|
Show Posts
Originally Posted by miltonyorkcastle  Filatus explained it perfectly. Helpful hint, Dezza: get more HP.  Seriously, anything to raise your constitution will dramatically increase a character's survival rate, as well as feats like Toughness. Because creatures hitting you for 50+ damage a pop is not uncommon at epic levels. (I'm not saying you need to be epic to fight those particular trollocs or that one of those firebombs critting on you isn't heinous, just that more HP really, really does help.) |
Best bit of advice I ever got from DM Milty.
22
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 06:41:52 am »
I know there are servers(usually the pvp oriented ones) that use an altered version of True Sight
TS=See Invisibility and +50 on spot checks
that would mean a high lvl rogue/ranger would still be able to sneak around a spawn with TS and players with TS should (hopefully) be able to spot creatures that have HIPS
TS=See Invisibility and +50 on spot checks
that would mean a high lvl rogue/ranger would still be able to sneak around a spawn with TS and players with TS should (hopefully) be able to spot creatures that have HIPS
23
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 06:19:50 am »
I know the wolves in the Thunder Peaks were given True Sight for a reason, to prevent anyone to sneak up the mountain without needing a group.
I readily agree True sight is overpowered, but changing it would have dire ramifications for any battle involving creatures with Hide in Plain Sight. You'd have to remove Hips if you make such a change to True Sight.
I feel your pain on the line of sight thing. Once creatures lock on, they are stuck in autofollow even if they can't see you. Which is why corner sneaking isn't a good alternative to Hips in NWN combat.
My advice would be to use potions and/or scrolls of invisibility instead. The faster movement speed allows you to take that first hit with 50 % concealment, then run away and finally get the creature to stop following you as he should.
I readily agree True sight is overpowered, but changing it would have dire ramifications for any battle involving creatures with Hide in Plain Sight. You'd have to remove Hips if you make such a change to True Sight.
I feel your pain on the line of sight thing. Once creatures lock on, they are stuck in autofollow even if they can't see you. Which is why corner sneaking isn't a good alternative to Hips in NWN combat.
My advice would be to use potions and/or scrolls of invisibility instead. The faster movement speed allows you to take that first hit with 50 % concealment, then run away and finally get the creature to stop following you as he should.
24
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 06:06:45 am »
Hehe you're rather impatient, I was hoping that you would get the solution to this problem upon succeeding in your WLDQ. We're almost there! 
As for the topic at hand, if the spell can in fact be changed, perhaps it would be better if a sizable bonus to Spot and Search checks was given instead of automatically enabling the caster to see hidden creatures? It could still spot hidden people and give the caster immunity to the Weird spell. We just simply removed the "I WIN" option that a caster gains from the spell. As for the bonus gained, perhaps it could 1/caster level? I'm not sure, I leave the details to you guys since its a matter of balance. Just my two cents.
Edit: How about letting it keep the ability to instantly spot invisible creatures to avoid having mages that can simply slither around via an invisibility spell.
As for the topic at hand, if the spell can in fact be changed, perhaps it would be better if a sizable bonus to Spot and Search checks was given instead of automatically enabling the caster to see hidden creatures? It could still spot hidden people and give the caster immunity to the Weird spell. We just simply removed the "I WIN" option that a caster gains from the spell. As for the bonus gained, perhaps it could 1/caster level? I'm not sure, I leave the details to you guys since its a matter of balance. Just my two cents.
Edit: How about letting it keep the ability to instantly spot invisible creatures to avoid having mages that can simply slither around via an invisibility spell.
25
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 06:06:09 am »
I believe that the problem here would be that things with true sight have true sight for a reason. And that reason is mostly that people shouldn't just be able to walk around them just like that.
Alright there is one way to walk around them, namely sanctuary, but that is buggy at best and you will die rather horribly if it fails you.
So the problem is sort of a trade off between ensuring that no abuse of sneakiness/invis takes place, and making rogues able to employ sneaky tactics without a DM watching.
Alright there is one way to walk around them, namely sanctuary, but that is buggy at best and you will die rather horribly if it fails you.
So the problem is sort of a trade off between ensuring that no abuse of sneakiness/invis takes place, and making rogues able to employ sneaky tactics without a DM watching.
26
Bioware Issues / Fire bomb used by Thunder peak Trollocs - TOUCH ATTACK CRITS VS
« on: September 21, 2010, 05:47:13 am »
Those fire bombs are ranged touch attacks. And here comes the tricky part. Even despite the difficulty setting, ranged touch attacks from creatures can still do critical damage. So what happened is, the trolloc rolled a 20, making it impossible to avoid if you don't have epic dodge or concealment and you get the crazy damage.
27
Ask A Gamemaster / Leather helmets?
« on: September 20, 2010, 11:08:14 pm »
One of the challenges one has to face in playing a druid.
It could be worse.
You could be a dark elf.
It could be worse.
You could be a dark elf.
28
Ask A Gamemaster / Lucinda and Toran
« on: September 20, 2010, 09:10:05 am »Quote:
Originally Posted by Chazzler Oh... Thought she was... Oh well, bad memory from reading a statue's description I'd say... Too long ago. |
29
Just for Fun / Warchild's Motivational Posters
« on: September 19, 2010, 09:17:57 am »
Wiki is your friend!
A deus ex machina (pronounced /?de?.?s ?ks ?m??ki?n?/ or /?di?.?s ?ks ?mæk?n?/,[1] DAY-?s eks MAH-kee-n?) (Latin for "god out of the machine"; plural: dei ex machina) is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new character, ability, or object.
A deus ex machina (pronounced /?de?.?s ?ks ?m??ki?n?/ or /?di?.?s ?ks ?mæk?n?/,[1] DAY-?s eks MAH-kee-n?) (Latin for "god out of the machine"; plural: dei ex machina) is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new character, ability, or object.
30
Just for Fun / Warchild's Motivational Posters
« on: September 19, 2010, 09:16:12 am »
Um..not a follower of Deus Ex so um..I don't get this one.
31
Ask A Gamemaster / Why are Malar called Malar?
« on: September 13, 2010, 05:21:47 pm »Quote:
Originally Posted by EdTheKet Nope, they're Brelkin's Hounds, but changing the palette is a pain so we kept it malar in game, just like there's still drow. |
and no one will know what he/she wants .Edit:
Quote:
perhaps it should/should have been mentionned... |
32
Ask A Gamemaster / Why are Malar called Malar?
« on: September 13, 2010, 03:39:48 pm »
Likely Answer? The Creature Palete
Just like many Drow are still Drow in the Underdark (Deep), the Malar are likely just vanilla monsters taken from NWN. So they are stuck called Malars.
Also likely: No one noticed before you did. Not a huge issue, since Orcs and Mithril could be said to be copy rights of J.R.R. Tolkien but they are all over Fantasy.
Just like many Drow are still Drow in the Underdark (Deep), the Malar are likely just vanilla monsters taken from NWN. So they are stuck called Malars.
Also likely: No one noticed before you did. Not a huge issue, since Orcs and Mithril could be said to be copy rights of J.R.R. Tolkien but they are all over Fantasy.
33
Just for Fun / Warchild's Motivational Posters
« on: September 09, 2010, 09:42:32 am »
*ghostly voice* Bah ta yer elves!
34
Just for Fun / Warchild's Motivational Posters
« on: September 09, 2010, 09:37:39 am »Quote from: Warchild214
*walks over and pins the poster up and has to roll 4 tumble checks to dodge all the thrown fruit and objects in protest by some*
I think they are jealous.
35
General Discussion / locking plot quests
« on: September 06, 2010, 12:42:47 pm »
To be honest, I prefer locked quests - my time for quests is often limited, and spending the first half hour of every session explaining to the newcomers what is going on stretches out each session, and makes it harder to attend. Even more, I hate coming into quests and realizing that everyone is operating with a body of knowledge that I don't have, and that by coming I'm inconveniencing everyone else. I see your point about RPing someone was there all the time, but just because it could be done, doesn't mean it should be...
With particular regard to the Do Dragon's Weep quest ... its been going on for almost three years. It would be very difficult to jump in at this point in the first place, let alone after we jumped into the pits. The other issue is party dynamic - ICly, the quest probably would not have been well-known to the general adventuring population, and there are certainly a number of individuals who would likely have been excluded at the outset for purely IC reasons. If you don't lock the session, you have to back up and find out whether people would have been allowed to come in the first place, which just gets too complicated.
I think open plot quests is a nice ideal, but there are a whole host of reasons why its not a good idea in every single case. If a group of dark elves wanted to go on missions to help the dark elves rumored to be amassing in Dregar, that would certainly be a plot quest... would you argue that should be opened? Scifibarbie and I organized a player-led investigation a while ago that we really wanted to be as open as possible... but it was a stealth operation, so we limited those who knew about it to preserve secrecy, and only told people with a high MS/hide - we could have made it completely open, and kind of wrestled with that, but in the end, RP considerations won out.
With particular regard to the Do Dragon's Weep quest ... its been going on for almost three years. It would be very difficult to jump in at this point in the first place, let alone after we jumped into the pits. The other issue is party dynamic - ICly, the quest probably would not have been well-known to the general adventuring population, and there are certainly a number of individuals who would likely have been excluded at the outset for purely IC reasons. If you don't lock the session, you have to back up and find out whether people would have been allowed to come in the first place, which just gets too complicated.
I think open plot quests is a nice ideal, but there are a whole host of reasons why its not a good idea in every single case. If a group of dark elves wanted to go on missions to help the dark elves rumored to be amassing in Dregar, that would certainly be a plot quest... would you argue that should be opened? Scifibarbie and I organized a player-led investigation a while ago that we really wanted to be as open as possible... but it was a stealth operation, so we limited those who knew about it to preserve secrecy, and only told people with a high MS/hide - we could have made it completely open, and kind of wrestled with that, but in the end, RP considerations won out.
36
General Discussion / Ideas
« on: September 05, 2010, 05:14:26 pm »
No, you're right. We have the feat called soul mother defense that you can take starting level 21. It's a pretty interesting Idea you proposed there.
37
General Discussion / Ideas
« on: September 05, 2010, 05:04:30 pm »
This is purely based on your LORE and fuzzy memories of trying this server out two or three years ago under a different name, but isn't there an epic feat you can take once to get soul strands back?
So if you're thinking of ways to be more generous with the strand system without losing it, what if the number gained with the feat was reduced to, say, 3, but you could take the epic feat multiple times? Or keep the bonus five feat and add another that can be taken multiple times that gives back 2?
That might give characters the chance for more longevity at a dear cost (losing an epic feat each time, which can really hurt)
If my information is off, sorry, trying to go by forums and LORE
So if you're thinking of ways to be more generous with the strand system without losing it, what if the number gained with the feat was reduced to, say, 3, but you could take the epic feat multiple times? Or keep the bonus five feat and add another that can be taken multiple times that gives back 2?
That might give characters the chance for more longevity at a dear cost (losing an epic feat each time, which can really hurt)
If my information is off, sorry, trying to go by forums and LORE
38
General Discussion / Ideas
« on: September 05, 2010, 11:57:58 am »
I think this has been mentioned before... but I think a new "Hlint" would help as well. A smaller area that has everything. Where everyone starts out and has to pass through. Hempstead is spread over what... five or six screens? When the starting point was in Hlint.. there was almost always someone there to help new players. Now when new players start there is no one in sight due to being so spread out.
39
General Discussion / Ideas
« on: September 05, 2010, 06:33:10 am »
I don't often post in these discussions, but I feel that there is a chance that Layo may actually change now. It needs to be refreshed, or dwindle and fade away.
Quests are the best thing about Layo. Better then anywhere else and what make Layonara unique. So we need more, General Quests, Series Quests, Plot Quests, CDQs, WLDQs, and impromptu quests. I really like attend character development quests and impromptu's. To me these seem to be focused on the roleplay and in-character the most, there is a reason the party is together, and the quest is just an extension of what they were doing, but with GM interaction.
The rest of the Layonara experience you can find on other NWN servers. Mechanically NWN-Layo is old and clunky with repetitive gameplay, its difficult for new players to start, to explore the world, to travel and interact with other players. Other servers have looked at these kind of problems and developed their own solutions (go have a look a some of the other really good worlds). But get them into a quest series and I think they may get hooked. I've been trying to get my local gaming group to join. After I told them of the great quests I had been on, and the adventures, four people showed interest. One fizzled early. One is still trying to learn NWN. Two managed to submit characters. One managed to get through submission and into the game. However, he found a big empty world and only played one weekend a few months ago. None actually got to taste a quest.
On the Soul Mother...
I think the soul mother roll should not happen on death, only on respawn.
Risking SS loss would become a choice by the player. This would fundamentally change the penalty for death but still have a good in character reason for why the system works as it does. Cleric and raise dead would then make sense. Travelling in groups makes sense. All good for the server.
As I understand it: dying three times in a row (within a time limit) forces you to respawn. Thus, this would prevent reckless behaviour.
Quests are the best thing about Layo. Better then anywhere else and what make Layonara unique. So we need more, General Quests, Series Quests, Plot Quests, CDQs, WLDQs, and impromptu quests. I really like attend character development quests and impromptu's. To me these seem to be focused on the roleplay and in-character the most, there is a reason the party is together, and the quest is just an extension of what they were doing, but with GM interaction.
The rest of the Layonara experience you can find on other NWN servers. Mechanically NWN-Layo is old and clunky with repetitive gameplay, its difficult for new players to start, to explore the world, to travel and interact with other players. Other servers have looked at these kind of problems and developed their own solutions (go have a look a some of the other really good worlds). But get them into a quest series and I think they may get hooked. I've been trying to get my local gaming group to join. After I told them of the great quests I had been on, and the adventures, four people showed interest. One fizzled early. One is still trying to learn NWN. Two managed to submit characters. One managed to get through submission and into the game. However, he found a big empty world and only played one weekend a few months ago. None actually got to taste a quest.
On the Soul Mother...
I think the soul mother roll should not happen on death, only on respawn.
Risking SS loss would become a choice by the player. This would fundamentally change the penalty for death but still have a good in character reason for why the system works as it does. Cleric and raise dead would then make sense. Travelling in groups makes sense. All good for the server.
As I understand it: dying three times in a row (within a time limit) forces you to respawn. Thus, this would prevent reckless behaviour.
40
General Discussion / Ideas
« on: September 04, 2010, 07:21:41 pm »
Going to post here while this thread is still luke-warm. I do think the Death System is needed to keep play realistic, fun and heart-pumping.
I think the number of SS's should be moved from 10 to 20. I don't know how the team originally came up with the number 10, but I don't think it was mandated by the gods. For as much as most of us play it can be pretty easy to get up to 10 quickly. Even if you're sitting at 7-9 it drastically affects your play style. The thing is you have alot of established characters with much time invested that are fairly high level (say 15-40 level), but they have either already perm'd or they are sitting on 7-9 and difficult to play like that. In other words, right about the time you get your character seasoned and start to fall in love with them, they become difficult to play because they are so close to being perm'd. A move to 20 would help this greatly IMO, and would still keep things realistic and give consequences to death. It would also alow perm'd characters and close-to-10 characters a chance to return adding to the player base.
Another idea that I just thought of was to take the randomness out of the Soul Mother roll. Just say on your 20th death you lose a SS; on your 40th death you lose a SS; etc, etc. That way we are all on the same playing field, and know one feels cheated by the dice. When I say 20th death, that could be changed based on the percentage you chose (20th death basically equates to each death representing a 5% dig into one of your SS's).
Also, I agree that GP's for SS returns should be no questions asked.
I think the number of SS's should be moved from 10 to 20. I don't know how the team originally came up with the number 10, but I don't think it was mandated by the gods. For as much as most of us play it can be pretty easy to get up to 10 quickly. Even if you're sitting at 7-9 it drastically affects your play style. The thing is you have alot of established characters with much time invested that are fairly high level (say 15-40 level), but they have either already perm'd or they are sitting on 7-9 and difficult to play like that. In other words, right about the time you get your character seasoned and start to fall in love with them, they become difficult to play because they are so close to being perm'd. A move to 20 would help this greatly IMO, and would still keep things realistic and give consequences to death. It would also alow perm'd characters and close-to-10 characters a chance to return adding to the player base.
Another idea that I just thought of was to take the randomness out of the Soul Mother roll. Just say on your 20th death you lose a SS; on your 40th death you lose a SS; etc, etc. That way we are all on the same playing field, and know one feels cheated by the dice. When I say 20th death, that could be changed based on the percentage you chose (20th death basically equates to each death representing a 5% dig into one of your SS's).
Also, I agree that GP's for SS returns should be no questions asked.