Report 398

Report #398
Skillset: Druidry Skill: Roots
 Org: Blacktalon Status: Rejected Jun 2010
Furies' Decision:
We do not find this to be necessary.
Problem: Roots in Druidry is a scarcely-used ability that is applicable in very
rare situations. While the damage is substantial (ranging from 1500-2500 testing
against Demigod warriors, wiccans, and druids), it holds little to no bearing on
actual conflict whether one vs one or group-oriented. While a small handful can
and do burrow to safety, by and large, most merely walk out of the meld to cure
or escape. This skill can be better utilised to assist a druid in keeping up
with the curing of a competent opponent.
Solution #1: Adjust roots to be a passive effect. Instead of actively bringing
 burrowers to the surface upon casting, bring up burrowed
 individuals passively upon the effect's tic with damage (less
 than it presently deals). To increase viability of use, set a
 percent chance to prone enemies on the ground level. Allow roots
 to be blockable by use of Protection.
Solution #2: Same as above. Instead of percent chance to prone, percent chance
 to afflict with a moderate balance loss upon effect's tic ('You
 stumble as the trees creak and shift their roots', for example).
Player Comments:
---[Lehki on 6/10 @ 14:46 writes]:
Something I'd like to see, even if none of these suggestions get through, is
that when people are pulled up out of the ground, they're put off balance.
Currently as soon as pulled up you can immediately move, or even borrow again.
Even just digging with a shovel will put a person off balance very briefly.
---[Lehki on 6/10 @ 14:52 writes]:
Need to correct myself, digging somebody up doesn't put the person off balance,
mis-read my own log, oops. Think my point still stands though.
---[Talan on 6/19 @ 22:38 writes]:
Solution 1, with Lehki's suggestion that they come up off balance.
---[Raeri on 6/20 @ 04:33 writes]:
Solution 1, with the off-balance addendum. I'd actually even say just have it do
the same damage as it currently does when bringing someone up from burrowing,
instead of the decrease proposed.
---[Xenthos on 6/21 @ 01:28 writes]:
Would make sense, it's not much use as an active skill.
---[Fillin on 6/28 @ 19:47 writes]:
As much as I hate to see druids become more effective against burrowers than
-Geomancers-, I agree with making roots passively dig people up. Iffy on the
passive prone part of it though. I think it would be a little too string
combined with treebane and sap.
---[Viynain on 6/29 @ 02:12 writes]:
I support solution 1. I think the limitation on the prone effect being only done
on the ground level is alright since you need to be in the trees to sap people.
---[Fillin on 6/29 @ 18:04 writes]:
(treebane)
---[Narynth on 6/29 @ 19:00 writes]:
As I addressed in a previous report, sap timing is immensely difficult as is,
and a chance for prone (rather than every tic) shouldn't be too overpowering in
terms of combining with bane and/or sap. As treelife keeps targets in trees at
regular intervals, the chance of being proned or off-bal can't really be
ridiculously high in any case.
---[Eamon on 6/30 @ 17:44 writes]:
Support roots being able to dig people to the surface, but a passive prone tic
in a druid demesne is a lot to ask, even if it's just on the ground.