Questions and Feedback: Sorcerer

[cat]

Hello again! Cat has some BURNING questions and feedback re: Sorcerer.

Set Spelltrap: “The spellgem that contains a spelltrap may be "picked up" from the tile in which it sits by any character; doing so immediately disarms the spelltrap.” Anyone but the character that laid the Spelltrap (and perhaps their factionmates) picking up a trapped spellgem should cause an instance of the Spelltrap going off.

Set Spelltrap: Suggest there be a requirement to see a Spelltrapped gem on the floor: Spellcraft and Enhanced Senses are obvious choices, though that's still a huge amount of characters. As this skill is currently written I doubt it will see much use; picking up gems is a free action and will become rote by all players to offset any Spelltraps. Even an “enter a tile” trap (the most viable option) will likely only go off once before being picked up.

Set Spelltrap: When a Spelltrap goes off, all characters on the tile should see the Spelltrap event in their logs; this ensures that even those who were not targeted or cannot detect Spelltrapped gems can see that one has been triggered and gamble on any more charges being left on the tile.

Deep Spellcraft: “When targeting a character, up to 5 of the target's MP is destroyed (limited by target's current MP), and the attack deals that many unsoakable damage to target in addition to normal damage.” Is this passive granted to all spells cast from memorisation or only when altering a spell with one of the three DS options?

Deep Spellcraft: AOE section should make it clear that AOE will not exclude factionmates as targets.

Deep Spellcraft: Clarify list of casting options which disallow bonuses from DS and use of DS options - in addition to Spellgems already being mentioned, others such as Spellwand, Arcane Marksman, Arcane Deadeye and any others I've missed.

Deep Spellcraft: “Pact user can use the Skill or Spell granted by the Pact as if they possessed it themselves.” If a character with DS gains a Dark Oppressor Pact spell is it able to be used with all DS bonuses and options?

Deep Spellcraft: As Eldritch Blast includes any Affinity bonuses when switching to Arcane, recommend the skill page states whether or not Capstone bonuses apply - I'd assume they don't but clarity is always welcome.

Spells: Suggest utility and buffing spells be looked over and rebalanced. For example: Tiger Claw gets 20 ticks duration and grants 20% to all close-range attacks, while Sharp Vision gets 15 ticks and 15% to ranged, despite both being the same CP and casting cost.
On the other hand Mystic Shield, Mystic Mail and Blur are all 20 ticks with varying CP and MP costs. If this is due to the effects of each buff varying in "value", what should be changed - duration, costs or effect strength? All aura spells are already matching cost so there’s no confusion there.

Thanks for reading!

[Alyss]

Wait, lmao, I haven't actually looked at Sorcerer before but can't you just slap-down 20 trapped Spellgems in your SH set to "attack non-faction that enters"? It's kind of high-prep but surely that's going to turn anyone who enters into mince, and it'll keep happening until someone removes them, which I suppose would have to be by someone invisible picking them up. That's hilarious. And probably shitty if there really is no limiter. But conversely if it's limited to a low number it is as you say very very limited use.

[cat]

That's definitely an issue, I agree - the funny part would be factionmates going "oh let's check what this discarded gem in the SH is" innocently picking it up, which disarms the trap and wastes the preparation. Ooops!

[Alyss]

Yeah. The skill concept needs a lot of cleanup. I kind of like it in a lot of senses but it just feels extremely experimental and I think in practice it'd moreso be a source of frustration both for the user and for others in practise at the moment, rather than tactically denying territory. This is similar to what I'd say of the more-generic Font Trapping mechanic. Also, there is quite a bit of missing information for Spelltrap - how is the accuracy of the attack determined? Is it treated as being a spell originating from the trap setter and thereby subject to their Spell Combat acc%? What if that is affected by Combat Clarity or Sharp Vision at the time of activation? Etc.

Edit: There's a lot I could say about the rest of the chart but 15% for Sharp Vision... I mean, it follows B4. At the moment it's balanced but that's moreso because Melee feels a bit undertuned on average, especially among chars capable of using Tiger Claw well (there are still a small handful of good candidates). The old logic for the accuracy differential was of course down to how B4 Dodge and Evasion worked, which isn't the case now. So it does seem questionable, but I don't mind it, I mean functionally Melee *was* the most accurate weapon type when accounting for stims, but they lost the 10% accuracy available on Potion of Strength as well so ultimately Melee got brought-down in terms of attainable accuracy. Again to summarize I don't think the issue is Tiger Claw vs. Sharp Vision, it's current start of B5 weapon balance. That said, Sharp Vision really should last 20 ticks because effects with 15 tick durations honestly feel ass to use, unless they literally have to be that length to be "balanced". It's one of the most annoying things about Redeemed for example, Fists of Holy Resolve having to be recast every 15 status ticks, but at least that buff is huge.

[Nayru]

I mean functionally Melee *was* the most accurate weapon type when accounting for stims, but they lost the 10% accuracy available on Potion of Strength as well so ultimately Melee got brought-down in terms of attainable accuracy.

+10 closerange acc on 'strength' status is still in code ver, it just got +20 inventory added to it since last i was aware