As an opener, I'd like to state that these opinions are not my own - the player, who plays a mage, would like to remain anonymous at the moment, and has asked me to post this for them. This is what they wrote.
With the re-introduction of magic, many new interesting and useful spells have been brought to the attention of Trustrees and other characters alike. Meant to include people in a world where magic is both rare and powerful so as to not make everyone gods, but to still make people feel special when there is any kind of inclusion with these magical entities, wizards, sorcerers, druids, bards, warlocks, and mages alike. However, while this magic could potentially be very interesting and shape many great stories, it's being exchanged instead for the use of instant butterflies and spells that can't compete with their non-magical counterparts. Some spells simply have casting times that are too long to be useful (as seen with Mind Flux since 10 seconds in combat is dangerous on its own and 3 dodges are usually 2 dodges too many when using a mage), or have very underwhelming results that are far too situation-specific to be actually useful (as seen with Water Bond in being able to allow a mage to walk on water, which situations involving that are basically guaranteed to not happen and once more is too dangerous since flowing or flooding water can be a death sentence). In order to make magic more feasible to keeping the mage alive while ensuring balance, I wish to recommend the following changes:
Leveia Magic
Summary: The magic is far too offensive for being something that helps to preserve the user's health.
- Winged Wonder currently says two different things. In the earlier section it says that the butterflies protect from very harmful or lethal damage, but then it says it protects from 'any harm.' I suggest keeping it to very harmful (such as knocking someone out or trying to break a bone) or lethal damage.
- Blinding Swarm should be usable only once per day. It functions very similarly to Spit of Ikaar but causes a character to be completely blind AND unable to really fight while someone can retreat or beat them to a pulp.
- Forlorn Control should have a long casting time (perhaps 10-20 seconds?). It's controlling a character to do a command for 24 hours with no memory of it after executing it, so making a complete mind-control spell instant is far too dangerous to just let someone do instantaneously.
Mind Magic
Summary: The magic is not potent enough, making it an unpopular choice since there are too many better alternatives or concepts better than the spell itself.
- Increase effectiveness of Visage Mirage. Having it only work from the neck up makes the disguise less useful than a pair of tinted sunglasses, a fat hat, and make-up, considering you also have the possibility of running into the person you're disguised as while also leaving the whole rest of your body at risk of discovery. Perhaps have the illusion extend across the whole body, while still not copying body builds and height? That way, someone could in theory make themselves look like Tristan Kade if they were a 5'-2" Cielothar, but they would then look like Tristan Kade if he were skinny and 5'-2". This allows for a more useful disguise while still keeping it imperfect.
- Decrease casting time of Mind Flux Hex. While useful, 10 seconds in combat is very dangerous, even if you're actively running and hiding since people can just throw things at you or slash you with a sword. Dodging multiple times is questionable on its own, and this spell otherwise doesn't do enough since the opponent still has a weapon and they still are a novice (albeit a clumsy one) in their school.
Elemental Magic
Summary: The magic is a bit too situational to really serve as useful or interesting beyond extremely specific times.
- Increase range of Freezing Chill by 2 meters longer and 1 meter larger in diameter.
- Make damage via solid water impossible for Water Bond. This spell is otherwise too situational to modify, but to make harm possible with so much as a harsh rainstorm is a bit too cruel to people. Being physically restrained is a better middle ground between complete freedom and total demise.
Folelsa Magic
Summary: The magic takes too long to master for having such minor effects at the early levels.
- Perhaps decrease learning time? There are many spells that have very minor and subtle effects, which makes 150 years of learning a bit too strenuous since the chances of a 14-20 year old finding an Elsar ring is pretty slim.
Soul Magic
Summary: The magic is too irrelevant to be used beyond turning into animals or keeping dead characters halfway alive.
- Increase the presence of Soul Essence in common areas or find more ways to tie in Soul Essence with items. Currently, you can only turn into an animal shatter the magical control that others have in an area. Otherwise, the actual presence of the soul is too vague or too questionable to easily use for the aforementioned 'soul-powered items' in Aloria.
Demon Magic
Summary: The spells are more dangerous for the user than their opponents since it relies on a lot of blood and pain from the user.
- Blood Slice is too dangerous for the caster to use and provides too little damage to be feasible since just wearing clothing pretty much cancels it out. Perhaps increase damage or knockback if possible?
Celestial Magic
Summary: Seems fine!
- Keep as it is for now. It's not overpowered, but also not very weak.
Death Magic
Summary: Seems fine!
- Keep as it is for now. It's not overpowered due to a recent nerfing and requiring a massive stone altar to cast many spells, but also not very weak considering you can have someone live forever.
While one might argue that boosting magic will encourage powergaming when it was nerfed in the first place due to copious amounts of it, only Trustee individuals are actually able to use magic. This means that the person was specifically recommended by others (or themselves) to lore staff, and the lore staff all believed that this person was competent enough to be given this privilege. It is easy to monitor possibly questionable ethics due to the much smaller population of magic users, as well as revoking permissions are as easy as rejecting someone. Magic is supposed to be something that causes the mundane to quiver in fear, scholars to study inquisitively, and warriors to deem a great opponent. At the moment, it's only a set of mediocre abilities that are more likely to hinder the user or be exchanged instead for cheaper alternatives that aren't as risky to the character in a pinch. These changes will encourage magical diversity instead of creating a sort of common-set spells and categories that collectively are believed to be the best.
Note: this set of bullets and recommendations are not meant to be taken as insults or any act to offend those who helped to construct magic, but rather to criticize and suggest ways to help spice up the roleplay environment.
Again, my opinion is not expressed in this post, however, I will make a replay at a later date with my opinion on the matter of magic and it's underpoweredness.
