fear question
 

A question regarding fear: for commanders that already have the fear attribute by themselves, does it make any sense to give them the Horror Helmet (apart from the protection)? What would be the effect on fear?

Seems like an important issue because the horror helmet is one of the better helmets to get early on (if you have some death magic).

thanks for your input.

Re: fear question
 

I believe Fear has a bigger radius when you reach every level of fear divisible by 5. So +5/+10/+15 etc etc. Not only does it get stronger, but the number of squares that it effects on the screen is larger.

One of the things to keep in mind is that fear does not effect a radius of squares around you, but some kind of weird concentric circle. At least, this is what I've been told!

I believe if you have fear +0 to begin with, and you add a horror helm, it raises their stat in it.

Jazzepi

Re: fear question
 

Everyone is a little confused about the details, but definitely adding a horror helm onto a unit which already has fear works very well (Fear+0 goes to Fear+5, although I for one am not clear on the exact meaning of that).

Re: fear question
 

As far as I know Fear +0 is six squares around unit.
Fear +1 is seven squares, etc.
Every 5 fear levels makes the fear harder to resist.

Re: fear question
 

Clarification for readers' sake: Fear +0 is not a six-square RADIUS, it is merely six distinct squares close to the unit. Judging from other spells like Soul Vortex, I doubt the squares are required to be contiguous, but they usually are. Every +1 to fear increases your area of effect by 1 square, and as ologm said every +5 makes the fear 1 harder to resist. (I think you normally check morale + DRN vs. 13 + DRN, so Fear +17 would then make you check vs. 16 + DRN in a 23-square area.)

-Max

Re: fear question
 

Llamabeast, are you sure that unit isn't a pretender with death magic?

Death magic adds plus one to fear for each level of death magic. If a unit doesn't have any fear, it kicks in at 5 points of death. I presume that with the horror helmet, it counts the full worth of the death magic.

Re: fear question
 

I think having a horror helm is like having 5 more levels of death magic, if you like. I think a D1 mage with with a horror helm will end up with fear+1. Haven't checked that recently though, so I may have got confused.

Re: fear question
 

Correct!

Re: fear question
 

Just so you know, two horror helms don't stack http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I was trying to give my wurm +10 fear http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Jazzepi

Re: fear question
 

All of the fear items give +5 fear, so that equipping any one of them on a non-mage commander will get Fear(0). For a true Fear-monster, think D10 Prince of Death with Horror Helmet, Lantern Shield and the armor that gives fear (don't remember which one that was. Fear(+35) for the win! If you had a non-pretender one like that and got him Legendary Cruelty or Battle Bellow, that would be something...

Re: fear question
 

No two identical items stack (like Wine bags).

Re: fear question
 

Unless you have three or more slots of the same type, so e.g. a Crone with 4 slots can exploit that by putting 2 wine bags and 2 cauldrons in the order WB-C-WB-C and will get the bonuses from all 4 items stacked. That starts to become a problem when it is done with magic boosters, especially multipath boosters.

Damn, I need to add that one to the next bug roundup (due later today).

Re: fear question
 

I actually think that bug (if it's a bug) is quite good. Otherwise the multiple misc slots on certain pretenders are next to useless. Ok, misc slots rock on combatants but most creatures with more than 2 are caster types.

Re: fear question
 

Spell Focus, Amulet of Luck, Amulet of Missile Protection, perhaps Eye of Aiming, Girdle of Might/Amulet of Reinvigoration, Amulet of Antimagic... There are many good items that benefit all mages. It's just that the OFFENSIVE items are much more rare.

Re: fear question
 

Also, two of the same weapon stack in the sense that you get to attack with both of them every turn. (If the weapon has other effects like resistance or magic boosting, I think that is not stacked, though. Possible exception for 3+ arms and a similar situation to what Edi describes for miscs.)

If you want more fear than the horror helmet alone, there are several other item options for fear. Implementor axe, skull standard, standard of the damned, both axes of rulership together, lantern shield, aegis, and the black book of secrets all give some fear (some of those are artifacts though - without artifacts, I don't think a humanoid can get more than +5 just from items). The Gift of Kurgi gives a *LOT* of fear, but has some pretty major drawbacks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

Re: fear question
 

Done forget Stympian Wings armor. Not an artifact. Also gives flight, so be careful with it.