So, I know I'm going to take a huge hit for posting this, but I don't really care anymore at this point. A man at the bottom cannot hit the bottom again. So, I've been thinking about this idea for about two months now, trying to figure out a decent system for allowing a system for a wide variety of maiar, but not being too complex to drive away players. So, I was thinking last night, a few tweaks to the old maiar archetypes would balance them, but people would still want to make their own characters. So, I decided a split system might work. And this is not a final product, just a made up system that admittedly has a few flaws, but it may be better than what it has. This all builds off the lore here, for more detail https://web.archive.org/web/20150904122150/http://wiki.massivecraft.com/Maiar
Without further adieu (also note I'm on mobile right now cuz my schedule is wonk, so it might not paste right):
When making a maiar, one would have one of two options, quick design, and manual design.
Quick design would be similar to the last system, particularly for players who don't have any specific design for their maiar, and just want to jump into maiar roleplay without doing any math. One would have a choice between three bodies, depending on diet, almost precisely like the last system:
Quick Design-
Meat Diet- Pretty much shark archetype. The characters would eat meat and develop shark like features, like incredible speed and claws made of keratin. But, many complaints with these maiar were that they unbalanced. So, adding a potential balance. One such could be weakening their health, like that of a real shark, who have no bones. Make their bones incredibly frail and susceptible to breaking very easily.
Fish Diet- Very like the one described on the old page. These characters would be adept at fishing, able to swim fast to chase fish for long distances. But, when the fish are caught, they are easy foughter, and don't require two ginormous claws to take down. So, these characters could still have the antenna and all of the traits they used to have, but they would have a lack of damage. Though, they would have incredible speed, but with weaker claws, only sharp teeth, for balance and whatnot. These will have an extra skinny body type, but maybe a lack of susceptibility to attack due to some sort of bone elasticity.
Plant Diet- These will be the brutes of the maiar, developing large jaws to grind plants and coral. They have high defense and extra horns around certain areas of the body to account for their lack of teeth and claws. These characters would be enormous in the group. Not quite as large as a Sa-Allar, but almost. They have incredible strength and would rather punch someone than scratch or bite them. Their major weakness would be their slowness. They would have slow reaction times, walking speeds, the whole likes. They would be pretty much another tank. Maybe to fill a different archetype the beefyness could be scaled down and so would the negative effects to make a sort of semi-tank character.
Manual Design-
The manual design system would be for people who want a more hands-on approach, allowing much more creative liberty in design. This would be heavily discouraged for newer players and emphasis should be placed on balance. A maiar of this design would also require a character application. Designs would also be at complete scrutiny of reviewers, who should take authority on any design. Designs would use a point system. Points would be set, to prevent designs that are absolutely wild, and because a character would begin with the traits of their parents. For example, let's say every maiar gets 15* points, they would then be able to choose a set of traits. The trait must have an evolutionary advantage, for it to make sense that the trait would appear. Traits:
Large body type (5 points): Maiar start with the average body type. Characters who are rather loafish tend to develop a large body type. Incompatible with sharp claws, small body type.
Small Body type (3 points): Helpful for getting in and out of tight places and hiding, these characters are rather small. Incompatible with blubber, or any other body type.
Enhanced Lungs (3 points): Able to breath air at impeccable efficiency, growing a skinny chest cavity. One is able to run at incredible speeds for long distances. Incompatible with blubber, or any body type. These also allow for easier travel in high water pressures.
Sharp claws (3 points): for those who need to slash and dash. Incompatible with large body type, enhanced lungs. Incompatible with horns/tusks. Also has crab variant for herbivore-like creatures, allowing for the easy picking of plants.
Blubber: A thick layer of fat on the character, keeping the character warm in any temperature and adding an extra layer of protection. Incompatible with small body type.
Horns/Tusks (2 per set): An extra horn or tusk to allow for extra defense. Can grow on most places on body. A set is 2, for they must have bilateral symmetry. A set can also be one, if the horn is directly in the middle of the maiar, vertically. Incompatible with Enhanced Lungs, Sharp Claws.
Bioluminescence (3 points): The character can control chemicals to make some body parts illuminated, attracting fish in lower parts of the sea.
Camouflage (7 points): The character can use certain muscles to change color. Incompatible with Bioluminescence, horns/tusks, large body type.
Enhanced Intelligence (4 points): isolation will not degrade the intellect of the maiar, the maiar is capable of understanding complex relationships.
Other (Set rate 4, able to variation depending upon review): Other things can be very helpful to survival. Some might find use of tendrils to pull shells from rocks, or needle-like teeth to filter water of plankton. This should have a defined weakness, and not bring too much power to the character.
*All point values are not final, this is more of a concept
*More traits could be added
Without further adieu (also note I'm on mobile right now cuz my schedule is wonk, so it might not paste right):
When making a maiar, one would have one of two options, quick design, and manual design.
Quick design would be similar to the last system, particularly for players who don't have any specific design for their maiar, and just want to jump into maiar roleplay without doing any math. One would have a choice between three bodies, depending on diet, almost precisely like the last system:
Quick Design-
Meat Diet- Pretty much shark archetype. The characters would eat meat and develop shark like features, like incredible speed and claws made of keratin. But, many complaints with these maiar were that they unbalanced. So, adding a potential balance. One such could be weakening their health, like that of a real shark, who have no bones. Make their bones incredibly frail and susceptible to breaking very easily.
Fish Diet- Very like the one described on the old page. These characters would be adept at fishing, able to swim fast to chase fish for long distances. But, when the fish are caught, they are easy foughter, and don't require two ginormous claws to take down. So, these characters could still have the antenna and all of the traits they used to have, but they would have a lack of damage. Though, they would have incredible speed, but with weaker claws, only sharp teeth, for balance and whatnot. These will have an extra skinny body type, but maybe a lack of susceptibility to attack due to some sort of bone elasticity.
Plant Diet- These will be the brutes of the maiar, developing large jaws to grind plants and coral. They have high defense and extra horns around certain areas of the body to account for their lack of teeth and claws. These characters would be enormous in the group. Not quite as large as a Sa-Allar, but almost. They have incredible strength and would rather punch someone than scratch or bite them. Their major weakness would be their slowness. They would have slow reaction times, walking speeds, the whole likes. They would be pretty much another tank. Maybe to fill a different archetype the beefyness could be scaled down and so would the negative effects to make a sort of semi-tank character.
Manual Design-
The manual design system would be for people who want a more hands-on approach, allowing much more creative liberty in design. This would be heavily discouraged for newer players and emphasis should be placed on balance. A maiar of this design would also require a character application. Designs would also be at complete scrutiny of reviewers, who should take authority on any design. Designs would use a point system. Points would be set, to prevent designs that are absolutely wild, and because a character would begin with the traits of their parents. For example, let's say every maiar gets 15* points, they would then be able to choose a set of traits. The trait must have an evolutionary advantage, for it to make sense that the trait would appear. Traits:
Large body type (5 points): Maiar start with the average body type. Characters who are rather loafish tend to develop a large body type. Incompatible with sharp claws, small body type.
Small Body type (3 points): Helpful for getting in and out of tight places and hiding, these characters are rather small. Incompatible with blubber, or any other body type.
Enhanced Lungs (3 points): Able to breath air at impeccable efficiency, growing a skinny chest cavity. One is able to run at incredible speeds for long distances. Incompatible with blubber, or any body type. These also allow for easier travel in high water pressures.
Sharp claws (3 points): for those who need to slash and dash. Incompatible with large body type, enhanced lungs. Incompatible with horns/tusks. Also has crab variant for herbivore-like creatures, allowing for the easy picking of plants.
Blubber: A thick layer of fat on the character, keeping the character warm in any temperature and adding an extra layer of protection. Incompatible with small body type.
Horns/Tusks (2 per set): An extra horn or tusk to allow for extra defense. Can grow on most places on body. A set is 2, for they must have bilateral symmetry. A set can also be one, if the horn is directly in the middle of the maiar, vertically. Incompatible with Enhanced Lungs, Sharp Claws.
Bioluminescence (3 points): The character can control chemicals to make some body parts illuminated, attracting fish in lower parts of the sea.
Camouflage (7 points): The character can use certain muscles to change color. Incompatible with Bioluminescence, horns/tusks, large body type.
Enhanced Intelligence (4 points): isolation will not degrade the intellect of the maiar, the maiar is capable of understanding complex relationships.
Other (Set rate 4, able to variation depending upon review): Other things can be very helpful to survival. Some might find use of tendrils to pull shells from rocks, or needle-like teeth to filter water of plankton. This should have a defined weakness, and not bring too much power to the character.
*All point values are not final, this is more of a concept
*More traits could be added
Last edited:
