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- Split the VFX into duration effects (with long term sounds perhaps) and impact ones (for the effect appearing) such as Protection from Elements which just fires all. the. damn. time.
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Major Spell Changes
Some things we have sorted:
- Cantrip damage spells standardised to 1d4 + 1 like Ray of Frost
- Due to new spells redone some spell schools of certain spells especially Divination spells
- Find Traps no longer disables traps just reveals them, Knock uses caster level to unlock the target lock
- Identify targets a single object, Legend Lore automatically identifies everything applicable at once
- Heal and Harm made to match 3.5E (ie 10 / level, max 150)
- Missile Storm spells (Issacs, Firebrand, etc.) limited to 5 missiles per target maximum. Spare missiles are lost not ploughed into the primary target.
- Shadow Conjuration and related spells updated to be actually calling original Conjuration or Evocation spells, See Overhaul Spells - Shadow Conjuration for details
- Damage Shield spells standardised more and damage adjusted
- Dispel Magic works on Summoned creatures to dispel them
- Mage Armor / Epic Mage Armor updated to be just AC enchantment bonus not a mix of AC bonuses that scale poorly
- AOEs: Now more standardised approach with targets closest to the target location being targeted first if there is a limit, and some have been adjusted to affect allies or the caster when before they didn't before due to their increased power and EE AOE targeting
- Persistent AOEs: More standardised with persistent effects like movement speed decreases not applying multiple times and should be more safely removed.
- Feedback has been added to spells with Grapple, Bull Rush, and skills feedback has been added where necessary
- More major changes to the effects of the underwhelming Earthquake,
- Darkness now applies to the caster fully, meaning they don't get to see through their own darkness without Ultravision or True Seeing
- Counterspells got a pass and fixed up to match Bioware's intent and any obvious omissions
Minor Spell Changes
- Standardised
Changes To Think About
Some potential things here:
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- Greater Sanctuary (Etherealness) - Maybe rebalance a little, the effect is quite broken...Dispel Magic could be used against summons to simply unsummon them. In an area they're affected too. Makes some summons a little more manageable.
- True Strike - can possibly remove in OnPhysicalAttacked AI scripts and any uses of TouchAttack() script functions, so it's one use only, but can last "longer" then possibly
- Note for spells needing multiple TouchAttack it won't remove quick enough - eg Flame Arrow - so need to think about. DelayCommand possibly.
- Black Blade of Disaster - simplify by having it not invincible but also not require concentration
Optional QoL changes:
- Scaling - allow scaling into epic levels if we uncap the max caster levels for spells
- Cantrips can be cast as many times as needed like 5E
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| Spell | Change Made | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Animate Dead | Counterspell: Sunbeam and Sunburst | Summons could do with a once over. The Necromancy ones in DND need a body, but we'd need to rework a lot of stuff to make that viable (ie keep corpses around, allow them to be essentially resurrected!). But it's a possibility's a possibility. | |||
Cause Fear (Was: Scare) | Renamed from Scare. Metmagic: Silent added. Counterspell: Added Remove Fear Hostile flag added. | Will apply the proper Fear effect. Cause Fear is the real spell name Bioware implemented. Scare name can be reused for the actual Scare spell. | |||
Circle of Death | Counterspell: Death Ward Amended description to have area be "Large" which seems sensible (matches VFX/script). | ||||
Circle of Doom | Counterspell: Healing Circle | Will replace with Mass Inflict Light Wounds similar to Healing Circle. | |||
Contagion | Counterspell: Remove Disease Hostile flag added. Description: added filth fever. | Would be nice to have variable DC's for the Disease application so it scales better. Either lots of disease.2da lines or some new engine method. Could also have this be subspells with the various diseases, allowing targeting stat drains or effects instead of random ones, since even if used by NPCs its a bit naff! | |||
Control Undead | Counterspell: Sunbeam, Sunburst | Note: We are not bothering to alter the duration or the AOE yet. We could force through more domination with cutscene domination but it's a bit wonky. So leaving as single target with a long duration. | |||
Create Greater Undead | Counterspell: Sunbeam, Sunburst | Summons could do with a once over. The Necromancy ones in DND need a body, but we'd need to rework a lot of stuff to make that viable (ie keep corpses around, allow them to be essentially resurrected!). But it's a possibility. | |||
Create ShadowFiend | Disabled | Spell that Bioware never finished for HotU. It's non-functional and not assigned to any class. The icon could be reused however, is a pretty basic ghastly skull-like thing (or ghost-like thing). | |||
Create Undead | Counterspell: Sunbeam, Sunburst | Summons could do with a once over. The Necromancy ones in DND need a body, but we'd need to rework a lot of stuff to make that viable (ie keep corpses around, allow them to be essentially resurrected!). But it's a possibility. | |||
Death Armor | Description and script: allow up to 1d6 +10 damage max, negative damage instead of magical damage. Corrected description no will save or SR involved. Descriptor: Damage Shield added to this and others of it's type. ("Magical Armor" removed) | The scaling on this is oddly low, even the PnP spell extends up to +10 damage, ie level 20. Decided to up to 1d6 + 1/2 levels of negative damage, more thematically necrotic. | |||
Death Ward | Counterspell: Finger of Death | ||||
Destruction | Description: added Death descriptor. Removed Placeable targeting (and should in the script too!) | Need to think if this, or Finger of Death which is similar, should apply the damage if the creature is immune to death magic. Probably should be no damage tbh. | |||
Energy Drain | Description: Noted what spells can restore the negative levels, and what happens to undead hit. Noted what negative levels do. Noted how you can die from too many negative levels. | Negative levels could go in a glossary but for now putting it there. The SRD also has this noted if undead are hit "2d4 x5 temporary hit points for 1 hour". So why not, let's add it in case someone is silly enough to cast it on undead. Or want to buff their own undead I guess! SRD notes a "ray" - might be fun to make it a ray with a ranged touch attack instead of a fortitude save. Not sure. | |||
Enervation | Same as Energy Drain | The temporary duration can stay, I think, but let's make it similar to Energy Drain and only removable by other big spells. SRD has "If the ray strikes an undead creature, it gives that creature 5 temporary hit points per two caster levels (maximum 25 temporary hit points) for 1 hour." | |||
Fear | Counterspell: Remove Fear Changed to be a cone AOE as per 3E spell, makes it a bit more unique (might add back Scare in which is a more standard AOE). There wasn't any special VFX either. Updated casting visuals to be more necromatic. TODO: Needs a better cone VFX for it. Some suitably evil sound and perhaps a reskinned "mind" gaze (which it currently uses) would be enough. | Technically makes them "panicked" as per the Fear spell in 3E. We'll leave as is for now. | |||
Finger of Death | Script: Feedback when the immunity means no negative damage would be good. | Could have this act like Destruction and apply the damage if they're immune to death magic. But probably not - better updating Destruction to be honest. | |||
Ghoul Touch | Script: Fix the AOE to apply attack reduction. Fix the damage reduction to apply to physical damage types. Fix the AOE save to be also negative. Have the AOE OnExit remove all the effects once the AOE goes. Counterspell: Cure Light Wounds Hostile flag added. | Odd how only Cure Light Wounds is a counter, maybe should add Cure Moderate Wounds as well. | |||
Harm | Counterspell: Heal. Hostile flag added. 10 damage per level, will save for half, max 150 damage. Does not affect constructs. Script same as the Inflict spell range. Updated casting visuals (and Inflict range) to match the inverse of the Cure/Heal spells. | Main thing from 3.5E I'm stealing (along with the Mass version of spells). Clerics just become the defacto best damager if this is left as-is. | |||
Healing Sting | Script and description: Updated with touch attack and removed Fortitude save. Increased damage to 1d12 and capped bonus damage to +10. Hostile flag added. | We're going to use the PnP description for this. More touch attacks is good, since it adds some variety to spells that usually just use a basic saving throw. "Focusing the power of negative energy, you deal 1d12 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum 1d12+10) to a living creature and gain an equal amount of hit points if you make a successful melee touch attack. A healing sting cannot give you more hit points than your full normal total. Excess hit points are lost." | |||
Horrid Wilting | Description: Removed Death descriptor. Clarified description on who is affected (living creatures). Script: Should affect the caster. Silly not to with new spell targeting! Also affect Water Elementals with a bigger save DC. | ||||
Infestation of Maggots | Script: Add touch attack! Probably change it to a EffectRunScript as well. Hostile flag added. | PnP version says: "With a successful melee touch attack, you infest a creature with maggotlike creatures. They deal 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage each round. The subject makes a new Fortitude save each round to negate the damage of that round and end the effect. The infestation can be removed with a cure disease or heal spell." | |||
Inflict Minor Wounds Inflict Light Wounds Inflict Moderate Wounds Inflict Serious Wounds Inflict Critical Wounds | AI Category changed to Harmful Touch from nothing (except critical, already set to that) Added counterspells (equivalent Cure spells) Minor Wounds: Increased to 4 base damage (will for half). Does not affect constructs. Hostile flag added. Updated casting visuals (and Harm) to match the inverse of the Cure/Heal spells. Damage VFX changed to VFX_IMP_NEGATIVE_ENERGY. Harm VFX was overused. Still need to do a better "heal" VFX, but for now altered to match the VFX that Cure spells use. | Not many big changes (except not versus constructs) minor wounds actually made usable though! Would be good to have "Inflict" versions of the damage and heal VFX (red with a different sound). Currently it uses the Healing VFX on undead (looks a bit weird tbh) and Harm VFX on every damage! (pretty lazy!) | |||
Negative Energy Burst | Counterspell: Negative Energy Protection Description and script: Clarified workings (Undead get a strength bonus) and made it so the strength penalty needs a failed save. | Actually better than the Tomb and Blood version in 3E, adding Strength damage and upping the damage cap. Neither are terrible changes - the spell is entirely outclassed by the basic Fireball regardless. But has a nice way to heal summoned undead at least. Have added a saving throw for the negative strength. | |||
Negative Energy Ray | Description and script: Add ranged touch attack. Apparently the spell scroll item for this spell has no ability for Clerics to use, but Bards can. Added Hostile flag. | The D&D version has a touch attack as well. This might be good both since you can crit on it, and it fits the spell! | |||
| Poison | Description and script: Add touch attack, make poison a custom one (but reuse the icon!) and have the effects be permanent magical ones from an EffectRunScript. Added Hostile flag. | SRD states: "The character inflicts the subject with a poison by making a successful melee touch attack. The poison deals 1d10 points of temporary Constitution damage immediately and another 1d10 points of temporary Constitution damage 1 minute later. Each instance of damage can be negated by a Fortitude save (DC 10 + one-half caster level + casters Wisdom modifier)." This is both better (better effects/DC) and worse (DC lower than 18 at lower levels, simple implementation). Can fix this with a better poison engine effect, or by doing an EffectRunScript with a "fake" poison. The original spell left the poison effect as default, which in the engine does actually set it as Magical, oddly. So it can be dispelled. This is noted in the description. | |||
| Ray of Enfeeblement | Counterspell: Added Bull's Strength Metamagic: Silent removed Description: Changed to "Maximum of +5" and Negative as the descriptor | Somatic only, plus counterspell wasn't added. SRD has it have also a ranged touch attack - is tempting to add this in, to be more accurate, but it's a relatively weak spell regardless. | Scare | Metmagic: Silent added Counterspell: Added Remove Fear Hostile flag added. | Has verbal components and fixed counterspell that was mentioned |
| Slay Living | Description and script: Removed Negative descriptor. Clarified damage is negative. But saving throw is vs. Death. Immunity to death will provide immunity to the damage as well. Added Hostile flag. | Similar to Finger of Death and Destruction let's make things sensible and immunity to Death Magic means immunity to the spell as a whole. | |||
| Undeath to Death | Script: Fix LOS for AOE. Fix the distance checks (ie lowest distance first). Change to a death effect that bypasses immunities, rather than, hilariously, Divine damage (even though it has a Negative descriptor!) | Keeping the caster level 20 cap for now, but the cap isn't on Circle of Death so...maybe should remove? (probably was to balance it against large single undead creatures?) | |||
| Vampiric Touch | Description clarified (living creature, melee touch attack) Script can fix the damage → resisted → still get temp HP. Also don't remove all instances of temp HP. Maybe don't even remove any! Counterspell: Negative Energy Protection Hostile flag added. | ||||
| Wail of the Banshee | Description and script: Made indiscriminate, will not affect deaf or silenced creatures. Removed Sonic descriptor since save was vs. Death only (Sonic can maybe be added later if multiple save types can be used). Counterspell: Silence. | Spell targeting can still make it easy to not hit allies. This was pretty much the go-to high save DC save-or-die AOE spell and it's still powerful (still doesn't affect the caster!) but tones it down a little on Hardcore difficulty. Removed the case where you could apply immunity to the effect due to the long VFX wind up time (3 seconds + a bit more depending on distance to centre) by making the death effect bypass immunities. |
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