Adventures in Amateur Game Design, part 12: Mage Abilities

100% not the aesthetic I'm going for, but just so cool. I love the Black Mage image search results.

The mage abilities was probably the easiest to come up with. It turns out that the limitless possibilities of magic make it easier to design. I decided to change the general philosophy of the trees a bit to open up more design options. The pet tree became the summoning tree. Enhancement is going to have a melee mage type spin to it also. I've also had some recent revelations that will allow me to squeeze those cool support spells into the trees without making them feel like they're taking the place of a good combat spell.

Arcane

Main Spec Ability: Explosion - a damaging AOE explosion that occurs at range.

In no particular order:

• Blinding Light
• Dazzling Wall
• Magic Missile
• Illusion
• Slow - slows a target
• Teleport - a personal teleport
• Telekinesis - a sustained telekinesis (not fast)
• Exploding Bead - a time delay damage spell 
• Cut - a magical slice through the air
• Mage Hand - an instant telekinesis (upgradable to be an attack)

Summoning

Main Spec Ability: Summon Companion - a permanent, magically enhanced companion. Can be dismissed and resummoned if killed.

• Summon Demon - temporary demon assistant
• Summon Golem - temporary golem (tanky)
• Summon Minor Architecture
• Floating Disc - a floating disc, usable for transport
• Conjure Food and Water
• Mend Ally - heals a summoned ally
• Dancing Sword - a sword appears to attack on behalf of the caster
• Spike - fires spikes
• Summon Clothes - upgradable to bind enemies
• 10th ability

Enhancement - Many of the abilities start as personal buffs but can be upgraded to be castable on others. Some start as castable on others.

Main Spec Ability: Buff - quite literally. Extra dice added to all actions and a speed increase.

• Change Self - alter your appearance
• 2-Ton Hammer - your weapon strikes as if it weighed more. Upgradable to knockback or deal massive damage to fixed structures.
• Resist - An aura that absorbs damage from certain elements
• Mage Armor - A deflection shield that increases your defensive capabilities
• Quick Feet - you move faster
• Close Wounds - heal
• Alacrity - increased turn speed
• Beam Attacks - Your weapon fires deadly beams at your enemies when you swing it.
• 9th ability
• 10th ability

There's always stuff left to come up with...