Skills and Abilities Mod

[morpheus562]

I'm toying around with the idea of revamping Turn Undead to make it an ability given to clerics and paladins that they gain additional uses of as they progress in levels. I find Turn Undead, as it's currently implemented, something that I almost always pass over. As such, this will have lots of overlap with the existing False Dawn and Sunray spells. Would there be a desire for an overhaul of this ability and either reduce or remove False Dawn and Sunray?

[subtledoctor]

I’ve toyed with the idea of revamping Turn Undead. It is very frustrating that, while Bard Song is super moddable, Turn Undead is completely hard-coded. Imagine how cool it would be if you could use something like the Switch Song opcode to change the effect of Turning?

What I would do (still might do, if I get around to it) is disable the existing undead and make a whole stable of replacement divine toggle abilities. Systematize them - like the bard songs in Might & Guile - and then give appropriate versions to each kit. Lathander clerics could do False Dawn every round while active, harming undead and also a chance to blind living enemies. Talos clerics could do something like Static Charge, a chance to electrocute an enemy every round. Helm clerics could do True Seeing or something. 

And they could be upgraded or changed over time, or even let players learn more than one, like IWD/MnG bards. 

Sigh… it would be a pretty great addition to Faiths & Powers… there’s just not enough time in the day.

Edited May 10, 2022 by subtledoctor

[morpheus562]

EEex allows me to completely remove the current Turn Undead modal and replace it with an extra quick cast ability (or whatever else I want). I managed to get to it tonight, and the Turn Undead modal has been replaced with an extra quick cast ability. From there is just need to update the clab files for all clerics and paladins to assign a new turn undead ability as they progress in levels.

My proposal for the Turn Undead ability is going to be: 2d6 damage vs undead + Character Level + CHA Modifier to determine damage. It will be an instant cast ability dealing damage to all undead within a given aoe (looking at 10, 15, or 20). If character level is twice that of the undead, then the undead outright dies. Additionally, all undead in aoe will make a spell save or lose 2 AC. I will include new HLAs: Extra Turning to receive just that and Empower Turning to improve the damage dealt from the Turn Undead ability even more.

Additionally, EEex allows you to replace turn undead with bard song which would then allow you do the switch song option. I have the lua files created for this if you want to go the song modal route.

Edited May 10, 2022 by morpheus562

[morpheus562]

The component adding the new Turn Undead ability is completed, and I am updating my scripts so they can release simultaneously. Clerics may now cast Turn Undead once per day per every 3 levels (starts at 3rd level with one use) and paladins may now cast Turn Undead once per day per every 4 levels (starts at 4th level with one use). Descriptions for the class and Shield of Egon (and effects for the shield) are updated, and the ability will now deal 2d6 + Character level + charisma modifier points of damage to any undead within 15 feet. The caster will outright destroy any undead who are half the level (or less) of the cleric/paladin using Turn Undead. The original Turn Undead modal is replaced with an extra quick-spell option.

On a modding in general note, this will provide a good outline for adding ability modifiers to damage rolls for spells and abilities.

Edited May 13, 2022 by morpheus562

[Endarire]

Are allied or no hostile undead also hurt by this new ability?  Should they be?

[morpheus562]

22 minutes ago, Endarire said:

Are allied or no hostile undead also hurt by this new ability?  Should they be?

Only hostile undead are hurt by the ability. Hexxat should be safe for now.

[morpheus562]

Official pre-release for version 0.7-Alpha which brings the following enhancements:

• Added Turn Undead Overhaul

[Graion Dilach]

I guess evil clerics no longer able to dominate undead with this.

Remind me, Thieving Skills for Bards is fully incorporated into this one, right?

Edited May 13, 2022 by Graion Dilach

[morpheus562]

1 minute ago, Graion Dilach said:

I guess evil clerics no longer able to dominate undead with this.

Remind me, Thieving Skills for Bards is fully incorporated into this one, right?

Yes to both!

I always felt it was more of a nerf for evil characters to dominate undead while neutral and good clerics outright destroy them.

[Andrea C.]

@morpheus562 building on your rework of weapon proficiencies—have you thought about implementing true P&P Grand Mastery? The engine wouldn’t normally support it so it would require some wizardry on Bubb’s part, but I think it would be pretty awesome.

(Mad kudos if the aforementioned wizardry extends to the damage calculation and display in the character inventory / record)

[morpheus562]

2 hours ago, Andrea C. said:

@morpheus562 building on your rework of weapon proficiencies—have you thought about implementing true P&P Grand Mastery? The engine wouldn’t normally support it so it would require some wizardry on Bubb’s part, but I think it would be pretty awesome.

(Mad kudos if the aforementioned wizardry extends to the damage calculation and display in the character inventory / record)

What is true P&P Grandmastery?

[Andrea C.]

In P&P, Grand Mastery was described in the AD&D Combat And Tactics handbook as giving 1 extra attack per round and increasing the weapon’s damage die size by one category.
 

No other bonus was mentioned, so you’d strip any extra bonus to attack, damage or speed factor present in the game for Grand Mastery.

 

The ApR is already there (well, half of it unless you used the True Grandmastery component from Tweaks Anthology) so the tricky part would be the damage die size increase, which would require enabling in the engine first (hence Bubb’s wizardry requirement.)

Edited May 14, 2022 by Andrea C.

[morpheus562]

Official pre-release for version 0.7.1-Alpha which brings the following enhancements:

• Added accelerated and NWN2 style proficiency progression as part of the proficiency overhaul component.
• Fixed a bug where out of bounds string ref was being pulled for Turn Undead Overhaul.

[morpheus562]

I do want to state: if the player selects one of the options to increase the number of prof points, recruitable npcs will have their allocated prof points altered.

[morpheus562]

Official pre-release for version 0.7.2-Alpha which brings the following enhancements:

• Added new component allowing the Bard Blade kit to specialize in melee weapons.