Elemancy - Abilities, Spells and their implementation

[Toukoilija]

We've got a ton of spell ideas coming in, so I find it prudent to stop and ask how the approved ones are going to be implemented. Currently the University offers three levels as abilities for each element, some of which open access to spells.
In addition there are two different Patterns and Multi-Element Weaving and a three levels of Channeling.

The question is, are the spells that Rias in his wisdom decides to implement going to be dropped under these, or is there to be expansion in this?




I personally fancy the idea of a webwork of abilities functioning in a myriad combinations; effectively a more complex version of the currently used Element + Pattern = Elemental Pattern.


Example: (The ?____? around some ability names to indicate that THEY DO NOT EXIST [yet?])

Pyromancy: Apprentice + ?Apprentice Enviromental Weaving? -> Access to low power fire spells that take effect in the caster's immediate surroundings - for example a pulse that heats the air around the caster.
Now lets add something called ?Apprentice Weave Binding? -> With these three the caster can now cast low power fire spells that take effect in the caster's immediate surroundings over a prolonged period of time - for example a constant heating effect.
Bear with me now, for I will add fourth thingamabob, an ability that requires the already mentioned ?Apprentice Weave Binding?: ?Apprentice External Binding?. By adding this third function the caster can cast low power fire spells that take effect on the immediate surroundings for prolonged period of time even after the caster has left. Basically this would allow the elemancer to create a constant heating effect that would not be centered on him/her but rather stay in the room it was cast in.
Obviously Pyromancy could be replaced with another element. As the elements are inherently different it would make sense for each/some of them to have function abilities the others do not have.

I find that a system like this would add to the academic nature of the Elemancer guild, it being an University and all that, and more importantly adds a degree of complexity and flexibility to the ability system while also giving room for expansion.
Furthermore it could be implemented without any radical changes to the already existing guild abilities.

Discuss, or at least comment.


Edit: Filtered out the occassional lapses of attention to understandability - should now be comprehensible to a sane human being.
Edit#2: Expanded the example a bit. Also replaced the nasty word 'element' with 'feature' to avoid confusion...

[Rias]

This is precisely the idea I've had in mind for Elemancers. As you say, it reflects the more scientific and academic feel of the University training, with the combining of elements, weaving them into patterns, and stuff like that. That feels a lot more appropriate to me (for the concept I have in mind) than a mish-mash of random spells with various effects that seem much more restricted and one-purpose. The idea of the Elemancers is that they aren't casting rote, single-purpose ritual spells - they're actually manipulating raw elements on a much more basic and intricate level.

So Fire Nova and Water Nova aren't really two different spells. They're essentially the same spell (or pattern), just used in combination with a different element.

I've had a hard time coming up with different patterns. I like your ideas, and you're on the same track I am as far as how I want Elemancer spells to work.

[Toukoilija]

THIS POST IS LIKELY TO BE SUBJECT TO A LOT OF EDITING
Awesomesauce!

I'll try and think of more Patterns myself too - same goes for the rest of you Elemancers lurking on the forums!

Not exactly sure if you meant Patterns in the sense they are currently implemented, so I shall simply continue in the same vein I went on with earlier... Also do you intend to throw them in as multiple levels of abilities or just go with one per Pattern as so far has been?

In hindsight, I suggest following terminology:
Element = Fire, Water, Earth, Air
Pattern = A single technique of Weaving
Weaving = The combination of the desired Elements and Patterns - the end-product.
Bound Weave = A Weave created using one of the Binding Techniques (below) - a Weave that lasts for more a short
moment.

These terms should clarify the list below to a point of relatively easy comprehension. Other Weaves should be easy enough to simply put together by taking technique names and creating a monstrosity: External Lasting Ambient Weave!
As of yet undecided if External Weaving, External Weave Binding etc. should be considered Patterns - marked the obviously Patternish as such.

Anyway:
External Weaving:
A very basic technique, this deals with any elemental weaving that affects the something other than the caster. A simple example would be any sort of a bolt spell. Required for all the more advanced External Weavings.

External Weave Binding:
A technique used to create prolonged external effects. Required by Lasting External Binding.
Note: Will use the term Bound (capital intented) to refer to any Weaves created through this. As-in Bound Weave.

Nova Pattern: (Already coded of course, here for distinctions sake)
A technique that creates a violent pulse of elemental energy that expands to all directions from the caster.

Ambient Pattern:
A technique that allows the caster to manipulate their immediate surroundings as a whole. Perhaps a prerequisite for Nova? Or the other way around?

Shield Pattern: (Once again, this already exists - here for distinctions sake)
A technique that creates a stable coating of elemental energy immediattely around the caster's body. Maintaining a barrier that remains reactive to the body's movements is difficult and thus requires constant concentration - should the caster fail to hold the Pattern stable, it can (I expand upon the already present effects...), depending on the depth of the failure, flare around the caster, harming hir; fizzle, possibly further draining draining the caster's energy reserves; or collapse violently, in which case it can be truly life threatening.

Lasting External Binding:
Expanding upon the concept of External Weave Binding, this technique allows the elemancer to create Bound Weaves that are tied to a location rather than the caster hirself.

Weave Amalgamation/Synthetization/Compounding: (Because university level stuff must sound smart.)
A very essential technique for any aspiring elemancer, Weave Amalgation allows the combining of multipe different Pattern/Weaving types to create more complex effects.

Projected Nova Pattern:
An advanced application of Nova Pattern, which begins by forming a highly concentrated mass of elemental energy, which is then projected rapidly toward a target location, where it will burst violently in a manner similar to the normal Nova Pattern.
Note: For an example, think Fireballs. Incidentally, in the current combat system this Pattern is relatively useless (Nova Pattern already striking everyone in the room), but one can always hope...


THIS POST IS LIKELY TO BE SUBJECT TO A LOT OF EDITING

[Rias]

While nova strikes everyone in the room, the projected/focused version could strike multiple hit locations on the target. Like a blast centered on the abdomen would also hit the chest and legs. Centered on the chest would hit neck, arms, abdomen.

Maybe. "Cone" might be a better term for something like that. Hm. Just thinking out loud (in text). I was musing on this mechanic a while back for "blast" effects for things like explosives (the engineering guild will exist one day!).

[Toukoilija]

I cannot help but think of Novas as fairly large effects, and to lesser extend same goes for cones. How about just using 'blast' for that idea - or to sound a little more scientificey 'discharge', or 'surge'?

[Rias]

Novas (novae?) are an expanding ring, rather than sphere, which is why they only strike targets in one location. Sometimes it's a little silly, like only getting hit in the hand, but for now I'm okay with that due to the dreaded concept of "balance." Blasts (or whatever they end up being called) would be for inflicting large amounts on a single target (over multiple hit locations), while novae would be spreading out the damage over multiple targets instead.

Some other pattern ideas I've had in mind:

Beam: Constantly channeled, continues to strike as long as it is channeled. Not sure how useful it would be in comparison to simply using trance with the raw bolt casts. Possibly increase the damage by striking more often (every 2-3 seconds) and requiring extra channeled energy per second. Air and water would be useful for pinning a target to the ground, and probably doing some low pressure damage over time or something (though it would be nice to have a non-offensive version as well, for simply disabling opponents without harming them). Earth could, I suppose, be a constant barrage of sand.

Lash/Tendril/Rope/Something-like-that: Based on Orris's idea, water or air could be used to pick things up, pull hurled weapons back after throwing them, knocking down targets by yanking them, and so forth. Wouldn't be as useful for fire (it could do damage, but wouldn't be able to pick things up or yank people down, so you'd probably be better off with a more offense-based pttern). Probably wouldn't work at all with earth.

[Isiaa]

And if you want to combine multiple elements into a beam?

[Rias]

I hadn't intended to have multi-element combinations work with patterns. They're useful for raw casts of unique combinations (acid or lightning, for instance), but combining them with patterns would make things ridiculously complex.

[Isiaa]

That is rather the point.