Andila's Campaign

[Prince Toad]

The world as Andila knows it has changed. Once, this overcrowded and resource-depleted continent and its small daughter continent of Toblis were thought to be the only significant landmasses in the world. However, inventors have achieved breakthroughs in naval technology that allow for sturdier ships which can withstand the high seas. A daring captain named Balvani Saurim has sailed east and returned months later with news that shook all Andila: there is a new continent, which he has named Saurima, ripe for the taking. Every nation wants her hand to hold the true grip over Saurima, and Andila has broken out into war.

THE NATIONS:

In the far north lies Celn. The ancient Celners built massive wooden forts and stone towers, and once unified, their descendants mastered architecture and masonry. They have defended their forbidding edifices with practiced skill in archery, and with the Ralay Mountains guarding the border to the south, Celn has never been conquered. Their vast quarries of stone and metal are running low, and the lumber in their forests may soon be gone as well. Celn desires to expand her territory and rule over Saurima, building a frozen empire stone by stone. The metal available in Saurima appeals to Celn in addition to the power.

To the south of Celn lies Archel, much of which is plains. There is also a large forest in the west, near the coast. Archelans have little protection in the south save low hills, and none in the north should Celn decide to invade through the Pass of Ralay. Toblis has also invaded on occasion. As a result, Archelan defenders must be swift, and so they have learned to excel on horseback. They have also become a hardy race in the face of adversity. Archel desires a safe haven for her people, and freedom from the dangerous political game she has played with all her neighbors for centuries.

To Archel's west, across the Strait of Norry, lies Toblis. As Toblis is an island, its people have become excellent sailors and traders, dealing between nations as well as with their natural produce, which is mostly exotic foods. However, in constructing their massive fleet, they used up virtually all sources of wood on their isle. Toblish outlaws (and privateers) have raided Archel for centuries, but the nations share an unsteady pact. With the discovery of Saurima, things may change. To construct more ships for colonization, Toblis needs lumber-- and the largest source of lumber on Andila is the Londus Forest, right on Archel's western coast. Also, Toblis needs a way to cross Andila's mass to reach Saurima, and Archel holds the Black River, the easiest way across to the Dawn Ocean. Toblis wants Saurima because the new continent may hold riches and power; also, there may be lumber, always needed in the nation.

The tiny nation of Ezkrut makes up the southwestern portion of Andila. Isolated from its neighbors by hills and the Glass River, Ezkrut has been forced to develop its own unique solutions to its problems. It is mostly desert. The people of Ezkrut have survived by learning magic for protection and making valuable glass and crystal objects for money. The secrets to the creation of these are closely guarded. While other nations possess mages, only Ezkrut has the expertise to divine knowledge of the future. They shut themselves off from Andila, only trading with Toblish sailors and defending themselves against attack. Occasionally they make forays into Archel, but these rarely succeed. Ezkrut desires Saurima because she wants to finally live in comfortable conditions and live normal lives instead of her current practices of secrecy and arcana.

East of Ezkrut, across the Gulf of Suspicion, is Chandury, the last of Andila's nations. Chandury's greatest natural defense is the Isthmus of Chandury, which potential enemies would have to cross before reaching the larger mass. Chandury is a theocracy, and she has a close connection with the gods. She employs priests that smite evil (or non-Chandurians) for king and country, and her army consists largely of unmounted holy knights. She is, actually, the most aggressive of the nations, but Archel and Ezkrut have so far managed to push back her advances. She needs less metal, stone, and wood than Toblis and Celn, and in fact probably has enough of these to build a fleet and outfit an army, though she guards these resources jealously. Chandury desires Saurima because she sees it as divine right. The Chandurians think that Saurima was a promised land that was given to them by their gods, and it is their duty to claim and rule over it. The fact that Balvani Saurim himself was Chandurian is further proof, to them.

***************************

You are a recruit in an army fielded by one of these nations. Your skill has been recognized, and you are to be sent on private missions depending on your individual abilities. No nations are at war as of right now, but there is little doubt that this will occur within a very short period of time. Serve your nation, and you will see the rewards in world events-- not to mention the personal ones you will receive for successful missions.

The system is based off my ancient (try well over three years old) topic The Campaign, as is reflected in the name of this one. Your stats are predetermined depending on your class. The only stats are HP, MP, Attack, and Initiative. HP and MP serve their usual roles. Attack is used only in the case of regular (non-ability) attacks. All other damage is determined by the skill that you use. Initiative determines who goes first in fights. You make up your own skills, but they must work within your class. Remember that your starting class is not very powerful, and as such, you should not create powerful skills. I will disallow any I deem too strong, or alternatively, give them an extremely high (perhaps unaffordable) MP cost. As you class up, you will be able to create more powerful skills. Also, physical skills that are fairly weak may have no MP cost, but those with MP costs will be more effective. Again, I will determine this.

Sign-up sheet:

Name: ...
Sex: Male or female. But not both.
Age: May affect some things. Dunno yet.
Nation: Celn, Archel, Toblis, Ezkrut, or Chandury.
Class: Choose from the list below. You can choose any starting class from your country.
Abilities: You can make up to 10 skills. They have to fit in with your class. I will determine damage, MP cost, etc, although you can state certain specific effects, like (for instance) how many people it will hit.

**********************
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Squire: Knights in training who use swords or maces to deal out heavy physical damage. They have excellent raw power and average speed. They are excellent at melee combat, and wear physical armor to help them fight better up close. However, their magic is very limited-- they prefer to utilize special attacks instead. Nations: Archel, Chandury. Next class: Knight.
Horseman: Swift mounted fighters who charge in on horses and fight with lances or swords. They are good fighters, and their horses give them a decided advantage where there is room to use them. They are excellent at hunting down fleeing enemies, and if the situation requires, fleeing themselves. They wear physical armor and bard their horses to make themselves, and their mounts, tougher. Their magic, like that of squires, usually goes towards special attacks. Nations: Archel, Chandury. Next class: Rider.
Spearman: Tough soldiers who can take a serious beating before they go down. They are not particularly fast, and deal fairly low damage in melee. They wear physical armor to help make them even tougher. They use little magic except for minor protection, enhancement, and healing, though like the other melee-oriented classes, they often use special attacks. Nations: Celn, Toblis, Chandury. Next class: Hoplite.
Pickpocket: People who use their nimble fingers and agile movements to avoid detection and steal from others. Though they are incredibly fast, they generally avoid straight combat, preferring to take out opponents through underhanded means, or at least get a leg up before engaging. They can wear low-level versions of both magical and physical armor, but they tend not to wear much of either. Their abilities deal with sneaking around, picking locks, throwing daggers, etc. Nations: Celn, Toblis, Ezkrut. Next class: Thief.
Slinger: Speedy fighters who choose to attack from a safe distance. Their hurled pellets deal a surprising amount of damage, and they wear only light physical or magical armor so that they can better distance themselves from their targets. However, they are not very tough. Their abilities usually involve enhancing their pellets or their speed, though they may have minor healing cantrips. Nations: Celn, Toblis, Ezkrut. Next class: Bowman.
Healer: Users of white magic and healing knowledge that heal, protect, and enhance their allies or themselves. They aren't particularly tough, but they can be hard to take down because of their restorative abilities. They are fairly fast and have deep magical reserves; however, they deal marginal damage in melee, and so can have a tough time dealing with opponents by themselves. They wear magical armor to increase their healing capability. Nations: Celn, Archel, Ezkrut, Chandury. Next class: Cleric.
Apprentice: Practitioners of magic in various forms. Though they have limitations based on the knowledge available in their home country, they can deal damage, enhance abilities, cast curses, change the environment, conjure spirits to aid them, and much more. They are frail, deal minimal damage in melee, and have only average speed, but their incredible mana pool allows them to cast powerful spells with ease. They wear magical armor so that they can have even greater casting capability. Nations: Archel, Toblis, Ezkrut. Next class: Mage.
Builder: The Celnish mastery of architecture has been passed down through countless generations. Builders carry on that tradition, bringing their strong bodies and knowledge of machines and constructions to the battlefield. If given time and the right materials, they can build sturdy defenses swiftly (although not in the heat of a battle); in fights, they can use their axes and hammers to cause serious damage. Though they use little magic and are relatively slow, they are very strong and tough, and make great brawlers. Nation: Celn. Next class: Mason.
Scout: Archel is a land of open plains and massive forests, under frequent attack from many sides. Archelan Scouts traverse this terrain rapidly, bringing reports from all parts of the nation. They are often called upon to map out or track enemy movements. Sometimes they are sent as a special force team to perform difficult operations. They use bows and swords to harry enemies and defend themselves from attack; they are tough and very fast, but not particularly powerful. They wear light physical armor, preferring not to tire themselves out but appreciating the extra protection. They use minor magic to enhance their speed or vision, or have abilities that include special bow attacks, traps, and tracking. Nation: Archel. Next class: Ranger.
Crewman: The expansive navy of Toblis is manned by skilled Crewmen. These are the strong, tough men who keep the fleet afloat. Though some man trading vessels, many are used as raiders, harassing the shipping and coastlines of other nations under private flags. Crewmen also help to sail the ships that run across the Black River and into the Dawn Ocean; this is more important than ever. They use swords and hammers, and wear physical armor, protecting themselves against retaliatory attacks. While they are tough, they are also quick and powerful. Any small amount of magic they have is reserved for special attacks, enhancements, or perhaps extremely simple weather magic. Nation: Toblis. Next class: Sailor.
Diviner: Ezkrut is a small nation, bereft of many luxuries that citizens of other countries take for granted. The army is basically nothing but a collection of mages and archers that fight off raids and, occasionally, attack. Ezkrut has managed to survive through its Diviners. These mages can predict the future, read auras, and search minds for useful knowledge. Though they are frail, they are quite magically adept, and also faster than other magical classes. A good Diviner can turn the tide of a fight with his or her prescience. They wear magical armor that they may better use their unique abilities. Nation: Ezkrut. Next class: Scryer.
Acolyte: In Chandury, faith is paramount. Aggression runs a close second. The Acolytes of Chandury combine the two, using melee fighting techniques and divine magic to strike down their foes. Acolytes call upon the gods to aid them, smiting their foes with sword or spell. They use swords or maces as well as holy magic, and can wear either physical or magical armor, depending on their particular style. They are strong and magically competent, with average speed. They are a bit frail, but often overcome this with armor or magic. Nation: Chandury. Next class: Monk.

BIG CLASS LIST

CELN

Builder (unique): Builder-Mason-(Operator-Assaulter-Siege Master) / (Crafter-Inventor-Engineer)
Slinger: Slinger-Bowman-(Crossbowman-Heavy Crossbowman-Boltmaster) / (Archer-Longbowman-Arrowmaster)
Spearman: Spearman-Hoplite-(Sentinel-Guardian-Defender) / (Spear Thrower-Javelineer-Javelin Master)
Healer: Healer-Cleric-(White Mage-White Wizard-White Warlock) / (Protector-Abjurer-White Shield)
Pickpocket: Pickpocket-Thief-(Lockpick-Breacher-Keymaster) / (Nightstalker-Assassin-Ninja)

ARCHEL

Scout (unique): Scout-Ranger-(Tracker-Hunter-Huntmaster) / (Runner-Wanderer-Explorer)
Horseman: Horseman-Rider-(Galloper-Trampler-Horsemaster) / (Commander-Hero-Conqueror)
Apprentice: Apprentice-Mage-(Aeromancer-Storm Caller-Storm Master) / (Black Mage-Black Wizard-Black Warlock)
Healer: Healer-Cleric-(Protector-Abjurer-White Shield) / (Horse Cleric-Horse Priest-Horse Saint)
Squire: Squire-Knight-(Firesheather-Element Sheather-Magiknight) / (Swordsman-Warrior-Champion)

TOBLIS

Crewman (unique): Crewman-Sailor-(Helmsman-Captain-Navigator) / (Raider-Pirate-Corsair)
Pickpocket: Pickpocket-Thief-(Nightstalker-Assassin-Ninja) / (Footpad-Rogue-Master Thief)
Apprentice: Apprentice-Mage-(Aeromancer-Storm Caller-Storm Master) / (Hydromancer-Ocean Mage-Ocean Master)
Slinger: Slinger-Bowman-(Sharpshooter-Sniper-Archer of the Eyes) / (Archer-Longbowman-Arrowmaster)
Spearman: Spearman-Hoplite-(Spear Thrower-Javelineer-Javelin Master) / (Dragoon-Skyspear-Heaven Spear)

EZKRUT

Diviner (unique): Diviner-Scryer-(Psychic-Aura Searcher-Aura Master) / (Predicter-Knower-Seer)
Apprentice: Apprentice-Mage-(Black Mage-Black Wizard-Black Warlock) / (Geomancer-Terraformer-Earth Master)
Healer: Healer-Cleric-(Enchanter-Inspirer-Power Well) / (White Mage-White Wizard-White Warlock)
Pickpocket: Pickpocket-Thief-(Lockpick-Breacher-Keymaster) / (Footpad-Rogue-Master Thief)
Slinger: Slinger-Bowman-(Crossbowman-Heavy Crossbowman-Boltmaster) / (Fire Archer-Storm Archer-Bowman Warlock)

CHANDURY

Acolyte (unique): Acolyte-Monk-(Warrior Monk-White Warrior-White Blade) / (Smiter-Channeler-Avatar)
Squire: Squire-Knight-(Swordsman-Warrior-Champion) / (Cavalier-White Knight-Paladin)
Healer: Healer-Cleric-(Protector-Abjurer-White Shield) / (Enchanter-Inspirer-Power Well)
Spearman: Spearman-Hoplite-(Dragoon-Skyspear-Heaven Spear) / (Sentinel-Guardian-Defender)
Horseman: Horseman-Rider-(Jouster-Lancer-Lancemaster) / (Galloper-Trampler-Horsemaster)

If there are any questions, I will answer them. Otherwise, sign up and I'll get it going.

[ October 05, 2005, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[Lord Umbra]

Name: Darnel
Sex: Male
Age: 24
Nation: Toblis
Class: Crewman

Abilities
Becalmed: The initiative of one foe dramatically drops.
Heavy Blow: Darnel strikes with great fury, dealing a great deal of damage.
Hurricane: Darnel attacks with devestating results. (Think stronger version of Heavy Blow)
Lashing Rain: All enemies are hurt for low damage.
No Prisoners: Darnel's attack becomes goes up really, really high.
Poisoned Strike: A normal attack that poisons enemy foes.
Rum: Raises attack, initiative, and (temporary) hp moderately for some time.
Salt Water: Heals a small amount of health.
Tempest's Fury: Darnel strikes all foes.
Vile Weapon: Darnel's weapon will will cause poison to those it touches for the duration of the battle.

[KirbyBoy2000]

Name: Avari
Sex: Female.
Age: 19.
Nation:Archel.
Class: Apprentice.
Abilities:
Thunder Crash- Creates a loud crashing sound. Can possibly stun or scare others.
Lightning Bolt- Fires a bolt of lightning at a single target.
Gale- Fires a wall of wind forwards. Can cause some damage and knock over things, yet it gets weaker at a distance.
Twister- Creates a few small cyclones several feet away from Avari. Cyclones move around a bit, but very slowly, if anyone is hit by one they take damage and get thrown by the cyclone.
Breeze- Heals some health using magic winds, but gets weaker the further away it goes.
Guiding Winds- Uses wind to boost damage and accuracy of allies ranged attacks.
Updraft- Lifts a small group near avari into the air with powerful winds, only effective if targets are light.
Icy Winds- Sends cold winds towards enemies; can slow enemies down and possibly harm them from cold.
Travelling Winds- Increases speed and movement of Avari and others around her.
Sylph- Summons a spirit that attacks with strong wind spells.

[[sage]]

Name: Tiran
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Nation: Archel
Class: Apprentice
Abilities:
-Pyro: Sets fire to one person or flammable object. Deals damage until extinguished or burns out. Medium Range.
-Aero: Sends one enemy flying backwards. Sending enemies into objects or others can cause damage. Medium Range.
-Cryo: Freezes one enemy for one round and deals cold damage for a few rounds. Frozen enemy takes more damage than usual from attacks and fire. Medium range.
-Heal: Uses some energy to heal himself or someone else.
-Beam: Creates a beam of energy that travels in a straight line from Tiran, and can hit multiple targets. The length is based on Tiran's level.
-Burst: Creates an explosion of energy that deals damage to everyone in a radius based on Tiran's level. Tiran cannot be harmed by unlinked bursts.
-Geyser: Creates circular upwards energy stream that lasts a few rounds. Deals heavy damage to person inside and light damage to those nearby. Tiran cannot be harmed by unlinked Geysers. Aero Geysers send those standing undernearth upwards instead of backwords.
-Vanish: causes temporary invisibility.
-Feather Fall: Allows himself to float freely to the ground.
-Link: Causes Beam, Burst or Geyser to be enhanced with the effects of Pyro, Cryo, Aero or Heal. Free action that slightly raises the mp cost.

[ July 19, 2005, 12:35 AM: Message edited by: Marth ]

[Prince Toad]

Two things, Marth.

1) Geyser is confusing. I'm not sure if the enemy hit by Geyser is knocked back or knocked into the air. If he's knocked back, then Geyser would only affect him for one turn (although it would block the way until it ended).

2) I'm not going to allow Link to work with Heal. It doesn't make any sense, especially for an Apprentice. Sorry. The others are fine.

[[sage]]

lol thats fine with heal. I just decided to throw that in cause its useful, I was about doubtful about that anyway. As for Geyser, no, its not supposed to throw anyone. I was referring to how Aero moves people backwards. When Aero is linked with Geyser, the backwards move effect becomes an upwards move effect. Otherwise, its just a stream of energy that comes from the ground up.

Also.. since theres no levels or magic stat is there a way to increase the length of beam, radius of burst and height/radius of Geyser over time by increasing something?

[ July 19, 2005, 11:50 PM: Message edited by: Marth ]

[Prince Toad]

Okay, I got it now. Thought it was supposed to hurl people into the air, not just be a stream of energy from the ground.

I'm gonna do it based on tier. You'll see when I post your topic, but basically as you become a better class, the move's effectiveness will increase. Although... now that I think about it, that's not supposed to happen. So I guess... if you choose to upgrade those moves (instead of changing them or not doing anything with them-- I'll explain that further when you class up) then Beam will get a longer range and Burst will have a larger radius. Beam does have a longer reach than most spells do now, and Burst has... well... I guess a larger radius than most spells (1 as opposed to 0, heh), so... I think that works. It's kinda like the old Lucky Number moves-- if you upgrade it when you class up, it'll have a specific effect. In this case, +1 reach for Beam, or +1 radius for Burst.

[ July 20, 2005, 01:26 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[ZIPPYDIPPY19]

Name: Beneion
Sex: Male
Age: 34
Nation: Chandury.
Class: Acolyte
Abilities:

-Wrath: Crushes one creature/object with divine energy. Moderate Damage.
-Bless Weapon: Blesses a weapon and infuses it with the power of the gods. Damage increase is dependent on Benion's level.
-Stalwart Faith: Creates a wall of energy that can be shaped into a flat plane, or a sphere/hemisphere focused on Beneion. Size (or radius for the sphere), and amount of damage blocked is level dependent.
-Resilience: Improves Beneion's physical and magical defenses by a small amount.
-Divine Grace: Drastically improves Beneion's chance to dodge for several turns. Can also be used to lessen the impact from heavy falls.
-Holy Word: Powerful word that can be used to stun creatures, destroy an object, or dispel one spell.
-Redemption: Average heal, heals more as level increases.
-Prayer: Heals several targets, heals more as level increases.
-Meditate: Cures Beneion of all Status conditions. MP cost is derived from the number of afflictions cured.
-Hand of God: Summons a flying avatar of Chandury's god to strike down Beneion's enemies. Attacks physically, but has limited magical abilities.


Edit: 'level dependent' is used loosely, it just implies that it has the potential to grow in strength/power.

[ July 20, 2005, 08:11 AM: Message edited by: Zipp ]

[Prince Toad]

^Those are fine, I should have your topic up later today.

As for level-dependent moves... well, the only "levels" in this are when you class up. You can upgrade or change up to seven moves when you class up. If you choose to upgrade those, they'll increase the effect that you stated. There's no real reason to state the effect now-- you can do it if/when you upgrade the moves-- but you can if you want. Of course, if you'd rather switch out for another spell or skill, you can do that.

I should probably mention something. Although they're expensive, you can buy Spell Books and Skill Books. They basically allow you to write in one spell or skill (depending on the Book) per tier, which lets you use more than ten skills. You can only use one Book at once, and once an ability is written in a Book, it can't be changed or removed. If you want a new ability to replace the one in the Book, you have to buy a new Book. When you class up, you can put another ability in the Book and keep your old skill. Alternatively, you can sell the old Book, buy a new one, and place two new abilities into it. When you reach the third tier, it's the same deal-- place a new ability into the old Book, or sell it, buy a new one, and place three new abilities in. I hope that all makes sense. If you have questions, I can clear them up.

Otherwise... your topics should be up by tonight, although I'm not free much this afternoon.

Check that. I am free, in fact. I guess I'll do that nowabouts.

edit: Minor changes to the BIG CLASS LIST. Nothing terribly interesting, just switched some names around and renamed a few classes.

[ July 21, 2005, 02:46 AM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[Alucard]

Name: Celen
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Nation: Ezkrut
Class: Pickpocket
Abilities:
Snatch - Takes an item from the target
Steal - Take Armor or weapon from target
Trap Door - Vanishes through a trap door and appears ten steps back
Pit Fall - Target falls into a hole next time he/she moves

I believe that this should work...unless you got any suggestions?

[Lord Umbra]

Well, you're not using all your skill slots. Even if you don't think you'll use them all, it's a good idea to have all the opportunities possible available.

Suggestions

1) Attack that does ridiculous damage. You're a thief, think backstabbing.

2) A classic thief style move here is a move where you hide in the shadows, which allows you to do the high powered attack / not to mention not get hit.

3) Something that targets all foes. It can be weak, just have one. Being swarmed is not fun.

4) Poison/status effects. I assume the pickpocket doesn't have the best melee stats, status effects will help you out.

[Prince Toad]

LU's on the right track. Assuming you want to keep those moves, you get 6 more.

Pickpockets are fast as hell. They get a fair amount of MP, so if you're efficient with your abilities, you can quickly dispatch an enemy, but if you get bogged down and don't have enough of an advantage, you won't be able to last long-- they aren't very tough, and their raw Attack is low. You can use knives or maces (since maces are simple to use, and thieves like to knock people out when killing is not necessary). Maces are stronger, but you can throw any knife you buy. If you want, you can buy a mace for melee and sneak attacks and a couple knives (the actual Knife item is very, very inexpensive-- daggers and dirks cost a little more, but deal more damage) for throwing. Um... also, as a Pickpocket you can take abilities that give a critical hit chance. (This usually doesn't exist except from skills, Traits, or if the enemy is prone.) They won't always crit, but with your low damage-dealing, the opportunity is useful.

...er... I hope that helped. If you have other questions, go ahead.

[Alucard]

Celen's Skills (Con't)

Slip - Avoids damage for one turn, then does a heavy blow to target.

Usi Stars - throws small spiked balls, hitting all targets.

Stunner - Paralyzes target for one turn using pressure points.

Starrunner - Runs past opponent, attacking with great force.

Soul's Illness - Uses a powdered poison on target.

Recharge - Restores HP at the cost of MP

[KirbyBoy2000]

*Rejoins*

Name: Sheba Cybrin
Sex: Female.
Age: 19.
Nation: Ezkrut.
Class: Diviner
Abilities:
Future Sight: Shows what will happen soon.
Reveal: Shows area better, may even show hidden things.
Mind Read: Shows what target is thinking.
Aura Read: Shows targets strengths.
Forget: Makes enemy forget what they were doing/what they saw for a while.
Sandstorm: Creates a sandstorm that reduces vision and confuses others.
Dispell: Negates all enemy spell effects.
Restore: Heals some HP to allies.
Desert Winds: Hits all enemies for some damage.
Fireball: A strong fire attack.