The Book of Shadows

Cloak of shadow

Tactical

15 knowledge

5 mana

no shard

target unit become shrouded by shadows , every attack agaisnt this unit has caste's INTX2 chances to miss

Engulfing Darkness 

tactical

16 knowledge

8 mana

death shard

target units gets assaulted by being of pure darkness damaging them every turns and preventing them from doing any action , the target unit make a morale check every turn to cancel the spell and prevent the effects

Shadows Enforcers

Strategic

?? knowledge

20/25 mana

death shard

summons shadow being that were once humans but now only intangible shadow constitued forms , immune to normal weapons , can go through obstacles (tactical ) and kind of assassin unit going through enemy's line to kill a specific unit

Black wind from the soul

Tactical

25/30 knowledge

15+ mana

death shard air shard

the caster lose half of his hit points for invoking such a dangerous spell and lose 3% of his HP every turn as long as he maintain this spell and cannot be healed while channeling this spell  , evry enemy unit is surrounded by darkness biengs taking every opportunity they have to try to kill their target , every enemy unit in the battlefield suffer an additionnal 50% damages from every damage source.

The city of lies

Strategic

20 knowledge 

25 mana enchantment slot

Death shard

target city become shrouded by shadows rendering it almost impossible to find , only units on the adjacent tile can discover it or target it with a spell

Shadow Burst

tactical

10 knowledge

5 mana

no shard

target unit become the host of shadow beings , his the unit dies , the shadow within it burst out of the unit bodies damaging every adjacent enemy unit , damages are equal of 50% of the unit base hp.

Shadow Seal

tactical

12 knowledge

4 mana

no shard

target unit become magicall sealed , preventing any beneficial or healing spell from targeting or affecting the unit ( can be dispelled )

Silence 

tactical 

15 knowledge

6 mana

no shard

target unit  become silenced making it unable to cast any spell for INT/10 turns

Shadow puppet

tactical

10 knowlegde

3 mana

no shard

target unit lose INT/2 points in attack defense and attack speed because of the shadow string preventing it from behaving freely , it also render the unit unable to use special abilities

Contemplating the Void

tactical

16 knowledge

1 mana

Death shard

the caster gain x mana per turn, but taking x damages per turn as well , the caster can cancel it whenever he want , (can only be cast once per battle)

1. Sacrifice

2. Strategic

3. A lot?

4. 15

5. No

6. Sacrifices your own unit to strengthen the casters stats. Effect depends on the unit: Sacrificing a peasant gives you a small temporary boost, while sacrificing a powerful champion gives you a permanent boost. The stats increased could depend on the type of the unit. Caster's INT also affects this, higher intelligence would give a better bonus.

7. Book of Death

8. A pretty complicated one, I know, but maybe possible? If the AI can weigh the advantage gained against losing the unit in question. 

1. Spell Name: Fog
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 10
4. Mana Required: 10
5. Shards Required: 2 Air, 1 Water
6. Area affect of 10x10 tiles.  Reduces the visibility of all units within that area to 1.
7. Spell Book: Air
8. Note: Spell has a 10% chance of dissipating each turn.

1. Spell Name: Summon Giant Worm
2. Strategic
3. Arcane Knowledge: 20
4. Mana Required: 20
5. Shards Required: 2 Earth
6. Summon a giant worm that can move anywhere in tactical combat.
7. Spell Book: Earth or Summoning

Later,
LAR 

How about some fusion spells that require two shards?

Tactical Spells: Great hail.  Requires water+ air

drops giant hailstones on the enemy, randomly damaging a square of enemy in a 3*3 tile for many medium damage blows.

Water+ Earth= Acid Blast.  Hits them for a large amount of acid damage.

Both should cost 8 mana.  Arcane knowledge should be mid-level.

Strategic Spell: 1 Enchantment Slot,  10 mana, mid-level knowledge.  Book of Earth or maybe also Book of death

Strengthen Bone.

+10% HP to living creature

+50% HP to skeleton

1. Warp Unit
2. Strategic
3. Arcane Knowledge: 18
4. 10
5. No shards
6. Warps creature. 25% chance to add 5 health 25% chance add 5 to defense 25% chance add 5 attack 25% add 1 combat speed
7. Spellbook: Ruin
8. Does not affect champion units, only cast once per turn.

Telekinesis:

Combat spell.

Must overcome targets dexterity. Can disarm target unit temporarily (2-3 combat rounds?). Or, optionally, could be used to steal the opponents weapon if it overcomes both a dexterity and strength roll by the target unit. Maybe make it always "disarm" for one combat turn, since telekinetically screwing with their weapon will pretty much always make it impossible for them to use it that combat round, even if they overcome the attack. If they actually fail the roll, then make the number of turns lost equal to how badly they failed the roll. And if the target fails both STR and DEX rolls, then they lose the weapon to the attacker. 

Telekinetic Shield:

Protects a unit from non-enchanted projectile attacks for some duration.

Telekinetic Wall (higher level telekinetic shield):

Erects a wall on the battlefield (can be see-through for spell effects) across which no non-enchanted projectiles may travel.

Telekinetic Barrier (higher level telekinetic wall):

Throws up a barrier (see-through dome of some form) that prevents non-enchanted projectiles from coming into it, but allows them to exit (one-way barrier). Radius of the barrier equal to intelligence roll or wisdom roll or something. Anything in that radius is protected from projectiles but can still fire back at the enemy. 

Telekinetic Invulnerability (highest level telekinetic barrier):

Each friendly unit receives its own, personal telekinetic barrier which is personally formed to their body. Should reduce effectiveness of all physical, non-enchanted attacks. Maybe it completely absorbs X amount of damage. If an attack does not exceed that X amount of damage, it does no damage. In other words, a puny person swinging a dagger at you is not gonna do anything, but a dragon swatting you with his tail is going to go through that barrier like it's butter.

1. Arcane ward (or inviability, but it's too obvious)
2. Strategic
3. Low to Mid (12-18) the point is that it could be cast early on.
4. High
5. Any (?)
6. It renders the city, and the troops, persons and objects around it (up to 2 tiles?) , invisible, but it lowers the number of people it attracts.
7. Enchantments
8. The spell is inspired by Tolkien's Silmarilliron, where Malian, the great sorceress, sustains the barrier around the kingdom of Doriath, which prevents anyone from coming within it's borders.

1. Lycanthropic transformation
2. Tactical
3. 13
4. 10
5. None
6. It transforms the caster into a werewolf, giving him/her a huge atack bonus.
7. Enchantments or Death
8. Dark Lord Sauron uses this in Tolkien's Silmarillion

A spell needs the following items:

1. Lycanthropy
2. Strategic
3. 20
4. 20
5. No
6. 1+ HP regen, 2+ STR, +2 Attack, +2 defense, weapon immunity, %chance unit will bite enemy and create another lycan and join the casters cause.
7. Death
8. Takes up an enchantment slot

--------------------------

Lol i like mine better

One of my favorite magics from Baldur's Gate / NWN...

1. Name: Time Stop
2. Type: Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: Greater than average.
4. Mana: Greater than average.
5. Shards: Life + Death.
6. Effect: Stops time for the enemy, all allied units get, say, INT/10 free turns.
   (If that's overpowered, just gives the caster INT/10 free turns -- or the equivalent number of temporary action points)
   
7. Spell Book: Arcane Magic, (or Mastery?)
   

1. Name: Greater Time Stop
2. Type: Strategic
3. Arcane Knowledge: Endgame
4. Mana: Endgame
5. Shards: All
6. Effect: Stops time for the enemy on the global map. Player's kingdom gets a free turn.
   
7. Spell Book: Arcane Magic, (or Mastery?)

One of the aspects of Master of Magic that I enjoyed was the game play surrounding Magic and Guardian spirits.  I understand that the capture mechanics for shards are different in E:WoM, but I think we can use these spells as shard enhancers. If these can be worked into the shard capture mechanics, that would be great as well!

Name: Lesser Guardian Spirit

Strategic

AK: 10

Mana: 10

Shard: Yes

Book: Summoning

Effect: Summons a lesser guardian spirit. These creatures can focus power from

Shards to add a INT% power to the mana income of a controlling sovereign.

Notes: Caster may have one at a time; uses an enchantment slot; INT% grows as INT of caster increases;      ‘Easy’ to remove from shard( 8 out of 10).

Name: Greater Guardian Spirit

Strategic

AK: 20

Mana: 20

Shard: Yes

Book: Summoning

Effect: Summons a greater guardian spirit. These creatures can focus power from

Shards to add a INT%x1.5 power to the mana income of a controlling sovereign.

Notes: Caster may have one at a time; uses an enchantment slot; INT% grows as INT of caster increases;      ‘Hard’ to remove from shard (2 out of 10).

Hungry Ghosts

Death Magic

Strategic spell

Cost moderate

Effect summon a moderately powerful unit of four ghosts, each strategic turn the ghosts will kill the land they are stationed on, if the land is already dead then one of the ghosts is dispelled. (so they must keep on the move and drain life from any ground they occupy. This does not count on turns the ghosts are in combat.

Ghosts are immune to non magical damage and do damage by draining life from living units which also heals them.

1. Spell Name: Dragonform
2. Tactical (and Strategic?)
3. Arcane Knowledge: 25
4. Mana required to cast: 20
5. Fire, Wind, Air, Ice (all)
6. Sovereign turns into a Dragon in tactical battle for X amount of turns.
7. Spell Book: Mastery
8. Note: The sovereign is controlled the same way a dragon would be controlled in the tactical map.  Its a big time spell, for big time battles.

Interesting times

Tactical spell

Moderate Mana cost

Chaos spell

Causes large penalty on to hit rolls, as the target unit is literally jinxed. Lasts for INT tactical turns.

1.  "Cyclone"

2.  Strategic

3.  16

4.  10

5.  Air Shard

6.  Targets sea space with ships, cyclone appears and ships are heavily damaged and/or destroyed

7.  Air Spellbook

8.  Summons a cyclone to destroy or damage an enemy fleet.  Ideal effect would be to destroy 1/2 to 2/3 of enemy ships and leave the rest damaged.  However, this spell could easily be adjusted for gameplay reasons to be stronger or weaker for gameplay reasons, with the costs adjusted accordingly.  Idea is to use this to destroy an invading enemy fleet or weaken a defending enemy fleet prior to your fleet attacking it.  Would need a pretty sizeable range to be useful, unless the casters can cast magic from ships.

1. Gateway
2. Strategic
3. Dunno, it'd probably need some balancing
4. Ditto
5. No
6. Creates a stable gateway between two points on the map
7. Not sure.  Life?  I guess?
8. Basically it spawns two gateway objects on the map that each send units to the other point.  It's a neutral object, so enemies can make use of it too.  It requires you to be able to see both points you want to use.  The gateways can be destroyed by units occupying its' tile.  It should be expensive enough to deter players from just linking up all their cities and plonking one on every continent.  Maybe one set of gateways up at a time per player?  Maybe if there are other gateways up from other players a chance of units popping out the wrong gate?

while I'm at it

1. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT
2. Strategic
3. 10
4. 10
5. Air
6. Shakes target player's screen around, makes horrible noises
7. Air
8. No hard effects, just screws with the other player's mind.  Maybe make it sound like something horrible being summoned just beyond their line of sight.

1. Spell Name: Bonhun call
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 15
4. Mana required to cast: 4
5. No.
6. Friendly units gain, 25% of speed, enemay unit gain -25% def
7. Spell Book: Book of wind or book of fire
8. Note: Hero roars at the battlefield with his magic enchented voice affected all units. Cretures got 5% chance to gain frenzy status (double speed or attack, or both)

1. Spell Name: Charm
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 15
4. Mana required to cast: 10
5. No.
6. Target enemy unit(s) become under attacker’s control for duration of combat.
7. Spell Book: Book of Combat
8. Note: Has chance to fail (The game rolls a number between 1 and target’s intelligence, and the player rolls a number between 1 and the Caster’s intelligence. If their INT roll exceeds the game roll, the spell is cast).

1. Spell Name: create illusion
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 15
4. Mana required to cast: 5
5. No.
6. Target friendly unit is cloned with 1 hp, dies at first hit
7. Spell Book: Book of summoning
8. note: the illusion need to be the same as original so if 1hp is a problem can have same hp as original and negative res/armor or some trigger to make it die at first it

1. Spell Name: exchange
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 20
4. Mana required to cast: 8
5. No.
6. 2 units eigher friendly or enemy are exchanged in position
7. Spell Book: Book of combat
8. note

1. Spell Name: taunt
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 20
4. Mana required to cast: 10
5. No.
6. target friendly unit is the only possible target for single target spells, abilities, normal attacks, effect lasts 1 turn +int/10
7. Spell Book: Book of combat

1. Spell Name: trap
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 10
4. Mana required to cast: 2
5. No.
6. place an invisible trap on the field, the first unit passing over it is dealt INT/2 dmg and reduced moviment and action to 1 for 2 turns
7. Spell Book: Book of earth

1. Spell Name: chain lightning
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 25
4. Mana required to cast: 10
5. air
6. deal int/2 dmg on the first target then jumps on the nearest target in 3 tile radius, max INT/3 jumps, every jump reduce the dmg by 2
7. Spell Book: Book of air
8. cant jump twice on the same target, eventually can hit friendly units too(maybe with the air shard the spell only hit enemies, without friendly fire too)

1. Spell Name: fountain of life
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 25
4. Mana required to cast: 10
5. life
6. place a fountain of life on the battlefield, any friendly unit in radius of 1+int/10 have their max hp increased of 5 and regenerate 1 hp each turn, fountain lasts int/3 turns
7. Spell Book: Book of life
8. fountain is not killable nor dispellable

sry double post

1. Spell Name: Deadly vigorius
2. Tactical
3. Arcane Knowledge: 15
4. Mana required to cast: 5
5. No.
6. Can stack, can be cast on enemy or frinedly troop unit gain 50% attack power and attack speed at the cost no defens and 15% of HP  each unit in stack.
7. Spell Book: Book of Fire
8. Note: You can kill your unit in that way, or enemy unit

• Name: Magical Bounty
• Type: Strategic
• Knowledge: Average
• Mana: Average
• Shards: Any one (Or any two?)
• Effect: 1% *interest* per turn on current resource stockpile (materials, etc), but -1 attack and -1 def to all units. (So only usable at peace-time). Requires an enchantment slot.
• Book: Enchantment.

• Name: Call To Arms
• Type: Strategic
• Knowledge: Average
• Mana: Average
• Shards: Any One
• Effect: All enemies in player's zone of influence take 1 damage per turn (from civilian resistance). Requires enchantment slot.
• Book: Enchantment.

• Name: Reflect Magic
• Type: Tactical
• Knowledge: Average
• Mana: Average
• Shards: Any one
• Effect: Targeted unit reflects magic back at the caster with (INT/10)% of initial strength. Lasts for INT/3 turns. Dispel-able with chance depending on relative INTs.

1. Order of Entropy
2. Strategic
3. 18 Arcane Knowledge
4. 14
5. None
6. Releases a deadly miasma in the targeted area that confuses all units under its area of influence, and inflicts 5% of maximum health/morale damage for 1 turn +10% of caster's intellect.
7. Book of Chaos
8. The confusion aspect of the spell would cause units and/or towns caught under this effect to be uncontrollable until the end of the spell. If cast upon a city, the damage should also include the buildings, if they are able to be damaged, as the dark cloud would simply be indifferent to flesh or stone, all would decay.

   ---

Also, for several other spells that I have in mind, I'd need to know if Elemental would allow for things like spreading wildfires or glaciers moving across the land per turn. I have two particular spells in mind that would be very late game, such as Void and Meteor..mm.

However, regardless of what physics are possible, I can not properly create a spell as I don't know the true values of the required Arcane Knowledge and mana cost. A lot of the cooler ideas I have are things you'd not get to see very often, and in fact some of them would require learning from a quest with an ancient being at the end who rewards you with a powerful spell..something like Pandora, effect: Units/town in targeted area is screwed, with a 5% chance to recover 100% of damage received.

I also like the idea of traps/pitfalls and such. As well as having a spell that allows the player/AI to create a quest starter that if taken (this would have to be labeled offensive, so the AI would know to use it near an enemy) would send the player/AI on a quest that if completed, the reward is false and you lose a powerful artifact or your next child or unleash some seriously ill-mannered creature that is 3 tons of angry hunger.

I could go on for hours about tactical spells and such that I'd like to see/plan to create. But to make them balanced, I'd need to know just what those numbers really mean within the game. I also have no problem with the AI having special spells that allow them to buff themselves (though still at an enchantment slot cost) to give them an edge in the game. Something like increased economy (the AI likes money right?) or stronger city fortifications. Anyway, the idea of a false quest spell, something like Gift of Loki or some such would make for an interesting situation for the player, in considering that which looks too good to be true, just might be that.

A spell needs the following items:

1. Winter Domain
2. Strategic
3. 20
4. 20
5. air
6. Covers your domain in snow (actual snow tiles begin to appear inside your borders) -2 defense -1 movement for enemies .
7. Air
8. Takes up an enchantment slot