Ideas for Spell/Element Effects

[Dusk Raven]

I’ve been wondering about, concerning spells, what effects (when you cast them and what they do) to use for each spell element (i.e. ice, fire, light). What I mean is: when my character casts a ice spell on my feeble opponents, what effects should I see? What will the spell do to my opponents? I’ve come up with a vague system for spell elements and I’ll post them as follows (I’m sorry if this is hard to read):

Fire: uses Fireball (flames) for damage effects and Fire (flames) for disabling effects. Enhancing and disabling effects focus on increasing/decreasing Attack Power (this is just for spells; skills can have any number of effects). Special: Death (this means Attacks can instantly kill, and Enhancing/Disabling spells can make one immune to or vulnerable to being instantly killed.

Ice: uses Ice and Fire (blue). Enhancing/Disabling focuses on increasing or decreasing Defense power. Special: Stop (represents freezing an enemy).

Poison: uses Poison Ball and Fireball (green). Focuses on increasing/decreasing skill power. Special: Poison.

Electricity: uses Thunder and Fireball (yellow) (I haven’t thought about this much). Focuses on increasing/decreasing speed. Special: effective against Golems (these are creatures made of earth or stone; or animated suits of armor)

Light: uses Beams and (maybe) Fire (white). Focuses on increasing or decreasing Magic Attack Power. Special: effective against Nonhumans.

Darkness: uses Fireball (stars) and Fireball (blue). Increases or decreases Magic Defense Power. Special: effective against Humans.

Holy: (I haven’t thought about what this or Unholy would have for effects). Special: effective against Devil.

Unholy: (see above). Special: Slow (inflicts a curse that reduces their mobility).

Time: uses Magic 1 and Magic 6. This is a “wild card” that can have all sorts of effects, especially "Special Traits" like Sure Run.

That’s it. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

[Wavelength]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

I think the key to skills is to try to make them as different as possible (while keeping them balanced), and simply trying to do what seems cool to you. For that reason, I'm not going to tell you what you "should" do as far as spell effects and functionalities, though maybe mentioning what's worked for me will serve as inspiration.

Personally, I've tried to stay away from uniform sets of effects within "spell classifications," so the same characters won't be using the same effects over and over. I'd come up with the name and functionality first, then find sets of graphical effects that are consonant with the spirit you're going for. Actually, sometimes this meant focusing more on the character's action, and leaving the graphical effect to something simple like "Ninjitsu #" or "Enhancing #."

So far I've fully fleshed out four spell classifications, and some more (hoping for 12-18 total) are in the works.

Ice: High cost, wide range, and moderate damage. Focuses on slowing or physically disabling enemies. A few spells are strong against fire-based enemies.

Psychic: High cost, and generally little or no HP damage. Most spells attack the enemy's MP or otherwise disable their spellcasting abilities. Against some enemies, this can render them nearly harmless.

Light: Medium cost. A couple spells are high damage and effective against shadowy enemies, but most spells in the Light line are focused on protecting or enhancing (as opposed to healing) a single ally in some way or another.

Material: Very low MP costs for moderate damage. Tend to have weak, if any, secondary effects, but the low MP costs mean you can spam this line of spells.

[Ωbright]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

Well, this is a scheme that kinda makes sense to me:

Fire - added effect (death)
Ice (water) - added effect (slow)
Earth - added effect (poison)
Electricity - added effect (stop)
I like what you're doing with 'Darkness', but I think I'd give 'magic-up/down' to the dark element, and 'Magic Defense-up/down' to the 'Light' element...but that's just me.

Like you said, these are just suggestions.

There's also room for a summoner...sort of. Several of the spell effects have things like demons and skulls appear over the caster's head

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

What you're saying sounds interesting, Wavelength, and I think I might adapt that for my own use. Interestingly enough, I was vaguely thinking something along those lines when thinking up an RPG (not made with RPGM. something I could actually make from scratch (once I learn a lot more about programming language)). What I have in this game was that differant characters had different focuses; my Poison Lizardman would focus on skills that involved status changes, including making one immune or vulnerable to poison. My Chronomage, on the other hand, has no real focus: for spells she has Speed Up (fast), Slow Down (slow), Time Heal (speeds up time around an ally's wounds, allowing them to heal naturally), and can stop time in two ways (trap disarm and sure run).

As for you, Obright, your list looks interesting, paticularily the status effects (If you don't mind me asking, (though I don't disbelieve you, I just want to know) how can Earth poison you?). As for Light and Darkness, there's a few philosophical reasons for that. I make a difference between darkness and evil, and likewise between light and good. Darkness, well, it can't really hurt you (unless you can't see and stumble over a rock). It's hard to see in it, but if you use it right, it can hide you from your enemies. Therefore, I associate Darkness with, in a sense, protection. Light, on the other hand, can hurt you (sunburn), and where there's Light, there's heat (deserts). Light can even be even more harmful to some creatures, from the beasts in Pitch Black to (I've heard in vague rumor) microscopic creatures that explode when light hits them.

As for summoning, I use the Fire and Ice Demons for Fire and Ice, respectively, The Poison for Poison and Unholy, and the Beam Demon for Light and Darkness (I might use to Poison Demon for Darkness, or the Skull for Holy). I think I've said enough on this matter.

[Ωbright]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

What I have in this game was that differant characters had different focuses; my Poison Lizardman would focus on skills that involved status changes, including making one immune or vulnerable to poison. My Chronomage, on the other hand, has no real focus: for spells she has Speed Up (fast), Slow Down (slow), Time Heal (speeds up time around an ally's wounds, allowing them to heal naturally), and can stop time in two ways (trap disarm and sure run).

For not having any focus, the chronomage sounds pretty cool. I say their skills may seem diverse, but they share the unifying theme of time.

As for you, Obright, your list looks interesting, paticularily the status effects (If you don't mind me asking, (though I don't disbelieve you, I just want to know) how can Earth poison you?).

Well, while the attack animations for attacks that poison can be any color, the 'default' (if you can call it that) is green...the main 'Earth' color. Not only that, but how many botanical compounds are poisonous? Again, I'm applying the connection of green plants to the Earth element. It sounds like you have your own scheme already for your elements. and a pretty good one!

As for Light and Darkness, there's a few philosophical reasons for that. I make a difference between darkness and evil, and likewise between light and good. Darkness, well, it can't really hurt you (unless you can't see and stumble over a rock). It's hard to see in it, but if you use it right, it can hide you from your enemies. Therefore I aassociate Darkness with, in a sense, protection. Light, on the other hand, can hurt you (sunburn), and where there's Light, there's heat (deserts). Light can even be even more harmful to some creatures, from the beasts in Pitch Black to (I've heard in vague rumor) microscopic creatures that explode when light hits them. As for summoning, I use the Fire and Ice Demons for Fire and Ice, respectively, The Poison for Poison and Unholy, and the Beam Demon for Light and Darkness (I might use to Poison Demon for Darkness, or the Skull for Holy). I think I've said enough on this matter.

Yup, I was right...you DO have a good concept of your elemental attributes already. You've put a lot of thought into them, it shows, and that's great. Your 'light and dark' concepts just make sense...in your own way!

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

Thanks. And I understand now about Earth and poison (I'm used to thinking of Plant and Earth being seperate).
Following Wavelength's example, I'll try putting up a few ideas for the focus of different spell attributes (I don't think I can so this in one sitting so I'll update this as I come up with new ideas):

Poison: this would focus on disabling phisical attributes (including speed) while increasing vulnerablility to poison as well as attacks that can poison enemies. Actual effect points are low due to the fact that Poison is more a damage-over-time thing as well as to keep the spell/skill costs down.

Darkness: this would have lots of nice, subtle enhancing and disabling effects, probably having to do with magic attributes (maybe even speed: it becomes so dark that enemies take longer to react) as well as affecting the entire party. Other ideas might include Cloak of Night (lower encounter rate), or Shadowflight (become one with the darkness and escape the dungeon). Costs are kept low due to the "subtle" theme.

Light: this is the opposite of Darkness, so it would have more direct restoring and damaging effects. Special Traits might include Beacon of Light (raise encounter rate). Costs will no doubt be high.

Colorless: I'm calling it this for lack of a better name. This would include anything and everything (including Time spells), but has no elemental alignment and so anyone can use these. There would few (if any) damage spells, but there would be Revive and Cure Status effects in here: Colorless is where all things begin and what all things are, and can therefore return status to "normal". All healing spells are in this element. This would also constitute the "norm" for all costs and effect points.

Water: (I'd use this in RPGMXP) This would focus mostly on healing and enhancing spells, especially in the magic areas. There would be few damage spells, but most would affect all enemies. Costs would be cheap and effect points low.

Electricity: Well rounded in attacking and disabling, with huge damage and equally huge costs.

Earth: this is like Electricity in effect points in spell costs, but with mostly enhancing and disabling effects instead of attacking.

Ice: the primary focus for ice is defensive tactics, whether lowering enemies physical attributes (or increasing Allies') or inflicting Stop status. Costs are low; I'm assuming ice elementals will be preparing for long battles.

Fire: aggressive tactics. Fire focuses on offensive effects almost exclusively (which includes raising attack power). Many spells target an entire party.

[Wavelength]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

It's very cool that you actually listen to peoples' suggestions.

I like your unique play on darkness and light, and I like what you've done with "chronomages." Speeding up time to allow the body heal wounds is easily one of the best explanations I've ever heard for healing (it begs the question of what happens when someone is so badly wounded that time would only make it worse, but now I'm seriously nitpicking). The "classes" of elements seem to be coming along well.

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

Speeding up time to allow the body heal wounds is easily one of the best explanations I've ever heard for healing (it begs the question of what happens when someone is so badly wounded that time would only make it worse, but now I'm seriously nitpicking).

Sadly, that's the one flaw. It's possible that any microbes that would infect the wounds would die of old age... It's a pity I can't use the same spell to increase poison damage.... I can't claim total originality though: the healing part was inspired by a boss in one of the Castlevania games. I'd like to think that the Time Stop applications are somewhat original. I can explain why the party runs instead of getting a few good hits in: If you move an object whose Rate of Time Passage is 1/1000th of ours, trying to make it go 1ft a second for our time is 1000ft per second for its time. If you Time Stop an object, then asking it to do anything would be like asking it to go faster than the speed of light, and that's truly impossible. That's also why I don't use the Stop effect.

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

I can't claim total originality though: the healing part was inspired by a boss in one of the Castlevania games.

I was wrong, I wasn't copying from Castlevania. The boss in question reversed time to heal his wounds, I accelerated time.

If you misread the words and copy their misread ideas, does that count as being original?

[JPS]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

yeah its considered original:-p

But ive never seen anyone quote theirselves before

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

I decided to quote myself so I could point out the error (I didn't think many people would notice if I edited my previous post).

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

Well, I think that's it for this list. Any comments or suggestions?

[Lausen]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

I like how you are using elements and braking them down into different status effects. I hope you don't mind if I use some of your ideas in my game. They are well thought out and makes the battle system a bit more strategic.

I'm really liking what you did with the light and darkness elements. I never thought about it that way.

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

Thanks. For me, It's hard to have variety in spells due to the lack of different options, but I can at least vary costs and what stat I enhance or decrease (and then there's special traits).

I'm getting RPGM2 soon, and I'm hopping I can have some more variety there.

[MagusMartovich]

Re: Ideas for Spell Effects

RM2 = limitless

There isn't much that cannot be done in RM2 as long as you have the patience to make it happen. There is a TON of scripting involved if you wanna do anything "original" but it is worth it. I really want ot learn C++ or somehitn just so I can make my own game and not be constrained by RM2 and its "unique" graphics...