| Both sides previous revision
Previous revision
Next revision
|
Previous revision
|
combat-magic [2021/10/26 18:26]
naaira [Interrupts] |
combat-magic [2023/02/07 18:06] (current)
tlagnoj [Combat Magic Workflow] |
| ======Combat Magic====== | ======Combat Magic====== |
| |
| Battle magic can only be cast during a tactical battle. These spells have battle effects like inflicting damage, granting increased [[protection]], reducing [[fatigue]], or some similar effect which only makes sense in the context of the battle mechanics. Battle magic can be scripted into a mage’s list of battle actions using Set battle orders. If a battle spell requires [[gems]], that mage must have those gems in his inventory before the battle begins. | Battle [[magic]] can only be cast during a tactical battle. These spells have battle effects like inflicting damage, [[combat summons|summoning units]], granting increased [[protection]], reducing [[fatigue]], or some similar effect which only makes sense in the context of the battle mechanics. Battle magic can be scripted into a mage’s list of battle actions using Set battle orders. If a battle spell requires [[gems]], that mage must have those gems in his inventory before the battle begins. |
| | |
| Some battle spells affect the whole battlefield and are termed [[battle enchantment]]s. Some of these last the length of the battle. A battle enchantment is dispelled if its caster dies. | Some battle spells affect the whole battlefield and are termed [[battle enchantment]]s. Some of these last the length of the battle. A battle enchantment is dispelled if its caster dies. |
| ===== Combat Magic Workflow ===== | ===== Combat Magic Workflow ===== |
| When a mage attempts to cast a spell the game goes through a workflow to determine whether the spell is cast. | When a mage attempts to cast a spell the game goes through a workflow to determine whether the spell is cast. |
| - First, the mage's current path level is checked to determine if the mage is able to cast the spell at all. | - The game checks if any potential targets are within range. |
| - If the spell requires [[gems]], those are spent. If the mage has additional gems those may be spent to help cast the spell. | - The mage's current path level is checked to determine if the mage is able to cast the spell at all. |
| | - If the spell requires [[gems]], those are spent. If the mage has additional gems those may be spent to help cast the spell. The gems are consumed at the point of casting. |
| - The casting point for the spell is calculated. It is approximately half the total casting time. | - The casting point for the spell is calculated. It is approximately half the total casting time. |
| - If the mage takes damage before the casting point a check is made to determine if the spellcast was interrupted. | - If the mage takes damage before the casting point a check is made to determine if the spellcast was interrupted. |
| - The effect of a succesful spellcast is resolved. | - The effect of a succesful spellcast is resolved. |
| - [[Fatigue]] is calculated | - [[Fatigue]] is calculated |
| | |
| | ==== Targets in Range ==== |
| | Certain spells have specific requirements to who they can affect. E.g. ??Dust to Dust?? only affects [[undead]] units within range. When attempting to cast a scripted spell, if no available targets are within range the mage will skip casting that spell. |
| | |
| | When picking a target the mage will generally go for the square with the highest damage potential. This means that units with high [[units-attributes#General Attributes|hit points]] per square and no [[elemental resistance|elemental resistances]] are more likely to be targeted by damage spells than other units. |
| | * Note that the AI will regard units with high amounts of elemental resistance as being immune to spells of that damage type, even when they are clearly not. The AI might refuse to cast elemental damage spells if all possible targets have high elemental resistance. |
| |
| ==== Current Path Level ==== | ==== Current Path Level ==== |
| * A mage may use additional gems to increase his level in that path further, but only for the purposes of reducing the fatigue incurred by spellcasting. For instance, an {{path>E3}} mage who consumes three earth gems counts as an {{path>E6}} mage for the purposes of calculating [[fatigue]], but only an {{path>E4}} mage for determining what spells he can cast. | * A mage may use additional gems to increase his level in that path further, but only for the purposes of reducing the fatigue incurred by spellcasting. For instance, an {{path>E3}} mage who consumes three earth gems counts as an {{path>E6}} mage for the purposes of calculating [[fatigue]], but only an {{path>E4}} mage for determining what spells he can cast. |
| |
| | {{template>rulesforgemuse}} |
| |
| <WRAP box 800px center>==== Rules for Gem Use in Combat ==== | |
| <WRAP column 120px rightalign>**Rule of Paths**</WRAP>A mage **may never** spend more gems in one turn than his current level in the relevant path. \\ | |
| <WRAP column 120px rightalign>**Rule of One**</WRAP> A mage can use **exactly one** gem to boost the corresponding path one level. | |
| <WRAP column 120px rightalign>**Rule of Stash**</WRAP>A mage can only use gems from their own inventory. | |
| <WRAP column 120px rightalign>**Rule of Blood**</WRAP>A mage can use any friendly blood slave within **8 squares**. | |
| ------- | |
| Current level is the mage's basic path level + path boosts from [[items]], path boosting spells and being in a [[communion]] | |
| </WRAP> | |
| |
| //Example:// Consider the Alteration 5 spell ??Maws of the Earth??, which requires an {{path>E3}} caster and {{gems>1E}}. | //Example:// Consider the Alteration 5 spell ??Maws of the Earth??, which requires an {{path>E3}} caster and {{gems>1E}}. |
| * An {{path>E1}} mage cannot cast this spell at all. | * An {{path>E1}} mage cannot cast this spell at all. |
| * An {{path>E3}} mage can cast it by spending {{gems>2E}}; one to boost to {{path>E3}}, and another for the spell's requirement. | * An {{path>E2}} mage can cast it by spending {{gems>2E}}; one to boost to {{path>E3}}, and another for the spell's requirement. |
| * An {{path>E1}} mage who has {{gems>3E}} //can// cast ??Maws of the Earth??. First the mage uses {{gems>1E}} to cast ??Summon Earthpower?? to raise their current level to {{path>E2}}. The mage then spends {{gems>2E}} to cast the spell. | * An {{path>E1}} mage who has {{gems>3E}} //can// cast ??Maws of the Earth??. First the mage uses {{gems>1E}} to cast ??Summon Earthpower?? to raise their current level to {{path>E2}}. The mage then spends {{gems>2E}} to cast the spell. |
| |
| </WRAP></WRAP> | </WRAP></WRAP> |
| |
| //Example:// Let us assume we set up one mage to cast ??Storm?? with his first script slot, and a group of A2 mages to cast ??Summon Storm Power?? then ??Thunder Strike??. We get the following result: | //Example:// Let us assume we set up one mage to cast ??Storm?? with his first script slot, and a group of {{path>A2}} mages to cast ??Summon Storm Power?? then ??Thunder Strike??. We get the following result: |
| * Among the A2 mages, some will start their second spell right before storm is up, i.e. before receiving the air boost, and thus will cast another spell instead as they do not meet the requirement for ??Thunder Strike?? | * Among the {{path>A2}} mages, some will start their second spell right before ??Storm?? is up, i.e. before receiving the air boost, and thus will cast another spell instead as they do not meet the requirement for ??Thunder Strike?? |
| * Others will cast their second spell right after ??Storm?? is up, and thus will be able to cast ??Thunder Strike??. | * Others will cast their second spell right after ??Storm?? is up, and thus will be able to cast ??Thunder Strike??. |
| | |
| <WRAP column 35px>{{ :abilities:innate_spellcaster.png?nolink |}}</WRAP>Some mages are [[innate spellcaster]] (X). These monsters do not require any preparation time for their spells. They also completely ignore casting times. Instead they cast up to X spells per round. | <WRAP column 35px>{{ :abilities:innate_spellcaster.png?nolink |}}</WRAP>Some mages are [[innate spellcaster]] (X). These monsters do not require any preparation time for their spells. They also completely ignore the casting times of spells they cast. Instead they cast X amount of spells at the start of each round. Mechanically this means that a mage with [[innate spellcaster|innate spellcaster (1)]] has a 100% casting time for all spells they cast with a casting point of 0%. |
| <WRAP column 35px>{{ :abilities:spell_singer.png?nolink |}}</WRAP>A mage with [[spell singer]] adds a flat 50% to cast time for all spells. | <WRAP column 35px>{{ :abilities:spell_singer.png?nolink |}}</WRAP>A mage with [[spell singer]] adds a **flat 50% of a combat turn** to the casting time for all spells cast. |
| |
| ==== Interrupts ==== | ==== Interrupts ==== |
| </WRAP></WRAP> | </WRAP></WRAP> |
| |
| <WRAP group><WRAP column 55px>{{ :abilities:innate_spellcaster.png?nolink|}}</WRAP>A mage with [[Innate Spellcaster]] cannot be interrupted by damage. </WRAP> | <WRAP group><WRAP column 55px>{{ :abilities:innate_spellcaster.png?nolink|}}</WRAP>A mage with [[Innate Spellcaster]] cannot be interrupted by damage. They cast spells at the very beginning of a round leaving no time for damage to interrupt the cast.</WRAP> |
| <WRAP column 55px centeralign>{{:abilities:combat_caster.png?nolink&25|}}{{:abilities:mindless.png?nolink&25|}}</WRAP> A mage with [[Combat Caster]] or [[Mindless]] is half as likely to be interrupted by damage. | <WRAP column 55px centeralign>{{:abilities:combat_caster.png?nolink&25|}}{{:abilities:mindless.png?nolink&25|}}</WRAP> A mage with [[Combat Caster]] or [[Mindless]] is half as likely to be interrupted by damage. |
| ==== Spell effect resolution ==== | ==== Spell effect resolution ==== |
| |
| The method for resolving battle magic is very similar to that for missile weapons. Mages have a [[precision]] attribute just like archers do. Spells have a Precision rating, also. For the purposes of calculation these two are added together. Many spells have 100 Precision, intended to make them impossible to miss; unlike with Morale on Mindless units, however, this is not an arbitrary figure, and these spells can still miss if the target is too fast and moves at just the right moment. Some spells (like ??Acid Bolt??) are [[armor piercing]]. This means Protection against them only counts for half, just like armor piercing missiles. Some other spells (like ??Orb Lightning??) are [[armor negating]]. Other spells require their caster to make a successful [[magic resistance]] check in order for some or all effects to apply. | When a spell has been succesfully cast the spell's effect is resolved. Each spell has a [[spell description]] that determines what happens when a spell is cast. |
| | ==== Fatigue ==== |
| | Just like attacking in combat, casting spells in battle incurs [[fatigue]]. And just like all other units, a mage that reaches **100 fatigue** will pass out. For this reason, fatigue management is very important for spellcasters. It is often the limiting factor in combat, and higher-pathed mages thus have an advantage in that they incur less fatigue. |
| | * Each spell has a listed fatigue cost which a caster incurs when casting that spell. For each skill level in the required path that the mage exceeds the minimum, he incurs 1 / (1 + (mage skill – minimum skill) of the listed spell fatigue. |
| | * In other words, having an extra skill level means the mage suffers only half fatigue. |
| | * Two extra skill levels means he suffers only 1/3 as much. |
| | * Three extra is ¼, and so forth. |
| | * Spellcasters also incur fatigue equal to their base [[Encumbrance]] value + 2 x Encumbrance value of any armor worn for each spell cast. This is not subject to reduction by skill bonuses. It is harder to make magical gestures in heavy armor. |
| | * Finally there is a random component that might increase the fatigue cost of a spell. |
| |
| Spell range is measured in squares. Diagonals have a cost of 1.5 tiles. | Various factors may affect this basic calculation: |
| | * Fighting in Cold or Heat without Cold or Fire resistance gives a penalty to encumbrance. |
| | * Casting in Drain scales adds 10% per scale to the fatigue cost of the spell. Correspondingly Magic scales reduce the fatigue cost by 10% per scale. |
| | * Some effects might incur a fatigue penalty to spellcasters. Most notably Fire spells cost double when cast during a ??Rain??. |
| |
| ==== Fatigue ==== | {{template>spellfatigue}} |
| Just like attacking in combat, casting spells in battle incurs [[fatigue]]. Each spell has a listed fatigue cost which a caster incurs when casting that spell. For each skill level in the required path that the mage exceeds the minimum, he incurs 1 / (1 + (mage skill – minimum skill) of the listed spell fatigue. In other words, having an extra skill level means the mage suffers only ½ fatigue, two extra skill levels means he suffers only 1/3 as much, three extra is ¼, and so forth. | |
| | |
| Spell casters also incur fatigue equal to their base Encumbrance value + 2x Encumbrance value of any armor worn for each spell cast. This is not subject to reduction by skill bonuses. It is harder to make magical gestures in heavy armor. | |
| |
| Fatigue is very important for spell casters. It is often the limiting factor in combat, and higher-skill mages thus have an advantage in that they incur less fatigue. Spells that reduce fatigue, like ??Reinvigoration??, ??Summon Earthpower?? and ??Relief??, can be very useful as well. | Spells that reduce fatigue, like ??Reinvigoration??, ??Summon Earthpower?? and ??Relief??, can be very useful as a way of getting mages to cast more spells in combat. |
| |
| <WRAP box 800px center>==== Spell Fatigue ==== | <WRAP column 35px>{{ :abilities:spell_singer.png?nolink |}}</WRAP>A mage with [[spell singer]] halves the basic fatigue cost of all spells cast by the mage. |
| <WRAP column 120px rightalign>**Spell fatigue:**</WRAP><WRAP column half> Spell fatigue cost / (1 + mage's path level - minimum path level required) \\ | ===== Communions ===== |
| + Base [[Encumbrance]] \\ | Joining a communion significantly changes spellcasting in different ways. It boosts the path level of communion masters and spreads the fatigue cost between masters and slaves. Please refer to the [[Communions]] page for an in-depth explanation. |
| + 2 x Armor [[Encumbrance]] value \\ | |
| + [[Scales]] modifiers | {{template>magicindex}} |
| </WRAP></WRAP> | |
