Empower Alternative?

[Svartypops]

I like the idea of Empower, but even though the icon is a huge swirling and flashing circle, I forget it's there.

 

I was thinking maybe of different spells - so at lower levels you get spells that ALTER other spells - so they'd still be relevant later in the game.

For example one might put a statuseffect on the caster and the description could be something like "After casting this, the next spell is instant". Then you'd have several versions of every spell and one would be an instant cast which is used when this statuseffect is on the player... oh gaun, you'd have to make zillions of versions of every spell. Forget I suggested it.

Unless a modifier could be applied instead somehow?

 

What do you think should happen to keep low level content relevant, if anything?

[Pfeifchen]

Hi, to make low level spells relevant later on, i wouldnt go for to fancy solutions. What about level depending softskills like shorter casting time, more precision (dmg, pen, powerlvl), or more usages? Or maybe casting two spells at the same time.

[Elric Galad]

Shorter casting time is IMHO the best solution to keep low level spells relevant. Usually you don't want to cast them because you have better things to do. Even a weak spell is worth casting if nearly instant. You won't use the low level ressources for something else anyway.

 

Other than that, PEN is the usual issue for low level damages spells. +0.25 PEN / PL isn't enough to keep up. Higher level spell get +0.5 PEN / Availability Tier beyond 1 : for example, a Tier 5 spell with 7 PEN cast with PL9 will have : 7 PEN + (5-1)x0.5 PEN because it is a Tier 5 level spell + (9-5)x0.25 PEN because of PL level = 10 PEN.  

 

It is easy to implement an effect triggered after Empowering a spell. But altering the Empower command itself is probably much more tricky (and I'm pretty sure isn't moddable through Gamedata files.

 

I don't know how to implement an effect working only on low level spells. Unless adding a Keyword for each Tier ? This would conflict with any mod adding Keyword.

 

Note that Balance Polishing Mod has implemented an effect lasting until end of combat after Empowering a spell with one of the Empower Talents :

Accurate Empower : +10 Accuracy to Empowered ability, +5 Accuracy until combat ends
Potent Empower : +24% damages to empowered spell, +12% until combat ends.
Penetrating Empower : + 2 PEN to Empowered ability, +1 PEN until combat ends 
Lasting Empower :  +30% duration of Inspiration and Affliction to Empowered ability, +15% until combat ends  

Chopping Wood : 100% Hit to Crit to Empowered ability, 20% Hit to Crit until combat ends 
Murderous Intent : (100% Hit to Crit /+100% Crit damages) against foes under 50% health for Empowered ability, (20% Hit to Crit /+20% Crit damages) against foes under 50% health until combat ends

Edited August 6, 2021 by Elric Galad