Name: Banish P/W/C Type: Wisdom Appearance: Dark vortex of energy the extends from the user's hand and surrounds the target. Description of Function: Prevents the target from summoning creatures and receiving aid from a mount, familiar, pet, fairy companion, or leaf puppets. Also causes previously summoned creatures to disappear by severing their link to their owner. Lasts for several minutes. Limitations: Requires Dark Affinity. Increases user's vulnerability to light magic. Knowing the spell causes the user's own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion to dislike you and become more likely to ignore or disobey. Casting the spell affects the caster as well as the target. Does not work (or have drawbacks) again creatures with the [dark] field. Description (Move your mouse to reveal the content) Description (open) Description (close) By channeling their magic into a target, dark magic users can cause someone to repel their own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion. The caster holds out their hand and creates a vortex of swirling dark energy that engulfs the target. When hit, the target's presence repulses their companions to the point where it forces them to flee. The spell also interferes with the target's ability to summon and maintain already summoned creatures, causing them to vanish until they are resummoned. The effect lasts for several minutes, although it is shorter for intelligent mystic mounts and fairy companions as they have a greater capacity for mentally overcoming the effect. The spell has no effect on actual people. Companions and summons with the [dark] field are also immune. Possessing the spell, however, also affects the user's companions. It causes them to dislike the caster and become less obedient and loyal. The spell's effects also apply to the caster as well as the target when used. Neither of these drawbacks affects companions or summons with the [dark] field. As with all dark magic spells, possessing the spell gives the owner a slight vulnerability against light magic and enhancements that increases as they learn more dark spells.
My initial impression of this is a good one. Firmly grounded in canon, with clear drawbacks, purpose, and limitations.
Something that's been making me wonder, across all these Affinity-fueled spells--does this "light vulnerability" stack per spell? Or does it only happen when the spell's being cast? If the vulnerability stacks, then at some point someone's just going to one-shot you with a light spell because you're so vulnerable. If not, I don't see why it needs to be mentioned frequently when it should just be mentioned for the Dark Affinity treasure.
It stacks per spell, which does mean that at some point your vulnerability would become a serious weakness. I intended it like that to reinforce the idea that dark magic is about sacrifice and the thirst for power at all cost. The more and more dark magic you learn, the more vastly powerful you become, but you give up so much in the process. The mindset of a dark magic user is that sure you can't communicate well with people anymore, use healing magic and stuff, and you've ended up making yourself vulnerable to so many things, but the power to make your enemies suffer is at your fingertips. And that's the only thing that matters, if you can blast them before they can zap you, who cares about a trivial things such as vulnerability to light? And having an extreme vulnerability to light could be a very interesting thing to roleplay with. Suddenly towns and populated places are a scary place to go, you never know if you're going to bump into priest with light magic or an adventurer out to slay evil with his light enhanced sword. You don't even have to cast a dark spell to bring attention to yourself, suspicious people might grow weary of you just because of how Dark Affinity makes you stand out.
Going along with the end of Spirit's post, if I recall correctly one of the Dark spells causes people to just know that the user is vulnerable to light. Personally, I'm good with this. Dark magic is about sacrificing oneself for power; that's even part of the field description. Intense vulnerability to light? Cool. Although, I'm wondering if somewhere a sort of scale would be helpful; if you're a Dark user with some Dark spells, you know you have a vulnerability, but since each treasure just says "increases vulnerability" you don't really know how vulnerable your character is. Maybe that just leaves it open for the RPer, or maybe someone likes the idea of saying "7 Dark spells = 1 hit KO from light" or somat. Dunno.
I think maybe there should be a limit to how much the light damage will do with this crippling vulnerability. Maybe making it something like how Ganondorf was affected by the Light Arrow in OoT, where it can do pretty bad damage... and not something like the instant death effects of the Light Arrow in WW. That said, that's for the overall bit of Dark Affinity treasures and not all of the attributes of this treasure in particular, so time to get back on track now that it's been clarified for me. For the most part, I'm fine with this. Is the visual effect based off of that initial dark attack of Ganondorf's that warded off Navi in Ocarina of Time?
I agree with you guys and your suggestions. A scale of how much vulnerability does what is a good idea combined with RD's idea that vulnerability is not strictly limited to damage. Maybe we could say that each dark spell you learn adds X amount of seconds to the stun period of light spells and X% increase of damage up to a certain limit. Or anything else you had in mind. As for Banish itself, yep it looks pretty much like what Ganondorf did to Navi.
I think (and this isn't pointed directly at you or anyone else) that often times people think of these treasures as being an ability in a video game. (Which is ok I guess, but I'd like to change that a bit.) Why not come up with some interesting RP side effects that this weakness could have rather than combat mechanics? Sure it takes a bit more thought but thats what is really needed with Treasure Creation. What if, for instance, the more you piled on your dark power the more unhealthy you get? Magic comes with costs, as you say. Or, what if the darker you get the more you get sickened by the light of the Sun or by the aura of a priestess? Things such as that. Just my two cents.
I agree with what you've said, Toko. I will say, though, that in a lot of senses Spirit has already started to hit on that. In this instance, the odd side effect is the fact that your own animals dislike you and so forth, if there were a spell that was a dark healing of sorts, it also in general might make you less healthy or something like that. For the even more general things, though, I think a lot of it can be openly (and perhaps most enjoyably) left up to the discretion of the RPer. I'm down for keeping a keen eye on ways we can insinuate bad effects in a general sense, but so far I definitely feel like it's been touching on what you've mentioned. As far as the weakness to light goes, though, I don't know that a formula or percentages are really necessary. Since it doesn't clearly state that you will be one-shotted after a certain point, I think it can be reasonably understood that it plateaus eventually. At least, that's how I always kind of understood it when I first read it :V As for this spell, if there are not disagreements then I do so approve of it.
I had multiple questions to ask you, but they were answered by details existing only in the spoiler-description. Again, please make sure that all information is present in the fields. The bond between the caster and summoned creatures is broken, thus causing those creatures to disappear. What about summoned objects? Help for Offense / Defense / Utility would be appreciated. `Banish Canon, Spell - ??? [Dark], [Disable] W5: 45 rupees W4: 60 rupees W3: 90 rupees W2: 120 rupees W1: 240 rupees Prerequisite to Obtain: Dark Affinity The caster may hold out his hand and create a vortex of swirling dark energy which engulfs the target, causing the target's mere presence to repulse his own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion to the point where they are forced to flee. The spell prevents the target from summoning, and any previously summoned creatures disappear as the bond between them and their owner is severed. The spell lasts for several minutes, but the effect is shorter for intelligent mounts and fairy companions, who are more capable of overcoming the effect. The spell has no effect on actual people, and companions and summons with the [dark] field are immune to it. Possessing this spell also causes the user's own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion to dislike him and become less obedient and loyal; however, this does not apply to companions or summons with the [dark] field. This spell affects both the caster and the target. As with all dark spells, possessing Banish increases the owner's vulnerability to light magic and enhancements.
I think it would just be easiest to say it only works on summoned creatures, objects are unaffected. Saying that it works on objects involves getting into the science of fantasy magic, like what is summoning exactly and how conjuration can be may things not just limited to summoning. And it gets really complicated really quick.
That makes absolute sense, thanks for clearing it up. Before we officially pass this, are you fine with the treasure entry? Apart from the three question marks?
Just as a final thing. Spirit, you down with this? `Banish Canon, Spell - Offense [Dark], [Disable] W5: 30 rupees W4: 50 rupees W3: 90 rupees W2: 120 rupees W1: 240 rupees Prerequisite to Obtain: Dark Affinity The caster may hold out his hand and create a vortex of swirling dark energy which engulfs the target, causing the target's mere presence to repulse his own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion to the point where they are forced to flee. The spell prevents the target from summoning, and any previously summoned creatures disappear as the bond between them and their owner is severed. The spell lasts for several minutes, but the effect is shorter for intelligent mounts and fairy companions, who are more capable of overcoming the effect. The spell has no effect on actual people, and companions and summons with the [dark] field are immune to it. Possessing this spell also causes the user's own mount, familiar, pet, or fairy companion to dislike him and become less obedient and loyal; however, this does not apply to companions or summons with the [dark] field. This spell affects both the caster and the target. As with all dark spells, possessing Banish increases the owner's vulnerability to light magic and enhancements.[/quote]
