• RavenRed
• PipeDream

Welcome to Pipedream, RavenRed's still naescent ideas for a 3.0.0 compatible module. As can be seen, it's currently a selection of minor (and for the most part, uncoded) gameplay changes rather than a large thematic thrust. One possibility is developing the initial module-based "engine" and then using "packs" (currently planned for 3.0.0) to springboard off it, perhaps developing Thief or Feist elements. Firstly, though, I want to get the engine to a point where I'm happy with it. This will require me to learn to code. <groan>

I've been thinking about a name (to replace the defeatist "Pipedream"). NeilStevens constructive criticism has led me to the following Shortlist:

If anyone wants to vote for a particular one, put a star in the cell next to it. Thanks.

Suggestions or comments are extremely welcome...

Class

See /Class

Race

See /Race

Magic

See /Magic

Skills

• An "Assasinate" ability for Thieves and Assassins:Fatal Blow, Prereq: Backstab@45, Stealth@40, Dex 40 - 20 Points (free to Assassins @ Clev 41) - This ability simulates an Assassin being able to sneak up, assess a creature's weak points and then STRIKE. Mostly lethal, always highly damaging, it can only be used on sleeping creatures. Similar to Touch of Death, this ability allows an assassin to kill any non-unique with a single blow 33% of the time, Normal Backstab damage x3/2 33% of the time, Normal Backstab Damage the other 33%. Only 1/2 the usual experience is obtained when killing a monster using this method, which must be done with a weapon under 5lbs. This gives stealth more use to assassins (and to a lesser degree, theives) at high levels. If the warrior ethos is "If it moves, hack it to bits!", then the assassins could become "If it sleeps, slit its throat!"

• Also, Backstab to scale to 15, rather than 2 for sleeping monsters, though requiring a 5lbs or less edged weapon.
• All hits on sleeping monsters to be as sleeping backstab hits, scaled to Weaponmastery@5. No limit on weapon size. However, the penalties to stealth will make this a lot more difficult than it first appears...
• Summoning to be modified / nerfed. Chain summoning to be brutally killed, with prejudice.

• Mimics to get their own combat style (by Mimic Form) a la Beornings. Eagle mimics will tear with their claws, Snakes will bite with poisonous fangs, Mumak mimics will trample their enemies underfoot.

Items

Weapons

See /Weapons

I also highly recommend this litte rant on RPG weapons design. It demolishes a few RPG "truisms" and gives some excellent info on historical weapons use...

Armour

See /Armour

Artifacts

See /Artifacts

Other

• Scrolls of Light now only fire a rad 5 pure light ball rather than illuminate the room. To compensate somewhat, all light sources have their radius' doubled. The Phial of Galadriel once again becomes a must-have article. Things WILL now jump out at you from the dark.
• Lite Changes - Penalties to stealth. If you want to remain hidden, don't advertise your presence.
  • Changes
    • Torches - Light Radius = 2, Stealth=-1.500
    • Brass Lantern - Light Radius = 4, Stealth =-3.000
    • Dwarvern Lantern - Light Radius = 5, Stealth = -4.000 (Note, now not perma lite but consumes fuel)
    • Feanorian Lamp - Light Radius = 6, Stealth = -4.500 (As per Dwarvern lantern, this consumes fuel)
  • New Lite Items:
    • Taper (Cost 1, weight .1 lbs, Rad 1 lite, Fuel 20) (Very good for Casting Fire Golem) Stealth=-0.500
    • Candle - (Cost 1, weight .3 lbs, Rad 2 lite, Fuel 400) Stealth=-0.500
    • Dark Lantern - (Cost 500, Rad 3 lite, Fuel = 3000) Stealth=-0.250 (Hmmm... I wonder which type of character might use these?)
  • Artifacts / Egos
    • Light-bearing items will have light penalties commensurate with the above, wheras Artifacts will have commensurately lesser penalties. That sword of fire might attract a bit of attention, really...

• New take on Treasure Whilst the Part One Idea might require a bit too much code for my little brain, the second part is relatively easy to implement. Will also reduce the individual monsters to drop less treasure than they would normally, with the balance going to "junk" items, which will, of course, be far more valuable under this system.

• Palantiri - all of these will have a new and risky activation, which will use 5-10% of the character's max sanity (which chimes in pretty well what happened to poor Denethor). However, the ability will be commensurately magnificent. *Identify*ing all in the character's pack, Fully mapping and lighting the current level and giving the character "precognition" for 1d100 turns. Nifty, wot?

Monsters

See /Monsters

Terrain

See /Terrain

Other Ideas for Module

• New Princess rooms! Fortress style with battlements and alarms (shrieker mushies)!
• Invisibility to become actually, genuinely rare and valuable.

Quests

• /Quests - New, changed and deleted.

Chatter

DanielJoo: Couple of thoughts: Think about symbiants before horribly nerfing summoning (even though chain summoning is pretty cheesy it could/should be dealt with, i agree). Never moving pets will be living armor if their special ability is not that useful anymore.

• RavenRed: See here and here for my thoughts on these two.

If you make more monster to be created asleep and give people a skill to insta-kill them...that might lead to balance issues.

• RavenRed: See here for the genesis of this idea. Considering the changes to stealth (which in this mod will also be altered heavily by armour and equipment), this shouldn't be unbalancing. It's also relatively high level, too. I'm very aware of the balance issues, which is why I've limited the scope. See above for a more complete schematic of the ability.

edge/blunt/pierce damage might make things more interesting, but be careful so things dont become overly complicated. High lev chars can already spend half an hour figuring a gear-combination...and that is about how much most of the people are willing to spend on it i think.

• RavenRed: Crush/Slash/Pierce (DG recently renamed them) damage types and resists will be integral parts of the system. For the most part, this will be intuitive (Skeletons and Skeleton ego-types for example will have 80-90% PIERCE resistance), and since these damage types will be DERIVED FROM THE EXISTING DAMAGE AMOUNTS of monsters, I think people will be willing to nut it out. It's not about having a resistance "hole" in the same way as poison or fire, but more about some forms of armour giving more protection than just their AC. I appreciate the concern, though.

New Princess rooms with battlements and alarms sound very good to me. Randart changes sound good just as well. I want to see chars wearing more "classical" artifacts (that are LoTR themed) instead of just various 'Foo's that make tham far more powerful. (hack, my warrior found a triple immunity shield before reaching 2000', and randarts granted him full immunities and every resistance by 2500')

• RavenRed: Fortunately, this can be tweaked within the existing files. I'm not a fan of what I consider SERIOUSLY unbalancing weapons and items, but I'm quite happy for lower-powered "treats" to be available...

BurbLulls: Of course, as you've removed Zephyr Hounds that's got me calling you New God already, but I've gotta ask: Will you be doing anything to the vaults?

Also, on the subject of monks, I think the only way they could be kept thematically is by making the Tulkas paladins like monks, since Tulkas is the only thing in Tolkien that does anything barehanded (I think). It even says he wrestles, but can you picture a class called 'wrestler'? :P

RavenRed: Probably. But there are already a lot of very nice vault designs in the game already. Changes will be minor, if any.

On monks... well... I appreciate the attempt, but am not quite sure that it's enough... With what I'm going to do to Mimics, they're almost going to become the new monks anyway...