New Mechanics!
Abilities, Transcending, and Specialties

Remember when I teased new stuff in the May Anniversary post? Hehe...

Abilities
Introducing: Techniques and Tactics! These are available in the shop for Magicka, but their roll thresholds cater to Physical and Other trees, with Magic tree users on the worse end like Physical and Other trees are right now for Magic spells. Techniques are abilities usable by the Physical tree and Tactics are abilities usable by the Other tree. These will replace the typical Physical or Other roll if chosen in the dropdown list, but those types of rolls will still be available if you do not possess or do not want to use abilities (choosing the blank option). I know I said I'd release more information but that's pretty much all the info!


Transcending
Round of applause for the characters who bested the elemental ring in [Quest] Ascension!

Introducing Transcendent Magic! Give up part of your power to expand your potential for growth even further. A Gembound wishing to gain their element's Transcendent spell—or their path's Transcendent ability—must visit Emuh for a trial to prove their mastery. They will be asked to cast a number of their spells or abilities to prove their mastery over their path.

If they succeed, Emuh will perform a brief ritual. The Gembound's power will be greatly drained, costing ʡ1500 and weakening the Gembound back to Pupil, Strategist, or Brawler status, leaving them confused and disoriented... but granting them knowledge of the new Transcendent spell or ability.

From here they will need to regain their footing with magic/abilities, once again progressing from Pupil to Master level, Strategist to Genius, or Brawler to Champion; but once they attain this rank, their Transcendent spell and Master/Genius/Champion level will prove their proficiency to all, and make them a formidable caster to face--or a strong ally to have.

They will then be able to focus on a Specialty.

Transcending requirements:
- Master, Genius, or Champion level reached
- ʡ1500
- Succeed in the trial presented by Emuh
- Note: Characters can only Transcend within their own element, or own path (other, combat)

Characters who have Transcended will be displayed as Transcendent (level) on their profiles, such as Transcendent Pupil. When they reach max level again and choose a Specialty, a new field will appear below the level field noting which Specialty they have chosen.

Note: The Transcendent items for Corrupted, Techniques, and Tactics are still being finalized, but will be added soon!


Specialties
Characters that have reached Transcendent Master, Transcendent Genius, or Transcendent Champion will be able to focus their newfound strength into a Specialty. A Guidebook entry will be added that details all of the Specialties available, and this post will be updated when it is done. This may take me a few weeks as I fiddle with stuff and perfect it.

Specializing in something means characters have a lower roll threshold for success when using their specialized spells or abilities, and cannot crit fail those spells or abilities.

Specialties also add passive effects and auras to characters.

Elements can share Specializations.

An example is:
Transcendent Masters in the Fire element are known as Pyromancers and can focus on any one of the four Specializations within the tree.



* I may still fiddle with this table, but I wanted to give you a example!

Update to Physical Combat and Other tree progression:

With the addition of abilities, the progression requirements for Physical Combat and Other paths have been updated to match that of the Magic requirements. Any outstanding requests dated before this post are not affected by this change.

OLD:

NEW:

As I finish getting specialties set up in the code, I want to point out why they are special (heh) and what makes them worth progressing toward.

Spells affected by a specialty have lower roll thresholds, which is the same for all intensities:
1-2 — Failure
3-5 — Barely Successful
6-19 — Successful
20 — Critical Success

Some specialties may have as few as four or five spells, while others may have more; specialties with fewer spells may be focused more on high intensity spells, whereas specialties with more spells may be focused on a larger spread of lower to medium intensity, with some high intensity. They can be spread between more than one element.

That being said, I'll get the update finished as soon as I can and get the Guidebook all sorted too, but they should be done within the next few days!

Update: All specialties have been added to the code! I will get them listed on a Guidebook page tomorrow.

Per suggestion:

Characters that are currently already progressed through Physical or Other paths may choose a starting ability based on their level at the time of the update (May 26th):

Brawlers may choose a single technique of either Low or Medium Intensity.
Champions may choose a single technique of either Low, Medium, or High Intensity.

Strategists may choose a single tactic of either Low or Medium Intensity.
Geniuses may choose a single tactic of either Low, Medium, or High Intensity.

*Hydra Champions that were adopted at the starting level of Brawler may only choose a technique intensity of either Low or Medium, regardless if they are Champions now.

Please claim your starting ability in Update Me!.

The raffle stuff took up more time than I thought it would so I didn't get a chance to stylize the specialties into the Guidebook, but just so you can see what they are, here's an ugly quick list:

((also for most of these you might only need a minimum requirement to meet the specialty, not necessarily all the spells listed -- but all the spells listed will be affected by the specialty))

Flamebringer: Cauterize, Incinerate, Combust, Pyrokinesis, Engulf, Everburn

Torchbearer: Torchlight, Incinerate, Glow, Lightplay, Blinding Beam

Master of Elements: Pyrokinesis, Combust, Aquakinesis, Drown, Earthshatter, Fissure, Sonic Boom, Cloud Step

Medic: Cauterize, Purify, Weave, Greater Empathy, Sterilize, Germicide, Internal Control, Failed Timeline

Rainmaker: Dehydrate, Fountain, Summon Water, Mist Cover, Rainfall

Cryomancer: Fountain, Glaciate, Snowfall, Cool Down, State Change, Everfreeze

Stormbringer: Rainfall, Thunderclap, Lightning Storm, Gust, Dust Devil

Destroyer: Incinerate, Aquakinesis, Fissure, Lightning Storm, Dust Devil

Master of the Mind: Dispel, Vacuum, Telekinesis, Phantom Hold, Translocate

Phaseshifter: Heat Up, Cool Down, State Change, Everburn, Everfreeze

Chaos Mage: Supernova, Event Horizon, Pulsar, Warp

Lightbearer: Glow, Illuminate Orb, Lightplay, Spotlight, Animated Bauble, Black Light

Voidbringer: Event Horizon, Dissipate, Shadowplay, Summon Void, Multishadow, Black Light

Illusionist: Drift, Shadowplay, Ligtplay, Aether Dance, Mimicry, Whisper

Druid: Plantcharm, Flora Call, Lesser Empathy, Ephemevenom, Bodyswap, Greater Empathy

Gardener: Summon Water, Emerge, Blossom, Flourish, Growth Spurt

Nuisance: Fire Trap, Mist Cover, Warp, Hayfever, Bodyswap, Sore, Shadowplay, Pause

Cultivator: Emerge, Blossom, Flourish, Fungal Wake, Propogate

Predator: Red Sense, Night Vision, Camouflage, High Senses, Biteform

Nightstalker: Night Vision, High Senses, Adrenaline, Dissipate, Summon Void

Mindbender: Hallucinate, Cordyceps, Summon Void, Whisper, Mindscream

Necromancer: Plantcharm, Weave, Bloodhold, Propagate, Cordyceps, Zombify

Seer: Scry, Necrophagy, Stone Memory, Hindsight, Future Shift

Rotbringer: Necrophagy, Propogate, Viral Strike, Spawn Parasite, Plaguebearer

Plague Doctor: White Sense, Fauna Cleanse, Nauseate, Incubate, Viral Strike

Plaguevector: Immunity, Incubate, Propagate Life, Plaguebearer, Accelerate

Earthbreaker: Pebblequake, Dislodge, Earthshatter, Fissure, Shard Storm

Stoneguard: Regeneration, Immunity, Magnet, Gem Summon, Stoneskin

Fulgurkinesis: High Volt, Lightning Storm, Generator, Call Current, Ball Lightning, Chain Lightning

Electrokinesis: Charge, Internal Control, Bolt, Magnetosphere, Power Surge, Short Circuit

Soundshifter: Minor Vibration, Mimicry, Scale, Sonic Boom, Alter Frequency

Aeromancer: Gust, Pickup, Jetstream, Dust Devil, Levitate, Blast Breath

Telekinetic: Levitate, Budge, Telekinesis, Phantom Hold, Translocate

Chronomancer: Driftwalk, Animated Bauble, Hindsight, Pause, Future Shift, Failed Timeline

Chaos Beast: Polluted Water, Profaned Creature, Chaotic Plague, Encompassing Darkness, Forsaken Mind ((ONLY available to Corrupted characters))

Guardian: Block, Protectors Bulwark, Deflect, Mongoose Reflexes, Guardian Shield

Assassin: Cripple, Trip Up, Disguise, Incapacitate, Toxic Coating, Assassin's Guise

Reaver: Cripple, Attack Flurry, Rip, Boneshatter, Berserk

Battlemage: Driftwalk, Adrenaline, Blinding Beam, Pause, Attack Flurry, Riposte

Cultist: Reassure, Wheedle, Disguise, Toxic Coating, Dominator

Leader: Reassure, Blind, Gauge, Resourceful, Inspire

Thief: Outrun, Petty Theft, Distraction, Blind, Disguise, Assassin's Guise

Craftsman: Smolder Step, Gem Form, Bauble, Charge, Generator, Resourceful

Changelog post-addition to Guidebook:

— Beholder added
— Master of the Mind changed to be the spells: Dispel, Whisper, Telekinesis, Phantom Hold, Mind Reader