Fantasy ~Magistone: Combat and Magic!~

[SkyGinge]

Combat and Magic
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Combat


This RP will feature a number of different combat scenes. Whilst enemies will be introduced by the GM, it is up to players to play out fights for themselves. Due to the survival nature of this RP, I'm expecting people to sustain injuries in battle; remember, the entire population of the island was wiped out by the foe! Hence the general tone we're going for in combat is a kind of serious, dangerous, epic, creative, WONDERFULLY SUPER AMAZING scenario that I hope you can all enjoy. Similarly, I am completely fine with a bit of tongue-in-cheek when in combat, as along as people are being sensible and using their common sense.


In the following slides, I will be posting little data-sheets for each new enemy we encounter. This is simply so that people can understand the strengths of the enemy they're up against, so that people aren't slaughtering through wave after wave of enemy which are intended to be extremely powerful, and vice versa.


You may also wish to introduce enemies of your own for your own subplots; these forms should be PMed to me before implementation.

Enemies for the Current Objective

Name: Shadow Dogs


Appearance: The size and shape of a wolf or large hound, but instead of wearing a familiar coat of fur, their bodies are made out of an ugly mix of dark matter, purple, black and dark blue. They have no eyes or discernible features aside from the ugly mass.


Battle Abilities: They fight using the same abilities as regular wolves; bites and scratches with their jaws and claws. Though they are fairly easy to fight alone, they travel in large packed, and so it is easy to be overwhelmed by them if surrounded. Similarly, being made entirely of dark matter, they are impervious to the effects of pain and stamina, which, when coupled with their speed, makes them good scouts.


Battle Weaknesses: Alone, they are fairly easy to dispatch with a few slices of a sword (upon defeat they dissolve into a peculiar lilac-shade of gas). It's only when approached by, say, more than six of them that you find yourself in real danger. Their battle plan is brutality and brutality alone, so you can be sure they won't try a sudden tactic other than dash and snarl. They have no particular weaknesses to certain elements of magic, but magic does effect their bodies as it would natural flesh. They are, for all intense and purposes, rabid wolves but with the added no-stamina-no-pain stuff.


Name: Golems


Appearance: Unlike the scrawny, two-faced fella' from Lord of the Rings, these Golems are far more closer to their traditional fantasy kin. Eight feet tall, their chunky, humanoid bodies are comprised of swirling sand encased in harder rocks, which make a sort of armor. They are faceless, but their limbs are quite hefty, with large rocky fingers and toes.


Battle Abilities: They standardly attack through powerful punches and kicks, powerful enough to easily break bones and dint armour upon impact. Their rocky casing is very hard to crack, and will only do so after multiple hits, whilst their sandy insides are even more of a nightmare to dispatch as any physical attacks just go straight through. Instead, they can be sliced through by using magic to separate parts of their body from them, though obviously some forms of magic don;t work with this (earth magic, for one). As such, they take quite a long time to wear down.


Battle Weaknesses: Their main weakness is probably their mobility; though they are capable of pulling off quite rapid attacks, their lumbering walk makes them quite easy to outrun and dodge. They're not particularly intelligent either, and are incapable of strategising and adapting to tactics. They can only attack physically, and are incapable of manipulating earth magic for attacks.

Other Enemies

~Coming Soon~

Magic

Magic plays a huge role in just about every part of this RP, from helping with survival, to characterising our epic combat scenes, to even the central plotline! Hence, it is very important that you thoroughly read this section to get a feel for how magic works in this RP. Last time, many players fell foul of this and ended up having to make heavy edits, so be weary!

Magic itself is a special type of aura-like energy which can be found in the atmosphere. It is routinely absorbed and stored in the human body, but the normal peasant cannot utilise it. Instead, you must be trained as a magician. Magicians are able to channel this energy and release it as one of ten elemental powers through expressive hand gestures. For example, you are a fire mage, and you wish to launch a fireball. Thus you thrust your hand forwards and a fireball will be launched in that direction, the speed dependent on the power of the thrust. Alternatively, you are a water mage, and you want to channel a stream. You must therefore weave your arms around in the manner you wish the water to move. Hopefully this is fairly simple to get a grasp of. As studying magic is a relatively new science, magic professors were unable to discern quite why it is that magic is released in such a fashion, but long has it been the way; so long, that in the Dark Days, magicians branded heretics had their arms chopped off to stop them from using magic.


Obviously, magic has its limitations. The stronger and more experienced the magician, the larger amount of magic energy they can store, and hence the greater the acts of magic they can perform in both power and frequency; hence master magicians are able to perform extravagant acts of magic manipulation. Quick equation, kids: knowledge and practice=magic endurance=cool powers! However, releasing too much magic energy at one time can cause extreme sudden fatigue, perhaps even rendering the user unconscious. One magic energy is used up, it takes a fair while for new magic energy to filter back into the body, and so magicians must 'recharge'. Alternatively, they can simply drink a magic potion to restore magic supplies (though naturally these are now few and far between, and do not rid the drinker of their physical exhaustion).


Students at a University of Magic first get to choose to study one of five Primary Magic disciplines. In order to master this discipline, they spend three years learning and honing their skills at the relevant University of Magic in Aliak. If they are thought to be especially talented after this, they may move on to study from one of five Secondary Magic disciplines that take four years to master. Secondary magic was taught in a top secret plaza in the north, so secret in fact that any potential students were hypnotised to forget the journey each way. These secondary disciplines are considered to be more complex and powerful than their primary counterparts. In some circumstances, a magician may only study a secondary magic, though there must be a good reason for them to cheat the system.. Please bare into account study lengths when creating your characters, and also bare in mind that your character could have been in the middle of their course when the apocalypse occurred. Also bare into account that there are no 'prodigies', no people who were mystically born with the ability to perform magic, or born into a certain element. Nobody can learn magic without study, and students are free to choose their magic of choice.


Magic isn't necessarily equally dispersed across the atmosphere; indeed, some areas seem to have more latent magic energy than others. Sometimes magic energy particles clump together, creating magic zones, bubble like areas of different magic density that can also be used to cut off mystic magic tracking; these can even be artificially set up by mystic and light magicians to buff allies. As for magic's exact origin, nobody really knows...


Below, I have compiled little sections on each element of magic! Please read carefully before creating your character! And remember, the examples I'm giving are just guidelines as to how the elements can work. Feel free to be creative in your utilisation of your element as long as it generally fits with the details provided here! And if you're unsure, you might as well submit anyway; even if I do ask you to edit, you'll probably wow me with your creativity and effort! That said, though I encourage creativity here, I will be very strict in terms of making sure everything adheres to the whole 'magic energy' thing.

Primary Magic
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Earth

The magic of the ground and inanimate nature. Fledgling Earth Mages are first taught to summon smallish pillars of rock from the ground around them, and perhaps cause minor tremors. As their studies progress, they learn to control this better, and their abilities grow to larger, more crafted rocks and more precise tremors. Masters can manage small earthquakes, masterfully manipulate and craft the earth around them, and many other innovative forms of earth magic exist. Some create and meld weapons from their summoned stone. Some choose to coat themselves in stone defenses. Others finely manipulate the dirt to swiftly travelby means of underground tunnels. A fine defensive element!

Fire

The element of heat and flame. New Fire Mages are foremostly instructed in how to summon small flames, and on roughly how to regulate body heat. As they grow stronger, the control and power of these flames, alongside their intensity and temperature, increase, until as masters they are capable of great feats. Powerful Fire Mages can launch huge and precise fireballs, weave fiery patterns into existence, and even use the precise manipulation of temperature for more practical purposes like growing and tending to vegetables and agriculture! As always, there are many other creative uses of fire magic in existence, such as igniting weapons for extra damage or perhaps even yourself, providing your temperature manipulation is remarkable!

Ice

The art of coldness and ice. Whilst Ice Mages cannot control liquid water, they share in the Fire Mages' abilities of temperature control, though specialising in coldness as opposed to fire's warmth. Young Ice Mages will first learn to freeze small puddles of water, summon and fire small ice shards, and generally comprehend their temperature abilities. As always, their magic aptitude grows with practice and rank until they are able to freeze over large areas of land, artfully manipulate and control their ice crystals into attacks and defenses, and even, at the cost of massive magic energy, encase themselves or another in ice! Though it might seem lacking at a glance, ice magic is extremely versatile and can be used for defense in a similar (albeit more energy consuming) style to earth magic, or even mobility in the form of mastering sliding on ice!

Thunder

The skill of manipulating electricity. Though Valian society had barely developed enough to understand the true practicalities of thunder magic, they'd been around long enough to know of one of its traits; its deadliness. Starting magicians are taught to conduct small sparks and electrical currents, until eventually, after much training, they are capable of summoning and manipulating huge thunderbolts and dangerous electrical fields. Some of the nations most powerful folk heroes were Thunder Mages; one was infamous for using light metal whips to easily electric shock people. There are many creative usages for thunder magic as with all elements!

Wind

The ability to control and manipulate the flow of the wind. Wind magic newbies begin by learning how to channel the wind, and how to fire small blasts of air. As you'll have come to expect by now, the control and power of this increases as the magician develops. Masters attain such acute control that they can find numerous usages for their art, such as creating huge tornadoes and other powerful blasts of wind, and even flying for short periods of time! Though not as offensively tuned as other arts, Wind Mages are known for their acute mobility, often using the wind to aid their movements in battle and dodge and hold back enemy attacks. And, as always, there are many other creative uses too yada-yada-yada.

Secondary Magic!
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Dark

The most dangerous of all magics, dark magic is the magic of evil and malicious intent. Plainly, Dark Mages are able to control blasts of dark magic, alongside being able to manipulate shadows, with their aptitude in this increasing with experience and rank. On its own, this might sound week and un-creative, but dark magic hits with more power than any other element, and the most powerful blasts are even able to trigger emotional pain alongside physical pain. However, in order to gain power, Dark Mages must embrace their dark-sides, which explains why powerful Dark Mages often end up mad or corrupt. In spite of that, Dark Magic is still taught under very strict monitoring, and ironically can be used in medical practices alongside light magic. Dark masters are also able to conjure up Dark Matter, though nobody knows how to use it. Nobody, that is, except for the Shadow King...

Light

In contrast to dark magic, light magic is the art of light and healing. Mainly used as a supportive ability as opposed to a weapon, young Light Mages are first taught how to heal minor wounds and impart minor buffs onto others. Under steady tutelage, they grow to be able to heal larger wounds, create light shields, fire off light beams and blasts, and even form artificial magic zones to impart wide range buffs. It is, however, the most difficult art to learn, and even masters cannot revive from the dead. In long honoured tradition, the royal family are all seasoned Light Mages. In the days when magic was deemed heretical, this tradition still stood, and the royals used it as a power tactics, one which Lyram has been particularly condemning of.

Mystic

Mystic magic is the strangest, most mysterious of the ten elements and also the most diverse. Unlike all other arts, Mystic Mages instead specialise in a few of mystic magic's many capabilities, harnessing magic in unique and unusual ways. For example, they might learn how to create sound portals for long distance communication. They might learn how to manipulate gases, or how to make potions. Masters might even be able to loosely predict the future! Although this only covers a few of mystic magic's many paths, mystic magicians alike attack with 'pure' blasts of untransformed magic energy, which of course increase in power and control along with their others skills as the magician grows more experienced. Think of it as a magical 'other' category.

Nature

The element of plant and animal life. Young Nature Mages first learn to easily tame wild animals, and exhibit limited control over plant life. The mastery and power of these lifeforms increase with aptitude, until nature masters are able to summon and manipulate huge vines and plants at will, alongside beckoning animals even from long distances to attack by their side. Many Nature Mages used to go into farming or botany, and most have a pet animal that stays with them at all times.

Water

The skill of controlling water and other liquids. New Water Mages are first taught how to summon smallish offensive water bubbles, and have minor control over liquids. The precise control of liquids, the power of water based attacks, the ability to swim with ease and breath underwater, all increase with the gingerness of the hair. Only joking; they increase with experience and rank! (#banter) Masters are even able to summon tidal waves and manipulate huge whirlpools. They can often compensate for a lack of nearby water by summoning a small pool of water at the start of a battle from which to orchestrate manipulated attacks. And Water Mages cannot just manipulate other people's blood to make them explode instantly unless they are completely drained of magic energy, as people's innate magic energy wards off these attacks.

~Magic Trivia~

• One bizarre side affect of magic is its affect on dreams. Once somebody has dabbled in magic, they are incapable of having normal dreams. Instead, they dream every night of past memories, rendered faultlessly, and always remember what they dream. When a magician falls unconscious due to expending all their magic energy, they may sometimes dream as normal instead. This prompted much speculation in the newly-forming magic science society, though though were unable to identify why this happens. What's important for us, however, is that it's a handy tool for exposition and flashbacks
  
• Magic potions are vials of bluish liquid which replenish a magician's stock of magic energy. They require certain herbs and mystic magic to create.
  
• As you'll have noticed, many powerful magical abilities rely on the acute manipulation of the combat environment. This used to be used in a kind of artistic performance way, an emerging and popular form of entertainment before the fall.
  
• As mentioned, it is possible for a magician to learn two elements; one primary and one secondary. However, it is nigh impossible to use the two elements simultaneously.
  
• I do not want anybody having their characters as 'masters' of any type of magic. This is because we will all have a chance to develop and improve our magic abilities across the RP, and there will even be quite a big event that improves our magic, even allowing those who currently do not know magic to learn! So yes!
  
• Only about 30% of all students go on to study a secondary magic alongside a primary one!