Protector: Another new ranger kit, Primarily for Valygar but also available for PC Options

[Sikret]

Thanks for the comments, all!

The idea of a new clerical kit is very good. I'll put it in my agenda.

The expression "Ranger Protector" is used in the vanilla game a few times. Even your cabin is called "Ranger Protector's Cabin". Hence, I thought "Protector" can be an ideal name for the new ranger kit.

As for why I created a new kit for the ranger class again, the reason was that I was not happy with Valygar's kit. As I said, I didn't have a good feeling with Valygar's Bakstabbing and poisoning abilities. The main goal was to change Valygar's kit. See the initial post.

[Ryel ril Ers]

Valygar and the backstab
Valygar was scout in an army so he usually was enemy territory so he needed kill the enemy in silence, but it is not sure, only possible.

Valygar and the magic
I think Valygar hates only the arcane magic, because he always speak about evil mages not evil clerics. His stalker class fits well for mage hunting because the stealth, backstab, haste and minor globe.

Valygar as a protector
I have an idea but i sent it for Sikret because if he implement it then it will be very big spoiler.
If Valygar change to protector then i think some antimagic fits well for the class, i think chaotic command (against some nasty unnatural monster and evil mage who soil the nature) as somebody said it, and/or free action (against the spiders) and/or resist magic (the max caster level of rangers is 9 so it only add 18% magic resist so they not as good then the wizard slayers). With some of these spell i believe Valygar's words when he said he fought against several mage in the past.

[Sikret]

Valygar and the backstab
Valygar was scout in an army so he usually was enemy territory so he needed kill the enemy in silence, but it is not sure, only possible.

Yes, this is a good justification. However, when I said that I was not happy with Valygar's abilities, I didn't mean that they are not "Justifiable". I just meant that I didn't like those type of abilities and since I don't use them (though I know very well how to use them), Valygar only had disadvantages of a Stalker without its advantages in my game. I don't like to sneak and kill an enemy when he is not aware of my presence or has not fully prepared himself for the battle. Even when I play an evil party (which happens very rarely), I don't use such methods. In other words, even as an evil character, I like to show a mimimum of nobility and honor to fight fairly. And yes, I hate thief class (except swashbucklers).

Now with such an attitude (right or wrong), just imagine how bitter it could be for me to play a ranger kit whose advantages are hiding and backstabbing and poisoning. I immensely love Valygar for his family story (otherwise, I wouldn't pick his portrait ), but don't like his kit.

This post has been edited by Sikret: Jan 18 2008, 11:31 PM

[Ryel ril Ers]

@Sikret
Is my PM arrived in your inbox? I wrote an idea from valygar as protector.

I didn't like the stalker too. I love better thieves for backstab and the other fighter classes for fighter.

If Valygar is good guy with honour why he doesn't help to people of Umar? He take his life more important then a village's fate?

[Sikret]

Is my PM arrived in your inbox? I wrote an idea from valygar as protector.

Yes, I received and saved it. I constantly receive lots of good ideas for all kinds of additional content from players. I don't ignore any of them. They are waiting in queue. If I don't react immediately to a suggestion, it doesn't mean that it is ignored.

If Valygar is good guy with honour why he doesn't help to people of Umar? He take his life more important then a village's fate?

Perhaps, he is not even aware of what is going on there. We don't know for how long he has been inside his cabin. The deaths in Umar Hills had started only a short time before you met Delon in the city. The mayor says "We have some killings and disapperances as of late (= quite recently)".

[lroumen]

Valygar has been in hiding for quite a while now. He retreated to Imnesvale, but even there you can find a Cowled Wizard who would recognise him if he were to show his face in town. I don't think Valygar has much choice in the matter... he has to hide out in his cabin for a while.

I thought the Stalker kit fit him very well, but if you prefer to change him then by all means do.

Btw, the term Ranger Protector is the title you are given when you accept the Ranger Stronghold. You become the Ranger Protector of the town of Imnesvale. It does sound like a solid name for a kit though.

[Vik]

- Gains "Cure Serious Wounds" every 7 levels.
- Gains "Mass Cure" every 9 levels.

actually i think this spells make him something like healer not a protector, choosing from lvl 5 it would be more suitable for protector to have Righteous Magic to protect others and Iron skin to protect himself. Just a thought

[Sikret]

Hmm, isn't healing sort of protecting (from death)?

[Jarno Mikkola]

- Gains "Mass Cure" every 9 levels.

I would raise the level to 11, as he isn't a cleric... but otherwise the kit looks much better than that he had, so

[Vik]

Hmm, isn't healing sort of protecting (from death)?

hmm it depends from which point to look at it healing is needed when u failed to protect someone. or am i wrong?

[lroumen]

I think it's just a matter of taste. All divine casters gain the spells from either the cleric or druid epos and they all encompass spells that can be grouped under protection, healing or curative magic (curative is like dispelling of negative effects like disease, poison, curses, enfeeblement, charm, hold etc).
The role of your NPC just depends on which spells you intend to memorise.
Perhaps to emphasise the protective role of the Ranger Protector, some purely protective abilities are in order (like defensive harmony, protection from evil 15', death ward or such), but it's not a bad thing to allow some healing magics as well.

[rbeverjr]

All of the classes what you didn't touch has very good kits (inquisitor, swashbucker, blade, specialist mage), except the cleric. There are 3 cleric kit but they only know 2 spelllike ability. I suggest to make the protector as a cleric kit with some changes. The class can be a very good battle medic and guardian angel, so the peoples will think about choose this or the classic berserker or ranger cleric.

That would be something to interest me - a cleric kit good enough to replace my ranger 7-cleric!

Concerning Valygar: He's not my favorite NPC, and I typically don't bring him along. However, because many of the toughest opponents are immune to backstab, I don't consider Stalker as being an optimal kit. Replacing it could give Valygar more appeal.

[Sikret]

After reading all comments here and after playtesting the kit for a while, I revised the kit in the hope of making it more interesting and a bit more powerful to make it a valid alternate option compared to the Vagrant kit. Here is the new description (I will edit the initial post too):

PROTECTOR: Protectors are dedicated defenders of people and nature. They usually take residence close to people who are in need of help, but they are also always prepared to travel when the cause is fighting evil. While being great warriors, they can also learn and cast more spells than other rangers. Protectors have such a strong affinity with mother nature that they never wear
armors greater than the studded leather. This self-imposed limitation has been compensated with mental and physical abilities.


Advantages:
- +1 bonus to Armor class for every 6 levels.
- Can memorize 2 additional spells per spell level.
- Has access to "Vocalize" as a 2nd level spell.
- Gains "Cure Serious Wounds" at levels 7, 11 and 15.
- Gains "Mass Cure" at levels 10 and 16.
- Gains "Racial Combat" at level 19.


Disadvantages:
1- May not wear armor greater than studded leather
2- Cannot dual class
3- Requires 10 Intelligence and Charisma.

Racial Combat:

Using this powerful innate ability allows the protector to be prepared for fighting a special race of his or her choice. The ability will grant very useful bonuses against enemies of the selected race, but will also make the protector subject to penalties against other races. The effects (bonuses and penalties alike) won't be dispellable and will remain active for 2 turns.

My questions:

1- Do you think that the exact bonuses and penalties each version of "Racial Combat" offers need to be mentioned in the kit's description in the character's sheet? It will make the description too long.

2- Is anyone willing to test the kit and specially the Racial combat ability in practice while fighting with each of the selectable races and send me feedback about the degree of usefulness and/or balance of the bonuses compared to penalties?

[Sikret]

Compare this new description with the one written in the previous post and tell me which one you prefer. I highlight the different sections:

PROTECTOR: Protectors are dedicated defenders of people and nature. They usually take residence close to people who are in need of help, but they are also always prepared to travel when the cause is fighting evil. While being great warriors, they can also learn and cast more spells than other rangers. Protectors have such a strong affinity with mother nature that they never wear
armors greater than the studded leather. This self-imposed limitation has been compensated with mental and physical abilities. A protector sacrifices a portion of his own health and stamina to begin learning the special protective abilities of his kit.


Advantages:
- +1 bonus to Armor class for every 6 levels.
- Can memorize 2 additional spells per spell level.
- Has access to "Vocalize" as a 2nd level spell.
- Has access to two special 3rd level spells (Great Berries & Mental Equilibrium).
- Gains "Cure Serious Wounds" at levels 7, 11 and 15.
- Gains "Mass Cure" at levels 10 and 16.
- Gains "Racial Combat" at level 19.


Disadvantages:
- May not wear armor greater than studded leather
- Incurs a -1 penalty to constitution.
- Cannot dual class
- Requires 10 Intelligence and Charisma.

Racial Combat:

Using this powerful innate ability allows the protector to be prepared for fighting a special race of his or her choice. The ability will grant very useful bonuses against enemies of the selected race, but will also make the protector subject to penalties against other races. The effects (bonuses and penalties alike) won't be dispellable and will remain active for 2 turns.

Great Berries is an improved version of Good Berries and Mental Equilibrium removes confusion, stun and feeblemindedness from a single creature.

[Shaitan]

Sounds like a good trade-off. Not too big a sacrifice... and I like the sound of the two new spells.

[geh4th]

I'm curious about the Protector; I like what I see and am interested in trying it out for Valygar.


Am I right in assuming that this package wouldn't get the arcane spells that the Stalker gets?


G-

[Sikret]

Welcome to BWL, geh4th!

Am I right in assuming that this package wouldn't get the arcane spells that the Stalker gets?

Yes, you are right. Protector is a totally different kit than Stalker.

[Kerkes]

Will there be an option to keep Valy a stalker? I suppose that would mess up his new katana, but I must say I grew quite fond of him in IA and I'll miss him as a stalker a lot. He did kill Ancient Wyrm after all...
And a question about that cloack of magic shielding - you still must have 19 con for it, yes? Will protector also have the ability to use it, or is it still vagrant only item due to the fact that dwarves and halforcs cannot be rangers.
Like the idea of vocalize for a spell a lot, too bad clerics can't cast it.

[Sikret]

Will there be an option to keep Valy a stalker?

No, sorry. Our tests have proven that the protector kit is a lot more efficient than the stalker kit; so you won't hopefully miss Valygar's previous kit.

I suppose that would mess up his new katana

As mentioned before in this thread, his katana will have new and different abilities which fit with his new kit.

And a question about that cloack of magic shielding - you still must have 19 con for it, yes? Will protector also have the ability to use it, or is it still vagrant only item due to the fact that dwarves and halforcs cannot be rangers.

If your protagonist is not a vagrant, you won't even find that cloak in the game. But, if your protagonist is a vagrant and you have the cloak, then Valygar can also use it provided that you find some way to increase his constitution to 19.

Like the idea of vocalize for a spell a lot, too bad clerics can't cast it.

Yes, the spell can be very useful in some certain battles.

[Kerkes]

Never even tought about Valy and 19 con.. I like that vagran armor far too much.
Noticed you wrote about adding a cleric kit.. perhaps giving him a special hla to vocalize as well

This post has been edited by Kerkes: Jul 21 2008, 01:12 PM