From: petitc@vccsouth02.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit)
Subject: Re: As long as we're taking suggestions...
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 04:08:08 GMT

tob@world.std.com (Tom O Breton) writes:

>>  If we want to balance out spellcasters, how about this---

>> Give high level creatures magic RESISTANCE.  In other words, they can make
>>  a saving throw, and if they make it, that magic attack is 1/2 its 'actual'
>>  damage.  Or, even better, give certain (RARE) critters the ability to HOLD
>>  MAGIC---no spells for x rounds, OF ANY KIND.

>Isn't there?  "%s is unaffected"... It's not exactly what you suggest, but
>it's magic resistance, and it's there. Broaden it to include occasional
>damage-spells? (Especially OOD)

  Yes.  But, I feel it should include Damage Spells---maybe 1/2 or 1/3 damage
if the save is made.  Every critter should have a chance, and Dragons should
get TWO saving throws (they're inherently magical, g-d- it---they're WAY too
wimpy for Dragons), that can be cumulative in effect.

>Doesn't 'drain mana' effectively hold magic?

  No.  What if you have 100 mana.  Oh no, now I only have 98 mana.

  I mean you can't cast ANY spells AT ALL regardless of mana, for a few rounds.

>>  WARRIORS:  Give them monster-perception (extended infravision that also
>>detects ANY critters within a limited range, walls included---reason,
>>warriors have NO WAY to detect any creatures, like even Rogues have),

>It's balancing, but it's difficult to justify Moria-wise. Tends to undercut
>believability.

  Oh no it's not.  My justification---A Warrior lives and dies by fighting.
By a high level, he is VERY perceptive, and would hear scratchings through
the wall, and would know that a Dragon was on the other side.

  Or, AT LEAST give Warriors the ability to 'hear things' so you see messages
like... (every few rounds you have a chance to hear something)

  You hear a scratching noise to the north.

  That way, it doesn't tell you EXACTLY where it's coming from, or exactly
what it is, but does give you a discount clue.

>How about if there were another race, not too different than half-troll, that
>1) could do this, 2) could only be fighters.

>Or, yank 'b) priest' away from half-trolls (I am playing 1/2T priest myself
>now, and the advantages are perhaps a bit unfair) and give 'em your Xray
>vision. Not too strange, since 'T's can detect you through walls.

  Actually, ALL monsters can detect you through walls (found this out in
Wizard mode debugging the Monk class).

>>  ROGUES:  Make them more resistant to Pickpocket and Steal Item attacks
>>(for chrissakes, they do it, so they know how it's done---this increases
>>with level).  Give them Backstabbing attacks (If critter is asleep, you can
>>do 2x, 3x or 4x normal damage for that one attack only).

>Both sound reasonable.

  Cool.  Also maybe make the Rogue increase Perception and Stealth every
few levels.  I can't imagine a 40th level Human Rogue having mere Excellent
Stealth, and even a 40th level Orc Rogue would have Superb stealth.

>>  Also, to limit EVERYONE, maybe make it so that characters have a Carrying
>>Capacity for gold, (high for Warriors, lowest for Mages/Priests).  Use this
>>to determine extra weight added to character for each gold piece.

>I tend to like it - one problem is that finding 10 gp worth of copper adds
>more weight than 100 gp worth of mithril. Could make money real objects, but
>that'd make steal-money attacks not work.

  Not really.  Say that you have a magical bag which transforms all jewels
and such into gold pieces. :&)

>Would mean rewriting LOTS of stuff. Too much, if ya ask me.

  I did impliment all of these changes.  They make Rogues and Warriors
playable at high levels again.

  What about giving Rogues their spells more quickly?

>PS: Did you know Nether Wraiths can cast spells that ruin your monitor? I was
>fighting one yesterday, and it cast a spell and my monitor blew a fuse. Gawd,
>I wish I'd seen that in [r]ecall...  }:)

  Wow!  No wonder my character runs away when he sees one! :&)

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