Hearth Magic

[Asgaroth22]

I was just reading this little description of hearth magic in the game:

"Hildur was a wise one,
Old crone rich in years,
They said she knew the runes,
Runes to make a broom dance,
A cat bark,
A sound of silence"

You have discovered that certain events in the shadowlands between dream and waking may cause the rules of the Deep Magic to bend, just a little, and have learned how to create simple artefacts of sympathetic import.

And I wondered whether you're planning to expand this aspect of the game. I love the game as it is, but I think it lacks in that certain piece of old times' culture. I have a few things on my mind on the matter:

1. Bring back the offering to ancestors mechanic. Though it would have to be remade to be a more impacting on the gameplay. Praying to ancestors was a common thing in the old times: before hunting, going to war, for good harvests etc. These could give small temporary bonuses to attributes or something.

2. Add a bit of sympathetic magic. Maybe not particularly flying a broom, but perhaps some small spells to help heal wounds, make a heart braver and mind sharper, make crops/trees grow a little faster, perhaps some defensive runes on gates to weaken raiders, these things.

3. Expanding the 'shadowland' motif - the doors between waking and dream world would weaken during certain days (like recently celebrated samhain), allowing for fearsome creatures to tread the hearthlands on these times, or the other way : allowing brave hearthlings to assemble raiding teams and proceed into the shadowland itself to search for valuable, rare resources, or to challenge beasts. This would also make PvE aspect of the game more appealing and interesting, because PvP isn't the only thing that can be fun in combat.

I'd appreciate hearing dev's vision of how hearth magic should work in the game.


I thought that these ideas should be considered together, and they run on one topic, so I didn't make separate threads for each one. If a mod insists, i'll do that though.

[Turtlesir]

they wanted to keep the magic very limited so it remains special, and not commonplace. from an interview somewhere. i do agree that the hearth magic skill has too few uses now, something with ancestors might bring more depth akin to valhalla i think.

[Smoopadoop]

How's this:
In a day, the shadowland's powers wax and wane. In a day there are 2 strong points and 2 weak points, and it fades between these.
The same way, in a year there are 4 strong and weak points, and it fades in and out in the same.
The strength and weakness of both day and year add together for a final "magic value".
Bring back sacrifices and numens.
Bring back prayers, but albeit different ones.
Like OP said, a small stat boost, or increase plant speed, something like that.
Then multiply the prayer's effect by the current "magic value".

Edit: more things
When making a prayer, you must perform a randomly generated ritual. Each player has a different ritual for each prayer, but the same player will always have the same ritual for the same prayer.
A player can teach another player their ritual, and it will overwrite their old one if they accept it, allowing a town to share their rituals.

Eg:
Cast "harvest prayer"
Light a fire
Sprinkle flour on the crops you want to bless
When the fire goes out, the blessing begins and the plants grow faster.

Or,
Cast "prayer for intelligence"
Say the name of an Ancestor
Drink a glass of wine

What do you think?

[LadyV]

I dont mind the ancestor part. However outright magic no thank you. I'd rather we add in herbalism and alchemical things that were thought of as magic but had more basis.

[Smoopadoop]

Thats what I think. I'd like the magic to stay as folklore as possible. I think my suggestions fall under that?

[Jackwolf]

I'd rather we add in herbalism and alchemical things that were thought of as magic but had more basis.

I was just thinking of this today. I'd love to see magical potions and elixirs.

[linkfanpc]

No magic. I absolutely hate magic.
I'd like the ancestor thing be re-added but not actually sacrificing things to ancestors, instead just be sacrificing things, so WE get to say who/what were sacrificing these things to.

I'd also like the Personal Beliefs back, that was a great feature!

[Jackwolf]

You started game as a wisp who took human form, and now live out of a magical green/teal fire.

Magic is in the game. It's going to be here, it's just a matter of when and how by this point.

[Asgaroth22]

No magic. I absolutely hate magic.
I'd like the ancestor thing be re-added but not actually sacrificing things to ancestors, instead just be sacrificing things, so WE get to say who/what were sacrificing these things to.
I'd also like the Personal Beliefs back, that was a great feature!

I never liked personal beliefs, and I think the skills they added instead of nature/industry are a step on the right path. If they were to make a comeback, they should't have as much impact on the gameplay as in haven. But personal beliefs aren't particularly tied to hearth magic, so I won't elaborate about it here.

You started game as a wisp who took human form, and now live out of a magical green/teal fire.

Magic is in the game. It's going to be here, it's just a matter of when and how by this point.

Very true. As is Valhalla, catching dreams and other things. When i'm talking about magic, i don't mean hurling fireballs at everything. Just folklore and mythology brought to life (or rather to code), to add a flavor to the game's lore and gameplay.

I'd rather we add in herbalism and alchemical things that were thought of as magic but had more basis.

In the period on which the game's based on, most folk believed people who dabbled in alchemy and herbalism were considered witches/wizards But yes, i'd agree that magic in game shouldn't step over that line too far, maybe just a toe or two.
This would be a dependable way to gain some boost.

Sacrificing to ancestors though, should be more of a random thing in my opinion. You feel like fate constantly puts the skids under you? Maybe you should sacrifice a lamb to the ancestors, so they might just talk to the three weavers to your favor.
You are preparing for a battle? Maybe you should sacrifice to the ancestors, so they will watch over you (more of a psychological effect than magic) so you will feel more confident, and so muster more strenght into fight.
You could sacrifice for luck, good health, protection from harm, good harvest, any number of small things that wold give you some sort of boost.

Though i feel these things should have a good deal of rng to them so it doesn't become trivial to get a boost/blessing.

About the shadowlands and monsters: Yeah, it might be too much, but i just feel like we need more pve in the game. Some sort of combat challenge that doesn't involve hurting other players. Could be an entirely endgame thing. It would probably require a rework of monsters' AI so they are more challenging and not so simple-minded as to only get to you and wreck you, or flee if you bite back.