wanne BoneDragon

[jinsediaoying]

how possible the mighty undead army don't have BoneDragons?

[parcel]

how possible the mighty undead army don't have BoneDragons?

Actually, come to think of it, though it may be bad for the current concept of the class design for necros, it would be pretty neat if a class were set up to get a pet at a specific point in the story through the relevant 'conversion' of a particular boss. Perhaps we won't see Ratha the Worm in ghoulform any time soon, but it would still be neat to have a class' talent progression tied in with the story in a very meaningful way, much as with the necromancer lich transformation requirements and the special item quest for cursed.

[The Revanchist]

For Necromancers, from what I understand of Bone Giant, lorewise, they've got a lot more potential. Perhaps one of the talents could let you choose a "state" for the construct, similarly to Channel Staff's aspects. I'd assume an advanced talent, but I also don't see many other options for transformation besides Bone Dragons, so... downside.

Would the "Companion" concept be a possible prodigy-spinoff?

[parcel]

For Necromancers, from what I understand of Bone Giant, lorewise, they've got a lot more potential. Perhaps one of the talents could let you choose a "state" for the construct, similarly to Channel Staff's aspects. I'd assume an advanced talent, but I also don't see many other options for transformation besides Bone Dragons, so... downside.

Would the "Companion" concept be a possible prodigy-spinoff?

I think that the configuration of enhanced necrotic bones doesn't especially change the powers of the resultant skeleton, though physical properties may change. A bone giant is a mix of many bones in roughly humanoid form. Put into dragon form it wouldn't suddenly be able to breathe fire; skeletons don't breathe anyway. This is why I think a minion with dragonish powers would be related to a necromatic format other than skeleton, such as ghoul. Frankly though if I were to make a nice, permanent dragonish pet as an option to necromancers, it would be a spectral dragon. The spirit of a dragon could breathe some sort of spiritual attack, and an emphasis on the non-physicality of dragons as creatures of power might be a nice change of pace from the usual interpretation. A spectral form would also be indestructable by most processes and could justify a system where you feed it souls to restore its form and power.

A companion could be related to a prodigy, but it could also be related to a talent that is tied to storyline progression, in the way lichform is. It depends on the context in which you think getting a permanent, revivable/immortal pet would be appropriate.

[HousePet]

Was going to make a prodigy that upgraded your bone giant or golem to dragonish form, but then DarkGod put in that donator birth option.

[Parcae2]

Maybe Necromancers who reach Melinda in time could change the enchantments on her, causing a mighty bone dragon to be born from her corpse? That would be a neat subversion of the "save the damsel from the dragon" trope.

[parcel]

"Melinda's scarred body writhes in the blue light of the acolytes as they burst into cold flame, their foul task finally turned to your noble purposes. Her flesh seems to boil in the dark light, to strain against itself...but it does not burst. Your enchantments hold. You can see the tiny threads even now, binding her form together, distorting her spirit as her last life fades and the foul demonic portal inside her finally responds to your will and closes. Just as one might catch a venomous snake with a forked stick, your cunning and powerful will have caught the demon in the process of arriving, feeding, becoming. You have dominion over the great demon's soul. What is more, you have caught it at a moment of birth; it is unblemished by the usual death process of worldly creatures. You chuckle softly, and the enchantments preparing you for immortality seem to creak imperceptibly with the strain of your joy. Your adventures have started to get a lot more interesting!"

Leave it to necros to think outside the box. Save someone's life? Worthless. Better to gain control over the products of death. Controlling death is the only way that can truly save a life forever and ever.

[The Revanchist]

Leave it to necros to think outside the box. Save someone's life? Worthless. Better to gain control over the products of death. Controlling death is the only way that can truly save a life forever and ever.

That makes... a lot of sense. They typically wouldn't leap at the chance to save a human, but to see a chance to make a new (likely very powerful) servant is another matter. It isn't like the necromancers are held in a friendly light anyway.

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

If we go this route, IT MUST BE AN OPTION, not forced. Not every necromancer is concerned over potential power over all else.

[Waladil]

Kill the last cultist, you get a text box describing Melinda a bit more with some dialogue choices at the bottom?
Maybe:
Break the chains and free her (proceeds as normal)
Enhance the power of the summoning ritual (something something corruptors)
Bind the demon for your own purposes (Necromancer stuff described above)
Force the power into a different vessel (Alchemist golem gets demontastic)
Break the summoning ritual but subsume Melinda's will into the Way before you free her (Yeek are jerks)
Say "Peace out, bye." (+100 evilness points)

I've also got the idea of some character who'd be good but really kind of a jerk good guy, who would let the summoning continue and let Melinda die purely to kill off the demon, under the belief that killing the demon would be worth just one life.

[parcel]

If we go this route, IT MUST BE AN OPTION, not forced. Not every necromancer is concerned over potential power over all else.

I can think of a few possibilities. First, maybe the option only shows if you 'deal' with the grand corrupter or something like that, to get a tentative understanding of demons and why they are here. Second, maybe you should get the choice early on in the quest: "there appears to be a potent sacrificial ritual going on, which will bring something really scary into the world if it works. Do you want to try to harness this power?" Making a choice early allows you to impose an extra challenge early. For instance you can get a mild mana drain when fighting the cultists, and be required to kill the last cultist while standing next to Melinda.