Mew Master
31st October 2008, 12:11 PM
Magic The Gathering
Eldria
You have the Spark. The promise of being something more than you once perceived yourself to be. No longer confined to your native plane, you can now transverse the expanses of time and space.
It starts small. With a little concentration and will you can go somewhere else. It’s like teleporting from place to place, but only you can do it to travel to different planes. You have some spells as well, innate abilities that can terrify and bewilder others. These spells draw more upon you than any thing else you can accomplish. One is weak, and can be repeated fairly often. The second is a bit more powerful and creates a bit more wear on your mind and will. Thirdly, is a spell that is so powerful that it may leave you drained for days or even weeks.
You learn other spells of course, many from your home plane and others from those that you visit. These are tied to the land, and the Mana that binds the Multiverse together. The animals, creatures, even people are connected with the Mana. Through such an understanding, you can mark various creatures and summon them to your side. Even if they die in their home plane, the Mana that they are connected to allows you to summon them forth. For comfort, battle, connivance, it is your choice how you treat those summoned before the Mana whisks apart. Your knowledge is as expansive as the Multiverse, and your power allows you to gather such enlightenment.
Through some life-altering experience, your Spark awakened. You are no longer mortal, but not a god either. You are a Planeswalker. Walking the Multiverse for your own goals and desires. Be it for knowledge, power, or to stand above those that you deem inferior.
But, there are others though. Others with similar gifts and abilities. You find a similar soul with them, or perhaps a rival, someone who is a threat to your power and strength. Do you fight these others, or do you run in fear? Maybe you seek them out, searching for someone to challenge and prove your own dominance over them?
You are a Planeswalker. The Multiverse is your frontier, their creatures and inhabitants your allies, spells are your weapons, and other Planeswalkers are your adversaries.
Is there nothing more?
Perhaps.
Transversing Planes is dangerous and could leave a Planeswalker stranded among paths they are unfamiliar with. One such Plane is drawing the Planeswalkers towards it as its erratic course sends it through the expanse of the Multiverse. It collides with other Planes, draining Mana from them and into itself before the drained Plane collapses in on itself, unable to sustain its own existence. On its course, the Plane bounces against other Planes in an inter-dimensional game of “pin-ball.” Destroying those it comes into contact with.
Since its path is so erratic, Planeswalkers that inadvertently stumble into it, find it difficult to leave, and some have been there for years. Now, as more and more Planeswalkers find themselves on this wayward Plane, they find themselves either fighting for control, or working for their own escape.
You are trapped on this Plane, its sparatic movements through the Multiverse. Finding more Planeswalkers than you ever thought imaginable, do you side with them, keep to your own desires, or try to leave?
Perhaps there’s more to this Plane…
Welcome.
To Eldria.
From the creator of Chains of Dragons, Scourge, and Dual Nature comes an idea spawned from a favorite game of mine:
Magic: the Gathering
Yes. It’s a Table Top Game. Yes. It involves cards and players and lots of rules. No. It is not like Yu-Gi-Oh (it’s better ^^).
In this game, YOU (yes, you) are a Planeswalker. Able to travel from plane to plane at your choosing (given enough time of course). Think of it like Dimension Skipping. You have a variety of spells that would make Archmages envious, as well as being able to summon whatever creatures that you have marked and bound to you through the Æther.
So, for starters, some things to note: The following links are to some pages from Magic the Gathering’s Website (www.magicthegathering.com) on what it means to be a Planeswalker (basically, if you play with a deck, you’re a Planeswalker).
The Known Multiverse (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/db28)
Planeswalkers (http://www.wizards.com/magic/Multiverse/planeswalkers.aspx)
Spark, an understanding of realizing you can transverse the planes (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/db49)
Era of the Planeswalker, Looking at an idea of how they react to their home world/plane and others. (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/437)
You are a Planeswalker (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/planeswalkers/week1)
Planes of Existence (http://www.wizards.com/magic/multiverse/planes.aspx)
The Planes are as expansive and diverse as anything imaginable. For an idea on the currently “known” Planes of the Multiverse, check the links above. To kinda… keep it simple characters for this RPG can make up a Plane for their characters to be from. (Earth and our plane is off limits… sorry guys. ^^U)
The Sign-Up.
Now to the nitty-gritty of the RPG. You don't HAVE to be a Planeswalker if you would rather be a mortal creature dragged along for the ride, or a native of Eldria. In the case of the later, I’ll PM you with information pertaining to the Plane that only a native would know.
Name:
Age:
Home Plane: (can be any of the main ones or make up a new one. If using the known ones then please have a name that fits… Don’t name your character “Steve” if they’re from Kamigawa, a Japanese-style Plane. If you make one up, then just give a short description)
Race: (What race are you, human, goblin, elemental, Fae, ect. Take your pick. Planeswalkers are as diverse as the Planes themselves)
Main Mana: (Choose 1-3 of the five colors that your character has a major affinity and strength for. Just because they have one doesn’t mean they can’t cast spells from the other 4, it just means that they’re much stronger in that area and could still learn the other themed spells. Planeswalkers have access to all types of mana, and can draw it from the land in ways that make the mages of that Plane jealous)
Personality:
Appearance:
Spells: (I’d suggest glancing through Gatherer (http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/) for some sample spells. Not an inclusive list, but gives you some idea how some things work. Just pick some Creatures, Sorceries, Instants, Enchantments, ect Just not other Planeswalkers. Just to give an idea of how ya think. Other spells can be created as well.)
Personal Spells: (The Planeswalker’s three ingrained abilities besides the ability to “jump” planes. Usually involves a fairly weak but easily repeatable ability. A second, stronger, but more taxing one. And finally a third, horrifyingly powerful and taxing)
History: (How’d you discover your spark? Tutored by a more experienced Planeswalker? On your own?)
Other: (Relationships, quirks, drives, dark secrets, themes?)
Aaaand mine. ^^U
Name: Drako Ralen
Age: 26
Home Plane: Dominiria
Race: Human
Main Mana: Red and Blue
Personality: Drako is both seemingly knowledgeable but devoid of common sense. His passion for life and his research is admirable, if he could manage to keep his attention to something for more than a month. His emotions run the gambit from deeply passionate to the point of a poet, to blazing red with Rage, to even nonchalant if someone yells at him. He’s learned not to be surprised at every little thing, but to take the knowledge in stride. As much as he’s seen, he’s expected to be surprised, and as such, is prepared (mostly) for it. He enjoys drinking with friends, getting hammered a time or two in good company. He’s somewhat of a womanizer, although the majority of his advances are met with slaps, punches, or kicks to some vulnerable areas. Sometimes he gets lucky in that aspect. Drako loves to tell stories from his travels, and has been known to get a free meal and some coin from those he’s spent the time to entertain. In combat and when summoning, he seems to be able to piece more of a chain of events, even deliberately misdirecting his opponents and being a bit more clear-headed and problem solving. He strikes as fast and hard as he can in a Duel, unleashing the full fury of his Dragon summons and flaming spells.
Appearance: Drako looks to be in his mid-twenties. His red eyes seem to radiate like lava, creating a sharp contrast between his iris and pupil, with a slight outer glow of light blue. His hair is long, shaggy, black, and just haphazardly thrown into a pony tail or let loose to flutter in the wind. His skin is a light tan, however not that leathery despite from Planeswalking for the last few years. A short beard seems to start accumulating around the edges of his jawbone, not thick enough to shave, but not light enough to be unnoticeable. The clothes he wears are a combination of comfort and durability. His tunic is long-sleeved, and reaches down to about mid-thigh, with a worn belt wrapped around his waist. Covering his hands are a set of brown gloves. His pants, like the rest of his clothes, are loose and both are tucked into the boots he wears. However the left leg is wrapped in bandages from the knee down to inside the boot, for reasons only Drako knows. The boots are lace-less, Velcro-less and seem to be just slip-ons. They are mostly blue with lines of read running along the tongue and sole, and run up to just under his mid-calf. Over all of this he wears a black hooded cloak that can hide his clothes as well as his face. The cloak appears to be ragged and worn, more than likely from near misses and dodging arrows, spears, and flaming balista. On another belt is a long great-sword with two curved points on the edge of the blade and the handle has two separate chain-links, possibly to attach to the belt or for another unknown purpose. He has an odd Artifact chained to one of his belts. It looks like a massive gemstone with other various stones set into the outlining features, each resembling the five colors of Mana. When close, someone can tell that the stones radiate Mana themselves, although it swirls and mixes, making others unable to determine what type of Mana that it draws upon.
Spells: Seething Song, Desperate Ritual, Rite of Flame, Shock, Fireball, Ghitu Fire, Arc Blade, Dragonstorm, Mind’s Desire, Last Word, Molten Influence, Braid of Fire, various Dragon summons, much much more…
Personal Spells: Drako’s personal spells, surprisingly, deal with Dragons and improving their odds for survival. His weaker spell is being able to shape a Dragon from the surrounding Mana. The Dragon is about the size of a cat, dog, or large snake (depending) and the color varies depending on what Dragon he’s looking for. Red Dragons are quick in combat, Blue Dragons manipulate the Æther around themselves, Green Dragons are ferocious in combat, Black Dragons are terrifying to behold, and White Dragons seem to heal Drako when they attack.
The second spell is almost a morale boost for the Dragons. For every one on the field they get stronger and tougher to take down for a short while.
The third spell is something that Drako doesn’t use that often. By ripping the Mana essence from Dragons he can infuse one Dragon with the sacrificed abilities, and strength, making them a large monster that almost nothing can stop.
History: Before the spark, Drako was an aspiring student at a prestigious academy on Dominiria. His fiery passion and devotion to study made him a favorite (if not annoyance) to many faculty and students. When it came time for a project for their graduation, Drako knew what he wanted to do, but unsure of how to study it directly: Dragons. He headed to the mountains of Shiv and searched for the nest of the Shivan Dragon, a terror of the mountainous regions. He was assaulted by his own subject for study, the creature knocking him off the edge of the cliff behind him. In a burst of will and desire for life, Drako unlocked his Planeswalker Spark, managing to teleport his way out of the mouth of the Dragon and avoiding a splattering death. In a show of quick wits, he managed to Mark the Shivan Dragon ( http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=129730 ) and then summoned it forward to aid him. He returned to his academy both admired and feared. Drako went back to the Shivan Mountains, and ended up having a few run-ins with both the Goblins and the barbaric shamans that inhabited the hills. Captured by the barbarians ( http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=46615 ), he was going to be put to the test in their battle arena. Seeing no other way out, he summoned the Shivan Dragon and received the barbarian’s respect for commanding the Dragon. He was taught some of the shaman’s ways, which only partly made sense to him. As Drako spent time with the barbarians, he marked a few of them, and also came into contact with more Dragons that he was able to mark as well. One day, another Planeswalker named Sarkhan Vol ( http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1676). visited the camp. Drako found out more about the Multiverse, and decided to travel with the flaming shaman to learn more. However, he found himself and Vol had differing ideals pertaining to Dragon-kind. Vol searched for one worthy of his worship, while Drako wanted to know more about them, to study them. An argument broke down into a Planeswalker Duel, which Drako ended up having to forfit and run because of his own inexperience. Drako continued to travel the Planes, searching for Dragons and researching the differences between them all. His latest attempt ended up with him on trial. It was Drako vs the Plane of Ravnica. Apparently pissing off the Dragon Wizard, Niv-Mizzet wasn’t such a good idea, but it was fun, and Drako had marked the majority of things that had caught his eye on the Plane before he was caught and put on trial. In the confusion he managed to slip away and to the Blind Eternities, to ponder his next destination, when he was the victim of a “hit-and-still-running” (as he puts it).
Other: He has a small version of the Gemstone Array from the Mirrodin Plane. It is just as effective as the larger version, however it takes much longer to store Mana on it. He can also summon the actual Artifact when prompted to, but he uses the smaller version for convenience. It lets him draw mana from the land and then turn it into what type of Mana he needs at the moment. Drako’s biggest strength is also his weakness. He uses lots of Mana to summon some difficult creatures, such as Dragons and their kind. It requires a lot of Mana to summon and sustain them, and he usually uses the Array in such a fashion, however he tends to forget how much mana he has stored on there and can find himself scrambling for more Mana in the middle of a fight. To this end he’s still learning how to deal with it. Drako also has books on his person, some personal journals detailing his thoughts and dissections on the Planes he’s visited, as well as some other books he’s “borrowed” from other Planes. If he comes across his Mentor ever again, he may have to settle the score and show him that you can worship a dragon all you want, but it doesn’t help you understand it.
Stereotypes:
Red: The embodiment of expression and passion for what is not yet known. True freedom that cannot be stopped by mere boundaries.
Blue: Knowledge is power, and understanding something, gives you power over it.
Green: Nature abides by its own ordered chaos, but the wilderness can only support itself for so long before it collapses.
White: Order begets Revolution. Revolution involves Chaos. Chaos dies down to Order.
Black: Death comes for all things. Impulse and drive are what we have to live with.
Current Characters:
Drako Ralen (Mew Master)
Lucien The Fallen (Crystal Tears)
Aericonix De'Virsus (Drusilla)
Enzo Tolkees (Mystic Clown)
Frasneur the Mimick (EngiMatikul)
Viatrix Miff (Crystal Tears)
?? (Mew Master)
There is Mana. Five differing bits of raw energy that shape and mold the world based upon their influences upon the other.
Red (R): Red Mana is freedom, emotion, impulse. It scorches the heavens and is not held back by regular conventions and rules. Raw passion and destruction.
Blue (U): Blue Mana is knowledge, manipulation, illusion. The power of water and the crashing of waves upon the shore. It represents the power of knowledge, illusion, and deceit.
Green (G): Green Mana is growth, instinct, nature. Great beasts surge with power and mother nature is at her most ferocious.
White (W): White Mana is order, protection, light. It is at the heart of knights, good-willed rebellions, and heavenly avengers. It heals, repairs, and protects others.
Black (B): Black Mana is darkness, ambition, death. Zombies are born from areas with high amounts of Black Mana, as are demons, devils, and all sorts of hellish nightmares.
Mana flows through the Planes and it affects the civilization and evolution of the organisms that inhabit it. Each Plane is different and the paths from planes through the Multiverse are constantly changing, unstable, which could land a Planeswalker stranded for a year or more until they are able to return to their more familiar routes, which even then may have changed.
Mana is drawn from the land. Depending on the Land type or area (which can be expanded upon, any ideas for Land in the game will be greatly appreciated and will see some time in the RPG). Main Land types are Mountains, Islands, Forests, Plains, and Swamps, which produce Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black Mana respectably. Each Planeswalker can channel Mana from the land to cast their spells, the difference is depending on the spell they want to cast, they need the appropriate Mana to do so.
Let’s take Steve. He’s a Planeswalker who specializes in Red spells and creatures. And he’s in an area that’s designated as a Forest Area in game (Types of Mana available will be told to the players, I promise ^^U) He can call forth the Mana from the land, but it’ll be Green Mana, and the spells he knows are Red. So, unless he had a green spell, he will end up channeling the mana into himself and injuring himself from Mana Burn. Of course most Planeswalkers know more than just one section of spells besides those they specialize in, but in theory this is what happens.
Now, there are ways around this. Some Planeswalkers either have artifacts or items that generate a certain type of Mana, or one that can channel whatever kind they want and get whatever kind they need. Some are just store-houses of Mana.
Now, some other things to keep in mind when transitioning from TCG to PbP. I know it’s a lot, I’m doin my best here ^^
Player: The Planeswalkers. Any spell that affects a “player” affects the Planeswalker.
Land: If a spell affects a Land Card in the TCG, then it affects the landscape in a similar fashion. While it may not obliterate the landscape, it will disrupt the flow of Mana for at least one Planeswalker.
Graveyard: While there is no “graveyard” in the PbP, there will be the dead bodies of fallen Creatures and the weaving Mana of cast spells. Spells that affect the Graveyard will draw from the mass of dead bodies and floating Mana to bring back, recreate a spell, or any other affect as such.
Hand: The Planeswalker’s “hand” is the collection of spells fore-front in their mind. If any spell affects the “hand” it will target the Planeswalker’s mind, making them forget the spells temporarily. At least until after the Duel is over. In the RPG, a Planeswalker’s mind is thinking too rapidly for them to pick and choose some of their more powerful spells, therefore they have to count on rapid recollection of random spells in their arsenal. Some beneficial, some detrimental, all powerful.
Return to Hand: Spells that say “return to player’s hand” deal with Unsummoning the creature, enchantment, or artifact back to the Planeswalker’s mind. It basically unravels the Mana and sending it back to the fore-front of the Planeswalker’s mind. However, if preformed on a creature not summoned by a Planeswalker, it does have the entertaining effect of either sending them flying backwards for a while, or removing them from reality. Risky and dangerous, does not wipe Planeswalker’s from reality because their Spark keeps them tied to everything, just sends them flying… usually landing in a tree.
Library: The “library” is the Planeswalkers total collection of spells and creature summons that they know. Anything that affects the “library”, affects the deeper reaches of the Planeswalkers memory and knowledge.
Removed from Game: Anything “RFG” is sent from the Plane to the Blind Eternities, where it is torn apart by raw Entropy. When it is destroyed, it will eventually return to the Planeswalker’s arsenal after a few hours or so.
Okay, A Card-Breakdown. “What the heck is this shite” I bet you’re asking me. Well.. for those not familiar with it, here’s the breakdown.
Card name: The name of the spell
Mana Symbols: These symbols are what it takes to cast the spell as far as colors of Mana are concerned. If a spell says 3RR, then it NEEDS two Red Mana, and three Mana of any other color, which can be Red, Black, Blue, White, or Green.
Card Type: Card type is what kind of spell is it (we’re ignoring Land Cards and Planeswalkers for the RPG… makes it a bit simpler). The Card types are Sorcery, Instant, Creature, Enchantment, and Artifact. Fastest Spells (cards) are Instants, they can be cast as fast as someone is thinking. Sorceries, Creatures, Enchantments, and Artifacts are much slower and take a bit more time and preparation to cast (unless they have Flash of course).
Text: The text describes the interactions and abilities of the spell.
Power/Toughness: On Creature cards it’s marked with a #/# where the first number (Power or strength) is how hard it hits. And the second number (Toughness or stamina) is how much punishment it can take in a short amount of time before it is sent to the “Graveyard.”
Token: If a spell or ability puts a “Token Creature” into the world, it’s a generic version of that Creature type specified.
Legneds: If a Creature Type is labeled as “Legendary” then there can only be one of those creatures summoned by any one Planeswalker. If another summons the same Monster (only applies to Legendaries) then both are destroyed as they cannot exist in two places at once. There are some spells that nullify this effect however.
Now, if you are familiar with the Card game (and those of you who aren’t but looking at some of the key words and going, WTF?!) Here’s a simple breakdown for you ^^U and how these famous mechanics work into the RPG. Hopefully I’ve kept it simple… *trying to keep track of all of em* Plus how, well.. cinematically at least, Combat kidna works..
Not all cards have these abilities, but this is more how these work in the RPG visually and, well, mechanically…
Affinity: An affinity means, the more something is around, the easier it is to cast. This could go for Artifacts, spirits, or any other variety of things.
Amplify: By exposing some of your own secrets to another Planeswalker, some of your creatures can get a boost through this method.
Bloodthirst: If a creature is summoned after damage has been dealt to a Planeswalker, their strength and stamina is increased.
Bushido: Samurai training makes one dangerous in combat. When blocking or blocked by an opposing Planeswalker’s creatures, those with Bushido show how dangerous they are.
Buyback: By spending extra Mana, the Planeswalker can keep the spell fresh in his mind and be able to use again later.
Convoke: By drawing on the veneration of their creatures, a Planeswalker can use such spells much more efficiently as far as Mana use is concerned.
Cycling: Helping to sort out a Planeswalker’s thoughts, they can cycle through their spells, sending one out of their mind so that they can possibly something better.
Defender: A Creature who is unable to attack is a major boost to defense for any Planeswalker. If the opposing creatures can’t get to you, then more power to you.
Devour: When summoning a creature with this ability, they eat anything offered to increase their strength for the upcoming fight.
Double Strike: Like First Strike, except in a double form. Able to hit once, and then again in rapid succession, dealing twice as much damage in half the time.
Dredge: Bringing back a creature from the chaos of the Mana swirling around, and able to be summoned.
Echo: Those with the Echo ability need to be paid for once more after they were originally summoned. Their ties through the Planes that much more unstable.
Entwine: When a spell has two abilities to choose from, you can pay for both, and get some powerful effects.
Epic: When you play an Epic Spell, it is the only thing that you can really do. Let the spell continue on until the duel is over. It randomly sifts through your Planeswalker’s known spells and works off that. It doesn’t stop them from using their own abilities.
Fade: Sometimes the Æther is so unstable that a creature can’t survive if summoned. Those with Fade are such doomed creatures.
Fear: Horrifying to say the least. Only Black or Artifact Creatures can stop those with Fear.
Fire Breathing: By charging Red Mana into those with Fire Breathing, the Planeswalker can give them extra strength.
First Strike: With a quick flurry, one with First Strike can get the damage in before a creature can react.
Flanking: Being able to out maneuver your opponent is key to any battle. By Flanking, a Creature takes its opponent by surprise, landing crucial blows.
Flash: While Creature spells are a bit slower than others, those with Flash can be played as fast as a flash of lighting.
Flashback: It may be over for those in the “Graveyard.” But by re-weaving the left over Mana, a Planeswalker can re-use a previous spell one more time before its sent to the Blind Eternities.
Flying: The creature can fly, and only those that can fly can stop it from attacking.
Forecast: Quickly, some effects happen that involve considering the future.
Graft: Orbs that are symbiotic in nature and can be spread to other creatures. Increasing their strength and stamina.
Grandeur: By foregoing other spells, one can get extra effects from those with Grandeur.
Haste: All summoned creatures, even from the “Graveyard” are affected by Summoning Sickness. They are disoriented from being summoned through the Multiverse to fight for a Planeswalker. Those with Haste, are not, and can lunge at their target as fast and furious as the wind itself.
Haunt: When spells or creatures die in battle, they can be brought back, Haunting another creature. When those that are haunted die, the spell activates one more time before disappearing to the Æther.
Hellbent: When a Planeswalker has no spells at the front of his mind to call upon. When he goes for broke and throws all care to the wind.
Imprint: An ability of some Artifacts that copies a spell and enables it to be used under certain conditions.
Indestructable: No manner of spell, creature, or destructive force can stop these creatures. Doesn’t mean they can’t be stopped or slowed down at least.
Kicker: An extra effect for extra Mana. Not quite like Entwine
Landwalk: If a creature has “Islandwalk” or “Forestwalk” then they cannot be stopped by opposing Planeswalker’s creatures if the duel is taking place on a land-type of those types. This can vary, such as “Non-basic Landwalk” ect.
Lifelink: When a creature deals damage, the Planeswalker gains a bit of energy and health back from the damage dealt.
Madness: Sometimes, the insane ones know true power. If kicked out of their “hand” then they can use the spell while being forced to forget it.
Modular: Extra mechana on certain Artifact Creatures that can fall off after attacking or blocking an attacker. Their effectiveness in combat drops steadily as well.
Morph: The creature when summoned with it’s Morph ability resembles a shifting glob of Mana-charged goo. When the Planeswalker deems himself ready, he can bring forth the creatures true form. Some have devastating effects from this.
Ninjitsu: Those sneaky Ninja! Ninjutsu switches out one creature for a Ninja when it attacks.
Offering: Some cards ask for offerings of a certain type. Similar to Convoke except it demands sacrifices of certain creatures to lessen the strain of summoning.
Phasing: Phasing shifts it out of this plane of reality for a short duration, making it difficult to hit in combat, or affect with spells.
Protection from (color here): Anything with this ability cannot be affected in Combat by Creatures of the color, as well as spells of that chosen color.
Provoke: When a charging Creature is coming in, this ability forces the defending creatures to stop it, usually with devastating affects for both sides.
Rampage: If something is blocked, its resolve can sky rocket depending on how many more Creatures try to block it.
Reach: Creatures with this ability can physically block those with Flying, even if they don’t have Flying.
Regeneration: By spending Mana, a creature can be saved from the “Graveyard” maintaining it in play, re-summoned from the swirling Mana next to the Planeswalker.
Replicate: Copying spells depending on how much Mana the Planeswalker puts into the replication.
Ripple: When casting, some creatures and spells have a ripple effect that has the chance of bringing more forth from the Planeswalker’s arsenal.
Scry: Helping the Planeswalker sift through the spells in their head, they can organize their thoughts a little bit better.
Shadow: Creatures with Shadow are immaterial and can only affect Planeswalkers and other creatures with Shadow.
Shroud: Shroud protects creatures from spells and creature abilities that directly affect the creature. This affects everyone. If something has Shroud, best to find a way to kill it with a wider effect than a Fireball.
Soulshift: When a Creature dies, they can shift their essence to something else that is already in the “Graveyard” and raise it back from the dead.
Splice (Arcane): Splicing spells lets a Planeswalker add extra effects to spells for a cheaper cost, without actually casting the spell.
Split Second: The fastest spell in the Multiverse (as we know it now). It is faster than Instances and only another card with Split Second can stop it, or interfere.
Storm: In the chaos of a lot of spells being cast in a short amount of time. Storm takes advantage of that chaos and adds its own. Copying itself for every spell cast in a certain amount of time can be devastating for everyone on the field, especially if the spell either summons creatures or destroys land.
Sunburst: Those with sunburst get strength when different types of Mana are spent into its casting.
Suspend: By creating a rift in time, the Planeswalker can “float” a spell and put it on a small countdown until it is actually cast. A nice “from left field” type of spell.
Threshold: When there is enough residual Mana and creatures littering the ground, those with Threshold have their abilities activated.
Trample: Basically “over-run.” A creature with Trample is so ferocious that it even runs through the defending creatures to hit the Planeswalker, no matter how many get in the way.
Transmute: By exchanging one spell, the Planeswalker can search for another spell in their arsenal.
Unblockable: Can’t be stopped by defending creatures.
Upkeep (Cumulative): The longer that the spell is on the field, the more strenuous the cost to the Planeswalker, or dangerous it becomes.
Vigilance: Normally, when a creature attacks, it goes all out, overstressing itself and unable to block retaliation. Those with Vigilance are able to deal their damage, and remain able to stop any on-coming forces.
And now, for Eldria herself.
The Plane seems to be a stable one. Mana flow is fluctuating and sometimes inconsistent. However there have been major influxes of Mana, and this is especially noticeable to the Planeswalkers who end up there. There are five main continents, and over two dozen kingdoms stretched out along the Plane, and even more towns and villages scattered along the way.
If your Planeswalker has been on Eldria for a while (weeks to years), then they may be familiar with a few of these locations, or perhaps finding a place to stay or just wandering the Plane, seeking its mysteries.
CONTINENTS
Bea: One of the large northern continents that stretches far to the west and south across the equator. It’s eastern edge is a few miles from Vect, separated by increasing volcanism of the Plane’s geophysics. Bea has a host of environments from the southern jungles and forests to the red-rocked mountains and deserts of the west, the snow-capped peaks to the north, and even a chain of islands stretching south towards Rast.
Rast: South of the main part of Bea, this large continent is a breeding ground for necromancy and demonic magic. Mellenia ago, some powerful ritual caused the land to become blighted with the corruption of a powerful demon king. The demon was banished, however its taint still remains. Once the crowned jewel of knowledge and learning in Eldria, it has turned into a place of death and decay. Only the truly brave wander it’s blighted landscape to face the zombie hordes and the squabbles of Necromancic Barons and Baronesses.
Glyko: The second largest island continent (after Rast, and before the Derwina Archipelago), it is home to a large metropolis that is continually expanding. Already covering the land, Glyko is now having to deal with using mana to suspend some of its buildings above the sea when the seasonal rains start to hit. Currently the seat of where diplomats go to address their own problems with the world. It’s a thriving metropolis where the lower you go in the city scape, the more danger you can find yourself in. Oddly enough, all five types of Mana flow wildly here and yet only a few tap into the source.
Vect: The other large northern continent of Eldria, it’s climate matches Bea for the most part, however the topography is much more drastic. While Bea has smooth contrasts between its individual landforms, Vect has a much more stark contrast. Several mountain ranges uplifted through powerful plate tectonics hide little ecosystems of stagnant water and vegetation. Snow covers a large tundra along the northern part of the continent, joining with Bea’s arctic areas in a massive ice sheet and glaciers. Large expanses of high plains gives way to bursting forests. Much of this kind of change is due to anthropogenic disturbances shaping the for sentient needs.
Derwina Archipelago: An island chain between the western shore of Bea and the Eastern shore of Vect (where Bea and Vect are the closest together is considered the Prime Meridian), and past the southern end of the equator. After separating from the two main continents, Derwina’s flora and fauna have undergone drastic radiation and evolution. Visitors from the mainland include humans and some druidistic Viashino. Some of them try to alter the animals to better cope with sentient races or indulge themselves in the “art” of Artificial Selection. The home for one of Eldria’s prestigious academies of Magick Arts and Science.
KINGDOMS
Thuriam: A large Elvin expanse that thrives through the forests of lower, western Bea. They make their homes in massive trees in the thick of the jungle, resembling living skyscrapers. Their close ties with nature make them the perfect ones to rush through the undergrowth without being seen. Most travelers are unaware of Thuriam’s existence when they transverse the forest. Those that deliberately harm the forest proper are usually killed, but those that go through on their way are left alone, or subtly guided through the safe paths. Thuriam Elves speak an old dialect of Elfish, and are accomplished warriors in their own right.
Davidia: One sect of goblins that are at war with those of Bowidika on Vect. These Goblins utilize technology and artificers to give them an edge in any fight. Resiliant, fast, and about two and a half to three feet tall, the green-skinned ones have been known to raid human towns for supplies and “sport.” Sometimes it’s a contest between them and Bowidika over who can destroy human settlements more.
Bowidika: The other sect of Goblins. While mostly morphologically similar, they’re taller, with a bit more bulk. Instead of such a dependency on technology like the Davidia Goblins, these ones use a more shamanistic approach, rushing into battle with swords held high and mana coursing through their veins. Any kind of metal they grab, they graft into their hodge-podge armor and weapons.
Hammos: A kingdom along the central plains of Bea. On good terms with the Elves, they trade for goods and provide various forms of export to other kingdoms and continents. Highly renowned for their chivalry and their sense of duty to community and the king.
These are examples! There are others, make them up as you go if you feel like it. Be sure to “okay” and work out details with me.
So… any questions? No? Good.
Let’s get started…
Eldria
You have the Spark. The promise of being something more than you once perceived yourself to be. No longer confined to your native plane, you can now transverse the expanses of time and space.
It starts small. With a little concentration and will you can go somewhere else. It’s like teleporting from place to place, but only you can do it to travel to different planes. You have some spells as well, innate abilities that can terrify and bewilder others. These spells draw more upon you than any thing else you can accomplish. One is weak, and can be repeated fairly often. The second is a bit more powerful and creates a bit more wear on your mind and will. Thirdly, is a spell that is so powerful that it may leave you drained for days or even weeks.
You learn other spells of course, many from your home plane and others from those that you visit. These are tied to the land, and the Mana that binds the Multiverse together. The animals, creatures, even people are connected with the Mana. Through such an understanding, you can mark various creatures and summon them to your side. Even if they die in their home plane, the Mana that they are connected to allows you to summon them forth. For comfort, battle, connivance, it is your choice how you treat those summoned before the Mana whisks apart. Your knowledge is as expansive as the Multiverse, and your power allows you to gather such enlightenment.
Through some life-altering experience, your Spark awakened. You are no longer mortal, but not a god either. You are a Planeswalker. Walking the Multiverse for your own goals and desires. Be it for knowledge, power, or to stand above those that you deem inferior.
But, there are others though. Others with similar gifts and abilities. You find a similar soul with them, or perhaps a rival, someone who is a threat to your power and strength. Do you fight these others, or do you run in fear? Maybe you seek them out, searching for someone to challenge and prove your own dominance over them?
You are a Planeswalker. The Multiverse is your frontier, their creatures and inhabitants your allies, spells are your weapons, and other Planeswalkers are your adversaries.
Is there nothing more?
Perhaps.
Transversing Planes is dangerous and could leave a Planeswalker stranded among paths they are unfamiliar with. One such Plane is drawing the Planeswalkers towards it as its erratic course sends it through the expanse of the Multiverse. It collides with other Planes, draining Mana from them and into itself before the drained Plane collapses in on itself, unable to sustain its own existence. On its course, the Plane bounces against other Planes in an inter-dimensional game of “pin-ball.” Destroying those it comes into contact with.
Since its path is so erratic, Planeswalkers that inadvertently stumble into it, find it difficult to leave, and some have been there for years. Now, as more and more Planeswalkers find themselves on this wayward Plane, they find themselves either fighting for control, or working for their own escape.
You are trapped on this Plane, its sparatic movements through the Multiverse. Finding more Planeswalkers than you ever thought imaginable, do you side with them, keep to your own desires, or try to leave?
Perhaps there’s more to this Plane…
Welcome.
To Eldria.
From the creator of Chains of Dragons, Scourge, and Dual Nature comes an idea spawned from a favorite game of mine:
Magic: the Gathering
Yes. It’s a Table Top Game. Yes. It involves cards and players and lots of rules. No. It is not like Yu-Gi-Oh (it’s better ^^).
In this game, YOU (yes, you) are a Planeswalker. Able to travel from plane to plane at your choosing (given enough time of course). Think of it like Dimension Skipping. You have a variety of spells that would make Archmages envious, as well as being able to summon whatever creatures that you have marked and bound to you through the Æther.
So, for starters, some things to note: The following links are to some pages from Magic the Gathering’s Website (www.magicthegathering.com) on what it means to be a Planeswalker (basically, if you play with a deck, you’re a Planeswalker).
The Known Multiverse (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/db28)
Planeswalkers (http://www.wizards.com/magic/Multiverse/planeswalkers.aspx)
Spark, an understanding of realizing you can transverse the planes (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/db49)
Era of the Planeswalker, Looking at an idea of how they react to their home world/plane and others. (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/437)
You are a Planeswalker (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/planeswalkers/week1)
Planes of Existence (http://www.wizards.com/magic/multiverse/planes.aspx)
The Planes are as expansive and diverse as anything imaginable. For an idea on the currently “known” Planes of the Multiverse, check the links above. To kinda… keep it simple characters for this RPG can make up a Plane for their characters to be from. (Earth and our plane is off limits… sorry guys. ^^U)
The Sign-Up.
Now to the nitty-gritty of the RPG. You don't HAVE to be a Planeswalker if you would rather be a mortal creature dragged along for the ride, or a native of Eldria. In the case of the later, I’ll PM you with information pertaining to the Plane that only a native would know.
Name:
Age:
Home Plane: (can be any of the main ones or make up a new one. If using the known ones then please have a name that fits… Don’t name your character “Steve” if they’re from Kamigawa, a Japanese-style Plane. If you make one up, then just give a short description)
Race: (What race are you, human, goblin, elemental, Fae, ect. Take your pick. Planeswalkers are as diverse as the Planes themselves)
Main Mana: (Choose 1-3 of the five colors that your character has a major affinity and strength for. Just because they have one doesn’t mean they can’t cast spells from the other 4, it just means that they’re much stronger in that area and could still learn the other themed spells. Planeswalkers have access to all types of mana, and can draw it from the land in ways that make the mages of that Plane jealous)
Personality:
Appearance:
Spells: (I’d suggest glancing through Gatherer (http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/) for some sample spells. Not an inclusive list, but gives you some idea how some things work. Just pick some Creatures, Sorceries, Instants, Enchantments, ect Just not other Planeswalkers. Just to give an idea of how ya think. Other spells can be created as well.)
Personal Spells: (The Planeswalker’s three ingrained abilities besides the ability to “jump” planes. Usually involves a fairly weak but easily repeatable ability. A second, stronger, but more taxing one. And finally a third, horrifyingly powerful and taxing)
History: (How’d you discover your spark? Tutored by a more experienced Planeswalker? On your own?)
Other: (Relationships, quirks, drives, dark secrets, themes?)
Aaaand mine. ^^U
Name: Drako Ralen
Age: 26
Home Plane: Dominiria
Race: Human
Main Mana: Red and Blue
Personality: Drako is both seemingly knowledgeable but devoid of common sense. His passion for life and his research is admirable, if he could manage to keep his attention to something for more than a month. His emotions run the gambit from deeply passionate to the point of a poet, to blazing red with Rage, to even nonchalant if someone yells at him. He’s learned not to be surprised at every little thing, but to take the knowledge in stride. As much as he’s seen, he’s expected to be surprised, and as such, is prepared (mostly) for it. He enjoys drinking with friends, getting hammered a time or two in good company. He’s somewhat of a womanizer, although the majority of his advances are met with slaps, punches, or kicks to some vulnerable areas. Sometimes he gets lucky in that aspect. Drako loves to tell stories from his travels, and has been known to get a free meal and some coin from those he’s spent the time to entertain. In combat and when summoning, he seems to be able to piece more of a chain of events, even deliberately misdirecting his opponents and being a bit more clear-headed and problem solving. He strikes as fast and hard as he can in a Duel, unleashing the full fury of his Dragon summons and flaming spells.
Appearance: Drako looks to be in his mid-twenties. His red eyes seem to radiate like lava, creating a sharp contrast between his iris and pupil, with a slight outer glow of light blue. His hair is long, shaggy, black, and just haphazardly thrown into a pony tail or let loose to flutter in the wind. His skin is a light tan, however not that leathery despite from Planeswalking for the last few years. A short beard seems to start accumulating around the edges of his jawbone, not thick enough to shave, but not light enough to be unnoticeable. The clothes he wears are a combination of comfort and durability. His tunic is long-sleeved, and reaches down to about mid-thigh, with a worn belt wrapped around his waist. Covering his hands are a set of brown gloves. His pants, like the rest of his clothes, are loose and both are tucked into the boots he wears. However the left leg is wrapped in bandages from the knee down to inside the boot, for reasons only Drako knows. The boots are lace-less, Velcro-less and seem to be just slip-ons. They are mostly blue with lines of read running along the tongue and sole, and run up to just under his mid-calf. Over all of this he wears a black hooded cloak that can hide his clothes as well as his face. The cloak appears to be ragged and worn, more than likely from near misses and dodging arrows, spears, and flaming balista. On another belt is a long great-sword with two curved points on the edge of the blade and the handle has two separate chain-links, possibly to attach to the belt or for another unknown purpose. He has an odd Artifact chained to one of his belts. It looks like a massive gemstone with other various stones set into the outlining features, each resembling the five colors of Mana. When close, someone can tell that the stones radiate Mana themselves, although it swirls and mixes, making others unable to determine what type of Mana that it draws upon.
Spells: Seething Song, Desperate Ritual, Rite of Flame, Shock, Fireball, Ghitu Fire, Arc Blade, Dragonstorm, Mind’s Desire, Last Word, Molten Influence, Braid of Fire, various Dragon summons, much much more…
Personal Spells: Drako’s personal spells, surprisingly, deal with Dragons and improving their odds for survival. His weaker spell is being able to shape a Dragon from the surrounding Mana. The Dragon is about the size of a cat, dog, or large snake (depending) and the color varies depending on what Dragon he’s looking for. Red Dragons are quick in combat, Blue Dragons manipulate the Æther around themselves, Green Dragons are ferocious in combat, Black Dragons are terrifying to behold, and White Dragons seem to heal Drako when they attack.
The second spell is almost a morale boost for the Dragons. For every one on the field they get stronger and tougher to take down for a short while.
The third spell is something that Drako doesn’t use that often. By ripping the Mana essence from Dragons he can infuse one Dragon with the sacrificed abilities, and strength, making them a large monster that almost nothing can stop.
History: Before the spark, Drako was an aspiring student at a prestigious academy on Dominiria. His fiery passion and devotion to study made him a favorite (if not annoyance) to many faculty and students. When it came time for a project for their graduation, Drako knew what he wanted to do, but unsure of how to study it directly: Dragons. He headed to the mountains of Shiv and searched for the nest of the Shivan Dragon, a terror of the mountainous regions. He was assaulted by his own subject for study, the creature knocking him off the edge of the cliff behind him. In a burst of will and desire for life, Drako unlocked his Planeswalker Spark, managing to teleport his way out of the mouth of the Dragon and avoiding a splattering death. In a show of quick wits, he managed to Mark the Shivan Dragon ( http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=129730 ) and then summoned it forward to aid him. He returned to his academy both admired and feared. Drako went back to the Shivan Mountains, and ended up having a few run-ins with both the Goblins and the barbaric shamans that inhabited the hills. Captured by the barbarians ( http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=46615 ), he was going to be put to the test in their battle arena. Seeing no other way out, he summoned the Shivan Dragon and received the barbarian’s respect for commanding the Dragon. He was taught some of the shaman’s ways, which only partly made sense to him. As Drako spent time with the barbarians, he marked a few of them, and also came into contact with more Dragons that he was able to mark as well. One day, another Planeswalker named Sarkhan Vol ( http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1676). visited the camp. Drako found out more about the Multiverse, and decided to travel with the flaming shaman to learn more. However, he found himself and Vol had differing ideals pertaining to Dragon-kind. Vol searched for one worthy of his worship, while Drako wanted to know more about them, to study them. An argument broke down into a Planeswalker Duel, which Drako ended up having to forfit and run because of his own inexperience. Drako continued to travel the Planes, searching for Dragons and researching the differences between them all. His latest attempt ended up with him on trial. It was Drako vs the Plane of Ravnica. Apparently pissing off the Dragon Wizard, Niv-Mizzet wasn’t such a good idea, but it was fun, and Drako had marked the majority of things that had caught his eye on the Plane before he was caught and put on trial. In the confusion he managed to slip away and to the Blind Eternities, to ponder his next destination, when he was the victim of a “hit-and-still-running” (as he puts it).
Other: He has a small version of the Gemstone Array from the Mirrodin Plane. It is just as effective as the larger version, however it takes much longer to store Mana on it. He can also summon the actual Artifact when prompted to, but he uses the smaller version for convenience. It lets him draw mana from the land and then turn it into what type of Mana he needs at the moment. Drako’s biggest strength is also his weakness. He uses lots of Mana to summon some difficult creatures, such as Dragons and their kind. It requires a lot of Mana to summon and sustain them, and he usually uses the Array in such a fashion, however he tends to forget how much mana he has stored on there and can find himself scrambling for more Mana in the middle of a fight. To this end he’s still learning how to deal with it. Drako also has books on his person, some personal journals detailing his thoughts and dissections on the Planes he’s visited, as well as some other books he’s “borrowed” from other Planes. If he comes across his Mentor ever again, he may have to settle the score and show him that you can worship a dragon all you want, but it doesn’t help you understand it.
Stereotypes:
Red: The embodiment of expression and passion for what is not yet known. True freedom that cannot be stopped by mere boundaries.
Blue: Knowledge is power, and understanding something, gives you power over it.
Green: Nature abides by its own ordered chaos, but the wilderness can only support itself for so long before it collapses.
White: Order begets Revolution. Revolution involves Chaos. Chaos dies down to Order.
Black: Death comes for all things. Impulse and drive are what we have to live with.
Current Characters:
Drako Ralen (Mew Master)
Lucien The Fallen (Crystal Tears)
Aericonix De'Virsus (Drusilla)
Enzo Tolkees (Mystic Clown)
Frasneur the Mimick (EngiMatikul)
Viatrix Miff (Crystal Tears)
?? (Mew Master)
There is Mana. Five differing bits of raw energy that shape and mold the world based upon their influences upon the other.
Red (R): Red Mana is freedom, emotion, impulse. It scorches the heavens and is not held back by regular conventions and rules. Raw passion and destruction.
Blue (U): Blue Mana is knowledge, manipulation, illusion. The power of water and the crashing of waves upon the shore. It represents the power of knowledge, illusion, and deceit.
Green (G): Green Mana is growth, instinct, nature. Great beasts surge with power and mother nature is at her most ferocious.
White (W): White Mana is order, protection, light. It is at the heart of knights, good-willed rebellions, and heavenly avengers. It heals, repairs, and protects others.
Black (B): Black Mana is darkness, ambition, death. Zombies are born from areas with high amounts of Black Mana, as are demons, devils, and all sorts of hellish nightmares.
Mana flows through the Planes and it affects the civilization and evolution of the organisms that inhabit it. Each Plane is different and the paths from planes through the Multiverse are constantly changing, unstable, which could land a Planeswalker stranded for a year or more until they are able to return to their more familiar routes, which even then may have changed.
Mana is drawn from the land. Depending on the Land type or area (which can be expanded upon, any ideas for Land in the game will be greatly appreciated and will see some time in the RPG). Main Land types are Mountains, Islands, Forests, Plains, and Swamps, which produce Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black Mana respectably. Each Planeswalker can channel Mana from the land to cast their spells, the difference is depending on the spell they want to cast, they need the appropriate Mana to do so.
Let’s take Steve. He’s a Planeswalker who specializes in Red spells and creatures. And he’s in an area that’s designated as a Forest Area in game (Types of Mana available will be told to the players, I promise ^^U) He can call forth the Mana from the land, but it’ll be Green Mana, and the spells he knows are Red. So, unless he had a green spell, he will end up channeling the mana into himself and injuring himself from Mana Burn. Of course most Planeswalkers know more than just one section of spells besides those they specialize in, but in theory this is what happens.
Now, there are ways around this. Some Planeswalkers either have artifacts or items that generate a certain type of Mana, or one that can channel whatever kind they want and get whatever kind they need. Some are just store-houses of Mana.
Now, some other things to keep in mind when transitioning from TCG to PbP. I know it’s a lot, I’m doin my best here ^^
Player: The Planeswalkers. Any spell that affects a “player” affects the Planeswalker.
Land: If a spell affects a Land Card in the TCG, then it affects the landscape in a similar fashion. While it may not obliterate the landscape, it will disrupt the flow of Mana for at least one Planeswalker.
Graveyard: While there is no “graveyard” in the PbP, there will be the dead bodies of fallen Creatures and the weaving Mana of cast spells. Spells that affect the Graveyard will draw from the mass of dead bodies and floating Mana to bring back, recreate a spell, or any other affect as such.
Hand: The Planeswalker’s “hand” is the collection of spells fore-front in their mind. If any spell affects the “hand” it will target the Planeswalker’s mind, making them forget the spells temporarily. At least until after the Duel is over. In the RPG, a Planeswalker’s mind is thinking too rapidly for them to pick and choose some of their more powerful spells, therefore they have to count on rapid recollection of random spells in their arsenal. Some beneficial, some detrimental, all powerful.
Return to Hand: Spells that say “return to player’s hand” deal with Unsummoning the creature, enchantment, or artifact back to the Planeswalker’s mind. It basically unravels the Mana and sending it back to the fore-front of the Planeswalker’s mind. However, if preformed on a creature not summoned by a Planeswalker, it does have the entertaining effect of either sending them flying backwards for a while, or removing them from reality. Risky and dangerous, does not wipe Planeswalker’s from reality because their Spark keeps them tied to everything, just sends them flying… usually landing in a tree.
Library: The “library” is the Planeswalkers total collection of spells and creature summons that they know. Anything that affects the “library”, affects the deeper reaches of the Planeswalkers memory and knowledge.
Removed from Game: Anything “RFG” is sent from the Plane to the Blind Eternities, where it is torn apart by raw Entropy. When it is destroyed, it will eventually return to the Planeswalker’s arsenal after a few hours or so.
Okay, A Card-Breakdown. “What the heck is this shite” I bet you’re asking me. Well.. for those not familiar with it, here’s the breakdown.
Card name: The name of the spell
Mana Symbols: These symbols are what it takes to cast the spell as far as colors of Mana are concerned. If a spell says 3RR, then it NEEDS two Red Mana, and three Mana of any other color, which can be Red, Black, Blue, White, or Green.
Card Type: Card type is what kind of spell is it (we’re ignoring Land Cards and Planeswalkers for the RPG… makes it a bit simpler). The Card types are Sorcery, Instant, Creature, Enchantment, and Artifact. Fastest Spells (cards) are Instants, they can be cast as fast as someone is thinking. Sorceries, Creatures, Enchantments, and Artifacts are much slower and take a bit more time and preparation to cast (unless they have Flash of course).
Text: The text describes the interactions and abilities of the spell.
Power/Toughness: On Creature cards it’s marked with a #/# where the first number (Power or strength) is how hard it hits. And the second number (Toughness or stamina) is how much punishment it can take in a short amount of time before it is sent to the “Graveyard.”
Token: If a spell or ability puts a “Token Creature” into the world, it’s a generic version of that Creature type specified.
Legneds: If a Creature Type is labeled as “Legendary” then there can only be one of those creatures summoned by any one Planeswalker. If another summons the same Monster (only applies to Legendaries) then both are destroyed as they cannot exist in two places at once. There are some spells that nullify this effect however.
Now, if you are familiar with the Card game (and those of you who aren’t but looking at some of the key words and going, WTF?!) Here’s a simple breakdown for you ^^U and how these famous mechanics work into the RPG. Hopefully I’ve kept it simple… *trying to keep track of all of em* Plus how, well.. cinematically at least, Combat kidna works..
Not all cards have these abilities, but this is more how these work in the RPG visually and, well, mechanically…
Affinity: An affinity means, the more something is around, the easier it is to cast. This could go for Artifacts, spirits, or any other variety of things.
Amplify: By exposing some of your own secrets to another Planeswalker, some of your creatures can get a boost through this method.
Bloodthirst: If a creature is summoned after damage has been dealt to a Planeswalker, their strength and stamina is increased.
Bushido: Samurai training makes one dangerous in combat. When blocking or blocked by an opposing Planeswalker’s creatures, those with Bushido show how dangerous they are.
Buyback: By spending extra Mana, the Planeswalker can keep the spell fresh in his mind and be able to use again later.
Convoke: By drawing on the veneration of their creatures, a Planeswalker can use such spells much more efficiently as far as Mana use is concerned.
Cycling: Helping to sort out a Planeswalker’s thoughts, they can cycle through their spells, sending one out of their mind so that they can possibly something better.
Defender: A Creature who is unable to attack is a major boost to defense for any Planeswalker. If the opposing creatures can’t get to you, then more power to you.
Devour: When summoning a creature with this ability, they eat anything offered to increase their strength for the upcoming fight.
Double Strike: Like First Strike, except in a double form. Able to hit once, and then again in rapid succession, dealing twice as much damage in half the time.
Dredge: Bringing back a creature from the chaos of the Mana swirling around, and able to be summoned.
Echo: Those with the Echo ability need to be paid for once more after they were originally summoned. Their ties through the Planes that much more unstable.
Entwine: When a spell has two abilities to choose from, you can pay for both, and get some powerful effects.
Epic: When you play an Epic Spell, it is the only thing that you can really do. Let the spell continue on until the duel is over. It randomly sifts through your Planeswalker’s known spells and works off that. It doesn’t stop them from using their own abilities.
Fade: Sometimes the Æther is so unstable that a creature can’t survive if summoned. Those with Fade are such doomed creatures.
Fear: Horrifying to say the least. Only Black or Artifact Creatures can stop those with Fear.
Fire Breathing: By charging Red Mana into those with Fire Breathing, the Planeswalker can give them extra strength.
First Strike: With a quick flurry, one with First Strike can get the damage in before a creature can react.
Flanking: Being able to out maneuver your opponent is key to any battle. By Flanking, a Creature takes its opponent by surprise, landing crucial blows.
Flash: While Creature spells are a bit slower than others, those with Flash can be played as fast as a flash of lighting.
Flashback: It may be over for those in the “Graveyard.” But by re-weaving the left over Mana, a Planeswalker can re-use a previous spell one more time before its sent to the Blind Eternities.
Flying: The creature can fly, and only those that can fly can stop it from attacking.
Forecast: Quickly, some effects happen that involve considering the future.
Graft: Orbs that are symbiotic in nature and can be spread to other creatures. Increasing their strength and stamina.
Grandeur: By foregoing other spells, one can get extra effects from those with Grandeur.
Haste: All summoned creatures, even from the “Graveyard” are affected by Summoning Sickness. They are disoriented from being summoned through the Multiverse to fight for a Planeswalker. Those with Haste, are not, and can lunge at their target as fast and furious as the wind itself.
Haunt: When spells or creatures die in battle, they can be brought back, Haunting another creature. When those that are haunted die, the spell activates one more time before disappearing to the Æther.
Hellbent: When a Planeswalker has no spells at the front of his mind to call upon. When he goes for broke and throws all care to the wind.
Imprint: An ability of some Artifacts that copies a spell and enables it to be used under certain conditions.
Indestructable: No manner of spell, creature, or destructive force can stop these creatures. Doesn’t mean they can’t be stopped or slowed down at least.
Kicker: An extra effect for extra Mana. Not quite like Entwine
Landwalk: If a creature has “Islandwalk” or “Forestwalk” then they cannot be stopped by opposing Planeswalker’s creatures if the duel is taking place on a land-type of those types. This can vary, such as “Non-basic Landwalk” ect.
Lifelink: When a creature deals damage, the Planeswalker gains a bit of energy and health back from the damage dealt.
Madness: Sometimes, the insane ones know true power. If kicked out of their “hand” then they can use the spell while being forced to forget it.
Modular: Extra mechana on certain Artifact Creatures that can fall off after attacking or blocking an attacker. Their effectiveness in combat drops steadily as well.
Morph: The creature when summoned with it’s Morph ability resembles a shifting glob of Mana-charged goo. When the Planeswalker deems himself ready, he can bring forth the creatures true form. Some have devastating effects from this.
Ninjitsu: Those sneaky Ninja! Ninjutsu switches out one creature for a Ninja when it attacks.
Offering: Some cards ask for offerings of a certain type. Similar to Convoke except it demands sacrifices of certain creatures to lessen the strain of summoning.
Phasing: Phasing shifts it out of this plane of reality for a short duration, making it difficult to hit in combat, or affect with spells.
Protection from (color here): Anything with this ability cannot be affected in Combat by Creatures of the color, as well as spells of that chosen color.
Provoke: When a charging Creature is coming in, this ability forces the defending creatures to stop it, usually with devastating affects for both sides.
Rampage: If something is blocked, its resolve can sky rocket depending on how many more Creatures try to block it.
Reach: Creatures with this ability can physically block those with Flying, even if they don’t have Flying.
Regeneration: By spending Mana, a creature can be saved from the “Graveyard” maintaining it in play, re-summoned from the swirling Mana next to the Planeswalker.
Replicate: Copying spells depending on how much Mana the Planeswalker puts into the replication.
Ripple: When casting, some creatures and spells have a ripple effect that has the chance of bringing more forth from the Planeswalker’s arsenal.
Scry: Helping the Planeswalker sift through the spells in their head, they can organize their thoughts a little bit better.
Shadow: Creatures with Shadow are immaterial and can only affect Planeswalkers and other creatures with Shadow.
Shroud: Shroud protects creatures from spells and creature abilities that directly affect the creature. This affects everyone. If something has Shroud, best to find a way to kill it with a wider effect than a Fireball.
Soulshift: When a Creature dies, they can shift their essence to something else that is already in the “Graveyard” and raise it back from the dead.
Splice (Arcane): Splicing spells lets a Planeswalker add extra effects to spells for a cheaper cost, without actually casting the spell.
Split Second: The fastest spell in the Multiverse (as we know it now). It is faster than Instances and only another card with Split Second can stop it, or interfere.
Storm: In the chaos of a lot of spells being cast in a short amount of time. Storm takes advantage of that chaos and adds its own. Copying itself for every spell cast in a certain amount of time can be devastating for everyone on the field, especially if the spell either summons creatures or destroys land.
Sunburst: Those with sunburst get strength when different types of Mana are spent into its casting.
Suspend: By creating a rift in time, the Planeswalker can “float” a spell and put it on a small countdown until it is actually cast. A nice “from left field” type of spell.
Threshold: When there is enough residual Mana and creatures littering the ground, those with Threshold have their abilities activated.
Trample: Basically “over-run.” A creature with Trample is so ferocious that it even runs through the defending creatures to hit the Planeswalker, no matter how many get in the way.
Transmute: By exchanging one spell, the Planeswalker can search for another spell in their arsenal.
Unblockable: Can’t be stopped by defending creatures.
Upkeep (Cumulative): The longer that the spell is on the field, the more strenuous the cost to the Planeswalker, or dangerous it becomes.
Vigilance: Normally, when a creature attacks, it goes all out, overstressing itself and unable to block retaliation. Those with Vigilance are able to deal their damage, and remain able to stop any on-coming forces.
And now, for Eldria herself.
The Plane seems to be a stable one. Mana flow is fluctuating and sometimes inconsistent. However there have been major influxes of Mana, and this is especially noticeable to the Planeswalkers who end up there. There are five main continents, and over two dozen kingdoms stretched out along the Plane, and even more towns and villages scattered along the way.
If your Planeswalker has been on Eldria for a while (weeks to years), then they may be familiar with a few of these locations, or perhaps finding a place to stay or just wandering the Plane, seeking its mysteries.
CONTINENTS
Bea: One of the large northern continents that stretches far to the west and south across the equator. It’s eastern edge is a few miles from Vect, separated by increasing volcanism of the Plane’s geophysics. Bea has a host of environments from the southern jungles and forests to the red-rocked mountains and deserts of the west, the snow-capped peaks to the north, and even a chain of islands stretching south towards Rast.
Rast: South of the main part of Bea, this large continent is a breeding ground for necromancy and demonic magic. Mellenia ago, some powerful ritual caused the land to become blighted with the corruption of a powerful demon king. The demon was banished, however its taint still remains. Once the crowned jewel of knowledge and learning in Eldria, it has turned into a place of death and decay. Only the truly brave wander it’s blighted landscape to face the zombie hordes and the squabbles of Necromancic Barons and Baronesses.
Glyko: The second largest island continent (after Rast, and before the Derwina Archipelago), it is home to a large metropolis that is continually expanding. Already covering the land, Glyko is now having to deal with using mana to suspend some of its buildings above the sea when the seasonal rains start to hit. Currently the seat of where diplomats go to address their own problems with the world. It’s a thriving metropolis where the lower you go in the city scape, the more danger you can find yourself in. Oddly enough, all five types of Mana flow wildly here and yet only a few tap into the source.
Vect: The other large northern continent of Eldria, it’s climate matches Bea for the most part, however the topography is much more drastic. While Bea has smooth contrasts between its individual landforms, Vect has a much more stark contrast. Several mountain ranges uplifted through powerful plate tectonics hide little ecosystems of stagnant water and vegetation. Snow covers a large tundra along the northern part of the continent, joining with Bea’s arctic areas in a massive ice sheet and glaciers. Large expanses of high plains gives way to bursting forests. Much of this kind of change is due to anthropogenic disturbances shaping the for sentient needs.
Derwina Archipelago: An island chain between the western shore of Bea and the Eastern shore of Vect (where Bea and Vect are the closest together is considered the Prime Meridian), and past the southern end of the equator. After separating from the two main continents, Derwina’s flora and fauna have undergone drastic radiation and evolution. Visitors from the mainland include humans and some druidistic Viashino. Some of them try to alter the animals to better cope with sentient races or indulge themselves in the “art” of Artificial Selection. The home for one of Eldria’s prestigious academies of Magick Arts and Science.
KINGDOMS
Thuriam: A large Elvin expanse that thrives through the forests of lower, western Bea. They make their homes in massive trees in the thick of the jungle, resembling living skyscrapers. Their close ties with nature make them the perfect ones to rush through the undergrowth without being seen. Most travelers are unaware of Thuriam’s existence when they transverse the forest. Those that deliberately harm the forest proper are usually killed, but those that go through on their way are left alone, or subtly guided through the safe paths. Thuriam Elves speak an old dialect of Elfish, and are accomplished warriors in their own right.
Davidia: One sect of goblins that are at war with those of Bowidika on Vect. These Goblins utilize technology and artificers to give them an edge in any fight. Resiliant, fast, and about two and a half to three feet tall, the green-skinned ones have been known to raid human towns for supplies and “sport.” Sometimes it’s a contest between them and Bowidika over who can destroy human settlements more.
Bowidika: The other sect of Goblins. While mostly morphologically similar, they’re taller, with a bit more bulk. Instead of such a dependency on technology like the Davidia Goblins, these ones use a more shamanistic approach, rushing into battle with swords held high and mana coursing through their veins. Any kind of metal they grab, they graft into their hodge-podge armor and weapons.
Hammos: A kingdom along the central plains of Bea. On good terms with the Elves, they trade for goods and provide various forms of export to other kingdoms and continents. Highly renowned for their chivalry and their sense of duty to community and the king.
These are examples! There are others, make them up as you go if you feel like it. Be sure to “okay” and work out details with me.
So… any questions? No? Good.
Let’s get started…