This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the gameplay of The Mana World

These are just some ideas i have regarding the magic system.

Attributes important for spellcaster

Charisma

Number of spells the character is able to memorize at the same time (charismatic characters are not only good at attracting people but also at attracting mystical forces).

Intelligence

Efficiency of attack spells.

Willpower

Efficiency of status effect spells.

Skill level in the different magic disciplines

Casting frequency and selection of spells from which the character can choose spells to memorize.

Casting spells

• Player selects a spell to cast, casting time begins. The player can not move while casting.
  • Keyboard and mouse: Hotkey or selecting from spell menu
  • Gamepad: Open ring menu with available spells with "spell button", use cursor keys to select spell, press "attack button" to cast spell
• During the casting time the player selects the target
  • Keyboard and mouse: Player clicks on target
  • Gamepad: Cursor keys to cycle through available targets for target-based skills, ground cursor that is controlled by cursor keys for ground-based skills, "attack button" to log in target
• When the casting time is over and the target has been logged in the spell is cast (that means spellcasters can delay a spell by not selecting a target)
• Cooldown time begins. During this time the player can move and attack physical but not cast new spells.

Available spells

Every spell has a minimum skill level required for using it. To use a spell the character has to carry a spellbook describing the spell in its inventory. Common spellbooks can be bought from NPCs, rare spells are obtained through quests or dropped by magic-related enemies.

The number of spellbooks the character can carry with it at the same time is limited by its charisma (spellbooks have a mind of its own and refuse to be carried by someone who is "unworthy". In that case they drop to the ground). Books for more powerful spells require more charisma.

IDEA: Spellbooks can be copied by a crafting skill. More powerful spells require more expensive components (paper and ink) and have a higher chance of failing when the skill level is low. Failing destroys both the material and the original spellbook so attempting to copy rare spells will be a tough decision.

IDEA: Special "Batch Spellbooks" that carry multiple spells and require less charisma than all individual spells together.

IDEA: Spellbooks can be enchanted to change the attributes of the spell (damage, casttime, range, required charisma...). This makes the choice of spells even bigger. Enchanting a spellbook can fail and cause it to be destroyed.

IDEA: When going into a dungeon characters will usually have their charisma capacity maxed out. That would make it impossible to pick up a new spellbook when it is dropped by a monster without having to sacrifice anotherone. To avoid this situation spellbooks should be dropped in a "sealed" form. Sealed spellbooks don't reqire charisma to be carried but don't allow to cast spells either. Every character can unseal a spellbook in his/her inventory when he/she has enough free charisma capacity to carry the book. An unsealed book can not be resealed again.

Casting cost

I would like to avoid any casting cost in form of magic points. That system is just too overused. I would like to try out if it is possible to limit spellcasting just by the casting time.

Casting time

The skill level in the magic discipline determines how often the spellcaster can cast spells:

Casttime = spell_casttime * (min_skill_level / current_skill_level)

Cooldown = spell_cooldowntime * (min_skill_level / current_skill_level)

Effectivity

The intelligence affects the power of spells that deal damage:

Damage = spell_base_damage * caster_intelligence / (enemy_willpower)

In case of spells that cause an effect that can't be expressed in numbers that well the efficiency is determined by the willpower of the caster. Both the caster and the victim roll a number between 0 and their willpower. When the target gets a higher number it resists the spell and it has no effect. When the spell is successful The difference between both throws could have an effect on some attributes of some spells (duration of status effects, for example).

Types of spellcasters

These aren't strict classes but only character archetypes.

Wizard

Main attribute

Intelligence

Pro

Much damage with a few selected attack spells.

Contra

Small spell palette.

Role

Casting offensive spells

Sorcerer

Main attribute

Charisma

Pro

Very large selection of spells.

Contra

Sucks at causing direct damage.

Role

Supporter that make their party more powerful by casting a lot of different buffs on them.

Warlock/Witch

Main attribute

Willpower

Pro

Good at casting negative status effect spells.

Contra

Sucks at causing direct damage.

Role

Debuffer that make the enemy weaker.

Types of spells

Effects

Negative:

Damage

Just plain old damage to a single target.

Splash damage

Hurts the target and targets around it with reduced power.

Damage over time

Hurts the target at regular intervals

Attribute reduction

Reduction of an attribute by percentual or absolute value. Might or might not stack.

Positive:

Healing

self-explaining.

Healing over time

Heals the target at regular intervals.

Attribute increase

Reduction of an attribute by percentual or absolute value.

Restore

Removes negative effects.

Targeting modes

Single-targeted spells

Targeted spells are spells that hit exactly one target.

Area-targeted spells

Area spells can be cast on any position the caster has a sightline to.

Area-persisten spells

Like area spells but stay active for a while and do their effect every game tick.

Untargeted spells

Spells that have a fixed damage zone based on the position and heading of the caster

Untargeted persistent spells

Like untargeted spells but stay active for a while and do their effect every game tick. When the caster moves the effect area moves with him/her.

Projectile spells

Spells that are cast like single-targeted spells but fly towards the target and hit the first enemy they collide with.

Spell ideas

Attack spells

These spells should all exist in multiple versions with different strength for each element. The names needn't be exactly as written here, when we can come up with better names.

Spell	Element	Effect	Target	cast time	cooldown time	Further description
[element] Bolt	(one for each)	damage	projectile	low	medium
Call [element]	(one for each)	damage	single	medium	low
[element] Nova	(one for each)	splash damage	single	medium	medium
[element] Ball	(one for each)	splash damage	projectile	medium	medium
[element] Explosion	(one for each)	damage	area	medium	high
[element] Storm	(one for each)	damage	area, persistent	high	high

Buffs/Debuffs

Spell	Element	Effect	Target	cast time	cooldown time	Further description
Hearth of [element]	(one for each)	attribute reduction/increase	single	high	low	Changes the elemental modifier of the target making it more like one element and less than another. Depending on the situation this can be seen as a buff or debuff.
Beauty of the nymph	Water	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases charisma
Cold blood	Ice	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases willpower
Freeze	Ice	attribute decrease	single	medium	medium	Encloses the target in a block of ice making it unable to do anything but also immune to damage. The block has a hit points rating that decreases over time. The ice block can be attacked by others to make it disappear faster. When its hit points reach 0 the target is free.
Swiftness of Wind	Air	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases agility
Tornado shield	Air	attribute increase	single	high	low	Protects the target with a shiled that makes it almost immune against physical ranged attacks.
Lightning speed	Lightning	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases movement speed
Buried knowledge	Earth	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases intelligence
Stone skin	Earth	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases armor defence
Petrify	Earth	attribute decrease	single	medium	medium	Earth version of "Freeze". Encloses the target in a block of stone making it unable to do anything but also immune to damage. The block has a hit points rating that decreases over time. The stone block can be attacked by others to make it disappear faster. When its hit points reach 0 the target is free.
Muscles of steel	Metal	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases strength
Sharp blade	Metal	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases weapon penetration
Fierceness of fire	Fire	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases dexterity
Burning shield	Fire	attribute increase	single	high	low	Surrounds the target with a burning shield that deals damage to close enemies.
Life force	Wood	attribute increase	single	high	low	Increases vitality
Entangle	Wood	attribute decrease	single	medium	low	Makes the target unable to move but it can still attack, cast spells, etc.

Healing spells

I would like to take the healing spells out of the elemental scheme und use a separate skill for them. Putting all healing spells in one elemental discipline would make this extremely overused because I believe almost every spellcaster would attempt to accquire healing spells. Spreading all healing spells over the whole elemental spectrum would be difficult to balance and would be a disadvantage for dedicated healers.

Spell	Element	Effect	Target	cast time	cooldown time	Further description
Lay hands	neutral	heal	untargeted	low	low	Basic healing spell. Heals the character standing right in front of the caster. The low range makes it impractical in combat.
Heal	neutral	heal	single	medium	medium	Less efficient than lay hands but because it can be used at distance it is more practical in combat and it can be cast on oneself.
Regeneration	neutral	heal over time	single	medium	medium	Heals more than heal but takes more time.
Aura	neutral	heal	untargeted, persistent	high	high	Creates a healing aura around the caster that slowly heals everyone around. Doesn't affect the caster.
Revive	neutral	restore	single	high	high	Attempts to revive a dead character that has not returned to its spawn point yet. The healing skill level of the caster must be higher than the total character level of the target to be successful.
Detox	neutral	restore	untargeted	high	low	Attempts to removes a status effect that falls in the category "poisons" from the character standing in front of the caster.
Decurse	neutral	restore	untargeted	high	low	Attempts to removes a status effect that falls in the category "curses" (like most attribute decrease spells) from the character standing in front of the caster.
Disinfect	neutral	restore	untargeted	high	low	Attempts to removes a status effect that falls in the category "diseases" from the character standing in front of the caster.