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Note: removed from spl-data.h on 3-Nov-2009.
/*
XXX: Some of these notes are obsolete now!
In case anyone ever wants to add new spells, or just understand my reasons
for putting a particular spell into a particular type, read on:
Guidelines for typing spells
Conjuration
This type has a near monopoly on effective and relatively risk-free combat
spells. All other types of combat spells are either indirect (enchantments),
risky/detrimental/not versatile (necromancy) or just plain crappy (burn and
freeze), although smiting is not too bad.
Conjuration spells all involve the magical creation of matter and/or energy
(which are the same thing anyway, right?). They are distinguished from
summoning spells in that they do not involve the summoning of an entire
creature from another place.
Enchantment
These spells mostly cause some kind of durational effect, which lasts only
until the magic wears off. Enchantments are distinguished from
transmutations in that the latter cause a permanent alteration in something
which persists even after the magic has faded, while the effects of the
former last only so long as the magic does. Sometimes enchantments may take
advantage of the more powerful aspects of transmutation to induce some
kind of radical change (eg polymorph).
Some enchantments would also fall under the description of 'meta-magic'
spells, like Selective Amnesia and Remove Curse (and if I ever implement
Dispel Magic, it will be an enchantment).
It is possible that some divinations could be retyped as
divination/enchantment, as they appear to be primarily concerned with
detecting enchantments. Detect Curse and Identify are what I'm thinking
of here.
Fire and Ice
These are quite obvious. I'm trying to keep these two balanced with each
other, but it can be difficult. I have to weigh up some useful fire spells,
like Sticky Flame, Fireball, Ring of Flames and Firestorm, and the fact that
Fire wizards have an advantage when summoning fire elementals by either
spell or device, with the also quite useful Refrigeration, Ice Armour and
Freezing Cloud. Ice wizards don't have a corresponding advantage with
water elementals, because water and ice are two different things (ice is not
necessarily water ice, for example).
Generally, Fire spells tend towards chaos, disorder and entropy, while
Ice spells tend towards order and stasis. But these trends are rather
underdeveloped at the moment.
Note that just about the only reason one would ever choose an ice or fire
wizard over a conjurer would be the resistance gained at level 12.
Especially because having a fire specialisation basically removes any chance
of ever using ice spells effectively, and vice versa.
Transmutation
See enchantments.
Necromancy
This is the fun stuff. Necromancy is a mixed bag of many and various
different kinds of spells, with a few common themes:
-Differentiation of living, dead and undead. Some necromancy affects only
the living (pain, vampiric draining, etc.), some affects only the dead
(animate dead, twisted resurrection, etc.), and some affects only undead
(dispel and control undead).
-Actual or potential harm: eg risk in Death's Door, hp loss with Pain,
disease with summon greater undead, etc. Also loss of potential experience
gain with bolt of draining and degeneration.
-Material components are central to many of the spells.
-Some spells duplicate effects of other types, but do so in a different
(neither superior or inferior) way. Eg bone shards is a very powerful spell
for only 3 magic points, but requires preparation. Also, necromantic
healing spells are different and more idiosyncratic than holy healing.
Although regeneration is usually less useful than lesser healing and is
level 3 instead of 2, it can be cast before combat (when 1 turn spent
casting is less important), and is affected by extension.
-Generally unholy theme of spells (I mean, Twisted Resurrection?).
Holy
The Holy type is also fairly various, but is rather less interesting than
necromancy (after all, priests are better at fighting than necromancers).
Holy spells do things like driving off undead and healing. Note that I
consider item stickycursing to be more of an issue for enchantments rather
than holy magic, which is why remove curse is enchantment.
Summoning
These spells involve bringing a creature from somewhere else (possibly on
another plane of existence) to this world to do battle for the caster. Some
future summonings could potentially be combination conjuration/summoning
spells, eg the ball lightning spell I keep planning to implement.
Also, potential exists for some risky high-level spells, maybe demon
summoning?
Divination
These spells provide information to the caster. A diviner class would be
possible (and having detect curse and identify would be very handy), but
would be extremely difficult to play - there is no potential in this type
for combat spells.
Translocation
Translocation spells deal with teleportation etc, also interplanar travel
(eg Banishment, and the planned Gate spell).
It is possible that I may give summoners some special access to trans-
locations due to the obvious similarities.
Poison
These spells all involve poison. Most are also conjurations.
I don't plan to implement a 'Poisoner' class, as it would become unplayable
deep in the dungeon where most monsters are poison resistant.
Your skill for a spell is effectively the average of all schools used in it.
*/
/*
* When adding enchantments, must add them to extension as well!
*
* spells to do:
* Contingency?
* Trigger contingency
* Preserve Corpses
* Permanency
* Explosive rune?
* Fennel wands
* More summonings!
*/
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