Crypt Cleanser
Posts: 700
Joined: Wednesday, 5th January 2011, 15:51
Necromutation ideas
I've been playing a few necromancers recently, and on my most recent outing have got necromut. very reliable with a staff of death and lots of intelligence boosting things and I've felt its made me nigh invincible in most areas. I've heard a lot of people say that it shouldn't be nerfed due to the investment required in skills and spell slots, combined with the fact that dispel undead does hideous amounts of damage, but I really haven't found that a problem, especially as I can just duck out when needed and use transmutation as a secondary skill school.
However,
I agree that it shouldn't be nerfed in a traditional sense, but how about if, in keeping with the 'lich' theme and adding some flavour (I really don't know how difficult this would be to code) the more times you cast necromut. the weaker you got out of lich form. It wouldn't have to be that much, just things like the -10% hp mutation or a drop in ev. and ac/str and dex. which get gradually worse and worse after many castings. Furthermore, I think this indebtedness to lich form could go further with, after many, many castings, getting to the point that you would permanently change (possibly with dramatic warnings 'you are becoming more taken over by death' or something after you've cast it alot) into lich form.
These changes would stop making it (as I do now) a constant cast, with healing rot and whatever out of lich form. Plus, it would give the bonus that if you wanted to change into lich form permanently, you could then free the spell slots up (although perhaps perm. lich form might not be as strong as necromut. ?) giving an extra aspect to the spell. I just think this would be great from a flavour side, whilst pulling back the constant cast aspect of the spell, and stopping it being a no-brainer for necromancers.
Perhaps permanent lich form would be too strong, as you would eventually have all the good parts of a mummy with none of the real bad sides, but I think its fairer than pretty much having that now, without any draw backs to casting it. Plus, from a flavour side of it, I think it would be great fun to be able to permanently transform when you get strong enough, as I've always liked that aspect of the myth, and it's something that crawl doesn't really have other than draconian changes.