Give all book backgrounds 1 starting consumable

[dolemite99]

I get that this game is not meant to put all backgrounds on an equal playing field of difficulty ... but at least for me, my odds of making it to the Temple on a melee background start are MUCH higher than my odds of making it to the Temple on just about any spellcasting start.

My suggestion is that all spellcaster backgrounds be given 1 potion or scroll in their starting kit. Maybe it's an equal chance coin flip between a Potion of Magic and a Scroll of Teleportation.

My contrast comparison would be the Fighter start and the Gladiator start. Each starts with a type of consumable that is a nice early panic button. Potion of Might is a very powerful starting inventory item for Fi, and Throwing Nets on the Gl background can help you make a quick escape if you walk around a corner in early Dungeon and find Sigmund, a gnoll pack, an Ogre, etc.

On the whole I want to play more games where my primary/initial way of killing foes is to cast spells. But my book background D:1 and D:2 life usually looks like this ...."Blast your L1 spell, burn through your 3/4/5 starting points of MP, run away and pillar dance foes until restoring some MP, repeat, repeat".

So does the design philosophy dictate that "melee backgrounds should be easier beginnings than the book backgrounds"? Or is it more specific, like "Fighter should be an easier start than a Fire Elementalist"? I guess I'm fine with the latter case. But having all spellcasters categorically feel harder to get off the ground than melee-dudes should be re-visited, I think.

[bel]

I proposed something similar here. I would extend it to all backgrounds, not just book backgrounds. Also, my reasoning was not to buff some backgrounds compared to others, but to reduce the very early-game scenarios where you die without it being terribly interesting.

But half-measures are better than nothing at all.

[dolemite99]

Thanks for the link Bel, I was certain I'd seen similar proposals before but was too lazy to search for, and then tack onto, an older topic. I guess I'm indifferent about whether all backgrounds or just book backgrounds should get an extra starting consumable. Melee starts feel pretty sturdy already so I really don't think they need a boost. But since this game really only provides you with XP for killing foes, I hate losing so many spellcasters around D:1 - D:3 when they run out of their only starting means of finishing a fight.

Maybe potion of brilliance would be a nice starting tool for all spellcasters. Similar to Potion of Might on the Fi start, letting book backgrounds have a guaranteed one-time boost to both spell power and casting success % would be nice. I can see myself hanging on to it until the same kinds of moments I'd chug a Might potion on with my fighters .... e.g., early gnoll pack with halberds, Orc Priest + Orc Wizard appearance, an Ogre, etc.

[Rast]

How about increasing starting MP by a couple points?

[Elitist]

How about increasing starting MP by a couple points?

I believe Wizard gets one more point to their starting MP, along with that hat of theirs.

Book backgrounds have the same appeal that Monk did to me, that being they had varying starts that were usually lousy or inconsistent in exchange for gaining a fair amount of power once their backgrounds specialty kicked in. It's why people swear IE is easy, because Freeze is already good. It's also why Fire Elementalist is challenging, because you don't get Conjure Flames until level 3.

[Sprucery]

Imo book backgrounds don't need any buffs.

[Hurkyl]

On the whole I want to play more games where my primary/initial way of killing foes is to cast spells. But my book background D:1 and D:2 life usually looks like this ...."Blast your L1 spell, burn through your 3/4/5 starting points of MP, run away and pillar dance foes until restoring some MP, repeat, repeat".

If you had a consumable, your reaction would still be "Blast your L1 spell, burn through your 3/4/5 starting points of MP, run away and pillar dance foes until restoring some MP, repeat, repeat".

Unless, of course, the target were an adder or somesuch in which case you use the consumable to survive. That's why you were pillar dancing the orcs earlier: to save the consumable for a situation where it matters.

[Hellmonk]

Buff earlygame mp regen so you don't have to spend such ridiculous amounts of time pillardancing when you miscast/miss/whatever. If this is too much of a buff to book backgrounds then nerf all the op spells in the starting books.