Tease: New Spells

[Ry Vor]

Here's a list of many (not all) of the spells new to Maelstrom.  The second group are new high power spells.  Again, in Maelstrom not all kingdoms get all spells, including kingdoms with Magic Supremacy.

Spells New to Maelstrom:

Madness
Greater Dispel
Haste
Invisible Character
Charm Animals
Quicken Weapon
Shroud of Fog
Wind in Our Sails
Create Time
Cantrip Raven Familiar
Cantrip Fox or Black Owl Familiar
Cantrip Imp Familiar
Cantrip Ward
Lesser Animation
Stamina
Stamina Cantrip
Stone Golem
Iron Golem

Greater Spells:

Typhoon
Hurricane
Invisible Power Casting
Desolation
Evil Incarnate -Dark Lord Emerges
Immortality
Mass Cleansing
Vendetta
Supreme Warding
Mastery (intrinsic)
Perfect Perception
Child's Play (Cantrip)

[Draugr]

I love New spells. Are we going to have to figure out who has what or will all setups be released at launch?

[Ry Vor]

I love New spells.   Are we going to have to figure out who has what or will all setups be released at launch?

Yes. 

I like to have discovery through play, but when I first came out with 2nd Cycle with that thought, pretty much all the secret victory conditions and spell lists were exchanged by the time Turn 1 was due.  So probably we'll give the lists someplace upon release or earlier, likely Help Guides, which may be broken into a couple different links, as will Valhalla.  Just the Spell List Chart with say 150 spells and 30 kingdoms would have 4500 cells.  Harder than assigners are obviously creating the spells and writing the descriptions and the info needed for coding.

This thread is intended as a tease: you can guess what the spells do, and I'll probably spill the beans on a few a day.

[Acererak]

It’s true. I remember when I found pegasusprod.com about 15 years ago and was thrilled to finally be able to read and compare all the setups and turn zeros. I wish we could keep them “secret” but alas information sharing is the way of the world now.

[Eregnon]

Create time isn't new. The LI gets it earlier than other kingdoms, although it is oddly missing from his spell lists.

[Acererak]

How about some bean spilling on the spells? :-)

[Ry Vor]

How about some bean spilling on the spells? :-)

Just briefly - the revamp of the magic system for Maelstrom is the main thing that got me bogged down.  As above, in round numbers its 4500 cells to complete, but its not just putting in checkmarks, there ultimately will be a 0 (not available) to 9 or 10 and the main work, after the initial work to create the new spells and again fine tune existing spells is to also come up with the text and really study what the effects will be and try to anticipate why it is broken (too powerful), too weak, too early or late, and a big part now is who gets them at all.  Further, the groupings like Mastery and Advantaged are more blurred now in favor of nearly unique spell lists by kingdom.  Then strengths and weaknesses within the Supremacy kingdoms.  Adding Cantrips, more intrinsic, new spellcaster classes, scrolls, new artifacts. re-examining the unusual encounter aspects of magic.  I'm sure I'm forgetting to list a lot.

Meanwhile I've been working on the other soon-to-be-released new campaign so won't get back to Maelstrom for a bit.  I continue to add to my notes on Maelstrom almost daily, but the real work is organizing all those thoughts and notes and how it all works together Alamaze fashion in a way that Mike can make it go and add his touches here and there.

[Acererak]

How about some bean spilling on the spells? :-)

Just briefly - the revamp of the magic system for Maelstrom is the main thing that got me bogged down.  As above, in round numbers its 4500 cells to complete, but its not just putting in checkmarks, there ultimately will be a 0 (not available) to 9 or 10 and the main work, after the initial work to create the new spells and again fine tune existing spells is to also come up with the text and really study what the effects will be and try to anticipate why it is broken (too powerful), too weak, too early or late, and a big part now is who gets them at all.  Further, the groupings like Mastery and Advantaged are more blurred now in favor of nearly unique spell lists by kingdom.  Then strengths and weaknesses within the Supremacy kingdoms.  Adding Cantrips, more intrinsic, new spellcaster classes, scrolls, new artifacts. re-examining the unusual encounter aspects of magic.  I'm sure I'm forgetting to list a lot.

Meanwhile I've been working on the other soon-to-be-released new campaign so won't get back to Maelstrom for a bit.  I continue to add to my notes on Maelstrom almost daily, but the real work is organizing all those thoughts and notes and how it all works together Alamaze fashion in a way that Mike can make it go and add his touches here and there.

No worries Rick, hopefully you take the interest the right way and not as pressure. I might suggest the 4,500 cells could be telling you that the spell changes are a bit too ambitious? Something to consider although it sounds right to me.