Please Start Afflicted with Runes

[edge2054]

I've never really played these classes much but after seeing all the good changes Benli implemented I wanted to give cursed another shot.

I lost around 10 characters tonight in the Trollmire. I did manage to get two out but both got lucky and found a better infusion.

The point is, 30 healing from the starting regen infusion isn't even worth the action it takes to activate against Prox. He tends to hit that hard which means an unlucky Cursed (one who didn't find another infusion while in the Trollmire) will basically have to do the first boss without healing.

A simple solution would be to have Cursed (and Doomed for that matter) simply start with a shielding and phase door rune regardless of race.

[bricks]

If only Taints were more common. They'd be so appropriate.

[lukep]

Alternatively, give them a shielding rune in addition to their standard set, much like mages and their manasurge runes. This would mean that Shalore/undeads would get double shielding without an exception though.

[edge2054]

I finally did manage to get a Cursed going by investing heavily in the cursed equipment tree early so I could off-set the healing modifier and going to Derth after clearing the first level of the Trollmire in order to by a better infusion.

It's really a fun class but the start was discouraging.

[Final Master]

Wait, there are Taints in game now that aren't unique?

[benli]

Cursed needs a healing infusion because they can't really rest. I'd prefer to just modify the mechanics to make this more workable. As it happens, I've been finishing up some new talents and am now fixing up/balancing cursed, so I can address this as well.

I think I will remove the bonus for cursed equipment (so players aren't penalized for not taking the tree). I could boost the healing mod to 65% or 75%. However, I might switch the healing mod to be hate-based: 50% base, +0% at 0 hate --> +50% at 10+ hate. Then I could eliminate the hate-based damage resistance to simplify. The 4th talent in that tree is being switched to give a trade-off between hate per kill and healing mod, so that is another approach to boosting healing. Combined with healing on kill and gloom's life leech, that gives a more interesting healing mechanic. I've also been wanting a more noticable way of emphasizing high hate, which this really would do.

I have 3 new trees that are intended as specializations. I think they would work well with this change. The new short cooldown Rampage tree I have gives a shield, which would compensate for the high hate cost of Rampage and resulting lower hate-based healing mod. The new Predator tree I have gives good hate bonuses and costs no hate which would keep the healing mod up. The new Fears tree is ranged, which would reduce melee damage.

[edge2054]

I can see the need for a regen infusion since they can't really rest but the biggest problem is that the starting infusion has a very small amount of healing to begin with and really is just barely good enough for most classes.

Cursed aren't particularly strong in the beginning anyway and when you add on to this the fact that the starting infusion gets cut into I think it's going to be hard with any healing penalty at all.

What I'm getting at is that I don't think there's really an easy way to balance any sort of healing penalty that's worth mentioning for early game. You could try out some different talents but they'd need to be available from the start (a vampiric talent would work well for this but could be difficult to balance and would end up being practically mandatory).

Lukep suggested simply giving them an extra shielding rune and I think that's a nice simple out that lets the healing penalty remain intact in a form that's noticable while still letting them recover with a regen infusion in lieu of resting.

[edge2054]

Or actually... to riff off a few different ideas in this thread.

How about making a custom taint for them to start with that gives them life leech.

Ruinous Taint
Cooldown - 12
Usage Speed - Instant
For the next 5 turns your melee swings deal 10 extra blight damage and heal you for 4 damage. This healing is not reduced by Unnatural Body.

You can reuse Ruin's damage type for this (DRAINLIFE). You'll just have to modify it to bypass Unnatural Body.

Assuming the swings hit that's 20 extra healing which when combined with the regen infusions 30 would put them pretty close to what most characters get out of the regen infusion. It'll give them a bit of extra staying power on bosses and tough monsters as well as some extra damage. It's also instant so using it won't cost a turn. Best of all, it fits pretty well thematically.

It doesn't help Doomed much but honestly I didn't have nearly as much trouble getting Doomed started. The fact that they're ranged means they generally take less damage then a Cursed and in my experience they really aren't the class that needs help early on.

[Canderel]

Introducing Taints would be awesome.

I would recommend against taking that equipment tree at the start, rather obtain it later at the graveyard. (Though it's not a surety unfortunately)

The need for generics early game is intense with a cursed.

But even skeleton/ghoul cursed suffer in the crypt to heal back damage done by traps and other stuff.

[edge2054]

I tried a lot of different starts Chandrel.

Heavy investment in the cursed equipment tree (along with Gloom) was the one I had the most success with. Managed to get two characters up to level 10 like that and the second one is going strong at level 19 now.

Having +13 to your stats at level 10 from curses and having my healing modifier lessened by 28% is nothing to scoff at. Especially when 7 of those stat points are in Willpower.

[Nori]

Or actually... to riff off a few different ideas in this thread.

How about making a custom taint for them to start with that gives them life leech.

Ruinous Taint
Cooldown - 12
Usage Speed - Instant
For the next 5 turns your melee swings deal 10 extra blight damage and heal you for 4 damage. This healing is not reduced by Unnatural Body.

You can reuse Ruin's damage type for this (DRAINLIFE). You'll just have to modify it to bypass Unnatural Body.

Assuming the swings hit that's 20 extra healing which when combined with the regen infusions 30 would put them pretty close to what most characters get out of the regen infusion. It'll give them a bit of extra staying power on bosses and tough monsters as well as some extra damage. It's also instant so using it won't cost a turn. Best of all, it fits pretty well thematically.

It doesn't help Doomed much but honestly I didn't have nearly as much trouble getting Doomed started. The fact that they're ranged means they generally take less damage then a Cursed and in my experience they really aren't the class that needs help early on.

I play a lot of cursed and have to say I agree with you about the start. I have at least a dozen characters that died before I could even get through the first few levels. They really need a bit of help tat the beginning and I like edge's suggestion. That or giving them a shielding rune or just a better starting infusion.