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[Demivrgvs]

Great Mod SR.

Thanks man. I hope you are using the now open V4 instead of the old V3.

 

The readme should be updated to show that SR does that as well as add stun immune to the spell.

No need for Pnp FA mod, then, if you can live with the spell update!

I don't know why I'm not advertizing it much but yes, SR's Free Action doesn't block Haste effects.

 

If you want item fixes, then PnP FA is still needed.

Or just install Item Revisions as well.

[toxin]

I have a couple of suggestions for Spell Shield.

 

1. Make it lower level. What's so great about it? It counters DM/RM which are both lvl 3 and OP as it is. In addition, 5th level is just too crowded with essential spells you basically have to memorize - between Breach, Dispelling Screen and Lower Resistance (not to mention Shadow Door and Waves of Fatigue) you simply can't afford it. The situation at 4th level is not much better, with critical spells like Stoneskin, Greater Malison, and Secret Word (not to mention Confusion and Teleport Field). I think lvl 3 is fair considering DM/RM.

2. Make its casting time lower. This spell is the only defense casters have against beholder Anti-Magic rays, and by the time the 5 casting time is over it's too late. Another option is to make the AM ray casting time long enough to allow a mage to protect himself.

Edited March 17, 2016 by toxin

[subtledoctor]

Changing spell levels is hard. Very hard. I don't think SR does it at all, ever. My spell tweaks (meant as a meta-mod after SR... you might like them) change the level of some spells, but it took me months and months to figure out how to do it without messing up SCS AI.

 

I highly doubt Demi is about to start doing this kind of thing now.

 

That said, I could give you the code to make this change yourself.

[Demivrgvs]

I actually changed the spell level of a few spells (e.g. Cure/Cause Wounds spells, ProFire&ProCold, Goodberry, Dimension Door, multiple summoning spells etc.), but that doesn't mean I love to do that yeah.

 

We could move Spell Shield to 3rd lvl and make SCS use a AI-only version of it, but then we would just be giving players a huge unfair advantage because SCS mages would still use 5th lvl spell slots for it. I'm not too much into it. Also, don't forget Spell Shield can block a 9th lvl Spellstrike, thus its current spell level is well deserved imo.

 

@toxin, try to fight beholder's with IR's potions, you'll find them a lot less annoying imo. Actually, I'd be curious to know if IR's potion make it too easy, I hope not. At least they cost a fortune with Store Revisions.

Edited March 17, 2016 by Demivrgvs

[toxin]

I would love to try IR's potions but I'm mid-game and the changes it makes to special items are too extreme (I already outfitted my entire party optimally for vanilla items). For my next run (probably IWDEE) you can count on it

 

Regarding the spell level, one option is to make it 4th level and not 3rd if you see the advantage as too great. That will already be a huge improvement over 5th (personally I may even give up a Stoneskin slot for it). But in either case, I don't think the advantage is that great... think about it - when you're fighting AI mages they have all of their spells memorized. On average, you are going to have like half of your spells depleted - I would take a single 5th level spell off my entire spellbook for each encounter any day. Besides, 5th level spells aren't such a big deal for most mages - they will typically blast you with (much) higher level spells and the outcome of the battle will be decided long before they have to resort to 5th level spells...

Edited March 18, 2016 by toxin

[kreso]

I have a couple of suggestions for Spell Shield.

 

1. Make it lower level. What's so great about it? It counters DM/RM which are both lvl 3 and OP as it is. In addition, 5th level is just too crowded with essential spells you basically have to memorize - between Breach, Dispelling Screen and Lower Resistance (not to mention Shadow Door and Waves of Fatigue) you simply can't afford it. The situation at 4th level is not much better, with critical spells like Stoneskin, Greater Malison, and Secret Word (not to mention Confusion and Teleport Field). I think lvl 3 is fair considering DM/RM.

2. Make its casting time lower. This spell is the only defense casters have against beholder Anti-Magic rays, and by the time the 5 casting time is over it's too late. Another option is to make the AM ray casting time long enough to allow a mage to protect himself.

SS doesn't counter Dispel magic, DM ignores it completely.

[toxin]

SS doesn't counter Dispel magic, DM ignores it completely.

 

I'm confused. This is what my description of SS says (latest beta):

 

 

This powerful abjuration protects the caster from any dispel attempt against him, effectively granting immunity to Dispel Magic and similar spells. However, when the caster is protected by this spell the next magical attack against him will always prioritize the Spell Shield. If any magical attack is cast at the wizard the shield absorbs it, but is consumed in the process.

 

BTW another thought is to make it last longer (e.g. 1 turn/level) so you could walk around with it a bit. AI casts it on sight (as "previously cast") so it seems fair enough...

Edited March 18, 2016 by toxin

[kreso]

That's why it's a beta .

 

It stops Spell Thrust, Secret Word, Breach, Pierce Magic, Ruby Ray of Reversal, Pierce Shield and Spellstrike. If Demi includes ( ) AoE Dispel Screen then it won't stop Breach anymore, but will be limited to stoping spell removals.

 

I think 5 turns (that's it's correct duration) is more than enough, given it's prioritized in combat.

Edited March 18, 2016 by kreso

[toxin]

Cool, thanks for clarifying.

I still think lvl 5 is too high for it, because realistically you'll use the 3rd level Spell Thrust to get rid of it (the fact that it can stop SpellStrike is almost irrelevant)...

Edited March 18, 2016 by toxin

[kreso]

Cool, thanks for clarifying.

I still think lvl 5 is too high for it, because realistically you'll use the 3rd level Spell Thrust to get rid of it (the fact that it can stop SpellStrike is almost irrelevant)...

The thing about this spell is that it's the one single spell that stands in between your mage and that nasty 24th level mage with a Spellstrike memorized. Yes, ST gets rid of it, but it will still buy you one round of time - if it wasn't for SS active, you'd possibly get a much nastier spell heading your way.

[subtledoctor]

it will still buy you one round of time

This is the whole point. Although I must say, toxin's not far off in thinking a spell that only buys you one extra round might be more appropriate at ~3rd level.

 

But the AI would still be wasting 5th-level slots for it. That kind of change might be better off in a post-SR meta-tweak mod. Maybe I'll look into adding it to TnB.

[toxin]

Improved Invisibility also buys you a round as far as spell targeting goes, except it also buys you some time against melee attacks. And that's not even mentioning all that semi-invisibility mojo it's going on. If all that is lvl 4, I think a solid argument could be made for lvl 3 spell shield, lvl 4 at most.

 

Regarding the AI wasting 5th level slots, like I said I don't see it as a big deal at all (what with you typically coming into the fight with much more than one 5th level spell missing), and I don't even recall seeing the AI cast it twice so at most it's one wasted 5th level spell.. you would have to fight most mages forever for them to reach a point where they actually use four 5th level spells and then have to resort to a 4th level spell because they ran out of slots, and even then the fight would be at a point where that single spell is highly unlikely to make any a difference.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for letting the AI use it as 3rd level, I'm just saying that if it's hard to implement then keeping it 5th for the AI is a reasonable compromise IMHO.

Edited March 19, 2016 by toxin

[Jarno Mikkola]

Improved Invisibility also buys you a round as far as spell targeting goes, except it also .

totally screws you if the enemy is immune to invisibility, via opcode 193.

[kreso]

Improved Invisibility also buys you a round as far as spell targeting goes, except it also buys you some time against melee attacks. And that's not even mentioning all that semi-invisibility mojo it's going on. If all that is lvl 4, I think a solid argument could be made for lvl 3 spell shield, lvl 4 at most.

SCS doesn't care if you're invisible for anti-magic attacks, I'm afraid.

[toxin]

SCS doesn't care if you're invisible for anti-magic attacks, I'm afraid.

 

All the more reason for a higher level AI SS to level the playing field - Improved Invisibility is better for them (same level but protects them better), SS is better for you (same protection but lower level).

Edited March 19, 2016 by toxin