Beholder race/classes

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

Darkgod wouldn't be accepting donations for a beholder class though. I specified it as nondonator content, for that issue. And there's some roguelike out there directly based on D&D mechanics, classes, characters, etc. Was that Incursion? And I think they had a donate button somewhere.

But eh, whatever. I honestly would have no problem ripping them off anyway. (People distrubute there campaigns online, and outside home use, so I don't see that being an issue.) But yeah, whatever works. Change the name, call it something else, and boom, no legal issue. Not even a need to dramatically alter the class/race itself. Just keep graphics, maybe add a blotch/scale/change color here, and boom you have something legal anyway.

It's not like giant eyeballs are a completely unique concept that no-one but TSR and assorted affiliates ever came up with.

But yeah, best take decisions out of the hands of ignorant folks like me.

[kemott11]

The class is quite fun so far, keep up the good work. One thing that I'm missing and would be thematic is a Conveyance(-like) tree.

Try this http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=5 ... 44&start=0
Just don't use it with Arcanum.

[CaptainTrips]

Good idea, but until Beholders get their cat points back this also won't help.

BTW, any word on when the new version with some of the bigger 'bugs' fixed (cat points, frost focus...) might be coming? I'm trying to decide if I should keep going with my current character or just do something else for a day or two.

[ajfluffy]

Most of the issues would only take moments to address, but I cannot work on it during the weekend. I'll likely have a quick release to fix most the issues early AM on Monday.

Have to also make the phase effect of second racial trigger for only hits over 50 or so should make it less annoying.

[ajfluffy]

I'm thinking I need to change tentacles a bit. Make then magic/willpower instead of strength and change the stat requirements to make first talent hard to max but other ones easier. Will still fit ok with the tentacle specialist class I believe.

[Elroniel]

If you went with Str/Wil on the tent generic tree, you could add a Wil based tree consisting of defensive abilities for the tentacle specialist class. It's flavor could be something along the lines of the Beholder focusing it's strength of mind to deflect blows and protect itself. Might help tie in the stat to another tree and still keep it within the idea you've got going.

[CaptainTrips]

Most of the issues would only take moments to address, but I cannot work on it during the weekend. I'll likely have a quick release to fix most the issues early AM on Monday.

Have to also make the phase effect of second racial trigger for only hits over 50 or so should make it less annoying.

Setting a specific cut-off point like that will make it vary quite a bit over the course of the game, with it affecting very little in the begging, and almost everything at the end. I suggest either going with hits over x% of total (or remaining? might be more interesting) health or, if feasible, just making it not apply to damage from DoT effects.

[Zonk]

Setting a specific cut-off point like that will make it vary quite a bit over the course of the game, with it affecting very little in the begging, and almost everything at the end. I suggest either going with hits over x% of total (or remaining? might be more interesting) health or, if feasible, just making it not apply to damage from DoT effects.

Could go with the % being the % of damage suffered, modified. I do agree that making this ignore DoT might be a good idea, also.

[ajfluffy]

Thanks for the feedback all!

I have made a few basic changes and I beleive I have addressed all the raised issues.

Growth is now based on eating 3 items of material level above or equal to your stage. cat points are back but the additional trees granted are done so locked.

tentacle combat is now magic and willpower, but don't expect it to be very powerful (its more for utility as they are mages!)

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

tentacle combat is now magic and willpower, but don't expect it to be very powerful (its more for utility as they are mages!)

lol wait til you see the class specifically for tentacle combat... so many tentacles flying around it should be played by adults only

Then hurry up and make the class that fights with tentacles! I want to live out my dreams of being a Hentai Tentacle Monster!

And I shall name it, Yivo.

[ajfluffy]

It's on my Todo list

[spiralrazor]

Look up the Pathfinder RPG.....beholders aren't patented anymore..OGL.

[SageAcrin]

Well, if Pathfinder stole them, obviously that's not a worry, then. My bad.

Still must ask if they're necessarily thematic, just dumped into the game. They're not utterly unfitting, but usually there's at least some small twist to a standard fantasy creature. Naga are cursed elves, Halflings are militant races, even Dwarves have some weird Magic/Nature fusion tricks, etc.

How about this for an idea; Theme them as Chronomantic creatures that watch history from beyond space-time(Watchers?). They come into this universe when they sense major space/time distortions and events that could upset the future.

Why one might be interested in killing the Sorcerors, who are kinda into ending space-time near enough, is easy enough to guess. And it lets you give them all sorts of unique powers that way. Don't even have to touch their art up.

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

I'm all for that. That sounds like a really nifty idea, and beholders certainly look odd enough to be from some far off planet/timeline/universe/whatever.

Course now I'm getting images of Golden Sun...

Different dialogue for them in the Temporal Rift! Unique start!

[CaptainTrips]

Great work. I like most of the changes, with the possible exception of the hard limit of 50 damage on Extraplanar Origin, but we'll see how that works out. The change to growth makes the progression much smoother and seems like it should peak out right on time.

Two more suggestions:

1) It feels like there should be one more intermediate size between 'cute little eyemound' and 'omg massive flesh-disintegrating monster'. The tiles look very nice and really contribute to the feeling of the whole thing, but the progression is over a bit fast. Making a medium-sized sprite at growth level three and the final form at five would help lend the whole thing more of an air of suspense.

2) The restriction on Lightning Burst to 'chain' only when the target survives forces it to be used in a strategic manner, which is a good thing. However, it also has the unfortunate side effect of 'punishing' the player for doing more damage, and thus makes one choose between either pumping Lightning Laser and Burst for increased initial damage or leaving them underpowered for better chances at chain damage. It also feels strange that the cutoff point is so binary; one hp can make the difference between chaining or not.

You could force the player to make a very similar strategic decision while mitigating these issues by having Lightning Burst always chain, but basing the damage it passes on on the amount of hp the initial creature loses (NB: not the amount of damage done - if a creature only has 50 remaining hp and you hit for 300, chain damage is based on the 50). This would lead to a similar strategy in use, namely using the talent on creatures with the highest current hp, without punishing the player for boosting the damage or making it such an 'all-or-nothing' affair.