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TRX850

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Everything posted by TRX850

  1. TRX850
    A few more... Spell Drain - Target one spellcaster. - The Cipher removes one prepared spell from the target's spell pool. The highest spell level affected is determined by the equivalent Cipher level, and is randomly chosen. - Using 3E rules, a 5th level Cipher targeting a 5th level Wizard could drain one third level spell. Or if the Cipher were 4th level, he/she could drain one second level spell. - For every five character levels higher than the target, the Cipher can drain one additional spell. Spell Bounce - As Spell Drain, but the Cipher may store stolen spells for the duration of the encounter, and cast them at will. Once the encounter is over, all unused spells are lost. Nullify Resistance - Target one enemy. - For a short duration, the Cipher lowers any or all elemental damage resistance to zero.
  2. TRX850
    ...Ignoring the issues:A. who would mummify a spider? B. can a spider even be mummified? Mummification precludes the presence of maggots. Furthermore, maggots have medicinal uses, they can and are sometimes used in modern medicine to remove necrotic tissue from wounds. Yes, I am defending the honor of maggots. A. Some interesting sub-culture that reveres spiders. One we've not seen before. That's why it's different. B. (From the Monster Manual) -- Mummies defend tombs and other sacred places against intrusion, striking down foes with a deadly rotting disease. This is a fantasy game. Infestation of Maggots is listed as a Druid spell. And so for variety, instead of Mummy Rot, I put that spell description there. Most diseases in RPGs are handled with similar effects or state changes. It was just something different, that's all.
  3. TRX850
    I suppose if you find a "bonus vs creature type" weapon just prior to an encounter with said creature, it's always going to telegraph what type of creature to expect, which is not good game design. On the other hand, if you were to encounter a level of, say, giants, but half way through that level, you found an adventurer's corpse with a weapon vs giants on it, you could grab it and continue the quest that the previous owner failed. Might be a little cliche, but at least you've already had to fight them with regular weapons and suffered possible losses, but now that you've found the new weapon, you get to feel like you have a chance. It's a bit like an adventure film story structure, i.e. the loss followed by empowerment should reinvigorate the party/player.
  4. TRX850
    I looked into 4E rules a while back, which offers Athletics like Climb, Jump, and Swim. And whether applied to PnP or cRPGs, it seemed to come down to two distinct scenarios involving sensible level design, IMO: 1. Allow an athletics check to access areas for hidden loot, à la Tomb Raider. 2. Design a level where failure of one type of Athletics check leads to a non-fatal outcome involving another type of Athletics check. - Failure to jump an underground river leads to swimming. - Failure to jump a ravine leads to climbing a steep incline/vine-strewn-cliff. - Failure to climb a steep incline/cliff leads to swimming. - Failure to swim means being washed up (or swept against) the nearest embankment/shoreline, where you can get out and try again. What's great is that it's a Strength check, so *high five* for fighters.
  5. TRX850
    ^^^^ I agree with this, and some of these options would require party members to be adjacent to the character in question. It reminds me (again) of Pool of Radiance (SSI, 1988) where if your comrade went down fighting and was unconscious, you'd have to move alongside them before you had access to the "Bandage" option, which I thought added to the team spirit. Rushing in to save your comrade goes a long way in adding dynamic emotional range to an encounter.
  6. TRX850
    A colour indicator on doors and containers that show which ones I've already interacted with, when I press the ALT key to "highlight ground items". This would be particularly useful for containers like crates, chests, and barrels where: - Green = Unopened or "opened but not empty". - Grey = Opened and empty. - Red = Trapped but not disarmed (if detected). In NWN, I used to destroy containers to remind myself which ones I'd emptied. But if they could be colour coded in P:E, it'd make exploration just that little bit more organized. Edit: Also, just thinking about BG areas like Beregost. Having the same colour coding for buildings you'd entered (or not entered) would be very useful too, when pressing the ALT key.
  7. TRX850
    The idea of thieves' guilds and assassins' guilds are ludicrous enough. You might as well propose a stableboys' guild and a gaoler's guild. That said, the idea of hiring men to carry out the stuff isn't, at its root, bad. Assuming there are enough free men shiftlessly lazing about the game's cities, it would be more believable to simply go and hire people to carry things for you. Better yet, they should be untrustworthy and selfish, liable to conceal the best stuff so they can sell it for their own profit. Not really, the most ludicrous thing about them is the idea they'd be separate or call themselves the Thieves/Assassins or some such. I think the key here is to move a little more towards the idea of organized crime as in the real world, where fairly little actual robbing goes on and the actual moneys come in through protection rackets, smuggling and bribing officials etc. Still plenty of room for an upcoming warrior to be an enforcer but a bit more realistic in tone and a bit darker and subtler in nature compared to "muahahah you must go steal Old Man Wilsons Diamonds!" Thieves' Guild.
  8. TRX850
    I wouldn't mind seeing "named" magic weapons created dynamically to suit the party's needs. If someone has weapon focus/specialization in a particular weapon, but not currently equipped with a magical version, then the engine could tailor the newly found base weapon type to whoever has the appropriate feats/talents or whoever needs an upgrade the most. They did this in NWN:HotU once you bypassed the lever puzzle in Undermountain Level One (South). The description in the walkthrough text is incorrect. It's definitely different loot depending on your class build and feats.
  9. TRX850
  10. TRX850
    It made me think, we could add "detect scent" as an improvable skill. And maybe certain magical armours or clothing could mask a characters uhh.....natural scent....from an enemy with a detect scent skill. Long time ago, my D&D group were navigating a dark tunnel on the way to slay a dragon, but as we entered the tunnel, we all got crapped on by a goddamn *bat colony*. At the time, we thought our DM was just having a laugh, but it allowed us to sneak up on the dragon undetected, because we stank of bat. A bit off topic, but it made me think that certain weapons could "mask" or counteract various weaknesses the character has. Be it stealth, vision, hearing and so on.
  11. TRX850
    ^^^^ Yes, I imagine most magic weapons with a specialty feature would have associated perks like spell effects, enemy detection, creature type/racial damage bonuses, and possibly be used in more than one way, be it offensive / defensive / melee / thrown and so on. The ones I mentioned have bare bones features listed because we don't yet know what the bestiary will be like, nor what type of bonus stat range would be appropriate. But I do like anything exotic or quirky. I'm a big fan of scythes, spiked chains, and whips because they're so different from the humble longsword.
  12. TRX850
    Chain Golem. Wicker Golem. Gold Forged Golem. Clockwork Golem.
  13. TRX850
    "Critical Mass" - Great Hammer (Maul) with increased critical range and damage. - Handle contains hollow core of partially-filled liquid mercury that increases momentum when swung. As the mercury travels down the hammer handle into the head, the contact weight/mass is increased. "Flock of Three" - Bastard Flail with three attachments, inspired by BG2's Flail of Ages. - Radiant / Fire / Crushing damage. One for each flail head. - Holy weapon. Attack bonus vs. undead. One or two handed.
  14. TRX850
    Why not list some interesting weapons as inspiration for game content? They could be unique items found in the game, or crafted by mid-to-high level characters. Maybe something you created from PnP and would like to share. The examples below are stat-free because the numbers would not be currently meaningful. "She Wroth" - Flail crafted from Medusa skull and spinal column. - Poison/Petrification/Paralysis. Maybe swap Petrification for Charisma damage. "Pale Mistress" - Scythe blade crafted from female Dracolich claw. - Necrotic bonus damage. Fear. "Gypsy's Kiss" - Dagger crafted from huge Viper fang. - Poison. Improved stealth. "Trollblight" - Corrosive Halberd or Greataxe. Acid bonus damage. "Vampiric Lash" - Battle Whip with Vampiric Regeneration.
  15. TRX850
    The Restless Dead?
  16. TRX850
    And I haven't seen Stirges since the early SSI games like Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds.
  17. TRX850
    We should also ask ourselves: What would we do in real life? If someone gave us the task of searching a house for a hidden item, we'd be extremely thorough, leaving no object untouched. We'd be like CSI P:E, checking and double-checking everything for clues. So it's not that much of a step to assume an adventuring party would be thorough and grab everything.
  18. TRX850
    Haha. I know what you mean. They've been mishandled so much in CRPGs over the years. I am yet to play a satisfying monk character, but I think we now have the chance to get them right. I see them as a mix of Fighter / Priest / Cipher who specialize in weapons and metaphysic abilities, like in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The problem is how to handle the unarmed combat. Does it outshine their melee weapon ability or vice versa? I think the key ingredient to the Monk class is "Discipline". And for the record, I don't like anything to do with Ninja lore or the multitude of Hollywood misconceptions attributed to Monks over the years. Just saying.
  19. TRX850
    Otyughs. For those all important sewer levels.
  20. TRX850
    Mindsight - Cipher level 5. Even while blinded, the Cipher has normal acuity of vision. - Cipher level 10. (All-Around Vision) Flanking enemies do not gain combat advantage.
  21. TRX850
    That's not entirely accurate. Back in my SCA days, my plate armoured sparring partners and I put this to the test, and I can assure you an impact weapon is *very* effective against plate armour. Chain armour or anything non-rigid will inevitably be worse against a hammer or mace etc, but plate is in no way a safeguard against crushing weapons.
  22. TRX850
    I wonder if there could be rules on what type of loot should go into the Stash, and what type you could place in your backpack, based on size and mass? All armours and large items must go in the Stash, but smaller items like potions / scrolls / gems etc can go in your backpack. Surely there could be a little realism in this area, if you're going to make such a radical change? Maybe in the items data model, have a boolean flag for "Stash Only". And anything bigger than a backpack is automatically flagged. <-- of course, you'd need somewhere to "unequip" your armour to, so could need tweaking.
  23. TRX850
    Yes, I'm ok with backpack/inventory loot being part of this new system. What I meant was "equipped" items. Gear that you've placed on your body, i.e. dragged and dropped onto your paper doll. I think spells that reduce strength should still be able to encumber a character if they are "wearing" heavy gear. And indeed, if what you are wearing under normal circumstances is too heavy, then that should encumber a character too.
  24. TRX850
    Some ideas in this thread on how to revamp skeletons and zombies.
  25. TRX850
    I get that the Stash is a fantasy wormhole for on-the-fly loot storage. But the highlighted bit "instead of having a weight limit" concerns me. Does that mean there's no weight limit to just the Stash (which I'm fine with), or no weight limit to everything you've equipped? Because that seems to be a liiiiiittle bit too easy when it comes to strategising gear selection. Yes it was a pain when your character became encumbered sometimes, but removing it is, I think, going too far. Spells and effects that lower strength will not be as powerful if you can no longer be encumbered. Maybe I misread that description, but I think weight limits should still apply to equipped gear at the very least. It's one of the things that separates the archetypal fighter and wizard.
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