A new 8th level spell Options

[Sikret]

(That is unless you will allow us to gate in an ice golem )

How about a spell which summons a team of creatures: An Ultra Golem, two Elemental golems, three Ice golems and say, 4 Ghost Spiders?!

But seriously, if we take the summoning idea, the summoned creature needs to be weaker than a planetar, but better than a mordenkainen sword (which makes it rather difficult to design). Of course, the fact that it won't be affected by Death Spell is already a big advantage over the magical sword.

Please provide a weapon for the mages that will enable them to be very effective in combat. You may have already done so - I haven't paid that close attention as I never wanted my mages in melee before. Perhaps one of those improved staves will work.

Yes, they will work just fine, specially the Golem Slayer which is also improved in v4.3 (though its recipe is also changed and it is more difficult to forge; it's also changed to be usable only by single class mages, so even Nalia can't use it though Imoen can).

PS: Guys, please don't suggest any spell which lowers damage or elemental resistances; I assure you that it's a bad idea (specially because if I add such a spell, I should also script enemies to use it on you and there is a good chance that the game will not become any easier; moreover, some important creatures must be immune to it and you will return to complain why the spell doesn't work on this or that boss.)

[Roy]

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How about a spell which summons a team of creatures: An Ultra Golem, two Elemental golems, three Ice golems and say, 4 Ghost Spiders?!

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That's a good idea.Haven't thought about it.

Maybe such a summoning spell could be a 9th level and will be level dependent.I think it would be balanced since
lots of creatures can summon golems.

[Silverstar]

Enemy dragons use 'lower fire resistance' type spells. I just recently finished my very first IA run and elemental immunities of some monsters really bugged me. A spell to lower some resistance would be cool! Not something insanely powerful, but even a drop of %10-20 will enable us poor mages to contribute to the damage done to a boss (or golem!). Otherwise it is just throwing Energy Blades and even then, I miss most of the time!

[rbeverjr]

If you go with the summoning idea, I'd like a gated Mord's sword, which has a bit better THACO than the normal sword (and/or more HP). I would consider that to be a very useful summons. (Of course, I will hate that summoning spell when the enemy magician horde starts spamming them on me. So, I still prefer the improved Tensers.)

Planetars get munched on in Improved Anvil. I like them as much for their spells as for cannon fodder.

[Sikret]

Don't say things which are not true, Roy!

How many enemies have you met in the entire game who can summon golems greater than Gem and Amber? You may cause panic in players who have not played the mod completely yet. You know that I hate nothing more than false rumors about IA.

[Raven]

Planetars get munched on in Improved Anvil. I like them as much for their spells as for cannon fodder.

This is largely true but it certain situations they are still useful IMO - especially if you buff them properly with Improved Haste, Improved Invisibility and Protection from Magic Energy. With the I. Haste they get 7 apr with THAC0 -8. This combined with their immunity to +2 or lower weapons makes them useful sometimes, as I said. There is at least one tough IA creature which you meet right up to the end of the game which only has a +2 weapon.

[rbeverjr]

Planetars get munched on in Improved Anvil. I like them as much for their spells as for cannon fodder.

This is largely true but it certain situations they are still useful IMO

I agree that Planetars are useful. I just don't depend on them to actually kill very many of Sikret's creations. If they actually kill something, that's a pleasant surprise for me. Planetars are useful in other ways - distractions, spell casting, occasionally damaging foes, etc.

[alphablabla]

I liked the Simulacrum because the summon improves as the caster. The Simulacrum couldn't be remplaced by a mage with determinated spells and abilities in order to prevent cheesy methods?

[Ardanis]

Perhaps an improved version of Wizard's eye - invisible (via 100th opcode - protection from creature type) and capable of True seeing. Though I'm not sure if such a spell can be more useful than say Spell trigger or ADHW.

if I add such a spell, I should also script enemies to use it on you and there is a good chance that the game will not become any easier; moreover, some important creatures must be immune to it and you will return to complain why the spell doesn't work on this or that boss.)

If it means more work for you then no objections from me, but aren't IA's creatures already immune to some spells, Lower resistance and Cloud-like spells in particular? Besides, what's wrong with having more enemies than Noble efreet and Ice golem (I've played quite time ago and not sure if there are others) lowering party's resistances? That would be hardly a difference in difficulty imo.

This post has been edited by Ardanis: Aug 16 2007, 07:46 PM

[Raven]

If it means more work for you then no objections from me, but aren't IA's creatures already immune to some spells, Lower resistance and Cloud-like spells in particular? Besides, what's wrong with having more enemies than Noble efreet and Ice golem (I've played quite time ago and not sure if there are others) lowering party's resistances? That would be hardly a difference in difficulty imo.

Quite a few other powerful enemies I can think of lower elemental resistances - Noble Marilith, all the Red Dragons, certain Balors and so on. IMO it's one of the nastiest abilities in the game and I've always found the battles with such enemies the most difficulty. The mod really would be horribly difficult if enemy mages also lowered resistances.

Plus the ability to lower resistances in the game could easily become unbalancing - since there are far more fire spells than any other element, strategies would begin to revolve around lowering fire resistances and then just attacking with fire spells - there's a danger of many of the other elements just becoming irrelevant.

[luan]

Plus the ability to lower resistances in the game could easily become unbalancing - since there are far more fire spells than any other element, strategies would begin to revolve around lowering fire resistances and then just attacking with fire spells - there's a danger of many of the other elements just becoming irrelevant.

I think a solution to this would be to make the debuff non-stackable. For example, you could reduce the enemies max resistance by 5-10% total. It doesn't sound like much(because it isn't) but it's still potent enough to be very useful in such a mod like IA.

[Shadan]

I wouldn't like new summon spell. There are plenty of them and most of them useless cause of ultimate killer Death Spell. Anyway all high spell has a summon spell, don't need more.
I wouldn't like a new Tenser type spell also. A mage should be a MAGE not a fighter. If I play mage, I want to kill enemies by my spell.
Another cold/acid/poison spell would be fine, but sadly there is an Aby Dalzim and very hard to do better spell for lvl 8. I would like another AE dmg spell at other lvl, not at lvl 8.
Mass lower save / lower MR / lower elmental res would be my first choice. It would be fine to use my lower lvl spells also in fights, in IA I can't use almost any spell in fight below 5, cause of insane MR and saves at enemies. I would prefer a mass lower MR spell for a very short duration, like 1 round / every 5 lvl. This could help me to cast Greater Malison, Slow, Emotion etc. Even Spell Sequencer could be useful. Now, I can't really use it. "1-2 Magic Missile-1-2 Flame Arrow", Greater Mal-Emotion-Slow" all useless cause of MR and insane saves. I tried 3 Vampiric Touch, but it said "no legal target for this spell" when I stood next to the enemy.
Also a mass lower MR would be free some lvl 5 spell slot, which is overloaded with lot of Breach, Sunfire, SI etc.

So my spell would be like this:
Casting time: 8
Range: visual
Area: 30' radius
Duration: 1 round / 5 level
Save: No
Magic Resistance: No
Effect:
Version 1: Lower enemies magic and elemental (fire, cold, lightning, acid, magical energy) resistance with 3%/lvl. Not stackable with himself or Lower resistance.
Version 2: Lower magic and elemental (fire, cold, lightning, acid, magical energy) resistance with 1%/lvl. Stackable with all other similar spell and himself.

If this too strong, it could be not party friendly, so some tactic should be need before casting.

Alternatively I would like any other spell which would cripple 1 or more enemies. THACO, dmg, AC and saving penalty. This would help melee character also, but better to cast this for me with a PURE mage then just sitting at back, or doing melee with Tenser. Of course to be usefull, it should ignore magic resistance, but save could negate or halve it. Although it is a divine spell type imho, not arcane.

[Sikret]

I will not add a lower resistance type spell. So, please leave that option out and concentrate on other possible options.

Thanks in advance.

[nicoper]

First of all congratulation for this mod, much respect for the quantity and quakity of your work (This mod REALLY IS about tactics, to my great distress sometimes ) I really enjoy it, even though I might be older than most of you.

what about a "retaliation"spell ; half damages taken for spell caster, 10% of damages back to each attacking creature, no save and ignore resistance of the attacker, duration 3 rounds?

Another idea would be a "elemental attack" spell adding elemental damage to caster weapon attack (cold, acid, fire or poison, type of damage to choose when casting it just like school for SI, 1D4 elem dmg per hit every 6 levels of the caster) for a couple of rounds (1 every 6 levels of the caster?)
This mainly because I miss very often good cold or acid attacks against some foes....

Last one (but not sure about its real interest) a " lesser alacrity" working only with lvl 1 to 6 spells (any 7+ spell casting attempt breaks it)

hope this is not too ridiculous a proposal

[luan]

How about a beefed up version of Magic Missles with a cap of 12 missles? Each missle can do 1d8 magic and 1d8 blunt damage.
Since it is a level 8 spell, it can bypass globes of invulnerability. With the additional blunt damage, it can eat through stoneskins!

[lroumen]

12 x 2d16 = 24-192 damage? Kind of a high max damage even if it is conditional, but it's a nice idea. I thought magic missile could already swat stoneskin.

[luan]

24-192 damage is correct yes (12 x 2d8).
I don't think the max damage is too high no.

Consider ADHW is 20d8, doesn't harm allies, and is big AOE!

[Raven]

I thought magic missile could already swat stoneskin.

Magic missile inflicts damage through stoneskins, but I don't think it actually removes the skins in the process.

[Shaitan]

Isn't there some mordokainens missiles in IWD 2? Couldn't they be applied as 8th level spell? Still I like the gated in creature, not touched by death spells.

[luan]

Isn't there some mordokainens missiles in IWD 2? Couldn't they be applied as 8th level spell?

Yes, that's the idea. More utility minded with higher spell level, dual damage types, and higher missle # cap.