The Reliques of Tolti-Aph — 9 of 57
Graham Nelson
Chapter 2 - Magic
Section 2(a) - The phenomenon of magic
A spell character is a kind of value. The spell characters are offensive, defensive, healing and arcana. A valency is a kind of value. The valencies are targeted and untargeted.
A spell is a kind of value. The spells are defined by the Table of Enchantments.[1]
Table of Enchantments
| spell | nature | cost | requirement | emission | targeting | duration | duration timer | usage count |
| detect trap | defensive | 1 | air | "diffuse blue light" | untargeted | -- | a number | a number |
| memorise | arcana | 3 | air | "a glowing symbol" | targeted | -- | ||
| fashion staff | arcana | 2 | wood | "woodpulp" | untargeted | -- | ||
| know nature | arcana | 1 | air | "probing rays" | targeted | -- | ||
| make sanctuary | arcana | 8 | clay | "rainbow walls" | untargeted | -- | ||
| magelight | arcana | 4 | wood | "flickering white light" | untargeted | 25 | ||
| mend | healing | 2 | flesh | "ghostly fingers" | targeted | -- | ||
| magic missile | offensive | 6 | wood | "a fiery red bolt" | targeted | -- | ||
| aerial shield | defensive | 3 | air | "green smoke" | untargeted | 3 | ||
| silence | defensive | 4 | air | "a tiny white puff" | untargeted | 2 | ||
| web | offensive | 4 | air | "a clingy white thread" | targeted | -- | ||
| ward magic | defensive | 6 | metal | "orange sparks" | untargeted | -- | ||
| exorcise undead | defensive | 7 | metal | "purest whiteness" | untargeted | -- | ||
| dragon sleep | healing | 5 | flesh | "little dancing lights" | targeted | -- | ||
| circumvent lock | healing | 2 | metal | "tendrils of metallic light" | targeted | -- | ||
| inner warmth | defensive | 4 | wood | "reddish glowing" | untargeted | 4 | ||
| ironbones | defensive | 4 | flesh | "red metallic beams" | untargeted | 6 | ||
| summon elemental | offensive | 6 | flesh | "blood-red mist" | untargeted | -- |
Understand "memorize" as memorise.[2]
Notes
[1]. This is the first of several tables which mimic the style of typical RPG manuals. That mimicry makes no difference to the game as it is perceived by the eventual player, but it helps us to write the source text. Spells are going to cost a certain number of strength points to cast, and will come in various categories: some apply to some particular item (the "targeted" ones), others do not. Most need the caster to be holding something of a particular material nature: for instance, "the requirement of magic missile" evaluates to "wood". Note the blank entries given as "--", and the entirely blank columns at the end, which are used for calculations during play.
[2]. For American players who habitually type "-ize" spellings. Note that this is an instruction to Inform that the text "memorize" can refer to the noun "memorise" in anything the player types - it isn't a specification of a command verb, even though it will later turn out that the name of a spell can indeed be used as a command.