Shattered Kingdoms

Master - Aftershock

[Spells help] aftershock

Syntax: cast 'aftershock'

Inappropriately named, Aftershock is a spell that is much like earthquake, only stronger. A well-learned warlock is capable of causing devastating tremors which also can disrupt the balance of foes. This spell however, is also dangerous to the caster itself as it damages everything in the warlock's location. This spell only affects those that are grounded.

We all know earthquake sucks. Its damage is ridiculously low and it hits all the rooms around you. At best its only good for levelling and even then 9 times out of 10, it'll get you killed by pulling too many things (and they all throw stuff at you per round which eats through your stoneskin .) Make this spell more damaging, localized only to one room, and with a chance to cause prone (a trip like affect due to the tremors knocking one off balance based on a reflex save.) and negated by flying like earthquake. I feel this would help warlocks a bit, and although slightly situational, give them another spell to use other than "omg spam magma!" etc.

Thoughts? Opinions? What do you guys think? If you think its something that would overpower locks, what would your suggestions be to level it out some? Or are warlocks fine as they are?

Why not just buff earthquake?

QFT

The spell however, is also dangerous to the caster itself... you do realize earthquake is too? Im assuming thats what the however was referring to.

yeah, i fail at writing spell descrips. sorry -_-

Hmm, true. I was just being a stickler i guess. My post didnt add much discussion. I am a bit divided on the issue. I like the idea of a stronger earthquake. However I wonder if this would make earthquake itself obsolete. Who would use the multi room affecting spell which will just draw more NPCs and is weaker anyways? Why not go room to room and use the stronger one which also causes prone?

Why not just beef up earthquake damage and add a prone like status. Maybe not as long as a bash/trip and have it be affected by reflex as well?

Neat spell idea. I thought earthquake already had a prone status attached? If not, it (or this) should!

It would be interesting to examine whether or not warlocks have a decent number and range of spell selections from each "element." Then, it would be fun if warlocks were given the ability to "specialize" in an element at Master, much as mercenaries specialize in a weapon.

This specialization could add effectiveness (and perhaps features?) to respective spells as well as make the appropriate elemental more interesting (and effective?) at the cost of the opposing element's spells receiving some sort of knockdown.

Yeah, earthquake would be good, but I'm not much on the additional rooms as well. A prone affect would be nice. Make it last say, 2 rounds (a normal bash lasts 3-4 doesn't it?) Actually, no, with the cast time of it, a single round would be fine. Its damage however, needs to be severely buffed.

For example, when I was levelling with it, i'd cast it til my mana run out, from 100 - 0 and I was careful on how I cast it, pulling only 3-5 NPCs at a time. I'd get roughly 18 successful casts and kill 1 NPC. That's pretty pathetic...When lightning bolt, cone of cold and such kills at most in 7-10 casts.

Maybe earthquake does have a prone type thing. I thought it was just added lag though and not "prone"?

From the earthquake message, I don't see any half save message or so, so it appears to be just straight up damage (something about being battered and tossed about or so). When I got multiple NPCs, the thrown objects ate through my stoneskin so fast I couldn't keep it up (if there were 5 or more) and I never noticed any difference in the NPCs throwing stuff at me other than they occasionally didn't throw but I've seen that done even using normal spells. As far as casting it on myself, i never noticed any type of lag or prone on it either. I'll check it out later tonight.