Rods and crystals in 0.3

[sekira]

Here is my main question:

How exactly is the damage calculated for zapping rods?

I'm asking because there is some information about things that increase damage from zapping rods in several places, mainly:

1) In the skills.txt help file, it says rods get +1 damage per level for each point in the skill. Is that still +1 damage per level or is it +1 damage per (int-5) or +1 damage per whichever is higher (int-5) or (wis-5)

2) The rods themselves have a power rating listed when they are id'd. I assume that is the starting damage per level or damage per (int-5) etc etc, is that correct?

3) Spellcraft boosts damage (and radius for balls) after the above are calculated, right?

4) Does the Mage's Improved Activation ability affect zapping rods? (or aiming wands, or using staves?) or is it exclusively for the A command? (I'm guessing it is for the A command only)

5) Are there alchemy or crafting recipies for crystals? I'm not looking for spoilers for recipies, just a little spoiler on whether they can be created, and whether your skill affects the created crystal's power level.

I already have some ideas for the suggestions forum, based on what the answers are to these questions, but I'll save them for a different thread over there, instead of including them here.

[Variaz]

1) In the skills.txt help file, it says rods get +1 damage per level for each point in the skill. Is that still +1 damage per level or is it +1 damage per (int-5) or +1 damage per whichever is higher (int-5) or (wis-5)

I believe I forgot to update that part, but now base damages are (crystal's power) * (rods skill).

2) The rods themselves have a power rating listed when they are id'd. I assume that is the starting damage per level or damage per (int-5) etc etc, is that correct?

Rods with a power rating? You must mean the crystals. And it's not Int related, rods zapping is entirely based on Rods skill.

3) Spellcraft boosts damage (and radius for balls) after the above are calculated, right?

Yes.

4) Does the Mage's Improved Activation ability affect zapping rods? (or aiming wands, or using staves?) or is it exclusively for the A command? (I'm guessing it is for the A command only)

It doesn't improve rods. It's only the 'A' command.

5) Are there alchemy or crafting recipies for crystals? I'm not looking for spoilers for recipies, just a little spoiler on whether they can be created, and whether your skill affects the created crystal's power level.

No, although this would be easy to add in the k_info, and is a very good idea too!

EDIT: Hmmm.... Crystals + Enchanter's Essence Transfer = fun? Thanks for making me think of that!

[sekira]

yes, yes, I meant the crystals have a power rating, not the rods, heh. I'll put my suggestions in a new thread in the suggestions forum now. Thanks for the info, and thanks for all your hard work making a great game!

[junyortrakr]

Does the lvl 70 rod feat affect all points you have in spellcrafting and specific magic skills, or just base points you add? For example, if the character is a gnome with a 25% racial bonus to spellcrafting and an item with 25 points of spellcrafting, would the rod bonus be calculated on the 100 points of the skill, the 125 points with the racial bonus added, or the 150 points with all of them added together?

Thanks

[Variaz]

The bonus is based on the base skill values.