I think my approach is stagger my squeaky-wheel advocacy while I have the energy to be annoying. I was going to start another thread, but this one exists with good ideas. I don't want to clog up the other thread with just hellion things. Some interesting ideas besides the others in this thread, or to echo them. All the things said are true and good.
first and foremost, baseline
- locate object
- consecrate armor.
- I would be willing to recommend tossing paladins detect hidden if this somehow imbalances things in a way consecrate weapon to them doesn't set right. this feels like when paladins got (parry?) and hellions got (dodge?).
- fix poison's fast-tick on weapons
That's just a standalone because it's kind of more quality of life/fun to play than balancing. Now balance stuff, which everyone else in this thread had great ideas too.
lower-code grab bag
- consider letting maledictions on cleave have a distinct benefit, such as any of the following
- maledictions on cleave bypass resistances
- apply the malediction's associated impairment at 3-5x the rate as apply (to make an indomitable impairment on one cleave)
- confer a multiplier on spellpower
- rescue, because right now we get to laugh at priests as they die behind us if we work in tandem on anything risky. I can live without disarm, but rescue is kind of a basic leader position management thing
- swap frenzy from paladin to hellion
- if you're feeling frisky, just give your clergy warriors (both paladins and hellions) an extra like 10 stat points. i dare you.
high code option, because sometimes a new idea is more exciting than slapping other skills/spells that exist on as a fix
- rework frenzy to have no negatives on clergy (priest, paladin, hellion), let them all have it
- create a new spell, divine wrath, which has a synergy with frenzy in the same way spirit horde/spirit aura or fury/berserk do. give it to both hellions and paladins.
- divine wrath can only be cast on someone with frenzy, and fades if frenzy fades/dispels. i would suggest either of the two benefits:
- option 1) an alignment-based inverted 'spirit aura', in that it does damage on hit rather than on getting hit. have it confer a magical damage bonus to opposite auras on successful hit (damage based on the held weapon, so more for high-strength 2 handers), 0 damage bonus on gray auras or same alignments
- option 2) confer specialization benefits to massive weapons
- whichever of the above two options, probably should not apply to certain cabal that doesn't hold weapons, but shoot let the cabal that makes its own weapon have fun with it I don't care
The standalone domination section, at the end because it's least important to touch but also worth talking about.
It's important to recognize this is a mentor-level major class identity spell that hasn't been touched since before weapon subtypes (except for a concentration tweak?). I have encountered an insane amount of 'quality of life' NPCs that are functionally initiate because of the usable skill/spell set. I'm talking NPCs that live as priests, bards, sorcs that with a suit of int mods can't concentrate on, or just don't have. Unless there is one necromancer over the river and through the words that can cast Finger of Death, these things aren't good. I've encountered a half dozen priests that can only sit and heal no matter race and int mod count, and while they have heal
they can't sanctuary which is a lower tier spell.
I think I remember why this is, and why it's not easily solvable. However, I think there's still a clever solution that can attack this.
Craft a curated, flattened skillset/spellset that the powers that be find agreeable for classes - bard songs up to expert, sorc/priest/warlock spells up to expert at a pre-defined competency like very good (with some spells excluded if you feel the need). When a NPC is dominated, kind of like how HP might be flattened in a way, re-tool the NPC skill/spellset to this curated set. Scale that flattened skillset based on the NPC level (maxing at the current upper limit for dominate) and don't flatten anything about the race or NPC stats to still have variety. Remove any arbitrary concentration/stat caps and let it be based on race so that a hellion that spends money and time to prep can get a bard with a weak song of magic or something, y'know? Might only have to do this the clergy, casters, and bards.
This gives access to an almost tear-inducing amount of quality of life stuff that you'd expect from dominating NPCs limited at that level, while the level limit prevents it from just giving hellions all the things. The spell has had this promise for eternity and I'd love to see it realized. Finally put to bed the idea that expert warriors are useful after the weapon subtype implementation, an idea that might be old enough to drink now.
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