to ignore the ill effects of Hurt. At this level, he is now able to speak the language of the Realms of Fire.

Good: A caster can now ignite unenchanted materials in his general area and melt standard metal objects. He can cover an entire area is searing flame, or attempt to incinerate a foe into a pile of ash. He can also extend his own immunity to fire to allies that are near to him, as well as summon large walls of fire for his protection. At this level, his fire within is so powerful that he can ignore any ill effects of being Wounded up to Very Hurt. Sihirs and elementals of Fire now regard the mage with respect.

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Hermetism

The Path of the mages of Alahan, Hermetism is magic brought to a science and art form. By drawing on the powers of Light, the mage is able to achieve feats of wonder and divination. An Hermetic must have a gem of the element of Light in her possession in order to use their spells.

Decorum: Hermetic mages recite complex formulas while tracing esoteric symbols in the air. Most generally keep a spellbook or scrolls to keep them from making mistakes.

Terrible: Hermetism is a path of magic that is ever growing in its uses. At this level, simple manipulations of perception and light are possible. A Hermetic could cause the light around him to waver, thus blurring his appearance to make him harder to hit, or can make transparent solid objects so that he could see through them. Healing is also one of the powers of Hermetics, as they are able to heal any Wound that has caused a Scratch condition on the Wound chart, or to bring the target up from Hurt to Scratch. More serious wounds are beyond the mages abilities at this level.

Fair: Upon reaching this level, the Hermetic is able to instill within himself the power of Light, causing his presence to be glorious to view. This grants him bonuses on attempts to influence another or intimidate the servants of Darkness. At this level, the Hermetic is also able to remove most curses from a target (such as those caused by Cthonian mages) as well as remove the wounds that cause a Scratch or Hurt condition. He can also improve a targets health from Very Hurt to Hurt as the new limit of their healing ability. He is now capable of speaking the language of the Sihirs and elementals of the Realms of Light.

Good: A master of the Hermetic Path is now able to bend Light to his needs, including making himself invisible, illuminating areas of even magical darkness and at this level drawing on the powers of other paths. With the addition of appropriate elemental gems, and with a slightly more difficult casting (as the mage must use his special formula and incantations), the Hermetic is now able to mimic the powers of Earth, Fire, Air and Water Paths of Terrible or Fair rating. This requires the possession of both a Light gem and a corresponding elemental gem. The time it takes to cast these effects are longer and the difficulty higher, but the ability to have access to the four other elemental paths grants these mages a large range of powers. The Hermetic is now also able to fully heal any Wound Level up to Near Death. Targets of healing at Near Death may be raised to Incapacitated. The denizens of the Realms of Light show the mage due respect.

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Howls

Howling magic is the preferred path of the Devourers of Vile-Tis. The Wolfen tap into the madness of the bestial rage in themselves to grant them powers of combat and divination. The caster must have a gem of Water in their possession to cast their spells.

Decorum: Using growls, yips and fetishes made of chains, the followers of the Path of Howls can be a terrible sight to behold.

Terrible: At this level of Howling magic, the caster taps into their bestial nature for various martial effects. They can gain the resilience of their forebears and gain two extra Wound boxes at the Hurt level, as well as increase their natural healing rate so that it takes half the time to naturally heal from wounds. Howlers have an affinity for their weapons and at this level of the path they are able to enchant their weapon so that it becomes a throwing weapon temporarily, and so that it will return to their hands magically after being thrown.

Fair: The Howler at this level is now able to resist wounds even further and can temporarily gain three extra boxes at the Hurt level as well as ignore the effects of Scratch. One is also able to give themselves the power to naturally heal four times faster than normal. The Howler can also instill his weapon with the ability to cause the wounds that it inflicts to bleed and resist natural healing (magical healing is required). The power of divination now start to become available to the caster. As long as he is within moonlight, he can use any surface of water to divine whether anyone wishes him harm, and will show them who they are and their location. It can conversely show an image of an Howler's prey, if they have one, though they must divine the precise location by the visual cues they see in the image. Howlers do not gain any elemental language abilities.

Good: Mastery of Howls give the caster a great ability to tap the beast within. They can temporarily gain four extra boxes at the Very Hurt level and ignore the ill effects of Scratch and Hurt (note that a Howler can only have one of the three different levels of Howling resiliency in effect at a time. So if they cast to gain four boxes at the Very Hurt level, they cannot stack that with three boxes at the Hurt condition ... nor could they cast to gain those three extra boxes if they are already at the Very Hurt level ... conversely they can go the other way. If they cast at Fair level to gain three extra boxes at the Hurt Level and those are used up and they have not yet exceeded the Very Hurt wound level, they can cast to gain four extra boxes there). Howlers are now able to give their natural weapons (claws and fangs if they have them) the bleeding power of the previous level. Their divination powers are now also increased and allows them to search for any of their allies or known associates of a prey.

[Ataru]

I will be on OGR (as Ataru) and on Cadwallon (as Arin) for some extended periods of time this weekend working on the MUSH. I'll probably be posting some stuff here and on the Cadwallon forums, so I'll be around for development questions. Just page me at either place (if you want to get an +invite to Cadwallon MUSH for a charbit, I'm happy to have more people online there for chatting and reviewing stuff. Just mail me here, at OGR or email at cadwallonmush@gmail.com with your preferred name and email address).

Basically I'll be about for any Q&A people want to throw at me about the game, etc. Otherwise have a good weekend!

[Ataru]

I am currently online at Cadwallon (as Arin, just email or mail me here for an +invite to connect there) and OGR (as Ataru) and will be the rest of tonight, as well as tomorrow afternoon/evening for any Q&A or discussion on game development. Thank you!

[Ataru]

Building Update:

http://cadwallon.isunlimited.net/forum/index.php?topic=3.0

[Ataru]

Have some Builders and a Coder who have joined the project.

Further updates will be forthcoming soon. Thank you all again for the interest.

[Ataru]

Just a brief status update:
 
+NEWS files: 95% complete
+FUDGE files: 70% complete
Chargen: 95% complete
+HELP files: 95% complete
Grid*: 90% complete
@Desc'ed grid: 10% complete
 
* This is just the Soma fiefdom part of the grid which we want to get done for Beta RP, other fiefdoms will be created after opening.

All in all, we're making good progress. I am aiming for late August to open for some Beta RP ... in other words +invite people in to create characters and do some light RP. If anyone wants to be involved in helping out anywhere or has updates on projects they were working on, please be sure to let me know. If you want to be put on a list to get an +invite in late August when we open for Beta RP, please just send me a message here or email me at cadwallonmush@gmail.com

 Thanx!!

[Mr. Pedantic]

How has your experience with isunlimited been so far? I am considering going with them when I'm done noodling and actually committed to making a game.

[Ataru]

I cannot say enough good things about them. They are very friendly, absolutely free if you're looking for just a basic package, otherwise very reasonable rates for what you get. A lot of good support, even a MUSH you can log in for tech support.

[Mr. Pedantic]

Does the basic package include a web root, SQL and PHP? If not, how much do you pay?

[NaN]

Haaaaaaaaaa.

[Ataru]

I pay a little less than $30/year for the package I have which includes everything worth having ... including SQL, etc. Not sure about the free package ...

Haaaaaaaaaa.

Oh good. You've decided to migrate to my thread ... joy.

[Ataru]

Basically they customize to your needs at very reasonable rates. I can't imagine needing more than I currently have and for the price I'm getting it at, its well worth it.

If you go to http://www.isunlimited.net/index.php/hosting/shared ... and look there at the MU Account Customization link ... it gives you a good run down of how you can customize your package.

[Xandar]

I an posting from my phone so my apologies for a slightly shorter than normal response.

The basic package (free) comes with enough to run a game.  50 mb disk space, 10 mb ram and 10 simultaneous logins to one port. Adding web is $.50 peer month and a mysql db is based on space needed ($.50 per month minimum). Unlimited connections to your port is $.90. Assuming those, you'd be looking at about $24 a year. Other options are available like more disk space, extra ports, etc if needed.

X

[Mercutio]

I must note that genesismuds.com seems to be quite a bit cheaper from isunlimited. And their mySQL is a dollar per month for 500mb of storage. And connections are simply not limited. I personally make use of the Enhanced Package + MySQL for AngelicLayerMUSH - which is $16 per month (discounted to $12.25 per month since we pay yearly). And my god, why do I sound like a salesperson? :/

[Thenomain]

And my god, why do I sound like a salesperson?

It's inevitable when you're talking about sales-related criteria.  It's not enough for most people to simply say, "I have this plan, it's pretty cheap and I like the options for the price," no matter what cell phone companies would have you believe.

[Ataru]

I must note that genesismuds.com seems to be quite a bit cheaper from isunlimited. And their mySQL is a dollar per month for 500mb of storage. And connections are simply not limited. I personally make use of the Enhanced Package + MySQL for AngelicLayerMUSH - which is $16 per month (discounted to $12.25 per month since we pay yearly). And my god, why do I sound like a salesperson? :/

A great bargain ... and sorry for the sin of sounding like a salesperson too ... but the $28/year that I get from isunlimited for instance comes out to just $2.30/month. So ...  hmm. Although maybe I have less storage, but I don't think so. Could be wrong.

Anyway ... just wanted to answer the question from above ... no need to wheel the thread off into this if possible

[Mercutio]

Ah - I misread. I thought it was $28 per month, not per year.

...
...
...

Damn, I'm getting ripped off! XD

[NaN]

Yeah, you are. $7.30/mth gets you root access to a VPS via VPSLink.

[Bubasti]

So, the magic system.

Did you found a way to mix code and the Cadwallon magic system in a way that it's functional without screwing theme?

[Ataru]

Hey Bubasti!

Thank you for the question. I believe I have ... its rather late at the moment, so I won't go into details but I'll post something tomorrow about it. We've made some huge steps in development this week, I'm happy to say. Just in the last day we've completed about 70% of the grid done and @desc'ed Yay! Granted we're starting out with only one fiefdom, but still it means we're much closer to opening for Beta RP. The last big hurdle is looking at the actual mechanics in the Fudge system and redoing them to coincide with Cadwallon attributes and abilities (for instance people won't make skill checks for Sword, Axe, other weapon type etc ... instead its Bash (for blunt weapons and fists), Slash (for slashing weapons and claws), Pierce (for piercing weapons and bite attacks) and Shoot (for ranged weapons). These are pretty much cosmetic changes to be sure. It is really, as you have said, the magic system that needs the largest overhaul. The previous system installed dealt with very Dragonlance specific ideas of spellcasting and used particular skills for actually casting those spells. Since Cadwallon magic is based on something entirely different and we're also using different skill checks for spellcasting, that all has to be reworked. That is the project for this weekend.

I will post details through the next couple of days detailing these changes and the progress we're making. And again, if anyone is interested in receiving an +invite to join us for Beta RP when we open for it (probably mid to late August), please be sure to leave me a message here or email me at cadwallonmush@gmail.com and you'll be put onto the list. Be sure to include your preferred charbit name.