Tomes (aka, elemental spellbooks)

Note on the poll. If each spell is upgraded individually, all would have to be available from the off-set - wouldn't they? Also, think of the price!

Tomes replace combat Magic, simple as!

Tomes are wielded in the off-hand, so you only have access to one at once. Two handed-staffs would have a specific tome built in - even if it's just the 16 basic elemental spells. Ahrim's and Zurial's would have access to the Ancient Tome, or tomes depending on if each Ancient Element receives each own tome. Each tome has a specific "element" rune - so there would be some new element runes to accommodate. Ancient Magick's could have Shroud Runes, Frost Runes, etc- preferably new names for Blood and Smoke, so they don't mix up. Spells will no longer require Wind Runes like a base-ingredient - so air-combo staffs won't be overpowered.

Available books;
Wind, Sea, Stone, Flame, Storm, Nature, Light, Dark, Smog, Frost, Shroud and Flesh?

Each book would have 13 spells - 5 basic, 5 medium, 2 high, and 1 master. Spellbooks require a level to first use, and all five basic spells are available at the level. However, you can purchase "lessons" in a specific tome to grade-up - such as a book of Flame [grade-1] to a book of Flame [grade-2]. Upgrading your tome unlocks new spells, as well as upgrading the existing ones. The actual Magic Tutor is our first Magic Tutor, and she can teach us the four basic elements up to grade-1 (only air is free, as it's obtained in the tutorial - but the prices for grade-1 aren't high). To continue upgrading you must find other tutors, and to purchase other books you must find a tutor who has mastered it!

For all but the Ancient Tomes, the five basic spells would be strike, bolt, blast, wave and (insert a good name for a defensive spell). Yes, this means Wind Wave is available at level 1, but it's not that great - book of Wind [grade-1] is weak in general! Book of Wind [grade-4] holds the equivalent Wind Wave power as the existing spell! The reason for this? Strike is an accurate spell, Bolt is a fast spell, Blast is a controlled spell and Wave is a powerful spell - like attack types for melee. Focus, Psych and Banish stats instead of Melee's Stab, Slash and Crush.

EDIT: Spells would require "Combat Runes". Which rune is relative to the grade. Grade-1 requires Mind, Grade-2 requires Chaos, Grade-3 requires Death, Grade-4 requires Blood and Grade-5 requires... something.

Like a Dagger has Stab (Stab, Accurate, Attack exp), Lunge (Stab, Aggressive, Strength exp) and so on... the book of Flame would have something like Fire Strike (Focus, Accurate, Magic exp), Fire Bolt (Psych, Aggressive, Mana exp). This is including the magic-attack and magic-strength idea, but it could all give Magic exp if needs be. A "battlestance" is the "accurate", or "aggressive" bit. Magic's battlestances are Accurate (magic exp), Aggressive (mana exp), Berserk (shared magic and mana exp), Controlled (shared exp), Defencive (defence exp), Rapid (magic and defence exp) and Longranged (mana and defence exp). Melee could have counterparts for Rapid and Longranged - gouge/gouging is something polearms do, this could be the equivalent of longranged. Yes - you can train defence-only with Magic! Most spells with "Defencive" as their battlestance will not inflict direct damage, and thus wouldn't have focus, psych or banish in brackets - however, this isn't a trend and some exceptions will probably arise.

It's possible that the spellbook panel could display the standard layout - Strikes [grade-1], Bolts [grade-2], Blasts [grade-3] and Waves [grade-4] regardless of tome you wield, for those who don't like change. Or even, just 'cause I'm nice, Strike at your highest available grade; Bolt at your highest available grade, etc. So if you can cast Wind Blast - you will get bolt and strike [grade-3]. However, this would only be in the spellbook panel. For players to access Wind Strike [grade-3] in the tome, as well as other spells available at [grade-3] - you must purchase the upgrade from [grade-1] to [grade-3]!

Book of Flame (I have not illustrated the specific spells, only where they would go);


Now we just need spells!
• Fire Strike (Focus, Accurate, Magic exp)
• Fire Bolt (Psych, Rapid, Magic and Defence exp)
• Fire Blast (Focus, Controlled, Shared exp)
• Fire Wave (Banish, Aggressive, Mana exp)
• Fire Shield? (Defensive, Defence exp)

Going from book of Flame [grade-1] to book of Flame [grade-2] is like going from a Bronze Dagger to an Iron Dagger. Only difference, tomes have less grades (so larger increases in power). There are also fewer weapons - Wind, Sea, Stone, etc will total with less weapons than melee. However, Magic has more "attack styles" within each weapon - melee has a maximum of 4 per weapon, magic has 13 each. Melee can poison weapons generically, Magic can only poison with specific attack styles... yadda, yadda, etc.

How the widget works;

The widgets rests to the right of the interface or left of the game-screen - depending on which is true. It is only visible when you are wielding a tome, and is closed unless being accessed - so has not to spam the screen. The orbs are coloured to match the element, as well as the symbol changing appropriately. When closed, the orb will display the spell you wish to auto-cast. To access the widget you simply need to right-click on it and it'll expand to reveal a "dock" with all the spells (unavailable spells will be greyed out). The dock zooms in on the closest spell to the cursor - I've tried to show an example of the zooming feature. Left-clicking on the widget will turn off auto-casting, and again to turn on - as wielding a tome will allow you to auto-cast magic without a staff (but you can turn this off, for players who don't want to auto cast and just want to hold the book)! The spell you select from the dock will be displayed in the orb shown when the dock is hidden. This will be the spell your character will try to cast when in combat - unless they are out of runes, or you select another spell from the spellbook panel (you will be able to access to tome from the spellbook panel whether the above idea for the spellbook panel is incorporated or not).

Spells have a charge time rather than a cast-speed - this is to prevent you from click-casting it repeatedly (which would be overpowered considering the potential some spells could have). You can see the recharge time of the default spell as there would be a visible display of the spell charging (such as it being greyed out and being un-greyed via a clock-hand style timer). Some spells have an instant charge, some have an almost unnoticable charge, whilst other you will find that you're auto-casting at a relatively slow speed. Casting another spell will not affect active timers. Switching tomes will trigger the timer on all but the five basic spells - the time when switching books is double the length, to limit book-hybriding.

This is completely spat out - it's unordered and messy, but I hope it's understandable!

Cool...seems reasonable and good

*is pleasantly surprised*

so was i....

Have I actually thought of an idea... that... oh god... you like?

*dun dun duuuuhhhhhh*

besides the prayer idea and the ashes idea and conjuring...?

I mean recent ideas.

oh...yeah...cept for the make it bigger one...

... I was making an unfair statement.

but a pretty accurate one

So, we need 13 spells for 8 tomes and whatever we do for Ancient Magicks.

Okay...

Okay do you need any help?

I said "we" didn't I?

Urmmm... some of the tomes can have combo-spells!

Sludgehammer (Banish :: Aggressive :: Magic and Mana exp :: Close-quarter :: Medium level).
Animation: The player raises their hands and, after a huge, muddy hammer appears in their clasp, brings it down on their targets head (like the barrelchest anchor's special attack). *insert splat*

Sludgehammer would inflict fairly high damage in respect to other medium level spells as it is close-quarter. Spells that are fast are generally inaccurate or weak (and sometimes both); spells that are accurate generally have a medium power and speed (or one higher in favour of the other); and spells that are powerful are generally slow but accuracy varies. By speed I mean recharge, although spells that take longer to recharge will generally have a longer animation so you aren't as bored whilst waiting!

can there be a spell that acts like those bugs when you don't have a light?

really accurate and fast but very low max hit

Yeah!

Seems like it would be fire or earth but that is just me...

Fireflies: inflicts fast, accurate but slow fire damage.

Instead of Dark, which is basically shadow anyway, how about Arcane? Arcane and Light, lol.

Each tome should have a manifestation (aka, a companion).

I'm trying to think of different names for it all lol - pet, familiar (summoning), numen/beast (zoanthropy), minion (necromancy), manifest (magic) and... demon sounds terrible, spawn (demonology)? Maybe minion could be demonology and necromancy could have lich. Zoanthropy is kinda the odd one out as it's not a companion, whilst the other ones are.

why...?

"Why...?"...?

Why does magic need a companion...I think summoning should be the unique skill that uses companions ans before you say it I would say that demonology and necromancy are more minions than companions

The only current issue with Ancients is Miasmic - it doesn't fit anywhere. But then... Zurial's staff could just have the Miasmic Tome built in.

What?! How the hell are you categorizing this?

A minion is a companion - a companion is anything which provides company. A minion does imply a more... slave and master type relationship, but by your definition a manifestation would be a minion. It exists only to do your bidding. Summoning would remain unique for being a skill for useless followers - both the pets and the familiars.

Terminology - Minions and Followers, both are companions. A minion exists to serve (in the whole - you are my companion, I am your master kind of way), whilst a follower exists to accompany (in the willingly-loyal companion kind of way). To save confusion?