Dungeon Dilettante
Posts: 1
Joined: Thursday, 27th June 2019, 15:13
Thursday, 27th June 2019, 16:29
Some Demonspawn and Draconian ideas
Alright, so I've been playing a lot of Demonspawn (and Draconians), and I had some ideas:
(a few of these may well be inspired by deitic abilities, whoops; also partially because I keep getting the same ones over and over and I want more variety :v)
Body slot mutations:
---Some form of non-UC usage for claws! Right now they're a dud option unless you're running UC since even offhand punch needs points in it to do any appreciable damage, whereas all other body slot options have some use in weaponised combat (except antennae but that's not a combat mutation so it's fine). Perhaps give claws a slight weapon accuracy bonus due to better grip?
---Alternatively (or as well) a second potential hand slot so there's more variety, especially for monstrous ones who all get claws right now - perhaps extra fingers, which could also increase accuracy (in which case claws would likely do something else) and possibly give extra ring slots?
---A fourth 'slot' for more slotless mutations (giving it a slot so that monstrous will only be able to get one) which are based on types of demon instead of the same thing growing, for example:
------Anzu/Demon Bird: rank 1: beak; rank 2: small wings giving temporary flight (like tengu used to have, without the tengu-specific benefits); rank 3: big wings giving (semi-?)permanent flight (where semi could be has to stop flying to rest, for example, or just temporary flight with a long time before it times out) - obviously inspired by tengu, but to a lesser degree and not as strong, and if people want to guarantee getting flight they can play tengu instead; alternatively, rElec for one rank (Anzu is a storm bird) and go straight to semi-permanent flight for the other
------Black Dog: definitely fangs for this one, probably standard fangs first and then an upgrade to perhaps poisonous fangs at third rank or something? The third thing I'm not so sure about, thinking see invis but others will probably have better ideas here
------Leviathan: rank 1: the ability to treat shallow water as land (and possibly treat deep water as shallow); rank 2: a tail (like a draconian's); rank 3: full swimming capability, also including immunity to engulf etc. (maybe halve damage from it at rank 1)
Tiers 2 and/or 3:
---Robust seems... honestly boring for a tier 3 slot, all the other tier 3s are super interesting but robust you can get via potions of mutation, and I honestly feel like all the tier 3 mutations should be demonspawn-exclusive? Maybe it could be reworked to give less max hp but something similar to the spell vampiric draining, or some other sort of health drain mechanic...
---Petrifying Body: rank 1: immunity to petrification; rank 2: a small chance of slowing an enemy on contact; rank 3: an increased chance of slowing and a small chance of outright petrifying for a few (like 1d6) turns? Contact would be the same as spines.
---Mutations based on the seven deadly sins? A few ideas for some but I'm not sure about ordering, perhaps they could all have a small downside to them too, think Curse or Shell Smash in Pokemon:
------Lust: enemy attacks occasionally fail (like with Ru), clarity (for immunity to enemy mesmerise), enemies occasionally attack other enemies or have a MR- and level-based chance of becoming temporary allies like a wand of enslavement? Downside could be not being able to leave temporary allies behind anywhere (they get bonus speed to catch up perhaps) so you have to fight or flee once the effect wears off
------Wrath: able to go berserk at will (if also worshipping Trog maybe make berserk then last longer or cooldown shorter?), a flat damage increase, downside: perhaps a smaller defense decrease
------Greed: gnoll-esque item detection and Gozag-esque gold detection, maybe charged less at shops? Downside could be a chance of a mesmerisation-esque effect (similar to obsidian axe) if a monster is wearing an artifact
------Pride: this one I'm not sure about
------Envy: unsure, this one could also have the Greed downside
------Gluttony: food detection like gnoll items, can eat at any time, food slightly restores hp like ghouls? Downside, higher metabolism (not troll-level though)
------Sloth: heals hp and mp faster from resting, slower metabolism? Downside: slows down a little every rank (not to Chei levels though)
Draconians:
---Given gargoyles have big wings and can wear any armour fine, and nagas have big tails and can wear any armour albeit with a penalty, I feel like it's illogical that draconians can't wear even robes? I get that it'd need balancing mechanics-wise, but logic-wise I feel like they would be able to - perhaps with the same armour penalty as nagas/centaurs, only being able to wear the same armour as ogres etc., and having a pretty bad aptitude for it (definitely worse than Dodging), and possibly slightly lessening the scales AC...
---Draconian types: notably, some of these would cause issues with certain deities; I'm not sure when it's determined what a given draconian will become, so if it's determined at game start maybe make the deity reluctant to accept any draconian that will become something they dislike (either not accepting altogether or giving faded altar-esque extra confirmation), if it's determined at level 7 then if the draconian has a deity that has a disliked colour it won't become that colour? Perhaps then Trog wouldn't like purple ones since they seem especially magic-inclined, though that's not the level of some of these, and it would also belatedly solve the problem of a Dith worshipper turning red when he disliked fire
------Blue (rime) draconian: +1 to ice and air magic aptitudes (see: steam dragon but can actually use both its +magics in combo), rC+, breathes pretty much the same as rime drakes, might have a better
------Silver draconian: +invocations, maybe? rMut, breathes silver breath that does a small amount of damage to most things but extra and possibly stunning anything silver-weak, disliked by chaotic gods and maybe evil ones too
------Golden draconian: +shields (and/or +armour if draconians get that ability), breathes poison, rPois and/or extra SH like grey draconians get extra AC
------Pearl draconian: +invocations again, rN+ (or maybe rHoly, but given not even pearl dragon scales give that probably not), breathes holy breath that slightly heals allies, does nothing to neutrals, and slightly (or greatly in the case of holy-weak stuff) damages enemies, disliked by evil gods
------Pallid draconian: +necromancy, rN+, breathes something similar to miasma but weaker at first? Disliked by good gods and Fedhas
------Spectral draconian: +dodging, insubstantial, breathes a weaker version of spectral flame, POSSIBLY disliked by good gods?
I am probably going to completely forget I posted this (memory issues!) but if anyone wants to adapt any of these ideas feel free, I will future appreciate more variety!
(a few of these may well be inspired by deitic abilities, whoops; also partially because I keep getting the same ones over and over and I want more variety :v)
Body slot mutations:
---Some form of non-UC usage for claws! Right now they're a dud option unless you're running UC since even offhand punch needs points in it to do any appreciable damage, whereas all other body slot options have some use in weaponised combat (except antennae but that's not a combat mutation so it's fine). Perhaps give claws a slight weapon accuracy bonus due to better grip?
---Alternatively (or as well) a second potential hand slot so there's more variety, especially for monstrous ones who all get claws right now - perhaps extra fingers, which could also increase accuracy (in which case claws would likely do something else) and possibly give extra ring slots?
---A fourth 'slot' for more slotless mutations (giving it a slot so that monstrous will only be able to get one) which are based on types of demon instead of the same thing growing, for example:
------Anzu/Demon Bird: rank 1: beak; rank 2: small wings giving temporary flight (like tengu used to have, without the tengu-specific benefits); rank 3: big wings giving (semi-?)permanent flight (where semi could be has to stop flying to rest, for example, or just temporary flight with a long time before it times out) - obviously inspired by tengu, but to a lesser degree and not as strong, and if people want to guarantee getting flight they can play tengu instead; alternatively, rElec for one rank (Anzu is a storm bird) and go straight to semi-permanent flight for the other
------Black Dog: definitely fangs for this one, probably standard fangs first and then an upgrade to perhaps poisonous fangs at third rank or something? The third thing I'm not so sure about, thinking see invis but others will probably have better ideas here
------Leviathan: rank 1: the ability to treat shallow water as land (and possibly treat deep water as shallow); rank 2: a tail (like a draconian's); rank 3: full swimming capability, also including immunity to engulf etc. (maybe halve damage from it at rank 1)
Tiers 2 and/or 3:
---Robust seems... honestly boring for a tier 3 slot, all the other tier 3s are super interesting but robust you can get via potions of mutation, and I honestly feel like all the tier 3 mutations should be demonspawn-exclusive? Maybe it could be reworked to give less max hp but something similar to the spell vampiric draining, or some other sort of health drain mechanic...
---Petrifying Body: rank 1: immunity to petrification; rank 2: a small chance of slowing an enemy on contact; rank 3: an increased chance of slowing and a small chance of outright petrifying for a few (like 1d6) turns? Contact would be the same as spines.
---Mutations based on the seven deadly sins? A few ideas for some but I'm not sure about ordering, perhaps they could all have a small downside to them too, think Curse or Shell Smash in Pokemon:
------Lust: enemy attacks occasionally fail (like with Ru), clarity (for immunity to enemy mesmerise), enemies occasionally attack other enemies or have a MR- and level-based chance of becoming temporary allies like a wand of enslavement? Downside could be not being able to leave temporary allies behind anywhere (they get bonus speed to catch up perhaps) so you have to fight or flee once the effect wears off
------Wrath: able to go berserk at will (if also worshipping Trog maybe make berserk then last longer or cooldown shorter?), a flat damage increase, downside: perhaps a smaller defense decrease
------Greed: gnoll-esque item detection and Gozag-esque gold detection, maybe charged less at shops? Downside could be a chance of a mesmerisation-esque effect (similar to obsidian axe) if a monster is wearing an artifact
------Pride: this one I'm not sure about
------Envy: unsure, this one could also have the Greed downside
------Gluttony: food detection like gnoll items, can eat at any time, food slightly restores hp like ghouls? Downside, higher metabolism (not troll-level though)
------Sloth: heals hp and mp faster from resting, slower metabolism? Downside: slows down a little every rank (not to Chei levels though)
Draconians:
---Given gargoyles have big wings and can wear any armour fine, and nagas have big tails and can wear any armour albeit with a penalty, I feel like it's illogical that draconians can't wear even robes? I get that it'd need balancing mechanics-wise, but logic-wise I feel like they would be able to - perhaps with the same armour penalty as nagas/centaurs, only being able to wear the same armour as ogres etc., and having a pretty bad aptitude for it (definitely worse than Dodging), and possibly slightly lessening the scales AC...
---Draconian types: notably, some of these would cause issues with certain deities; I'm not sure when it's determined what a given draconian will become, so if it's determined at game start maybe make the deity reluctant to accept any draconian that will become something they dislike (either not accepting altogether or giving faded altar-esque extra confirmation), if it's determined at level 7 then if the draconian has a deity that has a disliked colour it won't become that colour? Perhaps then Trog wouldn't like purple ones since they seem especially magic-inclined, though that's not the level of some of these, and it would also belatedly solve the problem of a Dith worshipper turning red when he disliked fire
------Blue (rime) draconian: +1 to ice and air magic aptitudes (see: steam dragon but can actually use both its +magics in combo), rC+, breathes pretty much the same as rime drakes, might have a better
------Silver draconian: +invocations, maybe? rMut, breathes silver breath that does a small amount of damage to most things but extra and possibly stunning anything silver-weak, disliked by chaotic gods and maybe evil ones too
------Golden draconian: +shields (and/or +armour if draconians get that ability), breathes poison, rPois and/or extra SH like grey draconians get extra AC
------Pearl draconian: +invocations again, rN+ (or maybe rHoly, but given not even pearl dragon scales give that probably not), breathes holy breath that slightly heals allies, does nothing to neutrals, and slightly (or greatly in the case of holy-weak stuff) damages enemies, disliked by evil gods
------Pallid draconian: +necromancy, rN+, breathes something similar to miasma but weaker at first? Disliked by good gods and Fedhas
------Spectral draconian: +dodging, insubstantial, breathes a weaker version of spectral flame, POSSIBLY disliked by good gods?
I am probably going to completely forget I posted this (memory issues!) but if anyone wants to adapt any of these ideas feel free, I will future appreciate more variety!