New class: Spell Blade

[Unnamed]

https://te4.org/games/addons/tome/spell-blade

Adds a new class into the game, a mage warrior hybrid. There can never be enough hybrid classes, right?

The Spell Blade is a warrior that uses magic in order to enforce their attacks with destructive spells.
They use their magic to cripple their foes and overwhelm them with swift strikes.
Their use of magic is innate and not really studied; as such they do not naturally regenerate mana and must use external means of recharging.
Therefore they also rely on channeling their spells through weapons or tools rather than casting large bolts of fire or beams of arcane energy as Archmages do. Nevertheless the result can be just as devastating.

Contains 6 new categories.
I made the icons from scratch by myself.

This is my first addon btw.

Changelog:
v2.0.5:

• fix Blade Enhancement description
• change throwing knifes description

v2.0.4:

• made Crushing Blade instant
• changed blade arts talent's weapon damage bonus to a flat bonus
• changed Elemental Shield resistances to fire and light, cold and darkness, and lightning and acid for Fire Blade, Ice Blade, and Lightning Blade respectively
• changed the scaling factor of Arcane Capacity
• moved the damage conversion back to Eldritch Combat
• updated talent descriptions
• bug fixes and typos

v2.0.3:

• Fix Ice Knives attack.

v2.0.2:

• Fix Prismatic Strike.

v2.0.1:

• The Blade Magic t1 now grants Fire, Ice, and Lightning Blade at talent level 1.
• Use sustain_slots property.
• Fix Lightning Knives and Ice Knives.
• Ice Shield now is only deactivated if a shield was taken off.
• Fix typos.

v2.0:

• complete rework of talents and talent categories
• Changed the splitting of talent into categories. Blade enhancements, throwing knives, and attack talents instead of fire, ice, and lightning categories.
• Also removed the Arcane Blade category.
• Some new talents were added.

v1.2.1:

• The max amount of throwing knives increases by 0.5 for each talent level in any throwing knive talents.
• Bug fixes
• Knive talents now properly drain mana in order to reload knives and do not drain mana when the max amount of knives is reached.
• The freeze effect of Prismatic Strike is applied last to ensure the other effects are applied.
• Fixed the position of the cone from Fire Knife with Enervate.

v1.2:

• Replaced Fire Blast with Fire Knives, Storm Bolt with Lightning Knives and Mana Beam with Mana Knives
• Added the Prismatic Blade category
• Changed the effect of the Combat Casting talent
• Blazing Whirlwind now does not deal fire damage in a radius 1 ball and instead performs 2..6 knive attacks.
• Flare Blade now reloads 1..5 knives if the Fire Knive talent is active.
• Lightning Dash will reload 2..6 knives if the Lightning Knives talent is active and no enemies are adjacent to the target position.
• On talent level 3 and above the Enervation talent will grant additional temporary effects to knive attacks.
• Each point in Enervation talents also increases the odds of applying effects to your foes (+4 spellpower equivalent).
• Each point in Arcane Blade talents also increases your spellpower by 2.

v1.1:

• Ice Shield bug fix

[anonymous000]

For good marketing I suggest adding a link to the addon to the post. Posting it to Discord might also help.

As for the class itself, I have not play tested it yet, but I feel the most interesting talents are the whacky melee talents like Ice Barrier and Ice Shield, while the standard spells like Fire Blast/Storm Bolt/Mana Beam look less exciting.

If the emphasis of this class is on the melee part, I am thinking the class could be remodeled as a multi-weapon user with some magical flavor. Like being able to do close-range combat, spell, summon shield to block, and summon bullet to shoot stuff in a seamless way

[Erenion]

One thing (I already mentioned this on the website):

There is a bug with Ice Shield. If you wear a shield and have Ice Shield active, and the total talent level of Block given by the shield and Ice Shield exceeds 5, the game automatically caps it down to 5.
This leads to you losing block levels when Ice Shield is deactivated, potentially even unlearning Block entirely. It is fixed by un- and reequipping your shield, but in the midst of combat, that can be fatal.

(And yes, this is an extremely niche bug since you don't usually use shields, but I saw the class and somehow immediately thought "Great, I'm gonna make an adventurer with the highest Block value I can get!" and found the bug.)

Also, the icons look great in my opinion.

[Unnamed]

Thanks for your feedback!

As for the class itself, I have not play tested it yet, but I feel the most interesting talents are the whacky melee talents like Ice Barrier and Ice Shield, while the standard spells like Fire Blast/Storm Bolt/Mana Beam look less exciting.

I felt like the class needs to have at least some standard spells, but I guess that's not right. I'm going to replace them though Storm Bolt is actually useful in order to find out if there is another enemy around a corner.
I'm not sure about the multi-weapon part. Actually some talents do not require a off-hand weapon and can already be used with two-handed weapons. I don't really want to leave a choice to use two-handed weapons as in the late game dual-weapons will probably be always the better option. I'm thinking about the ability of using bows or other ranged weapons though. As I have to replace some spells anyway they could be used for ranged combat.

There is a bug with Ice Shield. If you wear a shield and have Ice Shield active, and the total talent level of Block given by the shield and Ice Shield exceeds 5, the game automatically caps it down to 5.
This leads to you losing block levels when Ice Shield is deactivated, potentially even unlearning Block entirely. It is fixed by un- and reequipping your shield, but in the midst of combat, that can be fatal.

Interesting. I tried the same thing and the Block skill is not capped down, but won't improve above level 5. I can fix this anyway.

[anonymous000]

For multi-weapon I actually didn't meant equipping bows/shield/2h.

I like the way it currently works that you could summon shield to block, and I think it could be fun if we accentuate such feature, so that the char could melee/block/shoot simultaneously, and each type of action synergize with each other. On top of that adding some magical flavor to them, making them work differently from the routine block/shoot.

Taking the Earth tree as an example to illustrate my idea, it could be something along the line of:

T1: A sustain which regenerates a number of rock bullet per turn, and you learn Shoot. While the sustain is on your Shoot talent uses the rock bullets as ammo. Increase in TL increase the damage of the ammo. Range is fixed at 3 so as to keep the class melee focused

T2: Deactivate the T1 sustain and spend all unused bullets to a targeted enemy with some on hit effects. If targeted onto self, it would be a PBAOE.

T3: Give some options to enhance the bullets, that could be changed to suit your need at specific time

[Unnamed]

T1: A sustain which regenerates a number of rock bullet per turn, and you learn Shoot. While the sustain is on your Shoot talent uses the rock bullets as ammo. Increase in TL increase the damage of the ammo. Range is fixed at 3 so as to keep the class melee focused

That's actually the idea I had myself, but wouldn't it make more sense if the player can use a ranged weapon and the sustain replaces the ammo?
So my idea is to use sling/dagger as off set while ranged attacks will also trigger an attack using the off-hand weapon (up to a certain range, like 4). Some new attacks will be introduced by attacks that are triggered when the sustains are deactivated as you described and some existing talents will also be changed to be useable while wielding sling/dagger.

[anonymous000]

I suggested summoning rock ammo because I seems to fit more with the class concept, but yes using sling/dagger as off set sounds fun. I look forward to it!

[Unnamed]

Thinking about it a second weapon set is too complicated. I just call them 'throwing knives'.
I can't continue scripting it right now but I found the time to write the ideas down.

Code: Select all

Combat Casting
Increase off-hand weapon damage to 53..69% and increase the damage of your throwing knives by 3..19%.
While throwing your knives you also project a off-hand weapon strike doing 53..69% damage.

Fire Knives (replaces Fire Blast)
Sustained
Infuse throwing knives with fire magic. You automatically prepare 1 knive per turn while resting or moving costing 6 mana and you can hold up to 4..9 knives.
The base power, accuracy, armour penetration, and critcal strike chance of your knives increase with talent level and damage is improved with Combat Casting.
Fire Knives count as spell for the purpose of on-hit effects.
Stats same as Throwing Knives (?) but doing fire damage.
On hit: repulsing fire damage in a radius 1 cone
When deactivated, if you have at least 10 mana, you try to teleport all remaining knives behind every enemy within range 6 hitting them with your fire knives and pulling them 1 tile towards the caster.
Activating this talent takes no time but de-activating it does. There can only be one throwing knives talent active at once.

Blazing Whirlwind
Attack all targets within a radius of 1 around you 2 times with your dual-weapons for 60% weapon damage and x fire damage.
There is a 50% chance per hit to remove up to 1..2 beneficial magical effects from the target.
While spinning around, if you have throwing knifes prepared, you throw one of your throwing knives at every enemy within range 3 up to 3..6 knives.
The fire damage will increase with your spellpower. 

Flare Blade
Take a step toward your foes and cleave all creatures in a 3 wide arc in front of you for x% mainhand weapon damage while channeling flames through your weapons setting ablaze all enemies within a radius x cone, doing x fire damage over 3 turns. The ground will be covered in flames for 6 turns, doing x fire damage each turn.
If you moved, the flames will push back all enemies caught inside and spellshock them (20% reduced resistance), if you failed to move a second explosion erupts in a radius of 1 around you doing x fire damage over 3 turns and you use the excess heat to prepare 2..5 enhanced knives if Fire Knives is active.
The fire damage will increase with your Spellpower.

Lightning Knives (replaces Storm Bolt)
Same as Fire Knives but do lightning damage
On hit: apply a charge for 4 turns dealing x lightning damage and forking to another target within range 6.
When deactivated, if you have at least 20 mana, you withdraw the charges of your remaining knives and of all enemies within range 3. Your next melee attack will do additional 10..40 lightning damage per knive left and absorbed charge up to 100..400 damage.
Activating this talent takes no time but de-activating it does. There can only be one throwing knives talent active at once.

Lightning Dash
Transform into pure lightning and rush toward a target spot within range x with blinding speed. You knock back any enemies within your path and do x lightning damage to each of them with a 50% chance of dazing them for 3 turns. Uppon arriving you release the remaining charge dealing x lightning damage in a radius of x around you. If Lightning Knives is active and there is no enemy adjacent to the target tile, you use the released charge to prepare 3..6 knives.
The damage will increase with your Spellpower.

Mana Knives (replaces Mana Beam)
Same as Fire Knives but do arcane damage.
On hit: Overload the target with arcane energy doing x arcane damage over 4 turns. If the target is already affected by this effect, the energy is released in a radius 1 ball doing x arcane damage and removing the effect.
When deactivated, if you have at least 25 mana, you throw all remaining throwing knives at every enemy within a range of 3. The knives are barbed and stick to the target struck. During the next 4 turns, when performing a melee attack against the target, you take the opportunity to infuse the knive with arcane energy causing an arcane explosion doing x arcane damage in a radius 1 ball and silencing the target for 2..4 turns.
Activating this talent takes no time but de-activating it does. There can only be one throwing knives talent active at once.

There is also a new category planned that will give Fire, Ice, and Lightning Blade resistance penetration and adds synergies between ranged and melee attacks.
I also want to boost the Arcane Blade category by passively increasing the chance of applying temporary effects but I don't know how to implement. I took a look at the code but it seems there is no simple way other than increasing spellpower. That would, however, also increase damage and improve talents. It may works instead to grant a second chance to apply effects at a reduced power that is increased passively with talent levels.

[HousePet]

I haven't played this class (or looked at the full talent list), but res pen might not be worth adding. Its really only useful for casters that can mono-element. Everyone else can usually get by with using a different talent or just laying down the smack with a weapon. So if you find yourself trying to squeeze in res pen in place of another cool idea, go with the cool idea instead.

Passively increasing the chance to apply temporary effects directly would be tricky and could have unintended side effects. Perhaps have something that applies a spell save reduction?

[Arcvasti]

Its really only useful for casters that can mono-element. Everyone else can usually get by with using a different talent or just laying down the smack with a weapon.

This is so absurdly untrue that it isn't even funny. Even on normal you get bone giant bosses with 60+ resall and on insane almost every dangerous enemy lategame will have at least that much. Respen is mandatory for all classes that want to damage enemies, which is the majority of them. Maybe 1.6's resall capping will change that, but I doubt even that'd make respen "only useful for mono-element casters".

[PseudoLoneWolf]

I also want to boost the Arcane Blade category by passively increasing the chance of applying temporary effects but I don't know how to implement. I took a look at the code but it seems there is no simple way other than increasing spellpower.

Just spitballing here, I have little experience source diving TOME -

I recall that some equipment egos give a situational boost to Willpower for the purposes of paradox chance reduction, that doesn't apply to other effects of Willpower (more stamina, saves, etc). Could you maybe do something similar? Personally, I'd try to overload whatever the "apply temporary effects" method is with a new one, implemented by the class talent, that just adds on an extra +Y spellpower right there in the method that isn't reflected elsewhere, essentially it would edit the method from f(x)=(x*spellpower), for example (I know that's not the actual thing, just bear with me here) into f(x)=(x*(spellpower+Y)) where Y is the value added on by the class talent.

Anyone more experienced modding TOME want to chime in with why this is stupid?

[nsrr]

Personally, I'd try to overload whatever the "apply temporary effects" method is with a new one, implemented by the class talent, that just adds on an extra +Y spellpower right there in the method that isn't reflected elsewhere, essentially it would edit the method from f(x)=(x*spellpower), for example (I know that's not the actual thing, just bear with me here) into f(x)=(x*(spellpower+Y)) where Y is the value added on by the class talent.

Anyone more experienced modding TOME want to chime in with why this is stupid?

Aside from semantics (I'd probably use a superload or a hook, if there's one available, rather than an overload) that sounds pretty much spot on. I believe the method is setTemporaryEffect in mod/class/actor.

I think there is also at least one thing somewhere in the base game that gives you a boost to the relevant power for the purpose of applying effects only, but I can't think of what it is at the moment. I think it does basically the same as your suggestion, anyway, except that it's hard coded into the method.

[Arcvasti]

You'd just need to have all status applying Spell Blade talents call that particular talent and then apply that as a flat bonus to the spellpower/physical power for application porpoises. Not sure why you wouldn't just give a spellpower bonus straight-up though.

[HousePet]

I didn't think Res Pen worked against resist all? Or I might be getting mixed up with something else.
Also, I only meant that talents for Res Pen aren't really needed, as you can get it from items.
(You also don't have kill the stupid bone giants.)

[Arcvasti]

Respen does work against resist all, but lowering a specific resistance doesn't. Respen on a class gives you a lot of gear flexibility, especially since respen talents traditionally give 30-50% respen. I agree that the problem is more acute on insane since the final bosses usually have at least 75% resall and you definitely need to kill them, but not being able to deal with, say, a high-resall stair guardian can be pretty bad news if they also rolled a nasty class.