Crazy idea'm'jigger:
Crazy, inane, and I have no idea how to describe it! This is the result of my brain thinking. Well it always does that, but this is the result of it actually thinking of ways to torture Thalia. Cause she'd have to code it. Because we all know Chalgyr would blow the MUD up if he tried. So anyway, this idea pertains to RELIGIONS. Like you people want anymore to do with them.
As it stands, roleplay within religions is ... well... fairly stagnant. Don't shake your head and nay-say, you all know it's true! Back in the day people had to actually interact with their supreme, and vice versa -- it was how you got promoted. Now, you don't even have to get their permission, you don't have to do anything special to receive notice to get a new religion rank. You just meet the hours, experience and RPXP requirements, find the supreme (or a cardinal) and you can get promoted without them saying no. At least I'm pretty sure you can do this, I don't think anyone ever needs to get full requirements because you can promote at half reqs as Supreme/Cardinal anyway... It may have spawned favourtism, but favourtism is -reaaaal-.
So anyway, think of this idea as "runes for religions" as in they give benefits (like runes) but only for people in religions. Yes, it totally gyps atheists and heathens. But they don't need any special treatment. If they want the benefits, join a frakkin religion! Mind you, this is all partially done in my head, and some of it I'm even making up as I write this... so bear with me >P
Grant the ability to place a "mark" upon the followers of your order. This would not be a necessity to being in the religion, and would facilitate favourtism to an extent I'm sure. There would be two levels of "marks" the first being grantable by Elder, Cardinal and Supreme, while the second level of mark would be grantable only by the Supreme.
+ BESTOW MARK <player>
+ BESTOW TRUEMARK <player>
This would add an additional line to the players description, like bloodsworn. Bestowing a mark upon a player would require that A) the player they are trying to bestow it upon has PERMISSION on, B) Is a follower of the same religion you are, and C) that the person trying to bestow the mark is at least the rank of Elder. Bestowing a mark would cost faithpray and roleplay experience TO THE ONE GRANTING IT. Think of the mark as being a reward, therefor it should cost the granter -- and thus making it something not so nilly-willy thrown around. Yes, let's ignore the fact that Daklore has 330,000 RPXP.
+ BESTOW MARK would cost 7500 RPXP, 100 faithprays as Elder
- As Cardinal it would cost 5000 RPXP, and 50 faithprays
- As Supreme it would cost 5000 RPXP and 25 faithprays
+ BESTOW TRUEMARK would cost the Supreme 10000 rpxp and 200 faithprays
The difference between the two marks will be elaborated further on, don't worry. Lets start on what the mark would -do- for a player. It effects would depend largely on the rank of the player. So I'll list them below:
Bearing MARK:
--INNATE BONUS SHARED BY ALL: Increased mana regeneration of COLOURLESS type--
Member: Innate bonus only
Acolyte: Innate bonus only
Usher: 1 resonance + innate bonus
Lector: 1 resonance + innate bonus
Subdeacon: 2 resonance + innate bonus
Deacon: 2 resonance + innate bonus
Elder: 2 resonance + innate bonus
Cardinal: 2 resonance + innate bonus
Supreme: 2 resonnance + innate bonus
Bearing TRUEMARK:
--INNATE BONUS SHARED BY ALL: Increased mana regeneration of COLOURLESS type--
Member: Innate bonus only
Acolyte: Innate bonus only
Usher: 1 resonance + innate bonus
Lector: 1 resonance + innate bonus
Subdeacon: 2 resonance + innate bonus
--SECONDARY INNATE BONUS: Boost to preset resistance --
Deacon: 2 resonance + innate bonus + secondary innate bonus
Elder: 3 resonance + innate bonus + secondary innate bonus
Cardinal: 3 resonance + innate bonus + secondary innate bonus
Supreme: 3 resonnance + innate bonus + secondary innate bonus
Now you're asking, what's a resonance? Resonance is what makes the marks so -special- and yes, truemark does grant more bonuses for a reason. Resonances would be like runes, except more easily swapped out and replaced. Only the Supreme can empower a resonance upon a person bearing the mark of their religion.
+ EMPOWER RESONANCE <person>
+ TOUCH MARK
+ TOUCH MARK SILENCE <1-3>
Empower resonance will allow a Supreme to charge a resonance, for a small RPXP cost, of course. 1000 RPXP per empower. Each time this is done, a random resonance will be activated in an open "slot" within the mark. TOUCH MARK will allow you to view your mark and what resonances are currently empowered, and TOUCH MARK SILENCE will allow you to remove on of those resonance, for 2500 RPXP.
--TOUCH MARK
*Rank Member/Acolyte: The mark lies dormant, barely pulsing with energy.
*Rank Usher/Lector: The mark faintly resonates with power, granting you the power of...
*Rank Subdeacon/Deacon [and Elder to Supreme(without truemark)]:The mark pulses with power, granting you the power of...
*Rank Elder/Cardinal/Supreme(with truemark):The mark resonates with the true power of <Diety's name>, granting you the powers of...
An example of Daklore with a truemark:
The mark resonates with the true power of Dias, granting you the powers of...
1 | harmonic | Increase to religion spells
2 | resist | Slight increase to resdark
3 | spiritual | Increase to mana cap
Well, that's a preview of resonances, which are below. Below I say! Mind you, this is only a tentative list, and more could be added, tweaked, and some removed. Resonances are not meant to stack, meaning if you have one already. Empowering your mark should not be able to grant it again! The exception to this is resist.
harmonic - Increases damage for religion spells slightly, increases buff/debuff values for religion spells slightly
agressor - Increases damage for all religion spells moderately (greater than harmonic) (can stack with harmonic)
pacifist - Increases buff/debuff values for all religion spells moderately (greater than harmonic) (can stack with harmonic)
resist - Improve a random resistance by 5
spiritual - Increase mana cap based on your base class: Mages +25 per religion rank to white/grey/black, Scouts +25 to fire/water/wind/earth per religion rank, Priests +50 to Spirit per religion rank, Rogues and Fighters +30 to Colourless per religion rank
fading - Static increase to invisibility value, works like armour
faith - Increase to religion experience gains
hearty - Increase to maximum health by +100 per religion rank
There is certainly room for more, these are just the ones off the top of my head. Now you're going to ask, but what if I leave the religion or get kicked out? Well here's where the real interesting bit is. If you leave or get kicked out of the religion, you still keep the mark -- but it becomes a penalty. Joining another religion does not make the mark fade, either! While bearing the mark of a religion you don't belong too, your natural colourless regeneration decreases, and any resonances you possess will now do the opposite of what they were meant to do. Harmonic, aggressor and pacifist will affect religion spells once you join a new religion, of course, in the opposite direction and making them weaker.
But what if I rejoin the religion I left while I still possess the mark? It won't do any good. When you leave the religion the mark changes from a mark, or a true mark to a disbeliever's mark. You can only get it removed by a Supreme. Think carefully before you leave a religion with the mark! And yes, your own Supreme can remove it if you're leaving under amiable circumstances... and if he or she wants to spend the RPXP.
+BESTOW MARK <player> REMOVE
- As a Supreme, you have the ability to remove the mark, or truemark, from a player that serves your religion. this will cost you 5000 RPXP to do. This can be either a punishment or a mutual agreement. Permission is not needed.Removing a disbeliever's mark will cost you 10,000RPXP, however.
Benefits for being Cardinal and Supreme:
Resonance would return a slightly increased benefit toward Cardinals and Supremes. For resistance, Cardinals would receive 7 and Supreme 9 versus the 5 for all other members. If a damage increase grants 20%, Cardinals gain 25% and Supremes 30%. Mana caps and health bonuses would grant roughly 20% more for both Cardinal and Supreme.
Commands for Marks:
+ BESTOW MARK <player> -- bestow a mark upon a player
+ BESTOW TRUEMARK <player> -- bestow a truemark upon a player (Supreme)
+ BESTOW MARK <player> REMOVE -- remove a mark(and truemark) from player
+ TOUCH MARK -- view the resonances of your mark
+ EMPOWER RESONANCE <player> -- bestow a resonance upon player
+ TOUCH MARK SILENCE <1-3> -- silence a resonance (1, 2, or 3)
+ TRUEEMPOWER RESONANCE <resonance> -- bestow a selected resonance upon yourself (Supreme only benefit) (5000 RPXP)
+ TOUCH MARK <player> -- view the resonance of a religion follower (Cardinal/Supreme only. Must be in same room)
A note for seconary innate bonus with truemark:
Resist is preset according to religions, general spread idea as follows:
Dias: resharm
Es'trenal: researth
Sys'kee: resdark or resnegative
Galr: reswind
Athorien: reslight or resholy
This resist would be about 5 points, with no more than 10 (small, but a bonus nonetheless!)
Anyway. Read, rant, review, suggest. Hope the imms look at this idea and consider it. I want to know if you like it, or hate it, or want to be it. Whatever!
- Daklore