162 replies to this topic

[T.G.Maestro]

Anyway, the current HLA for BHs is the following version of Set Toxic Trap:

Set Toxic Trap
This ability allows the Bounty Hunter to set a specific trap that sets off poisonous toxins when triggered. The poisonous cloud deals 1 poison damage/sec for 15 rounds (save vs. death/poison for half) and reduces the movement rate of enemies by 75% for 3 rounds (no save). If exposed to the toxins, any living targtet must make a saving throw vs. death to avoid falling uncounscious. The duration of this state depends on the saving throw penalties (3 rounds if the victim fails the save at 0, 2 rounds if at -2 and one round if at -4). In addition to these effects, the toxins drain 3 points of Constitute from any opponents who fail to save vs. breath at -4.

Balancing ideas? Do you find it balanced or weak/overpowered?

[Caedwyr]

Does the movement penalty only apply in the cloud, or does it continue for it's duration outside of the cloud?

Otherwise it sounds like an interesting ability.


Note, in the last sentence it should be "Constitution" not Constitute.

From first glance it seems balanced, but like many of the proposed HLAs playtesting will tell whether this is true or not.

[CamDawg]

I think I may have mentioned these to TGM over email. (@Littiz, I think this is what you were looking for; it took me a while to try and remember them )

An ability for Transmuters that would turn their body (or a party members?) into iron/adamantite and granting them complete immunity to damage for a few rounds.

Another ability idea for transmuters (not meaty enough for an HLA I'll admit) is an ability that lets them directly convert items into gold. It would really be more of an inventory conveenience, if it's even possible.

Perhaps y'all could use these as a jumping-off point for some other ideas.

[T.G.Maestro]

An ability for Transmuters that would turn their body (or a party members?) into iron/adamantite and granting them complete immunity to damage for a few rounds.

Good one, there is a spell like this in the IWD2 setting, right? (Iron Form or something)
I think I'll do it today and post the results.

Does the movement penalty only apply in the cloud, or does it continue for it's duration outside of the cloud?

It does continue after you escape the cloud, for 18 seconds. Once you breathe in the toxins, your body needs some time to recover, the 3 round movement penalty aims to point this out.
NOTE however that this is a one-time cloud effect (it uses the modified animation of the Green Dragon breath attack), so it affects creatures only once!

[Daxs]

Maybe for Transmuters, they can have an innate ability that's like a permanent buff.

Ability: Overlapping Form

This ability, when taken, grasps the ways of transformation and immbues the transmuter with a whole slew of creature powers, from troll's blood, to dragon scales, to spider venom, there has been a slight accident, and now these changes have been uncontrollable, and have changed the wizard permanently. But that's not bad, for it grants him +2 hp regen per round, and plus +2 hp for every level of caster he has attained. As well, and resistances to poison, ice, fire, magic, electricity, acid, crushing, slashing, missile, piercing have all been given a 25% boost. He also gains a 1/2 bonus attack per round, and str goes up by one. This ability can be only taken a certain number of times, (maybe 3 maximum???) but be wary, each usage gives AC a -1 and increases casting time by 1.

Hmm, well, dunno how it'd fit. I hope its balanced

[T.G.Maestro]

Daxs: actually, it is unbalanced . It grants MUCH, and has very weak disadvantages in comparison. Plus, its "background" seems very far-fetched to me at first sight.

Anyway, thanks for the idea!

[Daxs]

Eh, I guess it i a bit unbalanced, however, the idea behind it doesn't seem to be. The point is, it's a permanent change from dabbling too deep into altering arts.

[T.G.Maestro]

Allright. Version 1 is in the 24th hour, now I started to think on some future content. Hereby I ask everyone to come up with useable HLA suggestions:

- one or two for Diviners;
- one or two for Illusionists;
- one or two for Enchanters;

Thanks!

[Caedwyr]

An idea from the High Level Handbook, a True Dweomer (level 10 spell)


Kreb?s Flaming Dragon
(Illusion/Phantasm)
Type: Shadow Shape
Range: 50 yards
Duration: 1 Hour
Casting Time: 1 Round
Area of Effect: 1 Creature
Saving Throw: Special

This spell produces a single red dragon of very old age or younger. Opponents who
suspect the dragon is not real can save vs. spell to disbelieve it. Even if the save succeeds, however, the dragon still has an Armor Class of 4 and retains 80% of its damage potential and hit points. If the dragon is disbelieved, its non-damaging special powers, such as its fear aura and suggestion ability, have a 20% chance to fail before any saving throws are rolled.



Improved Simulacrum (Illusion/Phantasm)
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Same Duration as Similcrum
Casting Time: 9 Special
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

Improved simulacrum is identical to simulacrum, except that the
simulacrum is an identical copy of the caster created but with the spell slot used to cast simulacrum expended.



For Enchanters:
Mass Domination: As per the bard version.

Virus Charm
(Enchantment/Charm)
Level: 9
Range: Touch/Special
Compents: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 rd.
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Thmw: Neg.
Virus charm is a particularly nasty version of mass charm that has a specialized means of spreading The initial virus charm is cast on a single individual who must make a saving throw vs. spell at -2 to avoid being charmed. The charmed individual, (monster or person) must have fewer hit points than the wizard who cast the spell for this spell to operate. If the charmed individual has greater or equal hit points, the spell functions as a simple charm person or charm monster

Once charmed, the target individual can now charm others (person or monster) by touch. These latter individuals are considered charmed by the original spellcaster. Each new target individual must make a saving throw vs. spell Those with more hit points than the original caster save at +2 to their die roll. These charmed individuals can then in turn charm others in the same manner

The virus charm can affect up to three times the original caster's experience level in individuals (not levels or Hit Dice). Individuals under the effect of the virus charm behave the same as someone who was charmed normally, with all of the charm spell's limitations and requirements. Each character's Intelligence determines how long the charm will last before a second saving throw is permitted
If the caster attacks an individual under a virus charm, all individuals under the virus charm are permitted saving throws. Similarly a dispel magic cast successfully on an individual under the charm affects all individuals under that virus charm.
Creatures that are immune to enchantment/charm spells are unaffected by the virus charm.

Virus charms are commonly used by wizards to rouse a crowd of followers quickly, or to send an unknown charmed agent in to meet with an otherwise reclusive foe.

The material component is a thin web of finely spun copper wire, worth about 100 gp. The components are used only for the initial spell--after the initial cham, the spell is passed on by touch.




Weird
(Illusion/Pbantasm)
Level: 9
Range: 30 yds.
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 9
Duration: Concentration
Area of Effect: 20-A. radius
Saving Throw: Special
This spell confronts those affected by it with phantasmal images of their most feared enemies, forcing an imaginary combat that seems real, but actually occurs in the blink of an eye. When this spell is cast, the wizard must he able to converse with the victims to bring the spell into being. During the casting, the wizard must
call out to the creatures to he affected, informing one or all that their final fate, indeed their doom, is now upon them.

The force of the magic is such that even if the creatures make their saving throws vs. spell, fear will paralyze them for a full found, and they will lose ld4 Strength points from this fear (the lost Strength will return in one turn). Failure to save vs. spell causes the creature or creatures to face their nemeses, the opponents most feared and inimical to them. Actual combat must then take place, for no magical means of escape is possible.

The foe fought is real for all intents and purposes. Affected creatures that lose. die. If a creature?s phantasmal nemesis is slain, then the creature emerges with no damage, no loss of items seemingly used in the combat, and no loss of spells likewise seemingly expended. Experience for defeating the weird is gained if applicable. Although each round of combat seems normal, it takes hut 1/10 of a
round. During the course of the spell, the caster must concentrate fully upon maintaining it. If the combat goes beyond ten rounds, those who saved against the spell can take action. If the caster is disturbed, the weird spell ends immediately.
Creatures attacked while paralyzed with fear are free of the paralysis immediately.

[T.G.Maestro]

Mass Domination and Weird have a high chance to get into the mod's second release. I don't intend to add them in a patch for v1, though I'm still considering this option. We are waiting a few spells from Galactygon (Prismatic Sphere/Globe, Abyssal Fury, etc.) those are likely to be included as well.

Right now I will stick to the correction of the actual tables during the beta-testing period.

[T.G.Maestro]

If anyone could come up with a good and implementable HLA idea for Rangers (on top of the existing Refinements HLAs for them), I'd be most thankful. The point is that we are looking for an additional ability for this class, hopefully one that suits all ranger kits as well.

[Rathwellin the Bard]

Enhanced Racial Enemy - bascically anthing that makes this base class ability better. At a minimum the bonuses should be doubled. A more powerful version might make every attack against a racial enemy count as a critical strike instead of mucking with the bonuses. A middle of the road approach would increase the bonuses and chance of doing a crit vs the foe race.

[SimDing0]

That's an excellent idea. I can't remember the last time I gave a shit what my racial enemy was. BG1, I expect.

I, uh, dunno how it'd be possible to implement, though.

Edited by SimDing0, 21 October 2004 - 08:43 AM.

[T.G.Maestro]

Just to show you Rathwellin that we are having similar thoughts..:
just check .

That's an excellent idea. I can't remember the last time I gave a shit what my racial enemy was. BG1, I expect.

I, uh, dunno how it'd be possible to implement, though.

My words, exactly. Oh, and count in my version of this ability, where you could choose another racial enemy in addition to the first at character creation.
If anyone has any idea how to implemet these, I'm listening.

Oh, and of course we are still open for DOABLE suggestions as well.

Edited by T.G.Maestro, 21 October 2004 - 08:55 AM.

[Stone Wolf]

Well, you could try the Set Melee Effect effect and chain a couple effs to target the enemy type. I don't think you can have more than one Set Melee Effect active at a time though. Maybe add an innate ability that uses Set Melee Effect against a specific foe. That innate could give the ranger the option of different "melee styles" that are effective against the different enemy types. For example, the innate could offer vs. Beholder and vs. Lich innates, if the Ranger has those racial enemies.

[SimDing0]

Choosing an extra racial enemy is way, way easier than enhancing the existing selection,

[T.G.Maestro]

Choosing an extra racial enemy is way, way easier than enhancing the existing selection

HOW do you implement it Sim, how???! That info would be helpful, you know - please enlightn me if you know anything.

I don't think you can have more than one Set Melee Effect active at a time though.

I'm quite positive you can. Simply take a brief look at Dragon Fist in Refinements for example.

Maybe add an innate ability that uses Set Melee Effect against a specific foe. That innate could give the ranger the option of different "melee styles" that are effective against the different enemy types. For example, the innate could offer vs. Beholder and vs. Lich innates, if the Ranger has those racial enemies.

Ehem, creating a damn Spell Immunity-like list of at least 10-15 innate, each adding +4 THAC0 bonus vs. a specified creature type? Sounds much more work than its worth to me.
Maybe if there'd be a way to open the classical Racial Enemy screen and choose from that list... but I don't know if thats possible.

[SimDing0]

You won't be able to open the racial enemy screen you get on character creation, and I'd hope you're above adding daft dialogues to let the player choose. If multiple Melee Hit Effects are possible, then that's probably the best way to do it. Creating 10-15 innates isn't exacty murder, considering it's basically creating one, then modifying a single parameter in the others. Unfortunately, I can't really think of anything better than a Spell Immunity-type effect to allow the selection.

[T.G.Maestro]

Sim, the only problem with that list is fine-tuning. Once completed, I'd like it to look professional (as hopefully most things in Refinements), and would be forced to draw damn spell "b" icons for EACH of them... ugh, that would drain me, to be honest.
I'm not sure how this ability would look without the unique icons for each racial enemy though...

[SimDing0]

That's true, it'd look pretty damn horrific without different icons for every race. Seems to me that this could be an ability that's best left untouched, unless Littiz knows something I don't.