Suggestion for Power Word Spells.

[Thunderbolt']

While Power Words have seen a improvement with Anthilar's Bane and Inhundyl's Primer, they still somewhat lack particulary in late PvE with the high HP of mobs.

I suggest each divination spell focus feat character has adds 10-20 to the minimum HP of Power Word spells needs to effect. Is this feasible? Is it a bad or good idea?

[Blackman D]

probably bad because it would also boost its pvp power as well

[Thunderbolt']

Probably yeah. I doubt it can be made only effects mobs or something and that would be kinda silly.

[Sun Wukong]

The concern is there though about the design of mobs, is there a different approach to mob difficulty rather than just giving them high hp?

You can give them high DR, which means that low damage output characters will become unplayable. Imagine if you can only hit a 0 even with a critical hit.

You can give them high BAB and AB, which means that anyone with a low AC will become unplayable. In otherwords the monsters hit so often that a group larger than '0' will tear you apart.

You can give them high damage per hit, which means that anyone with low HP will become unplayable. Not to mention that critical hit multipliers of x3 or x4 will threaten to kill just about anyone.

You can give them high AC, which means that even dedicated melee builds will need to roll a 20 to land a hit. This means that the only viable build is something with 11 monk levels, perfect two-weapon fighter, and the minimum of 26 BAB to make as many attacks as possible.

You could greatly increase the numbers in which monsters spawn, which creates adserver lag and can easily lead to lone players being overwhelmed. Imagine entereing the kobold ruins and getting 10 kobolds spawned right at you, and how someone else enters after you and you get another 10 kobolds spawned right at you.

...

Or you could just beef up the hitpoints, which makes most offensive direct damage spells useless. But casters have access to other spells, and most other characters can usually grind down large HP pools one way or another.

...

So yeah, mob design, it is a question of who do you want to screw over.

[Tsidkenu]

It doesn't help that NWN2 maximises all HP rolls. PnP only takes the average roll for mob hitpoints, making Power Word Spells that much more effective because, on the whole, monsters have much lower HP totals than they do on BGTSCC.

The only real way to 'fix' them is to make their effects based on current %HP rather than #HP like Sigil has (eg. Power Word: Kill will slay any creature with 25% or less current HP). You can make this apply to PvE only; PvP will continue to use #HP.

[Sun Wukong]

The only real way to 'fix' them is to make their effects based on current %HP rather than #HP like Sigil has (eg. Power Word: Kill will slay any creature with 25% or less current HP). You can make this apply to PvE only; PvP will continue to use #HP.

Avasculate + Power Word combo.

Avasculate is a level 7 spell.

Power Word Kill is a level 9 spell, it kills the target.

Power Word Petrify is a level 8 spell, it turns target into stone.

Power Word Disable is a level 5 spell, it reduces target to 1 HP.


Then we have Inhundyl's Primer, a level 6 spell, and Anthilar's bane, a level 9 spell. Inhundyl's Primer gives your power words +50 to the HP limits. Anthilar's bane halves the opponent's hitpoints as far as your Power Word spells are considered. How would these spells work with those percentages?

[Blackman D]

PnP only takes the average roll for mob hitpoints, making Power Word Spells that much more effective because, on the whole, monsters have much lower HP totals than they do on BGTSCC.

but if you actually play by that "rule" then it extends to the players as well so you can have a d4 caster with 1hp at level 1...

[Tsidkenu]

Except PCs also have the choice (in PnP) to take the same average roll that mobs do, meaning you can choose to take 2hp, or roll 1d4 and chance your arm

Btw Aeili was a 2hp/level diviner with no illusion spells available to her until Rasael eventually incorporated the selectable opposition schools. I levelled her up just fine!

I remember when you play BG2 and get to the final battle with Jon Irenicus, he always started the battle by casting Power Word Kill on Aerie (or anyone that had less than 60 current HP). So annoying!

[Sun Wukong]

If Anthilar's Bane and Inhundyl's Primer could be casted on the caster itself, and those would affect all targets of the caster's Power Word spells, then I think Power Word spells would be far more useful.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

That's a bit OP.

[Lockonnow]

i have see what the epic spell vampire fest can do and that is to much op

[Sun Wukong]

That's a bit OP.

That's a bit OP.

Then it could be made PvE only?

[Rasael]

While Power Words have seen a improvement with Anthilar's Bane and Inhundyl's Primer, they still somewhat lack particulary in late PvE with the high HP of mobs.

I suggest each divination spell focus feat character has adds 10-20 to the minimum HP of Power Word spells needs to effect. Is this feasible? Is it a bad or good idea?

A more balanced version is to boost Anthilar's Bane and Inhundyl's Primer per Divination spell focus feat. +20 HP per feat, for example.

That way you still have to use a primer spell and pass a DC check.

For Archmage's it might also be a neat idea to add spell like abilities for these spells, or to make a feat allowing you to cast Inhundyl's Primer as a reserve feat. Something like that.

[Thunderbolt']

Hm, I did not think it that way. Good ideas Rasael I like them both.

[Storm Munin]

If balance are our concern Power Word Kill should do just that.
The other power word spells should have their hp and level restrictions lifted as well.

I see no reason why, say, Diviners and Enchanters have to spend additional spells just to get the nonlethal spell in when Necromancers, Evokers and Illusionist live in the multiple land of one shot, one kill.
That is if balance are what we are after.


Personally I am fine with how things are since PnP are given consideration, rather then raw power bonanza.
I would not mind unnerfing the Compulsion line of spells one bit, alas that apparently opens a lot of issues being obliterated by spells or sent to Hell do not.

/M