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   Vicissitude 
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   Magic System:

     On every mud it seems there are varying ways to perform magic. Some with very basic command spam, others with casting times and ingredients, and even one with defiling. That is all well and good, but what about the magic itself, surely wizards do not just learn predetermined spells, why become a mage if you don't have the opportunity to create and perform with intelligence?

     I have devised a mud-worthy system for magic that attempts to make a sound attempt at allowing mages to experiment with magic, as they clearly do in D&D and many other games.

     There are three basic threads of magical skill. Standard, Evolving and Hybrid. Each having its own method of existing.

     Standard Magic: No real method as to its creation. Fireball is a standard spell.

     Evolving Magic: the basis behing spell evolution is that it has little to do with your skill and more upon your familiarity with the spell. That is to say, if someone uses a spell more than any other he would eventually come to a point where this spell exceeds it's limitations, however this may not work with all spells. For example:

     Fireball is a standard spell, and it could improve with use. over time a mage could use it so much that it becomes a new spell.
          Fireball becomes Flashfire
     however another spell, like missile would remain the same.

     There are a few different factors in spell evolution. First, you need to implement a spell tracking system.
     This would be just a small command that lists all of the spells for a specific sphere of magic along with that spell would be included a number that would looks very similer to this:

   Fireball     [001]     Bolt            [001]
   Missile      [001]     Beam            [001]

     These numbers would determine how familiar with the spell you have become. I think this number should go up faster as your intlligence rises, but it should be primarily based on how much you cast any one spell.
     At some point during the life of each spell it will evolve. this can be tracted by adding a corresponding interger to the spell files. This interger would indicate at what number the spell would evolve, it at all. You would only have to include this interger in the spells that can evolve. all others remain as they are.

     It would also be pretty cool if you throw in casting times. This interger we just discussed does track familiarity, so the higher the number, the faster you can cast those spells.


     Hybrid Magic: The art of mixing two spells to create another spell. This is the experimentation part of magic i was talking about.
     It would be possible to mix two spells like a water spell and a lightning spell to make a slightly more powerful spell that devours your MP.

     I think one should be able to 'devise <spell> <spell> hybrid'

          devise hydroblast bolt hybrid

 This would attempt to mix Hydroblast with Bolt and create the spell, Hydroshock
      (a pretty neat hybrid of a blast of electrified water)

     for this to be of any real importance, you would need to make sure the strength and weakness system was implemented and working

    Of course, not all spells can be mixed. only certain spells

     and wont that be interesting for players to make new spells for themselves.
     In order to devise hybrids one must be quite familiar with both spells involved in the hybrid and possess a high intelligence.


