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Grading Guidelines
Golden Rules:
The things below are all guidelines on how to balance spells. These are all bendable but should be the basis for how you look at spells when you do them. If an app has something that is later deemed OP in a way, the staff member who did such app should be notified so that they can fix such OPness. In the case of the staff member not being able to do the app or not wanting to another staff member should be assigned the app for edits.
Negotiations with apps are a big things with staff who do apps. If a spell is too OP then the staff member should state that the spell is too much and give edits on how to compromise with them while balancing the spell out.
Also apps should be looked at fully to avoid people using their words to add effects or other things. So read through everything guys.
All apps are balanced out in a way of if they fight other members but in PvE members are able to do more with their magic that is not stated in magic exactly. These PvE changes should not be too much but can be something like completely working over a charge up for a spell for instant use. This PvE setting will need to be agreed upon in a thread by all participants in order to be that way.
If you are grading an app belonging to an H-rank mage then inform an administrator before you review it. Review all spells as normal until you reach the H-rank spell, then discuss that spell with the admin to ensure both of you are agreed it is balanced and useable within the RP.
Spell Ranks:
- Reference For Comparing Ranks:
Spell Clashing: The chart above explains everything fo ranks excluding H-rank which is the equivalent to 3 S-rank. This chart be used to compare spells when they clash with other spells that are neutral to them. Whereas spells that weaker to a specific type of spell would be considered one rank lower to such spell. An example of this would be if a fire spell of B-rank went against a water spell of B-rank rank. The water spell will win over the fire spell and keep going doing half damage. This changes if the fire spell is at A-rank though and will result in both spells canceling each other out.
Spell Damage: Spells will always do their rank in damage and will have to split their damage between parts if multiple parts are used. This does depend on if the spell fires off all the shots in a way where the shots cannot all be dodged if they hit sometimes. Most of the time the guideline here stands.
So if a mage has a spell that shoots out two fireballs simultaneously then the damage will be half of the rank each. This can change though if the spell shoots out a fireball one at a time and can be allowed to do its full rank in damage.
Some spells are used to do attack opponents over a certain amount of posts which these spells are usually balanced by giving a damage cap per post when it is used that is reasonable. This means a spell that forms a ring of blades around an opponent and constantly attacks them should be lowered to a certain amount of damage per post that is reasonable for their rank.
Depending on the magic type and the spell being used damage can max out at 1.5 of their rank. This is completely under the graders discretion though. Spells that fit this are massive attacks like a giant fireball or a massive bolt of lightning. This does not apply to S-rank or H-rank spells.
Charge Spells: Charge spells have the potential of doing extra damage depending on the amount of posts charged. Each post spent charging will increase the damage output by 50% (0.5x rank damage) and is capped at 1.5x rank damage for D-A rank mages. S-ranks may charge their spells up to a maximum of 2.5x rank damage and H-ranks can charge up to a maximum of 3x rank damage.
Barrier Spells: Barrier spells are basically spells that create a shield that protects the caster from a certain amount of spells. Barriers should only protect the caster from up to 2 spells of their rank, and only when used separately. For example, a D-rank barrier would protect the caster from 2 D-rank spells if used one after the other. If a C-rank spell (= to 2 D-rank spells) hits the barrier then it will shatter and deal 0.25x the spell's damage to the defending mage (0.5x D-rank damage). The exception to this is with element-based barriers, where the barrier can take 3 or 4 hits from equal ranked spells of elements that the barrier resists.
Distances, Ranges and Speeds: Spells should have certain ranges equal to their rank. Maximum ranges are; 15 meters for D-rank, 30m for C-rank, 50 for B-rank, 75 A-rank, and 100 for S-rank. H-ranks can hit phenomenal ranges as they have hit the very peak of their magical ability, and thus will be considered on a spell-by-spell basis. These same distances can be used for AoE spells (which must always be written as 'the area of effect' rather than using the terms 'radius' or 'diameter').
Spell speed should be half the amount of the amount of range but in meters per second or something similar. So 5-7.5 m/s at D-rank, etc.
Again all of these are guidelines and can change with the mods discretion.
Spell Affecting Things:
Buff Spells: Spells can be used to buff up other spells or your character's attributes. These spells will boost mages of their rank the boost it states in the spell. However, if the target is of higher rank than the buff spell then the effect will have seemingly less impact due to the differences in rank. For example, a C rank spell that states it boosts the next spell by 50% would boost any C-rank spell by 50% as stated. If the caster used a B rank spell then the buff would only boost the spell by half a C-rank or 25% of a B rank spell.
Debuff Spells: Some spells can be used to affect other mages in some way with various effects depending on their magic type. These spell effects will only affect mages of rank of the spell and lower fully while affecting mages one rank higher for half the amount. This means that a B-rank poison spell being used on an enemy will only affect them fully if they are B-rank or lower while a A-rank mage will only suffer half the effects of the poison. Mages that are two or more ranks higher than the spell will not suffer the effects.
There are some debuff spells that cause a sort of immobilization to opponents if they hit. These spells should only immobilize mages of equal rank for one post while having half their effect on mages one rank higher and no effect on any who are higher than that. Lower ranked mages will obviously be stuck for a longer period of time.
Weapons Made Through A Spell: Weapons can be made through a spell for a mage to use in combat. These weapons will do their spell rank in damage and will NOT do the user’s rank in physical damage like a registered weapon would. Any effect they have is treated as their rank in damage and for affecting others. These weapons need to have a stated damage threshold they can take before being destroyed (or, in the case of requip weapons, dispelled) which is usually 2-4 of the rank of the spell. This depends on what exactly is being made and how it is being used. No matter what 4 is the highest but it should be rarely seen unless the weapon being formed is a shield of some kind.
Weapons That Are Manipulated by Spells: Weapons can be manipulated by spells to power them up somehow. These weapons will still do their the user’s rank in damage but the spells or effects the weapon can use due to being manipulated will be of the rank of the spell buff on the weapon. The damage threshold stays the same as it would under the weapons registration but can be changed by the buff itself.
Durations and CDs
Below is a small chart that explains the durations and cooldowns for spells based on rank that should be followed but again these can be bended some. Remember that a cooldown should always be longer than a duration and in some cases the cooldown can be increased or the duration can be lowered to balance out a spell more. Durations should have an explanation of some sort why they are so high at S-rank or H-rank. These high duration spells should have some sort of drawback to using them also.
D-rank: Durations: 3 max, CDs: 2-4
C-rank: Durations: 5 max, CDs: 3-6
B-rank: Durations: 6 max, CDs; 4-7
A-rank: Durations: 7 max, CDs: 5-8
S-rank: Durations: 10 max, the CDs on S-rank spells are usually a lot higher due to the effects. This means a spell with a 10 post duration would usually have 15-20 posts in a CD due to the effects it can do. Minimum CD is 8 posts.
H-rank: These are a case by case basis due to H-rank being 3x that of S-rank, and being used by a mage at the very peak of their power. Cooldowns should always be high regardless of the length of duration.
Elemental Bodies
Elemental bodies can be tricky but are surprisingly simple to balance. They are unaffected by physical damage from things but if any attack is manipulated by a magic source the damage is applied normally due to the magical source. This means any spell that shoots out any form of magical substance does its damage regularly also. Also an elemental body will have a weakness to the element it is weak to.
An example on how they work more can be seen like this:
1. You make yourself into water.
2. You take on the weaknesses of water and if hit by one of those weaknesses they lose their form or take double damage.
3. You can't have physical damage.
4. Hey look at you. You can still take magical damage no matter what the spell or magical item. If the spell or item is non elemental and physical damage based. Look they wasted a spell or turn.
Also elemental bodies should all be made as spells if they are used for defensive means like stated above but they can be made into abilities. These abilities will have to be RP based meaning they do nothing in combat really and are cosmetic in nature. Like most of these guidelines there are times where you can bend this but it will come with a hefty cost somehow.
HP/MP Regen:
These max amounts below cannot change.
HP Regens: Some mages can attempt to get HP regens on their magic, weapons, armor or items. The regens here would need to either be related to a healing magic of some sort or make some sort of sense in their description as to how they give a regen. The max regen amount per item is 5% HP and the max amount over all if 15% HP.
In the case of regen over time spells, the maximum HP regeneration per post should be 2%.
MP Regens: Some mages can attempt to have MP regens on their magic, weapons, armor or items. Due to all mages having a 10% regen of MP every 5 posts already they can only be given an extra 2% on top of that. This regen can be maximum of 2% per post but the built in 10% will be every 5 posts.
Slayer Perks:
Slayers get a few perks for being slayers that enhance their capabilities higher than other mages. These perks do not count towards the slayer’s abilities and are considered to be just tacked on. These perks will not be negotiable seeing as they are free addons for the slayer.
Attribute Buffs: A slayer’s body is naturally going to be stronger than regular people’s due to their intense training which gives them a 10% buff to their durability, strength and speed. This amount is considered what it is like for a mage to be just above the capabilities of a mage of their rank.
Slayer Resistances: Slayers all have resistances against their respective element. These resistances are not too high but they are enough for their enemies to notice that their attacks are not as effective. The chart below explains the resistances.
2 ranks above: 0%
1 rank above: 10%
Same rank: 25%
1 rank below: 30%
2 ranks below: 50%
Element to MP:: All slayers are able to eat their respective element to restore MP. This restoration of MP is defined in a chart in the Magic Rules section of the rules.
