More monster variety, acquatic foes, other stuff(long)
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:18 pm
Partially inspired by http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=27554 fom some time ago.
So...this is a bit of rant, I've got several related ideas, but basically:
I think it would be nice if there were more critters, especially low-mid levels ones with interesting(but not overpowered)abilities.
One way to balance some of the more powerful ones(and add just a bit of realism) is to make them not automatically aggresive but only if the player steps too close(say, 2-3)tiles or uses 'flashy' talents(magic!) from a somewhat longer distance.
Also some more animals and plants - including mutated/altered versions of real world ones, and new ones created just for the setting - would add variety to zones such as the Mire and Norgos(which has really a silly amount of snakes for a snowy place). Also, to the wilderness - drakes, wolves and bears get SO boring after a while...
Some of these animals might be used for alchemist' ingredients, and could replace some existing ones like the ritch stinger, as the west has no ritches as a rule, though some can spawn in the RD.
I really want support for acquatic animals that can spawn in ponds only and will never willingly leave them, they suffocate otherwise inmost cases. Could add some Watcher-in-the-water monster that drags the player in the water with its tentacles.
Lake of Nur 1 should use some of these mechanics some animals like that.
Also, give some/most acquatic creatures a special ability that gives big bonuses to defense if they're attacked by actors from the surface - bonuses could be based on distance, capping at 3-4 squares.
Let's get to the important part, though:
Here's a list of new critters I thought up and we could stat, I'll try to do that myself for most of them. Suggestions are appreciated, also within a single type, npcs are usually in a rough order of power.
pigs: wild pig, boar, giant boar, spellswine(phase doors, does some arcane stuff). All except the wild pig have Rush or 'Gore' a
variant that does bleeding in addition/instead of daze but has a shorter range.
cats: wild cat, cougar, snow leopard, lion(comes in a pride), tiger, saber tooth tiger. Most use stealth and might have some pounce ability. If we want to get fancy, there could be a lowish chance(10%) of a big cat being a 'panther' which does nothing to its stats, but gives the tile a black tinge.
apes: ape, snow ape, giant ape. Most have brawler talents dealing with grappling. Snow and giant apes could throw boulders, although I feel that's a bit too giantish(and I'd want snow apes to show in the Daikara) - maybe it should be smaller boulders which don't explode.
monkeys: various types. Basically, if apes are fighters/zerkers, monkeys are rogues. Some could have walk through trees(to represent swinging/climbing along branches) or throw small rocks(similar to slinger basic attack) that do low damage.
bats: normal(comes in groups), giant, vampiric. The last could be kept as a pet by some necromancers/vampires.
scorpions: Mostly for Eruan, but I can see some showing up in the natural areas of the West too. Some could be corrupted versions able to shoot their poison from a distance. Also, a scorpion using Blood Spray through its stinger sounds cool to me, for some reason.
plants: Got several weird ideas here. Like carnivorous plants/trees with a short-range talent that pulls the player close, confuses/stuns them(hallucinating flowers/nectar/whatever) and then attacks with a gaping maw.
Also, vim and necromancy based plants - one that needs blood to water its root and carries several diseases, and another that is a kind of hanging tree with minions.
And I wouldn't mind seeing a Rimebark once in a while - if Summoners summon them, they must be natural.
pachyderms: rhinoceros, elephant, mammoth.
giant snails: slow, decent armor, leaves trail of slime that slows, has a short range acid spit, or perhaps slime again.
beetles
hydras: Like with the Rimebark, if summoners can summon then, then they must be natural. Make them rare, though.
undead: pyre ghost(magic user burned at the stake in the Age of Pyre, back for revenge - would be an undead with cold vulnerability, for a change!), frost wight(cold-focused wight with ice storm, comes from people who died in blizzards/glaciers).
So...this is a bit of rant, I've got several related ideas, but basically:
I think it would be nice if there were more critters, especially low-mid levels ones with interesting(but not overpowered)abilities.
One way to balance some of the more powerful ones(and add just a bit of realism) is to make them not automatically aggresive but only if the player steps too close(say, 2-3)tiles or uses 'flashy' talents(magic!) from a somewhat longer distance.
Also some more animals and plants - including mutated/altered versions of real world ones, and new ones created just for the setting - would add variety to zones such as the Mire and Norgos(which has really a silly amount of snakes for a snowy place). Also, to the wilderness - drakes, wolves and bears get SO boring after a while...
Some of these animals might be used for alchemist' ingredients, and could replace some existing ones like the ritch stinger, as the west has no ritches as a rule, though some can spawn in the RD.
I really want support for acquatic animals that can spawn in ponds only and will never willingly leave them, they suffocate otherwise inmost cases. Could add some Watcher-in-the-water monster that drags the player in the water with its tentacles.
Lake of Nur 1 should use some of these mechanics some animals like that.
Also, give some/most acquatic creatures a special ability that gives big bonuses to defense if they're attacked by actors from the surface - bonuses could be based on distance, capping at 3-4 squares.
Let's get to the important part, though:
Here's a list of new critters I thought up and we could stat, I'll try to do that myself for most of them. Suggestions are appreciated, also within a single type, npcs are usually in a rough order of power.
pigs: wild pig, boar, giant boar, spellswine(phase doors, does some arcane stuff). All except the wild pig have Rush or 'Gore' a
variant that does bleeding in addition/instead of daze but has a shorter range.
cats: wild cat, cougar, snow leopard, lion(comes in a pride), tiger, saber tooth tiger. Most use stealth and might have some pounce ability. If we want to get fancy, there could be a lowish chance(10%) of a big cat being a 'panther' which does nothing to its stats, but gives the tile a black tinge.
apes: ape, snow ape, giant ape. Most have brawler talents dealing with grappling. Snow and giant apes could throw boulders, although I feel that's a bit too giantish(and I'd want snow apes to show in the Daikara) - maybe it should be smaller boulders which don't explode.
monkeys: various types. Basically, if apes are fighters/zerkers, monkeys are rogues. Some could have walk through trees(to represent swinging/climbing along branches) or throw small rocks(similar to slinger basic attack) that do low damage.
bats: normal(comes in groups), giant, vampiric. The last could be kept as a pet by some necromancers/vampires.
scorpions: Mostly for Eruan, but I can see some showing up in the natural areas of the West too. Some could be corrupted versions able to shoot their poison from a distance. Also, a scorpion using Blood Spray through its stinger sounds cool to me, for some reason.
plants: Got several weird ideas here. Like carnivorous plants/trees with a short-range talent that pulls the player close, confuses/stuns them(hallucinating flowers/nectar/whatever) and then attacks with a gaping maw.
Also, vim and necromancy based plants - one that needs blood to water its root and carries several diseases, and another that is a kind of hanging tree with minions.
And I wouldn't mind seeing a Rimebark once in a while - if Summoners summon them, they must be natural.
pachyderms: rhinoceros, elephant, mammoth.
giant snails: slow, decent armor, leaves trail of slime that slows, has a short range acid spit, or perhaps slime again.
beetles
hydras: Like with the Rimebark, if summoners can summon then, then they must be natural. Make them rare, though.
undead: pyre ghost(magic user burned at the stake in the Age of Pyre, back for revenge - would be an undead with cold vulnerability, for a change!), frost wight(cold-focused wight with ice storm, comes from people who died in blizzards/glaciers).
