Island of Maniacs: Signups / Q&A / Discussion

[Astral Harmony]

Well, seeing as Curse of the Eir bombed, I've had a good rest and I'm raring to begin the next one.

It's a time of...well, boredom, especially for mercenaries, adventures, and other kinds of thrillseekers. The Vitan Archipelago consists of roughly 230 islands, but our focus lies in only six of them. They are Galvantyne Kingdom, Rubellian Empire, Meiswind Duchy, Beastman's Commonwealth, the Minor Allied Nations, and the Red Island.

Some of you can already figure out where this is going.

The Red Island has been forbidden for all "developed" creatures since about 400 years ago. There's a complete no-fly zone over the entire island. The most popular rumor was a plague of some sort that nobody wanted to leak out. But people were still willing to brave it out and the island drew them like moths to the inferno, even if they went just to be turned down by the military forces guarding the only entrance on the far southern side of the island.

You've recently picked up on a story about a small party somehow getting inside and one person making it back out. She was one of the Galvantynian princess's ladies in waiting, and apparently the lovely princess herself has gone off to Red Island just after turning 18, closely followed by Galvantyne's supreme commander to perform some kind of inquisition. An inquisition into what? The supposed plague? Or is there something more?

You might recall that Queen Viris Galvantyne was pushing for kingdom expansion into the island for at least a decade, and apparently has just been granted the authority to assemble and send in a team. The whole plague nonsense was just a myth to scare the ignorant. You might find it odd that you specifically were given an invitation to join that team, regardless of your species, race, family, nationality, loyalties and even your criminal record. Seriously, you might be a bigger danger to the princess than anything the island may hold.

The ball is in your court now. Your mission is to go inside the border wall surrounding Red Island, find the princess and supreme commander, and return them safely to the border guard. C'mon, what's the worst that could happen? The island has been officially abandoned for 400 years. There should be nothing dangerous about that place at all...right?

Technology levels in the Vitan Archipelago are guarded. There's just some things the governments won't let you create. The latest technologies consist of guns, airships, and vehicles. Currently, the spirits are still granting the worthy their blessings, so magic is still possible and popular.

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And thus we come to the profile setup finally.

Just like in Empire of Maniacs, your characters are in/famous for, if anything, your raw combat potential. You might be an arena champion, someone who's always looking for the biggest, strongest monster there is so you can fight it next, or someone with a brain far superior than even people of your own kind. The queen is offering a lot for your services, which is expected because it's her own daughter out there, but something doesn't quite ring true, if you even care of that kind of thing.

All you know is, you've got time. Hell, you were probably waiting years for this opportunity to fall into your lap. And you'd be a fool to pass it up. Red Island calls and you have a free and legal pass to see it with your own eyes.

The queen may have done her research on you, but I have not and have prepared a template for your character's information. I've modified the character system since CotE and have it all explained below.

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Category / Class:
Weapon(s):
Element(s):
Elemental Mastery/ies:
Appearance:
Personality/ies:
Backstory:

About Categories, Humanoid category characters (humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, etc) will be based directly around the rules for class setup below. If you're going to be a special case, like a Spectral category (ghost?), then run your interest by me before working on a profile. There are usually tactical differences in being in a category other than Humanoid. What are all the categories? I won't reveal them here, so if you're going to create a non-humanoid character, let me know before you setup your profile.

Okay, let's now start looking at classes. There are now six in total, and they all have unique limits. Each character starts out with six Legacy Points (LP), which they put into their weapon proficiencies and magic masteries. The limits are based on which points you can put where which is based on class. Additionally, each class has a special ability unique to that class, and these special abilities can be used only once per battle. Be forewarned that when you encounter a group of enemies and engage in battle, they may not be (and usually aren't) your only foes for that battle.

The Breaker class is all that is physical. They last a while, they hit hard, and they're tough. They're not particularly fast, and their magical abilities are nil.

Breakers must place all six of their LP into melee weapon proficiencies. Breakers can possess multiple weapons of the same attribute for the dealings of different enemies and for the use of their special ability, "Launch". Launch allows Breakers to use their weapons as effective projectiles. Once a weapon is launched, you'll have to wait until the end of the battle to reclaim it. A flying enemy struck with a launched weapon is definitely not going to be flying anymore.

The Rusher class composes the fast guys. It's hard to hit one, and they can hit their enemies quite easily, and usually multiple times before the Breaker gets his or her first attack in. And if there's a difficult physical weakness, it's usually the Rusher who exploits it best. They have no problems getting at an enemy's flanks or even their back. Oh, but they don't take punishment all that great and their magic, while impressive, isn't as versatile or powerful as a Forcer or Fielder.

Rushers are required to spend four LP in weapon proficiencies and two in magic masteries. Both LP spent in magic will be in the same element. The element can be either Force or Field. Rushers are restricted to light and average assault level weapons. They cannot become strong enough to wield heavy weapons. Rushers have the special skill "Assassination". Assassination is an instant kill attack that will only work on some enemies at the start, but as the RP progresses, the Rushers will learn how to take down more of their foes in a single attack.

The Shooter class does all its work from range. Smart Shooters know that its the terrain features that grant them their biggest advantages...and disadvantages. On average, they're like a ranged Rusher with less speed but higher accuracy, and enemies that are either close, fast, or both can prove to be difficult to defeat. Otherwise, it's pretty easy for them to stay out of trouble.

Shooters, like Rushers, have four LP for weapon proficiencies and two LP for magic masteries. The LP spent in magic will be for the same element. The element could be either Force or Field. Shooters are the only ones who can wield ranged weapons. Shooters possess the ability "Charge Shot", which damages a single target and stuns them. Flying creatures struck with Charge Shot are usually killed with that attack alone, if not rendered flightless.

The Forcer does the offensive side of the magic spectrum. A monster with an elemental weakness can easily be their bitch if they have the element to blast 'em with it, and that's usually the case because nobody knows a Forcer that is restricted to a single element. On the negative side, Forces are freakin' frail, and not fast, either. If something's on them, the Force's fate would be sealed if they weren't helped really soon.

Forcers do not possess weapons, and thus all six of their LP will go into magical masteries. Forcers may spend them freely across any three Force elements of their choosing, but no more than three elements. Forcers possess the skill "Blast Fist", a non-damaging attack that knocks the enemy away, giving them some breathing space. Well, actually, Blast Fist could deal damage if you manage to knock them into a harmful terrain effect.

The Fielder works with support magic. Yes, there's the healing, but the effects and elements are a lot more diverse than just healing. This expands the Fielder's range of tactics beyond those of any other class. Like Forces, they usually have a way to make battle easier if it isn't through obliterating their targets. Also like Forcers, they are physically weak and not all that mobile, leaving them at the mercy against foes that they don't have a spell for.

Fielders are just like Forcers in that they possess no weapons and are restricted to three Field elements only. Fielders have the ability "Imbue" which upgrades the overall potential of a single target of the Fielder's choosing (it doesn't always have to be an ally, and there may be times when Imbuing an enemy will actually be smarter).

The Blender effectively, though not masterfully, combines the Breaker and either the Forcer or Fielder classes. Yep, like a paladin or a dark knight.

Blender LP is split evenly. Three to weapon proficiencies, three to magic masteries. Blenders can only spend the magic LP in two elements, but they can have a Force and Field element if they so choose. Blenders wield the ability "Punishment", which allows them to bypass certain advantages the enemy has (a hard shell, insulated armor, wings) and render the enemy that much more vulnerable.

Now, onto weapons. All weapons have assault levels, most of them have attributes, and some even have elemental properties. Sounds confusing? Don't worry, it really isn't.

There are three Assault Levels: light, average, and heavy. Yes, it's based on weapon size, and larger weapons do more attribute and/or elemental damage. A short sword is a light sword, average is everything from longswords the broadswords, greatswords, bastard swords, and claymores. Cloud's Buster Sword is the iconic example of a heavy sword.

So, heavier is better, right? Ergh, not exactly. I mean, most of the time, heavier is indeed better, but you will occasionally encounter fast enemies. Fast enemies aren't easily hit by heavy weapons, and light weapons are preferable for striking them.

There are three Attributes: slashing, piercing, and crushing. And you can pretty much guess what kind of weapon does what. See, it's easy.

Elemental Properties are simple, too. Bombs do fire elemental damage. An ice wand will do ice damage. Simple, right?

And here we come to Elements. There are both Force and Field elements. Forcers are restricted to Force elements, Field elements are restricted to Fielders, but every other class can have one, the other, or both in the case of Blenders.

Here's a list of Force elements:

Earth: You like dropping boulders on your enemies? So do spellcasters who specialize in Earth. You can move or roll boulders or elevate (up or down) in the terrain. Or you can cause localized quakes to have some real fun. Earth can also uproot certain foes that rely on being partially embedded.
Water: Water can be as deadly to behold as it is beautiful. Water magic can also be used to bring aquatic predators out of their pools and against your foes. Water can affect the terrain by creating pools and fast flowing rivers that smaller creatures cannot cross. You'll be surprised by what you can drown.
Wind: Wind magic certainly takes one's breath away, eh? Wind magic can be used to suffocate enemies by taking their air away, but beware how desperate they'll become to get their breath back. Wind can also be used to suffocate flames and knock down certain things.
Fire: You've got a sick mind for wanting to set people on fire! There are few creatures that have any above-average resistance to it. Fire is probably also the most chaotic of elements as well, able to set various things (both creature and terrain) on fire. Creatures go friggin' nuts when bathed in flames, so keep your distance and see what havoc they wreak. And think of how useful you'll be at cooking! Additionally, fire can evaporate water or ice into steam, which is good to hide in, and it can melt ice.
Ice: Ice is lovely like crystal, refreshingly cool, and potentially lethal. Ice can remove the heat from fire, killing it. Ice can also freeze water solid, allowing you to quickly remove a threat by having a Breaker toss an enemy or two into the water and sealing them away.
Lightning: Lightning is frightening! Lightning's terrain abilities cannot be overestimated. Lightning can power (or overload) mechanical foes that do not possess insulated armor. Lightning can also render a foe paralyzed, and can be used to electrify metal floors and water pools to damage foes standing on or in those areas.
Light: Light magic is synonymous with holy magic, the cure-all for your undead troubles. Light can be used to illuminate areas and can stun creatures that are far too used to the darkness, and there are quite a number of enemies that love the dark.
Dark: Dark magic is...well, it's pretty damn dark. Spill out darkness to mire the area in shadows, reducing visibility. Enemies standing around in the dark can usually be found just milling about to be destroyed, but don't expect them to just give up on finding you and start swinging at everything, including themselves.

That covers Forcer elements. Now on to Field elements:

Healing: Recovery spells. Most parties these days say that a healing Fielder is an absolutely necessity on a journey. But with good tactics, a group can get by comfortably without one.
Shields: Numerous magical barriers are at your command. From physical damage reduction to turning physical damage into healing, shields are more versatile than one thinks.
Heart*: The power to influence and control peoples' hearts. Raging creatures (or ones without intelligence) are immune, but nobody cares. Heart magic can get you some ladies, damn straight.
Boost: Increases overall potential of yourself and your allies up to and including sexual stamina, making it favorable to male Fielders. Boost is great for powering up your allies before clashing with the enemy.
Enhance: This works on weapons and equipment, increasing their potential or adding temporary abilities. Good for getting around some creatures with very few weaknesses.
Control: Spell effects designed to provide crowd control against single targets or a high number of foes. You can make it much easier to defeat your enemies with this element.
Time: Affects the passage of time for your allies, enemies, and even terrain effects. Just another way that Fielders take tactics to the extremes.
Gravity: Does a Shooter need a height advantage but there's none in sight? Your magic is that advantage. Gravity favors the tactical mindset in battle.

There is more to tell...much more to tell, but I think I've filled your heads enough as it is. As you can see, I'm trying a freeform system that emphasizes tactics and strategy over simply annihilating your opponent with your sheer power. Take your time thinking up a profile, and if you're unsure of something, please ask. I intend to start this RP on the 8th which will allow me sufficient time to setup the things I need.

* Yes, yes, I see it and I'll allow you to do it once. Should the players have the necessary one Field element and four Force elements, I'll grant you one chance to, ahem, "let your powers combine and summon Captain Planet" who will assist you in the battle. I like my RPs with a healthy dosage of comedy (and fanservice, which the Kimonos handle).

[Arhra]

Do you have concerns about the power/versatility of magic compared to the weapon proficiencies? I mean, "Really good with a sword!" doesn't really seem to measure up to "I can shoot lasers from my eyes!"

Also, on magic, seeing how the field elements cover the more specialised areas, aren't the elements a little limited? Say, if I wanted a lightning spell that gives you a speed burst/short teleport, would that be possible? Also, what about harmful 'status effects' such as curses?

Oh, I'm a little vague on what races there are too?

EDIT: I'm not really clear on what a point rating really represents either?

[secretskull]

I've got an idea for a magical gunner character, so I'll want to know some things.

How much can we mix between magic and physical attacks? Could a character (only a Blender in this case), make an axe attack that bursts with flames and slows down the opponent? And what about mixing multiple elements into a single spell?

Can you tell me more about how far gun technology has gone?

One last thing. Are the Rushers/Shooters/Blenders going to be restricted to their starting elements for the entire game? Is it possible to expand your elemental horizons as you adventure on the Red Island?

[Astral Harmony]

@ Arhra's Questions: In some cases, being really good with a sword can and will actually beat being able to shoot lasers from your eyes. I can't discuss specific enemies as that would just ruin the fun, but you will occasionally run into problems against not only enemies with great all around magic resistance, but special terrain features that can actually fuck with ones magic potential, kinda like Geo Panels in Disgaea. It all really depends on a foe's physical and elemental weaknesses.

When I start the spell lists later today with an intent to finish them tomorrow or maybe even tonight, you may find how some magic spells can do some of what other spells in other elements can do. The information I put out right now is for deciding what you would generally like to do based on simple descriptions for each element. The spell lists will display all spells for all levels as well as what a spell can do to certain terrain features.

I only hold the players to one rule regarding race: nothing too big. That being said, most common races are usually of the Humanoid category. Humanoids (only living ones) have standard physical and magical resistance and are generally well balanced. Anything beyond that norm, like being an intelligent dog like thing, a large talking bird, a fairy, a vampire, a ghost, etc...will have different statistics from a freeform standpoint. For example, a spectral character has better defense against material non-enhanced weapons, but will not deal good physical damage themselves. They will be best at casting magic, but also receive more damage from spells as well. If someone wants to create a race that is different from standard humanoids (something undead, something with wings, etc.) then please ask about it before setup of the profile.

@ Secretskull's Questions: Mixing elements into weapons will either require Enhancement magic (which deals specifically with that) or the element in which you intend to cast (Fire magic to turn your axe into a fire axe). Mixing multiple elements, while possible, will require multiple casters. A single caster, no matter how skilled, cannot dual wield elements or spells.

Gun technology is pretty modern. Therefore, it is possible for a Shooter to have a rocket launcher or a sniper rifle as easily as they could have a longbow or blowgun. Just remember that even medievil stuff can overtake the modern stuff if the enemy possesses specific strengths and weaknesses. Don't expect your RPGs to hit fast targets that can see them coming.

I'm thinking of setting up a level up system, depending on how many join the RP. The best way to set up your profile right now is to create it like the level up system won't begin and just hope that it will. I think I'll definitely do it, as it gives me reason to just make battles more difficult and insane further along the road.

[secretskull]

Does Enhancement require the actual element you are empowering the weapon with? Also, could we get the rough power-levels? What do you expect from the spells in general? What can one do with 3 points in an element?

I'm not quite sure how the Control sphere functions at all for that matter.

[Astral Harmony]

@ Secretskull: Nope! Enhancement magic does all elements in a variety of ways from offensive to defensive to terrain effects.

For example, one enhancement and fire spell is Burning Skin, which sets your body ablaze and harms (and ignites) any foe that attacks you with melee. In that same right, it's only logical that you can set a tree on fire by touching it with your Burning Skin.

As far as magical mastery goes, let's take it into the battlefield. Suppose you have fire elemental magic and you're faced with an ice-elemental Spiralis. The Fire Bolt (basic mastery) spell does good damage. The Magma Flare (expert mastery) spell does damage that a weak li'l Spiralis can in no way stand up to. But a guy with only basic mastery of fire won't even have access to Magma Flare, even if he has the mental capacity to learn and wield it.

The Control Field element is all about negative status effects, whether they are generated by elements or something else entirely. Specifically, Control deals with hampering enemy performance, like locking them in place or reducing categorical defenses (like a ghost's spectral nature), denying all logic and physics.

Magic in this system is going to be like a spider web. One might find that the spells of one element are actually the same as spells coming from many of the other elements on top of spells unique to itself.

[The Argent Lord]

On Dark and Light magic: it sounds like these are mostly just manipulating actual darkness and light. Will there be like soul-suckingly evil spells in dark, and the good variety in light, or are you sticking with more literal definitions? Also, did you mention how many points you can put into one element?

[Astral Harmony]

@ The Argent Lord: Darkness and Light will have evil and good aspects, respectively.

Each magical element has three mastery levels: basic, advanced, and expert. Thus, it will require a total of three points to master any element and Forcers, Fielders, and Blenders are the only ones who can have mastered elements from the start.

[PhoenixFlame]

Interesting, and I think it even gave me an idea. However, since gun technology is modern (and I have been playing too much Fallout), are we permitted archaic EM-spectrum weapons, such as lasers? I'm thinking of being a techie person, and willing to use an obscure race to explain away the rareness of las-weapons. There's magic and guns, so there must also be lasers!

In fact, this may even be the reason the Queen selected my character, aswell as being a reclusive semi-human (flightless) avian scientist from a fiercely meritocratic society that values skill at personal combat.

[Astral Harmony]

@ PhoenixFlame: Permitted? No. Have 'em anyways? Yep.

The general rule throughout the islands is that technology like that, even if there are more powerful things, is illegal to possess and definitely to use regardless of thine intent. Under normal circumstances your gun would be confiscated and destroyed, the blueprints burned, and if you're dealing with Grade A douchebags, you could end up behind bars.

But Viris don't care. And at the start of the RP, the people will be at least openminded enough to turn the other cheek. Otherwise, you can shout "I'm a chargin' muh laser!" and sneak by while the guards laugh despite the fact that the Internet does not exist in the archipelago.

Speaking of ranged weaponry and guns for everyone, don't concern yourself with ammo or broken weapons. Red Island is pretty much an untapped armory of practical replacements.