Mod: Black Tome of Alisophocus / Blessing Hot Fix

[DrPraetorious]

Position = nation, sorry.

Unfortunately, although spells like what you describe are *possible*, they are not currently *modable* because we can't do secondary effects - so, a spell that kills a bunch of people and then summons undead isn't possible.

I think Dark Vines is a great spell. Maybe not on a par with Summon Ice Devil, but still very effective, especially for Jotunheim. You can set ten Gygjas to spam that spell and really bring on the pain.

Blood/death is definitely a short suit that needs more spells. Vampires are just dreadful.

I was thinking of bringing over the combat summons I already wrote up for Padmassa and making them universally available. Most of them are blood/death.

I'll add some blood/nature spells to Pangaea and some nature/death or nature/astral spells to Agartha with the fungus theme. Feeblemind is a good idea.

[Wauthan]

Dark Vines with Jotunheim? Hmmm... That might be the only combination I haven't tried yet so I readily confess that I might have missjudged Dark Vines. They just didn't seem on par with other available bloodsummons.

I sort of assumed that my suggestions were unfeasible. I simply couldn't come up with appropriate spelleffects so I tried to obfuscate my answer with wishful thinking. Hopefully with time more options will open up for inspired modders.

[Nick_K]

Is an elemental battle summon that doesn't require gems really balanced? I thought the gem costs were added after dominions1 because they were considered abusable

[DrPraetorious]

Such a spell would almost certainly be unbalancing if you gave it to *everyone* - although see below.

In this context, you have to consider the nation(s) that get it, and the research level where it arrives. Is it unbalancing for Marverni to be able to conjure elementals off of a NNA caster, which it doesn't get? If the best thing you can get out of your God - or a powerful, expensive independent caster like an Enchantress - is a lesser air elemental every turn, I'm not impressed.

I'd been planning to give the same spell to Man - for the specific purpose of making the (not, frankly, very useful) Mother of Avalon a little fiercer. It might be ungamebalancing, though - Man is not exactly a weak position!

Peronally, I think they went somewhat overboard nerfing the elemental summons. I never cast them. Same story with elemental horde - it costs so much fatigue that a mid-level death caster can only zap it once - if he instead spams a lower level undead summoning spell, he gets the same number of undead without spending any gems.

But playtest it a bit and if you think it's unbalancing let me know. These spells are intended to improve game balance as well as to be thematic, if they don't improve game balance there are plenty of spells I could add instead.

[DrPraetorious]

Okay - I'm encountering problems with spells that run effect 23 on all friendly, sacred magic beings (these spells would be given to ME Agartha.)

The spell that gives Soul Vortex works fine.

The spell that gives Mossbody, or Regrowth, or both, does not. It doesn't do anything, it can be cast multiple times per turn, and it triggers unusual AI behavior.

When I can get these bugs worked out (or when I give up and change what the spells do, which is likely) I'll have a new version of the mod to post.

[DrPraetorious]

Boy do I feel stupid.

I had all of these great spells and then the second test versions stopped working. I thought it was because my pretender was casting them (no), I thought it was something odd about effect 23 (no), I thought it was the nation restriction (no).

If you REPEAT the spell specification block (i.e. if you define #researchlevel, #school, etc. once, and then define them all again) you appear to get the desired result (the second block of definitions takes effect) - and, you seem to preserve the damage, effect info. etc if you look at the description.

HOWEVER, if you try to *cast* such a spell, it completely doesn't work.

This is a bit of a pain for testing because I can't just paste in a new definition for level. etc, I have to comment the old one out by hand.

Now that I know the problem I expect to have a new version of this mod out by this weekend.

[DrPraetorious]

Hopefully I'll have another release ready this weekend, but I'd like feedback, as well as suggestions or requests:

Code:

---

-- Spell				Paths		Fat	Nations						School	Effects

-- Shadow Baiting			BDDD		500	all							Bld 4		(Combat) Summon. Summons shadow beasts at edges of the battle.

-- Banner of the Heliophagi		BBDDDD		2500	all							Bld 6		Remote Independent Summon. Sends an army of shadows to attack a distant province.

-- Call Tartarian Smith		EEEDDDD		4000	all							Conj 9	Summons an undead smith, EEEE, forgebonus 30.



-- (Angels)             		various		*	add Ermor E						Conj *      Since Ermor is clearly the same religion as Marignon/Pythium, they should get the angels too.

-- Call Ophan           		AASSSS		5000  Ermor E, Pyth., Marig. *			Conj 7      Summons an angel - A3S3H3. Is a wheel with many eyes. Bad slots, but an ethereal trampler.

-- Call Hashmal         		SSSSS		6000  Ermor E, Pyth., Marig. *			Conj 9      Summons an angel - E3S3H3. Another winged guy. Hashmal are excellent generals.

-- Call Exousi          		FFFSSSSS		4400  Ermor E, Pyth., Marig. *			Conj 8      Summons an angel - F3N3S3H3. A cloud of fire that leaves verdant footsteps. Large research bonus.

-- Call Cherub          		SSSS		3000	Ermor E, Pyth., Marig. *			Conj 9	Summons an angel - H3. An awesome combatant chassis; no magic, but stays crunchy in milk.

-- note: E Ermor versions have H as a secondary path in addition/instead, so you cast them off of your Augur-prophet only.



-- Staff of Alder			NNA		50	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Conj 4 	(Combat) Air Elemental

-- Awaken Tree			NNN		3500	Marv.							Conj 4	Summons a rowan tree, immobile, spreads dominion, HHNNNNSS+1 random.

-- Awaken Stone			EEE		3500	Marv.							Conj 4	Summons a menhir, immobile, spreads dominion, HHEEEESS+1 random. 

-- Staff of Yew			NH		200	Marv.							Ench 0	(Combat) All sacred units on both sides must resist magic or die.

-- Staff of Holly			NEE		50	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Ench 2	(Combat) AoE strength, long range

-- Staff of Oak			NEE		50	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Ench 2	(Combat) AoE damage. Triple to demons and undead

-- Staff of Cedar			NNA		50	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Ench 3	(Combat) AoE shock resist, long range

-- Staff of Wormwood		NSS		50	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Ench 5	(Combat) AoE paralysis on magic beings

-- The Black Cauldron		DDDDDWW		12000	Marv., Man M, Eiru *				Ench 7	Global. Replaces Soulgate - makes cauldron born.

-- Red Caps			BB		1200	Marv., Man *, Eiru *				Bld 3		Summons 3 Red Caps. Very fast sidh Warriors, demons with pikes who go berserk and cause fear.

-- Cauldron of Blood		BBBBEE		3500	Marv.							Bld 5		Summon a mad druid, BBESNHH + 2.1 randoms, 50% insanity.

-- Cauldron of Blood		BBBBEE		3500	Man M							Bld 5		Summon a blood witch, BBNNA + 2.1 randoms, 50% insanity.

-- Cauldron of Blood		BBBBEE		3500	Man L							Bld 5		Summon a dark magister, BBEAS + 2.1 randoms, 50% insanity.

-- Cauldron of Blood		BBBBEE		3500	Eiru *						Bld 5		Summons an unseelie lord, BBNAHH + 2.1 randoms, 50% insanity, is a demon.



-- Lodestone			EH		20	Agartha M						Alt 1		(Combat) Friendly sacred magB units gain increased movement rate, trample and charged body. Template.

-- Lodestone			EH		20	Agartha L						Alt 1		(Combat) Friendly sacred undead units gain increased movement rate, trample and charged body. Template.

-- Open Lifewell			EEDDDDD		300	Agartha M						Alt 6		(Combat) Friendly sacred magB units all gain soul vortexes. Battlefield.

-- Open Lifewell			EEDDDDD		300	Agartha L						Alt 6		(Combat) Friendly sacred undead units all gain soul vortexes. Battlefield.

-- Call Fungus			NNNNSS		200	Agartha M						Conj 5	(Combat) Friendly sacred magB units gain mossbody, regrowth. Battlefield.

-- Contact Fungus			NNNNSS		200	Ermor	ML, C'tis L, Agartha L			Conj 5	(Combat) Friendly sacred undead gain mossbody, regrowth. Battlefield.

-- Burning Standard		FDDD		3000	Ermor L						Conj 5	Summon. Immobile F2D1H3, with domsummon for burning legionaires.

-- Doomed Standard			SDDD		3000	Ermor L						Conj 5	Summon. Immobile S2D1H3, with domsummon for doomed legionaires.

-- Drowned Standard		WDDD		3000	Ermor L						Conj 5	Summon. Immobile W2D1H3, with domsummon for drowned legionaires.

-- Standard of Betrayal		ADDD		3000	Ermor L						Conj 5	Summon. Immobile A2D1H3, with domsummon for betrayed legionaires.

-- Lost Standard			EDDD		3000	Ermor L						Conj 5	Summon. Immobile E2D1H3, with domsummon for lost legionaires.

-- Eternal Knights			SSSSSDD		2100	Ermor *						Conj 6	7 Ethereal Eternal Knights.



-- Sparks				EF		100	Ulm *							Const 1	(Combat) 15 effects + 5/level of earth magic. Long range, poor precision. 15 points of fire damage (not armor piercing).

-- Purified Lance			EE		100	Ulm *							Const 3	(Combat) Attack spell. Pre 100, 30 points of holy damage, range 50.

-- Prognostication Engine		EEE		1500	Ulm *							Const 5	Summons a prognostication engine - immobile, drain immune, inanimate, mindless, research bonus, prevents bad events, SS.

-- Shrapmetal			EEE		200	Ulm *							Const 7	(Combat) Five-round large clouds with long range inflict 15 points of physical damage.

-- Word of Steel			E		100	Ulm *							Thau 3	(Combat) Does sizable, armor-negating damage to all magB under a template. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

-- Implaccable			EE		100	Ulm *							Thau 4	(Combat) Large templat haste (not quickness!) and fear-causing.

-- Bane Metal			EEEE		200	Ulm *							Thau 6	(Combat) Large template. Enemy sacred units are crippled and fettered. MRN.

-- Iron Rage			EE		100	Ulm *							Thau 7	(Combat) Drives the entire battlefield - BOTH SIDES - berserk. MRNE.

-- Break the Will			ESS		400	Ulm *							Thau 8	(Combat) Feebleminds the entire enemy army. MRN.



-- Children of Catharsis		FFFSS		1000	Abyssia *						Conj 4	Symmons 3 jinn, who are unarmored but are flying, ethreal, glamour and sacred.

-- Annointed of Catharsis		FFFFSS		2500	Abyssia *						Conj 6	Summons an annointed of catharsis, as above with FFFSS and 0.1 randoms from FSAE.

-- Quicken Burning Ones		FFFEE		1200	Abyssia ML						Conj 4	Summons 3 actual burning ones.

-- Annointed of Rhuax		FFFFEE		3200	Abyssia ML						Conj 6	Summons an annointed of anthrax.

-- Children of Anthrax		FFFDD		1500	Abyssia *						Conj 4	Summons 3 ifrit, wearing bronze armor, with bane fire shields and etherealness.

-- Annointed of Anthrax		FFFFDD		4000	Abyssia *						Conj 6	Summons an annointed of anthrax, as above with FFFDD and 0.1 randoms from FSDB.

-- False Quickening		BBFFF		2500	Abyssia ML						Blood 4	Summons 5 false burning ones.

-- Demonbreed			BBBSS		4500	Abyssia EL						Blood 6	Summons a demonbred.



-- Contact Wakyambi		NNNDD		2500	Machaka						Conj 5	Summons 8 wakyambi, jungle elves. They have glamour and dark vision and are sacred.

-- Call Drider			DDDDNN		3000	Machaka						Conj 6	Summons 5 driders. Driders are the spirits of wakyambi punished by becoming spider-ghosts. Undead with dark-vision and glamour.

-- Wakyambi Shaman			NNNNDD		4500	Machaka						Conj 7	Summons a wakyambi shaman, AANNDDHH + 1.1 randoms from ANDS. Glamour and dark vision.

---

[lch]

Very nice list. Especially Ulm has very nice spells. Although "Break the Will" is Thaum 8 it seems awfully powerful, since it will affect every enemy mage at once. As soon as you get an astral random smith or alchemists you can use it via Power of the Spheres or Starshine Skullcaps (then even instantly).

I think Ermor M and L should get that Fallen Angel spell, if they don't have it already? Also, personally I'd expect that calling angels requires some holy levels, but maybe that's just me...

[Shovah32]

Sounds very nice although i agree that break the will may be a bit strong. Maybe make MR negate easily?

[Morkilus]

Way cool. I'm going to try the Maverni stuff out now