Contest: Design a Spell!

[Kael]

Design a Spell:

[tab]After the success of our first Design contest (Abman's Giant Spider and Kerrangs Grigoi Medic have both been checked into 0.13) we have decided to hold another.

[tab]This contest is in an area we could use some help in. We have so spell slots that we haven't filled yet, mostly because we aren't to satisfied with the ideas for these slots. So we need ideas from all of you.

[tab]For the contest you will need to design a spell for one of the following slots:

Body 3 (Sorcery)
Chaos 2 (Sorcery)
Chaos 3 (Sorcery)
Chaos 2 (Divine)
Law 2 (Sorcery)
Law 3 (Sorcery)
Life 3 (Sorcery)
Life 2 (Summoning)
Life 3 (Summoning)

[tab]Remember that rank 2 spell are cast by Mages/Conjurers/Priests and rank 3 spells are cast by Archmages/Summoners/High Priests. Also consider the following advise:

1. We are about terraformed out. Spells that switch land types or change land yields probably won't qualify.

2. Spells that just give bonus's or copy existing mechanics probably won't qualify either.

3. We are really looking for new mechanics. I would rather spend time trying to figure out how to code a new effect than enter a spell that uses n old one.

4. Although it isn't required we would prefer spells that weren't targeted (ie: anything that pops up the targeting window) just because they are easier to teach the AI to use.

5. A lot of people have submitted ideas in the spell thread. If you have entered one there and would like to use it in the contest feel free to submit it.

6. Only 1 spell per person please. If you have a couple ideas try to pick the one you like the most.

7. Names do matter, try to come up with one that is creative and evocative for your spell.

8. This thread is ONLY for contest submissions, there will be another thread to ask questions or talk about the contest.

9. Make sure to include which slot you are submitting for (if its intended to be the Chaos 2 sorcery spell or the life 3 summonign spell, etc).


[tab]The process for this one is going to be a little simplier than the last contest. Instead of all of the FfH team picking their favorite we are only going to narrow the contest to the teams top 3 by concensus. Those top 3 will be posted for the public vote. The winning spell in that vote will be added to FfH2!

[tab]We are accepting submissions until Friday June 16th at 10pm EST. Please make sure to have your submission in this thread by then.

[tab]Good luck!

 

[Thunderwing]

Might from Magic
Body (Sorcery) 3
The caster turns into a powerful warrior, roughly as strong as a a level 4~6 tier 4 melee unit, but looses the abilty to cast spells above first level in any sphere but body, and any spells from mind and metamagic at all. This spell is replaced in the Body 3 slot with a spell that undoes its effects while it is active. The caster levels and gains promotions as a melee unit while this is active and retains any non-magical promotions. Casting this spell, obviously, fully heals the caster, while it's reverse reduces him to his orginal strength.

Inspired by Tenser's Transformation in D&D.

 

[kevjm]

Soothing Spirits
(Life Summon)

When troops are far from home, morale can suffer, disease can spread and healers can be in short supply. A mage can call on the assistance of these angelic healers, but they will only come to where they are most needed.

Gives a +5% healing rate to all units in the stack.
Gives a +5% strength bonus to all living units in the stack.
Gives a -10% strength penalty to all undead and demonic units in a stack.

Cannot be summoned unless in enemy territory, or unless there are injured (living) units in the stack.
Eliminates the Unit Supply costs for the stack (Not unit maintanence).
Reduces the chance of disease and plague spreading in the stack.

The summon will leave when the conditions above no longer apply.
Has zero strength, does not participate in combat.
Only one can be summoned for every mage with Life 2.

 

[Frozen-Vomit]

Magic Mirror
Law Sorcery 3

Every enemy targeted spell cast on an Archmage that has a magic mirror is reflected back on the caster.

All summoned units or fireballs ect. that attack the archmage are destroyed, at the beginning of the next turn you get all units that are destroyed that way, or you directly get control over summoned units that attack the archmage (whatever works better).

Everytime your magic mirror does something it has a 25% chance to break, then you must recreate it like the spellstaff.

 

[Jono]

Schism
Chaos III (Sorcery)
Only useable in rival territory in a range of 2 tiles from a city. That/those (if 2 or more cities are in a 2 tile range) cities revolt and turn to another existing civilization along with all that units within the city's/cities' territory. The 2 civilizations are then forced into a locked war. If the spell is cast closer than 2 tiles away from that city, the caster's civilization will be locked into that war aswell. Unaffected by promotions that increase spell range. Only useable every 20 turns.

I know this is more of a Devine spell, but it's not a rank 2 spell.

Edit: I think I have a solution for the 20 turn timer - After using this spell you would receive a promotion, Schism I. With that promotion you will be able to receive Schism II (by using a spell given by Schism I) and so forth until Schism XX. Schism XX will enable use of the spell again and using the spell again will remove Schism II through XX. Either spellstaff won't affect this or the timer will be increased to 30~40.

 

[Black Whole]

Reincarnation
Life III (Sorcery)
This spell can awake a dead unit (yes, also heroes).

Effect: The unit will be reborn with every promotion it gained and with the whole experience it had before. You can choose the unit from a list, which contains every dead unit.

Requirements: The caster has to stand on an own life node. The life node has a ?25%? chance to change into a mana node and the mana node can't be upgraded into a life node anymore. If you want to cast this spell again you'll have to wait at least ?100? turns. A unit can be reborn only once.

The things between the ? can be changed for balancing.

 

[DarthCycle]

Chaos Gate

Sorcery spell
Chaos level 3

This spell opens a portal to the chaos plane. From this portal, chaos denizens will start to pass through the gate and wreac havoc in the area surrounding the gate.

The type of denizens that will move through the gate depends on how long the gate has been opened. The longer the gate is opened, the higher the probability to attract the attention of a stronger denizen from the chaos plane.

1-5 turns: 50% probability that a denizen will pass the gate; always a tier 1 denizen
5-10 turns: 60% probability that a denizen will pass the gate; 40% tier 1, 20% tier 2 denizen.
11-20 turns: 70% probability that a denizen will pass the gate; 30% tier 1, 30% tier 2, 10% tier 3 denizen.
21+ turns: 80% probability that a denizen will pass the gate; 20% tier 1, 30% tier 2, 20% tier 3 denizen and 10% for the chaos overlord.

The chaos denizens are considered barbarians unit, have the demonic promotion and heal quicker (+20% healing rate). They can never conquer a city, they always raze it instead. Additionnaly, chaos denizens should aim to pillage improvements. When they do so, the square is polluted and must be cleaned (either with worker or spell) before it can be used again.

Denizens characteristics:
Tier 1 denizens: strength 4, move 1
Tier 2 denizens: strength 6, move 1, immune to first strike
Tier 3 denizens: strength 8, move 2, immune to first strike, commando (can use enemy road)
Chaos overlord: strength 12, move 3, immune to first strike, commando (can use enemy road), blizt (multiple attack per turn) and it can cast the Chaos Gate spell (make sure the AI casts the spell within 5 turns of the chaos overlord arrival) !!!

Casting the Chaos Gate spell disables the ability from the caster while the gate is active. There is only one certain way to close a chaos gate: kill the caster. However, the chaos gate spell is unstable and there is a cumulative 1% probability per turn that the spell will fail and the gate will close by itself. If this occurs, the caster regains the ability to cast the spell.

 

[Teg_Navanis]

Summon Holy Mist
(Life 2 Summoning)

Summons a weak unit (str 1) that automatically sacrifices itself if a unit on the same tile is defeated. The defeated unit survives and is restored to full health.

The mechanism should only work when defending and is most powerful in combination with a strong unit (hero). This is in part a reaction to the demand that heroes be made less likely to die. Weakness: Marksman promotion.

In order not to make it too strong, the life-time of the unit can be restricted to one turn (it needs to survive the AI-turn though) and/or it can be given 0 movement.

How to explain the mechanism with a bit of flavour? Give the unit the promotion "Breath of Life" (which theoretically could also be used elsewhere) and create a bit of history about the mists being able to enter dead bodies, reviving them.

 

[Kerrang]

Word of Chaos
Chaos III (sorcery)

When Word of Chaos is cast on a stack of units, units in the stack have a chance of being either killed, confused, or stunned. Confused units will move their full movement rate in a random direction, causing them to attack any enemy units they run into. Stunned units lose their next turn.

Here is how I see chances/effects breaking down for each unit in the effected stack:

Tier 1 units - 80% chance unit will be killed, unit is confused if not killed.
Tier 2 units (3 levels or less) - 40% chance of being killed, 40% chance of being confused, unit is stunned if not killed or confused.
Tier 2 units (3-6 levels) - 30% chance of being killed, 30% chance of being confused, 30% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.
Tier 2 units (6+ levels) and Tier 3 units (3 levels or less) - 25% chance of being killed, 25% chance of being confused, 25% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.
Tier 3 units (3-6 levels) - 20% chance of being killed, 20% chance of being confused, 20% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.
Tier 3 units (6+ levels) and Tier 4 units (3 levels or less) - 15% chance of being killed, 15% chance of being confused, 15% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.
Tier 4 units (3-6 levels) - 20% chance of being confused, 20% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.
Tier 4 units (6+ levels) and Heroes - 15% chance of being confused, 15% chance of being stunned, otherwise no effect.

Undead, unliving (i.e. Golems), and certrain high end and special creatures such as The Meshabber, Orthus and Dragons should not be effected by this spell.

Due to the potential effects against cities, I would also suggest a building, or promotion that reduces the effects of this spell (and similar spells), or grants immunity to it. I have some ideas along those lines, but that is for another thread.

Flavor Text: The Doviello raiding band was penned in on all sides, thanks to the cunning manuevers of Sabathiel and his allies. Sabathiel himself led the Bannor forces pushing in from the North, forcing the Doviello towards the sturdy Dwarven Khazad Soldiers holding the hills to the South. Menacing Elven Ljosalfar were swarming out of the trees of the Ancient Forest to the West, and the Hippus Riders were moving in fast from the Eastern Plains. Mahala recognized that there was no love lost between his enemies, they each had axes to grind, and had only temporarily joined together to put an end to his raids. Even though Mahala found himself outnumbered, he knew how to escape from this trap.

As the Hippus Cavalry began charging toward the Eastern flank of the Doviello band, the Doviello Archmage, known only as the Crazed One, strode out to the front lines and spoke a single word. Despite the thundering of their hoves, and the distance that separated them from the Crazed One, each Hippus Rider was struck by the insanity in the voice of the Crazed One. Many of the Riders fell instantly dead, scores more rode screaming in every direction, driven insane, and tearing through the ungaurded flanks of the allied Bannor and Khazad forces. Those that remained of the Hippus Army, simply stood in place, stunned and unmoving, as Mahala retreated through their lines and left the chaotic battle behind. It took Sabathiel several hours to restore order to his army, and Mahala had escaped him once again. It took years for relations to return to normal between the Bannor and the Hippus, however, as the Hippus Army was suspected of conspiring with Mahala in the battle.

-Gineto Florenz Illasco, The Wars of the Bannor, Vol. II

 

[Samuelson]

Shockwave of Death
Chaos 3 Sorcery

When casted damages all units within one square of the caster. The next turn it damages all units within 2 squares of where the caster casted the spell. Then 3 and etc. It dies out after 5 squares. It does -50% health, very useful if you send in the caster right in the middle of enemy territory.

When used has a 50% chance of killing the spellcaster.

EDIT: Someone asked if this damaged only enemy units and the answer is no it damages all units including your own and friendly units. Also if the caster moves after he casts the spell and gets hit he is damaged with -50% health like all other units (this is only if he survives the casting).

 

[Starship]

Swords to Plowshares - Law II Sorcery - Same concept as the Magic card. Lowest value combat unit in tile is turned into a worker. Ownership doesn't change hands, it's just turned into a worker. You can use on your own units, or enemies. (Doesn't work on demon, hero, or undead.) Takes two turns to cast.

 

[Skavian]

Life 3: Summoning

The Cave Worm

Rather than creating simple creatures, or altering the structures of life, this spell simply calls from the bowels of the world a mighty worm. It can swallow a group of units to be later disgorged, and may travel under the earth to circumvent enemies (perhaps a new way of movement?) and attack cities. There can only be one Cave Worm summoned at a time, and when it dies, it may only be summoned by another Civilization.

 

[Zurai]

Law 3 Sorcery:

Unyielding Order
Can only be cast in one of your cities.
Automatically turns all angry citizens and protesting citizens (from conquering a city that isn't yours) into normal citizens and assimilates the city instantly. In addition, the city will not suffer from distance-from-palace corruption.

The effects last as long as the mage remains in the city; he's presumed to be continually renewing the spell. As soon as the mage leaves the city, the previously unhappy citizens will return in addition to a few (2-3) additional citizens that are unhappy because of the magically enforced order, and corruption will return to the appropriate levels.




What can be more orderly than having all your little citizens doing exactly as they're told without question? This spell could be very powerful if you have access to few luxuries, and would always be useful to instantly assimilate conquered cities or to help shore up a new distant city until you can get corruption reducing buildings constructed. Plus, what mage devoted completely to Law (as any Law3 Archmage should be) wouldn't jump at the chance to enforce the Law completely and utterly? EDIT: Oh, and in addition it would obviously be useful to prevent culturally isolated/newly conquered cities from flipping, since they wouldn't go into civil disorder while Unyielding Order was active.

 

[Khadil Okharim]

Confidence
Level 3 Law Sorcery

Confidence can be cast on all living units in the Archmage's stack and provides the confidence promotion to every unit for one application.
The confidence promotion provides a higher one-time chance for the next action that has chances to fail: e.g. for casting a spell successfully, resisting a spell, attack or defend.
Actions with high chances get only a very low bonus. Very low chances should gain a real boost of 20 %.

Confidence strenghtens the unit the more hopeless it is:
chance above 60 % - no bonus
chance above 50 % - 2 % bonus
chance above 40 % - 4 % bonus
chance above 30 % - 6 % bonus
chance above 20 % - 8 % bonus
chance above 10 % - 14 % bonus
chance below 10 % - 22 % bonus

Perhaps some very mighty abilities that must have a little chance to be successfull has to be excepted from confidence.

 

[Janusi]

Pandemonium
Chaos Level 3 Sorcery

This spell is intended as a last resort. Once cast it can affect all units in a 2 square radius in the following ways, regardless to whom they belong.

- They can switch allegiance to any civ in the game, both barbarian as another civilization.
- Gain or loose promotions, including such promotions as enraged or fear. This is independent of whether or not a unit has switched allegiance. So a unit may have switched to your side but has lost all its promotions or has gained the fear making it less then useful.

In addition, there is a fifty percent chance that this spell doesn't work and instead summons a chaos gate in the caster's square, allowing creatures from the chaos plane to enter the world. These will be under barbarian control and have the demon promotion. For units you can use the Chaos summoning creatures along with a reskinned spider.

Once cast, regardless of the results, the caster can't cast any spell for 3 turns because the spell is so draining.

Explanation: It's a powerful spell but keeping with the chaos theme it is also completely unpredictable. It can do both harm and good and at the same time.

 

[AndrewDJ]

Changestorm Chaos 3 Sorcery

The terrain tiles and resources within a two-tile radius of the caster are scrambled randomly, destroying any improvements. City tiles are unaffected. Any non-hero, non-disciple, and non-arcane unit caught in the effect has a chance of being permanently polymorphed into a different non-hero, non-disciple, non-arcane unit.

May require the sacrifice of the casting unit.

 

[Hian the Frog]

INURED TO SUFFERING:

Body III, Sorcery.

Cast on a stack of units , gives at the moment 200 HPs to each units.
Left caster with one HP.
Last one turn.

Flavor Text:

"Pain is a state of mind", Calabim proverb, Unknown author.

 

[Xyshi]

Word of Terror

Chaos 3 Sorcery Spell

The caster utters a single, impossible word and all units within a 2 grid radius of the caster move as far away from the caster as they are able and gain the immobile promotion for 1 turn. Cant be cast near a city.

*Edit* Added the limitation.

 

[abman]

Valor - Law Sorcery 2
Doubles experience gained by units in caster's stack until next turn. Only lasts one turn. Nuff said.

 

[Xuenay]

Awaken the Earth's Restlessness
Chaos 3 (Sorcery)

Affects a 3x3 area centered on the caster. Every tile within the area has half of its culture converted into barbarian culture, making it barbarian territory. Has no effect on cities unless the city has no defenders present, in which case it's destroyed. Triggers war if used on another player's territory.

Flavor text: It doesn't matter where you go - even in the more peaceful, seemingly harmonious parts of the world, unrest and chaos lurks hidden below the tranquil surface. Awaken the Earth's Restlessness will tap into that, calling forth wild animals from their caves and hideouts. Even as they emerge to hunt humanoid flesh, the primal urge to destroy and wreak havoc will awaken and grow in the minds of suspectible men. Within days the whole area will be reduced to lawlessness and chaos, the people capable of resisting the spell driven away or slain by those incapable.

Role: This spell helps spread wilderness and restless territory even at a time when all of the land would otherwise be covered by national borders. The barbarians getting a high culture rating in the targeted squares makes it a pain to get rid of, but the relatively small area and the fact that barbarians won't spawn in visible squares helps keep it balanced. Also has a peaceful use, as it makes for a handy buffer zone between you and your opponent, helping avoid that pesky close borders penalty while simultaneously denying your opponent a chance to expand into it.