Re: Spell list
The spells I listed are the monster spell list for Yred worshippers (I think only deep dwarf death knights at the moment); the only spell I'd need to actually add would be the enslave player mechanism. Vampiric Draining is what the enum said so that's what I put in my description.
dpeg wrote:Zannick should explain but I understood the spectral unique to be partially an attempt at humour: you'd see a level-appropriate unique having someone in tow like Sigmund, Terence or whoever didn't show up early on. I regard this as story-telling which you may completely ignore if you only care about tactics.
Yes, my initial suggestion was definitely founded in humor. But I do intend for the unique to be potentially powerful and have a potentially powerful ally, in addition to being flavorful. Note that I never actually said "midgame"; not all orcs appear in Orc. I actually picture Ystrom appearing late D (or Crypt, I suppose), around or past the point Nikola shows up, yes. The electricity resistance is simply so that he can survive his own ally (yes, I saw that post of the player killed by their spectral Nikola).
I don't really have an objection to making the spectral slave a nonunique (it'll make the placement code a little easier to write with a fallback anyway).
dpeg wrote:[Full disclosure: in order for Ystrom to be not just a gimmick, the guy should be able to pose a relevant threat on his own -- which between "merfolk", "good polearm" and "an Yredelemnul ability or other" is certainly possible. Might also be better to have a longer list of enslaved soul targets than just "earlier uniques"; anything that players may find worthwhile around that level would also work, e.g. high level orcs.]
I've been drafting up some stats, mostly based on the merfolk impaler. If I made his attack speed 6 to match theirs he ought to be pretty dangerous in melee.
dck wrote:That's fine I suppose but the OP hinted specifically at Nikola being enslaved and Nikola is kinda stronger than Terence.
Merfolk impalers are strong so if this guy is the main threat and his pet unique and abilities are mostly flavor then I don't know, he'd basically be a stronger impaler.
Maybe like any sensible DK he should have a pet with haste and might other. Perhaps not even an actual monster, just some unspecified thing (this can be easily solved flavor wise by claiming it's some unrecognizable spectral being or something like that). The pet should be easier to kill than him and he probably shouldn't be terribly sturdy himself.
I guess the balance goal would be for the two to be dangerous in conjunction with each other rather than individually. Having a much weaker pet from the early game would certainly fulfill my humor quota without being very well-balanced against the potentially strong pets he might have. I'm not leaving out the possibility that he comes with some extra Yred gifts, which could balance out a potentially weak unique.
The exact size and makeup of his team as well as his exact stats and equipment are up in the air for now, and suggestions are welcome. It seems there is sufficient interest in the idea to start coding the core aspects of it. I also wanted feedback on the additional player enslave mechanism, which is a reach goal on top of the base idea, what with the modifications that will be necessary to the player ghost process (and its own balance issues).