Spell Mechanics

All spells have numbers associated with them. Wizard spells are the 900 series of spells, 901 - 920, 925, 930, and 950. 950 is presently not implemented, but all of the others are. The Minor Elemental circle is the 400 series of spells, 401 - 420, 425, 430, and 450. 450 is presently not implemented. The Major Elemental circle is the 500 series of spells with 530 and 550 still not implemented.

In order to cast a spell, your training level must be at or higher than the level of the spell. The level of the spell is it's rank within the circle. Before you can learn a certain spell within a spell circle, you must know every spell of lower rank within that spell circle.

At birth, we are not at training level 1, but at level zero. At level zero, we can train in two spells. But we cannot cast a first level spell until we are ourselves first level. We cannot cast a second level spell until we first attain second level.

Once we attain level 1, we can cast any spell from the first level of any of the circles. We will have twice learned spells at level 0, and twice learned spells at level 1, so as a first level wizard, we know three first-level spells and one second-level spell. We are not yet capable of casting the second-level spell, but we can cast any or all three of the first level spells: 401 Elemental Defense I, 501 Sleep, and 901 Minor Shock.

Casting

      prep 401
      cast

It will take us ten seconds to prep the spell. That is because at level 1, while capable of casting the spell, we are not yet proficient at it. Our prep time will remain 10 seconds until our training level is three levels above the level of the spell, at which time our prep time will drop to 5 seconds. When we become six training levels higher than the level of the spell, our prep time will be instantaneous.

We cast spells on ourselves by using the "cast" command alone after the spell is prepped. If you wanted to cast Elemental Defense I, Silveries, on me, you would do the following:

      prep 401
      cast zanovere

You do not want to cast 901 Minor Shock at yourself (or at me, I bruise easily) because it is an attack spell. It might hurt you. You would want to cast minor shock at a beastie such as a rat. To do that:

      prep 901
      cast rat

This is much the same as if you swung a sword at the rat. Instead, you have commanded the elemental energies of electricity in the area and directed them toward an enemy. The mechanics of the attack are exactly the same mechanics as when you swing your sword at it, but the numbers are different. Your attack strength is different, the AvD or effectiveness of a shock attack against a rat may not be the same as that of a sword attack. And if you hit the rat with an electric bolt, the damage to the rat may be different than if you hit it with a sword.

Wizard bolt spells such as Minor Shock are also effected by the stance. You have more power to perform your bolt if you are standing in an offensive stance than if you are in a more defensive stance. If you cast from a defensive stance, the spell is totally harmless.

Mana Cost

The mana cost for casting a spell is in nearly all cases reflected in the level of the spell within it's respective circle. Spell 401 will cost one mana point to cast. Spell 901 will cost one mana point to cast. Minor fire, 906 will cost six mana points to cast because it is the sixth spell in the Wizard circle. The lone exception for wizards is the sleep spell, 501. The mana cost for spell 501 is equal to the level of the target beastie divided by 2.

Spell Stacking