MH Walkthrough: An Introduction to the Meta

[Game Master]

Table of Contents
[ Introduction |  Archetypes | Common Terms & Phrases | Skill Tree Rulings | General Combat Rulings ]

[ Directory ]

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Hello, all. If you are reading this, then you've joined us in our game. Welcome to Mirage Hearts, a competitive Kingdom Hearts Roleplay Forum based more around fun than around fairness and balance. Power levels are extreme, abilities are plentiful and weird, and our members are consistently encouraged to attempt to outdo one another and themselves in increasingly ridiculous ways.

This topic will serve as an introduction to the site meta. Meta in this instance refers to the site itself and it's conventions for dealing with abilities within this universe. While the Technical Components are capable of being filtered out of the Roleplay Sections as members want due to a special clause in our rules, we still enforce and maintain the Meta wherever applicable, sometimes in fights that take advantage of the technical aspect where staff will make ruling on combat when needed but most usually in the application area.

More meta is added to the site as new concepts arise. This topic will contain introduction to basic archetypes found in abilities and skills, as well as commonly used descriptive terms to help you know what you are capable of. We grade extremely tightly on wording, so while you aren't asked to memorize the information presented here, it will prove advantageous for you as a member to reference.

[Game Master]

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The following archetypes are the most basic and easy to understand forms of each. They are not the only types of characters that can be created, and usually a character will have traits from all archetypes in their final form. This is merely explaining the Archetypes in their purest form.

Beat-Down Archetype- This is the most simple and basic archetype that exists. The Beat Down Archetype refers to abilities that cause damage. Characters that specialize in this use a variety of different spells to inflict a variety of different kinds of damage. In essence, this Archetype focuses on raw power. In other cases, the individual uses no magic and focuses instead on their own raw strength.

Staller Archetype- This is a complex and interesting Archetype to use. Stall Archetype refers to abilities that are not offensive in nature, but instead place interruptions, distractions, and obstacles that prevent others from utilizing their abilities to full effectiveness. Whether they use abilities that stun to lock others in position while they get ready to strike, if they use abilities that force another to burn their resources to a point of vulnerability, if they constantly dodge or can just take insane amounts of damage, stall Archetypes are frustrating to face off against.

Controller Archetype- This Archetype focuses on turning an opponents abilities against them. Either by using reflect (the most well known) or abilities that punish opponents for doing or using certain things, they counter archetypes use pain and defense as a means of controlling battle or out right deny them the competition ability to even fight the battle effectively.

Burner Archetype- This Archetype focuses on wearing through an opponent's resources. Either by destroying their MP or their weaponry, or forcing them to use their summons only to have them wind up burning that DP needlessly or even worse, uselessly, the Burner Archetype focuses on robbing an opponent of the ability to use their high powered abilities repeatedly, keeping them from firing off their best abilities.

Weapon Master Archetype- While other Archetypes may focus on magic for versatility, this archetype focuses on having multiple weapons in their arsenal. Weapon Master Archetypes seem to have a virtually limitless supply of different kinds of weapons, both mundane and exotic. The way they can apply these weapons comes about in incredible ways, too, giving them tools for every situation they may encounter.

Support Archetype- Unlike other Archetypes that focus on dealing with any foes present, the Support Archetype focuses on dealing with allies. Healing them, buffing them, or curing them of negative effects are all trademarks of a Support Archetype.

Debilitating Archetype- The antithesis of Support Archetypes, Debilitating Archetypes focus on weakening foes using various status effects and debuffs to prevent them from being able to use their full potential in combat, or help them be overwhelmed quicker by their allies.

Summoner Archetype- This Archetype focuses on the summoning of powerful creatures to aid the user in battle. A Summoner usually doesn't need to directly fight, and relies heavily on their summons to protect them and do damage. Typically the Summoner themselves is a support caster to keep their monsters going as the battle progresses.

Physical Archetype- This Archetype focuses primarily on the physical aspects of a character. Magic abilities, if any exist, are few and far in between. The flexibility of the physical characters is invaluable but limited. A super strong character and throw and stagger foes with mighty blows, while a super durable character can withstand those mighty blows (but will probably still be sent sailing). Fast characters can react well, while agile characters use the environment to battle better than anyone else.

Magical Archetype- This Archetype focuses primarily on a character's magical versatility. A variety of spells and super natural abilities await to be used that can cause damage, create barriers, and even cure grievous wounds. This archetype is beyond versatile, and can accomplish a variety of roles.

Ranged Archetype- This Archetype focuses primarily on attacking from distance. Using weapons and abilities that span impossible lengths, these Archetypes deal damage from afar and confound their foes with highly-specialized attacks.

Natural Archetypes- This Archetype focuses only on abilities native to them. They do not use magic, though they may provoke supernatural abilities and effects. They primarily operate through Skill Trees.

Esoteric Archetypes- This Archetype focuses only on abilities born from the manipulation of magic to control or emulate natural forces. They primarily operate through abilities.

[Game Master]

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Personal Terms
A personal term is a word used in an ability, summon, or item that references the individual, person, group of individuals, or people making use of the subject. The personal term may also take the form of a proper noun, such as  the individual's name.

User- This term refers to the individual making use of an ability, skill, weapon, or other applicable subject.
Caster- This term refers to the individual making use specifically of a Spell or Ability that is magical or supernatural in nature.
Summoner- This term refers to an individual who calls forth an item or creature using magic.
Wielder- This term refers to an individual making use of an item or weapon.

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Interpersonal Terms
An interpersonal term is a word used in an ability, summon, or item that references the individual, person, group of individuals, people, object, objects, concept or concepts receiving an effect of some kind. The personal term may also take the form of proper nouns.

Ally- This term refers to the individuals allied with the personal term.
Enemy- This term refers to individuals opposed to the personal term.
Target- This term refers to the subject of an effect. Having a stipulation or other requirement for an effect that activates on target does not make it a non-target effect, ie eye contact. Targeting effects cannot deal damage.
Area- This term refers to an amount of space. This space may be along a horizontal plane, a vertical plane, or a three-dimensional plane.
Point- This term refers to a point in space. This point may at any location in space.
Contact- This term refers to the ability to apply an effect on an applicable object(s) or person(s) in contact with whatever would apply the effect.

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Ability Terms
An ability term is a word used to describe the effect of an ability or skill.

Homing- This term describes an effect that follows and chases an individual fitting the ability's criteria (such as being an enemy, or being a target).
Passive- This term describes an ability that requires no MP to use and is always delivering its effect.
Active- This term describes an ability that requires MP to be used in some fashion in order to deliver its effect.
Toggled- This term describes an ability that requires MP to be used in some fashion but may be turned off to retrieve that MP.
Area of Effect- This term describes an ability that affects an area with its effect.
Targeted- This term describes an ability that must declare a target to be used.
Ranged- This term describes an ability that has a longer range than normal.
Field- This term describes an ability that specifically alters the environment.
Supportive- This term describes an ability that provides positive effects to personal terms and interpersonal terms.
Debilitation- This term describes an ability that provides negative effects to personal terms and interpersonal terms.
Slight- This term describes a small amount. Synonymous with minor, small.
Low-Moderate- This term describes a median amount between slight and moderate.
Moderate- This term describes a medium amount. Synonymous with average, medium.
High-Moderate- This term describes a median amount between moderate and severe.
Severe- This term describes a large amount. Synonymous with large, major.
Extreme- This term describes an immense amount. Synonymous with immense, massive.
Cool Down- This term describes the amount of time that passes from the moment an effect ends to the moment that an ability may be used again.
Chargeable- This term describes the amount of time it would take for an ability to be used once the MP is spent.
Stackable- This term describes an ability that uses a stack-able amount of MP to increase its effect.

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Meta Terms
A meta term describes a specific kind of effect from an external perspective, giving it a describable name to use when referencing or otherwise dealing with it. These effects may be active, or passive in nature.

Silence- This term describes a specific form of negative effect that prohibits the use of MP and other esoteric abilities.
Bind- This term describes a specific form of negative effect that prevents movement.
Sleep- This term describes a specific form of negative effect that lulls a subject into sleep. Sleep magic and effects are able to send the minds of others to the Realm of Sleep, but not their physical bodies.
K.O- This term describes the state of being knocked-out, either by damage or by effect. Even if caused by damage, no amount of restoration magic will re-awaken a knocked-out individual: only an ability or skill that specifically re-awakens someone knocked-out can restore them to consciousness.
Negation- This term describes a neutral effect that removes a subject from play.
Destruction- This term describes a negative effect that destroys or damages a subject.
Status Effect- This term describes a form of negative effect that affects a subject's physical state.
Buff- This term describes a specific form of positive effect that enhances a subject.
Debuff- This term describes a form of negative effect that weakens a subject in some regard.
Punishment- This term describes a form of negative effect that is invoked when a certain condition is met by a subject
Aura- This term describes a passive AoE effect.
Immunity- This term describes a subject's inability to be harmed or affected by a specific element or effect.
Drain (element)- This term describes a subject's ability to be healed by a specific element (or certain effects, if applicable).
Drain (effect)- This term also describes a subject's ability to remove something from another and gain it themselves.

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[Game Master]

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Skill Trees consist of a series of connected abilities that are unique to your character and are usually unable to be negated (there may be special cases where this is an exception). These skills may follow a common theme, though the theme itself may be broad and loose. Staff will ultimately determine how closely the skills must be related, and this varies from staff member to staff member.

That said, there are a handful of caveats that people should be aware of for skill trees. These are by no means the only way to approach skill trees, but these are judgement based on some of the more plentiful or predictable.

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Base Abilities are powerful, unusual abilities that can fundamentally alter combat and affect your character (as well as others) in ways not normally conceived of. They can do things like adding an extra MP pool. affecting your stats (excluding magic and synthesis), and even restore some of your character's health.

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Tier One Skills may not give you a severe boost, no matter what, can not give you a boost to more than one stat at a time. Normally, a tier one skill can only grant you a slight boost to one stat at a time. However, you can use a drawback of some kind to potentially give yourself a moderate boost to one stat, or a slight boost to another, additional stat. This tier is commonly used for support or to bolster the base ability.

You can increase your maximum MP by 20 MP at tier one. You can increase your GP by 2.

You can have an immunity to one thing at tier one. This immunity can not be element based. It must be to a status effect or other ability-specific item, such as being targeted. You can use T1 to declare an immunity to auras, but not if you already have an aura yourself. You may have one immunity per your Character Tier.

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Tier Two Skills may passively give you a moderate boost, but can not grant you a severe boost no matter what, even with drawbacks. This moderate boost can be applied to two skills at a time, but with a drawback it may become three. Even if you add more than one drawback, you will usually be unable to circumvent this. Alternatively, you may divey up the moderate boost into two slight boosts for other stats.

You can increase your maximum MP by 40 MP at tier two. Alternatively, you may opt to increase your magic by 25MP, this scaling with your Character Tier from here on out. This may be utilized once per skill tree. You can increase maximum GP by 2.

You can have an immunity to one thing at tier two. This immunity can not be element based.  It must be to a status effect or other ability-specific item, such as being targeted. You can use T2 to declare an immunity to auras, but not if you already have an aura yourself.

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Tier Three Skills may passively grant you severe boosts. You can only boost one skill severely at a time, but with the appropriate drawbacks can increase the amount. Alternatively, you can divvy up the severe increase into moderate and slight increases.

You can increase maximum MP by 60 MP at tier three. You can increase maximum GP by 2.

At tier three, you can have an immunity to one thing. This immunity may be to an element, but it must be a primal element of yours. Alternatively, instead of an immunity, you can get an additional primal element to act as a primary. You can use T3 to declare an immunity to an aura, but not if you have an aura yourself.

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Tier Four Skills may passively grant you severe boosts. You can boost multiple skills severely at once. Drawbacks can further increase the amount.

You may increase maximum MP by 80 MP at tier four. You may increase maximum GP by 2.

At tier four, you may declare either an immunity, or any single element that you absorb for health. This must be a primary element of yours. Instead of receiving damage when hit with a spell of that element, you are healed for it. When an ability or skill that combines two elements would strike you and one of those elements is the element you absorb, you would absorb the portion of the ability or skill that use that element you absorb. If you need a ruling on what that is, contact staff. You may, instead of an immunity or absorption, declare an extra advanced element to act as a primary.

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Tier Five Skills may passively grant you severe boosts. You can boost multiple skills with this.The T5 skill may be used to modify the base ability to become even more powerful. Or it may be

You can increase maximum MP by 100 MP at T5. You may increase maximum GP by 2.

You may choose an element or effect that you are immune to, absorb, or natively reflect (having light is a requirement). If a person hits you with an ability of something you reflect, you reflect all of it regardless of whether or not the spell contains multiple other elements. If the spell has a duration, it will immediately end and instead be refocused on the individual. You will be treated as the caster of the spell, ignore all negative drawbacks to doing so (such as charge time or self-harm) and return it at full strength. You must declare the reflect to be one of your primary elements.

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All skills, regardless of tier, will affect all other characters in roughly the same manner. However, individual skills may have different effects than stated or intended based on who they are used against. For example: a person might use gravity to stun a foe. However, a particularly strong character could completely ignore these effects. Another person may poison a character. But a character with a high END will be largely unaffected, and will take a long time to injure.

You can only get a maximum of 10 GP and 300 MP out of all skill trees you possess.

Some examples of abilities that are still non-negatable despite being skills are skills that are clearly esoteric in nature (like magical barriers) versus supernatural (spirit barriers, blood barriers, stone barriers, ect). Supernatural abilities are not non-negatable. These abilities include things such as superior senses, wings, extra arms, or other physical traits that manifest. Most other supernatural abilities that are possibly magic or possibly something more specific to the character will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Please be respectful of the reviews and requested adjustments made by staff in your skill trees. They are carefully reviewed and analyzed. Please respect the final decision.

[Game Master]

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As more and more members get into in character conflict on Mirage Hearts, there are bound to be times when one person thinks another should have taken a hit, or they think they should have been hurt more, or that something should have happened a certain or different way. Technical staff exists not only to grade abilities, but to preserve a sense of fairness in combat with their rulings governing who is correct- in situations where they are needed, of course. If members can resolve something without staff intervention, that's awesome, But sometimes, that doesn't happen.

The following are a few things to keep in mind during combat. These will help members avoid negative situations that would otherwise affect their experience. There are more than what will be listed here, and hopefully those incidents will be covered here as time progresses.

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Magic is one of the most powerful forces in MH. Taking a lot of time to master, Magical Prowess is the only statistic that can not be increased or decreased, as it is based on what has been learned versus what has been earned. That said, using magic requires concentration and know how, as well as a comfortable state of mind. Knocking somebody senseless, inflicting fear on them, or otherwise clouding their mind not only disrupts these, but can keep them from using magic. This is a situational occurrence though, as a character used to these will still be able to function normally. Staff can determine whether the character can or can not cast magic during this phase. Often, even powerful magicians will find it difficult to launch any simple magic, though they have a better shot.

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In order to react to something, you need to meet two criteria first. You have to know what it is, and you have to see it coming. There are two methods of reacting to something: Speed, and Magic, with each one reacting to a different thing.

Speed reacts to physical stimuli. A person with great enough speed has learned to read muscle movements on their foes, and can react to them accordingly. A huge requirement to this is that the person is paying attention, and a general implication of this is that the person is looking at them. Knowing their location without seeing them will not clue you into what they are doing, and while you can react to something that enters your field of awareness, your reaction will not always be the appropriate one because you have to guess. A person you can not see who is attacking you from range would be difficult to react to no matter how fast you are.

High magic allows a person to see the very composition of spells that are not protected from that ability. This allows the character to discern exactly what a spell is capable the moment it is cast (or if it is being charged). Detecting spells that automatically occur, such as targeted effects, is not impossible. However, detecting time magic is difficult and must be done creatively. Using this high magic, a person can prepare for and react to spells and abilities being used against them. Unless you have a method of detecting magic that would allow you to break down its components, this ability relies purely on sight (unless another method is indicated due to an idiosyncrasy of the character).

A reaction does not involve a dodge or an attack all of the time. In some instances, the best a character will ever be able to do is skirt some of the damage. For instance, lightning magic travels at the speed of lightning, and over short distances hits nearly instantly. Even a character with T5 in speed and magic would be hard pressed to evade this type of attack believably. It's more probable that they could erect a small but powerful barrier to stop the lightning. The reaction should be appropriate to the kind of attack.

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Damage resistance, while related to Endurance, is still treated as a separate mechanic. Raising a character's END will slightly raise their native damage resistance. END defines how much damage a character can take. DR defines how much damage gets through to begin with. Damage Resistance and END are different methods to the same end, which can be combined to great effect. However, DR only affects traditional forms of damage. Things such as poisons would completely ignore Damage Resistance., whereas END means that the person is more resilient to these things.

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Characters with high strength are insanely powerful. A fight between two characters of high enough magnitude would probably hurt them both pretty badly, as well as cause major damage to the surrounding areas. It should be noted that there is no statistic that increases a character's weight. So, if a T5 STR character punches a person with T5 END, the person with T5 END can easily take that hit but will still be sent flying. A person with T5 strength is capable of uppercutting small amounts of weight straight into the stratosphere.

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How long does a post last? Out of combat that's variable, but in combat the amount is fixed. Combat goes on a round-to-round basis. A round consists of how many posts it takes for the topic to cycle back to the original poster. Within that round, all posts take place in the exact same space of time: six seconds. Each round, and subsequently each post, lasts for six seconds. Keep this in mind when having dialogue in combat. You have six seconds to talk. And while talking, it is assumed by staff that in most situations, if you have time to talk, you're either defending or you are vulnerable. You do not want to be vulnerable.

This gives us a good length of time to understand how abilities work. An ability with a cool down of six posts is an ability with a cool down of thirty six seconds. Obviously, when indicating abilities that take a post to charge, you refer to your posts alone unless you state otherwise. Further, unless stated otherwise, an ability may not be cast multiple times per post. If you cast fire in one post, you can not cast it again in that same post. This is to prevent higher level characters from picking a power 5MP ability and spamming it to the point of being utterly broken.

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How does END work? The most powerful of all stats, END is what provides your character with the ability to take a licking, and keep on ticking. That said, there are limits to what END can do. A person with END T1 or T2 would not be able to withstand a T4's or T5's single physical or magical attack (depending on the content of the magic). A person with T5 END can withstand roughly 1000 MP worth of cumulative Magic Damage from another T5.

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What is the difference between a Player Character (PC) and a Non-player Character (NPC)?

A PC is a character controlled by one of the writers on Mirage Hearts. This character functions independently of other players and thus acts completely within the control of the person that uses them. An NPC usually relies on players to determine their actions, much like a typical PC would, but are much more fluid in who controls them. In terms of mechanics, NPCs are not different than PCs. NPCs at tier one are equivalent to a PC at tier one barring the player character has skill trees and a more in-depth thought process. Heartless, Nobodies, Dream Eaters, and other Somebodies are all considered NPCs.

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Staff is here to help! We are referees for combat. If you have any questions regarding combat concerns do not hesitate to contact technical staff!

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