Kat

i get that there's always some kind of spell/skill in these kind of rpg games that have self-damage aspects like this, but i really just wanna take a moment to think about the drawbacks specifically of the needle spell

because this is a spell that hurts to use but how exactly does it harm the user? How does it manifest? Personally, i like the physical route because it really solidifies the ramifications

When i think about needles, i think of pricking myself when sewing; needles are meant to stab through multiple layers of fabric, so does this translate to the self-inflicted damage and how intense is it?

i'm tossing around a few different interpretations of injury in the physical department--internal and external lacerations, of sorts

I'd like to think it kinda manifests via coughing up blood or like, a bloody nose depending on the severity/use; more excessive being more damaging and dangerous

Externally, i think the needle spell would present as cuts along the skin, perhaps along the hands or arms? Kind of like, extending along from the initial casting of the spell

something i find fascinating is the concept of willpower in the random cave quest bc it's not directly tied to health but rather, something akin to consciousness

similarly, i like the idea of exploring the differences between the cure and heal spells in regard to certain ailments. Better yet, can you use these spells to heal others? are there different healing rhythms? if so, what are the applications thereof?

COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC BUT something else that is really interesting is how both Yu and Narra conduct themselves when casting spells--Yu feels like she is guided by magic whereas Narra is guiding it. I like how it really showcases Narra's more academic approach toward magic and spellcasting, its actually like, really clever to show her channelling it through a wand??? something about reinforcing Yu's fit for the role of lead magician (i forgor the proper name and can't be bothered booting up the game rn to read through the beatspell logs lol) through her innate connection with rhythm and magic, despite her supposed laziness

Magic systems aren't something I've really thought about so its so interesting to me to think of the drawbacks because if cure is like, rapid regeneration, it could make certain injuries worse (think like, displaced bones and joints, they need medical intervention to heal correctly so it could be possible that these spells could absolutely do more harm than good)

the heal spell deals more with debufs--lowered attack, defense and poison damage. it's more intricate, i suppose, but it's rudimentary level one 'base' doesn't do a lot in regard to healing; it's half of what the cure spell can achieve at the same stage

in my mind, the healing spells probably work something like this:

Cure is likely a simple and generalised regeneration spell, it speeds up the rate at which injuries are healed but lacks the ability to delve into specific, more technical/complex medical techniques

Heal is more so a targeted spell which, while targeting debuffs, can likely tackle more complex injuries but still remains largely limited. I'm thinking something like, fixing a dislocated shoulder but unable to properly realign bone. something tells me that its used far too often during flu season lol

OH YEAH NEEDLE SPELL WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT LMFAO

non-physical manifestations? i like the idea of exhaustion, maybe even delving into evil headache territory. drowsiness is something that can be really dangerous in certain situations, being tired in a fight does not sound like Fun and can only really lead to more mistakes.