Post by simpetar on Mar 24, 2020 22:14:12 GMT
After some in game discussion, I decided to repost some of my old ideas for Herald of Storms. First, some philosophical stuff mainly about damage clouds:
1. Damage split in 2 types is bad. It causes twice as much KB, double dips from DR and immunities. Sometimes it even heals, for instance you would LOVE to cast Freezing Fog under a p2 Magebane, but you cannot, because the magic half is going to outheal whatever you cause by the cold half (more on Freezing Fog later).
Suggestion: Clouds of 1 solid element (coupled with a Herald special effect) will fare much, much better.
2. Cloud damage is underwhelming. There is a dilemma here: cloud damage per cast (or spell slot) looks ok on paper, but the actual damage on monsters is low. There are several reasons for this.
- First, clouds last quite a long time (even CL rounds, or 6 minutes) and very few monsters are going to live this long in a dynamic fight. Most monsters live somewhere between 5-10 rounds if they are being focus fired (unless instakilled or permanently disabled) bosses live little longer. Clouds will deal damage only couple times, easily wasting up to 90% of their potential.
- Monsters can move out. In hells, Heralds can very easily immobilize an entire spawn completely, in other runs not so much, so free movement is bigger issue.
Suggestion: Lower damage clouds duration to 5-10 rounds (such as Storm of Vengeance), and increase damage dice to CLd8 CLd10 or even CLd12 per round. You can have max of 2 at the same time and they deal damage only once per round, which simulates 2 instant spells a round when casting direct spells and clouds don't get Lore boost, so higher dice will not be too OP.
3. It would be really nice to have access to clouds of ALL elemental types. Currently only 2 are worth casting, Acid Fog (plus its inflictions) and Storm of Vengeance. Elaboration below.
Now specific ideas for improvements:
1. Cloud of Bewilderment - counts as Conjuration for Heralds, including the bonus for LSF (will save vs. poison)
2. Freezing Fog - damage NEEDS to be higher (see above), currently it is pathetic and halved on top of it, say CLd8 cold, duration 10 rounds. In addition to its normal effects monsters have to make fortitude save vs. petrification, or they will be frozen solid for CL/10 rounds. (not permanently, otherwise it would step on too many toes)
3. Static Field - CLd8 electric (not split in half), 10 rounds.
4. Incendiary Cloud - counts as Conjuration for Heralds. The fire is so hot it melts armor of monsters inside, inflicting CL/20 penalty to AC, no save. Also any object or weapon becomes overheated and monsters have to make fortitude save, or be disarmed.
5. Creeping Doom - in addition to its normal effects, monsters have to make fortitude save, or suffer (CL)% chance of spell failure while in the cloud (closer to PnP version of the spell). Alternative (probably wee too strong): the bugs are replaced by Heartseeker Scarabs and monsters inside have to make fortitude save, or be instantly killed, crit or dev crit immunity protects from this.
6. Storm Tower (which got a ninja edit and became a Herald spell, kudos) - in addition to its normal effects, any monsters inside have to make fortitude save, or be knocked down for 1d4 rounds; any fume-type creatures have to make fortitude save, or be instantly destroyed... basically persistent Gust effect
7. Storm of Vengeance - damage changes to sonic (and thus completing the elemental type cloud arsenal, say Thunderstorm instead of SoV), and stun duration increases to CL/10 rounds
8. Blindness / Deafness, Mass Blindness / Deafness - in addition to their normal effects, targets who fail the saving throw also suffer (CL)% Miss Chance (as per Rainbow Pattern for instance)
Storm Sprite issues
The assist function works well. Problem here is that the Sprite's hit box is very large and it often gets stuck in tight places and behind monsters. For instance it will never squeeze through a doorway, or move in a hallway if a player or monster is standing there, thus it cannot get close to a KDed player. The other problem is spam of Lesser Orbs - past level 40 they will hit only on rarest of occasions. Cure Serious Wounds is little more effective, but average 30 HP heal to a single target is barely noticeable.
Suggestion: keep the assist mechanic, reduce the Sprite's size (to one of a medium size character), remove Lesser Orb and Cure Serious Wounds and replace them with Mass Restoration; Heralds are expected to fill at least some of druid's duties and this could nicely substitute Font of Purification without being too OP.
Grant Heralds access to Conjuration and Enchantment epic and paragon spells of their respective control class. This has been suggested many times, just a bump
P.S. oh and please, please, pretty please, make Planar Perinarch work, the spell looks sooo cool
1. Damage split in 2 types is bad. It causes twice as much KB, double dips from DR and immunities. Sometimes it even heals, for instance you would LOVE to cast Freezing Fog under a p2 Magebane, but you cannot, because the magic half is going to outheal whatever you cause by the cold half (more on Freezing Fog later).
Suggestion: Clouds of 1 solid element (coupled with a Herald special effect) will fare much, much better.
2. Cloud damage is underwhelming. There is a dilemma here: cloud damage per cast (or spell slot) looks ok on paper, but the actual damage on monsters is low. There are several reasons for this.
- First, clouds last quite a long time (even CL rounds, or 6 minutes) and very few monsters are going to live this long in a dynamic fight. Most monsters live somewhere between 5-10 rounds if they are being focus fired (unless instakilled or permanently disabled) bosses live little longer. Clouds will deal damage only couple times, easily wasting up to 90% of their potential.
- Monsters can move out. In hells, Heralds can very easily immobilize an entire spawn completely, in other runs not so much, so free movement is bigger issue.
Suggestion: Lower damage clouds duration to 5-10 rounds (such as Storm of Vengeance), and increase damage dice to CLd8 CLd10 or even CLd12 per round. You can have max of 2 at the same time and they deal damage only once per round, which simulates 2 instant spells a round when casting direct spells and clouds don't get Lore boost, so higher dice will not be too OP.
3. It would be really nice to have access to clouds of ALL elemental types. Currently only 2 are worth casting, Acid Fog (plus its inflictions) and Storm of Vengeance. Elaboration below.
Now specific ideas for improvements:
1. Cloud of Bewilderment - counts as Conjuration for Heralds, including the bonus for LSF (will save vs. poison)
2. Freezing Fog - damage NEEDS to be higher (see above), currently it is pathetic and halved on top of it, say CLd8 cold, duration 10 rounds. In addition to its normal effects monsters have to make fortitude save vs. petrification, or they will be frozen solid for CL/10 rounds. (not permanently, otherwise it would step on too many toes)
3. Static Field - CLd8 electric (not split in half), 10 rounds.
4. Incendiary Cloud - counts as Conjuration for Heralds. The fire is so hot it melts armor of monsters inside, inflicting CL/20 penalty to AC, no save. Also any object or weapon becomes overheated and monsters have to make fortitude save, or be disarmed.
5. Creeping Doom - in addition to its normal effects, monsters have to make fortitude save, or suffer (CL)% chance of spell failure while in the cloud (closer to PnP version of the spell). Alternative (probably wee too strong): the bugs are replaced by Heartseeker Scarabs and monsters inside have to make fortitude save, or be instantly killed, crit or dev crit immunity protects from this.
6. Storm Tower (which got a ninja edit and became a Herald spell, kudos) - in addition to its normal effects, any monsters inside have to make fortitude save, or be knocked down for 1d4 rounds; any fume-type creatures have to make fortitude save, or be instantly destroyed... basically persistent Gust effect
7. Storm of Vengeance - damage changes to sonic (and thus completing the elemental type cloud arsenal, say Thunderstorm instead of SoV), and stun duration increases to CL/10 rounds
8. Blindness / Deafness, Mass Blindness / Deafness - in addition to their normal effects, targets who fail the saving throw also suffer (CL)% Miss Chance (as per Rainbow Pattern for instance)
Storm Sprite issues
The assist function works well. Problem here is that the Sprite's hit box is very large and it often gets stuck in tight places and behind monsters. For instance it will never squeeze through a doorway, or move in a hallway if a player or monster is standing there, thus it cannot get close to a KDed player. The other problem is spam of Lesser Orbs - past level 40 they will hit only on rarest of occasions. Cure Serious Wounds is little more effective, but average 30 HP heal to a single target is barely noticeable.
Suggestion: keep the assist mechanic, reduce the Sprite's size (to one of a medium size character), remove Lesser Orb and Cure Serious Wounds and replace them with Mass Restoration; Heralds are expected to fill at least some of druid's duties and this could nicely substitute Font of Purification without being too OP.
Grant Heralds access to Conjuration and Enchantment epic and paragon spells of their respective control class. This has been suggested many times, just a bump
P.S. oh and please, please, pretty please, make Planar Perinarch work, the spell looks sooo cool
oh lordy lord
