[Ace]

Applicable BYOND Key: Sushimon
Character Name: Nalton Pendeagon
Request Type: Special Character Ability – Advanced Barrier Magic and Warding. 
(As well as unique interpretation for certain in-game abilities and concepts.)

Request Details:  My main intention for this application is to allow my character: Nalton Pendeagon access to a mix of Mercalan and Illusionary based magic simply be described as “Barrier Magic”. It revolves around the idea of using light in a hardened fashion similar to how the spell: Needles or holy arrows hardens light in a sharpened manner – and instead, applying that hardening idea to how Arcane Tattoo (Barrier) or Sanctuary works. Illusion magic is more-so to supplement it visually so that the barriers look different than usual light magic (However visibly similar to sanctuary) and allow versatility to what is displayed within the barrier to the outside and ofc how the barriers look as well if altered differently.
 
Roleplay Wise:
-         The ability to erect white translucent domes, half domes, sphere, and wall-like barriers that vary in size and defense dependent on the focus and concentration given to them. The strength of the barrier is also dependent on how many are being cast and the user's focus reserves,
domes being the most taxing on reserves, however.

-     The ability to change the density of the barrier at will, allowing people passage through and out of the barrier as well as restricting it.

-         The ability to manipulate the size [expanding and shrinking] and positioning of these barriers, the smallest ranging around the size of a human palm while at the largest can be big enough to roughly consume a battlefield but at this level, only one can be cast and it requires deep concentration to uphold viably as well as moderate proximity. They can even be erect within mid-air.

-         The ability to reflect damage, damage dealt to the barrier would cause attackers to take reflective damage by injuring them semi-proportionately to how much force they hit a Barrier with, even when cracked or broken.

-     The ability to open and close the barrier at certain places over it at will.

- Advanced Warding Clarification, I wanted his constant use of these barriers to provide him with a passive ward or moderate resistance against mental afflictions, as well as illusionary magic.

Mechanically/ Possible RP Battles?:
-     Besides this sort of locking me into a high Def/Res build I'd like to rp a few things as barriers.
    - Magic Mirror: This is to work as the means of damage reflecting.
    - Arcane Tattoo [Barrier]: A passive barrier that'd be active for quick instances, though it has a long cooldown.
    - Brighten: Increasing the light magic imbued within the barrier to increase its damage reflecting and magic resistance.
    - Morganite: The strongest barrier capable of being created, a dome [Or sphere if in-air] with high defenses for a single blow.
    - Sanctuary: A large dome ranging in size being less like a barrier and more like a bubble due to its low density, instead of preventing those from entering it allows them entrance instead lightly cloaking them with its remnants upon entry and dampening their defensive wards with their own lesser wards.

Limitations:
- While the barrier does have many ward-based properties, it isn't anti-magic. Trapping a person in a barrier doesn't mean they can't blink out or use magic while inside of it.
- The range of which he can cast a Barrier is dependant on its size and strength. A large and strong barrier would require him to be within fifteen feet of the barrier if not actually in it. While a small weak Barrier could be cast from decent ways away as long as he could make eye contact with whatever he was casting it on.
- Small and some medium barriers are obviously not impenetrable by any means, in an RP scenario it'd be as easy as rolling a d20 to attempt to break it. However, for large and concentrated medium barriers, it'd be similar to vs two D20's to determine the outcome. 
- While his 'limit' with barriers when it comes to rp are two at a time [Two of any kind, For ex. two barriers, to walls, etc.] he can create more if need be however they will be unrefined and much easier to break due to a lack of stable focus output.
- Maintaining a small and medium barrier is similar to the cost of maintaining 1 or 2 youkai with a concentrated large barrier similar to that of an invocation.
-The ends of barriers are by no means sharp so they cannot be used offensively like a pseudo blade of any kind, however something a shrinking a dome on a person is within the realm of possibility.


Reason why you are making this request (if applicable): Nalton upon creation was a character that was all about tankability, as he strived to become a church knight and trained both his body to withstand an extreme amount of damage and his light magic to cover his defenses, in turn, he made friends in and outside of the arena and gained recognition for it. Over time, however, the "child-like" fantasy of becoming a church knight grew old- as he did and with this, he simply dedicated himself towards more effective ways of becoming a protector for the friends he'd made along the way. 

But in a stunt of growth after the disheartening events he'd gotten himself to in the notorious attack on Alstalsia he was left in a pit of despair, only pulling himself out and gaining a newfound motivation to continue his pursuit due to his fellow guild members. From here he began to view things differently and opted for a different means of ward and light magic usage that was solely for protecting others instead of damage.

Roleplay & Lore supporting your request:

- Not sure on the lore around barriers, but I been rping on Nalton for about 2.5 years now [maybe three since it's 2021] and I've rped him 'warding' off attacks, and some attacks doing little damage due to his 'wards' and things like that. However, I've never done anything to the extent of what the application is asking for on him. I'm down to talk and clarify anything that doesn't make sense as well as change/erase some features in order to balance the application as well! 

[Slydria]

Defensive magic, such as magical barriers, relies heavily on the casting mage. It is not possible for mages to exchange barriers or shields. Once a mage abandons their barrier or shield, it is dispelled. A barrier or shield will only last as long as the mage casting it harbors the Focus, and the more stressed the shield becomes (from attacks or lack of Focus), the weaker the shield becomes. The converse is also true: the more Focus a mage has, the stronger the shield is, although continued attacks on the shield will subsequently weaken the mage and deplete their Focus while trying to maintain it and re-fortify it.

Defensive magic which harbors an arcane element (such as fire, water, air, earth, etc.) cosigned by a Godly influence tend to be stronger, but they would also be subject to the same rules as elemental enchantment magic: if a fire shield is erected, it is more susceptible to an attack charged by ice or water.

Figured I should throw up what information is known about barriers. In this case, since your character is basing it off Mercalan magic, I imagine their barriers would be more effective against Light and vulnerable against Darkness.

Also I don't think you really need illusion magic to change the shape of your barriers, I imagine that is just something you would be capable of with a know-how of defensive magic alone.



I'll just go through the pitches one by one:

- The ability to erect white translucent domes, half domes, sphere, and wall-like barriers that vary in size and defense dependent on the focus and concentration given to them. The strength of the barrier is also dependent on how many are being cast and the user's focus reserves, domes being the most taxing on reserves, however.

Okay.

- The ability to change the density of the barrier at will, allowing people passage through and out of the barrier as well as restricting it.

Okay.

- The ability to manipulate the size [expanding and shrinking] and positioning of these barriers, the smallest ranging around the size of a human palm while at the largest can be big enough to roughly consume a battlefield but at this level, only one can be cast and it requires deep concentration to uphold viably as well as moderate proximity. They can even be erect within mid-air.

A battlefield-wide barrier would be incredibly expensive and may be spread too thin to offer sufficient protection for just one caster's abilities. I think you should consider a smaller maximum size.

- The ability to reflect damage, damage dealt to the barrier would cause attackers to take reflective damage by injuring them semi-proportionately to how much force they hit a Barrier with, even when cracked or broken.

I'm a tad concerned with this. I want to avoid a potential stonewall scenario in which someone can be well-shielded while also scoring "free" damage due to damage reflection. I think there should be some kind of drawback to a reflective barrier, such as being weaker than a standard one.

- The ability to open and close the barrier at certain places over it at will.

Okay.

- Advanced Warding Clarification, I wanted his constant use of these barriers to provide him with a passive ward or moderate resistance against mental afflictions, as well as illusionary magic.

A passive ward is fine but I don't think I agree on the wards providing innate resistance to mental statuses/illusions.

Sure, your character can be resilient to such, but I don't think that should be because of barriers but rather because of specific training to protect against that. Barriers such as the ones you're suggesting to me are definitely for blocking incoming damage more than anything, tricks of the mind should be a counter to such.

Mechanically/ Possible RP Battles?:
-  Besides this sort of locking me into a high Def/Res build I'd like to rp a few things as barriers.
    - Magic Mirror: This is to work as the means of damage reflecting.
    - Arcane Tattoo [Barrier]: A passive barrier that'd be active for quick instances, though it has a long cooldown.
    - Brighten: Increasing the light magic imbued within the barrier to increase its damage reflecting and magic resistance.
    - Morganite: The strongest barrier capable of being created, a dome [Or sphere if in-air] with high defenses for a single blow.
    - Sanctuary: A large dome ranging in size being less like a barrier and more like a bubble due to its low density, instead of preventing those from entering it allows them entrance instead lightly cloaking them with its remnants upon entry and dampening their defensive wards with their own lesser wards.

Okay.

- While the barrier does have many ward-based properties, it isn't anti-magic. Trapping a person in a barrier doesn't mean they can't blink out or use magic while inside of it.

Agreed.

- The range of which he can cast a Barrier is dependant on its size and strength. A large and strong barrier would require him to be within fifteen feet of the barrier if not actually in it. While a small weak Barrier could be cast from decent ways away as long as he could make eye contact with whatever he was casting it on.

Sure.

- Small and some medium barriers are obviously not impenetrable by any means, in an RP scenario it'd be as easy as rolling a d20 to attempt to break it. However, for large and concentrated medium barriers, it'd be similar to vs two D20's to determine the outcome.

Dice rolls aside. I'll only add that due to what we know, even repairing a barrier does tax some focus. So even if they do not shatter it, a success wouldn't mean no harm comes to the barrier, if that makes sense.

- While his 'limit' with barriers when it comes to rp are two at a time [Two of any kind, For ex. two barriers, to walls, etc.] he can create more if need be however they will be unrefined and much easier to break due to a lack of stable focus output.

Agreed. Trying to concentrate on too many barriers would not be feasible.

- Maintaining a small and medium barrier is similar to the cost of maintaining 1 or 2 youkai with a concentrated large barrier similar to that of an invocation.

Well, I'll say at the very least that like Youkai, barriers have an upfront cost and a lesser maintenance cost. I'll leave it broad in saying that a personal shield is not difficult or costly to create and maintain but a large one capable of protecting a wide area is. Domes are also more costly than walls or barriers that only really protect from an incomplete angle.

-The ends of barriers are by no means sharp so they cannot be used offensively like a pseudo blade of any kind, however something a shrinking a dome on a person is within the realm of possibility.

I do not think you should be able to crush someone with a barrier, if someone unwelcome is unable to fit within a barrier's bounds, I think they should be forced out rather than significantly harmed.

I also will add as another example of what shouldn't be possible for barriers is that I do not think you should be able to say cut off air flow with a barrier and suffocate someone.

However, trapping someone within a barrier is fine.

[Ace]

Also I don't think you really need illusion magic to change the shape of your barriers, I imagine that is just something you would be capable of with a know-how of defensive magic alone.

Illusion Magic is just to supplement the way the barrier looks, really. Like making it invisible until impact. Just some fluff but I mean would I be able to use illusion magic to change what people on the other side of a barrier could see looking towards it?

A battlefield-wide barrier would be incredibly expensive and may be spread too thin to offer sufficient protection for just one caster's abilities. I think you should consider a smaller maximum size. 

That's fair, so for max size would half a battle field work? For ex, like 1 tile larger than the usual sanctuary as far as tiles go?

I'm a tad concerned with this. I want to avoid a potential stonewall scenario in which someone can be well-shielded while also scoring "free" damage due to damage reflection. I think there should be some kind of drawback to a reflective barrier, such as being weaker than a standard one.

I'd be fine with saying something like, the barriers that reflect damage shatter on impact - or something like upon shattering they deal reflective damage so it's not a constant punch=lol damage type of thing. This would cause my character to have to remake damage reflective barriers, however.

A passive ward is fine but I don't think I agree on the wards providing innate resistance to mental statuses/illusions.

Sure, your character can be resilient to such, but I don't think that should be because of barriers but rather because of specific training to protect against that. Barriers such as the ones you're suggesting to me are definitely for blocking incoming damage more than anything, tricks of the mind should be a counter to such.

Yeah, that's understandable.

Dice rolls aside. I'll only add that due to what we know, even repairing a barrier does tax some focus. So even if they do not shatter it, a success wouldn't mean no harm comes to the barrier, if that makes sense.

I'm fine with saying something along the lines of being able to repair a barrier one or two times before it'd break on impact regardless and he'd have to create a new one.

Well, I'll say at the very least that like Youkai, barriers have an upfront cost and a lesser maintenance cost. I'll leave it broad in saying that a personal shield is not difficult or costly to create and maintain but a large one capable of protecting a wide area is. Domes are also more costly than walls or barriers that only really protect from an incomplete angle.

Understood.

I do not think you should be able to crush someone with a barrier, if someone unwelcome is unable to fit within a barrier's bounds, I think they should be forced out rather than significantly harmed. 

I also will add as another example of what shouldn't be possible for barriers is that I do not think you should be able to say cut off air flow with a barrier and suffocate someone.

However, trapping someone within a barrier is fine.

Understandable and I'm cool with this as well, however, if I do capture someone in the barrier and I want to expand or shrink it without exactly crushing them in any way is that possible? Like the barrier itself having a bounds by which it could shrink because stopping due to lack of space.

[Slydria]

Illusion Magic is just to supplement the way the barrier looks, really. Like making it invisible until impact. Just some fluff but I mean would I be able to use illusion magic to change what people on the other side of a barrier could see looking towards it?

That's fine, it'll cost extra focus wise for the illusion though.

That's fair, so for max size would half a battle field work? For ex, like 1 tile larger than the usual sanctuary as far as tiles go?

Sure.

I'd be fine with saying something like, the barriers that reflect damage shatter on impact - or something like upon shattering they deal reflective damage so it's not a constant punch=lol damage type of thing. This would cause my character to have to remake damage reflective barriers, however.

I'm okay with that.

Understandable and I'm cool with this as well, however, if I do capture someone in the barrier and I want to expand or shrink it without exactly crushing them in any way is that possible? Like the barrier itself having a bounds by which it could shrink because stopping due to lack of space.

It's fine, as long as they have a chance to break out before getting restrained (or are restrained like that after being beaten.)


Since I think this is all sorted, I'll give it my approval.