Following the Cataclysm, people have grown to be capable of amazing things, some of which they would never have imagined prior to the collapse. Magic to channel unseen forces, tap into immortal realms. Technology to demonstrate the power of ingenuity and explore the limits of mortal potential. Each day, new ideas are added, new skills mastered, new discoveries made, adding a little bit more to the collective capabilities of the different races of Araevis. There are some who go beyond what the general populace is capable of, however, those who, in one way or another, carve out a unique niche for themselves, one which has the potential to change them permanently. These personal advancements are known as magnum. A very rare few top even that, gaining an ultimum. Currently, there are three possible ways to gain a magnum: becoming a vistra through strength of arms; becoming an augur through dedicated exploration; and becoming an artificer through the arts of creation or technology. Each path involves fundamental changes to the character that prevent it from pursuing other paths; you cannot become a vistraugurtificer, or any combination thereof.
When the Cataclysm struck, it left much in its wake. Death, destruction, and a twisted form of life. Beasts, once ordinary, were infected by the energy now rife in the land: a sentient mass of visae which its host contracted not unlike a parasite. The parasites are known as pravum and their hosts, vistra. Vistra are hunted for reward sometimes, but most often they are hunted out of necessity... or a desire for revenge. Many lives have been lost to the beasts, and particular ones still roam even decades after the majority of their destruction may have been wrought. It is not uncommon to see those once wronged to desire closure . Care must be taken when slaying a vistra. The pravum will die with its host, so if another suitable host is nearby, the parasite will attempt to gain a new host before that happens. This could result in taking other another nearby creature, forcing the hunter to fight another battle... or could even end in the pravum trying to take over the hunter. Some are considered brave, others foolish, but there are those who invite that attack. Those who survive the battle of wills describe it as battling the true form of the pravum in the landscape of their own mind. Win or lose, the hunter becomes a vistra in the end: the only question is whether they become a tool of the parasite or its new master. Those who succeed find themselves in control, and with new power as their trophy. In order to become a Vistra and attain a Magnum, a player must fight a Vistra of at least C-rank. You can either accept an official mission/bounty with a vistra or submit the Vistra with the rest of your Magnum to Release Staff for approval. The vistra itself must be written by a second player. Following the physical battle, the player must write an internal battle to suppress the pravum -- this can be either a chapter or another collab. In order to attain an Ultimum, a player must fight a Vistra of at least A-rank (preferably with some correlation to the original vistra). You can either accept an official mission/bounty with a vistra or submit the Vistra with the rest of your Ultimum to Release Staff for approval. The vistra itself must be written by a second player. Following the physical battle, the player must write an internal battle to suppress both the old and new pravum -- this can be either a chapter or another collab. Failure to suppress a pravum at any time will be the same as character death. The pravum will be in control of the body and any abilities. The vistra may be written as an NPC, but will no longer advance as a PC. After achieving Ultimum, however, the PC has solidly established his superiority and will not have to fight for control again. If a PC with a Vistra Magnum is on the verge of death, the pravum may attempt to take over another nearby character. If the new host successfully suppresses the pravum, they will become a new vistra, and the powers can be expected to share similarities but not be identical to the previous host. When this occurs, if the original PC survives or is revived, they are no longer a vistra. This is the only way to be rid of a vistra. After achieving Ultimum, however, the PC has solidly established his superiority and will not allow either pravum to escape; they will die with the PC. It is possible for a new pravum to supplant the old one, if a new Magnum/Ultimum is submitted to Release Staff and a new arc written. The old abilities are lost forever when this occurs, replaced by the newly approved ones.
The manifestation of a Magnum a highly flexible concept. The physical embodiment of the Magnum (if it has a physical form at all), as well as the use and nature of the abilities it grants are entirely up to the player. Once Ultimum is obtained, the player gains TWO (2) additional abilities which are far more powerful than the abilities of a Magnum. These abilities are available for use at any time. There are a few ground rules you have to stick to when creating a Magnum or Ultimum: Magnitude: In the Magnum state, Vistra abilities can be from tier 2 up to tier 4 in magnitude. Higher tiers of magnitude often have higher costs associated with it. In the Ultimum state, Vistra abilities can be up to tier 8 in magnitude. Range: At the Magnum stage, Vistra abilities are limited to a thirty (30) meter radius around the user. Abilities that have an Area of Effect are similarly limited to thirty (30) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work a straight line can have a maximum range of forty-five (45) meters. An Ultimum Vistra ability is limited to a sixty (60) meter radius around the user. Area of effect abilities are limited to sixty (60) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work in a straight line have a maximum range of ninety (90) meters. Size : Vistra have some sort of visible indicator related to their activation, taking the form of physical changes to the user's body. There are currently no limitations on the physical size of a vistra's form for Magnum or Ultimum. However, if your vistra does have a physical manifestation in either state, we expect you to be sensible.
The Cataclysm didn't just destroy lives, it reshaped the face of the world. Many cities and villages, temples and sanctuaries were wiped away, buried under rubble, or sank down into the ground. Some were even swallowed by the sea. While the people of Araevis have managed to rebuild, some of the old ruins seem to possess a spark that's lacking in the modern cities. There are those who seek these lost ruins. Their goals vary: for some, it's archaeological research, for others a personal pilgrimage, and for still others, there's the hope of finding rare and valuable relics to sell. Many of the ruins closer to civilization have already been discovered and scoured clean, but there are many, many others still waiting to be found, though they may be host to dangerous creatures, and are often structurally unsound. Within these ruins, however, it is sometimes possible to obtain a relic that still conducts an unseen force. Such relics seem to reveal themselves only to certain individuals: what seems ordinary to everyone else may draw the eye of a particular few. By carrying this relic to the right location, usually hidden away within the ruins, the explorer can bind themselves to the relic by completing a hidden ritual or test, becoming a walking conduit for the powers that pervade the ruins, a bridge between the physical plane and one beyond: an Augur. In order to become an Augur and attain a Magnum, a player must locate and explore the ruins of a city, sanctuary, or temple that existed before the Cataclysm, and find a unique relic. You can either accept an official mission of at least C-rank to explore a ruin or submit the relic and ruins with the rest of your Magnum to Release Staff for approval. After finding the relic, the player must find a specific spot in the ruins where the relic can be 'activated' by a ritual or test. In order to attain an Ultimum, a player must locate and explore the ruins of a city, sanctuary, or temple that existed before the Cataclysm. You can either accept an official mission of at least A-rank to explore a ruin or submit the ruins with the rest of your Ultimum to Release Staff for approval. The player must find a specific spot in the ruins where the relic can be augmented by a final ritual or test. An Augur's journey can be a religious pilgrimage, a scholarly expedition, or even just a series of lucky breaks. The journey may have more than just two stops on it: for instance, you may want to locate a temple to Occultus on each of the five main continents. Areas that qualify as A-rank for the purposes of attaining an Ultimum will often be far from civilization in the most dangerous areas of Araevis. It is important for an Augur to keep their relic nearby, and they can sense its location across great distances. Some abilities will not work at all without the relic. Relics may be broken, but not destroyed. For instance, if your relic is a staff, it can be broken in half, but as long as you keep the pieces, it can still be used as a relic. If the relic is lost or stolen, an Augur will begin feeling weaker by the day, and may eventually reach a point where they must rely on others to retrieve it. After achieving Ultimum, however, the PC has fully established their bond with their relic, and will not suffer in its absence (though they will still need to possess it to use all of their abilities). Relics may be gifted willfully to a new bearer, but the new bearer must embark on their own journey to bond with it. When this occurs, the original PC is no longer an augur. This is the only way to cease being an Augur. After achieving Ultimum, however, the PC has fully established their bond with the relic; it cannot be transferred to another PC. It is possible for a new relic to supplant the old one, if a new Magnum/Ultimum is submitted to Release Staff and a new arc written. The old abilities are lost forever when this occurs, replaced by the newly approved ones.
The manifestation of a Magnum a highly flexible concept. The physical embodiment of the Magnum (if it has a physical form at all), as well as the use and nature of the abilities it grants are entirely up to the player. Once Ultimum is obtained, the player gains TWO (2) additional abilities which are far more powerful than the abilities of a Magnum. One of these abilities is available at all times, while the second one requires the relic to be at hand. There are a few ground rules you have to stick to when creating a Magnum or Ultimum: Magnitude: In the Magnum state, Augur abilities can be from tier 2 up to tier 4 in magnitude, and increase by one additional tier of magnitude when holding the relic. Higher tiers of magnitude often have higher costs associated with it. In the Ultimum state, Augur abilities can be up to tier 8 in magnitude, and increase by two additional tiers of magnitude when holding the relic. Range: At the Magnum stage, Augur abilities are limited to a thirty (30) meter radius around the user. Abilities that have an Area of Effect are similarly limited to thirty (30) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work a straight line can have a maximum range of forty-five (45) meters. While holding the relic, ranges are increased by 1/3rd. An Ultimum Augur ability is limited to a sixty (60) meter radius around the user. Area of effect abilities are limited to sixty (60) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work in a straight line have a maximum range of ninety (90) meters. While holding the relic, ranges are increased by 1/3rd.
With the destruction of the old world, a new one was left behind in its rubble, a new world with challenges, fearsome new monsters and beings roaming about, and intriguing new minerals appearing. Terra Regia, never seen before the years following the Cataclysm, helped to speed the rebirth of society and the advancement of new and unique creations by the craftsmen and scientists that studied the materials. The strange metals, whether in solid, liquid, or sand form, hold latent energy sealed up inside them. For centuries, people have been striving to find ways to harness that energy in practical applications as well as magical. Students of the Arcanum can siphon the visae to amplify their spells from the individual grains of material, leaving behind a worthless powder. Engineers have long used liquid terra regia as a consumable fuel source, and alchemists charge their concoctions with enough terra regia to kick off a prepared reaction. Once drained, however, all of these are left worthless. Thus, some of the greatest minds among the craftsmen in Araevis began seeking ways to breathe life back into the materials, to revitalize them, reuse them. A tiny few succeeded, though not as intended or as expected. Known as Artificers, they sought to use their own vital energies to restore the terra regia, and in doing so, merged the materials with themselves. The First Forgers sought to undo their mistake at first, before instead choosing to take control of it, creating an ars. They had always sought to forge and mix and build new creations, and now their own bodies became one of their materials, harnessing the powers of terra regia and using their own vigor to keep the rare materials powered indefinitely. In order to become an Artificer and attain a Magnum, a player must first locate a blueprint or instructions left behind by a First Forger. You can either accept an official mission/bounty with such documents, of at least C-rank, or submit the blueprint acquisition with the rest of your Magnum to Release Staff for approval. After approval, the ars must be crafted onto the user using at least 5 units of bigatium, as part of the approved blueprint. The crafting skill can be provided by the user or other crafters. In order to attain an Ultimum, a player must locate the workshop of a First Forger. You can either accept an official mission/bounty with a First Forge, of at least A-rank, or submit the location of the First Forge with the rest of your Ultimum to Release Staff for approval. After approval, the ars must be crafted onto the user using at least 5 units of vitatium, as part of the approved blueprint. The crafting skill can be provided by the user or other crafters. An artificer is constantly feeding their own vigor into their ars. Any time an Artificer ability is used, their vigor begins to recharge the ars -- the ability can't be used until the recharging completes, meaning increased cooldown times. An artificer must also be aware of their remaining vigor: if reduced to zero vigor when recharging, the PC will be left unconscious. After achieving Ultimum, however, the PC has proven the mastery of his design and safeguards prevent draining the PC to nothing. A PC may share his blueprint with another character as inspiration, but the new character must spend time adapting the blueprint to suit their own body before it can be used. A blueprint used in this way would create similar but not identical results. The ars itself cannot be transferred between characters. It is possible for a new ars to supplant the old one, if a new Magnum/Ultimum is submitted to Release Staff and a new arc written. The old abilities are lost forever when this occurs, replaced by the newly approved ones.
The manifestation of a Magnum a highly flexible concept. The physical embodiment of the Magnum (if it has a physical form at all), as well as the use and nature of the abilities it grants are entirely up to the player. Once Ultimum is obtained, the player gains TWO (2) additional abilities which are far more powerful than the abilities of a Magnum. These abilities are available for use at any time. There are a few ground rules you have to stick to when creating a Magnum or Ultimum: Magnitude: In the Magnum state, Artificer abilities can be from tier 3 up to tier 5 in magnitude. Higher tiers of magnitude often have higher costs associated with it. In the Ultimum state, Artificer abilities can be up to tier 10 in magnitude. Range: At the Magnum stage, Artificer abilities are limited to a thirty (30) meter radius around the user. Abilities that have an Area of Effect are similarly limited to thirty (30) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work a straight line can have a maximum range of forty-five (45) meters. An Ultimum Artificer ability is limited to a sixty (60) meter radius around the user. Area of effect abilities are limited to sixty (60) meters from the point of activation. Abilities that work in a straight line have a maximum range of ninety (90) meters. Cooldown: Artificer abilities need additional time to recharge, transferring vigor into the ars itself. Expect to spend one additional turn on cooldowns, compared to similar abilities in a Vistra or Augur; even the simplest Artificer abilities require at least one round's cooldown.
While the possibilities for your Magnum and Ultimum are limited only by your imagination (and the restrictions above), there are a few things that separate good ideas from great ones. These points will go a long way to getting your stuff approved. Costs: Nothing good comes for free. All abilities must have a cost. The cost of the ability should be directly tied with what the ability does and should make sense based on the ability. Stronger abilities have larger costs associated with them. In many cases, the cost itself determines how strong the staff is willing to allow the ability to be. Abilities can either have flat or percentage costs. Flat costs usually indicate that the ability does not scale with the user’s skill, the opposite applying for percentage costs. For example, many utility skills that remain constant in effectiveness have flat costs. Ability Balance: It's important to make sure that the abilities are fun to write and write against. Simply put, make sure that you’re not veering too close to god-modding. Abilities should be compelling, but not completely infallible. Everything has its weakness. Don't try to cover every base when writing up a new power. Remember that counter-play makes for fun and compelling storytelling for all parties involved. Themes: Keeping a cohesive theme is important to all forms of storytelling in PT (and elsewhere) but is especially relevant to your powers. Know your character, and try to keep things like abilities and aesthetics in line with what you've established. Nothing looks better than a character whose abilities, appearance and personality all click. On an even smaller scale, think about themes when making your Magnum and Ultimum. Have abilities that play to one or two core concepts. Don't characterize your Magnum as being hyper-offensive and then throw in a heal or a shield just because. Keep things cohesive! Additionally, think about the evolution from the challenges you faced to Magnum to Ultimum. Try and keep things consistent across the board. While you're not forced to conform to your previous incarnations verbatim, maintaining a theme that's core to what you've established not only makes for good storytelling, but shows a lot of thought and planning on your part. Experiment: Think outside the box! Don't be afraid to push boundaries. Do what you can to make your powers truly unique and fun. You'll never know what's going to work unless you try, and even if you get denied by staff, they'll be more than happy to work with you and help make your ideas a functional, balanced reality. On that note, don't be afraid to ask questions. It's the job of our staff to provide you with knowledge and assistance. Don't know if something will work? Ask! Curious to know if your idea for an ability's been used before? Ask! Need help thinking up, balancing or tweaking stuff? Ask! |
Last edited by a moderator: