>>On a second phase of this, put timers on how much use the
>>spells can be cast. Devils advocate: A smart villager
>would
>>hit the outer guardian, know that defenders are going to
>cast
>>their spells of protection, and then be useless for 48 hours
>>once it runs out. Give the mages the ability to withdraw
>the
>>spell. If they keep barrier up for lets say 8 hours every
>48.
>> You could put it up quickly, and be ready to rumble. If
>the
>>villager runs off, you withdraw it and now have 7 hours of
>use
>>over the next period.
>
>An interesting theory on affect timers that I hadn't thought
>of. Not sure how easy this would be to do, but interesting.


Don't do timers. That's horrible idea.
Sure you can implement shield/aura/barrier spells and give it to every mage with restrictions like svirf's inherit. Duration for 10 ticks and being able to renew in 24 ticks or so.
But on practice that means if a villager triggers a mage's barrier and leave, then return in 10 ticks. The mage will just shrug and go away. Not many will really jump on the village without dam reduction.

Every concept that is based on all-or-nothing balancing scheme has a common fundamental issues. It reduces the number of fights that could happen otherwise.

Examples:
1) rangers. You don't fight them in woods, they don't fight you in civilized places.
2) water forms. You don't go there, they don't go to you either.
3) thieves.
etc.

And if you add timers to dam reductions, I think it will end up in the same category along with these above.