MAGIC GUILD

[BelDragos]

I would like to start a guild for all the mages in the game. The guild will be a shcool for the advancement of magic and will be open for anybody who would like to enter. The members who join before gamestart will be the instructers in the school. After gamestart the new members will have topay an admission fee of magic(spell or item), monitary funds for the support of the school, or as an apprentice. The school will be devided into the various schools (ie clerical, druidical, wizardly, psionics) and be governed by the chancller. His job will be to settle disputes and interact with the pollitical aspects of the guild. All members will pool thier spell into the largest library in the game. Even the Undead Lorda will come to us to learn necromancy. The guild will be NEUTRAL unless somebody does something stupid. We could even employ the adventurers and fighters guilds for defence if needed. Who would want to attack the guild of mages if they knew they would have all the members and the guilds allies in defence. Please mail me if you are interested in joining.

beldragos@yahoo.com

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Sounds like a good proposal. I am interested in trying out a Druid

[BelDragos]

You are welcome as soon as I find out game info on the set-up of guilds. If you have any suggestions please e-mail or put them here. I plan on having one mage from each speciality school running that aspect of the guild with students free to learn from all.

[UBIK]

well, i would join your guild, but i'm gonna be to busy ruleing the world.... bwahahahahaha.......

[BelDragos]

Remember when you come against a city with a strong force of magic-weilding characters that whoop your but that you had the chance to get in what could be the strongest ally in the game. What if 30 to 50 mages join the guild? They will have the oppertunity to learn from each other and become even more powerful. Also we would have a large number of healers - about 1/4 the guild by profession plus any who cross schools to pick up the skill for themselves.

[UBIK]

BWAAHAHAHAAHAHAhahahahahahahahehehehehehehe...HAHAHAHA(cough cough) sorry about that........ guilds are cool, but i like to go solo, kinda like a bounty hunter or something....

[BelDragos]

Even a bounty hunter might need to learn how to heal or disrupt the spell of a magic weilding target. You might concider joining to pick up a few talents. Besides, if the guild ever needed a legal bountyhunter they would take inside contractors first.

[UBIK]

hmmm.... sounds good, i might join if had a name something like "The Follwers of Ubik"..... i see your point on i would make more money, since more would know of me if i was in a guild... mmm... money.......

[BelDragos]

You are welcome to join once everything is finalized. Awaiting info yet. I'm also trying to get enough members so the initial enrollment will be enough to attract apprentices for us to train. A school needs staff and students alike. If we get large enough we might become a status symbol. (That might lead into merchandising, tee-shirts, a movie deal. Ha Ha)

[UBIK]

we might even get our own T.V series.....

[BelDragos]

Perhaps we should send a pack of Phantasmal Killers or fill your guild hall with Death Fog. I have a better idea. We could set up a working agreement. We could teach you a few things in exchange for a no contract clause. Or an even better idea, We could arm you with magic and assist you with wiping out the undead. I bet there will be quite the reward if we time the strike correctly.

[BelDragos]

Cool but who would play us?

[Slitherrr]

Such a confident guildmaster, and such a haughty one. Your guild will start weak little man... Know this well. Meanwhile, the forces against you, of which you will know none or little, shall bide their time, until there arrives the correct moment to strike down your not-so-noble house into smithereens!

Well, I suppose, that is the way things go, isn't it? Ah well, I won't have a part in it.

[BelDragos]

You're right. I will start the game as weak as everyone else but if I get this guild set up and running it would provide aid to all members as we help each other prevail agaist the obsticals thrown against us and all that jazz. I hope that the guild members would help their brothern.

[Wrentia]

Mage-on-a-stick......Yummy!

[Rolfe]

UBIK! YOU SAID YOU WOULD USE YOUR POWERS FOR GOOD AND NOT EVIL! Best keep your promise. The gods watch over thee.

[Saint Faucet]

No one but corpses will play you after my Assassins' Guild is through with yours.

Bwah hah hah... Bwah hah hah... Bwah...*cough* *cough* Did I just type that out loud?

[UBIK]

aaah! im sorry rolfe, dont hurt me.... i havnt broken my promise yet......

[Saint Faucet]

To paraphrase Arnold:
"I like you Slitherrr... That's why I'll have you killed last."

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

I might just be better off staying neutral, and play Momma to all you boys vying for power. Patch ya up and send ya back in there again.
Saint Faucet? What is a saint doing starting a assasins guild? That does seem a contradiction there.

[BelDragos]

My intentions for the guild is to be a neutral organization that will mediate and help its members in thier advancement is far as the game will allow. It will be open to all magic using characters but the core of the guild will be pure magge characters that will be better equiped to teach the skills needed for the magic using classes.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

It will be hard to remain neutral with Saints assasins attacking your guild. If I remain outside all guilds then I am neutral to all guilds.

[BelDragos]

If that is your choice then I have to respect it. The guild will remain open though. I hope you change your mind.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

We'll see Bel, I expect quite a few of us in the beginning will be having fun checking everything out and having fun experimenting. :D

[BelDragos]

I'm hoping to provide something helpful to the game and this seems to be the way. It worked in a table top so I,m trying to see how it will take root here and if it will grow.

[efz88]

I think this would the best guild for me a mage that would like to control all magic. "I can control all the power of magic so i can control your mind and body!"

[BelDragos]

What the guild can do really depends what the designers will let us get away with. They are the ones setting up the world afterall. All we can do now is try to set up a community of magic using characters that are willing to work together to build a resource for the game that everyone can use. Ideally it will give acess to priest, druid, wizardly, and psionic magics to the other characters.
Now if we charged for services...

[efz88]

Regardless what happens I want to Join the guild. I love controling magic. HEHE.

[BelDragos]

In a different thread of mine the subject of controlling other characters came up and the staff quickly put thier foot down on that activity. I agree with them that it wouldn't be fun if your mage was taken away from you by my casting of a mind control spell. I havent heard anything on lesser "control" such as fear, sleep, or the real world skill of hypnotism. I suspect they will not allow these but we will have to wait and see.

[Edited by BelDragos on 11-08-2000 at 01:06 AM]

[Generic]

The only control one character should have over another is control gained by diplomacy and political maneuvering during the game or pure strength of character physically or charismatically....

Everyday in the world we see people who seem to have a sort of control over the actions of others and do so without the aid of "spells or powers"..as this game will be a grouping of real people in control of characters the same paradigm should apply and control will be earned, manipulated, and coerced without need for spoiler powers.

The best power to have over another is the power they do not realize you have..those who beleive they have free will make the best puppets...

[Generic]

I do agree though that spells which have immediate effects such as sleep, fear, confusion, etc. DO have a place in the game as do illusions ( though illusions are harder to deal with beyond simple illusionary monster summoning and such)...

[BelDragos]

If you reread my last post you will find that I agree with what you were saying. The little effects are what should be allowed but control of other characters would be fun until it happened to you. Remember, the NPC's are going to be equal to you in power and skills. If they weren't, it wouldn't be as much fun trying to beat them.

Your advantage in the game is the people you count as your allies and the organizations you belong to that could back you up with it's members.

That is why I am trying to get a Mages Guild started.

The technical advantages are really unknown because the designers haven't released enough information on skills, spells, mastery, classes, or even stats.

The real advantages I envision are the members of the guild backing the others when someone tries to step on them. When two mages disagree on something the guild will mediate to keep members from fighting. We could all stand together to keep others from attacking us because the staff mentioned that they were seriously thinking of including cooperative magic in the game. That would allow us to work together to cast spells and enchant items for the other players for monitary rewards, not to mention defence.

That is some of the reasons I think my guild should be considered by all magic using characters.

[Generic]

We are in agreement...

[BelDragos]

Have you decided if you are joining up with us? I haven't found out enough info fron the staff to put anything down yet but a friend and I are going to throw ideas together next weekend on the design of the guild.

If you have any please send them to me through my account at Yahoo under the name BelDragos.

Thanks

[BelDragos]

Still awaiting info.

[Dyson]

Control spells might work out okay if they were restricted to NPCs and monsters. Though it's unrealistic (ie, it draws a clear line between players and the other "people,") it does allow for people to run characters obsessed with dominating others. It might be cool to have an adventure where some obnoxious Enchanter or Psionicist has ensnared a band of NPC orcs or human bandits, and is attacking caravans going from town to town- that sort of thing.

[Generic]

As long as only NPC's are using the ability and only on NPC's there is no mechanic (just programming) and therefore no problem....

[BelDragos]

The Staff stated thier dislike of anyboby's character being controlled by another using the strong argument that it wouldn't be fun to get shafted that way.

[Generic]

Thats why I mentioned it should only be done "By NPC's to NPC's".....

It would then be a storyteller plot device for explaining why the orcs were following the wizard, etc.

[Dyson]

I don't see the problem in "by PCs to NPCs..." I mean, of course one wouldn't be able to seize control of a king or governer or the like, but what's the problem in Charming an NPC highwayman who was going to rob you? Wizards should have other self-defense means then just chucking fireballs.

[Generic]

AHHHH.there is the problem...

Spells like confuse, sleep, charm, etc. used in combat is not the type of mind control being discussed.

The type of mind control which folks are against is long term mind control such as possesion, geas, control person,etc.

[Generic]

Whoops...

cont.

The shorter term combat mind control spells have limited definable effects which remain in a very small scope and could even be used PC vs. PC if they were in combat. Think Final Fantasy...or Baldurs gate....effects like these are used all the time

[Dyson]

I wouldn't mind a "soul-swap" spell, as long as its appications were extremely limited. For instance, if you were to swap bodies with someone, your guildmates would have to keep a pretty close eye on your original body to see that the new person playing it doesn't go anywhere. I'm wholeheartedly against any sort of PC vs PC "trap the soul" nonsense, where you could limit someone else's field of play to a rock or somesuch, but I wouldn't mind a VOLUNTARY system of Geases (ie, the sort that guilds might enforce as part of their system). Maybe something like the Paladin Guild Geases recruits never to use thieving skills, or the Mages Guild Geases their members never to cast attack spells on one another.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

If your going to make it just NPC to NPC, then you are eliminating a whole host of spells that are old standby's for players to use. Charm, Frenzy, Lull, Confusion, Befriend Animal, Mezmerize, etc... While I agree that I do not want any other PC's having the ability to control my charactor and I would not be very happy having a NPC taking control either it wouldn't be as bad. Atleast I would know that the NPC wasn't doing so for personnel reasons such as I hate so and so and I'm going to make him pay. In EQ they did have one dungeon where a PC could be taken over by a NPC and made to fight against his group members, it was the Beholder's maze. I will never be happy about anyone takeing over my charactor and perhaps makeing me hurt myself and friends, but if Brickhouse brings in monster types known for attempting to and controling people then their abilities should work on us as well. I think the duration of any such spells or effects should be short and only be allowed NPC to NPC or PC. I believe another PC should never be able to take over a PC, that leaves too much open to greifers.

[Dyson]

I agree completely. Some NPC control isn't so bad, and control of a player isn't so bad so long as it is Temporary and computer-controlled. But PCs should under no circumstances get control spells on other PCs, beyond maybe a couple-second "attack your friend" spell, IF you're really powerful.

[Generic]

I'm glad we all agree.....

[BelDragos]

I think it is agreed that no PC should ever gain control over the actions of another PC. This is pretty much unanimous.

[BelDragos]

What sort of positions would you like to see open to players in my guild?

I'm making a list so I can create the positions while designing the guild.

Also let me know what sort of characters you would like to be in the guild if you are interested in joining.

E-mail me at beldragos@yahoo.com


Thanks

[Su'ulMorda]

Interested, indeed...
A Hall of the Arcane could be built, a center of learning presided over by wise Arch-Magi, very compelling.
What info do you have thus far, I'm still digesting the magic system ideas so no decisions other than that I want to play a Magus...
Shall I E-mail you, then?
By the way, I understand where you come from, I've been playing only tabletop and LARP for the past 12 years, the infernal device (computer) is still very new to me.

[BelDragos]

Post or e-mail any ideas you have for my guild.

[Generic]

I like a trend I am seeing..

Lots of roleplayers with tabletop experience involved in the game.....

That should make for a less "Doomlike" world and a more creative environment...

[Su'ulMorda]

Yes, I found that I lose interest in the "First Person Shooter" games before long, fun, but not what I'm looking for.
I look forward to making the acquaintance of more players more interested in the role-playing aspects.

[Edited by Su'ulMorda on 12-24-2000 at 01:55 AM]

[BelDragos]

How exciting can those be when all you do is shoot and other repitive things?

Bang! Do this. Bang! Do that. Bang! Do this again. Bang! Do that again. AD INFINITUM


This will be more interesting seeing as there will be 150 separate Plot Devices in Beta to mess with your plots plus the game itself.

[Rend]

Well BelDragos i have read many of your posts and I am interested in joining your guild of mages. I have been planing on being a Psionic. If I could be of help to the guild count me in.

[Su'ulMorda]

Which is essentially why I lose interest before long, even the supposed RPG games often resort to that same style. It's hard to keep interest with such as that.

[BelDragos]

You would be welcome to join. The main goal of the guild is to discover lost knowledge and share it with the others. We want all those who are willing to search and share what they discover. Open minds are a requirement, as well as not being evil.

If you have any ideas or suggestions just post or e-mail.

[Edited by BelDragos on 12-26-2000 at 03:20 PM]

[Su'ulMorda]

Workin' on it, I post in a short window at the moment, Work, work, work... See what I can do in the future. what has been set down so far?

[BelDragos]

Everything's basically open. I haven't submitted anything to the Staff yet.

Anybody else got any ideas?

[Edited by BelDragos on 01-06-2001 at 05:06 PM]