Vampiric Regeneration (716)
Eredhen's Answer to Uliq & Other Thoughts
Original Idea, Posted by Kithus on February 2, 2003
I had a thought and decided I'd share
it here. First off this would require moving disease to another spell slot or
removing it entirely, quite honestly oh well, the spell isn't very useful. That
said moving on:
Vampiric Aura
By the use of this spell the sorcerer summons dark spirits and directs them at a
single target. These spirits can be seen as an eerie glow surrounding the
target. The spirits feed off the creatures life force (animus not mana) but some
is returned to the sorcerer, restoring lost blood and healing physical injuries.
A powerful hit from this spell has been known to even help the sorcerer
regenerate missing limbs and heal even the most greivous scars.
I picture this spell almost as a mix of dark catalyst and torment. The dark
spirits would lash out causing damage in the same way as dark catalyst, several
smaller hits as opposed to one large attack. The damage would be lower as the
spell is lower rank. However it would work on non-magical creatures though it
would not work on any form of undead. Pretty much if it can't be sacrificed, it
can't be Auraed.
prep 716
Blah
Cast at kobold
You gesture at a super kobold.
CS: +xxx - TD: +xx + CvA: +25 + d100: +68 == +302
Warding failed!
An eerie crimson aura engulfs the super kobold.
A super kobold screams in horror as gashes form on it's abdomen, spurting blood.
... 20 points of damage!
Left eye ruptures, spraying gore.
... 30 points of damage!
A loud *crack* can be heard just as just as half of the
kobolds femur punctures the skin.
The super kobold falls to the ground motionless.
The aura suddenly shifts returning to you.
(Then one of these)
You feel much healthier. X health recovered.
With a sickening crunch your the bones in your left arm set themselves.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
Others would see:
The strange aura drifts away from the super kobold, flowing into Kithus.
Kithus suddenly looks much healthier.
There is a sickening crunch as Kithus watches the bones in his left arm mend
themselves!
I also had another thought that would slow this spell down somewhat but still be
interesting. That being intervals of hits at the rate of a maelstrom and
possibly level/skill based instead of CS based... something to this affect:
An eerie red glow errupts from the super kobolds stomach.
A super kobold screams in horror as gashes form on it's abdomen, spurting blood.
... 20 points of damage!
Part of the aura flows into Kithus.
Kithus suddenly looks much healthier.
The menacing aura errupts from the kobolds eye, spraying gore.
Kithus watches the aura flow over the his left leg.
With a sickending *crunch* the bones in the leg set.
Thoughts? Additions? Questions? Let's have it.
Kithus Norrak and his dragon
Posted by Eredhen, February 3, 2003
The spirits surround the sorcerer instead of the creature and
lashes out at the creature.
As an option to the original design:
At cast a target type is specified (cast kobold), although the spell can
still be directed at a specific creature (cast at kobold / cast at third
kobold).
With the first method, the spell will then lash out at only creatures of
that target type, draining them and causing damage on a successful attack. Part
of what is drained is returned to the sorcerer, without the spirit having to
return to the sorcerer. It could be duration based or total amount healed based
(the spirits leave when they are sated. The number of spirits or the amount
needed to sate it/them depends on factors x,y, etc.)
The second method functions by just targeting that one creature.
Also, by using a single cast, the spirits/aura will surround the caster
and lash out at unfriendlies, the number of which is determined by factors x,y,
etc. It will then leave. (Mass attack type spell)
The spirits will restore lost blood and heal wounds. They will not
drain/restore spirit.
This spell continues to function while stunned/paralyzed, etc.
Eredhen
Posted by Justairious, February 3, 2003
I would like to see it heal physically only, and though I
believe it would hurt its power, I think a neccessary thing might be a level
comparison for the healing. I don't think we should be able to heal a third
level scar off of a kobold. It should have to be like leveled (perhaps within
5-10 levels of us, or within 10-20% of our levels) for full effectiveness,
causing a level 100 sorcerer to have to find something in its 90s to heal off of
and not be able to heal more than blood off a rolton.
The other design idea I had for it was that it only works on certain living
creatures, to prevent us regenerating a leg from a cast at a snake like
creature. Of course if we had tails and a wounded tail or even wings, we could
be in trouble. :)
Unfortunately a side effect of the above design choices would likely be more
time to code.
Justairious
Posted by Uliq, February 4, 2003
>Vampiric Aura
I sort of skimmed through the folder in Sorcerers, but I definitely didn't catch
the healing of physical wounds part.
First, let me say I'm not totally against the idea. However, I am against the
idea of it healing physical body wounds as the spell is currently presented. The
lifeleech spells found in other games restore health points. Because there is no
difference between HP and actual wounds, it seems like it heals physical
conditions. I do not believe those spells would restore body parts if those
games made such a disctinction between wounds like we do in GemStone III.
If the spell had the following limitations I would be inclined to support it:
To restore just HP:
Creature must be living. Creature must be coreporeal.
To restore HP and cure minor physical wounds:
Creature must be living. Creature must be coreporeal. Creature most be humanoid.
To restore HP and cure more than minor wounds:
See the above three conditions and incorporate a wait time between healing major
wounds similar to 308 wait time.
It definitely could NOT work on undead because they don't have any viable
lifeforce to drain.
-uliq
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>I am going to ask, Uliq, what about it leaving scars when it heals
(which it should, in my opinion, as even the empath wound healing spells
themselves leave scars)?
I'm totally against the idea of the spell healing scars under any condition.
-uliq
Posted by Kithus, February 4, 2003
Since the healing aspect is what everyone is primarily focused
on I want people (especially sorcerers because if this were implemented it would
be your spell and your opinions are vastly more important in this matter) to
think about a couple things. This is only a loose idea and I haven't answered
some questiosn with my design as I wanted them to be discussed and balanced:
1. How many wounds at a time will this spell healing and how much will it heal?
Will it heal the most severe wound/scar by 1 rank or heal several wounds by 1
rank or will it heal a single wound completely or a single scar completely?
2. Which format of the spells attack would be preferable? I listed a maelstrom
like delayed several hits effect or a direct burst effect. This would affect the
healing as the burst could potentially only heal once per cast while the
maelstrom like affect would be healing something every "pulse."
3. Should this spell be castable wounded?
4. Should there be a level vs. level check for healing? I am against this as the
main utility portion of this spell, to me, lies in healing down between hunts
off a creature that isn't likely to injure you again.
5. Add your own thoughts or concerns anything you think is unclear. Let's
discuss, refine and work this into something great.
Kithus Norrak and his dragon
Posted by Dema, February 4, 2003
>>4. Should there be a level vs. level check for
healing? I am against this as the main utility portion of this spell, to me,
lies in healing down between hunts off a creature that isn't likely to injure
you again.--Kithus<<
I believe there should be, but it shouldn't be to the point where it's totally
ineffective on creatures less than ten trains below you.
I think of the point of a Bonespear hunter. Assuming this spell wouldn't be
useful on undead (maybe this assumption is wrong -- assumptions often seem to
be) most Bonespear hunters would have to skip town to use the spell.
That isn't to say there shouldn't be a level check, though. I just think there
should be diminished returns from creatures much younger than you. I mean we
wouldn't be getting experience at that point anyhow.
We shouldn't be able to at level 20 go take advantage of rats. I was thinking
returns for health could be something like:
( 25% of critter hp)/|((creaturelvl)-(yourlvl))|
So a say a rat has 20 health, and I'm 20 trains, the rat is 1 it would
look like this 5/|1-20| which is 5/19 which returns nothing. Now, if it were a
war troll, with say 200 health, and at lvl 10 it would look like this.
50/|10-20| which is 50/10 so 5 health....
Well, that seems a bit drastic for usefulness, however, with training in say
first aid you may be able to harness up to 50 percent of critter health before
the lvl modifications. and if your casting at critters like lvl or older, that
formula obviously wouldn't work, but Im not thinking that far in advance at the
moment. And this also only takes blood into account...not wounds.
>>3. Should this spell be castable wounded?--Kithus<<
No, if we cant cast, we cant cast...
>>2. Which format of the spells attack would be preferable? I listed a
maelstrom like delayed several hits effect or a direct burst effect. This would
affect the healing as the burst could potentially only heal once per cast while
the maelstrom like affect would be healing something every "pulse."--Kithus<<
I like the maelstrom "pulse" effect, however I imagine that would be
too overpowered.
I would think based on warding that if you have multiple rank 1 wounds,
you could potentially heal multiple wounds. I imagine on a end roll of 200+ say
as a 50ish train warrior picking on shan, I could conceivable have a total rank
reduction of 5, which could randomly heal 5 ranks of wounds, so a rank 2 on the
chest, a rank 1 on the leg, arm and neck. There should be a fair amounnt of
roundtime for this, similar to Sacrifice.
Some things that I think would be interesting would be:
1. if it has a neck bleeder (ala 701) we could harness a greater amount of HP,
but not be able to heal neck wounds.
2. Have modifications based on appropriate training (Sorcerer spells, first aid,
perception?).
3. I see balance issues, but I think with appropriate modifications it can still
be a great spell with out being entirely neutered if we hammer out a lot of the
issues now.
Just my thoughts,
-Dema
Posted by Solli, February 4, 2003
>1. At level, I'd want it healing only the most severe
wound. The more below level, the more I'd like it to heal multiple wounds.
Personally (and I'm not on either pures team, so I don't really have any more
input than any of you!) I'd lean towards having it the opposite - if you can do
it successfully against critters above you level, you would have greater effect.
Critters significantly below your level wouldn't have enough life force to help
you.
GM Solli
Squares / Semis / Breakage
Posted by Kithus, February 4, 2003
It's a bit annoying to me that people are so completely stuck on
the healing aspects of the spell that they aren't looking at the attack aspect
of it. While in my mind it would cure one wound by a rank and/or restore some
blood loss that is the secondary effect. The most costly healing spell is 1105
so either way this spell is at most 5 mana into the healing side and 11 mana
into the attack side. It would work against anything that is sacrificeable, so
no undead or constructs (Undead are mostly magical and constructs really should
be).
My main focus for this spell was an attack spell of mid to high range to use
against non-magical creatures since we can no longer use DC for them. THis is
the spell you cast at roa'ters or TKs or other non-magical creatures you don't
want to MD to death. It should have crits and damage just a bit lower than DC.
At the same time it will have some utility. Once again, in my mind, any sorcerer
utility spell should have some sort of attack capability anyways.
Kithus Norrak and his dragon
Posted by Hadiar, February 4, 2003
I fully realize that the idea is also an attack spell, but
again, that's pretty much a side-effect to the healing aspect of the spell. If
all we needed was an attack spell, I'm sure the GM's could whip something up
right quick that would fit in the 16th spell slot, whether it be called
"Evil Smelly Foot" or "Plummeting Anvil of Doom." The only
thing that makes this idea stand out is its healing aspect, which is what
everyone is focusing on.
You also must keep in mind that this spell would be completely and totally
ineffective against any and all undead (and probably constructs,) and would heal
no wounds unless the creature was a humanoid. That rules out about 1/4 to 1/3 of
all creatures in the game. If we do get an attack spell (which I don't think we
need,) I'd hate for it to be so limited in its usefulness.
My biggest fear of this spell, however, is that the GM's will like the idea, run
with it, but decide that having it heal wounds would be too powerful, and that
it should only return HP instead. If that we to occur, it would be absolutely
and utterly useless. Why spend 16 mana to hopefully ward a creature that will
hopefully restore all my HP's when I can simply use Symbol of Restoration a
couple of times, or take a step north or west and take a few bites of acantha?
Please remember, though, I am NOT knocking your idea. I think it's excellent. I
just don't think it will be terribly effective if it became a reality.
Posted by Eredhen, February 4, 2003
First, I was under the impression that this spell was primarily a hunting spell that was somewhat opposite to DC - the primary target is non-magical beings.Posted by Sothog, February 4, 2003
In regard to this spell, I would
suggest the following:
The usual prep/cast at target.
If caster overcomes the warding ("A cloud of swirling etheral mist is drawn
out of the creature and settles around you!"), the damage does not
IMMEDIATELY heal the sorcerer, but mechanically speaking goes into a 'regen
pool'. For example if I did 23 concussion damage and a rank 1 wound to the
creature, I get credit for 23 concussion damage and 1 rank of wounds in my regen
pool. Assuming I am wounded, I begin to draw from my regen pool at a rate of,
say, 10% of the current concussion points per minute, and one wound level to a
random location every two minutes (scarring still occurs, but at least you don't
have to carry nearly as many herbal concoctions to fix yourself up). So, if a
sorc wants to heal himself up in short order (esp. in the concussion hits dept.)
he's going to have to kill a lot of rats in order to get a decent concussion
return rate- or kill something closer to his level where the concussion hit
return will be worth the mana expenditure). If the sorcerer still has concussion
hits/wounds in the regen pool and has not taken any wounds, the 'stored' wounds
dissipate at the same rate. (I envision it might be possible in an alternate
version/proposal of this spell for the sorcerer to be able to 'hold' these
unused hits/wounds for 30 sec./lvl, after which they begin to dissipate from the
regen pool at the stated rate.)
This would allow us to repair ourselves in the field with minimal use of herbs,
while not being terribly overpowering. It also may force some tactical choices
(do I take an herb now to bring that rank 2 wound down to a rank 1, or do I wait
for my regen to kick in, or do I retreat and regenerate...?). The rate of draw
from the 'regen pool' may have to be adjusted, however, before this idea will
work well from both a practicality standpoint (for Sorcerers) and from a balance
standpoint. Perhaps a lvl. vs. lvl. comparison would come into the absorption
phase for the purposes of absorbing wounds (a rank 1 wound on a rat's paw won't
mean diddly to a human 10x the rat's size).
Thoughts, adjustments, etc.?
Sothog's player