mechanics

[gamedevs]

game mechanics

guilds / magic / dungeons / glitching
> Guilds

Guilds serve as learning communities and places of camaraderie in the ON world. Each major city possessed one major headquarters where all guilds that have a chapter in the area will report to, overseen by the Interguild Alliance (IGA). The IGA is recognizable by its elephant emblem, and holographic sheen on its banners.

There are countless guilds in the ON world, of all shapes and sizes, but there is a group known as the Grand 5. These 5 Guilds have a chapter in every single major city, and the largest networks of information and resources. All players in Duocaeli must belong to a guild, and will choose one in their opening tutorial.

While everyone in the ON world has access to magic, an energy that they can harness and shape, membership in the guilds will help guide them toward learning how to bend their magic toward specific skills. Each guild has their own specialty that is locked to guild members. For example, characters who want to learn Healing magic must find membership with the Menders guild to develop their magic over time. They may later leave the guild and retain knowledge of their healing magic, but they cannot be self-taught.

The exception to the above is characters who possess canon powers. While all their powers will be weaker upon arrival, as though returning to Lv. 1, they will be able to regain control of them over time without aligning themselves with a Guild.

Wanderers Guild
Color: Blue
Mascot Animal: Pigeon
Guild Motif: Any way the wind blows, these guild members won’t be deterred. Their magic helps them when it comes to traversing and navigating new terrain, whether it be enhanced speed or being able to read the stars with great accuracy. Those belonging to the Wanderers’ Guild are especially in tune with nature that way, whether nature comes in the form of clear skies or thunderstorms.
Specialty Skills: speed enhancements, heightened navigational senses (improved sense of smell, seeing far away), shield/barrier generation
Common Guild Jobs: Vagabond, Cartographer, Sailor, Wandering Mercenary, and others!
Quirk: Blaze it.

Crafters Guild
Color: Purple
Mascot Animal: Peacock
Guild Motif: When it comes to creating something from nothing, this guild can’t be beat. Armed with their magic, it feels like there’s nothing that they can’t manifest or sculpt from their fingertips. They aren’t limited by any particular medium: clay, paint, music, even architecture bends to their artistic license.
Specialty Skills: manipulation of elements into stable forms (a chair made of fire), illusions not distinguishable from reality, magical item synthesis (imbuing objects with magic)
Common Guild Jobs: Painter, Carpenter, Jester, Dancer, and others!
Quirk: Kinda slutty.

Warriors Guild
Color: Scarlet
Mascot Animal: Goose (swan, if you must)
Guild Motif: Enough of that touchy-feely stuff, this guild knows that brawn and power are where it’s at. Whether it be strengthening what skills they already have, or turning literally anything into a weapon, no one packs a harder punch than these Warriors. Of course, they’re not always explosive–rumor has it an assassin or twelve runs in this pack, too.
Specialty Skills: enhanced strength, weapon fortification, analysis of enemies (strengths, weaknesses, critical points), one-hit KO attacks
Common Guild Jobs: Mercenaries, Assassins, Bodyguards, Competitive Card Players and others!
Quirk: They honk for their guild chant–ahem, group battle cry.

Scholars Guild
Color: Silver
Mascot Animal: Parrot
Guild Motif: There is so much to know about this world, and the Scholars Guild intends to pursue every answer to the utmost. Their spells are specialized in how they can analyze, deconstruct, and further their understanding of the world–or discombobulate others in their understanding. Some say that even the most skilled of the Scholars have some capacity for precognition…
Specialty Skills: knowledge accumulation (like mental Google), future sight, brainwashing, intelligence debuffs
Common Guild Jobs: Academics, Fortune Tellers, Con Artists, Librarians, and others!
Quirk: Terrible sleep schedules all around, and thus prone to caffeine dependence.

Menders Guild
Color: Gold
Mascot Animal: Canary
Guild Motif: For everyone else’s scratches and scrapes, the Menders Guild is always ready to lend a hand. Though they have the ability to heal more than just injuries–they’re also very handy at any type of repairs or promoting growth. Whatever it is that’s broken, they have just the solution. Hm? Rumors of necromancy? No, don’t be silly, that’s just a rumor.
Specialty Skills: healing, item repair, isolated time manipulation, necromancy
Common Guild Jobs: Farmers, Blacksmiths, Doctors, Heretics, and others!
Quirk: Tries to feed you too much at the banquet table like an ethnic auntie.

Characters will be able to choose which guild they pledge their membership to, just as they have the option to leave and switch to a different guild. However, please note that only a character’s first guild choice comes without cost. To transfer to a different guild, a special quest must be completed. Requests for Guild Changes can be made at the Quest page. Characters may only switch guilds once every 3 months.

Please note that all guild jobs are examples! Players are free to come up with other fantasy occupations that might suit their characters. Some other jobs that are more dependent on setting (knights, nobility, etc.) may be introduced in the future. Guild choice may affect future events, but don't sweat it.

Furthermore, Guilds and Magic are not inherently linked. More information on Magic is below! However, it is important to note that a Wind-aligned character does not necessarily have to be a Wanderer, and a Light-aligned character does not have to be Mender. Characters have the freedom to mix and match as they please to create fun combinations. For example a Mender with Dark magic can heal by stealing life force from others, or a Crafter with Fire magic can be a glass blower and make beautiful sculptures.

All characters have the capacity for magic, and guilds train them to manifest that magic in different ways. However please note that certain specialties will take considerable time to learn. For example, while Menders have the capacity for necromancy, they will not be able to revive a person without complications until at least six months worth of study in-game, and longer for those who aren't dedicated to their study. However, they can gradually practice with reviving plant life or little zombie critters. We ask players use their best judgment for similar powerful spells. If you have any questions, please feel free to confer with the mods!

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> Magic

Regardless of guild, anyone can learn magic! Whether it's carried over from canon or a normie discovering new abilities, the world of Duocaeli has plenty of room for growth.

Canon Abilities: Characters can retain their canon powers, within reason—please don't break the game! Especially early on, they might notice that their powers are duller and less effective than before, with higher cooldowns; they fly less high, and their magic fireballs are less potent, or they may veer wildly off-track. Over time and with practice, these abilities can gradually restore themselves. Think of it as starting over from a lower level! Characters with canon powers are also welcome to learn new ones.

New Abilities: No powers to start with? No problem! Non-powered characters will feel a new energy within them. It's a tug that speaks to them, a latent power waiting to be tapped into. They'll feel a natural affinity to a particular element, such as fire, wind, etc, and with the help of a guild, they can gradually become a skilled mage.

Characters are not bound to a single element, but they'll find that one in particular "speaks" to them more easily. These spells will come more naturally, be more potent, etc. Natural elements may play a role in future events, but don't sweat it too much.

The average student will pick up a new spell in about a month (or even faster, if it's their natural element). A particularly dedicated or brilliant student will master it in two weeks. Players can come up with their own custom spells, again within reason!

Fire
Fire spells are traditionally protective, but of course come in the usual flavors of straightforward destruction as well. This support of both life and death makes a wise fire mage a crucial party element. Some sample fire combos include:

Wanderer + Fire = Aegis: forms a fiery, translucent orb of protection around an ally. This flame will never burn them.
Warrior + Fire = Flamewall: a curtain of flame surrounds a target, immobilizing them. Unless they walk through, ouch.
Mender + Fire = Cauterize: closes wounds and purges infection with a soothing flame. Used hastily or in urgent situations, this spell can cause intense pain to both the mage and patient.

Wind
Wind spells are often used for support in the form of buffs and utility; any good explorer knows how to manipulate the wind to make their lives a little easier, and a skilled mage will support their party in any dungeon. Sample wind combos include:

Scholar + Wind = Dragonsbreath: can speak to animals and sense large beasts.
Crafter + Wind = Flashstep: short-range teleportation, with the ability to dance and phase through objects entirely.
Wanderer + Wind = Storm:: can control air currents to fly, move quickly, or to change the weather.

Water
Water is a versatile element for both offense and defense, but also specializes in misdirection. Water sometimes lacks an obvious destructive edge, but a creative water mage is an unpredictable, flexible foe. Sample water combos include:

Warrior + Water = Bubble: a caustic bubblebeam that can be used to blind or slow foes down.
Crafter + Water = Ice Mirror: fills the air with an icy fog, which the user can create illusions with and slows enemies.
Scholar + Water = Bloodbend: takes limited control of a target with any liquid inside of them, causing a great deal of pain.

Earth
Earth spells are largely defensive, but are also capable of manipulating their environment like none other. Even the most magic-averse warriors tend to learn a few Earth spells to protect themselves and their friends. Sample earth spells include:

Mender + Earth = Emerald: innately learn the properties of any plant and grow them at advanced speed.
Wanderer + Earth = Diamond: encases user in spiked, crystalline armor. Can also be used on teammates to trap them in a crystal for timeout.
Crafter + Earth = Clay: manipulates surroundings, creating platforms, ledges, etc.

Light
Light is the most aggressive field of magic, with the ability to manipulate energy and lightning itself. Light mages are encouraged to study order and self discipline, lest their destruction get completely out of hand. Sample light combos include:

Wanderer + Light = Sanctuary: generates light screens which can reflect enemy attacks, or amplify friendly ones.
Warrior + Light = Blade of Light: rains down lightning on a foe, effectiveness and accuracy is directly proportional to a user's emotional state.
Mender + Light = Stormcloud: makes all magic cast around the user turn into a stronger AoE. Can sustain friendly fire.

Dark
Dark magic fills in the void between all other elements, not quite fitting any of them. It focuses on enfeebling foes and creating opportunities for their party, while also learning more about one's surroundings. Sample dark combos include:

Warrior + Dark = Shadowbreach: turns an enemy's shadow parasitic; it can attack them mentally or physically.
Scholar + Dark = Deteriorate: can draw out information from a target's mind, or make them incredibly stupid for a short amount of time.
Mender + Dark = Tap: steals mana and vitality with a touch, can use on friend or foe.

And like any RPG, spells cannot be cast indefinitely–magic costs spiritual energy, which is restored naturally with sleep and rest. It also takes time to "reload," so to speak, so spells are more strenuous to cast in quick succession. There is no hard and fast number of casts; more seasoned spellcaster may be able to fire off more spells, but weariness will set upon even the most veteran mages eventually.

In a pinch, should someone find themselves low on their energy reserves (think MP in a classic video game), other characters can transfer their own energy to them via certain gestures of... ah, affection? This is your mana exchange via skinship. The transfer is more efficient the more, ahem, intense the gesture. Hand holding is like a slow trickle, and then increasing with hugs, kisses, hanky panky... Wow!

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> Dungeons

There will be permanent dungeons to explore, as well as event dungeons. Both dungeons require a party to complete–basically, you can't enter them and reap the rewards without at least one companion!

Event Dungeons: Event dungeons will be tied into the monthly events directly, and are limited to that event. They'll provide additional treasure, prompts, effects, and boss battles, which will often tie into the IC decision-making process for the month. You can choose your own party to explore an event dungeon, get randomized into one by the mods, or generally join as many as you'd like!

Permanent Dungeons: Some dungeons will be available at all times, including for TDMs! Players that participate in dungeons with new characters or prospective players will receive additional rewards–think of it as a mentor bonus. We won't be organizing random parties for permanent dungeons, but you can always plan an outing with your random roommates, etc.

ICly, you can also always assume characters are randomized together, even if OOCly they are not. As far as threading with your party goes, we'll leave this flexible. You can enter a dungeon with a group of four and do a group log where everyone mingles together, or otherwise structure it however you like.

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> Glitching

The popularity of Duocaeli is understandable: you could live a second, fantasy life with seemingly no consequences here. But sometimes, there are disturbances. These disturbances, or glitches, come at random, but are exacerbated by fatigue, solo gaming for too long, too much time spent in one world or the other, etc. They're accompanied by visual abnormalities, like fizzling and frame drops, and players can play fast and loose with their effects, but we've listed common ones here:

• Amnesia: forgetting details about your original home, your offline life, etc. The extreme version of this glitch is acting like an NPC.
  
• Pain: a sharp, phantom pain, caused by seemingly nothing. This can be followed by a fever.
  
• Spell failure: skills can backfire, travel to the wrong targets, or completely fizzle out when glitched. They can even switch elements, or just altogether become the wrong ability.
  
• Drowsiness: a deep, but momentary weariness, that can sometimes lead to loss of consciousness or chills.
  
• Emotional distress: a panic attack, a fit of explosive anger, mood swings, etc.

All in all, glitches are infrequent, but inconvenient. Glitches will also vary and escalate depending on events, game progression, etc.

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