Scribe's skill tree

Discussion in 'Crafting & Gathering' started by redfish, Jun 15, 2016.

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  1. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    I've been thinking for a while that the game would greatly benefit from a Scribe's skill tree, especially as the developers have been putting things in the game like Scroll-making and Engraving. Call the skill tree "Scrivenery", or whatever other name works.

    As the game currently works, we're combining reagents with pulp in order to actually enchant magic into the paper of the scrolls. But wouldn't it make more sense for an Alchemist to create magic ink, give it to a Scribe, and have the Scribe create the scroll? Right now, as I understand, you just take an Tool Engraving Kit and drop it on a tool, but wouldn't it make more sense for a Scribe to do the job?

    And then add in more things that have already been suggested on the forums, like Bookbinding, Cartography, and Translation, and you can fill out an entire SCRIBE'S SKILL TREE.

    So, the first thing we need is a workstation. This would be the Scribe's Desk.

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    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    A Scribe would then take all of the materials he needs to do his job to his workstation, the Scribe's Desk, and use it like any other crafter would. This would also create a nice piece of decoration for the game. The most basic skills would be ones like Bookbinding and Translation.

    BOOKBINDING

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    Bookbinding is something that's come up in previous threads on book creation. The game has numerous types of materials that players could collate into a book -- blank sheets of paper, written notes, sheet music, maps, recipes. A typical "blank book" would just be a collation of a lot of blank sheets. But a Scribe would also be able to take a lot of different types of material and put them together. A collection of sheet music could be turned into a music book. A collection of maps could be turned into an atlas. Individual chapters for written material could be written on separate stacks of paper, and then combined into a book, with a table of contents. Written material could be combined with music and maps.

    TRANSLATION

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    Translation would also be a relatively simple skill. The Scribe would take a book or note in runic, use a runic cipher disc, and blank writing material, and transfer a translated version of the original text. There could be cipher discs in the game for every type of alphabet that exists in the game, and a Scribe would have to use the correct cipher disc.

    [​IMG]

    A UI cipher disc could even exist as an option on screen, so players could use it as reference while looking at signs and map titles in the game that are written in runic. Magic cipher wheels could also be used in scroll-making during the inscription process.

    INSCRIPTION

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    Inscription, as suggested, would involve using magic ink, instead of putting the enchantment in the creation of the paper. The ink would be provided to the Scribe by an Alchemist, who would use a base, acting as a fixative, and a reagent. The base would provide the color of the ink, and the reagent, its magical properties, when combined with the fixative. There are a lot of inks in history associated with magic, like dragon's blood ink, dove's blood ink. Gold ink, sapphire ink; a lot of creative possibilities.

    [​IMG]

    As in spellcraft, the ink would represent the reagents; that only leaves the words of power. These could be derived from a magic cipher disc, which would be used by the scribe to decode some magical secret.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    It could be an interactive UI element which would allow the crafter to select certain runes to create the spell, lock the runes, and then put that cipher on the crafting table. The magical secret could then be used to create a sigil, in a seal, on the scroll.

    That's a simple illustration, but sigils and seals can end up looking very fancy.

    [​IMG]

    The scroll could then also be made out of many different types of material -- paper, parchment, vellum, papyrus.

    CARTOGRAPHY

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    Another skill that would be on the Scribe's tree is Cartography. Cartography as a skill would not only allow the creation of maps, but also the copying of maps. I haven't thought out how creation would work. But copying would be a simple matter of bringing a map to a Scribe's Desk and using a recipe to copy it. An interesting application would also be the ability to copy over points-of-interest markers.

    [​IMG]

    The POI marker system could be reworked so that you need a map, and the marker to show on your map, before it would appear on your compass. If you went around an area with a map, and discovered new locations, the markers for those locations would start appearing on your map, and thus on your compass. If you had no map in your inventory, the markers wouldn't appear. On the other hand, you could buy a map from another player that already had all of the POI markers, and the locations would appear without you having to discover them. You could also then take that map to a Scribe, and the Scribe would be able to copy the map, with all of its POI markers intact.

    Players, of course, would have a way to erase markers, as well as add new ones -- such as by asking a Town Crier where someone's house is, and having that house location become 'pinned' on the map permanently. Once that would be done, the player wouldn't have to talk to the Town Crier again for that information. A POT owner could then create maps with special locations in his POT marked on it, make copies, and hand it out to players.

    ENGRAVING

    [​IMG]

    Engraving a tool would also have to go through a Scribe. It could work very similar to how it currently works, except you would need a player who specializes as a Scribe to get the job done. Like Inscription, the final product would require both an Alchemist, for the toolkit, and a Scribe, for the finished product.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
  2. Drocis the Devious

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    Excellent, I love it all!


    A few thoughts:
    • Being able to create book covers out of resources like bone, dragon scales, hide, etc..
      • Red Dragon Scales might protect the book from fire damage. Helps with durability.
    • Spell Books could be created, and enchanted.
      • Books could replace wands and staves as an alternative focus item.
    • More Scribe Skills:
      • The ability to prevent people from copying a published book.
      • The ability to repair books.
      • The ability to publish a book using a registered "pen name".
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2016
  3. redfish

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    Oh, I forgot the most basic thing... Copying, which would be copying books, notes, flyers, etc. But that should be the easiest thing to do.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
  4. Time Lord

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    Time Lord Approved...
    Player Originated Awards to Enhance Player Events Couldn't Be Stopped With Such a Thing Around...
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    ~Time Lord~:rolleyes:
     
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  5. Isaiah

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    I'm glad you mentioned cartography too. That definitely fits as a subtree.
     
  6. Isaiah

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    What about cryptography? Is there a need for sending encoded messages? Or perhaps a skill needed to attempt to decrypt an encoded message unearthed in treasure.

    I suspect that pirates might use a coded map... Maybe this goes under cartography?
     
  7. redfish

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    Another possible use that would be tied into the Inscription skill, like Scroll-making, would be Ward-making.

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    A Ward would be a seal created and placed on a certain location that would act as a type of magical protection or booby trap. Such a ward might just protect a location from being broken into, or punish the person who entered. So, for instance, if someone broke a seal, a daemon might be summoned to attack the intruder. The daemon would, of course, have to be bound to the ward in the process if its creation.

    This is like FÅ«injutsu in the anime Naruto.

    A Scribe with his Engraving skill could also engrave magic talismans, which would also be set with sigils and seals,

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Signet rings.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
  8. Isaiah

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    Heck this could be its own tree. An aditional item enhancements like protection from wolves, or energy resistance.

    Then it could have a subtree used for enhanced summons or gaining the casting of several ward combat spells, like protective walls or area off effect protections. Protection from undead, protection from demons, protection from dragons, etc... which mark the protected area with a large magical glowing glyph on the ground or something like that.

    Or maybe just the items they create such as amulets having the ability to activate the ward in an area of effect around the caster (or glyph under the feet of the caster) . I suppose this could also include charms and suggestion type witch craft to turn simple minded enemies into allies.

    EDIT: honestly this could be a good candidate for a bonus skill tree like they mentioned during kickstarter. Unlocked for a fee as a pre episode 2 skill set, and the rest can get it after people upgrade to Episode 2.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
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  9. redfish

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    @Steve D. ,

    Well Ward spells, like an Undead Ward under Life Magic, or a Animal Ward under Moon Magic would make sense, too. But, if we're talking about actually drawing wards on parchments and engraving talismans with seals the same way you'd inscribe scrolls, I think that would overlap really well with a scroll making and engraving in general, and there wouldn't be a need for a separate tree besides the Scribe's skill tree.

    You can also have things like a Talisman of Warding.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
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  10. FrostII

    FrostII Bug Hunter

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    I love the concept, but I think you're asking too much of an already overtasked Dev team - to expect an addition of this magnitude be added to their already enormous list of must-do's, prior to persistence ...
    I'm hoping they can get thru the majority of issues currently present, before they even consider new additions.

    Sorry @redfish - I do love the concept and I'd love to see it - sometime down the road.... ;)
     
  11. Matheryn

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    really like the detailed work put into this post its fantastic
     
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  12. Isaiah

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    Ok so I'm amped and cannot sleep. Too much diet coke at dinner tonight I'm wored on caffeine.

    I could use a sleep ward. Is that also under moon magic?

    Yeah I agree about it being under moon magic. Why don't wards also have options to draw upon the character's magic skills too?
     
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  13. Isaiah

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    What if they are throwing out ideas around for Episode 2 content and also for addon skill trees for purchase as optional addon store bundles, after launch?

    Got to have these things planned ahead before the time comes to kick off episode 2.
     
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  14. FrostII

    FrostII Bug Hunter

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    The day they put skill trees in the store as an add-on, is the day they'll spell their own doom.
    That would be the day that I would cease all contributions via the store and put my accounts up for sale.

    I do not believe that they would ever do anything so silly......

    They can just add another tree if they wish - in Ep 2.

    But no skill trees in the store - ever.

    That would be worse than PayToWin, it would be PayToHaveItPeriod.

    No thank you.......
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2016
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  15. Leelu

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    Wonderful concept.
     
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  16. Bowen Bloodgood

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    I am shamed by my inability to dig deep into the forum and pull out ancient threads this morning. I know they're out there! But my time to search is limited..

    Oh wait! Never mind.. phew.. thought I was getting rusty..

    Language Skills
    Cartography!

    and for good measure.. I think there's even stuff in this one regarding scribing scrolls. :)

    More Than Books - Publishing Formats & Options
     
  17. Bowen Bloodgood

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    I don't think the intent was for this to be added prior to launch.. I at least always assume at this stage that most new ideas.. particularly ones like this are for down the road.. but it's hard to sit on a great idea and you want to get it out there while it's on your mind. :)
     
  18. Bowen Bloodgood

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    In regards to magic ink on scrolls. In the past, magic scrolls were made by casting spells directly on to a blank scroll. In this manner, all conditions for casting the spell were met. Including reagent use.

    I like the idea of scribing scrolls but I really do think that magic scrolls should require magic ability to create and that all requirements for casting a spell be met.

    I do like the idea of magic ink, but for spells I think it should be ink made from the specific reagents required to cast the spell.. Creating such ink might not be entirely unlike oh say..

    Reagents: Refining & Mixing Spells ;)

    Only with the end result being a usable ink..
     
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  19. redfish

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  20. Grave Dragon

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    Excellent ideas here, great work redfish!
     
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