Non-combat way to skill gain.

[Kunren]

I know you are all about skill gains needing risk, so I thought of something that might work and from what I can think of would make sense IC. A little while back, on a different thread, we talked about perhaps adding in magical flourishes? What not do something like that. You summon up the element, do a few tricks with it, different depending on skill like flourishes of course, ect. But, make it have a pretty big chance to fail, dealing heavy damage to yourself, more with higher skill. There you have it, a risky, noncombat way to gain skillz. Seems like it would make sense too, gaining skill in by simply manipulating the element around yourself, instead of having to kill something with it.

[Jaster]

I could see this with a cap. Sort of like how some "guidebooks" allow you to get training from them up to a certain skill level.

[Kunren]

Yeah it would likely have to either be hard capped at a low-moderate level of skill, or just completely trail off into ALMOST zero skill gains after that, for those hardcore noncombat peoples. Might take 5 years longer than combat would to master at that point, but easier on the rp for some peoples characters.

[Fayne]

I just want to know what you guys do with your elemancers that is non-combat. I understand you're supposed to be RPing students, but mechanically the only thing you can do with elemancy is KILL KILL KILL KILL. Until there are utility uses for elemancy which would obviously give gains, I don't see the need for non-combat skillgains. Let's be honest, if you could get skillgains just by sitting around all day hitting a single button, someone is going to script it and just let their character sit somewhere they aren't likely to run into a PC and then let their character get skills with zero interaction. Yes, that against the policy, but *someone* will do it.

[Kunren]

Of course, with this particular idea, that would likely end up with them killing themselves.

[Kunren]

Necroing my own post for new and improved noncombat ways to skill gain. My first suggestion would relate to aeromancy. Could we get the ability to play wind instruments by using aeromancy? The flute or perhaps pipe organ in particular. It could use a mix of aeromancy and that music skill to determine how well you do, like spear fishing, and give some small skill gains to both as well, as I imagine it would be really good practice trying to make an instrument sound good using aeromancy. For hydromancy: Fishing? The idea would be to create a sphere of water that you control, and sink it down into natural water. Once a fish enters it, you could use your control over the sphere to grip it and try to yank the fish from the water. Same idea as before, mix between hydromancy and fishing to determine success, small gains for both. For geomancy: Sand blasting? Spraying a thin line of sand at high speed to do woodcarving and/or knapping. Would use both skills to determine success, give small gains to both yadada. Pyromancy... Dunno. Cooking/forging come to mind, but that seeks a little weak.. Dunno.

[Fayne]

They're all good ideas, but it's been stated many times elsewhere on other suggested uses for elemancy that it would be impossible to control any element finely enough to do any these things. It was even said aeromancy wouldn't even be able to open an unlatched container without blowing the contents all over the place, and an aeromancy-controlled blowgun, which would be easier to use than a flute or other wind instrument, would require more precise control than is possible. If those things are impossible, I highly doubt using geomancy to sand away at wood or stone would work. The fishing idea is a maybe, but I still expect to hear that it would require more precise control than possible. Pyromancy has also been said to be too inefficient to use for forging or cooking, so I don't even think that's possible.

I'm really starting to believe elemancy has no utility uses besides a quick bath or dry.

[Kunren]

They're all good ideas, but it's been stated many times elsewhere on other suggested uses for elemancy that it would be impossible to control any element finely enough to do any these things. It was even said aeromancy wouldn't even be able to open an unlatched container without blowing the contents all over the place, and an aeromancy-controlled blowgun, which would be easier to use than a flute or other wind instrument, would require more precise control than is possible. If those things are impossible, I highly doubt using geomancy to sand away at wood or stone would work. The fishing idea is a maybe, but I still expect to hear that it would require more precise control than possible. Pyromancy has also been said to be too inefficient to use for forging or cooking, so I don't even think that's possible.

I'm really starting to believe elemancy has no utility uses besides a quick bath or dry.

I really dislike the lack of fine control thing, but I can't say elemancers have no utility. We are our own lanterns, can invalidate any climb, provide our own heat when it's cold, never need firestones, ect. I'm just looking for ways to gain without combat, since that would really fit them. I'd honestly be happy if combat skill gains for the mancy itself(though not marksmanship or of course channeling) Were nixed or severely lowered for combat, if a better noncombat alternative was presented.

Maybe you could have something like a training state? sit down and focus on your element, then get new commands: conjure wisp, flame, bubble, or pebble(depending on the mancy) that would let you bring up an amount that would be reliant on your skill level( ie able to have one flame in the air when a beginner, but 10 or more once you hit 1000 skill). If you try to go above your current skill level in amount of conjurations in the air, they blast back at you(at deadly endevour with ten in the air at master). Once conjured, they would be able to be controlled with certain commands. Spin, left, right, up, down, and spiral. Perhaps even merge and split at higher skill. "conjure flame" "conjure flame" "flame 2 right" "flame 1 spriral". Each possible movement would set your skill against a difficultly roll( multiplied by the number of conjurations in the air and the difficulty of the maneuver in question) that If passed would grant you skill gain, if failed would send that particular conjuration right at you.

[Vinz]

The issue i believe isnt that elemancers lack control, its that they lack control on the fly. if you wanted to do something percise it takes time (and math) to draw the pattern out and commit it to memory. Thats how these spells come into being, someone discovering a universally useful or spending time to resolve to make a pattern for a set location and set purpose (such as the university itself).