Skills & Magic Affinities

Like in any RPG, your character will start out with skills and will be able to learn more Skills the more they level up. **When creating your character, you start with 3 Skill Slots. All of which have a magic affinity.****!!! You MUST note the group to get your Skills Checked be it in your Application check or for a new Skill Slot your character may obtain. Send in your new Skill in a note, and we will approve or suggest changes !!!**

* **Regular Skill Slots Obtained through Rank Ups:**Rank 3, Rank 6, Rank 9, Rank 10, Rank 13, Rank 18
* **Purchasable Skill Slots:** x6 per character.
* **One Character may only have the maximum of 15 skills (including the ones they start with)**

## How to Write Skills

**Stuck without ideas? Don't know what is possible with these affinities?
If you need more pointers: Click here for an in-depth Skill Guide to read up about what PixelQuest will and will not accept!!**

You may refer to any of the Mod Applications within the gallery as reference (When they're actually up... We're slow) , but a general template is as follows:

**▶ [Example Affinity] Example Skill Name :**[# of Turns] [# of Turns CD]
Skill Description, what it does, how it works.

* Insert Pros/Perks here
* Insert Detail here
* Insert Drawbacks/Cons here

**!!! Make sure READ about Magic Affinities before writing your skills. We will be strict with balancing skills so no one is ‘too op’ at the start !!!**

* **You do not need to add numbers or percentages in your skills even with stat points available to your character! You may incorporate certain rolling aspects if you wish, but that will be up to you. Just ensure that you let us know how your skill functions and make sure it has appropriate drawbacks.**
We may ask for more detail surrounding it’s functions but so long as the skills do not oppose any established group magic lore, it will most likely be all good! The PixelQuests Mods are constantly tired and honestly? The world is your oyster.

## Limit Break & Ultima Skills

**Please refer to the [ Ultima Ultima Magic Guide Page ] and the [ Character Growth Page ] if you have not already !!!**

**Rank 15** unlocks a special skill, not counting your character's skills. **Limit Break**.

* This skill can be used **ONE TIME per RP**, lasting 4 turns. **Limit Break is an obtained SKILL with group sanctioned perks.** It’s a major power up but one that is incredibly taxing on a person’s body. Trying to use Limit Break more than Once per RP will not work and will injure your character. Upon achieving Limit Break, noting the group regarding your Rank Up rewards, you will be presented with OOC options to pick from. And depending on your character’s Ultima Typing, these choices will be different. The description to how [Limit Break] functions with your character will be up to you, but if you wish to take a look at what perks may come in the future, we implore you to take a look at this nifty group resource [ The Skills Example Guide ].

 **Ranks 4, 7, 11, 14, 16** and **20** unlocks **Ultima Skill** OR **Upgrade**.

* Your character will be able to **Replace or Upgrade one of their existing skills to an ‘Ultima’ grade Skill**. Ultima Skills are treated as Top-level Skills and will generally be a lot stronger than regular skills.
* **Please note the group about the Replacement or Upgrade**.
* Said Skill should be labelled with **[Ultima]** in front of its Skill name.

Because Ultima Skills are gained through ranking up, they are naturally much stronger and allow more flexibility with what rules established in PixelQuests. Here is a brief rundown of the Do’s and Don’ts in regards to these powerful upgrades. The rules in [ The Skills Example Guide ] still apply. The exceptions are listed out below, but keep these in mind when upgrading or writing a new Ultima skill in! And remember, all skills **MUST** have means to counter or struggle against. Even if you want your character to be powerful, you must keep that very fact in mind. With great power comes with greater responsibility. Ultima skills may be powerful, but they are not invincible and do not render your character as such. If you want a more in-depth explanation regarding Ultima Skills and its capabilities, we have it listed out within the document linked above. Anything within that document is more in-depth while the journals provide the bare bones, easily accessible skeletal structure.

* **1.** You may implement a branched ability/a secondary ability to your skill.
* **2.** You may greatly increase the overall power, range, capabilities, of your skill. (**This is up for discussion depending on your skill type and its previous iteration, but generally we want to establish the strength of an Ultima skill to be ROUGHLY 2x a regular skill.**)
+ **I.e.** A Bestial Transfiguration skill within Ultima rank may be able to allow a character to take on even more traits with a beast-like quality. While still not fully a beast (Mod Note: no full furry or full non-humanoid! Possibly around 3/4ths beast in comparison to the 1/2 rule we have established within Beastial Transfiguration’s capabilities as an affinity.), it is plenty more powerful.
+ **I.e.** Golems may take more hits to defeat, may have a second form. Who knows!

* **3.** You may edit your cast times/durations/cooldowns.
* **4.** Buffs/Debuffs may hike up to +2
* **5.** Ultima skills are strong, regardless of your Ultima Type.

## Magic Affinities

As with **Ultima Types**, come different **Magical Types and Affinities**. In a world of boundless energy like Evacrest, there are plenty of different ways people use magic. The majority of the time, everybody would find themselves attuned to one or two or even multiple affinities. Some pick to specialize with only a few magical affinities while some aim for a more diverse library of spells and skills.

Do note that this is how magic works in this setting, you may come up with your own ways of HOW your character goes about using their magic. But these are the basic guidelines that you would need to follow!! Know that within this journal we are discussing **Magic Type** and **Magic Affinities which FALL under Magic Types.**

Ultima Type ▶ Magic Type ▶ Magic Affinity

****\*\*\* IMPORTANT \*\*\*****!!! When creating your character and writing their Skills, make sure to check their [ Ultima Type ] before picking which kind of magic affinities you’d like them to have !!!****
* **Golem Craft**
* **Blood Summoning**
* **Rukh**
* **Rukh Ignition**
* **Beastial Transfiguration**
* **Mysticism**

## Elemental Affinities

Not only exclusive to the four elements, any who specialize in Elemental Magic have access to **Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Electric, Lava, Metal, Steam, Ice, Mud, Wood, Sand, and… Blood (Element)**. **Edgelords want it, so you’ll get it**.
Anything which falls under these categories are bendable and controllable within the environment, and in some cases, reasonably conjurable by a magic user.

**Air, Fire, Electric.**

* Ever wanted to breathe fire?These are conjurable affinities. These are the known affinities which anyone with enough practice, may convert their magic into and does not rely on the environmental accessibility.**Soul (Ultima Essence)**▶ **Magi****c** ▶ **Element**.

**Water, Earth, Metal, Blood (Element).**

* These elements are **Environmentally Dependant Affinities**. Dependant on whether you have access to an environment with the element. The form of water is free flowing, something magic may not be able to fabricate, only control. Metal conducts easily with curses and enchantments and likewise, better suited for control. **Soul (Ultima Essence)** ▶ **Magic** ▶ **Environment** ▶ **Element**.
* \*\*Note that there is an abundance of Water everywhere. Metal included. But if you’re in a desert full of sand and no one in sight, you’re going to be in trouble.In any case, these affinities may be written around if your character has some form of magical trinket or magical/non-magical accessibility to these elements. (i.e. A pouch of water, metal jewelry)

**Lava, Steam, Ice, Mud, Wood, Sand.**

* While these elements do exist in the environment, they are also **\*\*Forgeable Affinities** in nature so long as a magic user has access to at least two elements. Without the two make-up elements, a character would not be able to create a forgeable affinity! However, if the environment allows, they may use and bend the element around them as they please! Fire and Earth make Lava, Water and Fire make Steam, Water and Air make Ice, Earth and Water make Mud and possibly Wood, and Earth and Air allow you to crush up rock and control Sand. **Soul (Ultima Essence)**▶**Magic** ▶ **Environment** ▶ **Element** ▶ **Fusion ▶ Element**.

## Blood Magic Affinities

**Not to be confused with blood element affinity, Blood Magic is where the user uses blood instead of bending it**. Blood links, pacts, blood necromancy and the like-- Within a magic user’s blood, they enchant and promise faux life. Those who command Blood Magic are often self acclaimed ‘dark magicians and dark knights’ but it’s not as dark as they truly claim it to be. Blood Magic currently has two categories, **Golem Craft** and **Blood Summoning**.

* **Golem Craft Affinity:** In need of a blood jewel of the magic user, golems are not exclusively rock and moss, though it has become somewhat of a norm for farmers and small villages to have these rock and moss golems. **Golems can be made out of anything so long as the magic user plants a blood jewel and activates it within material**. It will then grow instantaneously from the jewel. Different blood jewels will yield different golems with a different temperament made for a different purpose. **They will not have personalities or sentient thought**. But they will have a ‘will’ or a ‘command’ to follow, and will continue to ‘live’ until dismissed by the magic user, if the magic user's skill for summoning the Golem times out, or if their body or Blood Jewel is damaged enough.
+ One Blood Jewel will yield One Golem. The Blood Jewel can be anywhere on or inside of the Golem.
+ Users may only have One Golem out at any given time. If you wish to pull out another golem, the one that is 'out' must retreat (think like a pokemon battle!)
+ 1 Golem may have only 1 ability.
+ Golems can come in many shapes and sizes.Not limited to just the cookie cutter golem.
+ Blood ELEMENTAL users may not bend the blood gem or the golem.
+ Golems (usually)take **3 hits** to defeat.

* **Blood Summoning Affinity:** Unlike Golem Craft, Summoning requires the blood of the magic user infused with magic to call upon their very own **Blood Beast**. **Amalgamations of what the user’s Ultima converts and projects into physical form. What your character’s Blood Beast(s) looks like is up to you**. They are not sentient, are without temperament, and are purely willed to complete whatever the user wants. They are tied to the magic user's Ultima/magic regardless of the form they take. They are a separate entity which has a ‘bestial’ aspect to them, possibility rejecting the control of their user if the user loses control. Will continue to ‘live’ until dismissed by the magic user, if the magic user's skill for summoning the blood beast times out, or if its and their user’s body is damaged enough.
+ Users may only have one Blood Beast out at any given time.
+ Losing control of one’s Blood Beast is akin to losing your composure, they will either reject you and act out, poof, disappear, or recede back into where it came from (you).
+ Blood Beasts (usually) take **3 hits** to defeat.

## Physical Magic Affinities

For those who choose to pack a harder punch, physical magic, though regarded as magic that muscleheads use to brute force their way through any and everything. But that may not be entirely the case. Technique, focus, and precision, melee-based magic is not so much casting or conjuring, but the use of magic as a form of fortitude; magic to strengthen one’s body. **To mutate, transform, to achieve what we know as ‘superhuman strength/speed/etc’.**

* **Rukh Affinity:** Magic which had been converted to attribute to the user’s body and mind is called **Rukh**. This Rukh works similarly in a vein-like system, where it flows through one’s body like blood. Mastery of this affinity allows for higher endurance and stamina due to the Rukh’s nature. It may repair internal or external injuries, regenerate, and strengthen. But on the less combat-orientated side of it all, Rukh users may also be known for heighten senses, as some had developed skills where their voices may deafen ears, their eyes akin to eagles, their bodies numbing pain.
+ **Rukh is internal energy. And like any energy source, can be depleted, interrupted, and recharged**.

* **Rukh Ignition Affinity:** A sister affinity to Rukh and a bridge between Rukh and Transfiguration magic, this affinity is used the same way as the former. But with a more ‘explosive’ outcome. Instead of the power being contained within the user’s body, a part or the whole of the user is engulfed in bright magic where they take up a pure form of Rukh, magic, and essentially, Ultima. Igniting oneself, allows for greater feats, similar to its sister affinities, an inbetween. **But taking on a full Ignited Rukh form will render the user more vulnerable against magical attacks**.
+ Those ‘ignited’ may defy gravity with high jumps since their mass is technically altered and lighter.
+ **Any physical attack dealt by the user will have heat-like properties akin to fire. It will burn, corrode, and destroy, but will not set anything ablaze like a fireball or wildfire. For things to catch ‘aflame’ with their rukh fire, the user must maintain it, transfer it, or be conscious of it. It is not entirely destructive, as its corrosiveness or gentleness is within the user’s control as well.**
+ The magic user cannot stay in this form forever.
+ Once the user has been damaged enough, they will be forced to revert back to their original form and will be unable to ignite until they are appropriately replenished.

* **Beastial Transfiguration Affinity:** Body of man, a beast at heart. Taking on beastial features from the raw essence of their soul, beastial transfiguration allows for a magic user to take on **parts of a beast**. This affinity is **not only limited to existing animals depending on your race**, you furry, but to any beast-like features or any amalgamation the magic user’s Ultima forms. **Some may transform into half a beast, some may sprout wings, but never a full beast as such magic had been lost in time.**
+ This is partial beast transformation magic. Where the user may gain *temporary* parts of a beast i.e. Wings, tails, claws, stingers, etc.
+ Once the user has been damaged enough, they will be forced to revert back to their original form and will be unable to transform until they are appropriately replenished.
+ Users may take up more than one partial beastial form and switch between them with Skills, but in terms of balancing, cooldowns, turns, we will keep an eye out on this.
+ **Those who want to take up a mythological creature’s beastial traits or another race's traits by label will be judged more strictly, since there are race(s) who may take this form with more ease. (i.e. Dragon claws, Phoenix wings, Golden Stag Horns.)**

## Null Magic

Magic that does not fall under any of the above categories will be considered as ‘Null affinity”--merely spells that ordinary people may specialize in. Some may see this as a lesser form of magic, but without it, life in Evacrest would be incredibly inconvenient. From levitating books, cleaning your room with magic, to simple barriers. From levitating books to cleaning your room with magic to simple barriers. Things like telekinesis, divination, and telepathy fall under ‘**Mysticism**’. Anything with a neutral affinity and does not fall under established and well known/popularized magic types in Evacrest listed above.**However, any powers drawn from space does not fall under Mysticism. Spells with stars, space, and time may be limited in what they are able to do as conjuring these kinds of powers must generate from YOU as a neutral ability and not from outer space!**

* **Mysticism:** Telepathy, Healing, Divination, Telekinesis, Portals, Contracts/Pacts, Weapon Summoning, Poison Work: Anything which does not fall under any of the above categories will fall under Mysticism. These are the more functional and utilized aspects of magic, **one of the most flexible types of magic because it is much easier to pick up, but difficult to master**. Though not as flashy as the other affinities, this spell-kind is used every day.
+ Any spell you can think of which doesn’t fit the other types will still be accepted so long as we approve of it!
+ Get creative, the sky’s the limit!!
+ **Buffs and Debuffs:** If you are planning to make a buff/debuff skill for stats, know that we will not accept more than a +1.