Editing Old Magician

{{NPC|name=Old Magician|_id=167|image=[[file:Old Magician 167.png]]|aka=|released=|inspect=Where did he come from|attackable=0}}

The [[Old Magician]] is the first anti-cheat system introduced in ''[[HighSpell]]'', added by [[Dew]] on June 28th, 2025. Although data for the Old Magician appeared in the [[Updates/A_Few_Bug_Fixes_and_a_Small_Graphical_Update|June 27th update]], it did not become active until the following morning after a brief server restart.

The Old Magician periodically appears near a player and casts the [[Confusion]] spell, applying a debuff that can only be cleared by completing a captcha prompt. After casting the spell, the Old Magician immediately teleports away.

This system was implemented as a bot detection and prevention measure. However, its arrival has sparked significant community feedback, particularly due to the captcha's full-screen nature and how it affects gameplay in dangerous areas such as the [[Wastelands]], where players can be attacked while unable to respond.

== Removal ==
At approximately 5:19 PM on the same day it was introduced, the [[Old Magician]] was removed from the game. About an hour and 35 minutes earlier, [[Dew]] had [https://discord.com/channels/1326105463410131007/1379383466176548865/1388606027137683467 announced on Discord] outlining how the system functioned and acknowledging ongoing adjustments to captcha behavior, including image generation, trigger timing, and the potential for full deactivation:

<blockquote>I will continue modifying captcha generation (images, time between events, etc.) or possibly even disable them entirely. Just a few things to clarify:
When  you are hit with the Confusion spell, you will be in the Foggy state for 5 minutes, in which case you can still gain exp and gather resources normally
After 5 minutes, or if you begin to solve the captcha, or if you logout/login, you will be in the Confused state, in which case you can still be in combat (but not gain experience), and are unable to gather any resources or make items
And since some people are having issues solving them, don't use any spaces when solving</blockquote>