LoE 2 - Rules Discussion Thread

Some suggestions:

Treads of Undeath: (Battlefield Spell) Expensive spell commonly used by life-force manipulators on Battlefields that have seen incredible amounts of fighting/casualties in both armored forces and infantry. The souls of the dead and dying infantrymen are extracted and then merged with the scrap remains of tanks and whatever vehicles are left, restoring 30% of the total casualties into a state of half-life. These vehicles are generally quite hardy though, with the trapped and tortured souls of the dead driving them onwards at the beck and call of their necromantic masters.

Anti-Casualty Propagation Wave: (Battlefield Spell) Massive wide-area spell; essentially speeds up the healing of injuries and improves the physical condition of any injured troops to the point where they can ignore the pain and continue fighting. Effect on non-injured troops is like a major caffeine buzz and overdose in essence.

Eye-Catcher (Personal Level): A low-level spell that essentially causes something to distract a targeted person. It can be anything from something out of the corner of their eye to them suddenly getting the ability to see through the nearby woman's clothing - the end effect is the same: they get distracted and look away from the hero/caster for a few critical moments.

Flare: (Battlefield level) Especially useful spell that lights up a massive area for a period of time. The light is specially designed to lend your troops a bit of camouflage and light up enemy troops more clearly though.

More to come in a bit

Hey IX, can you go into a bit more detail about 'Warper' magic? Prime (psionics) and Rituals (hermetic spells) are pretty self-explanatory, but Warper could use a bit more explanation.

Wing Light (Ritual)
Available in innumerable variations and names, Wing Light is the simplest way a mage in the ritual school can fly – shove ether into the problem and make it that way. Wing Light allows the mage to fly, with the mage's skills and power affecting all other qualities such as speed, maneuverability, carrying weight, and so on. It is quite ubiquitous, and in some societies, a spell that even children with potential quickly learn. One commonality in all versions is that the etheric "exhaust" must manifest in some way, be it glowing wings sprouting from shoes or a rotating magic circle over the head.

Recovery (Prime)
Physical damage is a threat to anyone, and it inevitably happens if the magic user partakes in any dangerous activities. Recovery, in its various forms, is at heart a magical skill that induces one's own body to heal itself from physical injury. It will seal wounds, purging infections and poisons, and pushing out foreign objects. In many cases, the person need not be conscious, and the most powerful mages can force their bodies to recover from even blatantly fatal, dismemberment and trauma, though at that level, there are other options that may be better. In other cases, the esper can induce someone else's body to undergo a similar function. Because of its utility and life saving potential, a great number of Prime mages learn this skill in case it is needed.

Healing (Ritual)
Healing is something of a counterpart to Recover, being the basic healing spell of its school of magic – it recreates flesh and unmakes wounds. Unlike Recovery, it is more useable when you have a conscious and functioning healer healing the wounded, though a healer could heal himself as well. It can be more powerful, but is less naturalistic, often missing ails that the healer didn't catch for example, and obviously, does not simply activate whenever and wherever a victim is wounded. However, it does not depend on the wounded's own reserves of power. Like other basic spells, it has numerous forms but generally manifests as a glow or magic circle on the hand, which is held over the wound.

Soul Edge (Prime)
Soul Edge toes the line between magical ability and martial arts. It channels the spiritual energy and strength of will within the practitioner into their weapon, giving it supernatural durability and power. Learning both martial arts and magic is no mean feat. On oft-used description is that it is a skill that only comes when you no longer need it. Nevertheless, it can be devastating, allowing any sword to act like a katana, cutting through cement posts and so on. More rarely, it can affect slightly more advanced weaponry, making a truly deadly black powder revolver for example.

Word of Unmaking (Warper)
The Word of Unmaking is often considered a Word of Power, though it is infact from an entirely different school of magic. The word functions by speaking aloud one of the words used to create the world in reverse. The word differs from user to user, and is often shrouded in mystery and arcane protections, but it has an undeniable power to unmake whatever it is targeted at. How the target is unmade seems subject to the spell itself- things can explode, melt, or turn into rabbits.

Word of Flame (Warper)
The Word of Flame is an entry level warper spell, and involves learning and using the true name for fire and heat to conjure up a small flame. Often used to light camp fires, or shed provide warmth, it remains in widespread use to this day.

Word of Illumination (Warper)
A spell for light, the Word of Illumination can function in two ways. The first is to call light into being, however due to the nature of light, this is often difficult to control, and is commonly used to blind. The second method involves a phrase spoken in the Word- the language used to all things. This phrase calls for objects- the seas and the stone, the air and the rain, to reveal itself. Functionally this causes everything within metaphysical hearing range to glow, casting illumination about the area.

Shadowmeld...is what I have Saber do.

Warping sounds very much what I'd like Aren, or Thunder, to be able to do. Aren already does warp reality around himself after all...

Master's Mark (Warper)

A type of mind control, the Master's Mark manifests as a visible tattoo on the target. It is cast by both speaking the target's true name and a series of other true names for the formation of the tattoo. Once the mark is formed, all the caster must do is speak or think the true name of the target to be able to direct their actions, or lay limitations and directives of them. This effect remains unbroken as long as the tattoo is- but should a mark cross the tattoo (ie: a burn or another tattoo or something) then the spell will be broken.

Often used on slaves.

Impairation Sign (Warper)
This simple twist in reality makes it so that someone who is supposed to be awake or alert was in fact sleepy or intoxicated all along.

Newton's Apple (Warper)
Said to be a magic whose principles helped lay modern technomagical studies. Something up high will come loose or dislodge and fall down, often with disturbing accuracy. Young mage learners from the tradition often use it on actual fruit or bird's droppings to cause annoyance or pranks, but a legendary mage once consummated a suicide pact by bringing his world's moon on top of himself.

Door of Domoko (Warper)
Most cultures have a deity governing doors, but Domoko is a much more specific deity governing the locations of doors. Even after the Gods War, there is a magic named after the little goddess though hopefully it does not actually invoke her power anymore. Once worked, the user will find doors conveniently located where reasonable.

Einstein's Relativity (Warper)
This sort of magic conspires to twist reality to help two events coincide. Depending on the variant, the user may not have full control over just which events and of course, the more difficult the timing, the harder the spell.

Why do people keep posting spells here instead of the spells thread?

Bumping this thread in a shameless attempt to draw #lords attention to it. :3

Kill Sphere, that's about the only way to do it.

Any word on this? Do you guys talk much LoE2 in the chat?

As a matter of fact, there was a moderately large LoE2 discussion earlier today.

God dammit.

Start frequenting #lords again.

I would, but every time I go in there I get the irresistible urge to rip Ralson's face off, and that's not good for group development.

Ral hasn't been around the chat for the past couple months, Dune. He popped in for a couple moments the other day though- but I don't see why you'd get the urge to rip his face off from just being thar.

Some equipment/template generation for us non-mage types would be good.

I was in there the other night and within minutes we were already having a candid discussion about how he takes my words completely out of context.

Envy.

I am most interested in hearing what it is exactly I would find envious in you. Truly.

Perhaps you should actually come to the chat.

That's a terrible idea even by your dubious standards, mister.

Some Partially Systemic Thoughts on Propelling Yonder Spaceship in the Deep Sky

Notes: 1 Great Knot equals 1 Great League/Week and 50 km/h in-atmosphere speed. Yes, this means great leagues are half as long now, but we can do away with annoying decimals. Plus, the map is twice as 'big'.
Speeds/modifiers are relative for comparative values.

Simple Sails
Mechanical Drive
Milieu: T1 / M1
Cruise Speed: 1 GK
Tactical Speed: +0
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: Yes
No Transit Costs
Simple space-canvas sails. Ride the etheric curents in the deep sky.

Etherscrews
Mechanical Drive
Milieu: T2
Cruise Speed: 2 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Atmospheric Flight: No (yes w/refinement)
Hover: No (yes w/refinement)
Enchantable: Yes
Big electrified space-propellers. Great for those flying predreads.

Etheric Spheres
Reactionless Drive
Milieu: T2
Cruise Speed: 2 GK
Tactical Speed: +1
Dodge Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: Yes
Strange glowing spheres filled with compressed and charged ether. Have unparalleled agility but aren't terribly fast.

Etheric Turbofans
Mechanical Drive
Milieu: T3
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+2 in Star Ways/Nebula/Atmosphere)
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: Yes
Low Transit Costs
The ultimate development of mechanical propulsion, etheric turbofans are big spinny aerofoils, excellent for long-distance travel in the ether. The Tu-995 'Bear' Aethyric Battlecruiser flies again.

Scramrockets
Reaction Drive
Milieu: T3
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +4
Dodge Bonus: +1
Stealth Penalty: -1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Double bonus from Flanking
High-output chemical scramrockets, capable of almost turning a ship into an aircraft on full burn. Unfortunately, they have massive heat signatures and relatively poor cruising speed due to fuel concerns.

Ion Thrusters
Reaction Drive
Milieu: T3
Cruise Speed: 4 GK
Tactical Speed: +3
Atmospheric Flight: No (yes w/refinement)
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Fairly conventional electro-etheric propulsion system, also comes in plasma versions. The norm for Tech 3 ships meant for Deep Sky operations.

Mag Lifters
Reactionless Drive
Milieu: T3
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+2 near planets)
Shield Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Motors built to repel against a planet's magnetic field. Effective at lifting large masses into orbit cheaply.

Fusion Drives
Reaction Drive
Milieu: T4
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +4
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
A generically common reaction drive; eg, Glowy Scifi Spaceship Engines. They use Etheric fusion to propel the ship along at a good clip. Probably the most common drive by the numbers.

Ramdrive
Reaction Drive
Milieu: T4
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +0
Stealth Penalty: -2
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Low Transit Costs
Derived from Fusion Drives
What happens when you put a giant ether scoop in front of a fusion drive? You get a ramdrive. Wildly unsubtle and turns like a pig, but cheap to operate and has a pretty good cruise speed.

Gravity Drive
Reactionless Drive
Milieu: T4
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Shield Bonus: +2
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Gravity-control motors can move a ship along on a wedge, cushion, bubble or some other geometry of mildly bent space-time. Not as zippy as fusion drives, but the gravity waves reinforces the ship's defenses. The second most common drive type by the numbers.

Ether Sails
Reactionless Drive
Milieu: T4
Cruise Speed: 4 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+2 in Star Ways)
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Low Transit Costs
Derived from Gravity Drives
Hazily translucent forcefield 'sails' that can ride the winds of the deep sky, ether sails are one of the best ways to get around on an energy budget.

EAM Drives
Reaction Drive
Milieu: T5
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +6
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Bigger, glowier, more powerful reaction drives. Uses miniscule pinches of etheric antimatter as primary fuel. Accept no substitutes when it comes to speed.

Inertial Drive
Reactionless Drive
Milieu: T5
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +4
Dodge Bonus: +2
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Requiring deep understanding of physics, inertial control drives allow a ship to perform some truly wild maneuvers. Zip zip!

Parametric Drive
Hybrid Drive
Milieu: T5
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +4
Shield Bonus: +1
Stealth Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
A direct-action momentum-transfer drive that acts like a reaction drive but is based upon reactionless drive technology. Not as fast as EAM or as agile as inertial drives, but boosts defenses and due to its particularly subtle emissions, is fairly stealthy.

Random Refinement Thoughts:
Increasing an ability that exists on a drive (eg, Shield Bonus for grav drives) costs half as much as adding an ability that does not exist (eg, agility bonus on grav drives). Reaction drives cannot get shield bonus or hover. Reactionless drives pay double for speed increases.

For the longbow: bodkin heads. + something piercing.