Background: Prophet

[Fergy]

This background is meant to be more of a hybrid adventurer type.

Starting Stats:
+1 Str
+5 Int
+6 Dex

Starting Equipment:
+0 Quarterstaff
+0 Robe
+0 Cloak
Book of Prognostication

Starting Skills:
+2 Fighting
+2 Dodging
+3 Stealth
+3 Spellcasting

Special:
Prophets do not start with a god, but automatically gain * piety when they first convert to a god.

Book of Prognostication:
Lv 1: Confusing Touch (Hexes)
Lv 1: Infusion (Charms)
Lv 2: Sticks To Snakes (Transmutations)
Lv 2: Sublimation of Blood (Necromancy)
Lv 3: Dazzling Spray (Hexes / Conjuration)
Lv 3: Recall (Translocations)

[Tiktacy]

Wow, this actually sounds pretty neat. +1 from me!

The book seems nice and flavorful with just enough synergy to be playable, the starting package is unique(despite its similarities to monk) and I can totally see myself playing this. Awesome idea, can't wait to see what other people think.

[Klown]

Not seeing the 'prophecy' part of it, but more backgrounds please!

[duvessa]

I'm really confused about what the point of this is supposed to be. It has confusing touch and a weapon, recall and nothing to recall, and the other spells seem pretty much random? Why does Crawl need this new background in the first place?

[reaver]

I'm really confused about what the point of this is supposed to be. It has confusing touch and a weapon, recall and nothing to recall, and the other spells seem pretty much random? Why does Crawl need this new background in the first place?

Ninja'd

Serious, why do you think this would be good for the game? I don't see it destroying the fun already in Crawl, but what do you think this would add?

[Bloax]

If you're wondering what's with the complaints about the spells - then it's because the starting book has six different schools of magic.
And that's not a good layout for a starting book, because you can only afford focused training that early.

[and into]

Bring back reavers.

Book of Reaving
Lv. 1 Confusing Touch
Lv. 1 Magic Dart
Lv. 1 Animate Skeleton
Lv. 2 Slow
Lv. 3 Dazzling Spray
Lv. 3 Inner Flame

Starts unarmed, in leather armor or robe.

I'd actually play that.

Or:

Book of Reaving
Lv. 1 Confusing Touch
Lv. 1 Magic Dart
Lv. 2 Throw Flame
Lv. 3 Dazzling Spray
Lv. 3 Conjure Flame
Lv. 3 Inner Flame

[Tiktacy]

I'm really confused about what the point of this is supposed to be. It has confusing touch and a weapon, recall and nothing to recall, and the other spells seem pretty much random? Why does Crawl need this new background in the first place?

I agree with the part about recall, but I don't see a problem with letting the player start with the choice to go unarmed. I think you might be missing the point of a new class; it's meant to create a unique starting package and give the player options as to what they want to do. I think maybe the part you are missing is the flavor of the gameplay. While flavor is very low on the goals for crawl hierarchy, if it creates a unique play experience(or in this case, a unique starting package) then that's all that matters.

I do think it has some holes in it though, but they aren't gaping. I also have to give the creator props for his presentation, it's well organized, easy to read, and simple to understand.

Bring back reavers.

Book of Reaving
Lv. 1 Confusing Touch
Lv. 1 Magic Dart
Lv. 1 Animate Skeleton
Lv. 2 Slow
Lv. 3 Dazzling Spray
Lv. 3 Inner Flame

Starts unarmed, in leather armor or robe.

I'd actually play that.

Or:

Book of Reaving
Lv. 1 Confusing Touch
Lv. 1 Magic Dart
Lv. 2 Throw Flame
Lv. 3 Dazzling Spray
Lv. 3 Conjure Flame
Lv. 3 Inner Flame

I think and into's suggestion fits the game a bit better, but please, no more books with magic dart. I hate starting a background with magic dart, it's a very bland and unfun spell. Reavers was a cool background, let's make this happen.

[Fergy]

Attempt #2

Starting Stats:
+1 Str
+5 Int
+6 Dex

Starting Equipment:
+0 Quarterstaff
+0 Robe
+0 Cloak
Book of Prognostication

Starting Skills:
+2 Fighting
+2 Dodging
+3 Stealth
+2 Spellcasting
+1 Hexes

Book of Prognostication:
Lv 1: Confusing Touch (Hexes)
Lv 2: Slow (Hexes)
Lv 3: Dazzling Spray (Hexes, Conjuration)
Lv 4: Cause Fear (Hexes)
Lv 5: Force Lance (Conjuration)

[WalkerBoh]

I do admit, I love the satirical aspect of giving the Prophet background spells that confuse, blind, and cause fear.

[Fergy]

I do admit, I love the satirical aspect of giving the Prophet background spells that confuse, blind, and cause fear.

It kinda has a Kwisatz Haderach aspect to it...


I'm trying to create a hybrid type character. One that isn't a caster that happens to melee, nor a warrior that uses spells occasionally. To me, the best spell for this is Dazzling Spray. Dazzling Spray requires conjurations and hexes, so it should have one of those as a lv 1 spell. I do not want to use magic dart, and want to try to avoid forcing this hybrid into any particular element. This leaves hexes as my sole lvl 1 spell. I had to choose between one of the two lv 1 hexes: Corona or Confusing touch. Corona is already used twice, so that leaves Confusing Touch.

[sanka]

I do not think that Confusing Touch will be included in any starting book.

[reaver]

I'm trying to create a hybrid type character. One that isn't a caster that happens to melee, nor a warrior that uses spells occasionally.

This is a very nice explanation. I now understand what you're doing, and can tell you why the goal itself is wrong: Hybrids already exist in the game. Not just stabbers, but backgrounds which appear to be "pure caster" like Ice Elementalists, Wizards, and Necromancer are best played when they pick up a weapon, along with starts like Warpers or Skalds. The "no particular school" is covered by Wizards. Thus, this start doesn't add anything to the game. If you want to learn how to have a solid hybrid experience in Crawl, ask it in Dungeon Crawling Advice.

[dpeg]

reaver: I would think that with your nick you'd try hard to get the reaver background back into the game

[Klown]

Hybrid backgrounds never get any love. Having a weapon on a caster or vice versa doesn't make you a real hybrid. A true one can -choose- which way to kill you. With both ways being do-able.
The significant difference is...
A conjurer can pick up a halberd on Lair:1, and have 3.0 polearm skills(anymore is doubtful if this dude has battlesphere, etc. around 1-5%) Still barely a hybrid, that Halberd alone won't get you through the Lair. It'll be slashing rats, while you blast hydras.

A Battle Mage-like character can walk right into D:1 with magic dart and a mace, and kill things with either one efficiently.

This message is brought to you by Vehumet. Hail Vehumet.

[reaver]

reaver: I would think that with your nick you'd try hard to get the reaver background back into the game

I've never played a reaver. The name just sounded vaguely cool and crawl-related. (I actually would prefer any new Cj/Melee class to have a different name, since tengu reavers existing has caused me enough confusion, particular when my IRC nick was reaver and I was pinged whenever somebody or a somebot mentioned them.)

A Battle Mage-like character can walk right into D:1 with magic dart and a mace, and kill things with either one efficiently.

Well here's the problem: the XP system inherently punishes redundancy, since you're wasting XP doing the same thing it two different ways. Cj/Melee can get away with this occasionally because Cj works at a distance while Melee handles the up close stuff (see: TrCj), but there's isn't any real incentive for the player not abandon one of their kill skills, at least for the early game. (Maybe a Cj spell that only works at long range would help.)

[sgrunt]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the whole "starts with the most powerful early game weapon" aspect, which we've kept limited to Gladiators for various reasons.

[WalkerBoh]

What you did to priests was an outrage.

[Lasty]

If this background existed, I'd consider it to be one of the most powerful options no matter what was in the started book, because (as sgrunt said), it starts with a quarterstaff. A quarterstaff is very strong and requires very little training. Starting with a halfway decent book would make this absurdly strong.

[dpeg]

What you did to priests was an outage.

I had no clue that priests operated on electric energy but now that I know it, many problems in the real world suddenly make sense to me.

[Lasty]

An Electric Monk from a planet very far from the Earth. Electric monks are coincidentally humanoid robots designed to practice religion in their owners' stead.

[Rast]

Starting Stats:
+1 Str
+5 Int
+6 Dex

Currently, nearly every class starts with 4 or 5 Dex. The Monk has 7, the Assassin 6, and the Wizard has only 3. I don't see what in the flavor of this class requires that it be tied with assassins for the second-most dexterous in the game.

Only transmuters, enchanters, and the various mages start with less than 3 STR.

Why the free cloak?

Why the free q-staff?