POLL: The item mod we are making together

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Please answer to the questions so that we can come to an agreement based on the votes of the majority to make the item.

Poll Information
This poll contains 4 question(s). 32 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: The item mod we are making together (32 votes.)

What type of item do you want it to be? (Choose 1)
* Amulet - 34% (11)
* Boots - 3% (1)
* Ioun Stone - 25% (8)
* Robe - 34% (11)
* Other (mention) - 3% (1)

which classes should be able to use it ? (Choose 1)
* Mage - 38% (12)
* Mage + Bard - 34% (11)
* Mage + Bard + Cleric + Druid - 9% (3)
* Mage + Bard + Cleric + Druid + Ranger + Paladin - 19% (6)

What advantages do you want it to have? (Choose 1)
* Aura Cleansing - 44% (14)
* Aura Cleansing + Additional daily spells - 47% (15)
* Aura Cleansing + Other (mention) - 9% (3)

What disadvantages do you want it to have? (Choose 1)
* Immunity to healing spells + Penalties to attributes & Saves - 22% (7)
* Immunity to healing spells + Chance to miscast magic - 6% (2)
* Immunity to all beneficial clerical spells (except restoration) + Penalty to saves - 16% (5)
* Chance to miscast magic + Penalties to AC & saves - 31% (10)
* Other (mention) - 25% (8)

 

what about having miscast magic and a chance of a wild surge or something similar. the idea that with the aura cleansing your casting so fast your stumbling over yourself.

 

We take this as your vote. I think you voted for "Other (mention)" option for the last question in the poll, right? It is for any ideas which are not included in the other options.

 

What is the general intent of this item?

And WTF is "Aura Cleansing"? 'Cause I already shower daily, and if I have to do it again every time I want to play BG2, then I'm not interested. Unless it's really worth it.

 

If you want a disadvantage, just use the Slow spell effects on the item.

And I'm with Splunge; wth is Aura Cleansing? Portelbendalwinder did that to me north of Beregost and I didn't find it much fun then.

 

See this topic, please.

 

Aura cleansing removes the delay between spells, you cast one immediatly after the other and can do so as long as the effect is active, or at least thats what got out of using it through SK.

 

Really? I thought that's what the mage's HLA 'Improved Alacrity' was for. If there's an item out there that offers this effect, then I just wasted a perfectly good 9th level spell slot.

 

Are these items being developed for a modded game and if so, how much has 'difficulty' been increased.

If memory serves me a robe with similar effects exists in DSotSC, except that was insanely cheesy with 50%mr, immunity to 1st-3rd level spells and base ac3 in addition to improved alacrity.

I don't like the idea of a robe because it doesn't offer any real difference over Robe of Vecna. Faster casting and better ac vs. Significantly faster casting and immunity to healing. Sikret seems to have already chosen this disadvantage, but surely the mage would be able throw up a defence to anything before the enemy has a chance to strike. Besides the wearer could just remove the robe, heal, then put it back on. For it to be a real disadvantage the robe would have to be cursed.

Wouldn't a magic enhancing stave be a better choice since no worthwhile alternative exists to SotM. Staff of the Magi is about toughening the wizard, adding ac/saves/protections/invisibility. Where as the Chanelling Staff/Suicide Branch would increase spellcasting ability at the cost of defence and hardiness.

 

As I mentioned in this thread, I had intitially no desire to make a publicly available mod for such an item. It started with a request from a player and then followed by more requests. I'm not going to make it as a part of any of my other mods. If you want my main item-mod, download and install Improved Anvil. This partcular item will be made as a stand-alone mod for those SP members who want it and requested it.

I can add the item to inventory of an enemy. I can also enhance that particular enemy only if players want me to do so. The other way is that I add it to an enemy which is already enhanced by my Improved Anvil mod so that those players who don't want the item to be available too easily can install my Improved Anvil over this item mod.

The point of making it a robe is to prevent using the item in conjunction with Robe of Vecna.

By no means!

As I said, I will make it as the majority want and vote for.

That much is obvious. If 'immunity to healing' will be chosen by voters as a disadvantage, I will make the immunity as a permanent effect on the character who wears the item.

We take this as your vote, though it still gives the opportunity to use the item in conjunction with Robe of Vecna.

 

Certainly make it a robe. The combination of the Robe of Vecna with this would be too unbalancing.

The use of miscast magic makes sense. It would be great if the miscast magic was actually fairly high, but the penalties removed at the end of each round (this would basically let the mage easily get off two or three spells, four would be rare, and five all but impossible). There could also be a percent failure chance of losing all spells until resting again (perhaps start at zero and add one percent per spell cast in a round).

 

If you think this item + Robe of Vecna would be too powerful then don't use one or the other.

Failing that, if you really want everyone else not to use both and unbalance the game, give the item an effect that disallows using Robe of Vecna that way it doesn't have to be limited to robe or nothing. I've seen something similar from mods that add extra rings of wizardry and prevent you from wearing more than one.

 

I'll appreciate if those who vote for the "Other (mention)" option in answer to any of the questions also mention what other things they are referring to or voting for.

 

what is so bad about this item being a robe? it is not like there is a viable alternative to robe of vecna and it also serves the purpose of preventing its use in conjunction with it.

 

Would cumulative miscast magic effect be possible? Something to the effect of:

Each time the wielder/wearer casts a spell they recieve 5% miscast magic for 3-6 seconds because they're casting so fast they aren't able to adequatly prepare the next spell.

@nekro
The way i see it mages should have two options when it comes to equipment defence or offence. Improved Alacrity staff makes more sense since you'd have an alternative to a purely defensive and already cheesy item (SotM).

@Sikret
If we're thinking about balancing mage equipment would you consider making 2 more alterative pieces of equipment.
1) Defensive Robe: 1ac, +1 all saves, 10% all resistances.
2) Magi Gloves: slightly improved casting speed & siginifcant save vs. spells increase.

 

Aura cleansing doesn't decrease spell casting time (i.e. the mage doesn't cast faster), it just removes the aura around the caster (making spellcasting possible immediately) and since the caster has already memorized all of his spells there is no question of 'preparing' the next spell. It's already prepared.

I don't like the "miscast magic" idea, because all the item does is to remove the aura around the mage. The mage doesn't cast his/her spells hastily or without preparation as a result of wearing/wielding this item.

Another reason for which I don't vote for "Miscast magic" is my general opinion about items' disadvantages. In my opinion, an item's disadvantages should not ruin or spoil the item's advantages. If players have asked for an item to boost their mages' spellcasting abilities, let them have it. Disadvantages to compensate the item's power should focus on other fields.

Suggestions for more new items are welcome and I'll consider them. I think mages' save vs. death/poison is more in need to be enhanced than their save vs. spell, though.

By the way, for those who look for more mage items, a good number of such items are already available in Improved Anvil. Perhaps it's better if you check the item list of that mod before suggesting new items, because what you have in mind may be already available in Improved Anvil. Here is a link to where you can see IA's item list (it's attached to the readme):

http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?showtopic=1735

[ August 17, 2006, 14:08: Message edited by: Sikret ]

 

An aura cleansing device without some controls is just too unbalancing (and I would certainly not use it).

You're wrong. There is preparation needed for casting spells. Please read the appropriate manuals. The mage needs to get the proper components, concentrate on the spell, then cast the spell. There also needs to be a recovery time for the spellcaster. The use of powerful magics allow EXTREMELY adept mages to take shortcuts. There should be severe penalties for lesser mages to use these magics and take the shortcuts (the possibility of death is quite appropriate).

But it's your mod -- violate the rules if you wish. The purists will ignore the mod while those seeking a fast and easy way through will download it with glee.

 

Aura cleansing's meaning is to do all this for the mage. So, no preparation would be needed (except for the required components, which are not implemented in BG anyway).

I agree that compensations for the item's power are needed. I was actually the first one who mentioned the need. My point is that the compensation should not ruin the advantages of the item.

No, I'm only making it after the repeated requests and for those who want it.

I won't. What I said is what permanent 'aura cleansing' means. It's not a violation of the rules.

I won't use the item myself in my games. I will make the mod only for those who want it.

Edit:

Consider this argument as well:

If Aura Cleansing had been supposed to cause miscast magic (for any reason such as hasty casting or whatever), the same should have been implemented to the 10th level spell, Improved Alacrity as well.

The spell doesn't have such a side-effect, which means that any disadvantage we want to add to the item should be independent of its advantage (i.e. Aura Cleansing)

[ August 17, 2006, 18:00: Message edited by: Sikret ]

 

Definitely an item I would like to come across. Equipped not all the time but mostly during the more difficult challenges my PC has to face. I only play as a bard or a druid - and only the druid, having so many spells at the higher levels, would get to use it. Regrettably the majority wants the item restricted to bards and mages. (could also give it to Edwin or Aerie or... but my PC tends to be on the jealous side of things )

I voted amulet coz that befits a druid best, imo. Ioun stone would also be fine with me.

Aura Cleansing should be the only advantage. Not to go entirely over the top.

Disadvanteage: Other. Immunity to healing, buffing spells/penalty to AC would not be my choise of tribute the caster has to pay for using the item. Dosent make much sense. I think there should be a penalty to saving throws and/or DEX, due to the strain of maintaining a bond with the item/controlling its effect on his/her magical powers. Sort of like a distraction making the caster a somwhat clumsy one. Perhaps also a fatigue effect if the artefact is worn too long without a break.

 

If you are a druid fan, you will surely enjoy playing my Auramaster Druid Kit. Give it a try.