I was thinking about the Shadow school, and I came up with an idea to add more spells to it.
So, a Shadow Link acts as a parasitic bond between the caster and the target. The target loses benefits temporarily for 3 turns while the caster gains those benefits. These "benefits" can range from power/shadow pip chance, resistance, damage bonus, critical chance/block, and other statistics. However, like all shadow spells, you have backlash to maintain. To maintain a shadow link, you must use spells that favor the link's likes and dislikes. At the end of 3 turns, the shadow link is broken and everyone's statistics return to normal.
Accumulating too much backlash may result in the link being broken prematurely, and being dealt a lot of damage.
A couple of examples of Shadow Link spells, if I were to handle them, would go something like this:
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards Shadow Protection: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's resistance takes a -15% penalty; your resistance gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Wards, Negative Charms, Polymorphs - Dislikes: Traps, Star spells (Majority are damage boosting, and some increase incoming damage) Shadow Leech: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's incoming/outgoing healing takes a -15% penalty; Your inc/out healing gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Drain spells, Healing spells - Dislikes: Damage spells, Shadow Creatures
I was thinking about the Shadow school, and I came up with an idea to add more spells to it.
So, a Shadow Link acts as a parasitic bond between the caster and the target. The target loses benefits temporarily for 3 turns while the caster gains those benefits. These "benefits" can range from power/shadow pip chance, resistance, damage bonus, critical chance/block, and other statistics. However, like all shadow spells, you have backlash to maintain. To maintain a shadow link, you must use spells that favor the link's likes and dislikes. At the end of 3 turns, the shadow link is broken and everyone's statistics return to normal.
Accumulating too much backlash may result in the link being broken prematurely, and being dealt a lot of damage.
A couple of examples of Shadow Link spells, if I were to handle them, would go something like this:
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards Shadow Protection: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's resistance takes a -15% penalty; your resistance gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Wards, Negative Charms, Polymorphs - Dislikes: Traps, Star spells (Majority are damage boosting, and some increase incoming damage) Shadow Leech: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's incoming/outgoing healing takes a -15% penalty; Your inc/out healing gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Drain spells, Healing spells - Dislikes: Damage spells, Shadow Creatures
It sounds good, but keep in mind that if this stacks it can be abused. Imagine, you have a boss and all the wizards leach all of its damage. You essential are left fighting with a defenseless sponge. If it doesn't stack, then it sounds mostly good. For the level 90 shadow spells notice how most cripple you in some way. Shrike with healing, and seraph with taking extra damage. I suggest that you can leach an enemy's attack, but they will gain a little bit of your resist. Say you steal +15% attack and you lose 7% resist, which they gain. It still makes it worth your time, but it forces you into being more fragile with the deadliness you just gained, and vice versa. I'm only saying this because the damage only shadow magic only comes with a backlash consequence, but the effect shadow magic (shrike, ect) has another consequence, and as this seems more like the latter, I feel it should follow suite.
It sounds good, but keep in mind that if this stacks it can be abused. Imagine, you have a boss and all the wizards leach all of its damage. You essential are left fighting with a defenseless sponge. If it doesn't stack, then it sounds mostly good. For the level 90 shadow spells notice how most cripple you in some way. Shrike with healing, and seraph with taking extra damage. I suggest that you can leach an enemy's attack, but they will gain a little bit of your resist. Say you steal +15% attack and you lose 7% resist, which they gain. It still makes it worth your time, but it forces you into being more fragile with the deadliness you just gained, and vice versa. I'm only saying this because the damage only shadow magic only comes with a backlash consequence, but the effect shadow magic (shrike, ect) has another consequence, and as this seems more like the latter, I feel it should follow suite.
Ah, yes, I forgot to think about consequences. I agree with you that there should be a negative effect to the caster, but they shouldn't be cancel or oppose each other. Like with the example you gave, if you leech 15% attack from the target, and they gain 7% of your resist, you're only getting +8% attack total. Perhaps a different penalty should be in order, like a drastically reduced power/shadow pip chance, or a penalty to pierce.
Ah, yes, I forgot to think about consequences. I agree with you that there should be a negative effect to the caster, but they shouldn't be cancel or oppose each other. Like with the example you gave, if you leech 15% attack from the target, and they gain 7% of your resist, you're only getting +8% attack total. Perhaps a different penalty should be in order, like a drastically reduced power/shadow pip chance, or a penalty to pierce.
I see the problem with my example, my point is I want it to shift you from neutral to either offensive of defensive. So maybe your opponent loses 15% attack, you gain 15% attack, but you lose 15% resist. Something along those lines, but with better numbers.
Perhaps, as an addition, the Shadow Links can have these drawbacks in addition to their benefits
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards - Consequence: -15% outgoing pierce Shadow Protection: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's resistance takes a -15% penalty; your resistance gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Wards, Negative Charms, Polymorphs - Dislikes: Traps, Star spells (Majority are damage boosting, and some increase incoming damage) - Consequence: -25% power pip chance Shadow Leech: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's incoming/outgoing healing takes a -15% penalty; Your inc/out healing gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Drain spells, Healing spells - Dislikes: Damage spells, Shadow Creatures - Consequence: -25% outgoing damage
Now, for Shadow Strength, I decided to reduce outgoing pierce because you're stealing their damage bonus, and I believe a lower pierce will keep each other's damage relatively scaled properly to each other while siphoning damage.
For Shadow Protection, I decided to lower Power Pip chance so you can't sling out high powered spells quickly while having a very high defense.
Finally, for Shadow Leech, a reduction to outgoing damage seemed appropriate. As a healing buff/debuff spell, damage wouldn't be your priority if you have this up, since you should be focused on healing and protecting your team.
Perhaps, as an addition, the Shadow Links can have these drawbacks in addition to their benefits
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards - Consequence: -15% outgoing pierce Shadow Protection: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's resistance takes a -15% penalty; your resistance gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Wards, Negative Charms, Polymorphs - Dislikes: Traps, Star spells (Majority are damage boosting, and some increase incoming damage) - Consequence: -25% power pip chance Shadow Leech: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's incoming/outgoing healing takes a -15% penalty; Your inc/out healing gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Drain spells, Healing spells - Dislikes: Damage spells, Shadow Creatures - Consequence: -25% outgoing damage
Now, for Shadow Strength, I decided to reduce outgoing pierce because you're stealing their damage bonus, and I believe a lower pierce will keep each other's damage relatively scaled properly to each other while siphoning damage.
For Shadow Protection, I decided to lower Power Pip chance so you can't sling out high powered spells quickly while having a very high defense.
Finally, for Shadow Leech, a reduction to outgoing damage seemed appropriate. As a healing buff/debuff spell, damage wouldn't be your priority if you have this up, since you should be focused on healing and protecting your team.
Perhaps, as an addition, the Shadow Links can have these drawbacks in addition to their benefits
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards - Consequence: -15% outgoing pierce Shadow Protection: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's resistance takes a -15% penalty; your resistance gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Wards, Negative Charms, Polymorphs - Dislikes: Traps, Star spells (Majority are damage boosting, and some increase incoming damage) - Consequence: -25% power pip chance Shadow Leech: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's incoming/outgoing healing takes a -15% penalty; Your inc/out healing gets a +15% bonus. - Likes: Drain spells, Healing spells - Dislikes: Damage spells, Shadow Creatures - Consequence: -25% outgoing damage
Now, for Shadow Strength, I decided to reduce outgoing pierce because you're stealing their damage bonus, and I believe a lower pierce will keep each other's damage relatively scaled properly to each other while siphoning damage.
For Shadow Protection, I decided to lower Power Pip chance so you can't sling out high powered spells quickly while having a very high defense.
Finally, for Shadow Leech, a reduction to outgoing damage seemed appropriate. As a healing buff/debuff spell, damage wouldn't be your priority if you have this up, since you should be focused on healing and protecting your team.
I like everything except the shadow strength. At high levels, pierce is better than damage in many cases, so adding damage but taking away pierce may actually be worse. I love the other two though. The effect I would like is:
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your damage bonus gets a +10% bonus. - Likes: Damage spells, Shadow creatures, Blades - Dislikes: Healing, Wards - Consequence: -10% shield and =5% defensive star spell effectiveness
sorry for copy pasting so blatantly, but I am lazy, and you are good at formatting. I want it so it shifts you from neutral to offensive or whatever it may be. I think instead of backlash damage the effect should change. Example, you do everything it dislikes, first your opponent's weakness goes away a bit, so they go to -5%, then your shield capabilities start going down. If you do everything bad, your opponent will have 5% weakness and your shields will be 30% less effective, non-stacking. I would have done universal resist but if you're stealing your opponent's damage and lessening your resist, you're back where you started. If you are good, your damage goes higher and your opponent's damage goes lower.
Shadow Strength: 1 pip, 1 SPip; Target's 
damage bonus takes a -10% penalty; Your 
