Curse Buffs
I’ve already posted about making curse verb based but what about doing more with it, what if when a curse was self-cast on the sorcerer it gave them the opposite of the penalty? See, the sorcerer circle has but 1 buff in the entire circle, which is last among all spell circles in the game (except maybe the old 800 circle, which no profession has anymore). But how to add another one? I like this idea…
Instead of making you clumsy, self-casting the clumsy curse would give you a small +5 rank bonus to climbing (note, climbing potions are sold for cheap at like every merchant event now). Or protection from knockdown manuevers.
Instead of making you itchy, self-casting the fleas curse would give you… well I can’t think of a good one for this. The main problem with fleas is you drop your gear, so I thought maybe a bonus against disarm, or a bonus to strength, or to CM. I don’t know, maybe something else entirely. Maybe protection against distraction attacks.
Instead of giving you disease (remember, we’re going to make disease a curse), you gain an immunity to disease.
Instead of giving you a DS penalty, you get a DS increase (small in comparison to the penalty).
Instead of giving you an AS penalty, you get an AS bonus (small in comparison to the penalty).
Instead of giving you a TD penalty, you get a TD bonus (probably about the same, its only 15).
Instead of giving you a Nightmare (remember, we’re making nightmare a curse), you get resistance to fear based attacks (like what bravery gets you).
So, what are the tradeoffs? Well, a sorcerer can only choose 1 curse to wear at a time, it should have a decent duration though, refreshable, but not stackable. Like 1130 in duration I think. So it isn’t like you could wear all those buffs, just one, and obviously this would all be self cast only.
The other trade off is, based on mana controls and sorcerer spells known, there is a chance of failure every time you cast the spell, and if you fail you get the negative, not the positive, curse effect instead. This chance can be trained away, not unlike the chance to train away armor hinderance etc, but there will always be a minimum failure rate.
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Pingback by Virilneus’ GS4 Idea Book » Blog Archive » 712 Improvements — December 8, 2007 @ 10:18 am
This idea doesn’t make any sense the way it’s laid out. Why is cursing yourself a good thing? When we do it to ourselves it’s a blessing, but when we do it to others, it’s a curse? There is no logic here at all, nor any basis on other game mechanics.
The only way you could justify something like this would be to gain a partial amount of the attribute you remove from a cursed target. So, if you lowered a target TD, then you get some TD benefit. Under this scheme, the curse operates by a sorcerer cursing a target for selfish benefit. However, although this would be neat mechanically, I don’t think it’s worth the time to implement, because as soon as the creature dies, then obviously the benefit must be gone. The only loop hole to make it useful would have it be like 701 blood regeneration where as long as the creature is alive and still cursed, you can benefit no matter where you are in relation to the creature.
Comment by Kaldonis — June 2, 2009 @ 8:45 am
You need to get a little more versed in game mechanics. Many spells provide a positive affect to the caster but a negative affect to the target. 102, 513, 1101, for instance. Then, expanding, spells like 209 are multiform, with a buff form and a targetted utility form. 111 is multiform with an attack version, and a utility version. 704 is scheduled to become as such. 118 is multiform with an area spell, a targetted spell AS spell, and a targetted CS spell.
If your argument is that the spell description would need to change, well, duh. Of course it would.
You may also be trapped in some RL definition of curse. We’re not voodoo witch doctors. Curse is not a form of magic unto itself. It is merely a relatively weak sorcerer spell that uses tenets of sorcery (mana manipulation, demonic summoning, and necromancy) to create a series of minor status effects on a target.
The best analogy really is with 1101. Empaths know how to manipulate health. They can turn the knob to the left, or the right. I see curse as the same way, it is an exploration of abilities within our sphere, and we can manipulate those things up or down, left or right. Sorcerers are not NASCAR drivers, only able to turn left.
Comment by Viril — June 2, 2009 @ 10:14 am
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