MaxAstro
Spiral Knight
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2007
- Messages
- 645
So, while at first I thought I was going to hate the new spell system in .31, I've discovered it's actually a great improvement. It makes sorcery both simpler and more useful (the only downside being it ~completely~ kills my Mage-rush strategy, but that's for another thread). However, it does remove a lot of the spell variety previously found in the game. Also, Archmages are now very, very powerful; almost too powerful. At the same time, Mages are not as useful as they could be. I'd like to see a system where Mages were very effective general spellcasters, while Archmages had a limited selection of very powerful spells.
To that extent, I've started work on a mod that implements what I see as the simple fix: It expands each sphere to 4 spells instead of three. The new spell in each sphere is added at the Mage level, meaning that instead of Fire 3 granting Fire Elemental, for example, it grants a new spell instead, and Fire 4 is required for Fire Elemental. Mages can learn spell levels 1-3, and only Archmages can learn level 4 spells.
The following is a list of the new spells I am adding to each sphere; what I'd like from you guys is opinions on usefulness and balance of these new spells. In general, the spells should be a bit more powerful than existing Mage level spells, but nowhere near as powerful as an Archmage level spell.
Air: Summon Nimbus (Permanent summon. Speed 1 flying unit able to carry up to two land units. Strength 2, can't attack.
Body: Cripple (Can be resisted. May inflict nearby enemy units with the Crippled promotion, doubling movement cost and reducing attack strength by 1, with a 10% chance to wear off each turn.
Chaos: Winds of Fate (Randomly grants either the Lucky (+1 strength, +2 first strikes, +20% withdraw rate) or Unlucky (-1 strength, -10% global healing rate, -20% spell resist) promotion to all units in the tile. Both promotions have a 10% chance per turn of wearing off. Doesn't affect units that are already Lucky or Unlucky. Will probably be given to Loki.)
Creation: TBA.
Death: Bind Corpse (Can be resisted. Has a chance to dominate an adjacent undead unit; chance is based on the unit's strength and level (Skeletons are especially vulnerable; truly powerful undead are virtually immune). Spell always targets the weakest valid target.)
Dimentional: TBA
Earth: Shape Earth (Terraforming spell; turns a flatland tile into a hill or a hill into a flatland tile. Cannot be cast on Flood Plains, Oasis, or similar features; will destroy any non-unique improvements on the tile, except Graveyards. Can only be cast in your own territory.)
Enchantment: Summon Mud Golem (Permanent summon)
Entropy: Bind Imp (Permanent summon) (Might have to do something to prevent summoned Imps from upgrading into Mages)
Fire: Inferno (A terrain annihilation spell, it converts the tile it is on to a featureless desert tile (Burning Sands if in hell terrain), sets the tile on fire, and sets all adjacent forests or jungles on fire. The only things not destroyed by this spell are unique features and any resources; any other features or improvements go bye-bye.)
Force: TBA.
Ice: TBA.
Law: Shield of Justice (Fully fortifies all units on the tile)
Life: Ward Evil (As Charm Person, but only affects Demons, Undead, and Ashen Veil worshippers. Affected units also suffer -1 strength. 10% chance to wear of each turn; less resistible than Charm Person.)
Metamagic: Mana Fount (Castable only in cities. Creates a Mana Fount in the city, providing +1 XP to Arcane units produced in the city. Arcane units may consume a Mana Fount to regain the ability to cast spells. Mana Founts are not lost if the caster leaves the city.)
Mind: Hideous Thoughts (Can be resisted. Unfortifies all adjacent units.)
Nature: Crushing Roots (Damages and may freeze movement of adjacent units; only affects units in Forest or Jungle tiles)
Shadow: Summon Phantom Army (Illusion unit with good strength (6 or so?), move 2, ignores terrain costs, and high collateral damage. However, cannot damage units beyond 40%.
Spirit: Glory (Creates a Shining Glory unit in the tile (permanent summon). 0-move, defenseless unit has Medic 2 and Healer (Heals units in adjacent tiles +20%/turn).)
Sun: Solar Beacon (Creates a Solar Beacon unit in the tile (permanent summon). 0-move, defenseless unit has Sentry 1 and 2, and can detect invisible.
Water: Crushing Wave (Summons a suicide unit, similar to Fireballs but stronger (More collateral, strength 6, speed 3). However, Giant Waves are limited to naval movement. Can only be cast adjacent to water.)
To that extent, I've started work on a mod that implements what I see as the simple fix: It expands each sphere to 4 spells instead of three. The new spell in each sphere is added at the Mage level, meaning that instead of Fire 3 granting Fire Elemental, for example, it grants a new spell instead, and Fire 4 is required for Fire Elemental. Mages can learn spell levels 1-3, and only Archmages can learn level 4 spells.
The following is a list of the new spells I am adding to each sphere; what I'd like from you guys is opinions on usefulness and balance of these new spells. In general, the spells should be a bit more powerful than existing Mage level spells, but nowhere near as powerful as an Archmage level spell.
Air: Summon Nimbus (Permanent summon. Speed 1 flying unit able to carry up to two land units. Strength 2, can't attack.
Body: Cripple (Can be resisted. May inflict nearby enemy units with the Crippled promotion, doubling movement cost and reducing attack strength by 1, with a 10% chance to wear off each turn.
Chaos: Winds of Fate (Randomly grants either the Lucky (+1 strength, +2 first strikes, +20% withdraw rate) or Unlucky (-1 strength, -10% global healing rate, -20% spell resist) promotion to all units in the tile. Both promotions have a 10% chance per turn of wearing off. Doesn't affect units that are already Lucky or Unlucky. Will probably be given to Loki.)
Creation: TBA.
Death: Bind Corpse (Can be resisted. Has a chance to dominate an adjacent undead unit; chance is based on the unit's strength and level (Skeletons are especially vulnerable; truly powerful undead are virtually immune). Spell always targets the weakest valid target.)
Dimentional: TBA
Earth: Shape Earth (Terraforming spell; turns a flatland tile into a hill or a hill into a flatland tile. Cannot be cast on Flood Plains, Oasis, or similar features; will destroy any non-unique improvements on the tile, except Graveyards. Can only be cast in your own territory.)
Enchantment: Summon Mud Golem (Permanent summon)
Entropy: Bind Imp (Permanent summon) (Might have to do something to prevent summoned Imps from upgrading into Mages)
Fire: Inferno (A terrain annihilation spell, it converts the tile it is on to a featureless desert tile (Burning Sands if in hell terrain), sets the tile on fire, and sets all adjacent forests or jungles on fire. The only things not destroyed by this spell are unique features and any resources; any other features or improvements go bye-bye.)
Force: TBA.
Ice: TBA.
Law: Shield of Justice (Fully fortifies all units on the tile)
Life: Ward Evil (As Charm Person, but only affects Demons, Undead, and Ashen Veil worshippers. Affected units also suffer -1 strength. 10% chance to wear of each turn; less resistible than Charm Person.)
Metamagic: Mana Fount (Castable only in cities. Creates a Mana Fount in the city, providing +1 XP to Arcane units produced in the city. Arcane units may consume a Mana Fount to regain the ability to cast spells. Mana Founts are not lost if the caster leaves the city.)
Mind: Hideous Thoughts (Can be resisted. Unfortifies all adjacent units.)
Nature: Crushing Roots (Damages and may freeze movement of adjacent units; only affects units in Forest or Jungle tiles)
Shadow: Summon Phantom Army (Illusion unit with good strength (6 or so?), move 2, ignores terrain costs, and high collateral damage. However, cannot damage units beyond 40%.
Spirit: Glory (Creates a Shining Glory unit in the tile (permanent summon). 0-move, defenseless unit has Medic 2 and Healer (Heals units in adjacent tiles +20%/turn).)
Sun: Solar Beacon (Creates a Solar Beacon unit in the tile (permanent summon). 0-move, defenseless unit has Sentry 1 and 2, and can detect invisible.
Water: Crushing Wave (Summons a suicide unit, similar to Fireballs but stronger (More collateral, strength 6, speed 3). However, Giant Waves are limited to naval movement. Can only be cast adjacent to water.)
