Group/Ritual Magic System

[Rigwyn]

It would be interesting to see an additional magic system that requires participation of multiple players to cast a single spell.
An example requirements might be:

A. Require X number of players to gather in a circle (join a group, stand in a rough circle within a given distance of one another )
B. Require players in the group to have a certain level in some skill or stat ( ie. together their combined stats must meet a certain level )
C. Require an offering ( one or more items to be dropped on the ground between the players )
D. The players might then begin to cast or recite something ( or /use an item - like a book or relic to initiate the action )
E. Players might be required to have a special book in mind, or some other personal artifact

This sort of logic could be applied to simulate a group spell, a ritual , group invocation of a god  or perhaps even
a group crafting effort ( perhaps a group uses the same sort of mechanism to craft an object  that a single user could not craft on their own)

This would more social than a single player using a glyph... and if the results were greater
than what a single player could accomplish on their own, it would promote group participation
to some extent.

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

while we'd planned crafting requiring a group, ritual magic is new.

Congrats for actually striking a new idea in the wishlist, first I've seen.

[Illysia]

Yeah, kudos. I never though of having the game mechanics support this.

[Prolix]

Dupe more or less.
Still all the way back to 2002 and resurrected in 2006. Are there really any new ideas under the Crystal?

[zanzibar]

Dupe more or less.
Still all the way back to 2002 and resurrected in 2006. Are there really any new ideas under the Crystal?

Also keep in mind that people have been roleplaying rituals and group spells for quite a while.

[Bguy]

Are there really any new ideas under the Crystal?

Yes but they aren't any good:
Every friday have zombie chickens murder a Ylian in a sacrificial ritual to bring good luck to the devs.
Moral of the story: Don't ask for new ideas, ask for good ideas.

[zanzibar]

Are there really any new ideas under the Crystal?

Yes but they aren't any good:
Every friday have zombie chickens murder a Ylian in a sacrificial ritual to bring good luck to the devs.
Moral of the story: Don't ask for new ideas, ask for good ideas.

Don't ask for good ideas, ask for coders and artists.

[verden]

Quick search of topics on ritual brings up these basic ideas plus more. Ritual implementation should come after magic is all working and balanced, otherwise it might just be a waste of development time. Who knows what exploits would lurk in the interactions between the sub-systems.

[Dajoji]

Back on topic, this could be linked to religion faction points so that instead of levels, what you need in order to succeed casting a spell would be dedication/devotion to that religion (in the form of faction points) instead of actual skill levels in magic ways. Of course these wouldn't be spells, but rituals and the outcome would be a divine blessing, not magic.

Just my two trias.

[Prolix]

"Almighty Talad [or at least the GM who is listening] Hear our prayer. We who have been your faithful followers for many a year [we've done all the quests, some more than once] Reward us with a shower of platinum stocks so we can build up a temple for you![ well we'll hollow out the stocks and fill them with sand first but it will still look good]" [submit petition]

Certainly is it a good idea and hasn't been brought up recently. I've always thought priestly magic ought to separate from wizardly magic. Guess that is just my D&D background.

[zanzibar]

"Almighty Talad [or at least the GM who is listening] Hear our prayer. We who have been your faithful followers for many a year [we've done all the quests, some more than once] Reward us with a shower of platinum stocks so we can build up a temple for you![ well we'll hollow out the stocks and fill them with sand first but it will still look good]" [submit petition]

Certainly is it a good idea and hasn't been brought up recently. I've always thought priestly magic ought to separate from wizardly magic. Guess that is just my D&D background.

That's a prayer, not a ritual.

[Rigwyn]

just for visual effects, this also be paired with some form of involuntary coordinated group movement - ie dance.
Characters  involved would allow themselves to by moved by the ritual process  as a function of time - the client could probably render this sort movement easily as it currently calculates a player's position using a vector( dead reckoning ) .

As far as flavor goes, just ritual/group actions could take many forrm.. ( ie tribal dance, priestly procession, group attack sequence )

[Akkaido Kivikar]

Sounds cool for religion-based rituals...

I also think perhaps it should be applied for magic, to create epic spells...

In a large Guild vs. Guild battle, three or four guild members are standing on a hill while the battle rages below. They form up into a triangle/circle, and begin chanting, making themselves appear to catch fire, spin crystals, and tear rocks out of the ground around them as they combine three or four Ways of magic, creating a pillar of wondrous colours bounding into the sky.

The enemy fighting below stop fighting when they see the bright pillar raging into the atmosphere, and some drop their weapons and begin to flee. The friendly Guild doesn't flinch: they know they have nothing to fear. With a sweeping rush, fire, rock, crystal and piercing light sweep over the plain, gushing from the spiralling pillar's peak. The weaker enemies are killed in one fell sweep, the stronger ones heavily weakened and drained. The commander of the allied guild looks up on the hill where the casters lie dead from complete exhaustion.

"Such a great sacrifice, but we have won here this day".

Sounds good?

[Xemmas]

sounds great!!

[Under the moon]

Not a new idea. As a prospect/AD I had proposed a similar system that not only would involve group spells and crafts, but also be used for group quests in conjunction with locations and a timer. Seems everyone forgot about that already in the rush to tell me to sit down and write, and let others come up with the ideas.

But as such, given that I also thought of it (if in a more complex way), it is still a great idea.

Continue.