Spell casting may take one of various forms depending upon the caster, and a spell's effect can be just about anything. Spell casting generally costs spell points (SPs). Spell casting is affected by bulk (HELP BULK). An example: Help for spell: fireball Type: Area attack spell Damage Types: Fire: 100% Maximum Damage: 250 Additional Effects: No Casting time: 5 rounds Spell cost: 63 Spell level: 10 Spell category: fire Affecting stats: Int Resisting stats: None Offensive: Yes Location: Anywhere Target: notarget Range: room Components: VS Alignment: -=Spell Description=- The Fireball is one of the standard spells for Soselian mages, both effective and flashy. Especially talented mages have been known to juggle fireballs in a show before throwing them at their foes. This spell works on a military unit. Let's break down this description. Type: There are single attack spells, healing spells, area attack spells, protection spells, and miscellaneous spells. Single attack spells affect one target only, healing spells heal the target, area attack spells harm all targets that are NOT party members, protection spells reduce incoming damage while they hold, and miscellaneous spells don't normally directly impact health. This fireball is an area attack. Damage Type: This is the type of damage the spell does. There are fourteen damage types (HELP DAMAGE TYPES). This fireball is, unsurprisingly, all fire. Maximum Damage: This is the most damage a spell can inflict. In this case, up to 250 damage to every non-party member nearby. Additional Effects: This is only listed for offensive spells. When yes, there's something that will happen beyond the initial damage of the spell. Effects vary tremendously. Since this says no, the fireball's magic won't do anything like leave targets on fire nor knock foes down when it connects. Casting Time: This is the number of rounds it takes to cast the spell. It can be cast faster with skills like quick chant or speedsong (HELP SKILL QUICK CHANT, HELP SKILL SPEEDSONG), and there are skills that show how much longer a spell will take to cast, like the essence eye skill (HELP SKILL ESSENCE EYE). Spell Cost: This is the cost in SPs that the spell requires to cast. Spell Level: This determines how expensive the spell is to study, as well as the lowest level the spell can be available in a guild. Higher level spells are generally more powerful. Spell Category: The kind of magic (HELP SCHOOLS OF MAGIC), which is unsurprisingly fire in this case. Affecting Stats: This determines what statistics help the caster to succeed in casting a spell or enhancing its effects. In this case, intelligence will help. Resisting Stats: This determines what statistics help the target to avoid the effects of the spell. It seems nothing can help against an incoming magical ball of fire save caster error. Offensive: Whether this is harmful magic. Most people on the street treat casting offensive magic like brandishing a knife. A fireball is probably more dangerous than a knife. Location: Some spells can only be cast indoors, outdoors or, rarely, in more exotically limited locations. A fireball can be cast anywhere. Target: Some spells require a target of some kind, and some aren't cast at anything in particular. notarget - doesn't target anything in particular obtarget - some kind of object livingtarget - a player or NPC playertarget - a player caster - self-targeting ranged - the target has to be hit with a projectile needtarget - can vary Fireball, in this example, is cast with "cast fireball". Compare spells which are cast at targets. eg. "cast jolt at monster". Range: For targeted spells, how far away the target can be. This includes: distant - anywhere in the Retroverse room - in the same room, can be 'look'ed at ground - on the ground in the room close - within limb's reach Fireballs are cast into the room. Components: Verbal components require the caster be able to speak. Somatic spells require the caster be able to move. Any somatic spell requires two hands (limbs) to be free of weapons or equipment. For every hand that is filled with an item or weapon, the caster is penalized one round. Material components require something to be in the caster's inventory, or, rarely, on the floor, to be cast. Sometimes that material component is used up by the casting, and sometimes it isn't. It depends on the spell. Spells that are both nonverbal and nonsomatic cannot be interrupted by jars or actions that would otherwise interrupt a spell (getting items, putting items into something else, etc). Alignment: This generally determines the alignment necessary to cast the spell. If the target must be of a certain alignment, it should be mentioned in the spell description. |