Note: removed from spl-data.h on 3-Nov-2009. /* XXX: Some of these notes are obsolete now! In case anyone ever wants to add new spells, or just understand my reasons for putting a particular spell into a particular type, read on: Guidelines for typing spells Conjuration This type has a near monopoly on effective and relatively risk-free combat spells. All other types of combat spells are either indirect (enchantments), risky/detrimental/not versatile (necromancy) or just plain crappy (burn and freeze), although smiting is not too bad. Conjuration spells all involve the magical creation of matter and/or energy (which are the same thing anyway, right?). They are distinguished from summoning spells in that they do not involve the summoning of an entire creature from another place. Enchantment These spells mostly cause some kind of durational effect, which lasts only until the magic wears off. Enchantments are distinguished from transmutations in that the latter cause a permanent alteration in something which persists even after the magic has faded, while the effects of the former last only so long as the magic does. Sometimes enchantments may take advantage of the more powerful aspects of transmutation to induce some kind of radical change (eg polymorph). Some enchantments would also fall under the description of 'meta-magic' spells, like Selective Amnesia and Remove Curse (and if I ever implement Dispel Magic, it will be an enchantment). It is possible that some divinations could be retyped as divination/enchantment, as they appear to be primarily concerned with detecting enchantments. Detect Curse and Identify are what I'm thinking of here. Fire and Ice These are quite obvious. I'm trying to keep these two balanced with each other, but it can be difficult. I have to weigh up some useful fire spells, like Sticky Flame, Fireball, Ring of Flames and Firestorm, and the fact that Fire wizards have an advantage when summoning fire elementals by either spell or device, with the also quite useful Refrigeration, Ice Armour and Freezing Cloud. Ice wizards don't have a corresponding advantage with water elementals, because water and ice are two different things (ice is not necessarily water ice, for example). Generally, Fire spells tend towards chaos, disorder and entropy, while Ice spells tend towards order and stasis. But these trends are rather underdeveloped at the moment. Note that just about the only reason one would ever choose an ice or fire wizard over a conjurer would be the resistance gained at level 12. Especially because having a fire specialisation basically removes any chance of ever using ice spells effectively, and vice versa. Transmutation See enchantments. Necromancy This is the fun stuff. Necromancy is a mixed bag of many and various different kinds of spells, with a few common themes: -Differentiation of living, dead and undead. Some necromancy affects only the living (pain, vampiric draining, etc.), some affects only the dead (animate dead, twisted resurrection, etc.), and some affects only undead (dispel and control undead). -Actual or potential harm: eg risk in Death's Door, hp loss with Pain, disease with summon greater undead, etc. Also loss of potential experience gain with bolt of draining and degeneration. -Material components are central to many of the spells. -Some spells duplicate effects of other types, but do so in a different (neither superior or inferior) way. Eg bone shards is a very powerful spell for only 3 magic points, but requires preparation. Also, necromantic healing spells are different and more idiosyncratic than holy healing. Although regeneration is usually less useful than lesser healing and is level 3 instead of 2, it can be cast before combat (when 1 turn spent casting is less important), and is affected by extension. -Generally unholy theme of spells (I mean, Twisted Resurrection?). Holy The Holy type is also fairly various, but is rather less interesting than necromancy (after all, priests are better at fighting than necromancers). Holy spells do things like driving off undead and healing. Note that I consider item stickycursing to be more of an issue for enchantments rather than holy magic, which is why remove curse is enchantment. Summoning These spells involve bringing a creature from somewhere else (possibly on another plane of existence) to this world to do battle for the caster. Some future summonings could potentially be combination conjuration/summoning spells, eg the ball lightning spell I keep planning to implement. Also, potential exists for some risky high-level spells, maybe demon summoning? Divination These spells provide information to the caster. A diviner class would be possible (and having detect curse and identify would be very handy), but would be extremely difficult to play - there is no potential in this type for combat spells. Translocation Translocation spells deal with teleportation etc, also interplanar travel (eg Banishment, and the planned Gate spell). It is possible that I may give summoners some special access to trans- locations due to the obvious similarities. Poison These spells all involve poison. Most are also conjurations. I don't plan to implement a 'Poisoner' class, as it would become unplayable deep in the dungeon where most monsters are poison resistant. Your skill for a spell is effectively the average of all schools used in it. */ /* * When adding enchantments, must add them to extension as well! * * spells to do: * Contingency? * Trigger contingency * Preserve Corpses * Permanency * Explosive rune? * Fennel wands * More summonings! */
