Egregiously Verbose Wizards
Core Concept
Wizard mercenaries who write custom spells using actual vocabulary. The central fantasy: Opening a thesaurus to find the most grandiose, polysyllabic words possible, creating powerful spells that cost minimal resources to cast.
The meta-game rewards real-world vocabulary knowledge. “Conflagration” beats “fire” every time. “Antidisestablishmentarianism” becomes a weapon. You’re literally hunting through dictionaries for 12+ syllable technical terms because more syllables = more power per casting cost.
The trade-off creates the tactics: polysyllabic single words are cheap to cast but weak in spell duels. Multi-word phrases dominate contested rolls but burn through resources fast. Coordinate with teammates who share your vocabulary to unlock exponentially powerful synchronized magic.
Basic Character Stats
Starting Stats (Level 1)
| Stat | Starting Value | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 10 | Your health. Damage carries between fights. |
| HP Recovery | 5/day | How much you heal once per day. That’s it. |
| Max MP | 10 | Total mana pool for the encounter. |
| MP Recovery | 1/round | Recovers when you DON’T cast. Doesn’t auto-refill between fights. |
| Spell Power | 5 | Added to syllable count when writing spells. Makes spells stronger. |
| Spell Points | 3/round | Generated each round you commit to casting. Spent = word count of spell. |
| Creation Points | 5 | Used to write new spells. Costs = word count. |
Leveling Up
3 stat points per level – must allocate to 3 DIFFERENT stats.
Stat Investment Returns:
| Stat | Increase per Point |
|---|---|
| HP | +5 |
| HP Recovery | +2 |
| Max MP | +1 |
| MP Recovery | +0.5 |
| Spell Power | +1 |
| Spell Points | +1/round |
| Creation Points | +1/level (automatic + invested) |
Creation Points auto-scale: Every level you gain (5 + current level X invested points) creation points.
Spellcasting Mechanics
The Two Resources
Spell Points (Combat Resource)
- Generated each round you commit to casting
- Base 3/round, increases with investment
- Spent equal to spell’s word count when you release
- “Conflagration” (1 word) = 1 spell point
- “Hot fire burn” (3 words) = 3 spell points
- Resets to 0 after each encounter – no carry-over
- Lost if you stop casting mid-fight
Mana (Encounter Resource)
- Costs 1 per round you commit to cast
- Recovers when you DON’T cast (based on MP Recovery stat)
- Does NOT auto-refill between encounters – recovers gradually
- When depleted, you can’t commit to casting
- Caps at your maximum pool
Combat Round Structure
1. Decision Phase
- All players commit “Casting” or “Not Casting”
- You CAN see other’s commit
2. Declaration Phase
- Committed casters reveal which spell(s) they’re using
- Collaborative casts revealed here – everyone casting the same spell
- If any wizard lacks spell points, collaborative cast FAILS
- Non-casters recover MP (based on stat, caps at max)
3. Contested Resolution
- Clashing spells resolve simultaneously with efficiency multipliers
- Collaborative casts sum their power
4. Uncontested Resolution
- Unopposed spells deal full damage
Contested vs Uncontested
Contested (both sides casting):
- Caster: Damage die × Efficiency = Contested damage
- Collaborative casts sum power: 3 wizards casting 1d6 = (1d6 + 1d6 + 1d6) × Efficiency
Uncontested (opponent not casting):
- Full rolled damage with no efficiency multiplier
- Forces everyone to stay in the casting economy or die
The Efficiency System
Formula: Efficiency = Words ÷ Syllables
| Spell | Words | Syllables | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Fire” | 1 | 2 | 0.5 |
| “Conflagration” | 1 | 5 | 0.2 |
| “Hot fire burn” | 3 | 4 | 0.75 |
High Efficiency (many words, few syllables):
- Dominates contested rolls (efficiency multiplies damage/defense)
- Expensive to cast (more spell points)
- Lower power budget per casting cost
Low Efficiency (few words, many syllables):
- Weak in contested rolls
- Cheap to cast (fewer spell points)
- Higher power budget per casting cost
The strategic tension: Polysyllabic single words are cheap and powerful but lose duels. Multi-word phrases burn resources but win contested scenarios.
Writing Spells
The Three-Layer System
Layer 1: The Incantation (what you write)
- Write actual words/phrases as spell names
- Word count = creation point cost to write
- Word count = spell point cost to cast in combat
- Syllable count = base power budget (boosted by Spell Power stat)
Layer 2: The Mechanical Definition
- Define exact mechanics using your power budget
- Power Budget = Total Syllable Count + Spell Power stat
- No limit on number of effects per spell
Layer 3: Combat Execution
- Casting cost = word count (NOT syllables)
- “Conflagration” (1 word) = 1 spell point to cast
- “Hot fire burn” (3 words) = 3 spell points to cast
Power Budget Formula
Power Budget = Total Syllables + Spell Power stat
Example 1: “Conflagration” (5 syllables) with 15 Spell Power
- Power Budget = 5 + 15 = 20 points to allocate
- Could be: 7p (1d12 damage) + 5p (25ft range) + 8p (knockback + slow)
- Costs 1 spell point to cast
Example 2: “Hot fire burn” (4 syllables) with 15 Spell Power
- Power Budget = 4 + 15 = 19 points to allocate
- Could be: 7p (1d12 damage) + 5p (25ft range) + 7p (duration)
- Costs 3 spell points to cast
The Four Spell Categories
Offense (Damage-Dealing)
- Deals damage using the damage scale
- Targets enemies or objects
Defense (Shield Creation)
- Creates shields that absorb damage
- No healing magic exists – prevention only
- Shields use same point scale as damage
Utility (Buff/Mobility/Control)
- Flying, speed boosts, terrain manipulation
- Buffing other spells
- Crowd control, debuffs, status effects
Creation (Summoning/Constructs)
- Creates objects or creatures with allocated stats
- Budget divided between: HP, Damage, Abilities
- Summons persist for full duration – cross encounter boundaries
- Collaborative summons can last for weeks or longer
Power Spending: The Budget System
Damage/Shield/Creation HP (Universal Scale)
| Power Cost | Effect | Average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 guaranteed | 1 |
| 3 | 1d4 | 2.5 |
| 4 | 1d6 | 3.5 |
| 5 | 1d8 | 4.5 |
| 6 | 1d10 | 5.5 |
| 7 | 1d12 | 6.5 |
| 11 | 1d20 | 10.5 |
Range
- 1 power = 5 feet (linear scaling)
- Touch = 0 power (free)
Area of Effect (radius)
- Tier 1: 1p = 5ft, 2p = 10ft, 3p = 15ft
- Tier 2: 5p = 20ft, 7p = 25ft, 9p = 30ft
- Tier 3: 12p = 35ft, 15p = 40ft, 18p = 45ft
- Tier 4: 22p = 50ft, 26p = 55ft, 30p = 60ft
Duration (The Big Tax)
Base Power × (1 + 0.5 × Rounds) = Total Power Cost
Multi-Targeting
- One target per spell cast
- To hit multiple enemies, cast multiple times
Multi-Effect Spells
- No limit on number of effects
- Budget is the only constraint
- Stack as many effects as you have points for
Rewriting Spells
Changing Words (Vocabulary Shift):
- Costs 1 creation point per word changed
- “Fire bolt” → “Flame dart” costs 2 creation points
- “Conflagration” → “Fire” costs 1 creation point
Changing Mechanics Only (Same Words):
- Free if all words stay identical
- “Conflagration” (1d6 damage) → “Conflagration” (1d4 + knockback) = 0 creation points
The Polysyllabic Meta
Why long words dominate:
- Power budget efficiency: “Conflagration” (5 syllables) vs “Fire” (2 syllables) – same casting cost, 3x more power budget
- Casting speed: Single-word spells cost 1 spell point regardless of length
- Spam potential: Can cast “Conflagration” every round with base 3 spell points
The vocabulary spectrum:
| Type | Example | Efficiency | SP Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Polysyllabic | “Antidisestablishmentarianism” | 0.08 | 1 | Uncontested spam |
| Moderate Poly | “Conflagration” | 0.20 | 1 | Balanced offense |
| Multi-Word Efficient | “Hot fire burn” | 0.75 | 3 | Counter-spelling |
| Ultra-Efficient | “Red hot fire ice bolt” | 1.0+ | 5 | Contested dominance |
Collaborative Casting: Exponential Power
The Core Mechanic
When multiple wizards cast the same spell simultaneously:
Duration x 2^Number_of_WizardsCollaboration Rules
Same Words Required:
- Must match exactly – “Conflagration” ≠ “Fire”
- Words must be identical
Mechanical Version Negotiation:
- If different versions exist, team agrees which gets cast
- Alice’s “Conflagration” (1d12) vs Bob’s “Conflagration” (1d6 + knockback)
- Must pick one before casting
All-or-Nothing:
- Cannot cast until ALL wizards have enough spell points
- If even one wizard is short, the cast fails
- No partial casting
Counter-Spelling Collaborations:
- You CAN counter collaborative casts
- Must contest against sum of all wizards’ power
- 3 wizards × 15 power each = 45 total to contest
No Maximum:
- Any number of wizards can collaborate
- 50+ wizard military formations create city-wide effects
- Duration becomes exponentially absurd
- Warfare at scale
Strategic Build Paths
The Polysyllabic Minimalist
- Investment: Low Spell Points (5-8), High Spell Power (20-30)
- All 1-word polysyllabic spells
- Can cast every round
- Weak in contested rolls
- Strategy: Spam powerful spells, avoid duels
The Counter-Specialist
- Investment: High Spell Points (15-25), Moderate Spell Power (15-20)
- Multi-word high-efficiency spells
- Dominates contested scenarios
- Strategy: Counter-spell everything, win through efficiency
The Collaborative Specialist
- Investment: Creation Points + Spell Power, Low Spell Points (5-8)
- Team-coordinated ultra-polysyllabic spells
- All 1-word = easy synchronization
- Strategy: Mass coordination, exponential duration effects
The Core Fantasy
You hunt through dictionaries for 12+ syllable medical terms. You coordinate with teammates who’ve learned the same vocabulary, achieving exponentially powerful synchronized casts.
The thesaurus is your most powerful weapon. Real-world vocabulary knowledge translates directly to in-game advantage. The ability to coordinate hundreds of wizards speaking the same grandiose word in perfect unison reshapes reality through exponential magic that lasts for geological timescales.
