Tier Magic

Tier Magic is a craft of magic used by the Players of Xostya. Compared to Wild Magic, Tier Magic is more modern and widely used by most inhabitants of Xostya.

Background
Tier Magic was the magic system originally used by Players in Xostya. During the course of time, it has become the most prevalent type of magic system to date.

In contrast to Wild Magic and Runecraft, which are limited to certain races, Tier Magic is more compatible and more widely available for many types of users to practice. With its own controversy, Tier Magic was said to be the magical art that had supposedly caused a decline in usage of these traditional magics from other races. Regardless, Tier Magic can still be used by Dragons and Dwarves over their ancestral magic respectively. To this day, the denizens of Xostya have not truly grasped its full power completely.

Introduction to Types of Spells
The spells known as Tier Magic had appeared in Xostya about 500 to 600 years ago. After that, there had been several heroic magic-users, but the rumors of people other than the Thirteen Heroes using spells of the 7th-tier and up were exactly that — rumors.

In Xostya, there are more than six thousand spells for players to choose and learn from. Yet, when Xostya inhabitants became practitioners of Tier Magic, they also began crafting new spells from the same system outside Xostya. Those spells are separated into four categories of spells:


 * Arcane: Magic that seems more western in nature.


 * Divine: Restorative or healing spells used by priests. Divine magic casters could, after using spells which enhanced their physical abilities, end up stronger than a half-baked warrior.


 * Spiritual: Oriental magic-using talismans or psychic spells. It seems more eastern in nature.


 * Alternative: Spells that fall outside of the other types of spells. The magic that the paladins used fell into this category. Paladins typically cast spells in the form of blessings while Dark Knights, who were fallen paladins, also used blessing spells.

Also, it is further divided into branches such as defensive-types, necromancy-types, elemental-types, movement-types, and so on. In Xostya, they're used to help develop and specialize a unique character build among players like Sekhmet, a necromancer.

Regardless of which tradition of magic one was studying, the important thing when a person was starting to practice tier magic was to get a feel for it. Most of the people who had learned to use magic had done so through the feeling of making contact with the world. Anyone without that experience would be unable to cast spells.

List of Tier Spells
Each of the four categories of magic consisted of spells that are divided up to ten tiers, with an additional super-tier which surpassed all the others on top of it. In Xostya, the total number of spells available was well over 6000. Additionally, each seven levels in Magic Caster Classes allows the user to rise to a new tier, ranging from the order of 1st tier to 10th tier.


 * 0th Tier: For people possessing very little talent/ability. The magic that inexperienced people who have yet to learn/master the first Tier are said to be at this level-similar to apprentices and students. It is regarded the same as magic tricks or sleight of hand sort of things, and certainly even if they can be used one will not be called a magic caster. It is the tier of magic that can meet the needs for simple tasks in life.


 * 1st Tier (Level 1-7): The most common level of magic. Many practical magic are included in this tier. Anyone can use 1st-tier magic by training, though it takes too much time and effort for those without talent. Those capable of performing this tier can earn proper pay as a kind of special worker.


 * 2nd Tier (Level 8-14): These are spells for those who have talent, numbering 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 10,000. It is the common goal of normal magic casters. Those who achieve this tier can earn a good income and reputation.


 * 3rd Tier (Level 15-21): Only the brightest achieve this tier. 3rd tier magic casters are quite rare and they were considered to be most likely a platinum-rank Adventurer at the very least.


 * 4th Tier (Level 22-28): The highest tier that the most skilled acolytes have managed to reach.


 * 5th Tier (Level 29-35): A tier that very few have reached, among them the Thirteen Heroes, who are considered the pinnacle of mankind.


 * 6th Tier (Level 36-42): The highest tier magic for very few and capable inhabitants of Xostya that can so far achieve in reaching. It is said there are currently four humanoid magic casters who could cast 6th tier spells in the entire continent.


 * 7th Tier (Level 43-49): Spells that only exist in legends. Although humans are unable to use it, some select few magic casters can via large-scale magic rites or ceremonies. However, these are very dangerous to perform and usually end up with disastrous consequences. It seems the Thirteen Heroes are capable of using 7th tier spells, and a few individuals outside the group are rumored to use one.


 * 8th Tier (Level 50-56): In Xostya, these spells are considered to be within the Mythical Realm.


 * 9th Tier (Level 57-63):


 * 10th Tier (Level 64-70): The existence of 10th-Tier magic was proven by the Nameless Book of Spells and select few individuals know about it.
 * 11th Tier (Level 71-100): It is the unofficial rank of Super-Tier Magic or otherwise known as magic of the gods. By Xostya standard, it is simply called Super-Tier Magic. It is labeled as the highest form of magic above all other tiers that had been used between 500 to 200 years ago before the present setting.

List of Metamagic Enhancements
A special form of magic that were used to add different effects to regular spells, increasing the power or advantage of their Magic Caster. So far, there had been no clear indication whether or not it can also modify summoning spells, other types of skills, buffs or debuffs.

Mechanics
A magic caster can apply multiple metamagic enhancements to a single spell and the changes are cumulative. However, one cannot apply the same form of metamagic twice for a single spell but could stack other forms to it though only once too. One is even able to store a metamagic of a spell in either a scroll, potion, or wand. Reasonably so, a magic caster doesn't need metamagic to activate an item that already stored a metamagic version of a spell. In this case,


 * Boost Magic: It can elevate the tier and power of the spell.


 * Delay Magic: When it is activated, the magic delay the moment of activation of a spell.


 * Extend Magic: It allows the user to extend the period of time that the spell could remain active.


 * Maximize Magic: It increases the destructive power of a spell's attack.


 * Over Magic: In exchange of great quantities of mana, it allows the user to activate one spell of a tier higher than what the caster is normally able to use.


 * Penetrate Magic: It increases the chance to penetrate magic defenses or resistances.


 * Silent Magic: It allows the user to activate a spell without the need to recite it, eliminating the danger of a third party or person disrupting the activation.


 * Twin Magic: Unlike the original spell which can only create one object, this magic allows the user to create the same object twice from that spell without casting it again.


 * Triplet Magic: Unlike the original spell which can only create one object, this magic allows the user to create three of the same object from that spell without casting it again. It's most likely a superior version of Twin Magic.


 * Widen Magic: It increases the range or area of effect over what the spell would normally possess.


 * Five Elements: So far, Yin and Yang are the two principles used in conjunction with a tier spell.

Super-Tier Magic
While magic only goes up to the 10th-Tier, Super-Tier Magic is said to go beyond that limit. Super-Tier Magic acts more like a special ability rather than an actual spell. Magic casters can unleash it without consuming any of their MP. The number of super-tier spells a player could learn is one for each level after level 70. When it is first learned, it can only be used one time a day. However, it can be used increasingly once more for every additional ten levels gained. Thus, the average player who has managed to finally reach level 100 in Xostya is able to use Super-Tier Magic at least four times a day and will have about thirty super-tier spells in their arsenal. Each super-tier spell also needed a certain amount of casting time before it could be put into effect.

For that reason, Super-Tier Magic cannot be activated consecutively every time. First, it has an activation period and a certain amount of damage done to the magic caster will interrupt the casting. Various means of interruption include teleportation ambushes, bombardment from atop a magic carpet, or extremely long-range sniping. Second, it is possible to use cash items to remove that casting time, but with a penalty that prevents the repeated casting of super-tier spells. Magic casters who were preparing a super-tier spell could also suffer from their defenses being lowered. The basics of casting super-tier spells included protecting the caster with several friends.

Once any member of a team cast a super-tier spell, every member would be penalized by being unable to cast such spells for a certain period of time — in other words, a cooldown period. This restriction was put in place to prevent guild wars in Xostya from being decided by who could vomit out the most super-tier spells.

There is no class exclusive to Super Tier Magic when some have the potential in using that power with a given charge or price to it. However, there exists Super-Tier Magics that can likely be obtained and learn from completing events. By having unknown specific classes, it was not entirely impossible for NPCs to access unusual Super-Tier Magics that are treated like secret tricks or cheats.

List of Super-Tier Spells

 * Book of Revelations Malevolent Locust
 * Change The World: Similar to Depiction of Nature and Society, it could also seal a target into a closed-off space.
 * Creation: It is a super-tier spell that can change the terrain itself. In Xostya, it was used to guard against the heat of volcanoes or the cold of freezing lands.
 * Dark Dream
 * Disaster of Abaddon’s Locust
 * End of Earth
 * Fallen Down: Upon casting the super-tier spell, the user calls upon a huge pillar of blue light from the sky that will burn so bright and hot that it will appear like the whole world has turned white. After a few seconds, it will leave behind an area burned to a cinder, devoid of life. This spell deals massive damage, especially to an undead-type enemy.
 * Great Malediction Curse-killing Poison
 * Iä Shub-Niggurath: An AoE (Area of Effect) move which brought forth a black cyclone used to instantly kill every living being within its range. This spell inflicts an instant-death effect, and it was practically useless against the undead, golems, and other beings which had no life. While it was effective against living players and enemies, it was hard to imagine any level 100 player not having immunity to instant death. The victims are sacrificed to summon monsters over level 90, known as the Dark Young. The number summoned is proportional to the total number of sacrifices used for this super-tier spell.
 * Judgement of Osiris: A super-tier spell which allows the user to manipulate karma values. By doing so, it is capable of reducing negative values and increasing positive ones.
 * Nibelung I
 * Pandemonium: Summons 6 level 80 Demon-type monsters through the use of Super-Tier magic.
 * Pantheon: Summons 6 level 80, "Cherubim Gatekeepers" through the use of Super-Tier, holy-type magic under the user's command.
 * Summoning of an Avatar of God
 * Sword of Damocles: According to an unknown guild member, it was described to be an orbital weapon designed to target structures.
 * Wind of Corruption
 * Wish Upon A Star: A super-tier spell which consumes the user's experience points to grant a wish or more. One can gain access to it by using a special item known as Shooting Star or through learning it.

Trivia

 * Whereas Wild Magic is ancient and rarely used in the modern era. Tier Magic is currently believed to be the modern system and is used daily.
 * Runecraft fell into near-extinction thanks to the spread of Tier Magic by Players.
 * Whenever Tier Magic is cast, magic circles often appear.