What spells are suitable for Battlemages (aka modern armored mages with rifles)?

[Cherrymage]

Hello there. I'm working on a campaign, and in the campaign there is a type of unit -- Battlemages -- who are supposed to be armored war mages equipped for modern warfare (with some sci-fi and fantasy elements thrown in the mix). They are divided into about 3 to 5 tiers (tiers not finalized, though).

Now I need some ideas for their spells, these spells should be very useful and powerful in battles, but not too OP. Higher tier Battlemages should employ more fancy spells (which usually needs some triggering). I myself have a few random ideas for the Tier 1 Battlemages, such as Chain Lightning, Firebolt, Cripple and so on.

What kind of spells do you think suits them best? Thanks.

 

[cleavinghammer]

If it's a modern theme, maybe abilities that focus on modern-future weapons and gear:

Bulletproof energy shields.
Elemental effects on bullets (or other effects like splash, armor-piercing, bounce...).
Reducing enemy accuracy.
Boosting movement speed.
Quick healing.
Infinite bullets (or rather faster reloading).
Creating instant cover and removing cover.
Jamming enemy weapons.
Summons (as scouts, distraction, combat...).
Orbital bombardment.

 

[Cherrymage]

If it's a modern theme, maybe abilities that focus on modern-future weapons and gear:

Bulletproof energy shields.
Elemental effects on bullets (or other effects like splash, armor-piercing, bounce...).
Reducing enemy accuracy.
Boosting movement speed.
Quick healing.
Infinite bullets (or rather faster reloading).
Creating instant cover and removing cover.
Jamming enemy weapons.
Summons (as scouts, distraction, combat...).
Orbital bombardment.

Very good ideas, indeed. Thanks!

 

[cleavinghammer]

Also:

Making units invisible, detecting invisible units (IEDs, ambushers).

Do they have a counter/an easy way to shut them down?

 

[Chaosy]

I find the concept kinda flawed

Because science is basically our attempt to replicate magic. And I cannot think of a useful spell which cannot be achieved by tech in a steampunk setting.

 

[Cherrymage]

Also:

Making units invisible, detecting invisible units (IEDs, ambushers).

Do they have a counter/an easy way to shut them down?

I considered Invisibility, and then for unit detection, I have a couple of other units that'd do the job -- but making some battlemages detect invisible could be nice. Once again, thanks for your ideas, they're really neat.

I also have (temporary) stat boost abilities in mind for higher battlemages, but I'd appreciate some input on that too.

As for counters against the Battlemages, let me think... Firstly, most of the Battlemages themselves have slower movement speed (I intend most of them to be rather heavily armored). Then perhaps some dedicated anti-magic (building) auras, some specialized infantries and a few specialized tanks could counter them. Maybe a modified aura that damages and drains enemy Battlemages and other magic summons? I also think what if some Battlemage types can be overwhelmed by higher power Battlemages (perhaps some sort of "block magic flow" or "distort magic body" spell). Maybe there can be more counters for the Battlemages, though.

I intend Battlemages to be a main part of armies, and used frequently, but not too overpowered that tanks and other stuffs are obsolete. There should be some ways to counter them, but the counters should not obsolete the Battlemages, either.

I find the concept kinda flawed

Because science is basically our attempt to replicate magic. And I cannot think of a useful spell which cannot be achieved by tech in a steampunk setting.

Hmm...

I intend for spells and magics to derive from some sort of "psychic field", "biological aura" or "energy force field" and easily accessible by certain infantries. In the campaign, cybernetics and machineries cannot really duplicate fancy magical powers, only some energy weapons and fancy stuffs, and even then it would be quite limited. Like, Battlemages can boost the strength and agility of units, and employ many fancy "anime-ish" powers, but machineries can use mostly only lasers, EMP, energyballs, force shields etc. (I'd still appreciate some input, though.)

And in my campaign, most of the machineries are steampunk-ish and dieselpunk-ish, and tech level is around middle 20th century (with some adjustments, some techs being more advanced and some techs being behind from real life 20th century).

Maybe you can try giving some random spell ideas, while considering vastly upgraded firepower?

(If anyone knows C&C Red Alert 1 and Mental Omega 3.3, it's like that but with some fantasy flavors. We would have things like Chronosphere, Iron Curtain, tanks, rifles, psychics and even some primitive cyborgs, plus many people with an affinity to magical essences. But not very advanced technologies.)

(When I think of this, I somewhat think of metaphysics and some sort of life force... just saying.)

EDIT : Ahh, yes, now I do have some more ideas of my own after writing this...

-- Mobile Darkcloak : Some spell that covers a unit in some black energy, making it nearly invulnerable?
-- Mutate (Parasite) : damages unit, puts a buff that takes away life every few seconds, and resulting in a new creature owned by spellcaster upon death?
-- Blink / Warp?
-- Mass Teleportation (Hero-level, but still Battlemage-ish)?

 

[Cherrymage]

(edited last post)

 

[cleavinghammer]

Maybe have a mechanic where they have multiple spells, but have one or more be randomly determined.

For example, every (high-tier) battlemage has 1 AoE, 2 buff/debuff and 1 single-target spell, but the actual specific spells are random:
* Blizzard or Silence or War Stomp or Roar
* Curse and Inner Fire or Bloodlust and Frost Armor or Slow and Faerie Fire
* Frost Nova or Holy Light or Firebolt, etc.

Another would be specializations, each with their own counters. For example:
* Battlemages that specialize against buildings (Siege damage and spells, spells are bad vs units)
* Against single targets and heroes (single targets and stuns, bad against swarms)
* Against mages (spell resistance, bad armor)
* Against regular units (permanently ethereal)
* Healers (no offensive spells or attacks)
* One-man-army types (high HP, armor, self-targeting spells, but take up a lot of space, time, and money, maybe make them untargetable by positive buffs)
etc.

 

[noob]

Random spells for one kind of unit mess up group casting massively.

 

[LordDz]

I find the concept kinda flawed

Because science is basically our attempt to replicate magic. And I cannot think of a useful spell which cannot be achieved by tech in a steampunk setting.

Look at Starcraft, you have marines in space armor being killed by Psionics that create lighting strikes.

 

[Naze]

Do some research on other games. Warhammer universe has Tech Priests for example, maybe they have some interesting abilities to get inspired with.

 

[Cherrymage]

Maybe have a mechanic where they have multiple spells, but have one or more be randomly determined.

For example, every (high-tier) battlemage has 1 AoE, 2 buff/debuff and 1 single-target spell, but the actual specific spells are random:
* Blizzard or Silence or War Stomp or Roar
* Curse and Inner Fire or Bloodlust and Frost Armor or Slow and Faerie Fire
* Frost Nova or Holy Light or Firebolt, etc.

Another would be specializations, each with their own counters. For example:
* Battlemages that specialize against buildings (Siege damage and spells, spells are bad vs units)
* Against single targets and heroes (single targets and stuns, bad against swarms)
* Against mages (spell resistance, bad armor)
* Against regular units (permanently ethereal)
* Healers (no offensive spells or attacks)
* One-man-army types (high HP, armor, self-targeting spells, but take up a lot of space, time, and money, maybe make them untargetable by positive buffs)
etc.

Once again very great idea mate, especially the specializations, I'll try to find ways to implement them all. Though I might go for the latter more likely.

Random spells for one kind of unit mess up group casting massively.

Do you mean, this will lag the game massively and also mess up their unit orders?

Do some research on other games. Warhammer universe has Tech Priests for example, maybe they have some interesting abilities to get inspired with.

Sounds good. I'll take a look. Also what other games or movies or animes do you recommend?

 

[noob]

Do you mean, this will lag the game massively and also mess up their unit orders?

It means rather that you will have a hard time using the abilities of those units when you select multiple units of that type at once.
the ui will allow when the group is selected only to cast spells common between all the selected units of the chosen type so if there is one single unit of that type that is selected that do not have blizzard for example then you do not have blizzard in the ui and so you can not use group casting for making all the selected units of that type who can cast blizzard cast this spell without removing from selection all of those who do not have blizzard but if they are of the same type then you can not easily remove those who do not have blizzard from the selection control bar since they are indistinguishable from the ones who can in the ui.

I made a map with units of the same type who had random spells and it was really hard to micro relatively to having fixed spells on multiple kinds of units(basically I had to make control groups corresponding to the spells I wanted and people do not have that many control groups(something like 12)).

 

[doom_sheep]

It means rather that you will have a hard time using the abilities of those units when you select multiple units of that type at once.
the ui will allow when the group is selected only to cast spells common between all the selected units of the chosen type so if there is one single unit of that type that is selected that do not have blizzard for example then you do not have blizzard in the ui and so you can not use group casting for making all the selected units of that type who can cast blizzard cast this spell without removing from selection all of those who do not have blizzard but if they are of the same type then you can not easily remove those who do not have blizzard from the selection control bar since they are indistinguishable from the ones who can in the ui.

I vaguely remember finding a way around this in a map that has since died with my PC. maybe by creating the units with all spells and removing the ones they aren't supposed to have?

 

[cleavinghammer]

Machine specialists: Get de/buffs and spells that only affect mechanical units. Quick repair, fast refueling, shoot faster but take more damage...

 

[Cherrymage]

Great idea as always there, homie.

P.S. I'll add you to my special thanks

Regarding the randomized spells, I think we can use a hidden spellbook which contains four spellbooks (one for each "random spell category/icon"). Then when a "Randomized" spell is cast, a random spell is chosen from the respective "sub-spellbook". How does that sound?

 

[Leo Akastenix]

If I recall...

I think different battlemages should have different spells.

For example, a battlemage with a flamethrower would most likely have flame spells. In that case..
-Naplam Blast AOE nuke with damage over time.
-Scorched Earth Drenches an area in flames that would deal damage over time.
-Melt Armor Reduces enemy armor for a duration.
-Flaming Assualt Gives a buff to a friendly unit. That friendly unit will now deal damage over time over a duration.


A battlemage with a cryolauncher would have ice-based spells...
-Cryofield Summons an freezing field that slows enemies down when in it.
-Freezing Blast Freezes an enemy unit in place while dealing damage too.
-Icefall Basically a Blizzard that is not channeled(Have a dummy unit cast Blizzard there).
-Slow Basically Slow. Have it's buff be blue.


A battlemage with a toxin gun would have toxic or plague spells.
-Noxious Breeze Deals damage over time in that location while debuffing enemy attack.
-Fear Gas Basically AOE Banshee Curse.
-Contaminate Basically Liquid Fire but with poison. Stops building from working too.
-Uranium Golem How cool is a golem... made of URANIUM!?! Give it Radiation(Some kind of aura that damages nearby) and an AOE when it dies.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Uranium Golem could leave permanent (well, starts fading after several million years) chunks of radioactive material everywhere it walks, damaging any biological unit that walks on it (vehicles that move over one instead deal damage to all nearby organics).

 

[Cherrymage]

Uranium Golem could leave permanent (well, starts fading after several million years) chunks of radioactive material everywhere it walks, damaging any biological unit that walks on it (vehicles that move over one instead deal damage to all nearby organics).

Whoah... that's a really interesting and tough idea indeed. But wouldn't this be a bit too... overpowered and long-lasting?

Perhaps there should be a countermeasure of some sorts that alleviates or even negates the radioactivity? What do you think?

 

[cleavinghammer]

Yeah, the Uraniumage could have a dispel that scrubs the area clean, while other spells would take several casts to remove it.

Or the golem could absorb it, removing the ward and healing itself.

The golem could also change the terrain wherever it walks to either Blight or a Felwood terrain to make it more obvious, the scrubbing spell would revert the terrain as well.

 

[Cherrymage]

Yeah, the Uraniumage could have a dispel that scrubs the area clean, while other spells would take several casts to remove it.

Or the golem could absorb it, removing the ward and healing itself.

I guess that'll do. Once again, thank you for your wonderful ideas, really helpful and interesting.

 

[cleavinghammer]

What's the setting? Earth, space, alien world?

 

[Cherrymage]

It involves either two or three planets. Spacecrafts are either rare or none.

Planet Earth, Planet Alastorn, and Planet Vestroya.
Earth is still Earth but with the geography altered significantly, Alastorn is a dark shadowy planet, with limited sunlight. While Vestroya is a heavenly, greenish world.

 

[cleavinghammer]

You could have natives from the other planets use their own brand of magic.

For example, Alastorns specialize in casting shadows and light, Vestroyans in plant magic, Earthers go with the modern magic.

 

[Pyrogasm]

And I cannot think of a useful spell which cannot be achieved by tech in a steampunk setting.

Please do tell, how does tech in a steampunk world do invisibility?

 

[Chaosy]

Unimaginable tech that's how

edit: I missused that word steampunk, I meant tech heavy theme in general. So sci fi would be more accurate I guess.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Mirrors and projectors, I guess.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Passive ideas (possibly purchasable as individual upgrades, that shouldn't affect casting):

Nanomachine Reservoirs (Aura): Passively increases the HP regeneration rate of all allied units.

Optical Sensors: Gives increased vision and attack range and True Sight.

We Can Rebuild Him: Some Battlemages are more machine than man now, and thus easier to replace and maintain. Leaves a metal skeleton after the Battlemage dies. If left unharmed for a certain amount of time, the Battlemage is returned in a state of low HP and mana.

Solar Panels: The Battlemage gets boosted movespeed, HP regen and mana regen during the day.

Light-Refraction Camo: The Battlemage is invisible at night, even when moving or attacking, but loses the ability if an enemy is within a small radius.

Autonomous Defense Systems: Shoulder-mounted weapons systems engage targets independently of the Battlemage when in range. (You could also make this customizable by selecting the type of auto-attack to install: long-range sniper rifle, close-range flamethrower, anti-armor missile launcher, etc. so as to make the Battlemage effective against a wider range of targets if he doesn't have an adapted spell loadout).

Markerlight: A laser sends targeting data to the Battlemage's allies, making it easier for them to hit it. Reduces target armor when attacking (does not stack).

Specialist Ammo: Allows the Battlemage to fire specialized ammunition with every attack (again, customizable):
* High Explosive: Deals splash damage around target.
* Cryogenic Core: Slows target.
* Psionic Null Charge: Debuffs target.
* Molecular Acid: Deals DoT.
* Dynamic Shaped Microcharges: Damage becomes Siege and gives Demolish.
* Two-Stage Projectiles: Damage becomes Chaos.
* Mk. 12 Penetrator Rounds: Damage becomes Line.
* Newtonsbane Rounds: Damage becomes Bounce.
* Pachyderm Rounds: Attacks deal knockback.
* Neurotoxin Rounds: Attacks have 100% stun chance on organic units, but attack speed is drastically reduced (due to the very delicate handling required by the bullets). If attack speed is increased by buffs, there is a chance the Battlemage will drop the bullet and stun himself and all units around him (chance of failure increases with the increase in attack speed).
* Lockdown Rounds: Attacks have 100% stun chance on mechanical units, but attack speed is drastically reduced (due to the psychic imbuing required on the Battlemage's part). If attack speed is increased by buffs, there is a chance the Battlemage will drop the bullet and cause himself and all units around him to lose a great deal of mana (chance of failure increases with the increase in attack speed).

Accumulators: Recharges X mana when hit by an enemy spell.


Buffs:

Psionic Network (Active, permanent until dispelled): Links several units in a chain. Greatly boosts each networked unit's attack range as long as they stay within a certain distance of a linked unit (if they get out of range, the buff is dispelled). Alternately, links the Battlemage with several units and the buff is lost if they stray too far from him.

Null Zone (Active, AoE around caster): Unit is temporarily immune to magic.

Heightened Reflexes: Increases unit's movement and attack speed and gives them Drunken Brawler.

Bloodseeker Bullets: Unit's damage increases by 1 for every attack made on the same target, damage bonus resets if target dies or is switched.

Thief of Time: Every attack slows the target and accelerates the user (self-stacking buff with a limit).

Levitate: Target unit cannot move and has decreased armor, but has increased attack range (if non-melee) and sight range. Alternately, target unit cannot attack, period.

Imbue Elemental: Imbues a vehicle or building with a random elemental, giving it a buff (permanent until dispelled), an active spell and a boost to maximum mana (~200). When the spell is used, the elemental dissipates, taking the buff and spell with it:
* Fire Elemental: Breath of Fire, Permanent Immolation.
* Water Elemental: Crushing Wave, increased mana regeneration.
* Lightning Elemental: Forked Lightning, increased attack speed.
* Wind Elemental: Cyclone, increased movespeed.
* Earth Elemental: Shockwave, Resistant Skin.
* Iron Elemental: Damage boost to all nearby allies, Hardened Skin.
* Poison Elemental: Shadow Strike, Slow Poison.
* Acid Elemental: Acid Bomb, Spiked Carapace.
* Fog Elemental: Cloud, Evasion.
* Mud Elemental: Earthquake, blocks a hostile spell every X seconds.
* Titanium Elemental: Armor boost to all nearby allies, HP boost.
* Uranium Elemental: Summon Uranium Golem, all manacosts are immediately refunded (except when using the summon).
* Rust Elemental (may my chemistry teachers forgive me): Prevents enemies from attacking in an AoE, reduces Magic damage.
* Hydrogen Elemental: Kaboom, has Flight movement type and is targeted as a flyer.
* Lead Elemental: Hurl Boulder, increased armor.
* Gold Elemental: Gives gold (fixed or proportional to the imbued unit's cost), Spell Immunity.

 

[noob]

"We Can Rebuild Him: Some Battlemages are more man than machine now, and thus easier to replace and maintain. Leaves a metal skeleton after the Battlemage dies. If left unharmed for a certain amount of time, the Battlemage is returned in a state of low HP and mana."
So when someone is more man than machine that person can regenerate?
Makes sense: I never saw any regenerating machine while I saw a lot of regenerating living creatures.
But maybe it should involve a flesh skeleton?

 

[cleavinghammer]

whooops

Fixed that.

 

[Cherrymage]

Keep the ideas flowing, comrade, we need as many as we can get.

Especially the damage modifiers and Imbue Elemental, they are really great! Although some of the ideas would be really tough to implement...

 

[BotLoot]

Calm: prevents shaking of hands, increases chance to hit with rifles or gives Crit bonus.
Wind guide: shots fired are now guided a little increasing chance to hit or gives Crit.
Psio shield: gives a chance to reflect, deflect rounds up to a certain calibre?
Matrix: enchants body with such a speed that user can dodge bullets.

Rifleball: uses force or wind to throw rifle to the target. (useful when out of ammo?)
Guided Gas: uses wind to force Gas grenades and fields to follow a target.
Overheat: overheats the target, making him the most prefered target for heat seeking guided weaponry.
Overheat II: also melts titanium and iron based units. (could be something as dot and then immobilize/slow as melting would first give dmg and then prevent/slow movement (due to melted metal around legs, colding and binding the target to the floor etc.))

Illusionary missiles: makes multiple illusions of current missile in air, useful when the target is trying to shot down incoming missiles (ciws). (they dont give dmg just a fake target)

edit:
Mud rain: a very cheap spell that severely hinders movement of tanks and heavy units , can also prevent the lower quality rifles from firing aswell (maybe mud bolt)

 

[cleavinghammer]

Oh, I know. But perhaps someday, a programming genius will come across this forum, read these words, and promptly make them into a workable spell.

Channeling:

Neutralize (drains mana): Target unit is stunned as long as the spell lasts. Mana drain is proportional to unit's HP and mana.

Expand Conscience: While channeling, gains a huge sight range and True Sight.

Spirit Visions: While channeling, gets a 0 mana, 0 cooldown Far Sight ability. Channeling only lasts a short time.

Control Drone: Creates a flying drone of various types (medical, scouting, combat...) Channeling has no time limit and control can be abandoned at any time, at which point the drone flies back to its controller (cooldown is reset once the drone returns). If the drone is destroyed, the ability disappears and needs to be repurchased.
* Medical Drone:
** Retrieve Fallen (allies-only Pick Up Corpse).
** Inject Stimulants (single-target resurrection).
** Evacuation: Loads a single target.
* Scout Drone:
** Cloaking Field
** Targeting Laser: Marks a target with a targeting laser, making it easier to hit by allied forces. Reduces enemy armor.
** Deflector Shield: Sacrifice mobility and flight to project a defensive aura.
* Combat Drone: Ranged combat unit
** Grenade: Fires a grenade at the target location.
** Suppressive Fire: Fires at a single area, stunning all units inside.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Specializations:

Psionic: Specializes in neutralizing single units.
* Damage Inner Ear: Target enemy gets a Dizziness debuff.
* Subvert Ward: Takes control of target ward.
* Induce Rage: Target unit becomes Neutral Hostile and gets a Bloodlust buff.
* Psi-Guided Projectiles: Target unit's next attack deals triple damage.
* Mind War: Target unit has negatice mana regeneration.

Chem-mage: Specializes in pharmaceutical support.
* Aggression Uninhibitors: Target unit gets the Berserk and Bloodlust buffs.
* Sleep Darts: Target unit is debuffed and put to sleep.
* Recharge Batteries: Restores mana to all nearby allied units (including the chem-mage).
* Endorphin Rush: Target biological unit gains 100 armor for a short time.

Saboteur: Specializes in demolition.
* Shaped Charges: Places a charge on the ground which can be told to face a direction (default is the Saboteur's facing during placement). When the charge detonates, it deals minor damage around itself and heavy damage in a cone, in the direction it was facing (Breath of Fire).
* Sabotage: Target building is frozen while the effect lasts.
* False Orders: Sets target building's rally point to a random point on the map.
* Subvert Defenses: Takes control of target tower.

 

[Cherrymage]

Keep 'em ideas coming, I like especially the "Induce Rage", "Mind War", and all the Saboteur spell ideas

I'd appreciate more spells targeting clusters of many units in a wide AoE, ally or enemy. Some sort of wide battle support spells, and some sort of massive multi-unit-target attacks, maybe.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Guide Artillery: Targets an area. Designates a firing solution for offscreen artillery, firing up to X shells that each hit an enemy unit in the AoE.

Mass Levitate: Targets an area. Lifts up all enemies in the area and drops them, stunning and dealing random damage.

Mana Discharge (drains mana): While active, hits an enemy in range with Magic damage, draining X mana with every attack.

Omnidirectional Weapons Array (passive): Allows the Battlemage to operate multiple weapons simultaneously, firing at every target in range.