Post by Variaz on Sept 29, 2008 23:13:40 GMT -5
Ok, you've noticed I've been in an "improving stuff" mood lately. I believe the thing that needs it the most is perhaps the Monster race. The promise of hundreds of different classes through this race is really awesome! Now, if only they were actually playable and fun, that would be great. But it's not the case.
So I have decided that I will finally repair this race, and make it interesting once and for all. Here's the proposed changes:
HP:
First change, the hp. It's low. And it's not good. So, I am now changing the way it works to allow for Monsters to use Constitution, like other races. In addition to the regular Con formula, they gain a bonus to hp per levels equal to half of their maximum base roll for hp. So a Mature Prismatic Dragon has 9600 more hp per levels than normal. It's not overpowered, considering wearing an armor of ac 300 and having 10 Armored Health yields 9000 extra hp per levels, and you can get that before level 40. But it does give Monsters a boost in survivability, especially when playing a weaker monster kind.
ABILITIES
Next, the abilities. Improved Magic has it's uses for magic-using monsters, and is quite all right. The other two... meh. Let's take them out both. And replace them by something more interesting. Abilities I plan on implementing:
Level 1:
GREATER EVOLUTION:
Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom(the main offensive stats) increases by (monster's depth)% of base stats(not counting the regular natural bonus you receive)for every points. This replaces the old attack boosters, and gives an ability that focus on base stats rather than skills. After all, Monsters have generally higher stats but less skills, and this ability follows that route.
SMALL BUT DEADLY:
Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom increases by 1% of your base stats for every levels above your current monster's depth. The total percent increase is multiplied by this ability's level. The goal of this ability is to provide the opportunity for players to play smaller creatures if they want to, yet still have good stats later on. Weaker creatures doesn't mean their abilities can't be useful! So this is the ability that will make playing a Small Kobold, Nagaette or even a Fruit Bat possible.
IMPROVED MAGICS:
+50% to spells damages for all the monster's magic attacks. No changes needed here, it's a useful ability. I might improve it to increase the success rate of non-damages abilities(such as Divination or Life Blast), and to allow stronger summonings, etc...
INNER ELEMENTAL MASTERY:
You pick one of the 16 main elements(maybe not Physical). All your attacks, melee, ranged and magical of that element, gains a bonus to damages equal to half of your resistance. A bit like the above ability, but applies to all types of attacks. Perhaps I'll allow it to be activable for a "Piercing Spells" type effect too! This is an ability for monsters like Elementals who wants to embraces their elemental nature. Also helps humanoid monsters who would equip items that gives resistances...
IMPROVED ESSENCE ACTIVATIONS:
+50% to damages done by the activation of Essences. Does that means I will implement that idea I had? Yes.
IMPROVED DEFENSE:
+25% of monster's base AC to your base AC per points. Basically an improved version of the existing ability. Everyone needs a defensive ability, even monsters, so here it is. Can be effective with high def monsters like golems or dragons. Even more if combined with Agility and Martial Arts.
Level 6:
IMPROVED COUNTERS:
Improves your chances to block with blocking counters(exact amount has yet to be determined). Also improves the effects of returning counters(will return more damages). Yes, this means Monsters will get counters.
IMPROVED PASSIVE POWERS:
Improves a monster's scripted passive abilities(if any). This could improve some monsters, like the Spirit of Blizzard, to spawn stronger ice fields, and other abilities to work better. Not necessarely useful for all monsters, but monsters that do have these powers might like this ability.
RACIAL CHAMPION:
Passive bonus of (monster's depth)% of your base Charisma per points to your Charisma. And then the ability can be activated for a radius attack to persuade enemies of the same race as yours to join your cause(saving throw required, but power will be high). Basically, an ability for monster summoners, of which there are plently.
Level 10:
ESSENCE EVOLUTION:
Allows you to evolve into the monster contained in an Essence, provided it's the same kind as you are and that the ability is high enough. The main uses are:
- Allow premature evolution.
- Allow regression. Because deeper doesn't always mean better. You might need more points than just one to perform "complete" regression to a level enemy.
It may seem a bit weak, but look at the proposed modified rules for evolution below, and you'll see that it might more useful than you think, especially if you're a newbie to the Monster race.
I wonder if this ability will also allow normally forbidden evolutions...
In addition to the 10 abilities, a new feature will be added, and you will be able to spend AP into specific monster attacks and spells. If you like one particular power of a monster, this will give you the option to focus into it. Spells will receive twice the boost they receive with the standard Improved Magics. And increasing an attack will not only boost it's damages, but give it a radius too.
EVOLUTION:
It can be difficult to know exactly if a given monster will yield good results, and if it will fit your build. So a proposed change is that when you evolve, instead of "evolving", you'll be able to "reincarnate" into that monster. You will restart at level 1, all stats, skills and abilities will be reset, your kills count will return to 0. But you will start anew in a new monster body. This will allow you to better adapt your build to fit that new monster! And if you combine this with the level 10 ability, you can do regression, and start over, with more experience of the chosen kind. This also make the level 10 ability really useful for some enemies that takes a while to have a worthwhile evolution.
Note that regardless of reincarnation, points invested in specific attacks or spells will always be reset, obviously. Also, reincarnation will reset your kill counts, and that is to prevent players from using too much reincarnations and rather try to adapt their monsters properly. Reincarnation and regression are meant as a way to save you in case you really screw up big.
COMBAT:
Unarmed combat will now be regular Martial Arts, and not something based on the monster's natural attacks. And you won't be limited in terms of blows anymore(but you'll still get extra blows if your monster has some. ). Instead, your monster's natural moves will be usable as combat feats. They will increase in damages and radius if you place AP in them. And they will be usable by any type of weapons too! So humanoid monsters that use weapons will be able to use the moves with a sword or spear. This makes the attacks more fun, and less limiting.
COUNTERS:
Counters will be implemented. They will use the appropriate stats(dex for weapon blocking, int+wis for magic blocking, etc...). Suddently, that Mirror Ball enemy seems fun to play... Especially since an ability now improves it's powers!
SCRIPTED POWERS/PASSIVE ABILITIES:
They will be implemented too! You'll be able to spawn ice fields if you play as the Spirit of Blizzard, blink upon being hit if playing the Planar Phantom, use the Mind Gazer's special power to cast an accurate 100% Divination, etc... Some really uber abilities might not be implemented however, or those that can't really be used as player abilities. Or you'll get a nerfed version of said abilities.
Well, that's about it for now. My plan is to proceed to do all that. Hopefully implementing essences will be an easy task. The rest shouldn't be very difficult. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post!
So I have decided that I will finally repair this race, and make it interesting once and for all. Here's the proposed changes:
HP:
First change, the hp. It's low. And it's not good. So, I am now changing the way it works to allow for Monsters to use Constitution, like other races. In addition to the regular Con formula, they gain a bonus to hp per levels equal to half of their maximum base roll for hp. So a Mature Prismatic Dragon has 9600 more hp per levels than normal. It's not overpowered, considering wearing an armor of ac 300 and having 10 Armored Health yields 9000 extra hp per levels, and you can get that before level 40. But it does give Monsters a boost in survivability, especially when playing a weaker monster kind.
ABILITIES
Next, the abilities. Improved Magic has it's uses for magic-using monsters, and is quite all right. The other two... meh. Let's take them out both. And replace them by something more interesting. Abilities I plan on implementing:
Level 1:
GREATER EVOLUTION:
Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom(the main offensive stats) increases by (monster's depth)% of base stats(not counting the regular natural bonus you receive)for every points. This replaces the old attack boosters, and gives an ability that focus on base stats rather than skills. After all, Monsters have generally higher stats but less skills, and this ability follows that route.
SMALL BUT DEADLY:
Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom increases by 1% of your base stats for every levels above your current monster's depth. The total percent increase is multiplied by this ability's level. The goal of this ability is to provide the opportunity for players to play smaller creatures if they want to, yet still have good stats later on. Weaker creatures doesn't mean their abilities can't be useful! So this is the ability that will make playing a Small Kobold, Nagaette or even a Fruit Bat possible.
IMPROVED MAGICS:
+50% to spells damages for all the monster's magic attacks. No changes needed here, it's a useful ability. I might improve it to increase the success rate of non-damages abilities(such as Divination or Life Blast), and to allow stronger summonings, etc...
INNER ELEMENTAL MASTERY:
You pick one of the 16 main elements(maybe not Physical). All your attacks, melee, ranged and magical of that element, gains a bonus to damages equal to half of your resistance. A bit like the above ability, but applies to all types of attacks. Perhaps I'll allow it to be activable for a "Piercing Spells" type effect too! This is an ability for monsters like Elementals who wants to embraces their elemental nature. Also helps humanoid monsters who would equip items that gives resistances...
IMPROVED ESSENCE ACTIVATIONS:
+50% to damages done by the activation of Essences. Does that means I will implement that idea I had? Yes.
IMPROVED DEFENSE:
+25% of monster's base AC to your base AC per points. Basically an improved version of the existing ability. Everyone needs a defensive ability, even monsters, so here it is. Can be effective with high def monsters like golems or dragons. Even more if combined with Agility and Martial Arts.
Level 6:
IMPROVED COUNTERS:
Improves your chances to block with blocking counters(exact amount has yet to be determined). Also improves the effects of returning counters(will return more damages). Yes, this means Monsters will get counters.
IMPROVED PASSIVE POWERS:
Improves a monster's scripted passive abilities(if any). This could improve some monsters, like the Spirit of Blizzard, to spawn stronger ice fields, and other abilities to work better. Not necessarely useful for all monsters, but monsters that do have these powers might like this ability.
RACIAL CHAMPION:
Passive bonus of (monster's depth)% of your base Charisma per points to your Charisma. And then the ability can be activated for a radius attack to persuade enemies of the same race as yours to join your cause(saving throw required, but power will be high). Basically, an ability for monster summoners, of which there are plently.
Level 10:
ESSENCE EVOLUTION:
Allows you to evolve into the monster contained in an Essence, provided it's the same kind as you are and that the ability is high enough. The main uses are:
- Allow premature evolution.
- Allow regression. Because deeper doesn't always mean better. You might need more points than just one to perform "complete" regression to a level enemy.
It may seem a bit weak, but look at the proposed modified rules for evolution below, and you'll see that it might more useful than you think, especially if you're a newbie to the Monster race.
I wonder if this ability will also allow normally forbidden evolutions...
In addition to the 10 abilities, a new feature will be added, and you will be able to spend AP into specific monster attacks and spells. If you like one particular power of a monster, this will give you the option to focus into it. Spells will receive twice the boost they receive with the standard Improved Magics. And increasing an attack will not only boost it's damages, but give it a radius too.
EVOLUTION:
It can be difficult to know exactly if a given monster will yield good results, and if it will fit your build. So a proposed change is that when you evolve, instead of "evolving", you'll be able to "reincarnate" into that monster. You will restart at level 1, all stats, skills and abilities will be reset, your kills count will return to 0. But you will start anew in a new monster body. This will allow you to better adapt your build to fit that new monster! And if you combine this with the level 10 ability, you can do regression, and start over, with more experience of the chosen kind. This also make the level 10 ability really useful for some enemies that takes a while to have a worthwhile evolution.
Note that regardless of reincarnation, points invested in specific attacks or spells will always be reset, obviously. Also, reincarnation will reset your kill counts, and that is to prevent players from using too much reincarnations and rather try to adapt their monsters properly. Reincarnation and regression are meant as a way to save you in case you really screw up big.
COMBAT:
Unarmed combat will now be regular Martial Arts, and not something based on the monster's natural attacks. And you won't be limited in terms of blows anymore(but you'll still get extra blows if your monster has some. ). Instead, your monster's natural moves will be usable as combat feats. They will increase in damages and radius if you place AP in them. And they will be usable by any type of weapons too! So humanoid monsters that use weapons will be able to use the moves with a sword or spear. This makes the attacks more fun, and less limiting.
COUNTERS:
Counters will be implemented. They will use the appropriate stats(dex for weapon blocking, int+wis for magic blocking, etc...). Suddently, that Mirror Ball enemy seems fun to play... Especially since an ability now improves it's powers!
SCRIPTED POWERS/PASSIVE ABILITIES:
They will be implemented too! You'll be able to spawn ice fields if you play as the Spirit of Blizzard, blink upon being hit if playing the Planar Phantom, use the Mind Gazer's special power to cast an accurate 100% Divination, etc... Some really uber abilities might not be implemented however, or those that can't really be used as player abilities. Or you'll get a nerfed version of said abilities.
Well, that's about it for now. My plan is to proceed to do all that. Hopefully implementing essences will be an easy task. The rest shouldn't be very difficult. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post!