Purpose

Attributes form the basis of how to limit player characters in certain ways so that everyone can't just do everything as well as each other, which would defeat much of the need to work together.

Acts as a way to group certain game mechanics around a particular theme, and provides a framework to build specialisations around. Based on how attribute points are distributed, this determines the strengths and weaknesses of a character.

Strength

Proficiency with melee items.

Typically required for defence/damage reduction related passive effects, such as increased HP.

Very simple and intuitive effects that don't require manual activation. (KISS)

Dexterity

Proficiency with ranged items and traps.

Typically required for speed boost and damage avoidance related passive effects, and special attack combo based bonuses, such as dodges and counter-attacks.

Aurology

Area based passive effects that can be either beneficial or detrimental.

Usefulness scales with the amount of players in the area. Can get a lot more value out of an aura when more players are within range, as it is simply providing it's effect to more players. (Tactics over twitch)

Auras that include some aspect of the Enchanting attribute typically offer a offensive or defensive buff to allies in the area (sometimes called "wards").

Auras that include some aspect of the Cursing attribute typically cause an offensive or defensive debuff to enemies in the area (sometimes called "pits").

Governs most auras.

Summoning

Spawning additional entities into the game world. The term "summon" refers to the thing that is spawned.

Summons that are able to either move around and/or have their own mechanics and AI script are sometimes called "minions". i.e. Imp, Spirit Wolf

Summons that are stationary and act as a temporary environmental benefit or hazard are sometimes called "constructs". i.e. Thorns, Healing Spring

Summons should offer some extra opportunity to players, not take it away from them. Should allow teammates to work together easier, instead of making other players redundant.

Summoning spells that are targetable can be cast on allies, to make the summoned entity follow and protect that ally as if they had summoned it themselves, essentially turning summons from just being something that you can use just to make yourself more powerful, into something that can be extended to the whole team.

For example, the classes that have some melee focus of warrior and paladin (and hunter to an extent) are likely to be at the front and attracting the most attention from enemies and taking the most incoming attacks, but the classes with a focus on ranged attacks that also have access to summoning spells of hunter, druid and occultist can spawn summons and bind them to the melee class characters so they will stay near them to give them assistance, especially if these summons would otherwise be underutilised by hanging back doing nothing at the safe range the summoner may be at.

Summons have their own autonomy as defined by their AI scripts, which is intended to allow the summoner to have an impact outside of their own direct actions, so they don't requiring a lot of extra cognitive effort to micromanage, making them easier to get started with and a good option for new players (available even to the second class available, the Hunter). (Pick up and play)

If the same summon spell is cast again, the existing minion is destroyed and replaced by the new one.

Minions that are created solely as a result of a spell are classified as "Ghosts", and have properties based on some existing creature, but weaker than the real thing. i.e. "Summon Spirit Wolf" may create a ghostly version of a wolf creature.

Spells that are able to convert existing creatures into allies are classified as "Charms". i.e. "Charm Creature" may turn a wild creature into an ally.

Governs most summons.

Enchanting

Long duration single-target beneficial effects.

Activates when some condition is met, or an action happens, on the affected entity.

Can be thought of as a loose way to express whether a spell should be considered to have a "morally good" or "holy" alignment in its effects. For example, a summoning spell that also incorporates some element of the enchanting attribute may be like summoning a fairy or beneficial spirit.

Enchanting is also more generally about enchantment manipulation, not just application, so may include things like altering existing enchantments in some way, or removing enchantments on enemies.

Governs most enchantments.

Cursing

Long duration single-target detrimental effects.

Activates when some condition is met, or an action happens, on the affected entity.

Can be thought of as a loose way to express whether a spell should be considered to have a "morally evil" or "unholy" alignment in its effects. For example, a summoning spell that also incorporates some element of the cursing attribute may be like summoning a skeleton or demon.

Cursing is also more generally about curse manipulation, not just application, so may include things like altering existing curses in some way, or removing curses on allies.

Governs most curses.

Considered attributes

Attributes that were thought about or partially planned, but decided not to go with for whatever reason.

Stealth

Being able to sneak up on targets for surprise attacks, or avoid encounters entirely, or escape from dangerous situations.

Seemed to support Tactics over twitch well by encouraging planning of how to engage and awareness of target positioning, but stealth by it's nature doesn't really have anything to do with the team based aspect of the game, and is more suited to solitary play-styles.

Stealth mechanics often add a lot of additional complexity to the codebase, with extra state to manage and edge cases from interactions with other systems to worry about, and can lead to janky designs that have to try hard to make stealth viable while also not overpowered, or the stealth system just devolves into using a simple "invisibility" state that allows the players to bypass certain challenges entirely which seems boring and reductive.

Potential to be reconsidered later, possibly being exclusive to the "evil" classes, as it would suit something like an assassin.