Nullpack 2019-02-21: Gravitic Infantry

[Doctornull]

New: 1.5.10 compatible version uploaded, please report any bugs!

Just like content was removed for 1.4 (as my stuff kinda became the new meta), several classes and mechanics were trimmed for 1.5 compatibility.

Everything ought to be currently working -- however, several of the classes are very sparse, and some have mechanics that I'm planning to revise. I'm pushing this so I can play-test while figuring out what needs to be added, and what needs to be removed or replaced.

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http://te4.org/games/addons/tome/nullpack -- or do the convenient thing and subscribe via Steam.

This addon adds a bunch of classes. Included in this pack are:
- Ascetic: magical staff-monk
- Blood Mage Updated! corrupt mage / melee hybrid
- Creep: hateful sneak
- Flenser: a blood-fueled marauder of corruption
- (RENAMED) Gravitic Infantry: heavy infantry chronomancer, formerly named "Heavy"
- Storm Warden: magical archers tasked with guarding and policing the magical community
- Striker: magical lightning sneak
- (UPDATED) Transcendent Fist: unarmed Mindslayer who likes being in melee -- New! Has a guide: http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=42891
- Vector: disease-spreading siege archer

Modified:
- Additional trees for the Alchemist -- New! Toxic Alchemy, Solar Alchemy, and War Alchemy

Changes to core talents are split out into Null Tweaks, but that addon hasn't been updated for 1.5 (yet). Might not be, if I can get my stuff into 1.6 directly instead.

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Transcendent Fist is a high-mobility Psionic which works like a combo Mindslayer + Brawler. You'll get good value from keeping a gemstone in your TK weapon slot.


The Striker is another cunning and covert class, but his focus is on delivering shock-and-awe thunderbolts from stealth. This class received a major update in v3.

As of v3, this class has a new custom spell tree, and feels very different from an Archmage in play. The new tree replaces both Air and Conveyances, leaving a tight, focused talent toolkit. In play, the Striker is tactically different from existing Mage and Rogue characters.

v4 fixes an issue whereby their main mobility power would not function in vaults. Since many equivalent LoS instant-move powers do work in vaults, I changed Lightning Leap to also work in vaults.


The Ascetic is a staff-based arcane fighter-mage, in the Mage category.

This version includes a new talent tree ("Advanced Staff Combat") which ought to keep melee a viable strategy through the end game, and received a bug fix in v2. Please give take this class for a spin and let me know how it performs! Advanced Staff Combat got some re-working in v12, especially Reckless Posture, which ought to actually be worth using now.



The Gravitic Infantry is a melee-focused Chronomancy user.

This class is an attempt to use the Temporal Warden's mechanics to build a shield-based melee class. Updated! Their Temporal Infantry tree got some tweaking, so the damage values are more in line with other talents of their price and level. The class has gained a new high-level tree, Temporal Assault: it gives them better control over their own fate, the ability to punish speedy foes, a unique mid-fight recovery mechanic, and at high levels the ability to penetrate both resistances and magical shields.


The Creep is a stalker in the night, covertly scouting his hated enemies, drawing them off to isolated places, and murdering them gleefully.

He's got a new tree of Hate-based talents (Cursed / Sins) which work alongside his stealth. This class plays differently from the usual hit-and-run stealth types. He's also got a custom high-level tree (Cursed / Horror) which deepens the themes touched on in the Sins tree.



The Vector uses disease and debilitation to keep his foes at range while he snipes them to death.

This guy is the perfect candidate to wield the Corpsebow. His options have been expanded by v4, as now he has a new custom tree which gives him enough damage and control options to survive. He's very unlike the current Archer or the one coming in 1.0.5: he's much more focused on debuffs and enemy control than mobility, and his spells will augment that as he levels up. New as of v23, he's got two ways to bring in disposable demonic minions to block for him, and a couple of ways to shoot through them.

He's also got a different feel to him than the other Defiler classes, since he uses a class-specific Vim regeneration method.



The Stormwarden builds on the Striker's Thunderstrike tree, but has no Stealth with which to buff that tree's damage, so for the Stormwarden that tree will be for just mobility and control. For damage, he's got a new Arcane Surge tree, which provides an arsenal of expensive but short-lasting self-buffs. Shalore ought to enjoy these effects.

They've also got a new generic tree, Mage Warden, which I think might be viable for other archetypes. Maybe this tree could stand as an Angolwen award for non-casters who kill Urkis? Tell me what you think.

In terms of lore, I see these guys as the fore-runners of the Temporal Warden class. They've got the same fighting style in terms of mobility and weapon-swapping, but they're not nearly as unified in theme, and their effects have a more desperate feel to them.


The New! Flenser is a Vim-powered dual-wielder, using daggers to bleed his victims. The Flenser's small Vim pool and permanent Bloodcasting combine with a high Life rating to give a unique resource playstyle: even after a Manaclash, the Flenser remains a potent spellcaster.

This class also introduces a new Generic tree, Blood Magic, which I think might be suitable as a reward from the Grand Corruptor. Please play test the Flenser and let me know!

[Doctornull]

Oops, the Creep had the wrong talent trees. Fixed in v1.

[Elroniel]

More stealth classes for the win!

Kudos for tying the melee one into a cursed class, I think it fits quite well. Planning on trying out each class you've loaded up, they all seem like fun.

[Doctornull]

Thanks! I do hope they're fun.

The Creep tries to leverage Cunning + Will, and his Gestures attacks are boosted by Shadowstrike, and he can break LoS to re-stealth using Darkness (but it's not easy unless you go deep into Darkness), and Darkness is kinda-sorta a boost to his movement... but he still needs more movement powers. Another neat thing is that the counter-attacks from the Cunning / Tactics tree and the Gestures last talent stack, so you can get up to 2 counter-attacks per round. Won't happen most of the time, but it's neat when it does happen.

The Striker's big deal is spells from Stealth, which again works because of Shadowstrike. He leverages Magic + Cunning, so stacking on +crit damage items ought to be a priority, but he'll benefit from Willpower if you use Thunderstorm much at all. His movement is already great (Conveyance, and Feather Wind boosts move speed), so I'm working on a few damage powers for him which focus on forced movement (wind) and Darkness damage.

[Sradac]

Only played striker so far but its pretty cool. However I must say it is stupidly OP. Its basically an Archmage that auto-crits massive crits. It needs some kind of weak points or drawbacks. Maybe:

1. Remove Aegis.
2. Remove Innate mana regen?
3. Remove Storm?

[Elroniel]

I have to agree with removing the Storm and Aegis tree; they're kind of over kill as it is. Maybe instead of Storm you could add the custom tree you were thinking about (i.e. something else spell/lightning based, maybe with stealth components/requirements.)

[Doctornull]

Thanks Sradac!

I think you're right about Aegis, which is not necessary for the concept and it may be OP. I'll remove it in the next version.

Regarding the early game... yeah, the Striker's about as easy as an Archmage, which is very easy for me. Maybe the Striker needs a negative lifemod, to be more like a glass cannon. The game SHOULD get harder when you get more ranged opponents on the screen at once... and by the time you hit the Prides, I wonder if you'll still find the class OP.

Regarding mana regen... since you have to rest for a bit while Stealth and/or Hide in Plain Sight cools down, I'm not sure removing mana regen would actually change anything important. Re-establishing Stealth would still be the big "win" button for the Striker, and having to spend a slot for a Manasurge rune or get some kind of mana regen gear won't really hinder that.

The other things that ought to hinder him are Lightning-immune enemies. (Have you fought a Storm Wyrm yet? That was not easy for me.) He's going to get some Darkness and Light powers to help him cope with those, but they won't be as strong as the Lightning tree.

Thanks for playing this class, and please do let me know if you think it's still OP after facing a Storm Wyrm!

[Doctornull]

I have to agree with removing the Storm and Aegis tree; they're kind of over kill as it is. Maybe instead of Storm you could add the custom tree you were thinking about (i.e. something else spell/lightning based, maybe with stealth components/requirements.)

Hmm. Now I'm thinking about removing or locking Conveyance, and putting 2 movement talents in the low-level custom tree. That'll mean having less convenient escape powers, and one less Shield power.

Regarding Storm, here's what I hope: you'll either have to be VERY careful, or you'll need both Storm and Meta in order to avoid Hurricane'ing yourself to death.


But it's possible that Air + Storm + Shadowstrike is just plain overpowered, in which case I'll write custom Spell trees which are weaker than Air + Storm, and you'll need to rely on Shadowstrike to survive.

Thank you!

[Avernite]

Reckless Invocation of the Ascetic doesn't trigger the cooldown nor does it use any mana/stamina

[Doctornull]

Reckless Invocation of the Ascetic doesn't trigger the cooldown nor does it use any mana/stamina

Sorry for the bug!
I'll find it & fix it soon.

[Doctornull]

Fixed, please download Nullpack v2.

Thanks for finding the bug!

[Avernite]

Good job with extra quick bug fixing =)!

Also.
Iam not sure if that's related to your mod.
I am not even sure if that is a bug at the 1st place. Maybe Iam missing something, but I cant get that one prodigy that requires you to be 'close to draconic world', the Dragon Body (and the Dragon Will too).
And Iam pretty sure I ate that queen's heart.

PS BTW what does 'damage of the skill is similar but more powerful than what your staff normally does'.
Does that refer to the damage type or the damage itself?

If its about the damage than why that difficulty? Why not just ~120% damage?
If that's the damage type than what is more powerfull?
cold become ice? What does ice become? And what if I use phys dmg? it becomes pin?

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

Those two prodigies require one to either a) be a wyrmic, b) be a draconian (pretty sure they qualify), or c) consume both the heart AND the bile.

If you still can't qualify for them after consuming BOTH, then there is an error.

[Avernite]

Those two prodigies require one to either a) be a wyrmic, b) be a draconian (pretty sure they qualify), or c) consume both the heart AND the bile.

If you still can't qualify for them after consuming BOTH, then there is an error.

What is the bile xD?
*what a noob question must it be*

[Doctornull]

I cant get that one prodigy that requires you to be 'close to draconic world', the Dragon Body (and the Dragon Will too).
And Iam pretty sure I ate that queen's heart.

The queen's heart is half of the battle. Go back to the Sandworm Lair after you return from a certain extended trip overseas you'll find a new guardian, which you can slay to get some wyrm bile. Drink that and you'll qualify for the two Draconic prodigies.

PS BTW what does 'damage of the skill is similar but more powerful than what your staff normally does'.
Does that refer to the damage type or the damage itself?

I'll write out what the different damage types mean in v3.

It's stuff like Cold -> Ice (chance to freeze), Lightning -> Lightning Daze, Temporal -> Stun, Nature -> Poison, etc.