Recent changes to feature-requests

[species] Devourer

2010-02-20T01:21:14Z

Here's a concept that plays with the ordinary hunger structure. A Devourer is a huge, disgusting glutton of a creature which exists to consume everything it can get its hands on. Mechanically, it should reward eating as much as possible, frequently as soon as possible.

It seems to me that a good way to accomplish this would be for a Devourer to gain experience solely through nutrition, so that eating rather than fighting is what increases level. (Naturally, this would require a very odd experience curve for Devourers, as the experience gain in the dungeon is balanced far differently from the food availability.) A Devourer would be unable to starve to death; rather, advanced stages of starvation cause degeneration of its stats, which can be restored by eating. Stat death, rather than death by starvation, is the fate of Devourers who don't keep moving.

This species would increase in size as its level increases, gaining access to new weapon and armor types but possibly losing access to older ones. It would also be appropriate to give it a fairly powerful bite attack which also causes enemies killed with it to be eaten in the same movement. Balancing this against a poor racial aptitude for most or all weapons appears a natural choice. Very certainly it requires good deal of resistance, if not outright immunity, to food-borne harmful effects, very likely inherently gaining many of the bonuses of the Amulet of the Gourmand.

One could imagine further variations on the idea. Slow skill growth all around, but with the ability to consume an item to speed improvement in the associated skill. An exceptionally high vulnerability to poison. Metabolism-altering effects could have serious consequences. And, of course, the physiology of the Devourer is entirely up in the air, producing the possibility of filling any needed combination of skill aptitudes.

Randart armour ideas

2010-01-28T22:39:10Z

As I find randart body armour not really competitive with upgradable GDA/RoR, I think maybe some possible new properties might make them more desirable. For example:
-bonus HP and/or MP (either fixed value or a percentage of current)
-torment resistance (not full, would be overpowered. Maybe 50%?)
-sticky flame immunity
-permanent Rmsl

On the other hand, perhaps accuracy and/or damage bonuses should be removed? Don't make much sense on armour.

Also note, I am proposing these for body armour only, not for cloaks, etc. They are competitive enough.

Traps!

2010-01-24T14:04:24Z

New trap ideas:
- Food trap: changes one of your items into a food ration, or vice-versa.
- Freeze trap (potion trap): shatters one of you potions, damaging you in the process.
- Flame trap: Burns one of your scrolls, damaging you.
- Drain trap: drains some mp.
- Silence trap: minor slow (better than the above, since it can affect monsters)
- Slow trap: Affects you with a minor slow.
- (other status effect traps.)

- Torment trap (one charge only)
- Mutation trap
- Mislead trap
- Dance trap
- Curare needle trap
- Elemental traps (fire, cold, poison, electricity)

Beneficial:
- Haste trap
- Regen trap (heals you a little every turn you stand on it)

*Monsters can also step on beneficial traps and such.

Not a request, BUT...

2010-01-22T18:38:40Z

By Andy:

I've been in the process of moving to University of Tennessee Space Institute where I'm getting my Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering (no, I'm not kidding). I haven't been able to access the Internet for quite a while, and I just wanted to thank whomever implemented the Orb of Destruction in Vehumet's Book of Annihilations. VERY neat! And thanks to whoever had that idea of a "seeking ball". Great idea, great implementation, and thanks for a wonderful game!

(you can delete this, I don't know where to post a thank-you on this site.)

Potion of cure rotting

2010-01-16T19:19:39Z

Currently there is no way to get back maxHP caused by massive rotting (characters doing Tomb or Ghouls doing Pan/Hells), because there's never enough potions of healing to spare. Perhaps there should be a rare potion to heal it (let's say 5-10 points each)?

Qui

Sponsorship for book of Brands

2010-01-15T07:58:50Z

Why not get some big name companies to sponsor spells? Swiftness could be Coca-cola, Freezing Aura becomes Frigidaire, and Cause Fear could be CIA or Al-Kaeda, depending on your politics or who makes the highest bid. You guys could retire rich :)

Thief starting choices

2010-01-10T02:47:38Z

Was going to comment on the recent slings/thieves FR (2928575), but it was already closed. I've always thought that the aptitudes are wrong, for one; thieves should start with higher stealth than assassins for logic reasons; also, avoiding combat until the temple is much more crucial for the thief than the assassin, due to lack of a blowgun. The thief god is a good idea, if monolithic: it might be interesting to have other options in chargen, as an either/or option (starting with a deity or with item choices). Anyway, here are some possible starting gear/aptitudes for the class:

lvl 1 evocations and a rod of discovery (makes sense from a flavour perspective, but might be overpowered)

Gold...also for flavour, and doesn't help on the first three levels at all. However, it would make the early weakness more compelling (shops/troves)

Blowgun with some of the new needles. Kind of makes the class too similar to assassin, but might make for interesting play, i.e., using needles of confusion to get away from Sigmund. Alternatively, starts with some of the new darts (reaping might be an interesting choice)

Starts out with some potions/scrolls pre-identified. Alternatively, starts with escape items: potions of invisibility, scrolls of fog, teleportation, fear, etc

Put the crossbows exp into stealth/dodging/etc. It doesn't make sense to have skill points invested in it now that hand crossbows are gone.

Starts with gauntlets of legerdemain, which grants a stealing effect when one is within one square of an enemy (this would be a non-god way of addressing theft in the game, incidentally). Could be ultra-rare in the main dungeon. In theory, it would have a small passive chance of theft when being attacked, a larger chance when attacking, and the largest chance when adjacent to unaware/distracted monsters. This could lead to interesting situations when Terence has a wand of draining, for instance. Could be hard to balance, but solves another (sort of) issue: there aren't any normal gloves which compete with artifacts.

teleport the corpse of being that was going to teleport

2010-01-09T15:54:43Z

Mostly for flavour reasons, it would be nice if a being that looked "slightly unstable" (i.e. casted teleport self or got casted teleport other on it) would have its corpse randomly teleported away. Don't think there are any strong gameplay effects other than potentially losing/delaying loot, but it would be fun.

Slings for thieves?

2010-01-08T23:11:31Z

In trunk, I'm really missing the stealth kills I used to get with the hand crossbow. I think it might be nice to give thieves (Especially those of smaller races) a sling to start with instead of just darts.

Maybe this could be made a choice as chargen? (IE: Short Sword + Darts | Dagger + Sling)

Fixedart Improval

2010-01-08T13:48:25Z

#1 on the list 'wyrmbane'

A scale-covered lance (Spear) +9,+6 Wyrmbane {slay drac, +Rage rPois rF+ AC+5}

Propose change of base type to Glaive. Would like to see more useful fixedarts in general, additional ideas for other fixedarts encouraged. -PigVomit