MAGIC - HEXWORKS DEV JOURNALS

Greetings, Lampbearers.
Gather round as we open our inaugural HEXWORKS Dev Journals, with this week focusing on the formidable magic that draws breath into this world of shadow and chaos. We have gathered your questions and presented them to Lucas Zanenga, our systems designer and leading scholar of all things Magic in Lords of the Fallen.

What is used to cast spells?
“All spells in Lords of the Fallen require the usage of a catalyst to bring forth their inherent abilities. Each catalyst you acquire is imbued with one of the three schools of magic either Rhogar, Radiant, or Umbral.”

“But the respective gods won’t allow you to use their magic for free. Besides mana, to channel infernal energy and blaze your enemies, you will also burn your own being. Align yourself with all that is holy with Radiant magic to smite heretics where they stand, but you must offer your own blood to Orious in return. Last, but most certainly not least, cross the boundaries of life and death with Umbral magic, with the risk of sacrificing your own body to frostbite.”

Can you increase your ability to cast spells?
“Yes. All spells have specific requirements in order to be cast. When leveling up, you are able to invest in either Radiance and/or Inferno to increase the spells you have access to, and also increase their power. Alongside this, when investing in those stats, you also increase your total mana pool, which allows you to cast even more spells. Rings and amulets are also available to grant an additional boost on any stat, which allows you to gain access to an even higher range of spells.”

“Note that Umbral, as it’s an ancient powerful magic that permeates everything in our world, will require you to upgrade both Inferno and Radiance at the same time in order to use its powerful magic.”

Are you able to use spells that bosses use?
“Yes, it is important for us that anything you can see in our game, you can use it yourself. This is why all bosses that you face will unlock their signature spell after being defeated, provided you acquire their unique lore item and gift it to the Bowl of Revelations…”

What are runes, and how can they be used?
“Runes are materialised elemental essences of the creatures that inhabit our world. They are rare drops from enemies, but if you use a Soulflay finisher on them, your chances of acquiring their essence (runes) are much higher. With these runes, you can empower your weapons and shields, if they’ve been upgraded previously to unlock their rune slots. Not all weapons can slot all runes, though, as each weapon’s origin (lore) marks the shape of its sockets. We’ve gone quite creative with the rune effects and we are eager to see how players combine them in ways that offer unique effects.”

How many spells are in the game?
“We really wanted to offer players as many fantasies as possible within a dark fantasy RPG. These range from a Holy Warrior to a Heavy Axe-based pyromancer, from a heretic necromancer to a slithering assassin who uses poison as their main tool. To achieve this variety, we’ve created over 60 unique spells to aid you on your journey and allow you to express yourself through magic.”

Will there be a staff that can cast spells instead of a catalyst?
“The way our combat is designed, you don’t need a staff to cast spells; your catalyst can be quickly accessed at any time by pressing a trigger (L2) to access your equipped spells and cast them over your foes. You can even do this in the middle of a combo, making magic an essential tool within combat, not just for casting from a distance. Note that there are plenty of weapons, including staves, that scale well with magic-related stats. So if you’re specialising in magic, you’ll want to get your hands on those”

Make sure to follow us as next week as we focus on facing the treacherous lands of Mournstead with an ally.

In Light We Walk.