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Hello fellow Clerics! For those of who watched the Dev Roundtable at SimuCon, you know Eruheran brought up Cleric spells and development. Estild and the Dev team are open to looking at combining 309/315, implementing 320, and replacing 330 with Commune being a verb and adding a spell. However, as it makes sense, they aren't considering any of this until they have some concept or spell to fill the current slots.
Most of the off-camera discussion between Eru, Estild, myself and a couple of others focused on 320. Since that is currently just not implemented at all. Estild, I had a few, so if I'm misremembering or way off the mark, Eru or yourself correct me (haha).
Basically Devs are looking for a CM based attack spell for the 320 slot. Alas, I campaigned for a +10 CS to group booster for 330 (multiple times, hehe), but that's not gonna fly. (You're welcome for trying Clerics).
So, that being said, I haven't had much time to give it any serious thought. But I wanted to start a discussion on a 320 attack spell that would be CM based. Any ideas floating around out there?
I have some ideas, so let's see if we can brainstorm anything. The big thing is that the coolest would be a per conversion effect, but that seems like it makes it all much less likely. My thought then is to utilize the various light colors that are associated with each, like the effects in 313 or with Paladins.
So my idea is this: An aura of holy might surrounds the caster, of the color above, which then flares brightly and unleashes a distortion in the local mana in the direction of the target(s). This would be a physical manifestation, so it would work as a maneuver attack as it could be dodged. This would cause disruption damage to the victim (or maybe disintegration/plasma, those non-elemental ones, but something that could melt them good). If struck, they would also be forced to deal with some longer term ripples where doing aggressive or magical actions would prompt some echos of that first blast, causing lesser damage each time until the timer wore off. However, perhaps other clerical type magic would be immune to this effect? The duration could be based on Spirit Mana Control.
This would put it distinct from 317, which still must overcome magic defense whereas this would instead be stopped by physical agility type skills, etc.
For 330, I would say a persistent aura that caused anything that took aggressive action toward the cleric to suffer temporary negative crit padding due to the crushing fear it experiences from the cleric's connection to his/her patron.
That said, I would still like if there was something to compete with Ensorcell by using the same slot for another effect and preventing both, much like having flares stops blessing, etc.
_ _ _
Wyrom gestures at you, causing you to explode.
So my idea is this: An aura of holy might surrounds the caster, of the color above, which then flares brightly and unleashes a distortion in the local mana in the direction of the target(s). This would be a physical manifestation, so it would work as a maneuver attack as it could be dodged. This would cause disruption damage to the victim (or maybe disintegration/plasma, those non-elemental ones, but something that could melt them good). If struck, they would also be forced to deal with some longer term ripples where doing aggressive or magical actions would prompt some echos of that first blast, causing lesser damage each time until the timer wore off. However, perhaps other clerical type magic would be immune to this effect? The duration could be based on Spirit Mana Control.
This would put it distinct from 317, which still must overcome magic defense whereas this would instead be stopped by physical agility type skills, etc.
For 330, I would say a persistent aura that caused anything that took aggressive action toward the cleric to suffer temporary negative crit padding due to the crushing fear it experiences from the cleric's connection to his/her patron.
That said, I would still like if there was something to compete with Ensorcell by using the same slot for another effect and preventing both, much like having flares stops blessing, etc.
_ _ _
Wyrom gestures at you, causing you to explode.
I absolutely love your 330 idea of negative crit padding, though like you said I'd also appreciate a cleric Ensorcell counterpart.
As for a maneuver-based spell, just brainstorming and tossing out whatever I think of:
Piercing Radiance / Piercing Shadow
Mechanics:
Rays of light (if Smite-aligned) or strands of darkness (if Bane-aligned) pierce the target in three waves. High endrolls do damage; low endrolls stun or bind, setting up for the followup waves.
Notes:
This one was very simple just to warm up. Spike Thorn and Earthen Fury are simple too and people love those (as casters, but less so when facing off against them), but I don't know... Clerics already have enough simple, straightforward concepts for offensive magic. Moving on!
Spirit Sunder
Mechanics:
Repeatedly teleports the target within the same room, disrupting and damaging their body (with low rolls) or potentially ripping it to pieces (with high rolls) as one teleportation begins before another has ended, teleporting only most of their body to the new location.
Flavor:
Clerics, the masters of spiritual magic, further researched the teleportation magic 130 and 225 and created new offensive magic based on their effects. Like 130, it relocates the target violently enough to make them sick, and like 225 it teleports them only nearby to a specific target (which in this case is the casting cleric).
Notes:
I like how weirdly out-of-the-box this is--and wouldn't it be great after all those times getting sick from 130 to flip that on the enemy in an even more violent way? ...but the only (and the huge) problem is that none of this really says "cleric spell," so again I'm not satisfied with this one.
Eradication
Mechanics:
An AoE maneuver where the cleric sacrifices 1 to 3 spirit and calls upon her patron to rain rays of plasma down on the area. Her normal alignment is flipped here, as it's stronger against the living if Smite-aligned and stronger against the undead if Bane-aligned. Has a cooldown that increases the more targets the cleric's patron's wrath is called down upon, but decreases as the cleric infuses more spirit. (How much spirit could be either selected beforehand like Fervent Reproach charge times or maybe could be done by using different verbs of cast, evoke, or channel for 1, 2, or 3 spirit.)
Flavor:
Like with 318, 319 resets, and 340, which also use spirit, the cleric is making a request for incredible power and it requires more from him than mana. Flipping the Smite and Bane alignment is a further illustration of how he's making an exceptional plea.
Notes:
An immediate room clearer is something I'd be very interested in and something we don't have from any maneuver spell yet, but of course I don't want a level 20 spell to blow a level 35 spell out of the water... (Though if it were up to me I'd also buff 335.) So as a balancing factor I added a cooldown, making this more of an occasional bomb and less a regularly-cast spell.
I'm happier with this than the other two. If there has to be a cooldown then this is how I'd want it to be done, with a spirit component to make me think about when to cast it and when not to.
I do still want to come up with at least one single-target maneuver idea I could be happy with, so I'll keep mulling it over and come back later!
As for a maneuver-based spell, just brainstorming and tossing out whatever I think of:
Piercing Radiance / Piercing Shadow
Mechanics:
Rays of light (if Smite-aligned) or strands of darkness (if Bane-aligned) pierce the target in three waves. High endrolls do damage; low endrolls stun or bind, setting up for the followup waves.
Notes:
This one was very simple just to warm up. Spike Thorn and Earthen Fury are simple too and people love those (as casters, but less so when facing off against them), but I don't know... Clerics already have enough simple, straightforward concepts for offensive magic. Moving on!
Spirit Sunder
Mechanics:
Repeatedly teleports the target within the same room, disrupting and damaging their body (with low rolls) or potentially ripping it to pieces (with high rolls) as one teleportation begins before another has ended, teleporting only most of their body to the new location.
Flavor:
Clerics, the masters of spiritual magic, further researched the teleportation magic 130 and 225 and created new offensive magic based on their effects. Like 130, it relocates the target violently enough to make them sick, and like 225 it teleports them only nearby to a specific target (which in this case is the casting cleric).
Notes:
I like how weirdly out-of-the-box this is--and wouldn't it be great after all those times getting sick from 130 to flip that on the enemy in an even more violent way? ...but the only (and the huge) problem is that none of this really says "cleric spell," so again I'm not satisfied with this one.
Eradication
Mechanics:
An AoE maneuver where the cleric sacrifices 1 to 3 spirit and calls upon her patron to rain rays of plasma down on the area. Her normal alignment is flipped here, as it's stronger against the living if Smite-aligned and stronger against the undead if Bane-aligned. Has a cooldown that increases the more targets the cleric's patron's wrath is called down upon, but decreases as the cleric infuses more spirit. (How much spirit could be either selected beforehand like Fervent Reproach charge times or maybe could be done by using different verbs of cast, evoke, or channel for 1, 2, or 3 spirit.)
Flavor:
Like with 318, 319 resets, and 340, which also use spirit, the cleric is making a request for incredible power and it requires more from him than mana. Flipping the Smite and Bane alignment is a further illustration of how he's making an exceptional plea.
Notes:
An immediate room clearer is something I'd be very interested in and something we don't have from any maneuver spell yet, but of course I don't want a level 20 spell to blow a level 35 spell out of the water... (Though if it were up to me I'd also buff 335.) So as a balancing factor I added a cooldown, making this more of an occasional bomb and less a regularly-cast spell.
I'm happier with this than the other two. If there has to be a cooldown then this is how I'd want it to be done, with a spirit component to make me think about when to cast it and when not to.
I do still want to come up with at least one single-target maneuver idea I could be happy with, so I'll keep mulling it over and come back later!
>>Repeatedly teleports the target within the same room, disrupting and damaging their body (with low rolls) or potentially ripping it to pieces (with high rolls) as one teleportation begins before another has ended, teleporting only most of their body to the new location.
I love the idea of weaponizing 130/225. Maybe you could even drop their parts above other enemies to unnerve and/or cause some effect? It would be worth it just for the ambiance caused though.
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Wyrom gestures at you, causing you to explode.
I love the idea of weaponizing 130/225. Maybe you could even drop their parts above other enemies to unnerve and/or cause some effect? It would be worth it just for the ambiance caused though.
_ _ _
Wyrom gestures at you, causing you to explode.
>I'd like to see a spell in any slot that makes eonake and white ora worthwhile.
You and me both. Especially after the news that weighted weapons will be blessable (and don't get me wrong, my empath and wizard are delighted with that), at this point I have more mechanical reason to want a blessable weapon than a sanctified one even if they have the same properties.
You and me both. Especially after the news that weighted weapons will be blessable (and don't get me wrong, my empath and wizard are delighted with that), at this point I have more mechanical reason to want a blessable weapon than a sanctified one even if they have the same properties.
>> I'd like to see a spell in any slot that makes eonake and white ora worthwhile.
Well 1604 does add guiding light flares to sanctified weapons. I wouldn't mind seeing 304 upgraded to allow the casting at sanctified weapons to maybe add temporary weighting (more lore = more weighting?) or another enhancing type effect.
Well 1604 does add guiding light flares to sanctified weapons. I wouldn't mind seeing 304 upgraded to allow the casting at sanctified weapons to maybe add temporary weighting (more lore = more weighting?) or another enhancing type effect.
320 - Last Rites
Each cast has 2 rounds of attack:
Maneuver - if not dodged, a combination DS/TD/Maneuver defense pushdown is applied. In addition, the creature hit becomes vulnerable to the cleric’s deity-specific crit type (EG. Fire for Phoen/Oleani/Eorgina, etc.). Additional negative effects may be appropriate, but the key is the vulnerability to the cleric’s attuned deity flares.
Warding attack - a warding attack that deals multiple strikes of attack with the deity flare type. More strikes than 317, but with a lower crit level.
The idea is that the warding attack aspect would be weak, but if the maneuver is failed the enemy is made more vulnerable to those crits, increasing their strength.
The vulnerability would continue, making followup 317/335 casts more effective.
Other ideas (for added utility, in addition to above proposal):
Let this spell override a foe's resistance or immunity to the element/crit type.
Make this spell allow 306 to affect afflicted living targets as though they were undead.
Make this spell allow holy water flares from blessed weapons to affect afflicted living targets as though they were undead.
Add an increased vulnerability to plasma, for the initial 317 flare/302.
Possible lore upgrades:
Increased vulnerability
More flares in the second phase attack
First phase (vulnerability maneuver) becomes a mass effect (some summation on religion or summon lore for each additional target) for synergy with 335
Key mechanic to Last Rites is the application of a temporary vulnerability to the deity’s element. That alone is not enough to fill the level 20 slot, though, especially since we want it to be an attack spell. A followup warding attack was the first thing that came to mind, but I can’t think of any warding attacks that take good advantage of the vulnerability that aren’t similar to 317. The intent for going with a warding attack is to fit the current cleric paradigm of primarily CS-based attackers. Another option would be for the followup hits to also be maneuver based.
The intent is that a single cast of 320, when both debuff and warding hit, would have a similar damage potential and more crit-kill potential than 317. Further attacks with 317 would also have higher damage and kill potential than they would if 320 was not used first. If the extra 306 vulnerability idea is used, it'd also give clerics a handy followup bolt option for living enemies that isn't currently a good option.
In conclusion, I love the idea of having 320 be a combined attack and booster for subsequent attacks. This is my idea for how to accomplish that. I'm not tied to the idea of a followup CS attack, it's just a simple and effective way to synergize with the primary debuff effect.
Example deity-specific messaging ideas for the vulnerability debuff:
Phoen - A beam of blinding white sunlight engulfs <target> before fading into it, leaving it appearing strangely vulnerable.
Oleani - A mass of ethereal rose vines appears and entangles <target> before sinking into it, leaving it appearing strangely vulnerable.
etc.
Each cast has 2 rounds of attack:
Maneuver - if not dodged, a combination DS/TD/Maneuver defense pushdown is applied. In addition, the creature hit becomes vulnerable to the cleric’s deity-specific crit type (EG. Fire for Phoen/Oleani/Eorgina, etc.). Additional negative effects may be appropriate, but the key is the vulnerability to the cleric’s attuned deity flares.
Warding attack - a warding attack that deals multiple strikes of attack with the deity flare type. More strikes than 317, but with a lower crit level.
The idea is that the warding attack aspect would be weak, but if the maneuver is failed the enemy is made more vulnerable to those crits, increasing their strength.
The vulnerability would continue, making followup 317/335 casts more effective.
Other ideas (for added utility, in addition to above proposal):
Let this spell override a foe's resistance or immunity to the element/crit type.
Make this spell allow 306 to affect afflicted living targets as though they were undead.
Make this spell allow holy water flares from blessed weapons to affect afflicted living targets as though they were undead.
Add an increased vulnerability to plasma, for the initial 317 flare/302.
Possible lore upgrades:
Increased vulnerability
More flares in the second phase attack
First phase (vulnerability maneuver) becomes a mass effect (some summation on religion or summon lore for each additional target) for synergy with 335
Key mechanic to Last Rites is the application of a temporary vulnerability to the deity’s element. That alone is not enough to fill the level 20 slot, though, especially since we want it to be an attack spell. A followup warding attack was the first thing that came to mind, but I can’t think of any warding attacks that take good advantage of the vulnerability that aren’t similar to 317. The intent for going with a warding attack is to fit the current cleric paradigm of primarily CS-based attackers. Another option would be for the followup hits to also be maneuver based.
The intent is that a single cast of 320, when both debuff and warding hit, would have a similar damage potential and more crit-kill potential than 317. Further attacks with 317 would also have higher damage and kill potential than they would if 320 was not used first. If the extra 306 vulnerability idea is used, it'd also give clerics a handy followup bolt option for living enemies that isn't currently a good option.
In conclusion, I love the idea of having 320 be a combined attack and booster for subsequent attacks. This is my idea for how to accomplish that. I'm not tied to the idea of a followup CS attack, it's just a simple and effective way to synergize with the primary debuff effect.
Example deity-specific messaging ideas for the vulnerability debuff:
Phoen - A beam of blinding white sunlight engulfs <target> before fading into it, leaving it appearing strangely vulnerable.
Oleani - A mass of ethereal rose vines appears and entangles <target> before sinking into it, leaving it appearing strangely vulnerable.
etc.
Aura of Faith
The cleric infuses half of her spirit into a wearable spell that surrounds her with floating, revolving ethereal symbols of the Arkati or spirit (same as the symbols used for chrism holders). She can then use a new FLARE command, using 1 spirit to take command of a symbol and send it to assault the target with waves of divine energy.
The wearable spell disappears after running out of time naturally or after using all symbols, and the number she has at her disposal is X base + Y multiple of the number of times she can multicast.
Another complex idea and it was because I got stuck on a dilemma for single-target maneuvers:
If 320 is only slightly stronger than 317, e.g. 317 by itself usually takes 2.4 casts for enemy X and 320 by itself takes 2.1 casts, then 317 is still overall more useful because CS spells can be boosted by 240 and 340 (and heavy quartz orbs... and channeling... and enhancives...) but maneuver spells aren't boosted by anything a cleric does as far as I know.
On the other hand, if 320 is so much stronger that it keeps up with a boosted 317, then 240 or 340 risk becoming irrelevant. If 120 mana used for 6 casts of 320 is as good as 125 mana used for 240 + 5 casts of 317 that effectively turn into 10 (or more), why bother with the 30-second window of the 40th level powerup spell?
So here's the result, borrowing an idea from the wearable version of 909 with a splash of 340. By using limited charges and by using spirit, which is a more rare resource than mana, this 320 could be about as powerful as it wants to be while supplementing 317, 340, and 240 instead of competing with them.
The cleric infuses half of her spirit into a wearable spell that surrounds her with floating, revolving ethereal symbols of the Arkati or spirit (same as the symbols used for chrism holders). She can then use a new FLARE command, using 1 spirit to take command of a symbol and send it to assault the target with waves of divine energy.
The wearable spell disappears after running out of time naturally or after using all symbols, and the number she has at her disposal is X base + Y multiple of the number of times she can multicast.
Another complex idea and it was because I got stuck on a dilemma for single-target maneuvers:
If 320 is only slightly stronger than 317, e.g. 317 by itself usually takes 2.4 casts for enemy X and 320 by itself takes 2.1 casts, then 317 is still overall more useful because CS spells can be boosted by 240 and 340 (and heavy quartz orbs... and channeling... and enhancives...) but maneuver spells aren't boosted by anything a cleric does as far as I know.
On the other hand, if 320 is so much stronger that it keeps up with a boosted 317, then 240 or 340 risk becoming irrelevant. If 120 mana used for 6 casts of 320 is as good as 125 mana used for 240 + 5 casts of 317 that effectively turn into 10 (or more), why bother with the 30-second window of the 40th level powerup spell?
So here's the result, borrowing an idea from the wearable version of 909 with a splash of 340. By using limited charges and by using spirit, which is a more rare resource than mana, this 320 could be about as powerful as it wants to be while supplementing 317, 340, and 240 instead of competing with them.
>If 320 is only slightly stronger than 317, e.g. 317 by itself usually takes 2.4 casts for enemy X and 320 by itself takes 2.1 casts, then 317 is still overall more useful because CS spells can be boosted by 240 and 340 (and heavy quartz orbs... and channeling... and enhancives...) but maneuver spells aren't boosted by anything a cleric does as far as I know.
The normal followup in a situation requiring that much 317, should be a 317 which has been boosted by the prior 320, not 320. i.e 2.4 casts of 317, or 2.1 casts of 320, or 1 cast of 320 plus 0.9 casts of 317.
240 - a twofor is still a twofor, particularly when the first debuffs for the second.
340 - manoevers have die rolls and die rolls can be truehanded
enhancives - manoevers normally take stat(s) into account
anything a cleric does - manoevers normally take training into account. (e.g. CS spells reward spreading training around while normally manoever spells reward concentrating completely on the circle with the manoever in)
The normal followup in a situation requiring that much 317, should be a 317 which has been boosted by the prior 320, not 320. i.e 2.4 casts of 317, or 2.1 casts of 320, or 1 cast of 320 plus 0.9 casts of 317.
240 - a twofor is still a twofor, particularly when the first debuffs for the second.
340 - manoevers have die rolls and die rolls can be truehanded
enhancives - manoevers normally take stat(s) into account
anything a cleric does - manoevers normally take training into account. (e.g. CS spells reward spreading training around while normally manoever spells reward concentrating completely on the circle with the manoever in)
I must be missing something... Unless we're talking about Triffidkey's idea, why would 320 boost the followup 317 so much more than the first 317 (of the 2.4 casts) would have?
As for 340 and maneuver spells, it doesn't seem like they help. Maneuver spells might be handled differently from maneuvers themselves (and I know Earthen Fury is an elemental maneuver, but the Truehand effect does work for elemental CS spells):
You accept Leafiara's offer and are now holding a honey beryl note symbol inset with tiny water sapphires.
>wear sym
You put on a honey beryl note symbol inset with tiny water sapphires.
>chant sym
You chant a reverent orison and lightly clasp your note symbol. A rush of divine power washes over you. Your symbol pulses once and you feel the song within your heart quicken with the presence of Tilamaire.
>
A grizzled shan wizard draws an ancient sigil in the air.
>incant 917
Your hands glow with power as you invoke the phrase for Earthen Fury...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a grizzled shan wizard.
The ground beneath a grizzled shan wizard suddenly frosts and rumbles violently!
The earth cracks beneath a grizzled shan wizard, releasing a column of frigid air!
[SMR result: 78 (Open d100: 7)]
He dodges out of the way!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
As for 340 and maneuver spells, it doesn't seem like they help. Maneuver spells might be handled differently from maneuvers themselves (and I know Earthen Fury is an elemental maneuver, but the Truehand effect does work for elemental CS spells):
You accept Leafiara's offer and are now holding a honey beryl note symbol inset with tiny water sapphires.
>wear sym
You put on a honey beryl note symbol inset with tiny water sapphires.
>chant sym
You chant a reverent orison and lightly clasp your note symbol. A rush of divine power washes over you. Your symbol pulses once and you feel the song within your heart quicken with the presence of Tilamaire.
>
A grizzled shan wizard draws an ancient sigil in the air.
>incant 917
Your hands glow with power as you invoke the phrase for Earthen Fury...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a grizzled shan wizard.
The ground beneath a grizzled shan wizard suddenly frosts and rumbles violently!
The earth cracks beneath a grizzled shan wizard, releasing a column of frigid air!
[SMR result: 78 (Open d100: 7)]
He dodges out of the way!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>Unless we're talking about Triffidkey's idea, why would 320 boost the followup 317 so much more than the first 317 (of the 2.4 casts) would have?
I am, and I thought your comments were directed at that too.
>As for 340 and maneuver spells, it doesn't seem like they help.
This is a design choice. If there was a cleric manoever spell, it could be made differently.
I am, and I thought your comments were directed at that too.
>As for 340 and maneuver spells, it doesn't seem like they help.
This is a design choice. If there was a cleric manoever spell, it could be made differently.
Oh, no, I was just talking about a general dilemma facing pretty much any standalone single-target 320 spell. Triffidkey's idea does get around it in a way I didn't think about. I'd be fine with that one too as long as the concept of making the enemy weaker to the next attack didn't hold back the design of 320's own initial power. 917 and especially 616 are good at killing in one cast against some targets, so I'd want 320 to be able to do serious work even on its own, including getting one-shots for the sake of mid-level clerics.
I guess the thought behind my idea is that if we want a spell that's just spam-till-they-die, we already have that in 317. Even if my suggestion was implemented, I imagine 317 would be the spell paired with 240 most of the time. However, 240 is situational - it takes a few casts of 317 for it to be worth using, and there are all sorts of reasons you won't get those three casts off (eg. only one critter).
If 320 was just another single-target spell that took a fraction fewer casts per kill than 317 for 3 more mana, I really don't see the point aside from "here's another thing you can spam instead of 317."
That's the mindset I was in when I thought of basically a strong attack spell with a lingering vulnerability debuff to aid subsequent spells. My first idea was just a maneuver attack with a lingering DS/TD pushdown, but figured that's too boring for the 20-slot. Also I really loved the idea of the damage being dealt to a single foe, but the vulnerability attack possibly applying to multiple.
eg. bandits:
incant 335
320 one bandit, vulnerability hits it and several other bandits, that particular bandit gets hit with the 320 damage cycle
335's waves get their crit rank boosted on all the bandits that got hit by the vulnerability effect (including the first one, if it's alive).
or on a room with 2 critters:
320 critter #1, vulnerability applies to all, that critter either dies to 320 or gets finished off with 317/312/306/whatever
317 critter #2, which is suffering from the vulnerability
I honestly don't think we need another mass attack. 335 is great, and we've got awesome area disable in 316. But a mass debuff coupled to a single-target attack is something unique for the 320 slot, synergizes well with 335, and would be neat for group hunting.
The more I think about it, the more I think I should've emphasized it in my initial proposal.
@leafi
917's a damage over time effect, so it's harder to compare. One-cast kills with 917 aren't generally instant. And imagine the wizard tears if we get a flat out better maneuver than theirs (and it'd have to be objectively better, if it's in the 20 spot).
616 is a better comparison, as it has the same weakness as my proposal - its killing power relies on a bunch of powerful crits that might not hit the right body locations to cause death. In fact, my first idea was a single maneuver roll giving the over-time vulnerability effect and also applying the flares, till I realized it was basically deity-based spike thorn with a built-in crit amplifier/vulnerability application to get around critters with immunity/resistance to your deity. I've kinda started thinking of it as a clerical spike-thorn with an added vulnerability effect (when it comes to damage and how it's applied). It might make sense to add raw damage to my 320 proposal, but that's a balance tweaking kind of thing.
If 320 was just another single-target spell that took a fraction fewer casts per kill than 317 for 3 more mana, I really don't see the point aside from "here's another thing you can spam instead of 317."
That's the mindset I was in when I thought of basically a strong attack spell with a lingering vulnerability debuff to aid subsequent spells. My first idea was just a maneuver attack with a lingering DS/TD pushdown, but figured that's too boring for the 20-slot. Also I really loved the idea of the damage being dealt to a single foe, but the vulnerability attack possibly applying to multiple.
eg. bandits:
incant 335
320 one bandit, vulnerability hits it and several other bandits, that particular bandit gets hit with the 320 damage cycle
335's waves get their crit rank boosted on all the bandits that got hit by the vulnerability effect (including the first one, if it's alive).
or on a room with 2 critters:
320 critter #1, vulnerability applies to all, that critter either dies to 320 or gets finished off with 317/312/306/whatever
317 critter #2, which is suffering from the vulnerability
I honestly don't think we need another mass attack. 335 is great, and we've got awesome area disable in 316. But a mass debuff coupled to a single-target attack is something unique for the 320 slot, synergizes well with 335, and would be neat for group hunting.
The more I think about it, the more I think I should've emphasized it in my initial proposal.
@leafi
917's a damage over time effect, so it's harder to compare. One-cast kills with 917 aren't generally instant. And imagine the wizard tears if we get a flat out better maneuver than theirs (and it'd have to be objectively better, if it's in the 20 spot).
616 is a better comparison, as it has the same weakness as my proposal - its killing power relies on a bunch of powerful crits that might not hit the right body locations to cause death. In fact, my first idea was a single maneuver roll giving the over-time vulnerability effect and also applying the flares, till I realized it was basically deity-based spike thorn with a built-in crit amplifier/vulnerability application to get around critters with immunity/resistance to your deity. I've kinda started thinking of it as a clerical spike-thorn with an added vulnerability effect (when it comes to damage and how it's applied). It might make sense to add raw damage to my 320 proposal, but that's a balance tweaking kind of thing.
>240 - a twofor is still a twofor, particularly when the first debuffs for the second.
the way I wrote it, the damage from 320 should always be buffed (provided the maneuver doesn't miss), so casting it a second time would be exactly as strong as the first (aside from the extra CS from 240).
that does point out the biggest weakness of my proposal - there are two rolls to potentially fail. Maybe if applying the vulnerability always succeeded on the primary target but was a maneuver roll for secondary targets. (CS attack would still be single target).
I realize that this would makes it a single-target CS attack/debuff spell with a maneuver splash debuff. I still like it for the 320 slot, even if it's no longer strictly a maneuver spell.
Eh, my idea's evolving a bit. I'm still in love with the concept.
the way I wrote it, the damage from 320 should always be buffed (provided the maneuver doesn't miss), so casting it a second time would be exactly as strong as the first (aside from the extra CS from 240).
that does point out the biggest weakness of my proposal - there are two rolls to potentially fail. Maybe if applying the vulnerability always succeeded on the primary target but was a maneuver roll for secondary targets. (CS attack would still be single target).
I realize that this would makes it a single-target CS attack/debuff spell with a maneuver splash debuff. I still like it for the 320 slot, even if it's no longer strictly a maneuver spell.
Eh, my idea's evolving a bit. I'm still in love with the concept.
I've seen more ideas about this in the past, maybe further back than the boards go now, but I'd like to see more spells that give an advantage to a cleric based on his chosen deity's sphere of influence. The old "light/dark" thing is alright, but something that provides a tangible distinction, like a priest of Arachne getting a decent bonus with the Web spell and an enhancive bonus to Climbing and Perception (or whatever), but also a penalty to something else. Something sort of like 650, but you don't get to pick the aspect unless you convert, and unconverted/forsaken clerics get nothing from it. It could be a lower-level spell whose effects improve as you train. I suppose it would also be a good spell for paladins.
>I guess the thought behind my idea is that if we want a spell that's just spam-till-they-die, we already have that in 317.
>And imagine the wizard tears if we get a flat out better maneuver than theirs (and it'd have to be objectively better, if it's in the 20 spot).
I know, and these are two more dilemmas I think about when trying to brainstorm for this. It's why I went straight to off-the-wall ideas like spirit usage and wearable charges to avoid making a spell that's even directly comparable to 317 or 917.
>And imagine the wizard tears if we get a flat out better maneuver than theirs (and it'd have to be objectively better, if it's in the 20 spot).
I know, and these are two more dilemmas I think about when trying to brainstorm for this. It's why I went straight to off-the-wall ideas like spirit usage and wearable charges to avoid making a spell that's even directly comparable to 317 or 917.
>>I honestly don't think we need another mass attack. 335 is great, and we've got awesome area disable in 316. But a mass debuff coupled to a single-target attack is something unique for the 320 slot, synergizes well with 335, and would be neat for group hunting.
Yea, ok. 3v3 duskruin 335 is useless.
Yea, ok. 3v3 duskruin 335 is useless.
Here's a twist on a maneuver spell:
Divine Bond
Flavor: Spirits in service of the cleric's Arkati/spirit surround the cleric and form a link with his or her soul. The link gives them the ability to draw upon the cleric's mana and sense when he or she has offensive intent so that they can coordinate an attack with the cleric.
Mechanics: 320 is a short-duration wearable spell that requires using spirit to cast. While in effect, any offensive attack used by the cleric (not a 240 spirit) has a chance to add an extra maneuver attack that consumes mana. The maneuver can happen even if the initial attack doesn't connect, but of course will be less effective with a smaller bonus to its SMRv2 roll if the enemy is fully healthy. Summoning lore increases the odds of a maneuver; Religion lore increases its effectiveness.
This one randomly came to me while I was thinking about my love of 1117 and it's kind of like a mirrored idea. Some comparison and contrast:
Pros: It's cast in advance, no need to wait out 3 seconds of soft RT in a room of creatures. It's useful when an area is swarming even if each individual room only has one or two creatures, instead of wanting a single crowded room. It can hit with a powerful maneuver even if the initial attack was weak.
Cons: Each maneuver has its own roll, so even if the initial attack is strong, you could get a weak followup maneuver out of it. It uses spirit, so you can't cast it recklessly. It's more mana intensive (at least how I'd imagine it) since each individual attack consumes extra mana, not just the initial link like 1117. It uses two lores instead of one.
Other differences: Oriented toward one target at a time instead of clearing rooms.
Similarities: 1117's damage might not propagate at all and this maneuver might not flare. 1117 can do well even if the cast misses some of the creatures in the room; my 320 idea can still add a maneuver even if the attack misses its initial target.
Divine Bond
Flavor: Spirits in service of the cleric's Arkati/spirit surround the cleric and form a link with his or her soul. The link gives them the ability to draw upon the cleric's mana and sense when he or she has offensive intent so that they can coordinate an attack with the cleric.
Mechanics: 320 is a short-duration wearable spell that requires using spirit to cast. While in effect, any offensive attack used by the cleric (not a 240 spirit) has a chance to add an extra maneuver attack that consumes mana. The maneuver can happen even if the initial attack doesn't connect, but of course will be less effective with a smaller bonus to its SMRv2 roll if the enemy is fully healthy. Summoning lore increases the odds of a maneuver; Religion lore increases its effectiveness.
This one randomly came to me while I was thinking about my love of 1117 and it's kind of like a mirrored idea. Some comparison and contrast:
Pros: It's cast in advance, no need to wait out 3 seconds of soft RT in a room of creatures. It's useful when an area is swarming even if each individual room only has one or two creatures, instead of wanting a single crowded room. It can hit with a powerful maneuver even if the initial attack was weak.
Cons: Each maneuver has its own roll, so even if the initial attack is strong, you could get a weak followup maneuver out of it. It uses spirit, so you can't cast it recklessly. It's more mana intensive (at least how I'd imagine it) since each individual attack consumes extra mana, not just the initial link like 1117. It uses two lores instead of one.
Other differences: Oriented toward one target at a time instead of clearing rooms.
Similarities: 1117's damage might not propagate at all and this maneuver might not flare. 1117 can do well even if the cast misses some of the creatures in the room; my 320 idea can still add a maneuver even if the attack misses its initial target.
Here's my criticisms (and the bulk apply to any in combat spirit-cost):
1. Spirit being spent on a short-term effect that isn't "banked". For our other 2 ways to spend spirit on spells, the effect lasts until triggered (by an attack on 319 or by our CHANT with 340).
- this makes this and any other spirit-based attack very biased against elves, COL clerics, and Rift/Confluence hunters, while giving Voln clerics a huge advantage with Symbol of Renewal. Level 20 spells should be useful for everyone, and costing spirit makes that not the case unless it's something that can be pre-cast and activated later like 340. Max mana and mana regen can be improved with training, while max spirit and spirit regen can only be improved by bidding against COL members on hugely expensive levels of enhancive items. These arguments go for any spirit-cost attacks. For example, a 10-spirit character gets drained to 7 just entering the Rift, so even 1 spirit spent beyond that will start affecting AS/DS. Not to mention the maneuver defense disadvantage from low spirit.
2. Mana cost on random activation.
- I already HATE this on 302 and its random infusions, and that's 1 mana. I want to know what my next attack will cost me. Anything that prevents that is bad. More a personal than balance issue, but I'd rather drop a known amount of mana on a guaranteed booster effect (240).
3. Random activation in general
- It's our level 20 spell, it should be an effect we can count on.
Mainly though, any spells that suddenly give fast-spirit-gen races a big advantage in combat is upsetting to the balance. While not ideal, it's not out of the question for a new profession-circle spell to dictate a fixskill for effective use. An in-combat spirit cost would dictate a reroll to another race or change of society, or tens of millions spent on AUR/spirit regen enhancives.
| TRIFFIDKEY |
| 2. Mana cost on random activation. |
| - I already HATE this on 302 and its random infusions, and that's 1 mana. I want to know what my next attack will cost me. Anything that prevents that is bad. More a personal than balance issue, but I'd rather drop a known amount of mana on a guaranteed booster effect (240). |
Bane/Smite (302) was updated in 2009 to remove the additional mana cost for infusions.
GameMaster Estild
As far as 1 goes, I somehow forgot about Symbol of Renewal, which is an issue since the idea definitely wasn't something that any combination of race/society could keep up nonstop. That's not a difficult problem to solve, though--just swap out spirit usage for a cooldown. And at that point it doesn't need to be spirit-based in the first place.
(Despite that, I do disagree with the idea that GMs shouldn't introduce anything in the 320 slot that would be a shakeup or would push mechanics-oriented players toward a certain race or society. I actually wish I could think of a good 320 idea that would somehow be significantly better for Sunfist than Voln or CoL.)
Now, for 2 and 3... Mostly my concern was that if it triggered every time, then either it would be too powerful or it would be balanced as intentionally weak. There might be a better solution than random activation, I'll give you that, but I do want to point out that 1117 costs extra mana to make the initial links even if the damage and crits ultimately never propagate.
(Despite that, I do disagree with the idea that GMs shouldn't introduce anything in the 320 slot that would be a shakeup or would push mechanics-oriented players toward a certain race or society. I actually wish I could think of a good 320 idea that would somehow be significantly better for Sunfist than Voln or CoL.)
Now, for 2 and 3... Mostly my concern was that if it triggered every time, then either it would be too powerful or it would be balanced as intentionally weak. There might be a better solution than random activation, I'll give you that, but I do want to point out that 1117 costs extra mana to make the initial links even if the damage and crits ultimately never propagate.
Funny thing--I was thinking about that bolt in the major spiritual circle that Estild said was a low priority, then suddenly I thought: "what if a maneuver could splash?"
Zealous Cry
Mechanics:
CAST - The enemy gets hit with a maneuver that has three cycles of damage and is more dangerous in more offensive stances. 240 can recast (albeit with no bonus since it's not CS-based or AS-based), but 340 does nothing.
CHANNEL - The maneuver has only one cycle of damage and it's weaker than a cycle from the CAST version, but it will splash a fresh cycle (still using CHANNEL strength) to at least X enemies based on lore and has a chance of splashing to additional enemies. Cycles created from a splash can't splash again. Strength and splash chance both increase with more offensive stances. 340 can make the spell stronger, but 240 won't recast.
Flavor:
The cleric calls upon his or her patron for aid and is granted sacred energy to attack the foe with. The patron will respond even more strongly if the cleric calls out with zeal (such as in anger, righteous condemnation, a defiant last stand, etc.), represented by offensive stances.
Zealous Cry
Mechanics:
CAST - The enemy gets hit with a maneuver that has three cycles of damage and is more dangerous in more offensive stances. 240 can recast (albeit with no bonus since it's not CS-based or AS-based), but 340 does nothing.
CHANNEL - The maneuver has only one cycle of damage and it's weaker than a cycle from the CAST version, but it will splash a fresh cycle (still using CHANNEL strength) to at least X enemies based on lore and has a chance of splashing to additional enemies. Cycles created from a splash can't splash again. Strength and splash chance both increase with more offensive stances. 340 can make the spell stronger, but 240 won't recast.
Flavor:
The cleric calls upon his or her patron for aid and is granted sacred energy to attack the foe with. The patron will respond even more strongly if the cleric calls out with zeal (such as in anger, righteous condemnation, a defiant last stand, etc.), represented by offensive stances.
(Un)Holy Light (320)
Attack -- Instant -- SMR based -- Plasma Crit table
Success factors: Cleric spells -- Wisdom Bonus -- Religion Lore -- Dexterity Bonus
Full success is more/most likely to hit Head/Neck/Eyes/Chest/Abdomen/Back
Partial success is more/most likely to hit Limbs and Hands
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein
Attack -- Instant -- SMR based -- Plasma Crit table
Success factors: Cleric spells -- Wisdom Bonus -- Religion Lore -- Dexterity Bonus
| You gesture at Estild! |
| [SMR result: 147 (Open d100: 32, Bonus: 48)] |
| Small motes of light/darkness surround Estild that quickly coalesce into a solid column of energy, enveloping him within it entirely! (Full success) |
| ...60 points of damage! |
| Estild's skeletal structure and muscle tissue reduced to fine ash! |
| You gesture at Estild! |
| [SMR result: 117 (Open d100: 2, Bonus: 48)] |
| Small motes of light/darkness surround Estild that quickly coalesce into a solid column of energy, grazing him! (Partial success) |
| ...25 points of damage! |
| Intense arc of energy flays the Estild's arm to the bone! |
| You gesture at Estild! |
| [SMR result: 97 (Open d100: -22, Bonus: 48)] |
| Small motes of light/darkness surround Estild that quickly coalesce into a solid column energy, but he deftly moves aside! (Miss) |
Full success is more/most likely to hit Head/Neck/Eyes/Chest/Abdomen/Back
Partial success is more/most likely to hit Limbs and Hands
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein
Indeed, as a base mana determinant it is the prime stat. But. . .
>>Influence is a mental statistic that measures a character's force of personality.
>>Symbol of the Proselyte (340)
Excerpts from: https://gswiki.play.net/Influence
Doug
>>Influence is a mental statistic that measures a character's force of personality.
>>Symbol of the Proselyte (340)
Excerpts from: https://gswiki.play.net/Influence
Doug
You can blame my next idea on EG's new 216 spell prep, which 1) is awesome and 2) is on a spell I almost never cast! So I took a few seconds to think about what might make me cast it more.
Sacred Protection
Mechanics: A wearable spell with a number of charges based on Blessings lore. Evoke it at a target for X mana to use one charge, casting a maneuver that becomes more powerful with Religion lore and is significantly more powerful as the target is in more offensive stances. (I know maneuvers are already more powerful based on stance, but here it would be even more pronounced because of the flavor.)
Flavor: The cleric calls upon his or her patron for aid and the patron sends guardian spirits who the cleric can order to attack. Given their duty by sacred command, the spirits react with righteous fury toward enemies who dare show so much as harmful intent (AKA offensive stances) toward their ward, greatly increasing their protective instincts and power. You can loosely think of them like mama bears...
And here are other random ideas, which aren't entire spells but more like things that could be part of a spell.
1 - Cast 205 to prepare a room with physical light or darkness, then the maneuver uses spiritual "light" or "darkness" to unleash a Smite-aligned or Bane-aligned attack even for a cleric not normally of that alignment. It's a way for a cleric to temporarily create and defend sacred territory!
2 - A Spell Aiming-based maneuver--like the laser bracer from the 2016 auction, but obviously not that exact maneuver. This would give clerics some additional value for Spell Aiming without even introducing another bolt.
3 - A maneuver that can be cast in different versions at different mana costs to stack the effects of Bind, Calm (after the damage), Frenzy, Silence, Spirit Dispel, Spiritual Abolition, or Web on top of the damaging part. (The cleric does need to know the associated spell.) Here my idea is that clerics are theoretically supposed to be better with spiritual magic than the hybrid empaths, so what if they could do something with effects from minor or major spiritual circles that empaths can't? In this case, it's attacking and disabling/dispelling simultaneously.
Sacred Protection
Mechanics: A wearable spell with a number of charges based on Blessings lore. Evoke it at a target for X mana to use one charge, casting a maneuver that becomes more powerful with Religion lore and is significantly more powerful as the target is in more offensive stances. (I know maneuvers are already more powerful based on stance, but here it would be even more pronounced because of the flavor.)
Flavor: The cleric calls upon his or her patron for aid and the patron sends guardian spirits who the cleric can order to attack. Given their duty by sacred command, the spirits react with righteous fury toward enemies who dare show so much as harmful intent (AKA offensive stances) toward their ward, greatly increasing their protective instincts and power. You can loosely think of them like mama bears...
And here are other random ideas, which aren't entire spells but more like things that could be part of a spell.
1 - Cast 205 to prepare a room with physical light or darkness, then the maneuver uses spiritual "light" or "darkness" to unleash a Smite-aligned or Bane-aligned attack even for a cleric not normally of that alignment. It's a way for a cleric to temporarily create and defend sacred territory!
2 - A Spell Aiming-based maneuver--like the laser bracer from the 2016 auction, but obviously not that exact maneuver. This would give clerics some additional value for Spell Aiming without even introducing another bolt.
3 - A maneuver that can be cast in different versions at different mana costs to stack the effects of Bind, Calm (after the damage), Frenzy, Silence, Spirit Dispel, Spiritual Abolition, or Web on top of the damaging part. (The cleric does need to know the associated spell.) Here my idea is that clerics are theoretically supposed to be better with spiritual magic than the hybrid empaths, so what if they could do something with effects from minor or major spiritual circles that empaths can't? In this case, it's attacking and disabling/dispelling simultaneously.
I wasn't attached to Dex really. I'm honestly not attached to any of it. It just came to me this morning and seemed simple to implement. It's last because I flipped between it and Spell Aiming as the final controllable component.
It only attacks the one time, unlike 917. But really, how is 'this' attack spell different from 'that' attack spell pretty semnatical and relatively useless a concept. A lot of attack spells are 'similar'.
I think trying to make 320 deity-specific is a red herring and unnecessary.
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein
It only attacks the one time, unlike 917. But really, how is 'this' attack spell different from 'that' attack spell pretty semnatical and relatively useless a concept. A lot of attack spells are 'similar'.
I think trying to make 320 deity-specific is a red herring and unnecessary.
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein
New year, time for new ideas! Playing around with adding extra value to lore training.
309 or 315 (after combining them and leaving a slot open)
A wearable buff that gives a chance to ignore a percentage of the difference between the enemy's armor and the armor eight AsGs below it for purposes of CvA (for CS-based attacks) or DF (for AS-based attacks). e.g. 30% of the difference between metal breastplate (-18 CvA) and leather breastplate (5 CvA) is 6.9, so if this spell activated against an enemy in metal breastplate, they would have -12 CvA.
Blessings lore increases the odds of ignoring some of the enemy's armor; Religion lore increases how much armor is ignored. Has no effect against unarmored foes.
The flavor is that the Arkati allows a cleric to strike directly at foes' spiritual essences instead of their physical bodies, bypassing some of their armor. I'd prefer a design like this as a short term buff with a more powerful effect at the high end of lore training, but the other option is a persistent buff that saves on mana but has a smaller effect.
330 (after making the current one an innate ability)
Short-duration spell (can be stopped) that decreases DS and TD and forces out of guarded stance but, for the first damage-dealing attack against an enemy, increases AS/CS and adds a flare chance that attacks with an SMR-based effect.
Blessings lore increases AS/CS bonus. Religion lore decreases DS/TD penalties and at certain thresholds allows going down to advance, forward, and eventually neutral stances. Summoning lore increases flare rate and effectiveness. (Or flip the roles of these lores around any which way as needed.)
A subtle, completely unintended thing I like is how this would work with 135, as the CS increase would make it hit more reliably and the maneuver-based additional damage would pair up well with 135's disabling effect. (Also, just to be clear, this is self-cast only, not a group effect like Zealot despite some similarities.)
309 or 315 (after combining them and leaving a slot open)
A wearable buff that gives a chance to ignore a percentage of the difference between the enemy's armor and the armor eight AsGs below it for purposes of CvA (for CS-based attacks) or DF (for AS-based attacks). e.g. 30% of the difference between metal breastplate (-18 CvA) and leather breastplate (5 CvA) is 6.9, so if this spell activated against an enemy in metal breastplate, they would have -12 CvA.
Blessings lore increases the odds of ignoring some of the enemy's armor; Religion lore increases how much armor is ignored. Has no effect against unarmored foes.
The flavor is that the Arkati allows a cleric to strike directly at foes' spiritual essences instead of their physical bodies, bypassing some of their armor. I'd prefer a design like this as a short term buff with a more powerful effect at the high end of lore training, but the other option is a persistent buff that saves on mana but has a smaller effect.
330 (after making the current one an innate ability)
Short-duration spell (can be stopped) that decreases DS and TD and forces out of guarded stance but, for the first damage-dealing attack against an enemy, increases AS/CS and adds a flare chance that attacks with an SMR-based effect.
Blessings lore increases AS/CS bonus. Religion lore decreases DS/TD penalties and at certain thresholds allows going down to advance, forward, and eventually neutral stances. Summoning lore increases flare rate and effectiveness. (Or flip the roles of these lores around any which way as needed.)
A subtle, completely unintended thing I like is how this would work with 135, as the CS increase would make it hit more reliably and the maneuver-based additional damage would pair up well with 135's disabling effect. (Also, just to be clear, this is self-cast only, not a group effect like Zealot despite some similarities.)
Just thought I would throw in an idea.
Anoint Champion
A deity specific blessing that allows a Cleric to reward and expand his/her deities followers.
Using a tiered structure similar to Ensorcell, a Cleric can bond to other adventurers that share the same deity.
There would be a required bonding ceremony, a holy symbol of the deity, and a deity favor pool.
Possible tier ideas for player bonded to:
Deity Specific:
T1: Defensive Flares
T2: TD Shield
T3: Offensive Flares
T4: Resistances
Lore could influence number of champions a Cleric can anoint. Cleric can perform a small ceremony to break the bond with any of their champions.
The Cleric may also get some bonuses from the bond such as:
An increase to the rate at which divine favor is gained.
A bonus to deity specific flare rates or damage factor.
I'm sure the rest of you will see some other benefits that I'm missing.
Since a holy symbol may be required, this spell might do better at 325 and move Holy Receptacle to 320.
The overall point of this spell is to give a reason/reward for a Cleric to attempt to convert others to their cause and give other characters
a reason/reward too.
Anoint Champion
A deity specific blessing that allows a Cleric to reward and expand his/her deities followers.
Using a tiered structure similar to Ensorcell, a Cleric can bond to other adventurers that share the same deity.
There would be a required bonding ceremony, a holy symbol of the deity, and a deity favor pool.
Possible tier ideas for player bonded to:
Deity Specific:
T1: Defensive Flares
T2: TD Shield
T3: Offensive Flares
T4: Resistances
Lore could influence number of champions a Cleric can anoint. Cleric can perform a small ceremony to break the bond with any of their champions.
The Cleric may also get some bonuses from the bond such as:
An increase to the rate at which divine favor is gained.
A bonus to deity specific flare rates or damage factor.
I'm sure the rest of you will see some other benefits that I'm missing.
Since a holy symbol may be required, this spell might do better at 325 and move Holy Receptacle to 320.
The overall point of this spell is to give a reason/reward for a Cleric to attempt to convert others to their cause and give other characters
a reason/reward too.
Another idea for making the current 330 an innate ability and replacing it with a real spell:
Hallow
Basic Idea:
A spell that lets clerics add tiered improvements in the same property slot as Ensorcell. The improvements will work on any gear (except maybe black ora), but can be more significant depending on some factors:
Starting bonus - ordinary gear used by a non-cleric/non-paladin
Better bonus - ordinary gear used by a cleric/paladin, sanctified gear used by a non-cleric/non-paladin
Superior bonus - sanctified gear used by a cleric/paladin
Best bonus - sanctified gear used by the cleric who hallowed it
For armor and shields, it gives a percentage chance to automatically restore a spell right after it's dispelled. The chances are increased for spells you know yourself, and are reduced for spells dispelled by 230 or 530.
For weapons (including runestaves), the weapon can flare to give a temporary phantom buff to Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity, or Aura. The weapon holder can use CHANT to control which stat it will buff, depending on which they need for their offense. Like 509 and 606, it can go above enhancive limits since it's a phantom bonus. The Aura bonus can't increase spirit, only elemental CS.
That's the basic bonus. I haven't thought through what the upgraded versions would be, but something more interesting than just increased numbers. I also haven't thought through how a cleric would earn the Hallow equivalent of necrotic energy or a mana pool, but... whatever works!
Reasoning:
Sanctification on runestaves is worse than useless, but actually harmful--tougher ensorcelling, tougher and more expensive enchanting, no player enchanting past 7x because eoveneh potions don't work--so I wanted to give them a reason to exist other than as a silly joke in the Duskruin sewers. Someone might still prefer Ensorcell over Hallow, but at least someone could make a case for sanctified runestaves depending on what the numbers looked like.
For armor and shields, I wanted something distinct from Ensorcell but thought a DS or AvD boost would be too bland, so I wound up with this! I like how it worked out--clerics can imbed with 325 and then the next spell, 330, would let them improve people's gear to protect those imbeds they're giving out.
Lastly, a word on natural (non-1625) sanctification for weapons... I could talk about that for ages, but I'll only say this:
Sanctified weapons are only usable by two professions, so in my opinion those two professions should prefer over blessable weapons like 80% of the time if not more--but if anything I think it's the other way around now. They have all the disadvantages I mentioned above and also make weighting services more expensive. I think it's a shame.
Hallow
Basic Idea:
A spell that lets clerics add tiered improvements in the same property slot as Ensorcell. The improvements will work on any gear (except maybe black ora), but can be more significant depending on some factors:
Starting bonus - ordinary gear used by a non-cleric/non-paladin
Better bonus - ordinary gear used by a cleric/paladin, sanctified gear used by a non-cleric/non-paladin
Superior bonus - sanctified gear used by a cleric/paladin
Best bonus - sanctified gear used by the cleric who hallowed it
For armor and shields, it gives a percentage chance to automatically restore a spell right after it's dispelled. The chances are increased for spells you know yourself, and are reduced for spells dispelled by 230 or 530.
For weapons (including runestaves), the weapon can flare to give a temporary phantom buff to Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity, or Aura. The weapon holder can use CHANT to control which stat it will buff, depending on which they need for their offense. Like 509 and 606, it can go above enhancive limits since it's a phantom bonus. The Aura bonus can't increase spirit, only elemental CS.
That's the basic bonus. I haven't thought through what the upgraded versions would be, but something more interesting than just increased numbers. I also haven't thought through how a cleric would earn the Hallow equivalent of necrotic energy or a mana pool, but... whatever works!
Reasoning:
Sanctification on runestaves is worse than useless, but actually harmful--tougher ensorcelling, tougher and more expensive enchanting, no player enchanting past 7x because eoveneh potions don't work--so I wanted to give them a reason to exist other than as a silly joke in the Duskruin sewers. Someone might still prefer Ensorcell over Hallow, but at least someone could make a case for sanctified runestaves depending on what the numbers looked like.
For armor and shields, I wanted something distinct from Ensorcell but thought a DS or AvD boost would be too bland, so I wound up with this! I like how it worked out--clerics can imbed with 325 and then the next spell, 330, would let them improve people's gear to protect those imbeds they're giving out.
Lastly, a word on natural (non-1625) sanctification for weapons... I could talk about that for ages, but I'll only say this:
Sanctified weapons are only usable by two professions, so in my opinion those two professions should prefer over blessable weapons like 80% of the time if not more--but if anything I think it's the other way around now. They have all the disadvantages I mentioned above and also make weighting services more expensive. I think it's a shame.
