Firstly I would like to say that I am new to this MUD. I do love the game overall. I am not trying to step on any of the Imms' toes. They do a wonderful job from what I have seen.
To my suggestion. I think that maybe the ranger class could use a slight tweak. The thunderstorm spell is a great spell. It can really help keep you alive. The problem is that it is available a small percentage of the time. The rest of the time the weather is not bad enough. This spell can really dish out the damage when it does work. That said, maybe if the spell was toned down, it could be used more often. I know that invokers can call lightning. They can do this as long as they are outside. I feel that rangers could benefit greatly from this as a thunderstorm variation. It takes so long for the weather to worsen so you have that chance to use this spell that you more often then not find yourself Pk'd before you have the chance to use it. Unless you are lucky enough for the weather to be bad.
To sum up, tone the spell down so that it can be used outside regardless of the weather.
Feedback?
Actually, invokers can only call lightning when the weather is bad. It is intended to be a high-offense spell usable only some of the time. Otherwise evil clerics and shamans would have a severe vulnerability to rangers, in addition to the hardships they suffer from invokers.
In short, it's good that you're tossing out ideas, but this isn't really a feasible change with the current balance.
Welcome to FL!
Edited because Evangelion said the same thing I did.
A couple of things.
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Invokers have the same restrictions you do. If they can cast, you can cast.
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There is a spell that makes the weather worse/better. You can find a staff of it and use it.
Welcome to the MUD, and have fun figuring out the game.
A couple of things.
-
Invokers have the same restrictions you do. If they can cast, you can cast.
-
There is a spell that makes the weather worse/better. You can find a staff of it and use it.
Welcome to the MUD, and have fun figuring out the game.
Actually, the oprog on that staff is broken, and only works to make the weather better.
A couple of things.
-
Invokers have the same restrictions you do. If they can cast, you can cast.
-
There is a spell that makes the weather worse/better. You can find a staff of it and use it.
Welcome to the MUD, and have fun figuring out the game.
And secondly, he knows about it. The weather just takes forever to worsen. 
It doesn't take much upkeep and plannig really. And compared to some classes prep before battle, its worth it in the end. Its very viable to keep at least four or five areas to your immediate forest sparking nicely. the problem then becomes a mana one once you hit combat, can be expensive and where invokers are usually high mana races, and have means to augment there mana, rangers may have a very limited amount of mana to expend, soo..its not a problem so much of getting the weather right, its being prepared to use it perfectly when you need to...and that is when it is devastating...but draining, if any balance, make it a bit cheaper to use so you dont mind if its only rainy, or if you miss a few casts...
just my oppinion from ranger/druid play
Actually, the staff does both, you just can't control what it does.
Staff's a little pointless, as all the classes that get call lightning also get control weather.
you can always practice with it
Play an elfin ranger, cast all you want.
Hence the oprog is broken. Goon.
Let me make myself clearer - perhaps the staff is only there to make the weather better. Chump.
L-A
For The Record.....
I do understand that a ranger can cast Control Weather. The fact is that it can take awhile for it to take affect. Which can be a problem when you are just moving from place to place.
And, as for balance, My suggestion was to tone down the spell. Allowing it to be used more often, at the cost of a reduced damage.
btw thank you for all the welcome's to FL.
haha, I don't like the idea of it being toned down. If you use it a lot, or look around some of the forums you can get advice on the best ways to use it. And welcome to the addiction. You will never leave.
I believe the weather changes hourly. If you notice that while training defenses, which I do often...the weather will change most of the time by hour.
It's a two-stage spell. If you want to be able to cast afflictive damage at will, play a DK.