Difference between revisions of "Thus Spake Zaranephilpal/NewNecromancySpellProgressions"

Revision as of 08:08, 5 April 2010

Nephilpal - 01/08/2004 22:58:00

I looked. :-)

Forgive the shortened format. Rather than give you new spells, I'll give you a handful of spell progressions I've since thought up.

Ok, here's a really basic no-brainer I realized. There should be a Void Circle progression building on Raise the Skeletal Horde and Arisen Legion. Let's call it Harvest of Empty Graves. You can raise as many permanent zombie extras as you want for 1 mote apiece.

Let's see. Oubliette of the Ebon Maze. 20 motes. Labyrinth Circle. Target any being in line of sight (including yourself). Roll Intelligence + Occult at standard difficulty to target ghosts or yourself; otherwise, the difficulty is the target's Essence rating. The target may dodge this effect if so desired and can easily recognize she is the target of baleful magic by the arcane gestures and fierce incantations, but targets cannot parry without a perfect defense. At the conclusion of the casting, a mass of black tendrils rise up and implode with a sucking hiss, swallowing the target in inky darkness before vanishing (or drawing closed where the victim formerly stood if the spell is dodged). Targets are cast into the Labyrinth as if they entered a rift created by the spell Piercing the Shroud.

There should probably be a Labyrinth Circle version of Rune of Sweet Passing called "Eternal Hero Glyph" that affects Exalted and other magical beings that are capable of leaving ghosts.

As for genuinely new stuff... you shan't get me that easily! But I could probably put up a few more Charms by way of appeasement.

Actually... hmmm... I'll try something new. I'm going to start an intermittent LunarThus_Spake_Zaranephilpal/NewNecromancySpellProgressions/Abyssal game featuring a Day Caste who uses a whip. He originally planned to build a new martial art around the whip, but I suggested he just build a new Melee branch.

So rather than go walk off and design it, presenting you all with the finished product, how about we take that journey together. When I'm designing Charms, I forget the mechanics and I start with an image I like. Then I start listing specific effects based on that image (no rules yet -- all brainstorming is purely governed by the cool factor). Then I organize the effects into trees and start wrapping rules around them.

I'd like to do this process with you, encouraging people to imagine all the neat images and rough ideas for whip and chain-oriented Abyssal Melee Charms. Just run with the wild and crazy niftiness and don't worry about plausibility if you get excited. Anything can be pared down later much more easily than pumped up.

I'll see what people say and brainstorm some on my own and keep an eye on the thread, offering commentary. Then, as the concept stage moves into design, I'll explain what I'm doing and why.

--Neph

Comments

Well, I'm thinking you'd certainly have the image of a living extension of the Abyssal's body built into the martial art. He uses it to grapple, drain life, make coffee, etc. I read this manga called Blade of the Immortal, and two of the characters there do horrible things to others with chain weapons. IE, he traps his opponent arm with his chain, then blocks the blow from the other hand by catching the tip of the weapon in a link, then lops the guy's head off with the sickle blade ont he other side.

Perhaps, in your case, the art you use could do stuff like throw your opponent around, impede his movement, etc.