POLL: What to do with Robe of Vecna?

Remove all ads!

Robe of Vecna is an infamous item for it cheesy casting time modifier bonus and its relatively low price in the shop. In the current version of Improved Anvil, I have increased its price by 50%. I'm looking for feedback to decide what to do with it for the next version of IA. Thanks in advance!

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 63 user(s) have voted.
Voting stops at October 29, 2006 23:32 board time.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: What to do with Robe of Vecna? (63 votes.)

What to do with Robe of Vecna? (Choose 1)
* Remove it from the shop but let it be available in the inventory of a very tough enemy - 59% (37)
* Keep it in the shop; 50% increase in its price is fine - 19% (12)
* Keep it in the shop, but increase its price even further - 5% (3)
* Keep it in the shop, but tweak it to grant less casting time bonus - 17% (11)

 

Didnt you already do something with it in the current version? In fact, you made it even more powerful...and price is no factor for a thieving character.

 

After some hesitation, I voted for the fourth option. I remembered that it was very useful to my spellcaster protagonist that he could cast spells practically instantly. On the other hand, I didn't like it too much, it spoiled the "feeling" of casting a magical spell. I think you could also increase its price beside decreasing the casting time bonus.

 

Mongerman,

The upgrade you referred to is not Robe of Vecna's upgrade; it is Robe of the Apprenti's. Robe of Vecna is just used as an ingredient. However, any possible change in Robe of Vecna's abilities will reflect itself in the upgrade result as well.

You are right. But, gaining money through stealing and selling items repeatedly is an extremely cheesy method (almost a cheat, IMO). People can also use CLUAConsole cheat to AddGold. I cannot prevent people from spoiling the fun of their own games by doing such things. A player who starts the cheesy way of stealing items just to sell them and do it over and over again, already knows that (s)he can gain as much money as (s)he wants. So, I wonder why (s)he should even bother to waste his/her time. (S)He can cheat the gold and save the time, eh? But then, there will remain no fun in the game.

[ October 17, 2006, 02:43: Message edited by: Sikret ]

 

Definately lower the casting speed bonus. I think that as only 2 or 3 it doesn't do much to unbalance the game, especially if you jack up the price a lot.

 

I vote for number one. (but you were expecting this, aye?) Battling a togh mage guy with Robe of Vecna FOR Robe of Vecna would be super cool! Shangalar is a good candidate if you do not want to create a new encounter!

 

Agree that #1 is the way to go.

I would like to see it as a quest item. It is cheezy early on, but as you get to the end of SOA and start of TOB it does not seem to cheezy next to vorpal weapons or hammers that give you 25 strength when held.

How about putting it on the Matron Mother or one of Jon's apprentices?

That way you have to go through a lot to get it, plus you get it in time (very timely!!! ) for the final battle(s).

At this point it is not cheezy to my mind.

 

My opinion is quite the same as Silverstar's. Fighting for the robe makes it more worthwhile
Besides, even without "cheating" for money, amassing quite the wealth is far too easy.

Although Shangalar? He has a nasty habit of "freezing" on the table, making the loot unreachable, (Well, he did so in both my last games atleast. I blame my summons for autoattacking him) plus you already get the SotM in that encounter. Getting the robe at the same time seems overkill IMHO

A brand spanking new wizard, hell, maybe even a high-level C/M in one of the pits in the planar prison perhaps?

Mekrath? Unless my memory fails, his only item worth notice is a Staff of Ressurection, and that's not even on person. You can get it without fighting him.

Edwins Nether scroll lich? Bad idea perhaps, making it force you to bring Edwin along to get the robe.

That crazed wizard holding the spellhold ward stone? Perth, was it?

The lich in Ust Natha? This way you can't get the robe right off the bat after starting a new game either!

There are many possibilities, even without making a new encounter

 

Make it just before or after the Underdark or even in between if you like

You start getting some pretty powerful weapons around this time so it would be ok to add it in about now. Maybe on that mage, the imprisoned one? Or possibly some new encounter in Ust Natha

 

I voted for number one too.

I never liked the idea of been able to acquire such a powerful item in a store.
I agree with Silverstar, battling a mage using the robe would be rather gratifying. I only hope, I’ll be able to, actually, beat the mage.

[ October 17, 2006, 19:26: Message edited by: Atmer ]

 

This robe is one of the (many) cheesy items you can buy. I always felt bad when I did use it or the Shield of Balduran. Shops sell too many uber powered items even if some of these are convenient like the belt of STR in the Adventurer's Mart, it's a bit silly to have a puny mage with a 19 STR because of this belt standing next to an extraordinary strong and muscular Half Orc or a character who has benefited from the Tome in BG1. The same goes for the Bracers of Dexterity. I wonder when some players get flushed with excitement when they brag about their character's stats, there are so many stats enhancing items it almost becomes pointless.
It's like the dragon slaying sword in Firkraag's dungeon... How convenient to find a dragon slaying sword right in the lair of a great wyrm (even if the story is actually not that bad).
Anyway I voted for the first option, IMO we should have to defeat a very high level mage with a decent AI who would take advantage of the Robe him/herself... That would be much more rewarding.

 

What about defeating the Vecna himself? Planar Sphere mod actually introduced Shade of Vecna, a real powerful arch-lich worth of 500.000 xp (OK I agree this is way too much, but still...) He had eye and cloak of Vecna (uber cool items!) That is, if you can beat him without any perma-deaths in your party.

 

I voted for number one, since I think such an overpowered item seldomly cn be found at shops...

 

Fortunately, the problems with Bracers of Dexterity and Dragonslayer sword had been already solved in Improved Anvil v3.0. None of them can be acquired easily in the game.

As for Robe of Vecna, I will wait to see the final result of the poll.

Question for those who preferred No.1 to No.4: Do you think that +4 bonus on casting speed is fine? How about doing both things: removing the robe from the shop (and having it on a tough enemy) as well as decreasing its bonus?

 

Haha, come on! 500k exp? You got to be kidding me? What was he, 25 feet tall? Ok, I agree that liches should be tought, and Vecna is a god after all, but come on, 500k is just silly

Did he at least had smart AI? Or was he cheating his guts out? If it was the former, I'd like to try it. If it was the latter, I spit on it

About cloak itself: put it on über hard enemy mage, and that's it. If he will have a mind to use it well it will be effort enought to obtain it, and there is no need to decrease casting bonus. Imo, that is, ofcourse.

 

Technically, you can just not use a "broken" item, you know...

 

Put it on a random peasant somewhere in Amn. But dont say who or where.

That way you send everyone on a random killing spree.

And if they find it, make the peasant shapechange back into an alhoon who will instantly cast timestop with no casting time, then improved alacrity, followed by a nasty sequence involving Gate, Greater malison, Wail of the Banshee, and maybe another timestop. You could even invent spells for this creature, maybe Mass Lower Resistance, Mass Dominate (from IWD), Summon Monster 9 (maybe summons more illithids next to your party member with the weakest saves?). A trigger with 3 chain lightnings, or a higher level trigger with 3 ADHW?

You could make the alhoon able to cast some druid spells like creeping doom and call lightning too, should be a really fun battle.

If you make it that hard, you might just want to give the guy more than just the robe of vecna.

After thoughts...

You could also make him immune to timestop.

Another idea would be to give it to a powerful but wellknown magic user. How about the cowled wizards? In order to win the Robe, you have to assault and completely destroy the cowled wizards in the government district.

 

@Sikret: yep that would be nice, I always thought this bonus was way over the top... At the same time having a smart mage wear it would make acquiring it a real pain (unless you have a Wizard Slayer).

I think I may give Improved Anvil a try when I get more time to spare. I never liked the way some of these items were acquired.

The cowled wizard idea is nice by the way, only that guy ought to be fearsome, regular cowled wizards are not so tough.

Looks like a lot of spittle is required.

 

Why not just remove the robe ?
It is from bonus merchant and doesn't even belong into the original game. Mages are overpowered even without it.

But Proteus_za's idea is also great, although the robe owner must be made more powerful.
And if you decide to attack this peasant all other peasants must also go hostile and attack your characters in melee, and you must get a reputation drop of course for each peasant you kill (including the robe owner.)

 

I don't see any reason to remove it; it will just make all the people who DO want it complain. If it's that bad for you, just don't buy it.