[MUD-Dev] Re: Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when.

[Alex Oren]

On Thu, 14 Jan 1999 20:34:26 -0800, JCL wrote:

} [...] Another fillip I've long liked are failed
} spells.  Currently (most MUDs) failed spells either silently fizzle
} or merely drain the resources of the caster.  I'd like something
} more noticable than that:
} 
}   -- some failed directional spells go in the wrong direction.
}   -- failed tageted spells hit the wrong target.
}   -- failed state-change spells (eg heal) do the reverse change (ie
}      damage).
}   -- failed damage spells reflect back on the caster and damage the
}      caster.
}   etc.
} 
} etc.
} 
} Just something to increase the risk of magic using, thus justifying
} increased cost and value of magic casters.

At one time the AD&D system had the concept of "wild magic".  Basically, there
was a "wild mage" class that cast spells at a randomly determined mage level
delta.  There was also a 5% chance that the spell would create a "wild surge",
giving an unpredictable result.  The net.books site had a nice table of such
results to roll from.


Have fun,
Alex.