Avatar Crisis

Preliminary (pre-unit creation) design of the Mystran faction:

#selectnation 0
#name "Mystrans"
#clearnation
#clearrec
#clearsites
#epithet "Keepers of the Weave"
#era 3
#descr "Worshippers of the Lady of Mysteries include a large variety of wizards, clerics, mystic theurges, and even a special order of mage/rangers."
#brief "Mystrans are worshippers of Mystra, the goddess of magic. They collect mystic lore as a sacred duty, and so have many skilled researchers and a variety of wizards offer their services to the Lady of Mysteries. Mystra is also served by the Order of the Shooting Stars, an order of magic-wielding rangers."
#summary "PROS: Many wizards and priests, good research. CONS: Few melee units, few sacred units."
#flag "./Avatar Crisis/mystra_flag.tga"
#color 0.7,0.5,1.0
#templepic 6
#startfort 17
#defaultfort 17
#farmfort 2
#forestfort 19
#mountainfort 24
#swampfort 25
#uwfort 13
#deepfort 43
#end

[Endoperez]

Pretenders have morale 30, magic resistance 18.

Also, pretenders come in several varieties. Look at them and study them and learn which limits the various groups have. Some examples:

1) Rainbow pretenders. The Conceptual Balance versions are actually pretty decent. Some rainbow pretenders are tough enough to use for expansion (Ghost King, perhaps the immortal Liches, Vampire Queen if anyone could afford to use her). These have low starting dominion.

2) Size 6 titans. Titans usually have level 3 in one path, levels 2 and 1 in two paths, or sometimes level 1 in two or three paths. They often have some special ability, like forge bonus, Awe or Fear, but only one of these. They have starting dominion between 2 and 3, usually.

3) Monsters. They usually have either only one or two paths and other paths very expensive, OR no initial paths at all and every new paths costs 50 points. They have low starting dominion (1 or 2).

4) Immobiles. They have one or two paths, they are very cheap to choose, they have higher than average starting dominion (3 or 4).

In unmodded Dominions, highest starting path is 3 in a single path (Cyclops, Oracle, Fountain of Blood etc) or 2 in 2 paths (immobile Baphomet (Marignon) or Divine Glyph (Machaka/Abysia IIRC)). In Conceptual Balance, most rainbow pretenders start with level 1 in two or three paths and those aren't unbalanced either. Anything above these limits will give access to unbelievably powerful blesses.
Only immobiles start with dominion 4, others may have dominion 3 at maximum. Otherwise, they'll easily afford dominion 9 or 10 and get Awe, which makes them insanely powerful expanders.


Dominions gods aren't actually Gods of the same power level as existing Forgotten Realms gods, but beings that wish to become that powerful. Don't do Mystra, but do a Lady of the Weave, modeled after the Great Enchantress. If you want to make it more powerful, model it after Conceptual Balance version.
Oh, and encumberance 0 is a REALLY bad idea. Enc 2 is minimum for normal humans, enc 1 is minimum for anything that lives including Superman and equivalents. Enc 0 means that you don't breath or rest or sleep.



Also, if you still really don't understand what's wrong with your Mystra, imagine this:

F9A9W9E9 with dominion 10, which means she has 19 attack and defence, 9 innate protection and incredible precision with Awe +6 or so. She can probably conquer one province per turn without any equipment. Then add in the fact that she can research level 1 in any school in a single turn, so she'll get buffs insanely fast. Alternatively, she can wear any armor without getting any fatigue at all.

[Aezeal]

hmmm well that is all assuming he means this girl to be played, cus then it would be hard to find balance even with other gods he'l create. If this one is supposed to be AI (but I agree that isn't how he brougth it) then I'd not mind fighting her.. might be a challange.

For the rest if you want to make balanced pretenders then endo has given all you need to know. If you want them a bit stronger you could make one path to like 4 (hugely decreases points needed to reach 9) or 2 points extra on a path/paths that aren't 3 already, or give an extra ability for combat pretenders, or higher research bonus etc etc.

Btw I'm not that much into the setting but wheren't the gods on earth a lil less powerfull than they where before? (because what you made would rival with the most powerfull gods you could have in the forgotten realms (don't know the exact names you'd give them.)

Yes, that version of Mystra has now been scrapped. I keep thinking of full magic research as something any clever player with enough found-gem-sites can empower themselves up to eventually.

Encumbrance was not clearly explained in the mod guide I was looking at, thanks for the help with that one.

I have gotten a basic modded Mystran nation (no predefined pretender, so make a rainbow to your specifications) and put it through a test or two, anyone want to volunteer for comments on the potential suckiness / overpowertude of these guys please respond here or send me a PM. I will post versions here as they become more polished.

It uses primarily stock units, I created 4 new units for Mystra, she also recruits Militia, Crossbowmen, Mystics, Priestesses, Wizards, and three powers of Theurg. Modified Rangers of Ulm serve her as troops under modified ranger captains. The Rangers are Mystra's only non-priest sacred units.

Monkeyvich.

[rdonj]

I'm probably willing to help a little with that, I'm pretty busy lately so I'd probably be a bit slow (well, for me) with info though.

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Monkeyvich

Yes, that version of Mystra has now been scrapped. I keep thinking of full magic research as something any clever player with enough found-gem-sites can empower themselves up to eventually.

I used to have a similar problem. I suggest you find the #dominions irc channel and lose few blitz games. They probably won't take more than a few hours each, and usually end before turn 50. If you lose early, they can end before turn 10.

That will also teach you about blesses. They are a big part of the whole pretender design business.

OK. The first "deity nation" is ready for some testing and comment. Please note that this is a VERY ROUGH version and I have already seen flaws in it... Comments welcomed as usual.

Mystra replaces Arcoscephale (EA). No set uber-pretender, this mod will be most rewarding on Edi's Faerun_466_Adventure for now.

Enjoy!

4 Unique Units, many stock units. Art changes planned and tweaks to stock units will be done before final release.

Monkeyvich.

Besides testing that file and commenting on my first army design, please, if any of you are Realms fans, I need input on suggested:

Stock units that can be easily adapted to Realms specific stuff either visually or stats-wise. I am browsing sprites, but I have had the most problems in making a hero accidentally a recruit and such. Most of my units will thus probably be custom stats with #copyspr to save me paintshop time.

Also units that would be good thematic summons for the various deities. Some write themselves (i.e., Kossuth), but others are less obvious and I've been sick for several days so my concentration has suffered. :/

As posted above, the national units thus become deity-specific units, most units are recruited from poptypes or captured magic sites. Generic FR and national summons that you'd like to suggest are welcomed.

Posting list of nations to suggest units for below:

Helm
Bane
Silvanus
Selune
Shar
Cyric
Gond
Kossuth
Istishia
Akadi
Grumbar
Ilmater
Sune
Umberlee
Talos
Auril
Corellon Larethian (elves)
Horus-Re (Mulhorandi)
Garl Glittergold (gnomes)
Moradin (dwarves)
Yondalla (halflings)
Gruumsh (orcs)
Maglubiyet (goblins)
Kurtulmak (kobolds)
Blibdoolpoolp (kuo-toa)
Annam (giants)
Tymora
Beshaba
Mask
Shaundakul
Oghma
Chauntea
Tempus
Mielikki
Torm
Loviatar
Ubtao (Chultans)
Uthgar (barbarian tribes)
Talona

[rdonj]

Goblins are kind of obvious (shinuyama). Hoburgs would probably work for halflings or gnomes. For giants there are plenty of choices. Hinnom, ashdod, gath, utgard, niefelheim, jotunheim... I think one of those last three has some goblin units in it as well.

Aside from that I can't really help there.

Originally Posted by rdonj

Goblins are kind of obvious (shinuyama). Hoburgs would probably work for halflings or gnomes. For giants there are plenty of choices. Hinnom, ashdod, gath, utgard, niefelheim, jotunheim... I think one of those last three has some goblin units in it as well.

Aside from that I can't really help there.

I'd like to have at least one troop and one commander for the following giant types: Hill Giant, Fire Giant, Stone Giant, Storm Giant .. some of these, especially Storm Giant will come from Titan pictures I'm sure. Leaving out Cloud Giants and some other, more obscure giants out for module clarity.

I confess to not having played several of these races (and never find Hoburgs as a poptype for some reason grrr).

Monkeyvich.