Feature Suggestions & Requests

[Valky]

Completely unrelated feature request: Add caltrops to the game. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#caltrops
Additionally if possible, put them in many enemies inventories (human enemies in temple like bandits, and perhaps bugbears?) throughout the game and give them ai to use them against the players!

Looking at the particle effects in the game, it seems like there are quite a few that are not being used. How come stuff like the summon monster and summon natures ally for example, don't play those particle effects when PCs cast those spells? A general rechecking and reapplying particle effects that should happen would be nice, having those cool shiny effects makes the combat that much more enjoyable.

My guess would be that the D20 Systems guy got the request to return object handles on the .summon_monsters() method too late But I think I can work it in.

I also see stuff like wall of ice/fire/force that either I haven't used so long in the game to remember or may not exist for some reason.

Looking at the particle effects in the game, it seems like there are quite a few that are not being used. How come stuff like the summon monster and summon natures ally for example, don't play those particle effects when PCs cast those spells? A general rechecking and reapplying particle effects that should happen would be nice, having those cool shiny effects makes the combat that much more enjoyable.

My guess would be that the D20 Systems guy got the request to return object handles on the .summon_monsters() method too late But I think I can work it in.

I also see stuff like wall of ice/fire/force that either I haven't used so long in the game to remember or may not exist for some reason.

Oh wall spells are just not implemented. There's currently no UI to support rotating the wall, and no AoE definition other than circular area.

Could you possibly add those in the future, as well as rune spells maybe?

 

[Sitra Achara]

Looking at the particle effects in the game, it seems like there are quite a few that are not being used. How come stuff like the summon monster and summon natures ally for example, don't play those particle effects when PCs cast those spells? A general rechecking and reapplying particle effects that should happen would be nice, having those cool shiny effects makes the combat that much more enjoyable.

My guess would be that the D20 Systems guy got the request to return object handles on the .summon_monsters() method too late But I think I can work it in.

I also see stuff like wall of ice/fire/force that either I haven't used so long in the game to remember or may not exist for some reason.

Oh wall spells are just not implemented. There's currently no UI to support rotating the wall, and no AoE definition other than circular area.

Could you possibly add those in the future, as well as rune spells maybe?

Wall spells probably, rune magic probably not.

 

[g0ld0]

I have more like a suggestion than maybe an issue, so Sitra, feel free to switch it to another board.
I am currently playing through the mod with an 8PCs party. Everybody but my cleric is 17th level (cleric is getting there) and I'm done with all the quests beside the Lady Asherah/fighting Iuz thing.
I know that you fiddled (and finally corrected) the XP calculation per encounter and got it more in sync with the rules instead of having characters getting the XP as if they were 10th lvl and thanks for that.
But my problem lies right now with the fact that the random encounters (that I use to accumulate XP to get my cleric up and maybe having a little bit of extra for crafting purposes) do not get me XP except on the meager occasions when CR of certain monsters and my PC's level are not too distant.

Any possibility of tweaking the random encounters a bit to get it more challenging for a high level party?
I will probably get my cleric to 17th level fighting lizardmen with class levels, vodyanols, or ogre chieftains (?!?)... for some reason, the ogre chieftain is still ok to get XP for all my characters and not just my cleric. but I am sure as soon as I get there, I will not be able to find any bugs to squash for the little extras (like wands or scrolls...)

 

[deuxhero]

Can it be made to apply to the OK/Cancel prompts (from looting stacked items) too? In for v1.0.25

Prehaps a PF style "Infinite Cantrips" (with CMW changed to only stabilize negative HP characters) as a house rule option?

Also does ToEE allow sneak attack on spells? I've only just gotten my rogue/wizard in a place to try it, and Acid Splash didn't work on a nearby flatfooted hobgoblin. Added for v1.0.025

 

[deuxhero]

DeuxHero... I say its pretty darn close to what it is supposed to do considering i do it often...
I'm thining your game at your table just never really applied the spell effect as it should. the same way druids and rangers often just select their companion from a list when they should meet and tame the said companion.

Animate Dead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: One or more corpses touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures into undead skeletons or zombies that follow your spoken commands.

The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed skeleton or zombie can’t be animated again.)

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

Skeletons
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.

Zombies
A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

Material Component
You must place a black onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.

Yes, it creates a skeleton or zombie from anthing that supports the template. That's why the limit on how much undead you can create at once exists (humanoid skeletons are always 1 HD). Did think enemy arcane necromancers in official adventures have skeleton dragons under their command by writer fiat?

The rules text repeatedly uses "select" and "selected" in regards to animal companions. That is most definitely how they are supposed to work.

A druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list

she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer

A druid of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals. Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s druid level were lower than it actually is.

A druid of sufficiently high level can select her animal companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the druid’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

 

[deuxhero]

Is it possible to make decorative items (non-magic boots/gloves/helmets/cloaks/robes ect) weigh 0 units? The weight for armor is supposed to incorporate a "default" helmet/greaves according to to their PNP descriptions so making cosmetics weigh that much is neither accurate nor good design.

Can you make it so party members can contribute spells for item crafting instead of just the crafter like a Wizard with craft arms and armor having his Good domain Cleric friend cast the needed spell for a holy weapon (this is possible in PNP.)?

 

[Mathalor]

I haven't been unable to confirm this because I can't view my companion's hd, but after poking around on the co8 forums, there was talk that newly summoned druid/ranger animal companions have hit dice as if you summoned them at minimum level, instead of inheriting the bonus HD from druid level that they should. I believe they should also get feats and stat adjustments every 3/4 bonus hd, like normal monsters do when they earn permanent hit dice. In the pnp I once had a druid who picked up a viper for her companion and put his feats into increasing the DC of his poison through some feat in the monster manual (as well as weapon focus and stuff like that), and his ability bonuses into CON for the same reason.

If this can be implemented in the game (which would really be nice), I'd think that specific companions would always have certain feats leveling up, like, if I picked a wolf, he'd take power attack, weapon focus, etc, but if I rolled a different druid who also took a wolf, that wolf's feats and abilities would be exactly the same. That would alleviate the need to design some new interface where the player picks his animals' feats and scores. My suggestions would include weapon focus, weapon finesse, power attack, dodge, mobility, ability focus, improved natural attack, multiattack, imp natural armor, greater fortitude, lightning reflexes, iron will, improved initiative, combat reflexes, and cleave, and each animal would either take strength, dexterity, or constitution for all of it's future bonuses.

If this is possible, I'd volunteer to write out feats and such for each animal.

There were about 5 or 6 feats in the back of the monster manual. One of them increased damage to a specific natural attack as if the creature were one size larger, one increased a save dc of a natural ability by 2, I think one of them gave out natural armor.

(edit: https://dndtools.net/feats/monster-manual-v35--5/)
looks like thirteen, though several would be useless to most companions or pcs

Improved Natural Attack and Ability Focus are both nice for a monk.

Also, could you fix it so greater turning is only available once per rest?

I don't know what could be changed about charm person/animal, but in it's current ToEE form, it's basically dominate as a first level spell with a huge duration, and that's crazy overpowered.

With a level 7 druid, when I rest, my wolf should heal hp equal to his hit dice, but only heals 1 point.

 

[Sitra Achara]

Is it possible to make decorative items (non-magic boots/gloves/helmets/cloaks/robes ect) weigh 0 units? The weight for armor is supposed to incorporate a "default" helmet/greaves according to to their PNP descriptions so making cosmetics weigh that much is neither accurate nor good design.

I think most of these items have a weight of 1 (at least in Co8).

Can you make it so party members can contribute spells for item crafting instead of just the crafter like a Wizard with craft arms and armor having his Good domain Cleric friend cast the needed spell for a holy weapon (this is possible in PNP.)?

The Wizard would still have to meet the alignment requirement in this case, right?

 

[Etharil]

Could double-clicking an item count as self-activation so that you don't have to move, say, Lareth's Diary down to the "Use Item" button, making the process less tedious as a result?

 

[Etharil]

Something that sprung to my mind - will X uses / day items also show how many uses are left now that you've added charges remaining to radial menu? If not - could that also be done?

 

[Mathalor]

pretty sure they already have sunburst.

no fire seeds?

what about summoning 1-3 monsters from one spell level down, which is often more effective than 1 monster from the higher spell level.

 

[Etharil]

pretty sure they already have sunburst.

no fire seeds?

what about summoning 1-3 monsters from one spell level down, which is often more effective than 1 monster from the higher spell level.

They currently have Sunbeam and don't they have Fire Seeds already?

 

[Jabberjaw]

I am sure there are many of us who have engaged in long, often harrowing or narrowly survived epic encounters, only to lose unsaved progress to a mis-click after pausing the game.

So, my first "House Rules" recommendation would be a check-box that would override the automatic in-game menu quit command with an "Are you sure you want to quit without saving?" prompt (for those wanting such an option every time).

 

[Mathalor]

No. They do not already have fire seeds. Or if they do, they're not showing up in the help file under druid lvl 6 spells.

 

[SwingBlade]

Could the file structure for Temple+ be adjusted, so that the most recent installation be in an unchanging folder name, like Current? So, maybe when it updates it renames whatever Current folder is present to whatever its version number is, and installs the latest build to a new Current folder. I ask this, because I run the game from my Start Menu, I have to replace that shortcut each build. Additionally it requires updating the target for my mouse profile.

 

[SwingBlade]

Would it be simple to disable multi-class XP penalties as a houserule?

I can find multiple threads asking if anyone bothered with these, and none of them could find a single group that did.

Disabling things is usually easy Done for next version as part of Lax Rules.

Could you stick the sorcerers-can-use-quicken-spell (Pathfinder rules) in with the lax rules as well?

 

[Knightly]

Can druids have elementals as animal compainions? I remember an alternate feature for it in one of the books (Complete mage or PHB 2, maybe?)... Some of us don't like to send innocent animals into thick of battle.

Ah found it... http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20061010a

 

[SwingBlade]

If possible, I think obscuring enemy HP would be ideal regardless, though I've suspected the two were pretty much intermingled (since the difference between an enemy and ally is just a matter of engagement). I don't think it breaks TOO terribly much to know enemy HP though; it doesn't take long to learn the relative HP ranges of enemies.

 

[Jabberjaw]

Request for House Rules tab:

Make it a scrolling list instead of just the pane it is. That way, as more house rules are added, they can be scrolled to and toggled instead of taking up a very small space.

Agree with the concept that more rules/tweaks is not necessarily a bad thing, and not sure if there has been negative feedback that makes us "loathe to clutter the House Rules panel" - but the current panel is about half the size of the config window, so I guess it could be as large and as detailed as you wanted it to be? Also, it is clear that some of the current rules could be easily(?) broken up into more specific sub-rules (but again, not sure what that means programming or sanity wise for our Temple+ guru).

So for me at least, the more options there are available the better, and the stronger the feeling of control I have over the game-play experience, and consequently increased enjoyment and reduced chances of frustration.

 

[Sitra Achara]

How exactly does the implementation of the wall spell work now? Will it rotate according to the direction from your caster?

Also, I noticed 3 wall spell particle effects in the game already, what spells have you implemented if any?

Placing a wall spell is a two stage affair: first you select the start point, then the end point. Simple and intuitive!
I'll also add ring mode later on for Wall of Fire, and you'll be able to cycle the mode with the scrollwheel.

I'm currently working on Wall of Fire, still have to integrate it into the AoE event system and also create the particle systems with the correct orientation. Also still have to integrate it with pathfinding blockage for barrier walls.
Speaking of which, stupid question but does Wall of Force actually block creatures from passing?

Does this mean enemy casters will also use wall spells? (Please let them!)

I think in a couple of months I'll start working on the arena/skirmish mode, which will be I good opportunity to do a pass on the AI so it can use all the new tricks, including the new classes and their abilities.

Bardic music already has that, right?

If my memory serves it shows on sub selection not on Bardic Music tab... i.e. Inspire Courage (1/4)

Yup I would love a similar thing for Turn Undead as well.

Yeah Bardic Music already has that. Turn Undead is a bit of a PITA to redo, maybe later.

 

[Etharil]

Can you also include Druid's Wall of Light and Wall of Thorns to slightly enhance Druid's level 5 spells?

Oh, something sprung to my mind - now that you've got the wall functionality, do you think you'll be able to recreate the targeting system used for flaming sphere or fire snake for example? The way I understand these spells the path could be drawn by the user with the help of - say - holding their mouse cursor and drawing the path until they release it or they reach the max distance / area covered by the spell?

 

[Sitra Achara]

Can you also include Druid's Wall of Light and Wall of Thorns to slightly enhance Druid's level 5 spells?

Oh, something sprung to my mind - now that you've got the wall functionality, do you think you'll be able to recreate the targeting system used for flaming sphere or fire snake for example? The way I understand these spells the path could be drawn by the user with the help of - say - holding their mouse cursor and drawing the path until they release it or they reach the max distance / area covered by the spell?

I think it could be arranged actually. It would probably consist of segments, and you'd draw the path by selecting the waypoints, pressing space to end the line.

 

[Etharil]

Could every Craft ability that creates items, which require "Craft Magic Arms and Armour" also require that feat? It's so awkward when you take "Craft Rod" and find out you can't use it because you didn't take CMAaA.

 

[Sitra Achara]

Wall spells and breaks in the walls:

Will there be an 'undo last drawn segment' option? For example, if I draw 3 areas, van I undo my last area before finalizing without reselecting/recasting the spell?

Right now there's just the start and endpoint. If/when it gets extended to segmentd lines it'll go back to the last point when you right click.

 

[Kosiciel]

House Rule: Allow spontaneous application of metamagic feats (such as with Sor, FvS, Bard, and spontaneous conversion of spells to cure/inflict/summon nature's ally) without increasing cast time. This is largely because I believe the rule is unfair and because it prevents Quicken Spell from being applied spontaneously. (Pathfinder allowed Quicken Spell on spontaneous casting.)

My both hands vote for this! Why my bard or sorc is able to select Quicken Spell feat, if it does nothing for him/her (I know I could multiclass to wizard, but that's not the point here)? Please, consider such an option.