CLOK BBS

I have been trying to think of what could be good adjustments for Elemancer Abilities or modifications though most of the ideas are becoming to complex for a Elemancer to reasonably perform so I am going back to the basics..

How does a staff or a wand work RPly? Is it currently unlisted/undecided?

Mostly undecided. The mostly not-thought-through-or-developed idea is that the wand or staff just has stored within it (how, I couldn't tell you at the moment) information on a basic pattern for its corresponding element. The elemancer can channel through the wand or staff, causing the channeling to conform to the pattern within. Channeling and getting a pattern through a foreign object would be inefficient and clunky somehow when compared to the elemancer forming the pattern in their own mind, allowing for only the most basic patterns (no mixed-element combinations, no patterns beyond the raw makeup of the basic elements).

Kind of like those pianos with the note letters on the keys. If you keep having to look at the letters on the keys, your playing is going to be slow and broken because you're going to have to keep relying on checking an outside source for information, which will really slow you down. Once you memorize all the keys and rely on memorization and feeling, you can make complex and amazing music.

Sort of, I guess. I'm not very good at analogies.

A wand beings small has only a simple structure. This structure is on some level elemental and an Elemancer is trained to recognize this structure and which elemental pattern it conforms with. The elemancer then activates this elemental pattern and use the latent energies of the wand to power the spell, thus no need to channel while using a wand. Crystal staffs and wands are viable but the structures are immensely more complex and very hard to use thus wood is proffered. Also dense materials are not easy to awaken or trigger as it were. Staffs are more powerful due to being bigger and thus the pattern is larger and more complex. As they are not conjured changing the inherent pattern is not possible, especially as Gaea's will permeates wooden staves and crystal staves even more so.

Whenever I try raw-casting Druidry, it tells me
"You don't have a spell or valid conjuration prepared, or a wand to cast with."
so I was under the impression that wands acted as replacements for spells/conjurations. In terms of old Greek philosophy: the wand provides a "form".

The way I imagine these working, (And this is purely my opinion) is somewhat like the Wheel of Time and the Ter'angreal. If you're not familiar with those books, shame on you. Go read them.

However, the magic users in this series are able to tap into "The Source" which is basically equivelant to our 'inner light' almost. (Kind of like our channeling.)

The point is, that they channel this power, and create weaves out of it to do different things. Weaves of air to lift things. Weaves of Earth, Fire, Water. etc... (This is different than what we have as our magic system.)

However, the interesting part, and how I see the wands and staves working, is very much like the "Ter'angreal"

These items allow them to draw more deeply in the "source" which allows them to achieve more with the power.

In my opinion, a wand/stave allows an elemancer to do much the same. The ability to draw on the elemental 'source' more deeply than on their own, and thus channel extra power with less energy and effort.

I imagine these wands/staves were created by talented elemancers who studied the flows and the forms they work in. As Reynard said, it seems like these would be a pre-established 'form' that works as a conduit for that element.

The only problem with that is that wands(at least my wand) can be used without channelling at all. Some similarities may exist in the making but I see little same in the function. Also shame on you for mixing angreal and sa'angreal up with ter'angreal.

Also some questions that should have been addressed before all others.

What is magic?
What is it's source?

There is no singular, universal "source of magic". "Magic" isn't a specific thing, source, or type of energy, but rather a vague term often used to describe various acts and results of channeling. Channeling is focusing one's knowledge and will, often drawing on various sources, varying by channeling method. All channeling that requires significant energy draws at least partially on the channeler's own energy as a "source", you could say.

According to the Church, Thaumaturgy draws on one's Inner Light - the source is solely within the channeler him/herself, though thaumaturgic energy can be channeled through others, such as Serafina aiding a thaumaturge with some of her own thaumaturgic power. Inner Light is an innate power or source that all humankind possesses, but requires a specific discipline to effectively draw upon.

According to Rook Parlour, Sorcery draws on the channeler's will and energy to influence ambient nether, the nether seeming to be almost eager to comply with the channeler's will and desires.

According to most druids, Druidry draws on the channeler's will and energy to open a line of communicate with the Gaea, believed to be the spirit, soul, life force, or similar, of the planet itself. The Gaea will then perform certain acts for the channeler, though the channeler must provide the actual energy to "power" these acts.

Elemancy, Wavebending, and Cryomancy, while all varying by particular method, essentially use the channeler's own energy to form patterns (whether by sheer intricate knowledge and understanding (Elemancy) or more rote/ritual practices) that, when infused with enough energy and will, will essentialy cause the world to acknowledge said patterns and comply with them, if only briefly. (* This one is still being greatly considered and detailed, lore-wise, and more details may become available later, as well as possible changes)

Knowledge and willpower alone can be extremely powerful and influential in this world, and channeling isn't as exclusive as it might seem at first. A thief with an extremely high stealth skill could be considered to be performing a sort of minor, subconscious channeling, being so confident in his knowledge of stealth and intent on his purposes (remaining unseen or unnoticed) that he is in fact passively channeling his will, allowing for feats of stealth that wouldn't be realistic in the real world.

Wandlore and Stave crafting is a rare talent, requiring intense study and attention to detail. The inner workings of a wand or staff are more than the simple material they're made of. They consists of patterns of magic-conductive materials, arranged in Patterns in the same way that Elemancers can apply Patterns to their spell weaving. This very specific arrangement of inner materials can function as a fascimile "caster", something akin to a modern day computer that can match a person's behaviour to a basic level, but incapable of complex arrangements.


Just a rough idea I thought I'd throw out there.

Side note: I find it humorous (but not unfitting) that Udemi, who use both magic and staves, do not use magic staves.

Very droll. But Staves wouldn't really work for druidry, it being living magic and a communication with Gaea. A talisman of some sort maybe but the staves have pre-defined patterns which is basically not what Gaea is. She changes all the time, the weather, the plants, the movements of the Earth's crust etc. The pattern would as soon as the staff was made be invalid.

Plus, Rangers don't use computers.

[quote=Isiaa]the weather, the plants, the movements of the Earth's crust[/quote]
Two of those things Gaea does not have dominion/noun over. I'll stop my complaint there, since this is a staff/wand thread.

On the topic of staves, IF Druidry staves existed, and IF they worked in a similar manner to how Rias has described elemancy staves, then I imagine their "pattern" would be akin to a mantra. A specific plea worded in a specific way repeated over and over again. To be clear, I don't expect this to ever be in the game, it's just fun to hypothesize.

[quote=Isiaa]Very droll. But Staves wouldn't really work for druidry, it being living magic and a communication with Gaea. A talisman of some sort maybe but the staves have pre-defined patterns which is basically not what Gaea is. She changes all the time, the weather, the plants, the movements of the Earth's crust etc. The pattern would as soon as the staff was made be invalid.[/quote]

While some of this is likely correct, you're talking about stuff that hasn't been confirmed by Rias, or even worked out specifically yet by the team of GM's

While suggestions or ideas are fine and welcome, speaking as if idea is fact and law, or that you are the expert on all things magical, is simply innacurate. Especially when Rias has yet to release official information on the exact nature of Gaea and any pattern or attributes it may have.

Again, ideas are welcome, but debating with other players as if your ideas are the law and stone is not.

I am sorry it came across like that. I merely have no other way to formulate the words. I know such ways exist but I do not understand them. I am high functioning autistic and this means I am compelled to follow my own twisted logic without first seeing if other ways are available. Apologies again, Reynard and Landion.

[quote=Isiaa]I am sorry it came across like that. I merely have no other way to formulate the words. I know such ways exist but I do not understand them. I am high functioning autistic and this means I am compelled to follow my own twisted logic without first seeing if other ways are available. Apologies again, Reynard and Landion.[/quote]

Don't get me wrong, I am glad you and others have ideas and contribute them. It helps add a lot of dynamic to the game and many currently implemented ideas and concepts started as player ideas.

Perhaps a structured idea such as: "I think ..." (enter idea here) "because" (enter your reasons here)

This helps to convey that we are simply offering an idea, and the reasons behind it.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. The way I have been reading the posts recently from you were as if it wasn't a suggestion, but rather "the way it was".