Design: Spells

[Kael]

Chaos Divine 2: Terror
Each unit in target stack has a chance to retreat randomly, and to deal damage to another unit in the stack.

Functionally this is the same as the tornado spell, deals some damage and has a chance to toss units to surrounding tiles. I like the idea of the tornado more, but the fear idea has the advantage that we could create units that were immune to the effect like undead and demons. But Im hesitant to have 2 spells with such similiar effects.

That said we may use fear as an aura effect on a special hero that makes him unable to be attacked by living units of less than a certain level.

 

[Kael]

Another chaos spell would be "madness of battle".
Tragets one unit--until end of turn, that unit fights the weakest in a stack, instead of the strongest. Works on both allies and enemies.

Dimensional: Remove obstacle--target square's defense value becomes zero.
Alternate realities--target unit gains a 50% chance of being sent down to hell, and a 50% of being sent away from hell.

The first is the "Marksman" ability. I gotta figure out a way to get that added. I want it to be an ability for the Marksman and a few other units.

Alternate Realities sounds like Banish, has a chance to send the unit to Hell.

Remove Obstacle could be a decent spell, Ill add it.

 

[Kael]

I went through and labeled all of the spells that won't be used in Light (Shadow sphere won't be in yet) and the divine spheres that don't have an associated religion so we can focus on the ones that do. I also labeled which divine speheres are going to be available to each religion so as you think of the spells you can have an idea what religion will be using them.

 

[loki1232]

Here's a simple earth one: fertile ground. Target farm gives +1 food for some time (while the caster is on it?)

 

[loki1232]

A creation one: Move resource. Basically allows the Kuriotates to mvoe resources into their territory.

 

[Kael]

Here's a simple earth one: fertile ground. Target farm gives +1 food for some time (while the caster is on it?)

Needs something more interesting. Rank1 spells should be minor but they should haave some practical use such that someone will consider buying the sphere with this spell on levelup).

 

[Kael]

A creation one: Move resource. Basically allows the Kuriotates to mvoe resources into their territory.

i dont know that this ability is interesting enough to make it worth the time it would take to teach the ai how to use it.

 

[Kael]

I did some spell restructuring in the first post. I removed the Sun sphere for the "Light" requirements. I was just having a hard time deferintiating between it and Fire. When we get to "Shadow" we can add it and shadow in at the same time, which should provide us a good opportunity to play them against each other.

Several spells traded places and I tried to adjust them more from the aspect of what units will get access to them and when.

 

[loki1232]

For the sun II summoning, what if they could summon a "shining golem"
This guy would have medium strength, but the space where he died and all adjacent to it would be revealed for the player for a few turns. Also revels invisible units.

 

[Kael]

I added in summons for summoning a Wraith (powerful undead spirit, usually a person of great evil who died under the effects of a curse) and summoning the Host of the Einherjar (just warrior spirits summoned from the vault of Junil).

I need a special ability for each to make them a little more than just a set of stats. Any ideas?

 

[Corlindale]

A Wraith can permanently kill units with immortal promotion. Perhaps it also adds the "wither" effect on creatures it attacks(Entropy 1).

 

[loki1232]

Perhaps Einhejar create other einhejar when they kill stuff?

 

[Kael]

A Wraith can permanently kill units with immortal promotion. Perhaps it also adds the "wither" effect on creatures it attacks(Entropy 1).

Perfect, though I changed it to the enervation effect (halves the victims xp).

 

[loki1232]

Or maybe the einhejar allow their caster to cast again by killing stuff.

 

[Kael]

Or maybe the einhejar allow their caster to cast again by killing stuff.

Still not quite right. These guys are warrior spirits gone on to heaven to spend their days celebrating and practicing for battle. This spell calls them back temporarily to fight for the caster.

Maybe give them blitz and full heal if they win combat?

 

[Chalid]

Still not quite right. These guys are warrior spirits gone on to heaven to spend their days celebrating and practicing for battle. This spell calls them back temporarily to fight for the caster.

Maybe give them blitz and full heal if they win combat?

How about granting them a new chance to live when they score a major victory. So make a real unit out of them when they kill an enemy that has twice their strength or something.

 

[Kael]

How about granting them a new chance to live when they score a major victory. So make a real unit out of them when they kill an enemy that has twice their strength or something.

Thats awesome. I can actually make it so that they stick around as long as they win a battle every turn. If you don't use them to fight, then they go away.

I might use that mechanic for both the big law and chaos summoned unit.

 

[Chalid]

I see a bit of unbalance between the Sorcery and the summoning at our momentary configuration. The problem is that each sphere gives fighting power to the conjurer in contast to the mage that only gets real firepower by the fire sphere (at the moment). this makes most of the summoners quite equal. the only difference is the power of the summoned units. How about
a) creating a lot of non combat units for summoners.
There comes to mind:
Summon helpful spirit (akind of worker thet stays for three turns),
summon birds or magical eyes that are used as flying air recconnaisance,
summon minor metal elemental that can be used for production in the city (ok that one would force micromanegement, so let ist stay for some turns and add to production as long as it is placed in a city.).
summon watcher (a unit with spiing ability that stays for some turns and allows espionage)

b) make some of the powerfull beasts harder to summon. for example the balor or the host of einha... are quite powerfull compared to the fire elemental (all level 3 at the moment) so there are different ideas to make them harder to summon.
- summoning one of those will leave the summoner without casting ability for some turns.
- summoning one will cost the caster some XP each time.
- those powerfull beasts need more than one kind of magic (probably not a good idea as it again would make a combination of spheres more powerfull and therefor take choices instead of giving them)
- give more limits to the units:
#(dont know if this is tho or if that works) treants should not only be summonable just in forest, they should only be able to move within forests.
#host of einh.. does not fight against good civilization.
and so forth...

 

[loki1232]

Earth sum I: Summon Golem Defender--
Defensive Golem type, not destroyed at end of turn. limit of 1 per caster. Automatically defends its casteragainst all attacks that would target him.

Entropy div II: Waste--
Destroy Target Resource. It is redistributed to a random unoccupied space in hell.

Law sor II: Strengthen--
Target Unit gets +25% strength until end of turn.
Law sum I: Law Bringer--
Angel unit medium strength gets a large bonus when attacking units/cities belonging to an evil civ. Can travel on Water.

Life sor II: Spring of Life--
Target river becomes enchanted. Gives double city health, +50% heal for units adjacent to it, and +1 food for farms adjacent to it. One per river.
Life sum I: Hunting Unicorn--
Medium strength cavalry unit. Casts a life spell when it kills a living enemy.

Mind div I: Subvert--
Can be cast on rival units without causing war. You can see everything that unit can see. One per caster.
Mind div II: Hideous Thoughts--
Target unit becomes a demon type. Gets +25% strength promotion, but immediate -50% hp. Allies or enemies.

Nature sor I: Treefolk Assistance--
Target unit in a forest or jungle gets +2 first strikes, can only be cast on human units.

more later.

 

[Kael]

Earth sum I: Summon Golem Defender--
Defensive Golem type, not destroyed at end of turn. limit of 1 per caster. Automatically defends its casteragainst all attacks that would target him.

I love the concept of this, kind of a guardian angel. I don't know that it will be a golem unit since they are crafted instead of summoned but I do love the idea of a protection spell on a unit that kicks up when they attacked and provides a defender. We will definitly have to fit this idea in.

Entropy div II: Waste--
Destroy Target Resource. It is redistributed to a random unoccupied space in hell.

This I see as too painful. Losing a resource without the ability to regain it (other civ declares war and wastes the resource before anything can be done) would just be frustrating.

Law sor II: Strengthen--
Target Unit gets +25% strength until end of turn.

Needs more, something more flavorful.

Law sum I: Law Bringer--
Angel unit medium strength gets a large bonus when attacking units/cities belonging to an evil civ. Can travel on Water.

I love the concept of getting a bonus against Evil civs. Gotta have it and its perfect for this unit. Im toying with the 1st step summons having restrictions like chalid mentioned (sand lion only in desert, treant in forests) and I think this is a perfect restriction for the law summon. I might take it a little further and only allow it to attack evil units.

Life sor II: Spring of Life--
Target river becomes enchanted. Gives double city health, +50% heal for units adjacent to it, and +1 food for farms adjacent to it. One per river.

Im kinda terrained out right now. It seems like we already have so many terrain spells.

Life sum I: Hunting Unicorn--
Medium strength cavalry unit. Casts a life spell when it kills a living enemy.

Violates the princess rule (nothing that would appear on a little girsl bedroom wall should be in a dark fantasy mod). But I could go with the idea for the unit. What effect do you think would be best when a unit is killed?

Mind div I: Subvert--
Can be cast on rival units without causing war. You can see everything that unit can see. One per caster.

Interesting. I'm not sure how the AI will handle it (its line of sight process is "murky") but I will add it in and we can pull it later, i like the idea.

Mind div II: Hideous Thoughts--
Target unit becomes a demon type. Gets +25% strength promotion, but immediate -50% hp. Allies or enemies.

This is such a perfect overlord spell. I don't like the demon type though. It may be enough to give the hp loss and the enraged promotion (improved attack, reduced defence).

Nature sor I: Treefolk Assistance--
Target unit in a forest or jungle gets +2 first strikes, can only be cast on human units.

Another good idea. I can have this stay on as long as the unit stays in a forest.

more later.

Keep them coming!