Discussion: Scrolls, Wands, Staves

[Fool_Hardy]

I would like to hold an open discussion about consumable devices. The object of the discussion is to learn from all of you the pros and cons of the devices as they are utilized now. Some key factors IMO to keep in mind are:

1. Wands, Scrolls, and Staves are used for balance purposes. Some classes get some skills, some classes get all three.

2. We should endeavor to keep this thread about the DEVICES, please.

I look forward to learning what troubles or excites you about these skills.

[Celerity]

@Fool_Hardy Go ahead and share your thoughts!

[Fool_Hardy]

Well to get the discussion rolling, I will try and keep from posting a wall of text.

While I wish to discuss all of the devices, I do not pretend that the three are equal, so I will discuss them individually.

Scrolls

Scrolls are plentiful, we find them all over the world. Scrolls offer some of the most important spells used in the game. We love Scrolls right?

Scrolls are "too complex" for some classes, scrolls often have a negative aspect attached to their usage, scrolls can get you killed. We hate scrolls!

Considerations for Scrolls

I believe the negative aspects of many scrolls are to keep the balance. But its out of balance when NO other consumable has the percentage of backlash affects.

It would be more useful to the players to be given greater powers when using scrolls such as;

1. Allow true casters to BLOT spell slots off of a scroll, replacing the negative aspect with <reserved>. Since true mages SHOULD understand spells better.
2. Allow characters to MEMORIZE scrolls, placing the spell in "slot one" in the characters repertoire in place of scrolls until used.

Yes, this will affect the game and PK. Everything does, and if your upset here, stop reading.

 

Wands

Wands are freaking awesome, They are the fastest device, they contain the most powerful offensive spells in the game. We love Wands, we do.

Wands suck, you have to hold it, zap with it when another action would be superior, wands fizzle and spark when you need them most. We hate wands!

Considerations for Wands

Wands that offer protections and wands that do damage work similarly in our current environment. But I offer that we would be better served if they did not.

I think it would be better to see wands gain some new commands as well.

1. Allow true casters to use AUTOZAP to zap with a held wand similar to fired weapons, allow for return fire.
2. Allow all characters to SET a held wand, this sets a timer where the wand will zap on a character determined hour. Only ONE wand may be SET.

Some of you are thinking hey Fool, that REALLY affects PK. Yes, yes it does.

 

Staves

Staves entice us, staves hold very protective and curative spells. Staves allow many characters to survive a hostile world. We absolutely love staves.

Staves are rare if their very good, using a staff takes too long, shuffling weapons or armor creates hassle we don't need in battle. We hate staves!

Considerations for Staves

Its important to remember that the staves are different than the other two, in more ways than one. Invokers utilize them, rangers and necros use them.

I wonder if we could not add some new commands here too that aid in the flavor of our world.

1. Allow all characters to QUICKBRANDISH staves in their inventory. Meaning that for eating the stave lag, the character avoids creating an alias to remove and re-arm.
2. Allow all characters to RESEARCH the staves, researching causes damage lowering the spell level but has the added affect of removing the rare flag.

Yeah, I know.

 

In the end, I spend a lot of time in Aabahran. Not as much as I once did. But still a lot. I see scrolls left on the ground most often, followed closely by wands, staves seem a little more popular. These items take up space in our game. They were created with the intention of being used in some way. I for one would like to see these items more usable. We have an abundance of awesome armors and weapons. We can go at each other wielding a variety of different outfits, but everyone is carrying the same few devices. I can not explain why it troubles me, I can only say that I believe it is within us to make it better.

And that's the short version.

[Celerity]

Here are some interesting ideas, using @Fool_Hardy's lead and basis, for new skills:

Memorize: Memorize one scroll (takes 5 rounds) and recite it at will (no lag). When you memorize a scroll, it is destroyed and you take 5 rounds of lag. When you recite, the spell is deployed and you forget it, taking half a round of lag. This can be done in combat. You can't recite any other scrolls while you have one memorized. You can memorize a new scroll and forget a previously memorized one without reciting it.

Blot: Attempt to recite only a portion of a scroll to control which effects are cast. On success, you cast only the parts that are not blotted. On failure, you cast only the blotted parts. Success lowers as more spells and spells of higher level are blotted compared to caster level. You can always successfully blot a spell you can cast from a scroll. You cannot memorize blotted scrolls.

Spit: Similar to memorize, except you drink a potion, keeping it in your mouth. You can spit it at any opponent or friend to cause them to gain the effect of the potion. You cannot talk, eat, or drink while holding a potion in your mouth. Takes a half round to drink and half a round to spit.

Autozap: You automatically zap your wand at a target in combat. The target can be set to self, enemy tank, or ally tank. The cooldown between autozaps is the same as the cooldown on casting the spell, lengthened to the next combat round.  Autozapping is difficult and may result in misdirected or wasted charges. The wand is 'wielded' or "dual wielded", not held, allowing it to be disarmed.

Absorb: When a wand is used against you, you may absorb the effect to add a charge a wand of the same type that you are holding. You cannot absorb more than the full capacity of your own wand.

Distract: When a scroll is recited offensively against you, you automatically attempt to distract the caster, causing it to fail.

Quickzap: A wand may be zapped from inventory. This has a higher than normal chance to fizzle.

Overzap: You can use all the remaining charges in a wand (if there are two or more remaining) to zap the wand twice, causing the double effect on both you and the target.

Quickbrandish: A staff can be brandished from inventory. The spell does not affect the entire group.

Quickrecite: A scroll may be recited in combat. It has a higher than normal chance to fail.

Recharge: If you know the spell being cast by a staff or wand, you can refill the charge count.

Transform: A staff may be changed into a wand or a potion into a scroll.

Medicine: Two identical potions may be changed into a single pill.

Dilute: A potion may be split into two potions, each having half of the original spell level. Potions that have spells that aren't affected by spell level cannot be diluted (e.g. protection).

Salve: A potion may be changed into a salve. A salve may be rubbed on a target out of combat. The effect of a salve is applied twice, once on the next tick and again two ticks after that. Applying a salve has a two round lag.

Roll: A rolled herb is preserved and placed into a carton (containing the same rolled herb). A herb in a carton can be smoked without taking it from the carton. A carton can hold six rolls.

Bottle: A potion may be poured into a bottle. Bottles can hold multiple potions (of the same type), giving them charges and reducing inventory clutter.

I understand that at least one of these skills exists in the game already in a different form. These are intended as small perk-level, class path, or even cabal skills (for the stronger ones). Perhaps by quest for some of them. Might be useful for a healer replacement class.

 

[Kyzarius]

haha the spit one is a bit gross lol 

[Kyzarius]

How about this...

scribe - make scrolls up to 3 spells, level and chance to succeed decreases per spell on  scroll.   failure causes it to unleash everything you have stored in it and are trying to store on yourself if it is offensive, or just blowing up in a nasty way.  

carve - make a staff, 5 charges an attempt, up to 3 attempts, chance to succeed diminishes with attempts.  Failure means BOOM. Defensive spells only. 

whittle - make a wand, can be whittled on up to 3 times, each time increases the level of the spell, same thing though more tries means more chance of it blowing up in your face, casting your spell on you.  Offensive spells only. 

 

1 successful scribe, carve, or whittle makes a common item, 2 tries makes it a bit heavier, 3rd makes it even heavier and rare. 

if you are trying for that sweet 3rd affix, and it blows up it HURTS. 

[Celerity]

32 minutes ago, Kyzarius said:

How about this...

scribe - make scrolls up to 3 spells, level and chance to succeed decreases per spell on  scroll.   failure causes it to unleash everything you have stored in it and are trying to store on yourself if it is offensive, or just blowing up in a nasty way.  

carve - make a staff, 5 charges an attempt, up to 3 attempts, chance to succeed diminishes with attempts.  Failure means BOOM. Defensive spells only. 

whittle - make a wand, can be whittled on up to 3 times, each time increases the level of the spell, same thing though more tries means more chance of it blowing up in your face, casting your spell on you.  Offensive spells only. 

 

1 successful scribe, carve, or whittle makes a common item, 2 tries makes it a bit heavier, 3rd makes it even heavier and rare. 

if you are trying for that sweet 3rd affix, and it blows up it HURTS. 

For those skills, I'd recommend a same class tag only, similar to druid potions.

[Fool_Hardy]

This is why I opened this discussion. To hear others ideas about the way we work with these items, and the ways we COULD work with these items.

@Celerity stated that some of her submissions may cross boundaries in regards to cabal/guild skills. This statement says so, so much.

In our world, we have some very unique and special items that are frankly neglected. Characters can resurrect other characters, overload and recharge staves and wands, but who is going to do those things? (were talking skills not replaceable items and it still holds true!) So these beautiful still in the box awesome toys sit and gather forsaken dust. This. This is what irritates me about the devices in our game, I want to see the toys get played with.

@f0xx could probably help quite ingeniously with this discussion. I hope he joins in, even if he thinks the whole concept a waste of time.

[Magick]

As where I posted this previous, it was neither the time nor the place apparently, I'll repost.

 

Selectable wand/staff/scroll specialty targeted at pure magic users only.  IE: BMG, invoker, necro, cleric, shaman, healer, druid, possibly psi and lich.  Wanted to have an active and passive aspect to each.  While what I have may not be refined, it's a starting point.  Also, couldn't think of a better format.

 

 

Wands: Created wand from table similar to rangers, including unlocking further types.  Gains special features.  Single target only, 100 charges.  Categories: Fire, water, ice, lightning ... protection? (sanc, -AC), passive? (flight, invis).

• Passive: Held; auto-fire every (other) round @ 1 charge per attack

• Active:

  • Zap Light: level 30 equivalent damage, 2 charges per; 1/2 round lag. (As flame arrow, icicle, etc)

  • Zap Medium: level 40 equivalent damage, 5 charges per; 1 round lag (With fireblind, str reduction, etc)

  • Zap Heavy: level 50 equivalent damage, 10 charges per; 1.5-2 round lag (chance for [elemental] damage over time, break weapon, etc)

Staves: As wands, multi target only.

• Passive: Recharge (non-crafted) staves.  Must use source staff.  Source staff allows #charges*level/2 "spell points" which can be applied toward charging non-crafted staves.  Recharging rare staves requires double spell points, unique triple.  Full charges only.

  • EG: Staff of control weather has 25 charges of L10 'control weather' - 125 spell points (25*10/2).  This would feed 5 charges into the Orb of Dragonkin (L25 flight) or 1 charge to a glimmering staff (L50 sanc, rare).  Cool down timer (24 hr?) after each successful recharge.  Full staves only?  Base staff consumed?

• Active: Similar to wands:

  • Brandish Light: level 30 equivalent damage, 2 charges per; 1 round lag. (Flame arrow, icicle, etc)

  • Brandish Medium: level 40 equivalent damage, 5 charges per; 1.5-2 round lag (fireblind, str reduction, etc)

  • Brandish Heavy: level 50 equivalent damage, 10 charges per; 2-3 round lag (chance for [elemental] damage over time, break weapon, etc)

Scrolls: Created scrolls.  Possibly using reagents (parchment, wood, ink, etc; some/all needed).

• Passive: Able to cast in battle; chance to fail (akin to potions)

• Active: Create own scrolls up to 120 spell levels per scroll.  Cool down on success?  Either:

  • Option A: Any class spell can be scribed.  Non-class spells (from [selectable?] table) can be scribed at twice spell cost.  IE: Necro can scribe three L40 Acid Blasts on a scroll OR two L50 Acid Blasts + one L20 Acid Blast OR one L50 Hellstream + 1 L20 Acid Blast

  • Option B: Takes specific spells from table (flame arrow, icicle, fireball, heal, sanc, etc).  Perhaps player can select their table?

[Ulmusdorn]

So many good ideas here. Exciting ideas too.