A new 6th level spell (not the poll yet) Options

[Sikret]

Before I create the main poll to choose the replacement for Mislead spell, I want to gather suggestions to be the candidates and options of the poll. So, feel free to send your suggestions here.

So far, I have thought of three possible spells. My own favorite one (so far) is the third one below:

1- Moster Summoning 4:

Advantages: A classic 6th level spell form pnp. Easy to make and not controversial at all.

Disadvantages: There are already a few summoning spells among the 6th level spells; so this spell can hardly encourage the player to choose it.

2- Improved Enchanted Weapon:

An improved version of the 4th level spell, "Enchanted Weapon". This spell will create +4 weapons but for much shorter duration compared to the 4th level spell which creates +3 weapons which remain for a long time.

Advantages: This spell can be a great help for players who don't have +4 weapons for when they unexpectedly encounter an enemy who requires +4 (or better) weapons to hit. The scrolls of this spell can also be used as upgrade ingredients to forge powerful weapons.

Disadvantages: The spell will severely decrease the importance of +4 weapons and artifacts in the game. If every 12th level mage is capabale of fabricating +4 weapons, what's the significance of artifacts and relics. It will also decrease the significance of those powerful foes which are immune to +3 weapons. For these reasons, this choice is my least favorite one so far, but feel free to argue for it if you think it's a good choice.

3- Giant Strength:

An improved version of the second level spell, "Strength". This spell grants the strength of a giant type to the recipient for its duration or until dispelled successfully. A 12th level mage can raise the recipient's strength to the strength of a Hill giant (19); a 14th level mage can increase the strength to that of a Stone Giant (20); a 16th level mage can create the strength of a Frost Giant (21); an 18th level mage can increase the recipient's strength to that of a Fire Giant (22) and a 20th level mage can create the strength of a Cloud Giant (23).

Advantages: Potions of Giant Strength are relatively rare (compared to other types of potions) in the game and this spell can excellently work as a replacement for those rare potions.

Disadvantages: As the game proceeds, the party will have items which grant permanent giant strengths and this spell may gradually become less useful.

Please, comment on these options and also offer your own suggestions. After having enough discussions here and collecting the best possible options, I will create a final poll to decide over the new spell.

As in the case of previous similar threads for new spells, any suggestions for a new spell which can lower enemies' resistances (such as resistances to elemental and physical damage types) won't be accepted; so, please don't suggest that kind of spells.

This post has been edited by Sikret: Jan 8 2008, 10:23 AM

[Sikret]

Based on my experiences so far with my 5.0 run through which has involved an annoying re-load for this very reason I would back improved enchanted weapon as the new spell choice. This is as there are a few situations where you can trap your self into needing a +4 weapon to defeat an essential encounter or failing that have to re-load an earlier(in one case several hours of play earlier) save. In the two examples I experienced it was especially frustrating as I was quite capable of handling the encounters save for the fact that certain enemies were completely impervious to my attacks.
As for it decreasing the value of high quality items I think the effect could be kept under control by limiting the spells duration so it would have to be used intelligently in battle to give you a chance to hurt high level foes but offer no real replacement for a +4 weapon.
Finally I think out of the three spells offered this is the only one that offers something suffeciently different and useful to actually compete for a level 6 slot were we already have the almost essential imp. haste, PfMW and PfME not to mention chain lightning.

I have some good news. Quote from the progress report thread:

- The conditions under which you meet monsters who require +4 weapons to hit in spellhold have softened. The exact account of the difficulty of spellhold is as follows:

(1) If you go to spellhold with a 14th level protagonist or a protagonist with less than 2,350,000 xp, you will see the easiest version (which is still improved compared to vanilla game of course and has all those tactial features and new encounters mentioned in the mod's readme file)

(2) If you go there with a protagonist with more than 2,349,999 xp who is also below level 17, you will see the second version of spellhold, which is tougher than the first one. Whether (or not) you will meet a monster who requires +4 weapons depends on your xp. If your protagonist's xp is higher than 2,699,999 after the dream (the xp of a 16th level ranger), you will meet such monsters. So, for example, a 16th level mage will see the second version of spellhold, but if he has less than 2,700,000 xp, he won't see a monster who needs +4 weapons; whereas, a 16th level ranger will surely see them, because he certainly has more than that amount of xp.

(3) If you go there with a 17th level protagonist (regardless of his or her xp), you will see the third version of spellhold, which is tougher than the two previously mentioned versions; and you will meet such monsters.

The difference (with v5) is that in v5 as soon as your protagonist passes the border of 2,350,000 xp, you may start to see monsters which require +4 weapons to hit. The number of such monsters will also vary depending on your xp.

Also, note that Mordenkainen Swords (for mages) and Greater Swanmays (for vagrants) are equiped with +4 weapons; so meeting such a monster at high levels is not so catastrophic after all (even if you don't have +4 weapons).

This post has been edited by Sikret: Jan 19 2008, 02:10 PM