the Rift


:: Magic How-To Guide ::

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Stallion :: Equine :: ::
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MAGIC HOW-TO GUIDE!
Coming up with, writing down, and setting restrictions for your magic is not an exact science, however there are some basic rules and guidelines that you can follow to ensure that the magic you come up with, is the magic that you end up with. 

    BASIC RULES
    1. Magic should do one thing. 

    2. Your magic upgrade should increase the range or power of your base magic. It cannot make the magic do something else entirely, and must be related to what your magic is already capable of doing. 

    3. You cannot change the base elements of your magic during an upgrade.

    4. You may not have the same magic as someone else.


    EXAMPLES
    Examples of rule one: Asking for a magic that can, [Cause an Earthquake] is okay. Asking for magic that can, [Cause an Earthquake which releases a toxin that disorients enemies] is not. You need to hone in on the one thing you want your magic to do. Often we see people asking for magics that are actually two in one (like the desire to have an earthquake which releases toxins). That would be a fully upgraded magic. 

    Examples of rule two: Magic 1: Creating an arc of fire that extends 10m. Upgrade: Having an arc of fire that extends 30m. This is acceptable. However, Magic 1: Creating an arc of fire that extends 10m. Upgrade: Having an arc of fire that extends 30m and takes the form of a dinosaur, is not. 

    Example of rule three: :: [Magic: lightxwind | Can create an arc of fire] ---> [Magic: lightxwind | Can create an arc of fire or ice]. This wouldn't work, as ice magic requires water. 

    Examples of rule four: Many characters can heal, but no two characters heal the same way. Some heal with mud, water, or plants. Others heal telepathically, or by humming. Be original! 


    RESTRICTIONS
    All magics come with restrictions. Here are some simple guidelines to help you figure out what restrictions to add:

      1. Every magic will have: [Requires permission outside of battle.]

      2a. Is your ability a one-time use offensive magic (like shooting fire)? If so, [Must be within 10m (30m when upgraded).

      2b. Is your ability offensive and requires concentration to maintain (like telepathy, or creating structures)? If so, [Lasts one post in battle (for creations), 20-60 seconds (for concentration) and/or must be within 5m (10m when upgraded)]
        - Creation magic also has restrictions of 1 large, 2 medium, 3 small (per season for items, per use for temporary magical creatures/tools).
        - Items made with crafting magic are permanent except if it's a structure placed outside of a herdland. There it will degrade after 1 season.
        - Items made with crafting magic that have moving parts or more complex aspects require maintenance to avoid degradation, regardless of location or character possession.

      2c. Is your ability mostly defensive (Like being able to move really quickly, or turn into smoke)? If so, [Lasts two posts in battle, or 30-180 seconds. Extends 10m (30m when upgraded) / OR Must be within 10m (30m when upgraded)]

      2b. Does your magic involve transformation? It will usually be earth or dark. The restriction will always be, [Transformation is painful (Dark) or Immobilized for 10 seconds (Earth)].
        - If your character is a pegasus and you pick a body that has wings, you will be able to fly. If your character is NOT a pegasus, then you will only ever be able to glide.
        - You must retain your body mass when you transform (can upgrade to match the mass of your transformation, but it works both ways, becoming a large elephant or a tiny mouse).
        - The upgraded form of transformation magic is usually into another animal. Cannot add unnatural things as an upgrade.
        - You can use your regular magic while transformed, and retain your markings if you want. But you cannot retain unicorn horns or pegasus wings.

      4. You can also implement your own restrictions, but don't stress about it. The Admin team will always set your restrictions.
        If there are 'personal costs' to using your magic that fall outside of these restrictions, we probably will not include them. For instance, if you have fire magic with a radius of 10m, but decide your want your character to receive burns every time they use it - GREAT! But we won't add that. Those aren't the restrictions OF the magic, those are self-imposed restrictions on your character. So if you see that the restrictions we've given you don't include personal restrictions, this is why! However personal restrictions should never appear to be an additional magic. For instance immortal characters cannot say that all their previous wounds reappear/are freshly felt once a month or under moonlight, as this reads like a different magic. Any personal restrictions need to be realistic, direct relations of using the magic (like the fire example!).


    THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
    1. Do not OP your magic. There is absolutely no need. Regardless of whether or not your magic is meant to create sparkling butterflies, or release hellfire, it has the same effect on your characters stats in the battleground. There is literally no need for you to try and create the most devastating magic possible, if what you're worried about is doing damage. Magic should be something creative, rare and muse-generating. It should be something you enjoy writing, or something that adds to your character.
     
    2. When it doubt, look in the character records! if you want ice magic, search for 'ice' and see what magic there is. This will help you with wording and restrictions!

    3. Consolidate your ideas. Please don't ask us to watch a youtube clip, or use references from a TV show that we will have to google. Think about your magic, then consolidate it in plain English and write it down. 

    4. You probably can't copy the magic you've seen your favourite anime character use. This goes back to rules 1 and 2. We see people trying to get around these rules via their wording, but it won't work! The more complicated your magic is, the more restrictions there are going to be, and eventually it is going to look less and less like what you had in mind. Be creative, but keep things simple! 

    5. Remember that magic is not an exact science - we take into account the magic you are asking for, the elements, and the implications when we decide on restrictions. Sometimes this means making hard decisions. We walk a fine line between realism and fantasy/creative freedom, and we take this very seriously. We have a philosopher, a science guru, and animal experts as our admin team, and often we get into long debates about the implications of what you're asking for. For example, the first time someone asked for a corporeal shadow magic (they wanted their shadow to be able to move things), we got into a 'shadows are just the absence of light' vs. peter pan debate.

    6. Remember that all of this is subject to change. We've had magics brought over from Isilme, and now that Helovia is several years old, we've had over half a decade of magical approvals. Earlier things were different (no spark magic on Isilme or Helovia when it started), and as you've all got more creative, so too have the restrictions and applications changed! If you see something that doesn't make sense, feel free to PM any one of us, or Official, to discuss. As things grow and change, we might have to tweak your magics slightly, but we'll always notify you, and we're always willing to discuss our reasons.


    THINGS YOU CANNOT DO
    1. If your character does not have pegasus blood, you can never have a magic that enables you to fly. At most, you can glide (this also applies with items).

    2. You cannot have the same magic as someone else. Of course they can be similar, but the 'trigger' should be different (for example, healing with MUD vs WATER vs SONG), or the manifestation should be different (for example, creating an ARC OF FIRE vs. SWARM OF BIRDS COMPOSED OF FIRE). Be creative!

    3. You cannot 'delete' a magic once you have it. If you want a magic removed, you need to quest for that. If you do remove magic, you'll need to quest to "heal" yourself from the magic removal before being able to apply new magic.



    Bonus Section
    HOW TO WRITE CUSTOM ITEMS - Basic Rules
    From the guidebook, The magical function is not to perform as an additional magic slot, but should be inherent to the item itself. This is the most important piece of information to keep in mind.

    1. The magic that goes along with custom items is usually passive (those not always, see below). For example, making a cloak into an invisibility cloak, making a cloak that is always clean, making a gemstone always sparkle, having a lantern that is always lit, etc.

    2. Sometimes the magic associated with custom items is not passive - but when it isn't it can never be as strong as an active magic. Remember - Custom Items are meant to have a minor magical charm. They are not meant to replace a magic slot.

    3. Custom items can be upgraded (but only once)! For instance, an example of a custom item which has been upgraded might be an invisibility cloak that is able to be turned on or off (Magic 1: The cloak is invisible. Magic 2: It can be turned off and on). 
      SUGGESTION: Good things to have your custom item do are the following: If you wear it, use one of the upgrades to have it 'open and close' on its own [Think armor, cloaks, etc]. If you wield it, have it hover beside you! [Think swords, knives, bows, etc]


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