With Redemption released and the player base having an opportunity to play with it, I was hoping that staff would be willing to talk a little bit about Solace. While it fits thematically, I'm struggling to decipher its practical purpose outside of a PVP context.
- Other than as a prerequisite for the rest of the Anabasis spellbook, what was the thought behind the spell? It's defensive, obviously, but was it intended to be used strictly as a ward against other PCs?
- To my knowledge, there aren't any creatures that wield holy-based attacks. Assuming I'm correct, are there any plans to release such creatures or hunting areas?
- Any possibility of additional benefit(s)?
(Spitballing: Spirit defense/heal, a bless effect, a buff of some kind, or anything to give it a PVE application.)
- Solace triggers a Forbidden Practices charge. Is this is intentional?
I'd love any insight staff would be willing to give about the development of this spell in particular. Very deliberate, surprising, and wonderful choices were made to create the Anabasis spellbook. I just don't understand Solace...
- I
TK-421
SHAWN255
Re: Solace
07/23/2020 02:31 AM CDT
I would agree. I read it and thought... pvp focused? and pointless to me for the vast majority of the game. Would love to know what I am missing.
It would be awesome if it gave a bless type utility.
DR-GREJUVA
Re: Solace
07/23/2020 05:46 AM CDT
>>To my knowledge, there aren't any creatures that wield holy-based attacks. Assuming I'm correct, are there any plans to release such creatures or hunting areas?
There are some, mostly invasion creatures related to the dark gods. There wasn't much reason to flag a creature as holy before, so if you encounter such creatures, we can look into flagging them -- faenrae come to mind, for example. Keep in mind that Solace will also protect against, say, Malediction regardless of the caster. But yes, we certainly want to release more holy creatures.
>>Any possibility of additional benefit(s)?
Not at this time.
>>Solace triggers a Forbidden Practices charge. Is this is intentional?
Yes. As with any other true sorcery, Anabasis spells are meant to be frightening to townsfolk unless they're particularly subtle. In this case, it's recognized as a tainted PFE.
GM Grejuva
There are some, mostly invasion creatures related to the dark gods. There wasn't much reason to flag a creature as holy before, so if you encounter such creatures, we can look into flagging them -- faenrae come to mind, for example. Keep in mind that Solace will also protect against, say, Malediction regardless of the caster. But yes, we certainly want to release more holy creatures.
>>Any possibility of additional benefit(s)?
Not at this time.
>>Solace triggers a Forbidden Practices charge. Is this is intentional?
Yes. As with any other true sorcery, Anabasis spells are meant to be frightening to townsfolk unless they're particularly subtle. In this case, it's recognized as a tainted PFE.
GM Grejuva
TK-421
Re: Solace
12/10/2020 03:11 PM CST
Looping back to this older thread...
>> There are some, mostly invasion creatures related to the dark gods. There wasn't much reason to flag a creature as holy before, so if you encounter such creatures, we can look into flagging them -- faenrae come to mind, for example. Keep in mind that Solace will also protect against, say, Malediction regardless of the caster. But yes, we certainly want to release more holy creatures.
Here's one: Alfar. Guardian Spirits
They're not currently flagged as good/Holy creatures. Can they be?
- I
PFE versus Undead:
A white glow flares around you.
* A zombie stomper charges at you. You fail to evade. The body lands a light hit (1/23) to your abdomen.
[You're bruised, mighty, badly balanced with opponent dominating.]
Solace versus Alfar:
>prep solace 100
You begin chanting a prayer to invoke the Solace spell.
You feel fully prepared to cast your spell.
>cast
You gesture.
You are bathed in a bruised ivory glow for a moment.
>adv warrior
You begin to advance on a lissome alfar warrior.
You close to pole weapon range on a lissome alfar warrior.
The lissome alfar warrior begins to advance on you!
The lissome alfar warrior advances from nearby and is closing steadily.
You close to melee range on a lissome alfar warrior.
You stop a lissome alfar warrior from advancing any farther.
>stance evasion 0
Your evasion ability is now set at 0%.
>stance shield 0
Your shield ability is now set at 0%.
>stance parry 0
Your parry ability is now set at 0%.
* A lissome alfar warrior feints low at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your neck.
[You're bruised, solidly balanced with opponent dominating.]
* A lissome alfar warrior slices wide at you. You attempt to dodge. The blade lands a hard (6/23) hit to your right leg.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent dominating.]
* A lissome alfar warrior sweeps low at you. You fail to dodge. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your neck.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
A lissome alfar warrior reaches into a small pouch at its belt, drawing forth a small, light-drinking star of unusual design. Pirouetting balletically, it throws the star with astonishing force directly at you!
The star flies towards you, seeming to dance impossibly through the air. You watch it for a long moment, abruptly realizing that you ought to be trying to get out of its way. Just as the thought surfaces, the star strikes you with immense force, driving the air from your lungs and filling your vision with stars.
S>'That answers that.
You are still stunned.
* A lissome alfar warrior slices an unusual black blade at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your left leg.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
>> There are some, mostly invasion creatures related to the dark gods. There wasn't much reason to flag a creature as holy before, so if you encounter such creatures, we can look into flagging them -- faenrae come to mind, for example. Keep in mind that Solace will also protect against, say, Malediction regardless of the caster. But yes, we certainly want to release more holy creatures.
Here's one: Alfar. Guardian Spirits
They're not currently flagged as good/Holy creatures. Can they be?
- I
PFE versus Undead:
A white glow flares around you.
* A zombie stomper charges at you. You fail to evade. The body lands a light hit (1/23) to your abdomen.
[You're bruised, mighty, badly balanced with opponent dominating.]
Solace versus Alfar:
>prep solace 100
You begin chanting a prayer to invoke the Solace spell.
You feel fully prepared to cast your spell.
>cast
You gesture.
You are bathed in a bruised ivory glow for a moment.
>adv warrior
You begin to advance on a lissome alfar warrior.
You close to pole weapon range on a lissome alfar warrior.
The lissome alfar warrior begins to advance on you!
The lissome alfar warrior advances from nearby and is closing steadily.
You close to melee range on a lissome alfar warrior.
You stop a lissome alfar warrior from advancing any farther.
>stance evasion 0
Your evasion ability is now set at 0%.
>stance shield 0
Your shield ability is now set at 0%.
>stance parry 0
Your parry ability is now set at 0%.
* A lissome alfar warrior feints low at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your neck.
[You're bruised, solidly balanced with opponent dominating.]
* A lissome alfar warrior slices wide at you. You attempt to dodge. The blade lands a hard (6/23) hit to your right leg.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent dominating.]
* A lissome alfar warrior sweeps low at you. You fail to dodge. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your neck.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
A lissome alfar warrior reaches into a small pouch at its belt, drawing forth a small, light-drinking star of unusual design. Pirouetting balletically, it throws the star with astonishing force directly at you!
The star flies towards you, seeming to dance impossibly through the air. You watch it for a long moment, abruptly realizing that you ought to be trying to get out of its way. Just as the thought surfaces, the star strikes you with immense force, driving the air from your lungs and filling your vision with stars.
S>'That answers that.
You are still stunned.
* A lissome alfar warrior slices an unusual black blade at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a good (4/23) strike to your left leg.
[You're hurt, solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
DR-ARMIFER
Re: Solace
12/10/2020 03:53 PM CST
>>They're not currently flagged as good/Holy creatures. Can they be?
Talked with Grejuva and yup, they can be. The change is not live yet but should be soonish (in the next few days).
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
Talked with Grejuva and yup, they can be. The change is not live yet but should be soonish (in the next few days).
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
TK-421
Re: Solace
12/10/2020 04:43 PM CST
>> Talked with Grejuva and yup, they can be. The change is not live yet but should be soonish (in the next few days).
Awesome. Much obliged, sir.
- I
Awesome. Much obliged, sir.
- I
TEVESHSZAT
Re: Solace
12/10/2020 10:19 PM CST
I updated the epedia templates to allow folks to flag something as "Holy" like they can flag something as undead/cursed. That said, I currently have it all as the same drop-down menu, but after seeing that faenrae are the only thing I can currently flag as Holy, and they're already flagged as "undead," I'm wondering if that's the right call.
That said, if it's more accurate to say that holy magic/blesses/etc are effective on anything that isn't "neutral" on the alignment spectrum, maybe that's okay.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
That said, if it's more accurate to say that holy magic/blesses/etc are effective on anything that isn't "neutral" on the alignment spectrum, maybe that's okay.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
TK-421
Re: Solace
12/11/2020 12:25 AM CST
>> to allow folks to flag something as "Holy" like they can flag something as undead/cursed.
That actually brings up a question I hadn't fully considered before: what does this in-game flag actually do? As Grejuva mentioned in his initial response, there wasn't much point to it before.
I was, and am, advocating for it for Alfar because (a) it makes sense based on the existing lore and (b) I want more use-cases for Solace. As new "holy" creatures are added, or as that switch is flipped on existing ones, what actually changes? Do they become more dangerous to cursed creatures/players?
- I
That actually brings up a question I hadn't fully considered before: what does this in-game flag actually do? As Grejuva mentioned in his initial response, there wasn't much point to it before.
I was, and am, advocating for it for Alfar because (a) it makes sense based on the existing lore and (b) I want more use-cases for Solace. As new "holy" creatures are added, or as that switch is flipped on existing ones, what actually changes? Do they become more dangerous to cursed creatures/players?
- I
TEVESHSZAT
Re: Solace
12/11/2020 01:28 AM CST
Just to expand on things, it sounds like, along with faenrae all fae: gremlins, dryads, nyads, boggles, frostweavers, etc, may actually be "holy" vs "cursed" or "undead"
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
TK-421
Re: Solace
12/19/2020 03:59 PM CST
>> Talked with Grejuva and yup, they can be. The change is not live yet but should be soonish (in the next few days).
Thank you again for this!
- I
---
A bruised ivory glow flares around you.
The air around you solidifies into a slight yellow flicker, losing most of its mass under the force of the attack.
Your alyurynaen perish in droves for your sake.
* A lissome alfar warrior feints low at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a light (2/23) hit to your right leg.
[You're solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
Thank you again for this!
- I
---
A bruised ivory glow flares around you.
The air around you solidifies into a slight yellow flicker, losing most of its mass under the force of the attack.
Your alyurynaen perish in droves for your sake.
* A lissome alfar warrior feints low at you. You completely fail to block with your ceremonial shield. The blade lands a light (2/23) hit to your right leg.
[You're solidly balanced with opponent overwhelming you.]
