Well you guys didn't ask for this, and since the vague concept was received so well, I decided to ruin it with concrete details.
Enjoy.
I. A Few Assumptions
This write up assumes a few changes to a couple universal mechanics.
1. MP remains on the ‘Server tick’ (Ugh, I know, right?), but the MP bar changes color to represent this (Option to turn this off if you wish). The bar will slowly pulse, being standard color at ‘0’ and flashing to white at the ‘tick’.
2. The Caster Damage Dealer role no longer has access to any sort of Raising spell
3. The Caster Damage Dealer Role Action Mana Shift is changed to the following:
Mana Shift
Ability
120 Second Recast
Effect: Remove up to 20% of your MP, granting that to target ally as well as any Role Action Buff currently active on you.
4. The Red Mage is compensated for the lost of Verraise through Dual Cast improving the potency of spells utilizing it by 20%, and Embolden no longer being a decaying boost.
II. identity
The Sage is a Caster Damage Dealer, focusing primarily on providing Magic and Ability related support. They are not the hero of the story, but rather the mentor they meet along the way, and is well versed, if not with some degree of mastery, in many magical disciplines.
The Sage wields a walking cane in one hand, or a walking stick in two. It’s a purely cosmetic difference between each option.
III. Unique Mechanics
The Sage’s primary mechanic is Spell Level. Spell Level determines the power of their spells, as well as the castime and additional effects. Spell Level increases and decreases based on the spells utilized, along with abilities and Sage specific metamagics.
Spell Level starts at 1 and progresses to Level 9.
Each spell level above 1 increases spell potency by 3%
The Sage’s supporting mechanic is Leylines. The Sage reveals fonts of aether along the battlefield that benefits themselves and allies who stand within them.
IV. Action and Trait List [1-70]
All damage related numbers are placeholders. This is primarily a write up of style and base mechanics. Unless otherwise stated, all recast times of Spell / GCD actions is default of 2.5 or equivalent to the cast time.
Magic Missile [Level 1]
Spell
Cost: MP
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds.
Effect: Fires a bolt of unaspected magic with a potency of 80. Improves Spell level by 1. For every two spell levels, Magic Missile fires one additional bolt at the target, takes .75 seconds longer to cast, and costs increased MP.
Bolt[Level 4]
Spell
Cost: Free
Instant Cast
Effect: Fling a bolt of lightning at the target charged by the latent aether within. Deals 230 Lightning potency and reduces Spell Level by 2. Deals 50% more damage on even Spell Levels.
Leylines: Natural Font [Level 8]
Ability
Duration: 20
Recast: 120
Targets self or ally.
Effect: Expose a natural font of Aether on the field. This leyline restores MP to one ally party member standing within. If that party member is anyone except you, recharge Abilities 100% faster for the duration.
Metamagic: Heighten-Cast [Level 10]
Ability
Recast: 45
Effect: Increases the MP cost of the next spell you cast by 10%. That spell ignores Spell Level reduction if present, and increases Spell Level gain by an additional 1.
Shockwave [Level 12]
Spell
Cost: MP
Cast time: 2.5
Effect: Tap the end of your weapon to the ground, sending forth a shockwave of magic around you. Deals damage in an area around you for 100 potency. Increases Spell Level by 1. For every 3 Spell Levels above 1, Shockwave sends another pulse out and costs additional MP. This spell is not interrupted by movement.
Penultimate Magic [Level 15]
Spell
Cost: Free
Cast time: Instant
Effect: Deals 70 potency per spell Level. Reduces Spell Level to 1.
The Breadth of Wisdom: From the Shroud [Level 15]
Trait
Effect: The Sage has explored many facets of Magic, and though is hardly a master of them all, they are capable and one would have trouble telling where they had started their life as a mage without being outright told.
The Sage is capable of selecting up to 1 of their Role Actions from the Healer menu.
Sagacious Wisdom: Inversion [Level 15]
Ability
Recast: 150
Duration: 15
Effect: Your spells may now target allies and instead heal them for the damage they would have dealt. Spell Level is reduced to 1 and MP is reduced to 0 when the duration ends.
Metamagic: All-Cast [Level 18]
Ability
Recast: 45
Effect: Increases the MP cost of the next single target spell by 25%. This spell targets all enemies within 5y of the primary target.
Tornado [Level 22]
Spell
Cost: MP
Cast time: 4.0
Duration: 3
Effect: Stun enemies within 5y of the primary target, and draw them to the target. Enemies immune to the stun effect are immune to the draw in effect. Every two spell levels above 1 increases the range of the radius by 2y and the MP cost. Increases Spell Level by 1 for each target hit.
Runic Trigger [Level 26]
Spell
Cast time: 3.5
Cost: MP
Duration: 9
Effect: Conjure a Glyph under target enemy that may be triggered after 3s. This glyph deals 80 potency to enemies standing within, with an additional 40 for every 3s it remains, up to 9s. Each spell level above 1 increases the MP cost and the potency of the stage increase by 5. The glyph will explode upon reaching maximum duration, or upon the execution of any Instant Cast spell.
Leylines: The Flowing Stream [Level 30]
Ability
Duration: 20s
Recast: 120s
Effect: Expose a vent of natural magic around you. Allies within do not interrupt their actions by movement for the duration.
Sagacious Wisdom: ‘Meditation’ [Level 30]
Ability
Duration: 20s
Recast: 180s
Effect: Become unable to act while ‘meditating, greatly increasing MP regeneration.
Steady Destruction[Level 35]
Spell
Cost: MP
Cast Time: 5.0
Effect: Costs 50% of current MP. Deals 280 unaspected potency to the target. Increases Spell Level by 3.
The Breadth of Wisdom: From the Fields of Coerthas [Level 38]
Trait
Effect: The Sage is able to select 1 of their Role Actions from the Ranged menu.
Metamagic: Min-Cast [Level 40]
Ability
Recast: 30
Effect: Your next spell has its MP cost and cast time treated as if it were at Spell Level 1.
Conflagrate [Level 45]
Spell
Cast time: Instant
Cost: Free
Effect: Inflicts the target with flame, dealing 50 potency for 15s. Each Spell Level above 1 increases the duration by 3s. Reduces spell level by 3.
Metamagic: Max-Cast [Level 48]
Ability
Recast: 45
Effect: Your next spell has all parameters treated as if it were Spell Level 9.
Meteo [Level 50]
Spell
Cast time: 5.0s
Recast: 120s
Cost: All MP
Effect: Calls down a wave of meteorites onto the target area, pummeling it for 100 potency. Each spell level above 1 causes an additional wave of meteorites to pummel the target area every 3 seconds.
Sagacious Wisdom: Overdrive[Level 50]
Ability
Duration: 15
Recast: 120
Effect: Your spells cost no MP, do not impact Spell Level, and your Sage specific metamagics have no cooldown. At the end of this duration, MP is reduced to 0 and Spell Level is reduced to 1.
Silver Apple [Level 52]
Trait
Effect: HP gained from Food and Materia also grant 50% of that value to maximum MP.
Metamagic: Libra-Cast [Level 54]
Ability
Recast: 60
Effect: Increases the cost of your next spell by 20%. Your next spell deals 50% less damage but inflicts the enemy with Libra. The next 4 sources of Magic Damage will critically strike.
The Breadth of Wisdom: The Thoroughly Convoluted Art of Arithmancy[Level 56]
Trait
Effect: When Conflagerate reduces Spell Level to a Prime Number, it instead detonates on the target, and hitting nearby enemies for ½ the damage it would have done. When Bolt reduces Spell Level to a Prime Number, it chains to another target and deals 100% more damage to it.
Leylines: The Delta Attack[Level 58]
Ability
Duration: 20
Recast: 120
Effect: Reveal the natural flow of magic in an area, designating three connected points of power, supporting you and two other allies. Your origin point, while you stand within, grants the Delta Attack 30% Damage Reduction.
The left point behind you, with one ally within, grants the Delta Attack reduced MP costs.
The right point behind you, with one ally within, freezes the Unique Mechanic / Buff timers of the Delta Attack, except for you.
Ultimate Magic[Level 60]
Spell
Cost: Free
Cast Time: Instant
Recast: 60
Effect: Follows Penultimate Magic. Deals the same damage as Penultimate Magic. Increases Spell level to 9.
Phantom Blade [Level 62]
Spell
Cast time: Instant
Effect: Strike all enemies around you with magic for 130 potency. Reduces spell level by 4. Gain MP for each enemy hit. Being reduced to a Prime Number on Spell Level causes Phantom Blade to repeat at no reduction.
Maelstrom [Level 64]
Spell
Cost: Free
Cast Time: Channeled
Duration: 21
Effect: Call down a steady stream of magic onto the target area, dealing 75 potency for 21 seconds. For every 2 spell levels above 1, Maelstrom’s duration is reduced by 3 seconds while the total potency remains the same.
The Breadth of Wisdom: A Measured Pace [Level 66]
Trait
Effect: Moving at walking speed doesn’t interrupt your spells, and being within any of your leylines increases Running speed by 20%.
Spiral Flux [Level 68]
Ability
Duration: 30
Recast: 90
Effect: Mark an enemy or ally with magic. Spiral Flux may be activated again within 30 seconds to transport yourself to the target. Enemies take 420potency damage and deal half that to surrounding enemies. Allies deal half that to surrounding enemies.
Relentless Barrage[Level 70]
Spell
Cast time: 4.0
Cost: MP
Effect: Blast the enemy for 320 potency. Each spell level above 1 reduces cast time by 0.3. Each cast of this spell increases its potency by 15% and MP cost by 45%. Increases spell level by 1. Any different spell following Relentless Barrage gains this damage bonus and removes the stacking potency and cost effect.
V. So how should it play?
1. MP is a resource and treated as such. Unlike the Black Mage, the goal isn’t so much to hit 0 and refill, but to ensure you can always be casting your spells. Active Metamagic and Sagacious Wisdom use will put a strain on MP costs along with individual spell interactions with Spell Level. This isn’t your Dad’s “Lucid Dreaming and Forget” MP bar.
2. The Sage is at heart a supportive DPS and boasts tools that, while superior for Casters, are still usable by others. Heavy timer Jobs of all stripes should find something to love about the Sage. Proper positioning is key to maximize the use of each Leyline pattern.
3. Magic Missile is your basic stacking spell. Bolt and Conflagrate provide instant casts but reduce Spell Level, and with Traits gain unique effects should they be used in a certain manner. Steady Destruction is a “!@#5 messed up” Spell that lets the Sage participate if MP is mismanaged, while waiting for MP restoring actions to come back up.
4. The more freeform approach to magic casting should provide a flexible, in-the-moment style as opposed to the rhythmic rotations of the three current casters. The moving parts of MP, Metamagic, and Spell Level interaction aim to create an engaging experience.
TL/DR: The vague concept had you happy. Lets ruin that with more concrete details.
Originally Posted by Kabooa
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