Vorpal effect

[Demivrgvs]

The last thing I've stumbled upon is a more refined way to implement some on-hit abilities (via .spl files). For example Spear of Withering shouldn't be able to infect an iron golem, Skullcrusher shouldn't be able to break the bones of an air elementals, Staff of Earth's shouldn't entangle a vampiric mist, and so on (there are so many cases I'm surely not going to handle all of them for v3).

 

P.S Illusionary clones shouldn't be affected by most of these on-hit abilities.

 

Vorpal Effect

This is where it all started...I stumbled upon this and remembered how weird it was (at least for me) to see the Silver Sword cutting the head and killing in that way oozes, golems, mists, elementals, illusionary clones and so on. All those creatures should be immune to it imo.

 

In most cases I'm sure we all agree, but in some cases I'm not sure:

- should skeletons die "only" because their head is severed?

- should we make dragons immune to it? It's more for "balance" purposes, and to add some challenge, but I also think that a relatively small (compared to the huge creature) battleaxe may not be able to cut with one blow a dragon's neck.

[Shaitan]

Yes I feel skeletons should die when severed from the skull.

 

Yes I don not like to see vorpal effect on dragons. My DM would never allow that I'm sure as if that helps

[Daulmakan]

The way I see the vorpal effect is that it always works (it's magic, after all). BUT, even when it severs the enemy's head, it might not kill them outright in some cases, depending on the phisiology of the critter. Elementals don't need their heads to function, neither do slimes, oozes (which don't have one), or golems, so I agree with them being immune. A dragon, however, should be subject to it IMO.

 

I'm torn regarding undead.

[DrAzTiK]

Dragons should be immune to vorpal effect. Usually, fighting a dragon take some reload = forced to win thanks to vorpal effect. Futhermore, it's not funny at all to kill a dragon with this way.

[Daulmakan]

Dragons should be immune to vorpal effect. Usually, fighting a dragon take some reload = forced to win thanks to vorpal effect. Futhermore, it's not funny at all to kill a dragon with this way.

"Funny" varies for each person. There should be a more rational argument for deciding against/in favor.

[DrAzTiK]

"funny" is a euphemism, in fact, it's a shame to kill a dragon at the second or third hit (witch happen inevitably if you reload many times). And I don't think this argument varies for each person.

[Shaitan]

IIR we've houseruled the vorpal effect to only affect creatures of up to twice human size. Thus we won't see the party's rogue/fighter cutting off the dragon's head in a lucky git or something similar... I know it's magic, but still...

[Daulmakan]

"funny" is a euphemism, in fact, it's a shame to kill a dragon at the second or third hit (witch happen inevitably if you reload many times). And I don't think this argument varies for each person.

Speak for yourself, I always love seeing the 'soul coming out' animation and kicking their tails in one blow.

 

Visually, you might interpret it as doing an enormous cut in the dragon's neck, not necessarily chopping its head in a single stroke. Your mileage may vary.

[Salk]

I am definitely with Daulmakan about dragons.

 

The vorpal effect should apply to them. Severing the thick neck of a dragon is not easy feat, sure. But the vorpal effect is an extraordinary ability that only the rarest weapons have.

 

I am rather neutral when it comes to undead instead but I tendentially would not let the vorpal effect kill them immediately.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Like I said with the Disintegration, 100 000 damage is way too much from a simple effect. Now, if we wish, we can make the Vorpal Effect be 200 slash damage(or smaller amount) and that should take care of most cases, cause if the creature is cut-able, it should die taking the about that amount, in other words, if the slime is immune to cutting damage, it won't be effected. The dragon will die after few of those(in SCSII), just like seen in here, but it won't die from one, especially if they have slash damage resistance as they should.

[Salk]

(witch happen inevitably if you reload many times)

 

No ones forces any player to use or abuse the reload function of the game.

[DrAzTiK]

(witch happen inevitably if you reload many times)

 

No ones forces any player to use or abuse the reload function of the game.

Well if you can kill Firkraag, Draconis, army of dragons and Abazigal with not a single reload, what can I say ? : gg

Only 3 or 4 reload increase the % to kill a big boss with a vorpal effect. Considering reload is not "realistic", then vorpal effect should not apply in this case imho.

[Salk]

Well if you can kill Firkraag, Draconis, army of dragons and Abazigal with not a single reload, what can I say ? : gg

 

I have a good party.

 

This doesn't mean I will be undefeated, but if we consider a BG2 game with SR + IR installed without any AI enhancing mod, then it's not perhaps completely impossible for an expert to fight his way through without reloads.

 

Demi,

 

what have you decided about the Amulet of Seldarine?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Vorpal Effect

Even if I'd prefer to make Dragons immune to Vorpal effects I'll leave them out for now.

 

Thus for now the creatures I've made immune to it are: elementals, golems, mists, shadows, slimes, spectres, wraiths, and illusionary clones/creatures.

Yey, lets make a slime that has 30 hit points immune to this effect and not the dragon that has 600+ Hit points, for no reason other than balance.

 

Did you just lost your mind? As I just said, the effect needs to be somewhat realistic, and use-able, but not over powered and overkill! So no auto-kills, far better is huge damage output that should kill most, but every devils blessed creature on the game. This way the skeletons are non-issue.

So if the slime is immune(by damage resistance, not effect resistance) to slash damage, it won't be effected by the full 200 slash damage it's subjected to, but if it's not the most highest kind of it's creation(high level/high damage resistance), it should die cause it just can't take the punishment it's subjected to. The illusionary clones usually should be dispelled if you cut their head off, don't you think? It's not like it's the lich-demi-lich that it was made of, it's just an illusion.

 

Of course the 200 slash damage is just a suggestion that can vary to any amount you Devivrgvs wish to balance it to. DawidW might even have a good suggestion for it, cause he can then use the damage resistances, hit points and all that to further balance the dragons, and not get them instantly killed or not be totally uneffected by the effect cause that too is over powered.

[Salk]

I don't understand your complain, Jarno.

 

It's not a matter of how powerful the creature is.

 

It's a matter of how sensible is to make one creature immune or not to the Vorpal effect.

 

Now, even if I don't agree with Demi about dragons, I find his choices to be perfectly understandable.