Psychic Shield (or Song of the Indomitable Will)

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Would it be better to make Sanity more useful, or get rid of it?

Make it more useful
7
88%
Get rid of it
1
13%
 
Total votes: 8
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Fubar Obfusco
Wyrmic
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 4:37 am

Psychic Shield (or Song of the Indomitable Will)

#1 Post by Fubar Obfusco »

I'm not sure if this should be a Mindcrafter ability, or a spell of the Mind school, or possibly even a bards' song, but I'll describe it anyhow:

Psychic Shield. In casting this spell, you call upon your utmost reserves of mental strength to resist incoming magical attacks. Instead of assaulting your body, your foes' spells will batter your mind and your senses. Though this spell may be the mage's salvation when facing more powerful hostile magic-users, it does not take long before the sheer psychological strain leads the caster to hallucinate ... or worse.

In game terms, Psychic Shield diverts a portion of the damage of incoming spell-based attacks to afflict the caster's Sanity score instead of Hit Points. Even at the lowest spell level, 30% of magical damage is thus diverted; at the highest it is 75%. (This would have the effect of making Sanity (and thus Wisdom) more useful to spellcasters!)

The spell has no effect whatsoever on nonmagical melee or missile blows, nor on dragon breath weapons and other natural magics. It also takes effect before any resistances or immunities apply: so if you are immune to fire and cast Psychic Shield, fire-based magical attacks will still incur Sanity damage against you. It is the magical force of the spell you are resisting with your mind -- not the heat of the flame.

This might work as a bards' song because (1) it's a dramatic effect, and (2) it makes sense as something the caster can draw out for a while and then stop, rather than having a fixed duration as spells do. As such, it might be called Song of Shields or Song of the Indomitable Will.
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Neil
Sher'Tul Godslayer
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#2 Post by Neil »

Hopelessly biased poll you have here.
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Atarlost
Sher'Tul Godslayer
Posts: 1973
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#3 Post by Atarlost »

I've stated my opinions on sanity before, and I don't feel like repeating them again, but everything about sanity needs fixing. I don't think it's reduced by enough things, I don't think there are enough ways to get it back, and I don't think the effects of insanity are what they should be.
Digitochracy
n. 1. technocracy. 2. government by the numbers. 3. rule by people with the longest fingers.
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Fubar Obfusco
Wyrmic
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 4:37 am

#4 Post by Fubar Obfusco »

neil wrote:Hopelessly biased poll you have here.
No offense intended -- I consider polls for entertainment value only. :)
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Fang

#5 Post by Fang »

I am considering trying costs to sanity for certain uberspells. eg. mass genocide, higher levels of manathrust ;) etc....
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Guest

#6 Post by Guest »

am considering trying costs to sanity for certain uberspells. eg. mass genocide, higher levels of manathrust etc....
Good idea for mass genocide, but manathrust just needs to be nerfed. Using it, I can take out Black Reavers and Greater Balrogs with 3 hits. Doesn't that say it all?
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