Shattered Kingdoms

Some of these ideas sound good, but as far as spellcasters go, isn't the increase in their main stats enough? I think this was started because warriors just get worse with time. And there's not much incentive besides RP to keep a fighter char around for a while..I mean it's not really necessary or anything, but if there was something, perhaps people would keep characters for longer than a few months.

I would agree that giving other classes spec would devalue the skill in the hands of mercs, since more specs are not necessarily all that useful (most of the longer lived chars get fairly good at the game and are able to procure their specced weapons 24/7 anyways). Thus, give an extra spec to all warrior classes AND an enhanced specialization skill to mercs (which effectively doubles the bonus of spec to one weapon of their choice which was is already specialized in). At the next aging allow them another enchanced spec to give 2x spec bonus for 2 weapons or 4x bonus for one weapon (that was already enhance specialized in). This would be more than enough to make the merc specialization still far and beyond stronger than any of the other classes. It also allows them to keep up with weapon changes which are unforseen and uncontrollable.

4x specialize speed for a weapon? That'll give you at least 6 or so attacks each round without haste. Much overpowered if you ask me.

Weapons cap at 5 attacks without haste.

However, you just brought up a good point. It just occured to me this would heavily stacked in favor of slow, damaging weapons (landsknechts, claymores, etc.).

New idea:

enchanced specialize- increases accuracy and damage by a scaled amount. The damage increase for faster weapons would have to be lower then that for slower weapons, or else the faster weapons would receive too much of an edge.

Super enhanced specialize- triples the above bonus.

Here is what I would like to see, a spec at second aging that can be put into any skill for a rogue, merc, barb, hellion, paladin. allow a merc to be the only class that can double special in a weapon (but the second specialization has to come through the aging).

This way, a rogue might decide to specialize in steal, scrolls, trip, dirt kick, ect, giving it some sort of appropriate benefit. ie higher % chance of succeeding, perhaps work at lvl 51 or 52, ect, these can be worked on later. A merc might decide to specialize in retreating..a barb in fury, ect.

Paladins could specialize in holy word, or parrying, hellions might specilize in cleave or plague..ect.


The way I think spellcasting should work is that it reduces the concentration for the spell and the mana costs and allows the spellcaster to cast the spell as if they were one level higher (like the bard song allows) but leaves casting times the same.

I like the concept of compensating straight melee classes with something as they age (barbs, mercs, swashies, rogues). I don't know what that something could be, I don't think another spec, or giving specs to non-merc classes is the way to go, necessarilly. Maybe something specific to each class. Maybe something like, +1 to hit and damage per age, bonus att points.. who knows.

While I do agree, aging is not so attrocious that a melee class should delete with age, they do get kind of <inappropriate comment removed>.

I believe it would be nice to give aging warriors some benefit, and I'd be happy to see them get it at first aging (as well as mages getting bonuses to stats at first aging!).

Don't give them something already made, however. This is a great opportunity for diversity: add something new!

How about instead of giving the warriors a specialize, the game records the weapon they use the most and gives them a sort of bonus to wielding it. But that bonus wouldn't be as good as specialize.

They all shouldn't get specialize, but they should get something. The physical decreases can really hurt a fighter class and the increases to intellect and wisdom really don't achieve anything. Perhaps if they've stayed low enough that the more frequent improvements at skills will occur, but by they time they start aging odds are most fighters will be GM or have the skills they've already learned mastered. Perhaps give them each something different that would be a class advantage. Rogues can sneak longer, scouts can fletch an extra arrow or two, barbarians are just a touch more accurate with brawling, mercenaries get an extra specialize point, swashbucklers get a single specialize point their entire life which would be useful only for heavy swords or daggers. Nothing that would make a tremendous difference, but something that would make the aging process more balanced. Right now an old warrior is going to be weak as sin while an aged mage is only going to be that much stronger.

What if the stats lost to aging were simply given back to the character, if they were trained up to that level that it actually decreased a natural statistic. You could train the stat point elsewhere, in hp, mana, move, art, int, wis, cha. This would give warriors at least zero loss in stat points, they just have to redistribute. Giant strength and haste should be readily available to an older warrior who has had time to make some friends.

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