Speech-Based Magic Casting.

So I came across a few interesting implementations of magic-casting in games whilst browsing the Iron Tower Studios forums recently. It started in a discussion about gesture-based magic casing, where the user would draw the elements of the spell that wanted to cast on the screen (presumably using the mouse, although using a Wiimote was also brought up). So, if you wanted to cast a Fireball, you'd squiggle the symbols for Offensive Magic, Projectile, and then finally the elemental.... element, for lack of a better word, for Fire, and poof! - the game would respond and your Mage would pew-pew-pew off a Fireball.

Now this got me thinking. A few posts earlier, someone mentioned a game system that used spell components, but unlike gestures or the standard D&D item-based component system, it was based on using syllables to cast the spell. It didn't mention much but from what I could gather there were certain syllables (presumably from some ancient and probably Elven language) for things like Fire, Defence, Projectile, Poison, etcetera. The player would then combine the elements of the language he'd learnt (read: unlocked by smacking things) to create their own spells.

Now this strikes me as a very original and interesting game mechanic. Most magic systems in games rely on you paying gold or experience to gain the spell in addition to your regular spells, usually progressing in 'lines' from established spells and power - often something along the lines of Fire, Fira, Firaga, etcetera. But by using the syllable-based system, it not only enforced but encouraged creativity and experimentation on the part of the player.

Imagine the scenario: you start out as a young Sorcerer, with nothing but a freshly-bound spellbook and a burning desire to... well, burn things. Stumbling around, you eventually come to the local village and, taking offence that the commoners dare still draw breath in your hallowed presence, you whip out the book and find that, in the Ancient Tongue, the sound for Fire is 'Ah'. So far so good. You flick through a few pages and discover that the sound for Great Power is 'Ule'. Excellent, you cackle! With these two elements you have the basis for a powerful fire-based spell. But the delivery? One last ruffle through the pages and you have a choice - 'Dac' for Projectile, or 'Urt' for Burst. You decide on Urt.

So, having assembled the word, you point your quivering hand at the nearest Peasant and scream 'Uleurtah!' - meaning, of course, Greatly Powerful Burst of Fire - and, with the stink of ozone in the air and your cry echoing in the hills, the targeted Peasant explodes into flame and dies a horrible, barbecued death.

So, we can divide the above spell into a number of 'parts', for lack of a better term. These are:

• Element: This is the traditional RPGesque element-based magic types. Fire, Ice, Water, Poison, Dark, Light - whatever. The example we use above is Fire, although this doesn't have to be elemental in the tradition sense. Since it is sound-based magic, we can impart tone and mood to the sound - so you could include things like Love or Hate as elements. I'll expand a bit on this below, however.
• Strength: The power that the Sorcerer imparts into the spell. To abstract it away, this could simply become an MP cost, scaled in line with the other elements of the spell and current level.
• Intent: The point of the spell itself. We used Burst in the above example for an area-of-effect element to the spell, frying that poor Peasant. But you could also have things such as Projectile, Self, Environment.

So, we end up with a three-part spell casting system. It's a bit unorthodox, but it's easy to get your head around once you divide it up into elements. You choose the element, the strength, and the type of the attack - pretty much the same as it is in current systems, although this one doesn't spell out (no pun intended) your options and possibilities as distinctly as traditional magic-casting.

But are we using this system to it's full potential? If we take the concept of using sound elements as spell components, why not elaborate further and really exploit the possibilities that this system introduces? I mentioned above about using emotion as a form of element alongside the traditional natural elements. How about we use emotion as an 'spell wrapper' of sorts? So instead of simply saying the spell, you lovingly say it. You angrily say it. You boastfully say it. These in turn would effect the subsequent spell in appropriate ways - lovingly saying something may have non-lethal or beneficial effects, for example. Whilst you would have some control over the emotional content of your spell, it would be limited in some way - you'd be less likely to bring yourself to say something loving to a party member whose actions or deeds opposes your beliefs or personality, for example.

Continuing, we then abstract the Strength into this spell wrapper. The louder you say something, the more power it has, because more people hear it - why shouldn't spells be more powerful if you speak them more powerfully? So you could have the option of whispering or shouting a spell (and, of course, all the levels in between), which in turn would add power to it (and also have the associated negative impacts - it's hard to be stealthy screaming 'Fire! FIRE! FIRE!!' at the top of your lungs, and all that protracted yelling would strain the vocal cords and make each spell less effective)

So, having abstracted the Intent and Strength into how you actually say the spell, we leave the spell itself open to combining all sorts of other components, possibly stacking various syllables to further enhance the spell itself. Perhaps, as the player increases in strength, they are able to string together more and more syllables into words? So, they start out almost grunting monosyllabic spells, but once they reach the end of their adventures, they can string together almost entire sentences.

So those are some of my initial ideas on a Speech-Based Magic system. I'm sure there are all sorts of differing opinions and perspectives on this, and I'd be glad to hear anyone's input on this. As always, feel free to implement these ideas into your own games. I'd be delighted to hear from you if you did, if only to inflate my own ego.

Relevant Linkage:
The original Iron Tower forum thread.