An Adept Is You! - Base Spells

Top-Tier OC

Neutral	Striker	Defender	Controller	Supporter
Base Spells	Burst Spells	Counter Spells	Debuff Spells	Healing Spells
Focused Spells	Lingering Spells	Intercept Spells	Ailment Spells	Buff Spells
Utility Spells	Enchant Spells	Shield Spells	Geomancy Spells	Cleansing Spells
[Cannon Spell Conversion] (https://www.reddit.com/r/GoldenSun/comments/6ncewm/an_adept_is_you_neutral_spells_omake/)	Ailments Primer	Fundaments Primer	The Break Problem	Omake

Base Spells

^(Neutral Association, 3 Slots per family, Minimum of 2 families regardless of class)

The most common spell type, Base Spells are the types of spells most adepts are familiar with. These are standard area spells such as Quake, Fireball, and Megacool. All adepts have them, without exception. In fact, one sub-type of Base Spells, referred to as Basic Spells, are so widespread they're generally considered to be the only real standardized set of attack spells, and that all other offensive spells are said to be derived from them. Base spells always come in sets of three, and each spell takes up its own slot in a class' spell layout.

Basic Spells

^(Class Tiers 1 and above. Required for all Base and Dual-Element classes, limit one line per class)

A standard set of 12 spells - one line for each of the 12 aspects. This is the first spell an adept learns, and it is from this that an adept derives all of their other spells. Essentially, this is the spell that an adept learns in order to learn how to control the elements in the first place. Because this is a standardized set of spells, an adept will always have a set of spells based on what their elemental and fundamental affinities are.

When selecting spells for an adept’s base class, always start with the spell line that matches their element and fundament. When changing classes to a dual-element class, always use spells in the same row. For instance, if the character is a Mars adept with a Stellar affinity, then in their Venus class they will know Quake, in their Jupiter class they will know Whirlwind, and in their Mercury class they will know Douse. They will not have access to the other 8 basic spells, regardless of combination of djinn affinities they have. Basic spells are the only types of spells strictly locked to this rule.

In addition, the first spell of each of these spell families has a field effect associated with it:

Spell	Field Effect
Shard:	Creates a refractive shard from the ground, bending beams of light and changing their direction
Quake:	Shakes the ground, causing loose objects to fall a lower height (TLA: Tremor)
Growth:	Stimulates the growth of small plants, such as vines (TBS: Growth)
Blast:	Causes cracked or unstable objects to blow open (TLA: Burst)
Flare:	Sends a small jet of flame forward, igniting what it touches (DD: Fireball)
Acid:	Eats a hole into certain materials, forms cracks in others
Gleam:	Calls down a ray of light onto a spot in front of the caster
Whirlwind:	Summons a small whirlwind in front of the caster, causing various effects (TBS: Whirlwind)
Bolt:	Summons a bolt of lightning down in front of the caster, triggering devices and providing power
Frost:	Builds a small ice column from small water sources (TBS: Frost)
Douse:	Causes a tiny rain shower in front of the caster, extinguishing flames (TBS: Douse)
Vent:	Triggers geysers in places with cracks or fissures in the ground

Advanced Spells

^(Class Tiers 1 and above. Limit 1 line per class (Limit 2 for Tri Element classes)^)

Advanced spells are base spells that fall between Basic and Expert in power. Typically, this will be the second type of spell an adept learns, though there are exceptions (notably, many Supporters learn their first healing spell before they learn an advanced spell). Some adepts forego advanced spells altogether, instead on mastering their control over the elements. There are pros and cons to this - while adepts will be able to wield their Expert Spells one class tier sooner, they will often find notable gaps in their offensive capabilities at certain points in their growth. As such, it's generally a better idea to do so when dealing damage is not an adept's primary concern.

Additionally, some adepts (such as Supporters) may prefer Advanced spells to Expert ones. As they grow more powerful as an adept, they may find themselves shifting in how they approach combat. With more healing and support in their repertoire, they may find the additional firepower of expert spells to be less utilized, and thus they are likely to prefer the earlier use of advanced spells to help them get through their early career as an adept.

This spell line is where an adept really starts to show their personality through their spells. As one's spells are an expression of the adept's personality, it is actually rare for adepts to share spells outside of their Basic Spells. One Stellar Mars adept may express their advanced spells as a volley of fireballs, while another may opt instead for a beam of concentrated heat. Still another may go for a spiral jet of flame, or go for a flamethrower style attack. When making spells for an adept, keep this kind of thing in mind - who is the adept, and how would they shape their spells? If the alignment of their djinn can give them access to another aspect, would this spell be affected? If so, what would the new spell be like? What kind of spell would this turn in to if they changed classes? Would it be a kind of signature style of attack, or would the style change completely?

Remember that the spells an adept casts is just as much about self-expression as it is wielding the elements. Examples of this type of spell include spells such as Starburst, Ice Missile, and Storm Ray.

Expert Spells

^(Class Tiers 3 and above. Casters: Class Tiers 2 and above. Available 1 Class Tier earlier if no Advanced Spells in class' spell selection. Limit 1 line per class (Limit 2 for Tri Element classes)^)

Expert Spells tend to be the ultimate expression of an adept's power. Often the last to be learned, they tend to be the most impressive spell in an adept's arsenal. While they may not have the focused damage of a Focused Attack or a Striker's signature powers, these spells do the most damage in a wide area compared to all other types of spells. Generally speaking, Expert Spells are almost always used by Striker and Controller adepts, often by Defenders, but only rarely by Supporters. Of course, there are exceptions for everything.

Examples of this type of spell include spells like Gaia, Shine Plasma, and Pyroclasm.

Common Q&A:

Did you nerf Whirlwind?

Yes. The idea here was to keep all the common field effect spells together in the lowest (and thus cheapest) spell types. For those who want the original whirlwind, there's nothing saying you can't just make a new spell to take its place. Vanilla Whirlwind (and Ray, for that matter) would be classified as Advanced Spells under this system.

Do I have to use one of those 12 basic spells? Can't I make a different one?

Not if you're going to use this system. In this system, you get one of those basic lines. What's more, if your character's innate fundament is Stellar, then no combination of djinn will change it's aspect (ex: No changing your Quake into Growth or Shard). If you change class, you also change what your basic spell is based on your fundamental affinity (ex: If you knew Blast in your base class, changing classes will give you Shard, Gleam or Frost. You can't get Blast again, nor Quake, Bolt, or Douse.)

Can Tri-Element classes have a basic line?

Yes. I think Tri-Element probably doesn't have to follow the same "stick to your row" rule as well, considering how differently they operate compared to base or dual-element classes. If you normally cast Frost, but you want access to Vent, I'd say a good place for it to be would be in a tri-element line - but only if you set your djinn up to allow access to that aspect.

What if I want to use a Base Spell, but in a different way? Like, what if I want to make it affect an area for a while, or maybe lie in wait to surprise the foe?

Actually, those are where the ideas for Lingering and Intercept spells came from! Stick around, and I'll explain several types of those for you to choose from later.

Do I really have to stick to those limits? Can't I have three Advanced spell lines in one class?

Not if you want to say the character was based on this system. You're more than welcome to make such an adept, and though I might think it odd that that particular class of their is only useful in "mid game" sections, I won't force you to follow this system if you don't want to. Just don't say you're using this if you're not.

Any other questions? Ask below and I'll answer them the best I can!

Posted Jul 8, 2017, 5:23 PM UTC · edited

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