Hybrid mage issues

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Carpenter
Posts: 52
Character: Ines Carpintero

Hybrid mage issues

Post by Carpenter » August 12th, 2021, 10:01 am

The most recent changes to spellbooks and spell mana costs hit hybrids pretty hard. We got to talking about Hybrid QoL on Discord and I thought I would collect my thoughts here so that they may be considered as suggestions.

I feel that the spell channeling suggestion (1) is a critical issue for hybrids.
The following suggestions for spells (2, mostly buffs) is to consider a way to give hybrids some love without buffing pure mage builds too much.


1) Spell Channeling weapons could count as spellbooks for the 50% mana cost increase. Currently, spells seem to cost more mana if you cast them without -holding- a spellbook in your hand (not to be confused with the sensible MP cost increase to casting without a spellbook in your inventory at all).

2) The loss of some buffs is hurting hybrids badly. It might be possible to consider adding hybrid specific buffs.
For example:

General Magic – Whirlwind Strikes (30 Arcana, 30 Linguistics, uncommon rarity)
Cost: -40 mana and a-50% spell damage debuff for the duration of the spell)
Duration: 5 minutes + 1 minute for every 10 points of General Arcana skill
Effect: +3% Swing Speed increase, +1 for every 10 points of A. Incantation for max of 15%

Rationale:
A) The loss of spell damage for the duration would prevent full mages from using buffs like these effectively
B) A big base cost discourages buffing mid-combat, or at least makes it costly compared to other spells you could be using
C) Duration boost from Arcana gives a reason to go past reliable casting level
D) Incantation boost to effect gives a reason to spec higher into Incantation as a hybrid.

General Magic – Force Barrier (30 Arcana, 30 Linguistics, uncommon rarity)
Cost: -40 mana and a -50% spell damage debuff for the duration of the spell),
Duration: 5 minutes + 1 minute for every 10 points of General Arcana skill
Effect: +5% resistance to blunt/slashing, +1% per every 10 points of Incantation
-15% Occult/Energy res

^ Elemental Shroud as a mirror spell. The same specs, but gives resistance to e. damage and lowers resistance to p. damage. Could be mutually exclusive or the penalty could be so high (20) that it doesn’t make sense to stack the spells.

Combat utility could be something like this:

General Magic – Shout (50 arcana / linguistics)
Cost: 20 mana, 20 stamina
Duration: 1 second + 0.2 seconds per 10 points in General Arcana, -50% spell damage for 5s or so
Effect: Stun centered around the caster, possibly 1 tile radius or targeted

Rationale:
A) Split cost between mana and stamina makes it more usable for hybrid builds while requiring decision making depending on the combat situation – would a SWM be better use of stamina, for example?
B) Melee range ensures that the spell only favors pure casters as an escape – and even then it might prevent sprinting due to the stamina cost.
C) The spell damage nerf would further discourage the spell’s offensive use for pure casting.

Divine Magic – Scorching Strike (40 arcana / linguistics, rare)
Cost: 10 mana + 20 stamina + increasing cost for spamming the spell
Duration: Instant, fast cast
Effect: a melee range attack dealing elemental damage comparable to a special weapon move - might require considering how to circumvent the spell damage debuff, if hybrid buffs are widely available.

Rationale:
A) Split cost between mana and stamina makes it more usable for hybrid builds while requiring decision making depending on the combat situation.
B) Melee range discourages pure mages from using the spell, but they could potentially make good use of it if they take the risk
C) Increasing cost stops pure mages from using this as a reliably spammable attack on crowd controlled targets. It gives one room to make the attack more impactful when used.
D) The main reason to use this spell is to inflict Energy damage as a melee. It could also be slightly more powerful than a normal SWM due to applying the Divination DoT. Alternatively, the cost to stamina could be made slightly lighter because the move also drains mana.

Sorching Strike reconsideration: it could be possible to implement this as a buff that gives +X school-specific amount of elemental damage to normal weapon strikes. That way, the spell damage nerf would not hurt and one would not have to replicate a SWM with this. The spell could last for 1 minute, be fast to cast and cost both mana and stamina to activate (in addition to the -50% spell damage nerf for the duration as with other suggested hybrid buffs).

Mektor
Posts: 88
Character: Mektor

Re: Hybrid mage issues

Post by Mektor » August 12th, 2021, 2:31 pm

Is it actually intended that you get +50% mana cost when not having a spellbook equipped?

Rex mentionned the 3x mana cost if you don't have a spellbook in your backpack, but I don't remember that part... That extra mana cost for not carrying one seems a little absurd. Pure mages will always use a book anyway. Corporeal damage and the stats on a spellbook make it so someone not using it is handicapping himself.

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