How to: Magic and skills for dummiesMagic and skills are your best weapons... Besides actual weapons that is. They can increase your capabilities, protect you, and help you through problems. Below is explained the basic fundamentals of skills and spells.
Having skills and spells is very useful, but not necessary.
Skills and spellsYour abilities are divided in two different kinds. Skills, which lean towards the use of physical weapons such as guns and melee. And Spells, which utilise magic powers to your advantage.
In order to use skills and spells, you must first learn how to use them. With the Intelligence (INT) stat, you get space in your head to learn them. Together with a small payment, you can be taught the arts of skills and spells. At level 1, you start out with the ability to learn one skill and one spell. As you level up, you will gain SP. This can be used to buy more skills and spells. The higher your Intelligence (INT), the more SP you gain per level up. The cost of a skill or spell in SP is equal to the level of the spell/skill. A level 1 spell will cost 1 SP, a level 20 spell will cost 20 SP. You get the picture.
SlotsNow, you can also get slots. These are here to count the amount of uses you have for spells and skills.
With enough Vitality (VIT), you gain skill slots with every level up you get. At level 1, you automatically receive a single level 1 slot.
With enough Soul And Aura (SAU), you gain spell slots with every level up you get. At level 1, you automatically receive a single level 1 slot.
As you level up, you receive higher level slots. Say for example you get to level 2, you will receive a second level 1 slot, as well as a level 2 slot. The amount of slots you gain per level up depend on your stats.
Many spells and skills require a higher level slot in order to be used. A level 2 spell, for example, can only be cast with a level 2 spell slot. However, a level 1 spell can be cast using a level 2 spell slot. In fact, by using a lower level spell and a higher level spell slot, the effectivity of the spell will be increased.
EffectivityThe effectivity of skills depend on two things. A specific stat, such as strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Perception (PER) and/or vitality (VIT). The higher your level is in this stat, the more effective your skill will be. And second, it depends on the slot you use.
The effectivity of spells is a bit more complicated, as the effectivity depends on two factors at all times. Your Intelligence (INT) and your Emotionality (EMO). In some cases, your soul and aura (SAU) can also be involved.
When using a spell that is complex, the largest required stat will often be INT. In this case, your INT will weigh the heaviest in how effective the spell is. INT heavy spells typically do not do so much damage as that they are utilities. They may instead invoke effects, illusions and other such more advanced techniques.
When using a spell that requires both complexity and emotional strength, the height of both INT and EMO bind together (INT + EMO / 2 = effectivity). These spells are the most hard to pull off, but have some of the best and most powerful effects when specialised into.
When using a low level spell that has no EMO requirements at all, something interesting happens. In this case, the lower your EMO is, the stronger the effect will be. Typically, these spells are more haphazard and brutish. When using low requirement spells, the use of higher level spell slots and a low EMO will increase effectivity, but limits the range of spells to your disposal. Characters utilizing this technique are also called "Blunderbuss mages".
