Mysticism is essentially "the magic of magic," dealing with the direct manipulation of magical forces instead of using magic to affect the physical world. While this leaves it largely ineffective for many more practical, immediate uses, a powerful mystic is often considered a step above "normal" mages, able to easily wield the forces that others only barely understand. Spells are powerful and versatile, but often of limited use away from the world of the exotic.
*Mysticism: Deform
-Dispel: While not easy to cast due its dual nature as a spell designed to unmake spells, Dispel is widely used and highly beneficial for any mage. The main equation in whether a spell is ended is the power of the dispel against the skill of the mage who cast the target, though some spells are inherently harder/easier than others to dispel. Not all effects are vulnerable to dispel, and may further change the odds by their nature. For example, dispel is frequently ineffective against a spell being generated by an altar, as targeting the result instead of the source is like trying to make someone dry as they stand under a waterfall. Similarly, spells that put a constant drain on a mage are more easily dispelled by targeting the mage instead of the area of the spell’s effect, while others that are simply cast and set on a duration may be dispelled directly. Some spells are weakened by a dispel that doesn’t destroy them outright, taking losses from duration and magnitude, or having their inherent skill level lowered. The caster may choose to cast a specific Dispel tailored to a particular spell effect, far more effective against that type but nearly useless against others. This is generally only recommended for intelligent and skillful mages, as aside from a basic understanding of a spell effect being needed to counter it, the caster must be able to recognize the subtle differences in patterns of magicka to know what they’re looking at, lest they waste all their energy trying different dispels on one target. While some spells must be simply waited out, the caster has the option of choosing their own spells from the list of specific types, in order to easily remove various magical effects they no longer want active.
-Reflect: Creates a unique shield that doesn’t simply block an attack, but throws it back. Like catching an arrow, it’s simple in concept but near impossible in application. Most mages can create a very weak reflection shield, but the skill and magicka required climb dramatically with magnitude. The power of the shield governs three things; amount blocked, amount reflected, and cohesion of the reflection. The energy that the shield blocks is the same energy that it uses to counterattack, and as such its defensive and offensive abilities mirror each other. Cohesion determines the form of the counterattack. A weaker shield may simply shatter the magical projectile, causing small spurts of energy in random directions, while a stronger one throws back a relatively intact projectile that is hurled in the relative direction of the attacker. The higher the spell’s power, the closer to “perfect” the counterattack gets, toward the ultimate goal of bouncing the exact spell it received back down the same path it traveled. Due to the highly difficult and poorly understood forces involved, reflection shields can only be built to reflect the most common forms of attack, specifically, either the elemental attacks of Destruction or physical assault. To defend against both requires two different shields, beyond the ability of most mages. The raw kinetic force of a weapon’s strike is what physical reflection shields react to, violently rejecting as much as it can catch, reducing the force of impact and flinging invisible shards of force at the attacker. Though melee combatants cannot dodge this reflection, the power of the shield still dictates accuracy, and not all of the energy may fly in the direction it came from. Wielders of ranged weapons are mostly safe from reflection shields, as long as they keep their distance. Due to the touchy and volatile nature of reflection shields, they tend to be unpredictable and hard to control, being highly prone to more explosive failure when casting and breaking down violently if overwhelmed.
-Mystic Shroud: Very popular with mages of any type, this power has many applicable uses at any magnitude. The spell creates a magical “fog” of sorts composed of frayed, chaotic energy, kept condensed within an area. It is not difficult for the mage to maintain, as the fog is not intentionally shaped or made intense like shields, akin more to a magical equivalent of breaking glass and keeping it swept in a pile. Though the effected area does not contain enough power to stop attacks, by its jagged nature the fog wears at the delicate structure of spells, breaking them down and particularly ruining the efforts of spells that require intense concentration. In basic terms, the shroud reduces the potency of magical status effects that enter its radius, such as mental illusions and attribute damage. It is also a major form of ward against “indirect” spells, blocking the access of scrying, curses (though it does not stop the effects of a curse already in place), teleportation, and similar. The fog is invisible to the naked eye, but presents as a thick cloud with detect magic, effectively also blocking detection within its radius. Wealthy persons and powerful mages will often invest in the creation of constant-effect items enchanted with a mystic shroud to leave in vaults or personal quarters, preventing unwanted magical access, or leaving high magnitude spells with a small radius on containers to protect them from things like lockswitch spells. Strong dispels can remove a mystic shroud that has been cast by a mage, but for persistent wards, the source item must be dealt with. While some spells can “fight” the shroud, such as someone trying to forcefully scry past a ward, it’s always easier for the shroud to block access than for the spell to gain it, making shrouds cast by powerful mages nearly impossible to breach by such means.
-Inversion: Twists the natural flow of magicka into living things, causing energy to pour out of the body instead. Can only be cast on self. Stored magicka is rapidly drained, faster than it can be naturally regenerated, though the higher the character's regeneration the more it blunts this effect, and the character becomes resistant to magicka restoring effects. During this time, all spells have reduced cost and difficulty rate to cast. Durations are considerably drawn out, becoming almost permanent while the effect lasts. Any such spells currently in effect will benefit from the boost. The mage must be careful to dispel the effect before magicka runs out, else the rest of their energy will continue to leave them in the form of stamina, until they finally lose consciousness and the spell ends with nothing left to burn. Has no set duration, ending only when dispelled or when the caster is drained. Magnitude determines both the draining speed and the bonus to spell efficacy.
-Psychic Crystal: Empties a portion of the caster’s magicka into a gem-like object, itself made from magic, which appears in the mage’s hand as a strange, transparent crystal partially filled with liquid. The crystal may be either placed into inventory or thrown, the latter causing it to shatter and explode on impact, dealing purely-magical damage to targets in its radius. Because the blast is not physical, it does no damage to objects such as doors or armor. Targets must have at least some personal magicka to be harmed, including most living things and undead, which are held together by magic. Inanimate objects or purely artificial animate ones such as dwemer centurions are not harmed. Magnitude determines what percentage of magicka is poured into the crystal, with larger amounts creating stronger blasts, and duration effecting how long the crystal lasts before it decays and vanishes. If placed into inventory it is treated as an item, potentially used for later or given to allies to be thrown.
-Infusion: Changes the magicka inherent in the caster's body with spell power without it actually leaving the body, instead being expelled with their blood. Every time the caster is hit with any attack, the chosen spell effect is automatically released, the power of which depends on skill in both Mysticism and the relevant school of the effect. Though more limited than other spells and obviously putting the caster at risk, infused magic cannot be dispelled, reflected, or otherwise interfered with by outside forces due to its complicated, hidden, and unique-per-person nature. The effect may be dispersed by the caster at any time, or selected and cast like a normal “outside” spell, also ending the effect.
*Mysticism: Bind
-Soul Trap: Used to fill soul gems, which have a variety of uses. Upon casting the spell, the target creature is “marked” by the effect. This part of the spell is relatively simple for any mage to create and maintain. If the creature is killed while the spell is in effect, the magic attempts to claim their soul before it departs and seal it within a soul gem. When this happens a spell failure % is checked; the more powerful the soul, the higher the skill the mage needs to trap it. If the caster fails the attempt or doesn’t possess any viable soul gems, the spell fades and the soul is lost. If successful, the soul is placed in a soul gem indefinitely, and will not escape or fade over time. The player may designate a specific gem in their inventory to take priority, otherwise the soul will inhabit the smallest gem available that can hold it.
-Spell Trap: Creates a magical shield or “net,” which lasts for only a very short time. If the shield is strong enough, any projectile-based spell that touches it is caught and trapped within a soul gem. Only one spell can be caught, at which point the shield disappears. The trapped spell may be released for the player’s benefit at any time as if they had cast it, even if they are normally unable to cast such a spell, or used for most basic functions of a charged soul gem.
-Telekinesis: Forms an unnatural magical connection between the caster and an object, allowing them to move it through the air with their mind. Unlike Levitation, which alters natural laws to make floating the “normal” state of an object, Telekinesis manipulates the magic around the object as if it were a part of the caster’s own body, creating an effect which is less powerful, but more controlled. The more inherent magic in an object, the harder it is to move with Telekinesis. Living things are rife with natural magicka and as such nearly impossible to move thus, though with enough power they can be “shoved” with the spell. The mage can choose to build up the magic gripping the object all in one space in order to launch it as a projectile, traveling a great distance and likely injuring any in its path, but doing so breaks the spell and the object has to be found and the spell recast for it to be moved again. Some purely magical structures, such as Mark spells and long-lasting area effects, can be moved with telekinesis. However, they can only be targeted or moved if made visible with a detect magic spell, and the combined effort of using both effects along with moving a construction made by another mage’s will makes this a very difficult process, often draining a great deal of magicka to only slightly move the target. Opposite to throwing it, the caster may choose to bring an item to them to and place it in their inventory directly. This may also be attempted with magical effects seen through a detect spell. Doing so traps an intact piece of the spell in a viable soul gem in the player’s possession, and has no effect if they don’t have one. Doing so does not damage or effect the target, and may fail depending on skill differences. This is mainly done for use with the Divine Source spell.
-Telekinetic Grip: An alternate and specific use of Telekinesis. Instead of distant and complicated manipulation of objects, they remain near the caster's hands, allowing easier and stronger control as if they were being physically held. In essence, this allows the caster to use equipment while using their magic-based stats and skills instead of physical strength, although the relevant weapon skill is still needed to use them effectively. Because the spell forgoes weight and flexibility limits, or the need for a solid grip, less feasible weapons can be wielded or dual-wielded as long as the mage's telekinetic power is capable of swinging them, even physically impossible pairings such as two longbows. The spell itself is fairly easy to cast and maintain, however, because of the added complexity of magically mimicking hands (which are typically involved in spellcasting), the difficulty rate of casting all other spells is increased for the duration (though reduced with Manifestation: Cast).
-Mark/Recall: Treated as one spell effect, whether the spell is a Mark or a Recall depends on setting the magnitude to positive or negative. Mark, aptly, marks a location with a magical signature. These marks are permanent unless removed by the caster, though it is possible for other mages to move or dispel them if they are made visible by detect magic. The number of active marks a caster can have at once depends on skill; the failure rate increases with each additional cast unless older marks are replaced. Recall teleports the target to a Mark of the caster’s choice. When teleporting, the caster enters a short minigame in which they must endure the Aetherius for a few seconds. The longer the trip, the longer and harder the “fight” to get there. Failure in this either leaves the caster where they started with wasted magicka, or randomly drops them somewhere between the start and destination. Assigning Recall to be On Touch or Target allows the caster to teleport items, which requires no minigame. Willing living things may be teleported, but this is more difficult than self teleportation. Unconscious targets may also be teleported, but this is especially difficult. Mark and Recall have other, more unusual uses for mages who think creatively. Casting them on containers can allow the teleportation of items between them, while casting Mark on an object can create a mobile destination. Agents can use this to enter forbidden areas, secretly marking supplies or documents scheduled to be brought in and then teleporting later, though this is risky as detection spells can catch both effects. Mages may choose to scry upon Marks, letting them spy on specific locations.
-Brand: Creates a small invisible "tattoo" upon the target for future reference. These marks are almost unnoticeable normally, but are easily found with a Detect Magic spell. Being easy to cast, Brands can last a long time, but standard On Target spells will eventually fade. A permanent Brand on an item can be done via enchantment (Constant Effect), while putting one on a living thing requires a small ritual. Naturally, if the target is unwilling, they must be restrained in some way so as not to ruin the spell. The use for a Brand comes into effect when joined with Detect spells. A mage can use a custom spell to detect their own Brands at any time. These detection spells are unique, as their range is almost indefinite. Any noticed Brand will appear on the map and create a marker on the compass. While active the spell will gradually drain magicka based on the number of detected Brands and their distance from the caster. The character can open their map and select/deselect specific ones, if they're only interested in one or want to reduce clutter. As well, the player can "name" a Brand at the time of casting if they choose, in order to create categories that can be separately detected. A mage can remove any permanent Brand they have cast, though they must be present (or skilled at projection) to do so. Removing a foreign Brand requires a specific reagent, as well as significant skill in Mysticism. Brands have various uses; it can be cast on a fleeing thief to aid the chase, enchanted upon a single coin in a treasure chest in order to track down stolen goods, applied to keep track of slaves, and so on.
-Inscribe/Activate Rune: As with Mark/Recall, this is two effects that rely on each other. An extremely versatile spell, as well as one that leans primarily on player ingenuity. Inscribing a rune is done on an object, essentially imbedding a pre-made spell into it. By default, a rune spell counts as “On Target” for the object; for example, a fire spell inscribed onto a door functions as though you had cast a fire spell AT the door, when activated. Depending on the situation, other options may be chosen. Almost any spell that the player can cast normally can be inscribed, though the inscription is more difficult than the cast, and ritual spells cannot be applied. Runes are dormant until Activated. Activate Rune is a universal spell, triggering any runes it’s cast upon, though the player may only trigger their own. This works partially as a shortcut, letting the character cast frequently used spells in their home without having to select them, and partially as a method of creating unique effects. For example, a mage might have a boulder blocking and hiding access to their tower. By inscribing a Kinetic Wall rune on the ground beneath it and a negative Weight rune on the boulder, both with 5 second durations, the mage can cast a small area effect Activate Rune spell and cause the boulder to briefly fly into the air, allowing access. Activate Rune may also be inscribed, and set to go off under specific conditions, making almost limitless magical traps and effects possible, from as grand as fireballs from the ceiling to as simple as triggering a Recall on a container if a Lockswitch spell is cast on it, transporting your valuables to a safe location if a thief gets into them. Runes may be dispelled and are visible to both the naked eye and detect magic, though are small and easily missed in both cases. Inscribing runes that can be fired more than once is very difficult, and becomes more so the more that are active, for balance reasons.
-Glyph: The other most common form of ward alongside Mystic Shroud, glyphs achieve a similar effect in a very different way. Rather than a spell-burning fog, a glyph carefully and painstakingly weaves magicka into a dense, rigid structure, effectively creating a wall of magic that is impenetrable to many spells. The time and difficulty involved in creating a self-sustaining spell prevent mages from spontaneously casting glyphs as a form of defense; rather, they are almost always cast into objects. A common practice is for powerful mages to cast glyphs upon the walls of their chambers to prevent interference from other mages. The key difference between glyphs and shrouds is the method of their protection. A shroud “clogs” an area, hindering magic within that space, while the glyph focuses on a specific spot, such as a wall or container. While shrouds may be pierced with difficulty, a glyph is nearly impossible to penetrate, but if one can find a hole in the defense there is no protection extended to the room beyond. The glyph is a self-sustaining spell, meaning it is extremely difficult to dispel, as it repairs damage done to itself. The downside to this is that it does not discriminate, and a mage trying to use remote spells from within a warded room will make little progress. In function glyphs are similar to runes, and to remove them the caster must locate the spot where it was inscribed. For this reason, it is generally unwise to ward a room from the outside. Worth noting is that because the glyph is focused on itself, it acts only to prevent the passage of magic, and does nothing to prevent damage to the object itself. A glyphed container may still be bashed, and armor still pierced. On that note, glyphs are generally a poor defense for armor, as mobility requires the piece to have many holes that magic can still get through. The pinnacle of a glyph spell is for a powerful mage to create one with a large area of effect on a small object, such as a gem, placed in the center of the room. This creates a sphere-shaped shield with no obvious holes, requiring a mage to physically enter to penetrate the space.
-Siphon: The mystic creates a link between themselves and the natural flow of magicka into a living being, leeching some of their magicka regeneration to speed up their own while reducing that of the target. Though a Siphon can be cast upon an enemy, it is far more effective when used with a willing assistant. While siphoning is in effect magicka regeneration will increase, but so too will spellcasting failure rates (especially catastrophic failures), as the rapid flow of magicka is difficult to control. An arrogant mage may have a group of followers linked to him, only to blow himself up with the next spell. As well, the range of the link is limited, and if the beings bound to the caster roam too far the spell is broken prematurely.
*Mysticism: Convert
-Spell Absorption: Creates a unique shield that attempts to both dismantle spells and turn them into basic energies that the mage can easily use to replenish their own. This effect is very complicated, and though more stable than reflection shields, casting it at the highest magnitudes is generally beyond even the most powerful mages. The magnitude of the spell effects how much of the incoming spell is absorbed. All spell types apply, unlike Reflection. In some cases the spell is weakened but still makes contact; the larger the discrepancy between the power of the spell and the power of the shield, the higher the chance that the incoming spell will be completely absorbed. The more different spell effects being dealt with at once, the more difficulty the shield has absorbing the spell. The amount of magicka given to the caster is generally very small, as most of it goes to maintaining the shield. Though powerful, the structures of magic involved are very specific and delicate, and absorption shields are easily dispelled.
-Detect: A versatile spell that allows the caster to see and recognize a wide number of magical signatures. Area determines how far the caster’s additional sense ranges, and magnitude determines how “refined” the effect is. For example, a low-powered detect magic spell might see an enchanted sword as a vague, purplish splotch, while a more powerful spell sees the magic as bright and sword-shaped. The limits of mortal comprehension mean that only one detection spell can be active at once; stacking effects makes the vision more specific, not more encompassing. A spell that detects both iron and magic will only pick up objects that fit both categories, in this case typically enchanted iron equipment. On their own, a caster can detect basic factors that they can inherently comprehend; detect life, heat, magic, movement. If holding a relevant object, the caster may channel magic through it to access new effects. For example, they might hold up several coins in their hand in order to cast Detect Gold, or a metal object to Detect Iron. Particularly small items or enchantments may not be visible with lower magnitude detection spells, or distinguishable from larger blobs of color near them. To detect items such as keys, a mage will typically carry the material they suspect the key to be made of and cast a detection spell with a very small radius and large magnitude, to search one room at a time. Detecting magic can brighten many visible effects and reveal many invisible ones, and some mages will choose to detect only a single school of magic to avoid being overwhelmed. Many spells will leave a lingering effect for a time after being cast, and criminals must take note that most relatively well-established towns employ mages to be aware of magics active in the area. Spells like curses and teleportation can be tracked to their source; you. Areas with high security will often be regularly searched for magic, making them no easier to infiltrate for a powerful mage than a skilled thief.
-Remove Curse: Attempts to unravel the forces behind a curse. Because curses typically rewrite the threads of magicka flowing through the world instead of simply creating an effect on top of them, more complicated curses cannot be dispelled. To remove a curse, it must first be made visible with detect magic (casters removing their own curse don’t need to “see” the effect, but must still have detect magic active before casting the Remove Curse effect On Self). The Remove Curse spell must then be cast and maintained for a certain duration; the more powerful the curse, the higher the magnitude and duration necessary. Both effects must be maintained, and if the detection spell ends before the curse is removed, the spell is broken and must be started over. Especially powerful curses may require that the altar sustaining them be destroyed before the curse can be removed. The caster of the curse is notified whenever a removal is being attempted; if they’re powerful enough and have quick enough reflexes, they may be able to use scrying to interfere with the process. The process of removal is disorienting to the target, and as such it is always easier to remove a curse from someone else than from yourself.
-Scry: Imprints the caster’s awareness onto the magical forces in the world, allowing their vision to leave their body. Scrying is activated through a minor ritual that puts the caster into a trance. Though their body remains in place, their vision becomes mobile, similar to a levitation effect. The further they range with their vision, the higher the strain on magicka. Scry effects are invisible unless detect magic is active, in which case they may be targeted with a dispel. Magnitude effects speed and ability to pierce mystic shrouds, though doing so is always difficult. When within a shroud, the speed of the scry is greatly reduced, vision is fogged, and the more time spent within it the higher the difficulty level of the spell, increasing the odds that the scry will spontaneously fail. The difference between the power of the scry and the power of the shroud determines the severity of all three effects, but even at the furthest extremes of power difference the spell will be hampered. At the start of the ritual the caster may opt for the scry to appear at a certain location instead of where they are. Locations include names from the list of known locations such as “____ City” and wilderness areas, though the player must have been there before; simply knowing the name is not enough. They may also choose to scry to locations where they have some power, including Mark spells and active curses. It is possible to cast some spell effects from a scry, though doing so is very difficult, primarily based on the Manifestation: Cast skill. This is often used for remote targeting, to place a curse from a distance or create Marks to teleport to locations the player hasn’t been to. The scry can be ended prematurely if the spell or the caster are hit with a dispel, or if the caster’s meditating body is injured.
-Divine Source: Tracks the threads of magicka attached to an object to their point of origin. Similar to scrying in some ways, but with several unique uses. In technical terms, the spell gives the player a brief vision of where in the game world an item was “created.” For example, if a sword is placed within a dungeon during world creation, the spell will reveal that spot within the dungeon regardless of the sword’s current location, while an apple might give you the image of a tree. However, the main use of this spell is in tracking magic. If the residue of a magical effect is tied to a soul gem by telekinesis, casting Divine Source on the gem will give a brief image of the caster. Doing so identifies the target regardless of whether you know their name; once the magic has been identified, a sample may be used to target the source with a curse, scry, or other remote spell. Magical divination is easily blocked by wards and shrouds. As with other spells, difference in caster level determines the difficulty of getting through, but it’s always inordinately difficult. The spell may be cast with or without a ritual; without, it’s defense-piercing ability is weaker, and the item being used may be destroyed (particularly soul gems). The spell may also be effectively used in the hunting of many other things. If, say, the caster wants to know where someone gets their many jewels, they can steal one, divine its source, and quickly cast a Mark spell through a scry to be able to teleport into the person’s secret mine. The rapid use of all three spells is difficult, but effective. More illegally inclined mages must be aware that Divine Source is used in the investigation of most crimes, and that magics such as invisibility and mark/recall are not a free ride to easy thievery, as being connected to energies found at the scene is highly incriminating evidence.
-Alert: A very small and easy to cast ward, with a simple use. Upon casting, an area effect is created, which may be named by the player like a map notice. The area is set with a condition to activate it, usually motion other than the caster within its radius. When an alert is triggered, a brief sound and visual effect enters the screen, informing the player. This creates a small icon in the character’s status screen that, when hovered over, gives a notice such as Alert “Tower Bedroom” breached. The player may click this icon to remove it at any time. Along with basic security uses, it is common for mages to cast alerts around themselves and sit in the center before performing a trance-inducing ritual such as scrying, to inform them of impending danger so that they can cancel the spell and protect themselves before their defenseless body is attacked.
-Mystic Regrowth: Simultaneously releases and transmutes the life force within an occupied soul gem, converting it into part of the target. The spirit from a daedra could restore damaged daedric equipment, a reptilian creature could heal an Argonian. How effective it is depends on both Mysticism skill and the power of the soul. If the soul used is incompatible with the target, the gem is still spent and subsequently wasted.
» Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:24 pm 
