Some HQP Spells

[Teldurn]

There's an ice deck made by Doc with a cool picture of an ice elemental in the same style as the original spells.

Amethyst, Amber, Gold and Grey are four of the eight colleges. The other four are Light, Bright, Jade and Celestial. Bright is fire magic, light is earth, jade is water and celestial is air.

I always thought it would have made a lot more sense to class ice (renamed to frost) as one of the eight colleges and make light the opposite of dark instead of high being darks opposite. High should be a neutral spell group even more powerful than light and dark. That way there'd be two of each element and one light and one dark version of each. Light earth, air, fire and water = Gold, Celestial, Bright and Ice. Dark earth, air, fire and water = Amber, Grey, Amethyst and Jade.

You make a pretty good point about that. It makes me want to go back and reexamine those decks to see if I could fit 4 more in there.

EDIT: Doing that would most likely require rejiggering spells around from other groups to make room and thematically cohesify (I just made that word up) them together.

Actually, I was going through the Chalk pics again last night and found a picture of some sort of golem that would fit right in as the ice card back. I'd just give it a cool blue/white scheme and that should do the trick, I think. Whaddya think?

[Gold Bearer]

Could be okay with te right colour to make it clear that it's an ice golem and not made of stone. I really like the look of the ice elemental on Docs spells though.

[Teldurn]

Okay, I just looked at Dock's deck. Yeah, that's a pretty cool image. But it doesn't look like Gary Chalk's style though. I really want to keep the art style consistent if I can help it.

I also quickly took a couple minutes to look at a couple of the other college spells. I'm pretty sure there's enough material there to fill out 12 spells (3 spells each in 4 schools). The mechanics of some of them are just bad though (i.e., you both have to roll 1 red die and add to current MP, then compare to each other). I'm confident I can rework the mechanics to make it smoother and less clunky.

[Gold Bearer]

You could rename ice to cryomancer spells. I got that from motal kombat, Sub-Zero's a cryomancer (MKX looks awesome!!!). It sounds cool and it would fit with the mancers all having an elemental on the back (the ice golem could be classed as an elemental), or you could even have both. If you're going to have both bright and pyromancer it seems only fair. Psychomancer would be a good name for the three chaos sorcerer spalls from ATHO.

All my mancers are going to be bad guys. Someone came up with chronomancer as well. Can't remember who. If you want that you could have my temporal warp spell. I've done a spell set based on the spells from talisman. http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=2132&start=10 Take anything you like. They're a bit rough, they really need rewording to neaten them up but you'll get the jist.

I also quickly took a couple minutes to look at a couple of the other college spells. I'm pretty sure there's enough material there to fill out 12 spells (3 spells each in 4 schools). The mechanics of some of them are just bad though (i.e., you both have to roll 1 red die and add to current MP, then compare to each other). I'm confident I can rework the mechanics to make it smoother and less clunky.

I don't think that's clunky. I've got a spell that that. It's good because it gives the higher MP an advantage but either can still win. It could be changed to rolling a dice for each MP.

[Teldurn]

I'll just leave this right here.
(Careful, the file is 140+ MB large. May take some time to open.)

All Spell and Artifact cards done. I just need to do cards for Monsters, Hero Race & Class, and Skills and then all the cards from top to bottom will be complete.

[Gold Bearer]

Nice spells. I really like that mechanism of being able to extend spells at the cost of mp.

There's a few things I noticed that could be clearer. This is meant to help rather than criticise.

Soothing Breeze: Can each hero individually decide to heal 2bp, 2mp or one of each, or cast the caster decide and it's the same for everyone? I think the second option is nicer.

Trip: Maybe needs a slight rewording, fall down to the ground instead of prone to the ground. This spell is a good idea but I think it's OP. If they can't move they won't be able to attack if it's used when the monsters are revealed, so that's tempest on the whole room basically.

Circle Of Shielding: How long does it last?

Thunderstorm: OP.

Breath Of Life: Needs the same clarification as Soothing Breeze.

Sense Terrain: Could ruin a quest. I don't think it should last for the rest of the quest. An mp test every turn would be much better in my opinion.

Ember Weapon: It would weaken a battle axe. Maybe adds two combat dice.

Animate Undead: I'm not sure about a spell that can be used twice.

Circle Of Death: OP.

Bravery: Fear?

Life Force: OP? Or is it because it's a prayer?

Flock Of Doom: OP? I don't know if these spells are supposed to be more powerful so I'm going to stop saying that.

Hunter's Moon: What if they don't do any damage? Do they do 1bp damage?

Light Of The Moon: Same problem as Sense Terrain.

None of my swamp spells are in there.

[Teldurn]

Nice spells. I really like that mechanism of being able to extend spells at the cost of mp.

There's a few things I noticed that could be clearer. This is meant to help rather than criticise.

Thanks, and duly noted.

Soothing Breeze: Can each hero individually decide to heal 2bp, 2mp or one of each, or cast the caster decide and it's the same for everyone? I think the second option is nicer.

Yes, the caster decides.

Trip: Maybe needs a slight rewording, fall down to the ground instead of prone to the ground. This spell is a good idea but I think it's OP. If they can't move they won't be able to attack if it's used when the monsters are revealed, so that's tempest on the whole room basically.

I would have actually preferred just "falls prone" but but I'm not sure why I added the extra words. And I imagine some heroes would be adjacent to monsters when they get up because they will want to hit them. Shouldn't be an issue, I think. As far as being OP, perhaps. But then again, the power level across the board has gone up slightly when compared to base system heroes.

Circle Of Shielding: How long does it last?

Hm, good point. What would you suggest?

Thunderstorm: OP.

Yup.

Breath Of Life: Needs the same clarification as Soothing Breeze.

Agreed.

Sense Terrain: Could ruin a quest. I don't think it should last for the rest of the quest. An mp test every turn would be much better in my opinion.

Actually, I think you're right. When we playtested this, the player would cast this on the very first turn of the quest before even moving off the starting stairs. And they arranged movement so his character went first, basically acting as a automatic trap detector. It was kind of unfun on my end. I would think it would be better to have it last one turn, with additional turns requiring spending 1MP. At the very best-case-scenario, a Geomancer with a full 8MP would be able to make the spell last 11 turns (8MP plus 3 regenerated per 3 turns).

Ember Weapon: It would weaken a battle axe. Maybe adds two combat dice.

For just one attack, though? Even still, I can see the merit in having it add combat dice instead of a fixed number.

Animate Undead: I'm not sure about a spell that can be used twice.

I was on the fence about this very point for a while. But I gave in and gave the benefit to the players. I felt it was thematically fitting.

Circle Of Death: OP.

Yep.

Bravery: Fear?

The Chaos Spell of the same name. It should probably be noted in the text. Good catch.

Life Force: OP? Or is it because it's a prayer?

Well, it seemed a pretty cleric-y thing as a party buff, comparable to D&D's Mass Bless. Plus, it only affects players who are already damaged, so if someone is at full health, they can't gain the benefit.

Flock Of Doom: OP? I don't know if these spells are supposed to be more powerful so I'm going to stop saying that.

Yep, see my comment earlier.

Hunter's Moon: What if they don't do any damage? Do they do 1bp damage?

If they roll all shields on an attack, they still do 1BP damage.

Light Of The Moon: Same problem as Sense Terrain.

Indeed.

None of my swamp spells are in there.

It's cool, none of my own swamp spells are in there, either. There are SO MANY good ones to choose from, it was difficult to narrow it down to only 6. No hard feelings, yeah?

Thanks for the detailed feedback, it is very much appreciated!

[Gold Bearer]

Trip: Maybe needs a slight rewording, fall down to the ground instead of prone to the ground. This spell is a good idea but I think it's OP. If they can't move they won't be able to attack if it's used when the monsters are revealed, so that's tempest on the whole room basically.

I would have actually preferred just "falls prone" but but I'm not sure why I added the extra words. And I imagine some heroes would be adjacent to monsters when they get up because they will want to hit them. Shouldn't be an issue, I think. As far as being OP, perhaps. But then again, the power level across the board has gone up slightly when compared to base system heroes.

But what's to stop the hero that has it opening a door and casting it before the other heroes have taken their turn. Assuming there's four heroes that's seven unanswered attacks. Tempest is already a very good spell and this is uber tempest. If the heroes are always taking their turns in the same order it might not be quite so much of an issue, but still with ranged weapons they could stand off and effectively make all the monster miss their turns. I think reducing them to half movement would be a better option.

Circle Of Shielding: How long does it last?

Hm, good point. What would you suggest?

MP test every turn, on one standard dice so it's not an evil magician ruiner.

Animate Undead: I'm not sure about a spell that can be used twice.

I was on the fence about this very point for a while. But I gave in and gave the benefit to the players. I felt it was thematically fitting.

Maybe can be kept it at the cost of 1MP, or can discard another spell instead at the cost of 1MP?

Bravery: Fear?

The Chaos Spell of the same name. It should probably be noted in the text. Good catch.

Oh right, I thought you'd added actual fear rules.

Life Force: OP? Or is it because it's a prayer?

Well, it seemed a pretty cleric-y thing as a party buff, comparable to D&D's Mass Bless. Plus, it only affects players who are already damaged, so if someone is at full health, they can't gain the benefit.

Healing spells are already the most effective and important, at least they are to start with before they get healing potions. This ones heals 4BP and 4MP of all the heroes AND can take them above their maximum. This is the best spell by far. I'd at least tone it down a bit, unless it's meant to be this good as part of what makes whoever can use it (just a cleric?) a decent character. Clerics would be basically all about this spell though.

None of my swamp spells are in there.

It's cool, none of my own swamp spells are in there, either. There are SO MANY good ones to choose from, it was difficult to narrow it down to only 6. No hard feelings, yeah?

Course not. I would have though toxic cloud would have made it though.

Thanks for the detailed feedback, it is very much appreciated!

No problem. You helped me my talisman spells.

[Teldurn]

Trip

You make a good point about half movement. I'll go with that change.

Circle Of Shielding. MP test every turn, on one standard dice so it's not an evil magician ruiner.

How about making it last one turn, with additional turns costing 1MP if they want to extend it?

Animate Undead. Maybe can be kept it at the cost of 1MP, or can discard another spell instead at the cost of 1MP?

I really like the discarding another spell idea! Done.

Bravery. Oh right, I thought you'd added actual fear rules.

Oh dear, no. That's lunacy.

Life Force. Healing spells are already the most effective and important, at least they are to start with before they get healing potions. This ones heals 4BP and 4MP of all the heroes AND can take them above their maximum. This is the best spell by far. I'd at least tone it down a bit, unless it's meant to be this good as part of what makes whoever can use it (just a cleric?) a decent character. Clerics would be basically all about this spell though.

Yeah, only clerics can use this one. I can see your point about this being basically the best spell in the game. I wanted something to be a party-wide buff and this seemed like the way to do it. I don't want to just make it "yet another flavor of healing spell" that only heals BP and MP. Making it temporarily go above maximum sounds interesting to me, but I can't think of a way to add "temp HP" in any other way.

Toxic Cloud

Remind me again the text?

Thanks for the detailed feedback, it is very much appreciated!

No problem. You helped me my talisman spells.

[Gold Bearer]

So my errors in my last post. One day I'll learn how to type without making any mistakes.

Circle Of Shielding. MP test every turn, on one standard dice so it's not an evil magician ruiner.

How about making it last one turn, with additional turns costing 1MP if they want to extend it?

Yea that's better. You've already established that way of doing it with others spells and it's a nicer way of doing it anyway.

Life Force. Healing spells are already the most effective and important, at least they are to start with before they get healing potions. This ones heals 4BP and 4MP of all the heroes AND can take them above their maximum. This is the best spell by far. I'd at least tone it down a bit, unless it's meant to be this good as part of what makes whoever can use it (just a cleric?) a decent character. Clerics would be basically all about this spell though.

Yeah, only clerics can use this one. I can see your point about this being basically the best spell in the game. I wanted something to be a party-wide buff and this seemed like the way to do it. I don't want to just make it "yet another flavor of healing spell" that only heals BP and MP. Making it temporarily go above maximum sounds interesting to me, but I can't think of a way to add "temp HP" in any other way.

You could use the mechanic I used with my brainwave spell. It can take a hero above their maximum MP but if it does they loose one every turn until it's not above their usual max. That way they could use life force before a big fight and it wouldn't be so op. Not letting it e cast when there's monsters in sight would be a nice option I think. It would still be a hell of a spell. I'd consider dropping it to at least 3BP and MP as well.

Toxic Cloud

Remind me again the text?

Toxic Cloud
The caster conjures a stinking cloud of toxic gasses. Place the toxic cloud tile (2x2 square) so that at least one square of it is in the casters line of sight. Any non undead/Nurgle/swamp based character that starts their turn in a toxic cloud rolls a combat dice. On a skull they miss their turn due to coughing and choking on the foul vapours and on a black shield they miss their turn and suffer one body point of damage. The cloud lasts for as long as the caster is alive.

It's loosely based on a spell called stinking cloud from a very old D&D computer game. That was my favourite spell. I don't know if they still use it. They probably still at least use something very similar I would have thought.