FixedArt Ideas

[bcadren]

Just some new randArt thoughts:

• the +5 Buckler of the Runic Seal (Spirit, *Contam, rN+, rMPDrain, MP+5) - Provides 100% resistance to MP Drain (from Ghost Moths, Eyes of Draining and Anti-Magic Weapons).
• Staff of Arachne - Unique Staff of Poison that may be evoked for Ensnare (4MP, Hunger; attempt to throw web trap on adjacent).
• the +7 Quick Blade of the Binding (Antimagic) - An antimagic QBlade that does -not- cut the wielder's MP.
• the +3 Great Sling of Shadows (Shadow) - Every time it's shot, there's a chance of two additional shots at randomly chosen valid targets being fired with shadow ammo.
• the +5 Giant Slingshot (Penetration) - Unique Great Sling that can fire Any throwing ammo. (except needles) This includes Large Rocks, if wielded by a race large enough to throw them. (high skill cost to get online since all large races have bad sling apts.)
• Ring of the Sorcerer - MP+20

[Rast]

I only like that last one.

I think "shadow" flavor should have a different mechanical effect than just a percent damage boost.

[The Ferret]

the +6 razor of Bloodletting (Bleed) [dagger base type] - causes bleeding. Early game sort of fixedart.
the -1 hand crossbow of the Barrage (Explode) - all ammo fired with it gains the exploding brand
the +25 tower shield (Slow) - slows the player (because Gong isn't enough of a noobtrap already!)
the +6 First Blade (slice, +*Rage rN++ Str+4) [scimitar base type] - Supernatural shout-out!
the amulet of the Sorceror's Apprentice (Clar, MP+8 MPRegen+ Int+1)

[duvessa]

the robe of MP (MP)

[byrel]

The +25 tower shield of slow is one of those things that makes you want to play chei... I mean, that could BE a god-specific artifact for him.

[Sar]

the -1 hand crossbow of the Barrage (Explode) - all ammo fired with it gains the exploding brand

Like Hellfire, only bad?

[Pollen_Golem]

the -1 hand crossbow of the Barrage (Explode) - all ammo fired with it gains the exploding brand

Like Hellfire, only bad?

and one-handed, and requiring much less skill to use at min delay!

[tasonir]

The problem with it is that exploding kills your ammo every time you fire it, and this is a hand crossbow so it's intended to be used early, when you don't have much ammo, so there's really no point in the game when you could afford to use it.

If the ammo reform where you got 8x the ammo and it always mulched went through, then Barrage could be useful in theory if you found it early, but it's likely to find unrands on the first 2 floors, so early game only unrands aren't that frequently useful.

[jejorda2]

If you think of it as a rod of fireball with 40 charges, it's not so bad. Between never missing, hitting around corners, and hitting behind the first row of enemies, exploding ammo can be useful.

[bcadren]

exploding ammo can be useful.

Except it's really weak. 2d5 damage regardless of base ammo type. I mean it'd take a lot of ammo to even take out Killer Bees at that rate.

[Pollen_Golem]

Except, the hand crossbow can start out +1 and dealing 2d1 explosive damage, where the 1 increases as you kill enemies, similar to Wyrmbane. So you can have d30 explosions if you manage to kill enough Orbs of Fire with it.

[aracanid]

I'm a fan of wyrmbane and this reminded me that there is space for an equivalent based around demons.

The typical way of gaining power from demons is to enslave them into a weapon or trinket. So i was thinking something like this:

+(HD/2 starts at 0) Random Demon weapon (Blade, Trident or Whip) of domination (Dominate, recurses on unequip)

Dominate (costs 5mp, moderate drain): Compares your MR to 8d(2*HD) if you succeed you deal an unmissable blow at 200% damage which if it kills the demon enslaves it. If you fail the MR check you are paralyzed for 1d(HD/3) turns. If you kill them you enslave the demon to do your bidding. Only works on demons.

Can only have 1 demon enslaved in the weapon at a time. Tier 5, 4 and 3 demons only give the enchantment bonus. Tier 2, 1 and uniques give additional bonuses.

Balrug - Flame brand with sticky flame
Blizzard - Chance on hit for thunderclouds or clouds of cold
Cacodemon - 10% chance for transmutation miscasts on hit
Green Death - Poison brand and poison immune
Hell Beast - An additional +3 to the enchantment of the weapon
Hellion - Allows you to evoke hellfire same as staff of Dis but for only 3*Evo power rather than 8*Evo
Lorocyproca - Antimagic brand and evokable invis
Reaper - Reaching (if this isn't an option then an enchantment same as Hell Beast)
Shadow Demon - 15% Chance to mirror a foe on hit. Mirrors a foe with 50% hp and (HD - 5). Last for 2d4 turns. Only one shadow at a time, new ones replace old.
Tormentors - Chance to cast agony on hit.

Brimstone Fiend - Evoke Hellfire at 4*Evo, Flaming Brand, rF+
Executioner - +1 move speed (boots of running), Attack delay - 1, +3 enchantment
Hell Sentinel - Chance to retaliate with melee attack (same rate as minataurs) ,+8 ac
Ice Fiend - Icemail (only the 10ac not cloud immunity), Freezing brand, rC+
Shadow Fiend - Chance to cast agony on hit, 1/2 damage from torment, rN+, rC+

Geryon - Allows you to summon a single permenent hell beast 5mp (summon limit of 1)
Asmodeus - Flame Cloud Immunity, Constant Ring of Flames effect (including Fire magic enhancer) flame cloud on @ tile, Flame Brand
Dispater - 1/2 Damage from Hellfire, +5 ac, Summons a single Tier 1 Demonic Guardian based on tension
Ereshkigal - Black Mark brand, 1/2 damage from torment, rN+, rC+
Antaeus - Evokable Flash Freeze 2d30 5mp, Freezing Brand, +25hp, rC++, rElec
Mnoleg - Gain Tendrils 1 and Eyeballs 2, 10% chance for transmutation miscasts on hit, Contam
Lom Lobon - Evoke Blink Range 6mp (target an monster and blink away from it), +5 Int, MR++
Cerebov - Evoke firestorm cast range 2 power 10d(XL) 9mp, Flame Brand with sticky flame, rF++
Gloorx Vloq - Rotting Immunity, Foes spew Miasma clouds when you deal a strong hit, 1/2 damage from torment, +1 move speed, attack delay - 1
Random Panlord - Evokable Shadow creatures 5mp based on random Pan floor instead of current floor, power same as rod of shadows but has a summoning cap of 2 instead of 4.

[tasonir]

Overall it's a bit too complex. If you removed the unique bonuses it's be simpler, but I still don't think there's any weapon which grants you an (a)bility like dominate. Reaching/randarts with rage/invis technically do, but those are standard effects you're already familiar with if you've gotten through lair.

A wyrmbane that worked on demons for +enchantment would be possible, but it'd also be something a lot of characters would want, since demons are actually abundant in extended and a threat, unlike dragons.

[jejorda2]

Maybe it would be better as a weapon with an interesting bonus that has a penalty that grows over time, but resets to 0 when it is used to kill a demon. Duplicating existing items is not as fun as having something different.

Possible bonuses:
Attacks on one demon hurt all other demons in LOS.
Blocks demonic abilities a la antimagic.
The last demon you kill is enslaved until you kill the next one- this might mean you leave dangerous things alive to get the best ally.
Every demon kill adds to a counter. Every turn, there is a 10% chance the counter cuts in half. While the counter is above 1, the delay of the weapon is cut in half.

Possible Penalties from neglecting to kill demons:
Randomly transports you to hell so you can find some demons to kill.
Summons hostile demons
Mesmerizes you towards demons on sight

[aracanid]

I still don't think there's any weapon which grants you an (a)bility like dominate

The thinking which lead to that was: An unrand which effects varies depending on what you killed -> Sometimes you wouldn't want to kill something (this is bad) -> give an option every time you kill something elegiable (vbad) -> make an active which allows you to choose which demons to enslave -> this would either put a status effect on the demon you want to enslave or could be used to strike the finishing blow -> have to make it reliable to get the killing blow, hence unmissable and bonus damage -> too strong to be used repeatadly so costs draining and has a risk attached to it.
Just had another thought, rather than an ability like dominate give it a sustain similar to infusion which costs 2mp per blow and while active gains the effects of any demon killed with this weapon.

And yeah that many different abilities is probably too complex for crawl. But quite a few of them would make quite good unrands i think as parts of individual pieces of equipment.

+0 The Ice Fiend Circlet {a hat} (Icemail, maybe rC+ as well) An Ice Fiend wrought into a blistering halo by a unknown demonlord. While worn its crystals encase the body protecting against harm.

+12 Exorcised Sentinel {Same stats as Crystal Plate, unwearable by small or medium characters} (Spines) This ex-demonic construct has had it's infernal engines purged of the demons which powered it by an angelic host. It is now worn/operated by the strongest of holy warriors who with the blessings of their god can reanimate it for good. *forbiden for evil gods and characters*

+4 Unstable staff {Quaterstaff} (Reform) A staff which reforms itself into what ever the creature you are attacking is wielding (Copies the base damage and the brand of the weapon used by your target before hitting, uses staves skill, a staff vs unarmed, cannot reach)

+6 Hand Crossbow of Shadow pining (Shadows Foes) Used by fairy folk to trap malicious shadows. 35% chance on hit of creating a shadow of an opponent.Shadows of a foe are friendly and have 50% hp and (HD - 5). Last for 2d4 turns.