Caster Resource Overhaul

A place to file suggestions that have been completed.

Moderators: Forum Moderators, Active DMs, Contributors, Suggestion Moderators

Locked
User avatar
Baron Saturday
Posts: 2364
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:34 am

Caster Resource Overhaul

Post by Baron Saturday » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:18 am

Been thinking about traditional casters lately, and why I hate the idea of playing one. I've come to the conclusion that it boils down to resource management. In addition to managing their spells/day, all finite casters (cleric, sorcerer and wizard, primarily - I exclude druids both because they get infinite elemental shape and because it is fairly easy to generate piety for Nature-aspect deities) have to manage another resource, be that piety or spell components. I think that the ways those secondary resources are currently implemented are awkward, and quickly become tedious without contributing much to the server. Therefore, there's three changes I'd like to suggest.

1) Cleric piety increases per tick. This could either be at a flat or scaling rate, i.e. by 0%/tick at level 1-8, 1% at 9-17, 2% at 18-27, and 3% if someone is crazy enough to take 28+ cleric levels. This has the effect of forcing clerics to pace the casting of piety-consuming spells without taking tedious measures such as AFKing at an altar. Piety cost of level 7+ spells might need to be increased to compensate, but I think this would be preferable to the current system, which seems almost designed to mandate a certain style of RP. Would also make playing a cleric of a deity without either the War or Magic aspects less awful.

2) Remove spell components, level 7/8/9/epic arcane spells cost 2%/4%/6%/10% Rest instead. My problem with spell components, and this is admittedly anecdotal, but they seem to quickly become irrelevant as a character just stockpiles hundreds of the bloody things. Locking a primary class mechanic behind a minor gold sink just feels dated at this point. This change also gets rid of the whole alcoholic mage situation: No longer must Archmage Fancyhat the Pointy get black-out drunk in a corner every time he exhausts his spellbook! Instead, quite sensibly, the act of casting really powerful magic is tiresome. "But Baron!," you cry, "What about coffee? Doesn't this just turn every mage into a bean-junkie?" Wait for it...

3) Remove Sobriety, replace with Toxicity. Toxicity starts at 0% and (like sobriety) isn't displayed until someone drinks either alcohol or coffee, causing it to increase. Hitting 100% Toxicity is fatal, and it could have stat debuffs similar to extremely low Rest/Food/Water at higher percentages. Toxicity decreases only very slowly (~1%/tick?) while awake, though resting restores it completely. This means that arcane casters - or anyone else, for that matter - can no longer use coffee to fully replace sleep.
Rolled: Helene d'Arque, Sara Lyonall
Shelved: Kels Vetian, Cin ys'Andalis, Saul Haidt
Playing: Oshe Jordain

User avatar
Irongron
Server Owner/Creative Lead
Server Owner/Creative Lead
Posts: 4666
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:13 pm

Re: Caster Resource Overhaul

Post by Irongron » Wed Dec 05, 2018 10:28 pm

Yes.
No.
No.

The latter two were well presented and I see the reasoning ,but spell components have proven a highly successful part of the Arelith economy, while having 'toxicity' as a % bar is a lot less attractive that sobriety, which is immediately clear in its implication.

Limiting the use of coffee might be called for though, I've never given it much thought.

Moving this to approved but ONLY for the cleric piety increase.

User avatar
Irongron
Server Owner/Creative Lead
Server Owner/Creative Lead
Posts: 4666
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:13 pm

Re: Caster Resource Overhaul

Post by Irongron » Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:12 pm

- Clerics gain piety per tick, based on cleric level: 1-8 = 1%; 9-27 = 2%; 28-30 = 3%

Also done!

Locked