New Spell Effect #s - Brainstorming

[DrPraetorious]

I decided to move this out of the Modders wishlist thread because I didn't want to crowd it with in-depth discussion, or with stuff that, realistically, probably won't make it in until-dom4-if-ever.

The idea here is to describe spells that you can't make using the current spell effect *engine*, and then figure out what new effect #s you'd need to make them.

I realize that most people probably are not clear on what the engine is currently capable of - especially as there are some features of the engine not currently available to modders.

Anyway, feel free to give feedback on the ideas I'm floating below - can you think of a simpler way to achieve the same spell? Are there any of these that you would actually use in your own spells?

-- Specified Transform (new Effect #)
Two effect #s here - one transforms you (or whoever it gets cast on) for the duration of combat, the ritual version transforms you permanently.
The damage is the unit # you get.
This effect # may actually exist in the engine now - there are magic items (pebble skin suit, lycanthropos amulet) which do this but they don't appear to call hidden spells to do it.
Example spells:
* Become Daemon, Become Lich, Become Vampire, etc.

-- Overland spells for other damage types
As far as I know, there is no way to make fire from afar / flames from the sky type effects that do holy or age damage.
The aging version is what interests me, but sending a cloud of sleep onto the enemy army before combat even begins (I *believe* that the enemy army would show up stunned at the start of combat if they fought the same turn they were hit) is a genre classic.
Example Spells:
* Mass Youth (I want this as a national spell for a nation I have in mind)
* The Great Sleep

-- Binary Logic - the "FORK" effect
These effects let you make compound spells with more than one effect in them. In the descriptions below, I'm going to assume that the secondary effect field is modable.
When a spell with the FORK effect goes off, it checks each target against it's own #spec field. If the spell is MRN negates, it makes a penetration roll; if the spell "does fire damage" it checks the fire resistance of the target; if the spell is "only vs undead" it checks if the target is undead, etc.
If the test succeeds (if the penetration roll passes, whatever) the spell is treated as having two secondary effect fields.
Here's an example spell:
1. Reap Soul uses effect FORK, with the spell number of Reap Soul II as the damage field. The #spec field of Reap Soul specifies that it only works on living, non-mindless targets and that MR negates. If the penetration roll succeeds, and if the target is living and minded, the target will be hit by Reap Soul II.
2. Reap Soul II also uses effect FORK, with the spell number of Reap Soul III in the damage field and the spell number of Reap Soul IV in the normal secondary effect field.
3. Reap Soul III is instant death.
4. Reap Soul IV summons a ghost.
Tada! You have a spell that kills someone and gives you their ghost.
The reason that this effect is FORK rather than "IF" is because you can already do "IF" just by stringing secondary effects together.
An IF-ELSE effect where the secondary effect field is ignored if the predicate succeeds might also be useful.

-- Custom Enchantments
These would actually be damage values for the x8x family of effect #s, rather than new effect #s.
The general idea is that you have enchantments which, in turn, cast other spells, either with a chance in every province in the world, with a dominion-proportional chance in your dominion, etc.
The enchantment #s past 1000 are reserved and each automatically looks up the spell with the same ID #.
The obvious use for these is to make soul-gate type spells.

-- Customized Unit Lists
This is not, technically, a
These would actually be negative damage values for the various effects that reference units by unit #. Ideally, these would also work for the transformation spells I describe above.
This would entail consolidation of the "summon from list of uniques", summon animals and summon crossbred effect #s into a single effect with negative damage values.
Firstly, I don't know how (internally) different nations get different lists of custom undead. I also don't know how the lists of which units are elemental royalty (or amesha spentas, or whatever) are done, or if those are handled the same way as the soul trap summons.
So, each unit list has a numbering, and may be a secondary list (marked with a B).
Each nation has the option of overwriting each unit list - so, for example, you could allow Abyssia to summon sacred versions of the Kings of Elemental Fire, if you wanted (although I don't think the uniqueness would work.)
Unit lists -1A, -1B and -2 are reserved and special. They determine which kinds of undead you get. -1A is armed soul-less, -1B is unarmed soul-less, each draw from these unit lists "eats" a corpse and fails if no corpse is available.
Unit lists -100 through -200 work like crossbreeding; unit draws are modified by fortune.
Unit lists -201 through -300 are divided into blocks of 10 which correspond to different terrains.

... TO BE CONTINUED ...

[Valandil]

As per #1, transformation (the spell) already does this. I don't know how to set a specific target monster, or if you can

[Endoperez]

I wonder if Gift of Reason has the "select a unit" on #eff field or in #spec field... If it's in specials, and we make a ritual Barkskin...

Or rather, a ritual Hellpower that only targets units (so they get power boost and horror mark).

[Autochthon]

CC spells would be nice - there's a TT game called Warmachine where some mages can make or break a game that way (The Kreoss 'Drop and Pop' Feat comes to mind). Either PBAoE short-term root/Knockdown/Stun or a Snare/Kockback come to mind.

Conversely, an escape spell that temporarily removes the caster from combat but also makes them unable to be attacked. Another version would be one that safely returns the caster from the battlefield to the nearest lab when hit with an attack that would otherwise have killed him (Imminent Death or delayed action spell triggers?).

Fear or Autorout spells - essentially, if the target fails their MR and Morale Check, they automatically flee. Period.

Chain Lightning/Cleave - essentially an effect that hits the first unit in a square with the full effect, and the next with 66% and the last with 33%.

Blood for the Blood God! - Blood effects that benefit not only from sacrificing Blood Slaves, but also based off of the amount of blood is shed, total damage inflicted that turn or units killed up to that point. This wold make for some interesting tactics, such as suiciding chaff to power spells.

Irresistable Missiles - Some spells deliver tremendous momentum to their magic missiles, and can slam through packed masses of troops like they were not even there. Give such high-energy projectiles the equivalent of Trample.

Path Synergies/Resistances - If a Mage casts a single Path spell, but also has skills in a Path that is considered synergistic, then the spell's effect/penentration is increased.

Conversely, a Mage with a particular skill in a Path or Resistance also gets an innate MR vs. Paths considered antagonistic to that Path.

Complicated, I know - but you did ask

If this sounds like stuff from MMORPGs, you'd be right

[Autochthon]

Oh yeah, I dunno about this one, but is there a spell or Global Enchant that allows enchanted units to gain Survival abilities? We could call it Pathfinder or something like that...

And was there anything in Dom3 like Chaos Channels in MoM? Essentially a random mutation? Good gods, I remember Save + Cast + Reload(ing) for hours...yes, it's true - I had no life

Oh yeah, and cone AoEs? Any spells specifically attack all targets within a cone template? I don't quite remember

[Autochthon]

Another one - or two...

Channeling: We already have booster spells, but how about a booster spell that allows the target to double the effect but also doubles the Fatigue. Could use this spell offensively to keep enemy casters honest.

On the opposite side, add magic suppresion spells that reducing effects but also fatigue costs for the targetted caster/area/battlefield.

And Spell Deflect/Reflect effects?

[Autochthon]

Another one based on Mythology...

Offensive Transformation Spells: Transform to Pig/Chicken/Frog.

The fun part would be leaving the Unit Size would be unchanged

[Endoperez]

Changing the Transformation so that size 2-3 units become Boars, size 4-5 units becomes some kind of nonsacred versions of Mictlan's toads and size 6 units become nonsacred versons of Marverni Monster Boar?

[DrPraetorious]

You know what game has the coolest names for stuff? Shadowfist.

Glimpse of the Abyss - This needs a spell effect # to pull from random event pools (like the void gate or maybe the adventure cities).
Modding random event pools would be nice but the random pool from Void Gate would do.

Veiling of the Light - In addition to enchantment codes that cast random spells, this would need an effect that simulates negative preaching/heresy, which those enchantment codes could then use.
Idea is, you spend a bunch of blood slaves to extinguish the light of hope in the human heart ('cause, you know, you're evil!), which has the effect of reducing dominion in every province of the world a LOT, but you have blood sacrifice, so you can stay ahead of the game much more easily.

Curtain of Fullness - A lingering province enchantment that prevents *good* events in the target province. Alternatively, prevents good events in every province you DON'T own, maybe with a dominion effect.

Demon Entrails - Actually, I think I can do this one. It sends the Duodenum of Yang Luo to assassinate people.

Spirit Frenzy - All magic beings in your dominion become berserkers?

The Hungry - Global enchantment, automatically does something with corpses in friendly dominion - maybe animates them, maybe turns them to death gems?
Could be simulated with the customizable enchnantments, depending on what it did might not need a new effect #.

The Molten Heart - Global enchantment. Steadily kills all astral mages in the world, stronger mages die faster. When it kills mages, makes you fire and earth gems.
This would need its own enchantment #, I think.

The Obsidian Eye - Actually I guess this should be an artifact. Plunges the battlefield into darkness, lets you see in the dark.

Paradox - Instant. Nukes *all* magical beings in friendly dominion, friend and foe.
Would need a hit-all-in-my-dominion effect, and then a #spec field to restrict it to magical beings.