In Ryzom, magic is one of the 4 main skill trees, along with fighting, harvesting and crafting. Though all magic starts as one skill, at higher levels it branches out into 4 sub-skills: elemental magic, offensive affliction, defensive affliction, and healing magic. Because both affliction magics are very similar in how they work, players usually distinguish magic in the three major categories: elemental, healing and afflictions.
In the world of Ryzom, magic is a skill that all homins can learn. However many other creatures in the world can also use magic. Primitives can use magic, as can intelligent plants. The Kami are the masters of magic, and understand it far better than any homin, who only learned to use magic from the Kami in the first place. The Karavan on the other hand, cannot use magic at all, relying solely on their technology.
Many animals of Atys as well as the feared insectoid kitin cannot use magic per se, but still have magic-based attacks at their disposal. So a homin venturing out into the world would do well do protect themself from magical attack. This can be done by wearing the right kind of jewelry. Defence against magic comes in two forms; resistance and protection, and both are explained in the jewelry article.
Schools of Magic
Elemental Magic
Elemental magic is the form of magic that deals damage directly to the enemy. An elemental mage can do far more damage in Ryzom than any melee fighter or ranged fighter, but as a drawback is very vulnerable while doing so. Thus, in PvE combat, elemental magic is the most commonly used skill next to healing.
An elemental mage has two kinds of spells at their disposal: Direct Damage spells and Damage over Time (DoT) spells. Direct Damage spells, once cast, do damage once. Damage over Time spells, once cast, initiate a link between the caster and the target, and do damage every few seconds while the link is intact. The caster cannot move or do any action in this time, or the link will break.
Because constantly repeating Direct Damage spells does far more damage than maintaining a Damage over Time link, and because link magic is far more often resisted, most mages prefer Direct Damage spells. Damage over Time spells are rarely used.
Damage Types
Within both categories of spells, elemental mages get access to 7 different damage types. Choosing the best damage type to use is an integral part of elemental magic. Many enemies have protections against some damage types but not others.
Acid
Acid damage is the first spell any mage learns, and it usually stays the preferred type of damage against animals until the mage reaches level 125 and can learn the racial damage types.
Cold
Cold damage is usually the second elemental spell a mage learns, and generally stays the preferred type of damage against kitin until the mage reaches level 125 and can learn the racial damage types. Even after that cold remains the best damage to use against certain kitin, particularly kipucka and kidinak.
Rot
Rot damage is usually the third elemental spell a mage learns, and generally stays the preferred type of damage against plants until the mage reaches level 125 and can learn the racial damage types.
Fire
Fire is the racial damage type of the Fyros, and can only be learned from a Fyros magic trainer once a mage reaches level 125.
Poison
Poison is the racial damage type of the Matis, and can only be learned from a Matis magic trainer once a mage reaches level 125.
Shockwave
Shockwave is the racial damage type of the Tryker, and can only be learned from a Tryker magic trainer once a mage reaches level 125.
Electric
Electric is the racial damage type of the Zoraï, and can only be learned from a Zoraï magic trainer once a mage reaches level 125.
Healing Magic
Healing magic is the form of magic that directly heals your allies. It is the most reliable form of restoration in the world of Ryzom. Thus in all situations involving more than one player, healing magic usually plays an integral part. Most all players train their healing magic.
Healing magic however cannot be cast on yourself, only on someone else. The only other forms of restoration in Ryzom are the occupation items, the limited self-heal powers, and simply sitting down and waiting to regenerate. Healing magic dwarfs all these other methods in how easily it restores health.
Though being a good healer is quite a challenge, healing magic is in essence very simple. There is only one kind of spell: to directly restore energy to the targeted ally. And it only comes in three variants:
- Restore health
- Restore sap
- Restore stamina
Affliction Magic
Affliction magic is the form of magic that handicaps an enemy, rather than directly doing damage. Is it far less used than elemental magic or healing magic, because affliction magic is generally only useful if you're in a team with other people already doing the damage.
Affliction magic is divided in two separate skill branches: Offensive Affliction and Defensive Affliction. Both need to be separately trained, and both have their own separate afflictions, but both work the same way.
Afflictions always work with links, just like elemental Damage over Time spells. Once an affliction spell is cast, it creates a link between the caster and the target. The affliction will affect the target only for as long as the link remains. While holding the link, the caster cannot move or do any action, or the link will break.
Offensive Affliction
Offensive Affliction contains 5 affliction spells:
Blind
This spell blinds the target for as long as the link is maintained. A blinded creature will almost always fail in whatever action they try (ie they'll fail their spell casting, miss with their weapon swings, etc), and is unable to dodge or parry any physical attacks directed at them.
Madness
This spell drives the target mad for as long as the link is maintained. A creature under a madness spell has a chance of hitting themself with any attack they make, be it a melee attack, ranged attack, or magic spell. If it's a healing spell, it will be nullified instead.
Root
This spell entangles the target in roots, rendering them unable to move as long as the link is maintained. They can still take any action, just cannot move any longer. Thus it's particularly useful against enemies who only have melee attacks.
Slow Attack
Also simply known as 'Slow', this spell slows the attack speed of the target as long as the link is maintained. The slow applies to melee attacks, ranged attacks, and magic castings. This affliction isn't very popular, as it's generally preferred to use one of the other afflictions to stop the enemy from attacking completely.
Slow Movement
Also known as 'Snare', this spell slows the movement speed of the target as long as the link is maintained. It's a minor slowing though, only about 20%. Because of that, this affliction isn't very often used.
Defensive Affliction
Defensive Affliction contains 3 affliction spells:
Stun
This spells stuns the target completely, leaving them unable to move or take any action, as long as the link is maintained. They also can't dodge or parry any physical attacks directed at them while stunned.
Fear
This spells sends the target into a panic, leaving them unable to take any action as long as the link is maintained. They also can't dodge or parry any physical attacks directed at them while feared. However, they can still move. Mobs and NPCs will generally run away if under the effect of fear.
Sleep
This spells puts the target to sleep, leaving them unable to move or take any action, as long as the link is maintained. They also can't dodge or parry any physical attacks directed at them while asleep. However, if they take any damage at all while asleep, the link will instantly break and they will wake up.
Defence against Magic
You won't be the only one on Atys using magic; many of your enemies will be using it as well, and against you.
While the vast majority of damage that will be inflicted upon you during your time on Atys will be physical in nature, there's still no shortage of enemies that will use magic against you:
- All species of intelligent plants can cast at least one kind of magic.
- All species of primitives can also use at least one kind of magic.
- Many of the tribes of Atys have magician guards that can cast all kinds of magic.
- Many bandit groups also include magicians that can cast all kinds of magic.
- If you ever engage in PvP, you'll be up against other player characters, who have access to all the same spells you do.
- Many animals have attacks that aren't magic, but still do a magic-type damage.
- Half of all kitin also have attacks that aren't magic, but still do a magic-type damage.
Thus, the cautious homin would do well to defend themselves against magic properly. This can be done by wearing the right kind of jewelry. Currently jewels are the only equipment that can protect you against magical attack and elemental damage, so how defence against magic works is explained in the jewelry article.
