Update #74: Wizard & Druid Reflections

[Mr. Magniloquent]

So has anyone seen any more details on Wizard spells on any of the other places Sawyer posts? I cant quite wrap my head around spell power progression without spell scaling. For example we know Fireball is in the game, and typical D&D version start the spell damage at 1d6 and add 1d6 every level up to 10d6. This mechanic doesn't exist in PE so then the only other way I can think of is that PE must just give you a new, renamed, more powerful Fireball spell?

 

That definitely is a concern. I theorize that spells will be grouped by the effects which they produce and perhaps the areas of effect they possess. Similar to how Charm Person is a level 1 Wizard spell in D&D, but Dominate Person is a 5th level Wizard spell. Likewise, level two spells may be able to produce the "Line" area of effect, while level 8 may be able to produce the "Burst" area of effect and any which preceded it in lower levels. I'm not sure how else it might be done without resorting to what you've described.

 

That's just guessing though. It's a long-shot. I too, would certainly appreciate any information anyone has on this.

[Hassat Hunter]

That, or power increases by stats (intelligence?) and items (+x spelldamage). So upgrading isn't based on level, but gear?

 

If increased power is even needed, that is...

[Tamerlane]

And, y'know, talents...

[aluminiumtrioxid]

Or enemy HP is just fairly consistent all over the board?

[Quetzalcoatl]

So has anyone seen any more details on Wizard spells on any of the other places Sawyer posts? I cant quite wrap my head around spell power progression without spell scaling. For example we know Fireball is in the game, and typical D&D version start the spell damage at 1d6 and add 1d6 every level up to 10d6. This mechanic doesn't exist in PE so then the only other way I can think of is that PE must just give you a new, renamed, more powerful Fireball spell?

Some spells will go from per-rest to per-encounter to at-will. That is a form of scaling.

 

[Gfted1]

Some spells will go from per-rest to per-encounter to at-will. That is a form of scaling.

Ive seen that and it sounds like a cool mechanic to me. Im interested in how they plan to ramp up power. By level x I will be able to cast Magic Missle at will, but is it still going to be plinking along at 1d4? Im sure there is some plan. Maybe each level increase offers a whole new array of damaging spells to choose from but higher in power. I know bumping Int will increase spell dps (but that's infrequent) and most likely gear will too but Id like to hear more about spells.

[Lephys]

So has anyone seen any more details on Wizard spells on any of the other places Sawyer posts? I cant quite wrap my head around spell power progression without spell scaling. For example we know Fireball is in the game, and typical D&D version start the spell damage at 1d6 and add 1d6 every level up to 10d6. This mechanic doesn't exist in PE so then the only other way I can think of is that PE must just give you a new, renamed, more powerful Fireball spell?

Seconded. I realize things will become more plentiful to cast (per-encounter/at-will), but, it just seems like there's a huge gap between stuff if there's absolutely no change in anything but frequency of casting.

 

And yeah, D&D had stuff improve as you did. Just weaker spells improved LESS than stronger spells, each time, and their improvements/scaling capped off after so many level-ups.

 

It doesn't all have to scale at the exact same rate, for the same amount of time. So, *shrug*. I'm curious what Team Eternity has to say about this, specifically, and how they're handling it.

[Endrosz]

This is just a wild guess, but I think the numbers in Eternity that define characters' combat capabilities will not increase in such a dramatic fashion as they do in DnD editions, or Might and Magics, or Diablos, or...

 

One of Interplay's '80s classic RPG games, Dragon Wars,  was built on an engine similar to the former Bard's Tale games, but with  completely reworked systems. The Health of characters was based on Constitution, and they had Stamina = 2x Health. On level-up, neither would increase automatically. What increased was Armor Class from better gear, Defense from better combat skills, both from buff spells which you got later, and Health and Stamina only increased by raising Constitution. On level-up, you got Character points which could be used to raise anything, including attributes like Constitution. Stamina regenerated after winning a fight, but Health didn't, and neither did Spell Points (the source of healing spells) and there was no resting in the game -- so damage and healing worked similar to Eternity, with Health being a strategic resource. At the start of the game, you had around 16 Health, at the end of the game, around 20.

 

This is an example of a system where the numbers don't increase in such a radical fashion as in most RPGs, yet there is still a distinct power curve. And if you have such a system, then low-level spells don't become useless by the endgame. Sure, their relative power diminishes, but not to the point that it's a waste of time to cast them. If you're used to a stronger power curve -- which means almost all RPGs, both PnP and digital -- then this is weird, but it can work just as well as other power curves.

 

Again, this is pure speculation, I don't know how the numbers will work in Eternity.

[Lephys]

I'm more worried about the nature of the gradual increase than the specific values.

 

Of course, I suppose they could go pretty heavily down the "5 damage is still 5 damage, and you're just harder to hit/better able to hit others as you progress" route, such that being able to cast the piddliest spell you can get at Level 1 multiple times per-encounter, suddenly, is actually quite useful. I guess nothing really requires a 5-damage Firebolt to be obsolete later on in the game. Weaker? Sure. The other spells will trump it in time-spent-vs-effect-achieved ratio. But, Everything at level 7 doesn't have to laugh off 5-damage being tossed at them 5 times per fight or anything.

 

Like I said, it'd just be nice to get an example from Josh and co., on specifically how they're addressing things if not by any gradual improvement of spells as the player levels, like in D&D.