Spells, Skills & Performances
Note: This is LONG.....and very COMPLEX & DIVERSE, You may have to read through once or thrice to grasp the twists and turns. And when in doubt, just ask Anubis or Onuris or another player. This does not cover everything either...

Magic Plays a vital role in the realm of SoulMUD. Over time the amount of magic in the world has increased by a great amount. Myself adding non-caster Performances did not help matters any either. For a long time there was not even a spell help file. But alas, that confusion can end now 8-]

Magic can be divided into several field[categories].

Offensive:
  • Elemental
  • Non-Eelemental
  • Direct Damage
  • Area of Effect
  • Damage over Time
  • Buffs
  • Debuffs
  • Defensive Magic:
  • Buffs
  • Summons
  • Protection
  • Transport
  • Healing
  • Various
  • Utility Magic

  • All spells, skills and abilities often have restrictions on who may benifact or be hindered by the abilities. Some abilities are prime only, some abilities are alingment only. Some may only be cast on ones self, and not on others, some may only be cast on groups of people (whether its everyone in the room or everyone the caster is currently grouped with).

    Spell/Skill Levels
    All abilities work based on skill levels. Typing prac at a guild (or not in a guild will tell all skill levels of everything you have practiced (guilds show everything you can practice, but havent pracced yet, as well as everything that is in that guild up to your level). Skill levels of magic tend to affect the amount of mana to cast the ability with, as well as governing damage, and if its an effect, how long that effect will last. Skill levels also tend to effect how much a buff might buff for. How ever, nearly all abilities are limited to where that class falls into the characters class order. That being said, a character who is a cleric prime, will have a longer lasting stone skin spell, but will also have more affect of that stone skin spell. This holds true with mage damage spells. A person with mage in their quad (4th class), will do far less damage with an icewind spell then a character who is prime (1st class mage)who uses the same icewind spell.

    Offensive magic is destructive by nature, for this itself is its nature. Offensive abilities are generaly damaging, and come in elemental or non- elemental forms. Offensive magic hurts or hinders its victims. Defensive magery often helps or boosts its victims.

    Some mobs are immune to Offensive magic damage, these are called no_blast mobs there are quite a few of them ingame. If a spell fails againt a no_blast mob, you will get a message telling you so...

    Elementals, are types of critters (mobs) in game, and generaly reflect flags set on said critters. Players also have these flags, which are set on each character during character creation. These flags show up on characters by doing the 'astro' command, which shows astrological flags, weapon and spell strong and weak points, character birth signs etc.

    Some spells will be non elemental in damage, but will have affects upon undead. Undead mobs are generaly those who have been flagged by the value heal_hurts. Heal hurts mobs take damage from being healed. This is rather fitting, as undead mobs are generaly un-pious. Avatar cleric spells generaly do increased damage to undead as well...

    Primal Elementals fall into several categories for the moment.
  • Fire - spells are anything to do with flame.
  • Air - spells have everything to do with ice and wind.
  • Water - spells have to do with liquids and water.
  • Earth - spells have to be with earth and the body.
  • Fire elementals are pained by air, and healed by fire.
  • Air elementals are pained by fire, and healed by air.
  • Water elementals are pained by earth, and healed by water
  • Earth elementals are pained by water and healed by earth.



  • Nuking a fire elemental with a fire spell, heals the mob by the damage he would have taken. So a fire mob who was down 300 hps, and was justed for a 450pt fire spell, is actualy a full health. Nuking an air elemental with a 400 pt damage fire spell, actualy makes the air elemental take 600 pts of damage, since its his flipside elemental. Nuking with a fire spell on a mob thats earth or water, does normal spell damage, as these are not polar flags. The same goes for anything in the primal elemental sphere.

    Quasi spells hurt fire and earth. How ever, they greatly heal and empower critters of the water & air variety. They inflict grave damage if they hurt a mob. But should it reflect the mobs element, it will give them added hit points. The same holds true with Para spells hurt water and air, and greatly empoiwer fire and earth beings. To clarify just a bit, nuking a fire mob with a para nuke will give it about 10% health each blast, as well as heal it...This being said, if you use a quasi spell on a para elemental, it might show by looking at the critter that he has taken damage. How ever, he has not, rest assured, as he has just gained 10% health. So if you nuke a para elemental with a quasi spell 10 times, his health has gone way, way, way up. This only affects mobs with less then 1 million hit points.

    The only way to know a mobs elemental sphere, is to nuke it. Trial and Error is fun isnt it. Yes I know. Most of my coding is that way too 8-)

    Area of Effect Spells
    These work on everything in the room, if its a damage spell. If it is a defense spell, then it will work on everyone who is grouped with the caster.

    Damage Over Time
    These spells flag a critter with an effect. All spell flags count down when they are under effect. Each time a spell counts down, the critter with the flag (be it mob or pc) will take damage. The damage is in accordance with spell level. (defined a bit above under skill level). Damage over time spells are generaly short lasting (under 1 minute, sometimes far less). These are by no means useless though!!! :)

    Direct Damage
    These spells work on a single victim, and often times the victim must be stated, who is the recipient of the damage. All area if effect spells have lower level direct damage spells in accordanice with them. Damage over time spells are also considered direct damage, though it is time based damage.

    Spell Shield
    This spell, which is a cleric spell, which is a buff (im mentioning it here), because the spell when it affects someone, will cancel out spell damage, for the time that a character is affected by it. This shield, when pumped up, can absorb a great deal of damage, but can only absorb so much, so when it absorbs more damage then it can take, it disappears. Many mobs in game have the ability to cast said spell.

    Debuffs & Utility Abilities
    Debuffs will affect the critter (victim) with a downside affect. These also fall into the direct damage category, except they deal no damage. Spell shield will NOT negate them. These spells will temporarily make the victim easier, in the fact that the debuff, will raise or lower a stat. Example, hitroll and attack time. People and mobs generaly want a high hitroll, and a low attack time. Therefore, debuffing the hitroll, will lower it (making them miss higher armor classes more). Attack time is something which people want less off so, debuffing attack time makes them attack slower. Utilitarian spells like web are also handy, as they also provide affects to characters.

    Poisons
    Poisons also fall under the category of offensive. These are mainly for the thief class who have the 'envenom' skill. Poisons offer a wide array of affects in all of the categories listed above. Poisons must be applied to weapons individualy, and consume components for each application. Various poisons render different affects, and for different durations. Once a poisoned blade makes a successful strike on a victim, the poison is removed from the blade and mr vicitim is poisoned.

    Buffs
    The flipside of a debuff. Buffs are generaly helpful to the recipient victim. Buffs raise or lower things which need to be raised or lowered. These include, armor class, stats, skill levels, hitrolls, attack times etc. Needless to say these are all temporary effects, spread throughout EVERY class in game.

    Summons
    Some spells and abilities, allow a character to summon 'magical' elements to aid them in game. These can be weapons, pets, or if your a cavalier, even a mounted pet for you to ride. Summoned mobs may be controled through the order command, and can aid you in what your doing. Clerics may summon angels, mages may summon demons. Summoned critters will recall with you, can be told to enter portals, they will also lloyds with you. Removing a summoned weapon will cause it to disappear.

    Enchantments
    Armor and weapons may be enchanted, provided that the armor and weapons in question do not have many affects upon the item in question. These affects are permanent, and generaly skill based in how much of an affect they will put on an object. Enchanting a weapon will also flag it as an alingment based item. So if you enchant a weapon for someone, make sure they are the same starting alingment as you, or else they cant use the object you just enchanted.

    Protection
    There are lots of protection spells ingame. Protection spells will protect you from some harmful affect that might befall you during the course of adventuring. These spells aree generaly handy, and fall into the buff (boost) category of spells.

    Healing
    Probably the most VITAL element of the game. During the course of the play, you WILL take damage (unless you never, ever leave the inn, but if thats the case I suggest an IRC and not a MUD). Healing will retract damage taken upon the victim. Healing can affect the victim or the characters group. Healing can be done over time via higher spells, but generaly is considered direct to the victim. Groups cannot survive without healing. The tank or person fighting will need to be healed or die. Clerics play the most vital role in game, in that they give life. So while 3 classes are proficent at taking life and dealing damage, only the Cleric can give life. This also falls under the category of raising life. In which clerics may ressurect the dead on the spot with the raise dead spell. Clerics are not proficent at dealing damage, they are how ever, the hardest to kill when properly played.

    Transport
    Some few spells in game, allow transport from and too places in game. A couple of spells allow for transport to areas in game, which can only be gotten too with use of said spells. Non zone transport spells must have a victim, and will create portals (either 1 way or dual direction portals). These portals will only last so long, but are very handy. Zone transport spells affect everything in the room when cast, and generaly can only be cast in certain rooms in game. These zone transport spells are handy, in that they allow people to visit the 'planar' zones in game. These planes include the 4 elemental zones, the 4 para elemental planes, the astral and ether planes, the abyss and the 9 planes of hell.

    Utilitarian
    If it hasnt been described here, and you cant figure out what a spell does after experimenting with it, asky Onuris or Anubis ingame. 8-}

    Gravity
    Yep, there are several planets in game, which all render gravity in the universe. This gravity in turn affects the entire 'weave' of magic. There are 4 planets, one for each elemental sphere, and 1 planet for general magic. Gravitational constants are generaly constant. Gravity is also in constant change and flux. Gravity controls many, many aspects of the game. Gravity controls spell damage and melee damage. If a planet has too much or too little gravity, spell damage will decrease. If a planet has just the right amount, damage will increase. Planets may also retrograde, or conjuct each other. This will also affect damage. Planets may also eclipse each other. This will affect everything by a great deal. Nothing in game is truly constant thanks to Gravity.

    Side Effects
    Hm, magic of the mortal sphere, has no side effects. HOWEVER magic for Avatar & Legend Professions Does have side effects. Mortal Magic is not terrible strong in the scheme of things. Avatar and Legend Magic are strong, espicaly the destructive [offensive] abilities. Side affects are the aggitation of the 'weave' for the spell being cast. (Ok I guess polar elementals are side affects, but only really Quasi and Para elementals have bad side effect) Moving on, outside of Quasi & Para spells, Mage Prime Avatar and Legend professions Will NOT have side affects. This is because the Mage Prime class has proper training in the useage of magic, and this is the characters strong suit. Non mage primes, who have destructive and offensive magic, how ever, will find that there are side affects to spells. This includes NON-MAGE-PRIMES who takes a Mage Avatar Profession. So while a mage prime who is a channeler might cast a weave wind perfectly each and every time, a non mage prime who casts the same spell will have bad effects every so often. You have been warned....