MTG Salvation

Mexus is a freeform roleplaying game, both shamelessly and respectfully stolen from Socrates´ (And then Rithaniel´s) card-making world-proyects. A splintered world of mystery and adventure is yours to explore as you grow in an inmersive adventure, challenging your wits and will as you try to fulfill your unshackled purpose, but first, the fluff:

Table of Contents

1. The World of Mexus
2. Character Creation
3. How to Play
4. The Most Important Rule
5. A Strong Recommendation
6. Real/Anticipated FAQ

Anything that is bolded is something in the rules that has been added or modified from the 3 current iterations of MMORPCCCGs

1. The World of Mexus

An almost boundless world that endlessly beffudles cartographers and explorers. Mexus is a large conglomeration of awing landscapes, inspiring stories, exotic folk, perilious beasts, great evil, and boundless magics that shine under the Splintered Sun, a pair of mysterious, assymetrical stars that cycle through a strange cycle of day and night. The plane appears to be boundless; there isn´t an euclidean representation of the plane´s layout as of yet, as if it kept changing, expanding, but for most, the approppriate word is "recovering"

There are only two constants on Mexus, one of them, is the leylines. Legend has it that the world of Mexus was once shattered into an uncountable ammount of pieces by a nondescript cataclysm. Beings of enormous power managed to slowly restore the plane to its glory, and these strange fissures of raw magic are the stitchlines of a world torn apart. The second one is Pantheopolis, the Golden City. Considered the center of Mexus, this utopian sprawl is where the sacred ritual took place, unafected by the leylines bizarre influence and ever expanding and under constant vigil of the mysterious, omnipresent Mox Wisp, it is the safest haven for the common folk

But the reality behind these magical influences is far grislier, and truth can only be caged for so long....

1. Character Creation

To have your character created, please copy and fill the following questionnaire into your first post. Answers need not be long. Based on these answers, I will create your avatar. You will also be assigned a starting Trait

What is your name? (What are you called?)
What is your race?(s?)
What is your class?(es?)
Do you hail from the Golden City? (If not, you can actually describe where you come from. If the answer is yes, you´ll start somewhere in Pantheopolis)
What is your personality?
What do you look like?
What do you know or think of your world?
What would you describe as your greatest strength?

2. How to Play

To put it simply: You post what you do, I post what happens. I will guide you as to what options are available to you, especially when it comes to travel, but it's going to be very freeform. I will have some things set in stone on my end, like some quests and items and characters (the map morphs, but most landmarks stay there, no sudden hometown caving in into quicksand, no sir). The rest will be a fun as-we-go experience.

As you adventure, you will face enemies and obstacles. This is where the custom cards come in. Each non-combat challenge and enemy will have a numerical difficulty assigned to it. You will design one or more custom cards to address the challenge and I will grade each on a scale from 1 to 20 based on two main criteria: Whenever it is flavorful to the challenge, and whenever it is a balanced card of Magic the Gathering. Up to two aditional points are awarded for having correct templating

Mana is not unlimited. You will start out with some and find plenty of ways to replenish it along your adventures. This is something you will need to keep track of (see The Most Important Rule). Your starting mana is determined by your colors. Monocolor characters start with 5 Mana of their color, Bicolor characters start with 4 Hybrid mana of their colors, Colorless characters start with 6 colorless mana and 1 mana of any color (Marked as X) As an additional rule to mana, you CANNOT gain mana via spells. Mana spells can be used to complete challenges, but will not give you the leftovers unless instructed to. Any mana ability your character might have can only be used when casting spells for challenges

Combat challenges will also be a thing, of course. If you choose to engage in direct combat, your avatar will block or be blocked by the opposing creature, you will be told which you are and, in some party situations, you´ll be asked to also declare blockers. You can create custom spells in combat, but since combat casting is difficult, there will be some luck here. Your card will be graded 0-10 on quality and balance, then that score will be added with a 4d5 dice roll and any combat mods you have. If the final result is at least 21, the spell is cast. Given the volatility of combat spells, you can queue up to three spells per turn in combat, unless specifically told otherwise. Please specify the conditions under which each should be cast (for example, cast Spell C only if Spell A fails but Spell B succeeds or something like that).

As an additional caveat, there are rules for multicasting spells. When you try to cast more than one spell to defeat a challenge, these will recieve a Multicast penalty which will reduce its final result by 2 for each place beyond the first. This does not affect Combat casting queues (if X fails, then Y), but rather, consecutive casting for a same challenge (do X, then do Y(-2), then do Z(-4)). Multicasts result in less experience gains than using one spell to resolve the particular challenge

The rules for traveling through the world are as follows: Say where you want to go. You can go anywhere that's discovered, but longer trips are more likely to be interrupted by attacks or events. You also cannot walk through uncharted territory on the expanding world. If you enter a zone that isn't on the map at the bottom of the most recent update, your turn ends there.

Finally, there will be character progression. As you complete challenges and do stuff, you'll gain experience. When you level up, your avatar will improve. Sometimes you will be given options as to how these improvements happen, sometimes you won't. As you progress through the story, you´ll earn new abilities, attain wealth to invest in powerful artifacts, and ultimatelly decide your destiny

Some turns will inevitably be more interesting than others. I will do my best to respond quickly enough that you're never waiting for days. Regardless, i should add that as a previous RP mod, i´ve noticed people rely on me to make progress on their adventures (this sounds less lazy in context). A general tip i will give you is to try and make things happen. Everyone will be hopefully started off in the same level but only those who trully want to thrive will


3. The Most Important Rule

Once your character is created, you are in charge of keeping track of and updating your own character's stats, abilities (Abilities are split into Traits (Positive) and ills (Negative), inventory, quests and anything else worth keeping track of. Please include ALL of your character's basic information in EVERY POST you make in this thread. It might make sense to keep a sort of "log" or "journal," and/or to put all your character info for this game in a spoiler in your signature. Don't cheat and make yourself awesome or rich and hope I won't notice. I keep a ton of tabs and i might just have to hurry up some bossfights in return

It's also helpful, if you can say what just happened to you, so I don't have to backtrack and check as much.

4. A Strong Recommendation

Read everything that happens to everyone whenever you have the time. Information that holds true for other people will often hold true for you. Also, how else will you know if someone else is in the same area as you, possibly even doing the same thing?


5. Real/Anticipated FAQ

Wait, when did that happen? Remember to read what is going on with other players as well. Sometimes what they do will affect your own story, and it's best to not be blindsided when that happens.

What´s the Golden City like? It´s like Notre Dame from the Disney Movie where there´s a million of difference races and services and the security is itching to prove you a gypsy.....that sounds wrong. A better analogy would be Ravnica if the Azorius had won the race

Can I cast permanent spells? Yes, but they won't be permanent. Each spell exists solely in the context of the challenge it is created for. This isn't to say you won't acquire permanent permanents, but you probably won't cast them yourself.

What if I want to cast a spell to accomplish something that isn't a challenge you gave me? Feel free to do this. If you do, I will treat it as a challenge, choose an appropriate difficulty, and then see if you succeeded.

What are spell mods and when are they applied? A spell mod increases or decreases your card's score against its difficulty check. They are applied whenever a difficulty check is made, so if you cast multiple spells for a single difficulty check, you only get the mod applied once. Since every spell in combat gets an independent difficulty check, those mods apply to each spell.

How do I get mana? Exploration and rewards. Also certain forms of self growth

Can I pool mana with allies to cast spells? Yes, if you have their permission.

I have a lot of weapons. Do all their effects apply? No. Once any player actually does have multiple items of a single type, I will make y'all start bolding your equipped items.

How much can I do in a turn? As much as you want without doing my job for me. Don't feel like you have to give me only one thing to address each turn. If you want to investigate multiple places/objects/people in a turn, do so, just make sure you let me actually tell you what you find. Obviously submitting a card or traveling to an unknown area "ends your turn."

Can I speak for NPCs? Yes, provided that I have spoken as them already, so you know their personality.

Can I make up NPCs I see that you didn't tell me about? Yes, provided its reasonable they'd be there and you don't create too much lore in the process. Alternativelly, if you want more lore to be made around them, PM me first

Can I create my own locations? Only your character's home, and note, while you can control it's history and landscape to your hearts content (unless its the Golden City), once it's made, it belongs to the world, and where it is will be determined by me, while what happens to it in the future will be up in the air.

Aaaah, I missed a lot of updates and can't find my last one, what do I do!? Search for your avatar's name in this thread and you can find the last update that mentioned you in no time.

Can I assume that the description you gave someone else for an area is the same description I'd get? Sort of. Things change as you shape the world (alternativelly, the world changes). If someone solves someone's quest, that person might leave. If someone picks up an object, that object obviously isn't there anymore. But unless it's outright stated somewhere that a thing or person is gone, assume it's still there. New things (and batches of land) can pop up unannounced all the time.

Didn't you copy & paste a lot of this from Kardia? Jokes on you, i copied it from Destent. We all have different ways of modding and different worlds that I´m sure can coexist

Begrina was the one nearby outlet towards other continents, and even then it was off in the distance. Skyhand had no intentions of making alternate suggestions, silently safekeeping them. Instead he proceeded to lead the way back to Begrina and safeguard his master of the elements before them

>GestureModule.Execute(Hush)
>ScanAreaFor.Sounds(4 seconds)

>MemorySphere.Match.Race(UnknownBeing)
>Sorting....
>Alert; MemoryBuffer Array out of Bounds
>No matches found in active memory
>LogicSphere.Empathize(UnknownBeing)
>Sorting...
>LogicSphere has reached to a conclussion
>UnknownBeing is startled by unit; approach without aggression
>UnknownBeing can be reasoned with
>VocalModule.SetTone(Human, Male, Age 14, Friendly.Hushed)
>VocalModule.Output("This unit's name is Salve")
>ScanAreaFor.Sounds(2 seconds)
>VocalModule.Output("What is going on here?")
end of parsing

>ScanArea(VisualModule)
>Area Scanned (1.34s)
>GoTo(Forge)
>Alert; StaticThreats abound (MoltenRefuse)
>GetPriorities(Recharge)
>ManaModule.Assimilate(); Alert; Submethod interrupted; Unknown Variable abound

>SetWariness(103%)
>AnalyzeTarget(new UnknownBeing)
>Analyzing....
>AssignThreatValue(Null - Controllable)
>LogicSphere.Empathize(UnknownBeing)
>Sorting.....
>Logic Sphere has reached to a conclusion
>Being is subject of torture and alienation
>Being is considered MutualEnemy of IronCastle.Occupants
>Being is safe to apprach

>SetMove(WaryStep, Slow)
>GoTo(UnknownBeing)
>VocalModule.SetTone(Human, Male, Age 14, Friendly)
>VocalModule.Output("Hello?")
End of Parsing

Consider that writing a SINGLE update might as well take an hour, and we don´t have machines doing this for us.

As a sidenote, i might start a third of these someday, getting on the hype, want to write stuff and i really need something to distract me from MOBAs

With an uneventful trip and unburdening of mundane items, Skyhand escorted his master back to the mountain. They were met with compliments, acquaintances, and titles. It has been a while Skyhand was called a Whelp, let alone as a compliment, and he took the title with grace, unlike what he read from his master. Vega's visage was unblemished by discontent, but he sensed otherwise. Skyhand caught Vega's baton pass as a way to calm down and focus

"........Master and I could use the knowledge of allies, enemies and acquaintances of the Draconites. Such information could be relevant for the pruning of threats of these hallowed grounds". Skyhand explained, with surprising eloquence for a bumbling, monotone servant

>Alert; Mana Radiation detected
>ManaModule.Assimilate()
>Continue.InstinctModule()

>EngageModule.NavigationModule(GenerateMap(new GM))
>Rastering....
>Map Created
>NavigationModule.SetOptions(Furnace.Pipeline, UnknownPlace.Pipeline, Forge.Pipeline, Shrine.Pipeline)
>Alert; Able Memory low due to MemoryModule corruption. Map cannot be sustained without assigning able memory
>Discard(GM)

>LogicSphere = Remain hidden and investigate
>SetImmediateInterest(Forge)
>Interest.Forge.FindToCarryAction(Recharge)
>GoTo(Forge.Pipeline)

>ScanArea(Forge)
>If(Threats = 0) Then
>Method.GoTo(new Method BreakGrate)
>BreakGrate.Requisites(Silent)
>GoTo(Forge)
>Else
>Explore(Pipelines)
>End If
End of Parsing

"Yes, Master"

((I´m a slow, useless servant :[ ))


The beasts were slain, and many a shaman must have weeped for the spontaenous loss of Emberstone due to the mass dissapearance, yet their lifes were naught but air in the scales of the Skychord, for they impeeded their master´s progress. The hulking Surrakar moved behind his master, holding vigilant to the posse of other followers the demon had accrued in his travels. When spoils are unsplittable, treason is abound, and so is just erradication. Regardless of the resulsts, Skyhand would follow his master to the mountain to deliver the ritualistic stone

>Error; ManaModule(MR) Function could not be recovered from Memory
>Alert; ManaModule() Exhausted
>ConditionsMet(ManaModule.Value = 0, Objective = null)
>EngageModule(InstinctModule())

>LogicSphere = "Remain Hidden and Investigate"
>Alert; Scent Modules under unneeded pressure
>SetScentModule(5%)
>SortOptions(Gateway = Unknown, Pipeline = Unknown)
>SortOptions.Danger(Gateway = High, Aggresive, Pursuit=true. Pipeline = Medium, Environmental, Avoidable = true)
>SetOption(Pipeline)

>Alert, incredibly heated objects abound, consider as StaticThreat
>SetWariness.TactileModule.Avoid(Object = MoltenRefuse)
>SetMovement(WaryStep)
>SetWariness(105%)
>MoveThrough(Pipeline)

((OOC Sidenote))

>Recapitulating
>ThreatLevel(Area) = High
>ThreatLevel(UFOs) = High
>ScanArea(LowMovement)
>AreaScanned (5.3452s)

>LogicSphere.Procedure();
>Sorting.....
>Logic Sphere has gotten to a conclusion
>Remain unseen and investigate structure
>Search(Shadows)
>MoveTo(Shadows)
>GetMana();
>ManaLevels = SubPar

>MorphingModule.Repurpose(ManaModule(New Module(MS)))
>Preload(MS)
Parsing.....

Shifting Mechanism 1
Artifact (U)
Shifting Mechanism enters the battlefield tapped
T, sacrifice Shifting Mechanism: Add 3 to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate the abilities of artifacts
Today's toy, tomorrow's toymaker

>Recapitulating
>ScanArea(VisualModule())
>Area Scanned
>IntuitionModule.HandlePendingOrders(South)
>Keywords ´Natives´ and ´Wood´ not recognized in Area

>IntuitionModule.ReconfigureOrders(South)
>AddToPriorities(MetalCastle)
>LogicModule.Compare(MetalCastle, South)
>Sorting....
>Logic Sphere has reached a conclusion
>Possibility of relation between sorted objectives = High

>HoverModule.SetHeight (0)
>Disengage(H)
>The unit has been succesfully deployed at ground level
>HeadTo(MetalCastle)
>SetPriorities(MetalCastle(South), OtherSide)
>SetObjectives(Confirm Logic Sphere suspictions, eliminate volcanic threat)
>SetSecondaryPriorities(Recharge(), Restore.LostBufferMemory())
End of Parsing

>Recapitulating
>Threat has been succesfully dispatched or evaded
>Alert; Definite action cannot be taken from Imcomplete Orders
>Alert; Mana Module Batteries Low
>Alert; Module H (HoverModule) might abruptly disengage
>SortPriorities();
>Sorting....

>SetPriorities (South, OtherSide)
>SetMission (Unknown, Dispose of Molten Threat)
>SetSecondaryPriorities(Recharge(), Recover.LostBufferMemory())
>HeadTo(South)
End of Parsing

>Alert; Threat has not been dispatched
>GetThreatLevel(ScanArea);
>ThreatLevel = Low - Unknown
>for (i=0;1<3;1++)
{
>IntuitionModule.ManaModule(CreateNewModule(NewModule));
>EngageModule(NewModule)
}
End of parsing

Dice

>Recapitulating
>GetTemperature
>The current temperature is 84% of the tolerable level
>H.SetFlightLevel((CurrentFlightLevel) + 5 m)
>ScanArea(VisualModule)
>Area Scanned (2,147 s)
>ManaModule.Catalyst();
>Priority = OtherSide

>Altert; Unknown entities in area
>Analyze(VisualModule(new Threat(ft))
>Threats analyzed
>AssignThreatValue(ObstacleThreat (ft))
>ChooseAction.Avoid(ft, ContinuePriority(OtherSide))
>IntuitionModule.ManaModule(ChosenAction)
>Creating new Module....
>Module created (fs)
>EngageModule(fs)

---------------------------------------------
Frightening Silhouette B
Instant (C)
Target creature gains intimidate until end of turn
Draw a card
"Legs are faster than the eye"