Brainstorming: acid spells

[spudwalt]

Okay, so people have been suggesting the addition of acid spells to the game for a while, whether as high-level Poison Magic or as part of a new Alchemy spell school or what have you. One thing I remember a dev pointing out in a different thread was that any new spells that get added to the game should be differentiated in some way from other spells (so no "Venom Bolt, but now with Acid!" ideas). I figured I'd start a thread where we can just think of ideas for acid-based spells with interesting, new effects without worrying too much about spell schools or levels. If the devs think any of these ideas have merit, then we can flesh out the details.

[*]Caustic shroud: cloaks an enemy in acid, corroding their equipment and doing minor acid damage
[*]Acid injection: injects an enemy's system with acids, inflicting some sort of malus (weak, bleeding, slow) as their innards/muscles/etc. get eaten away
[*]Vitriolic pool: creates a puddle or small pool of acid that burns away at anything standing in it. At high spell power, may eat through the floor, creating a shaft.

[bcadren]

I still think giving Acid a unique damage type (effect and different enemies resisting and being weak to it) is enough to float a bolt spell, as every damage type has one of those despite several of them being very similar.

[sgrunt]

every damage type has one of those despite several of them being very similar.

This is a reason to differentiate those spells, not to add more of them.

[reaver]

One thing about Acid - one of the neat things about it is that there are very few monsters which resist acid. This would probably go away as soon a acid spells become reasonably common, which means there is actually less design space in Acid then there appears to be. mumra mentioned a "rod of acid" before he left, which I think would be a good implementation. (Obviously only one spell now with the rod changes.)

[duvessa]

"Damage that no relevant monsters resist" is already covered very well by earth magic anyway. So I don't think acid attacks are really unique at all.

[bcadren]

This is a reason to differentiate those spells, not to add more of them.

Alright. I'll concede that point. But to quote myself; I think even as it is Acid needs to have a unique effect tied to it and different monsters that resist it and are weak to it and this is my mini proposal for that:

Acid damage type is always in two parts; the first checks AC, while the second is not resistible (by AC); both parts check rAcid (which already exists, though at present only Jellies and yellow draconians have it and jellies have all three pips). Adding: This is already true for all sources of acid. Oklobs for example have 3d7 that checks AC and 7d5, which does not; Yellow Draconians are the same, and Acid Blobs are the same with some added physical damage to their bolts.

If either part managed to do damage, there is a chance of the effect also lowering the target's AC. [This effect is similar to enemy acid causing corrosion, but more useful to players as it affects more things and doesn't trash equipment.]

rAcid would be rebalanced as follows:

• rAcid-- [takes 150% damage]: Creatures made of metal or stones; Golems, Gargoyles, Iron Imp, etc.
• rAcid- [takes 125% damage]: Creatures made of exposed bone; Liches, Curse Skulls, Skeletons, etc.
• rAcid (0) [takes 100% damage]: Most natural creatures. (Hydras, Nagas, Spiny Frogs, non-Yellow Draconians etc.)
• rAcid+ [takes 75% damage]: Natural creatures that spawn with Armor (Orc Knight, Hell Knight, Deep Elf Master Archer etc.). Most Demons (Including fiends). Insects (Spiders, Scorpions, Fire Crabs, etc.)
• rAcid++ [takes 50% damage]: Yellow Draconians, slimes. Insubstantial creatures (Wisps, Revenants, etc.)
• rAcid+++ [immune]: Creatures made of Crystal (Crystal Guardians, Wretched Stars, etc.); Jellies.

Note also the current player sources of Acid; which are semi-rare, but notable:

1. Makhleb's Lesser Destruction has a 1 in 5 chance of being a bolt of vitriol.
2. Yellow Draconian Breath
3. Vitriol Card (Decks of Destruction and War).
4. Oklob Plants (Fedhas Madash)
5. Shadow Creatures/Rod of Shadows can summon Slime Creatures if area/Evocations is high enough.

...No Race is always acid; no spells are acid. Oddly enough Jiyva doesn't provide acid; It's rare and not very developed. Right now, enemy rAcid (any level) cuts out all damage and is only on Jellies (not slimes) and Yellow Draconians. If made more common (which I am for); the damage type needs to be more developed, like rF and rC or at least rPois level of development.

[nicolae]

The rod of clouds, new in trunk, can generate acid clouds at high Evocations, so there's already been new acid effects implemented. If acid clouds were to be used somewhere else, I suppose they could be used to punch up Yellow Draconian breath.

[Viashino_wizard]

Oddly enough Jiyva doesn't provide acid

Just to nitpick: Jiyva can give you the Acidic Bite mutation.

[bcadren]

Oddly enough Jiyva doesn't provide acid

Just to nitpick: Jiyva can give you the Acidic Bite mutation.

...doh. I was thining about acidic flesh the kind of thing slimes have. Would that be a good mutation? Acidic flesh (acid splash damage to everything that hits you).

[Viashino_wizard]

Oddly enough Jiyva doesn't provide acid

Just to nitpick: Jiyva can give you the Acidic Bite mutation.

...doh. I was thining about acidic flesh the kind of thing slimes have. Would that be a good mutation? Acidic flesh (acid splash damage to everything that hits you).

It's an idea. Jiyva's item protection neatly sidesteps the question of why your acid skin doesn't melt the armor you're wearing. Though in practice it overlaps a lot with Ds Spines mutation.

[Hirsch I]

and Minotaur headbutt.