I kind of like to get rid of the 630 companion idea. why not have the guild be the way we find our companion. Same mechinics and we can work towards the skills to improve command time and such. Doing this would open up 630. For 630 I would love to see a variation of call swarm but with Animals. Think Summon animals in DnD. Using the local animals in that room or somewhere close if we are using 625 a swarm of anaimals come to attack the target instead. This would be more powerful then swarm in that it does the same blocking and such plus damage attackes.

<<Rangers do not have adequate CM training options. Rogues put us to shame, Bards are better off and only pures are worse. It's not the cost as much as the option of skills: Rangers cannot learn Vanish nor Surge. Vanish could obviously help for a stealthy class and Surge is ideal for an archer, which is a Rangerly weapon class to be sure. If Rogues only have some, could we get something for a Ranger only and adapt some of those nice ones we cannot get into the Ranger list? Is the vanish a 'square' thing as surge?

Rangers don't have Surge or Vanish because they have spells that basically do the same thing. 608 is a ranger's "Vanish" AND it gives you +30 AS. And 606 is a ranger's "Surge". I'm pretty sure it was considered over-powered for ranger's to have both the Surge CMAN and 606. This is why semi's don't have as many CMAN's as warriors/rogues because they have access to spells, much easier, than squares to make up for it.


-Adam

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"You guys took all the pretty places." ~Anonymous

I second the suggestion of adding a Ranger CM. I understand why Rangers don't get Vanish or Surge, but rangers are primarily physical fighters and having a CM that augments that would be nice. Ideally, I'd like something that can help stunned/webbed rangers get out of those situations (spiders are creatures of nature, too!), and I think it would fit the character class well.

>Ideally, I'd like something that can help stunned/webbed rangers get out of those situations (spiders are creatures of nature, too!), and I think it would fit the character class well.

Isn't that what you get from your companions? They wake up and start fighting effectively if you get stunned?

Assume aspect spider allowing you to eat your way out of a web, the same way spiders do if you web them, would be neat.

Semis get their status relief from spells and you are probably better off that way than with a weak version of stunman, which is what a CM would be.

I see no real reason why coup should be restricted to squares, as long as it cost semis more, I think that would be a good one to open to more classes.

>I'm not sure how busy he is, but personally I'm hoping GM-Oscuro would take on the role. He's been quick to roll out rogue developments (and several, at that!) and has been most receptive to feedback from that profession.

I'd be careful what you wish for. Oscuro has said that semis are overpowered. You might find that a lot of bugs rapidly get fixed but any new stuff was balanced by some hefty nerfs.

>That would be cool, but I'm hoping for an option for lower-level rangers, especially when they start hunting Spider Temple. As far as status relief spells, you can't 108 yourself when stunned. Since I can't rely on my pet (surprise, surprise) or casting while stunned, I'd rather have a weaker version of Stunman that at least gives me better odds of survival.

The status relief spells for bards and paladins are 1040 and 1635. Thats the sort of spell level that they become available at. While 630 is similar level, you don't have to spend mana to get your AC to help you, while 1040 for a bard is 40 mana for an attempt to break a condition.

Maybe for 30 mana, you could call your pet immediately to your help?

>summon 630
You cast your thoughts outward in a desperate attempt to call your AC immediately to your aid, but your mind is too scrambled to project a coherent call.

>summon 630
A picture of your companion hurrying to your assistance forms in your mind, and suddenly your AC is at the throat of your enemies.

30 mana, not guaranteed, but if successful your AC immediately appears and attacks.

<<I'm not sure how busy he is, but personally I'm hoping GM-Oscuro would take on the role. He's been quick to roll out rogue developments (and several, at that!) and has been most receptive to feedback from that profession.

My guess is that Oscuro is knee-deep in monk stuff right now.


-Adam

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"You guys took all the pretty places." ~Anonymous

I agree, we don't need more CMAN's, we need guild skills that involve these key ideas:

- Companion Training
* New style attacks?
* Searching for people?(similar to wiz familiar output)
* Tracking down herbs? (for all of us who prefer not to use 3rd party help)

- Survival Skills
* Pitfalls
* Snare Traps
* Fill in the blanks
* Poison crafting (For weapons,armor spikes? :D)

- Our own version of stealth moves
* A way to kneel/stand in the shadows
* Casting spells from hiding? Would probably only be limited to defensive spells.


I'm not sure of the camp fire thing was ever implemented. I remember hearing back in ... 05? An idea about having our own version of minor sanctuary (or possibly major), that would pretty much be when we made a camp fire that would scare off monsters and give you a comfortable place to rest.

"* Tracking down herbs? (for all of us who prefer not to use 3rd party help)"

I love this idea. Tell com to find acantha leaf....companion sniffs about finds nothing and heads north. Give is a 3 second rt and let it wander till it finds it.

Just neat.

Companion runs around in circles,, flies what not pointing at the acantha leaf. Bonus to forage whatever.

GBB

How about a guild skill that allows you to assume an aspect while stunned or webbed, with the spell unprepped, for a 75 mana cost?

>webbed!

>assume spider

>You shake off the remnants of the webbing!



~ Nuadjha, the Briar Fox

You inhale deeply upon your pipe, puckering your lips as you send out three rings of smoke before you, then puff out a small vine of smoke that darts right through all three which causes them to disperse in a hazy shroud!

I like this a lot! Very cool!

-James-
player of Fremie

Mirayam says, "You are not a rogue, sir."

Mirayam exclaims, "You are noble!"

To chime into this, and please correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't think us rangers want surge for the AS, I'm sure all of us are proficient at killing our targets.

It's really the additional benefits that come with increased AS

- Quicker Firing Time
- Encumbrance Issues

Those 2 are pretty much all I'd care to see be added into phoen's strength through lores or somethin.

And if people want to complain about duration, I'd be willing to make it a non stackable spell, only refreshable. 6 Mana is no problem to me.

lol I understand, but we get just +10, whereas Surge is +16.

Jes sayin, yeah 6 may not seem like a lot, but I think that extra +6 could shorten a fire time by 1 second, or help reduce extra encumbrance.

I thought we were an afterthought addition to SMASTERY as it was? I want to see some of the other general use cmans opened up more- trip/charge, coup, etc.

Corlith

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Shop my shops:
Corlith in the landing:
http://pshops.lichproject.org/shops/4927
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>If you make me explain another of my jokes, there are snowballs in your future if I see you anywhere near a pile of snow.

Ooops , you're on to me.

>We don't really have any that are very useful offensively (compared to other options).

Shocked I am, yes shocked!

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Shop my shops:
Corlith in the landing:
http://pshops.lichproject.org/shops/4927
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Pfffttt, murp, I remember when the vreen? were around making copies of everyone. The Murp vreen was the easiest by far!!!!!!!!snicker

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Shop my shops:
Corlith in the landing:
http://pshops.lichproject.org/shops/4927
Arcania's Arms in Vaalor: http://pshops.lichproject.org/shops/4115

Vanish Alternative Idea:

While in RT, with 608 set to a special parameter.

When something attempts to swing at us, the attack is negated and we auto cast 608.

Cost to stamina would be RT * 10, and Mana being.. well 8 mana. :P

Just throwin that out there.

I am with Evarin and Djgreene on this we do not need cmans.

Assume aspect and our companions, although they need some definite improvements and some tweaking offer all the cmans offer. Perhaps more then a 90 second duration as a 50 mana base, and 25 for the second assume is very expensive to use as a defensive spell, but all the benifits being suggested are or SHOULD be there in those two spells. they just require some better development and casting ahead of time rather then as a reaction; Owl- +20 TD, Bear huge stamina, lion massive strength, theres one for dodge, block, agility, dext, stealth and almost every useful boost the cmans offer. Your companion if working correctly should help with the rest (would be nice though, to tell the companion to free the ranger from a web, or have it instictively nudge you if you are calmed or stunned as a kinda.. are you alright?.)

Rangers should have some specific abilities that are class related but really modifications of EXISTING skills or spells. I have always thought an ability to find there own temporary paths, such as going around lakes, or having waypoints on longer trails that they can move directly to should be natural to them as rangers gain skills. ( Ranger x can see the top of mountain x, and should have the skills to walk somewhat directly to it, not need a proven trail all the way around, but its somewhat like fogging, so I can live with that at least till we have a working guild) Although I like my version better, tweaking minor spirit teleporting spell to have different messaging when cast by a ranger, and adding a perception based seed chart reducing side effects/rt/accuracy (when cast by rangers) to represent the potental for accurate trailblazing and spotting revitalizing herbs or plants on the way, would offer probably 1/2 of what I suggested and would make it a much more attractive spell to me at least.

NEW skills should be more unique and specialized reflected through the guild or solely ranger based.(ranger only foragables, ranger made bows, the ability to make animal/flower scents or musks for a variety of reasons, ranger recipies and uses for mushrooms, wood carved imbedables not just sticks, reduced RT for muddy trails or bogs, the SENSE verb offering more, a power of nature rogue/warrior or warcry type offensive skill that affects certain creatures) Skills that further develop and allow better diversity within the class. This doesn't mean they can't offer things cmans or other options do, there just based on a different system and more ranger designed. Ranger scents or musks, could be of many kinds, aid stealth if poured on you (make you stink in town), cause distractioning scents to creatures if smashed on the ground. moderatly easy to make mushroom or plant recipies might create poisons, sleep drugs, be rubable on blades for short durations offering a variety of effects, have short temporary effects on your skills,(longer then cmans, shorter then potions.) a whiddling skill, carving imbedables that offer a wider usage and look cool, ( a carved imbedable combined with the right mushroom recipe, the correct scent,, then imbued, could offer those benefits of each as a magic item,) sensing for a particular plant that fits the environment. Sense Fruit, Sense Flower, Sense Herbs, you can sense signs of... based on your foraging skills and the difficulty of the plant to find controlling what you see.
I am all for anything to improve rangers, but some cmans in addition to what we already have in spells would throw them out of alignment. One of the sadest moments I had in GS, was when I saw the massive archery surge in Rangers. Maybe it was because I was using a bow long before most of those changes, but the diversity and number of different weapon choices rangers made almost vanished as a result. I also feel that sometimes you have to choose which way your going to train and some people choose not to learn assume because they want to get other skills first. Thats fine, but keep in mind asking for cmans or other adjustments to improve skills that a ranger lacks because they trained for physical skills not the full spell set isn't much different then those that put the points into learning spells and say they dont like how there physical skills suffered. As I said to start with, a properly working assume aspect spell, and animal companion SHOULD offer all we need for cmans. If tweaks need to be made it should be to those spells to make them more useful or appealing, and rather then just opening skills like the cmans to rangers, take existing systems and tweak them to make more rangerly modified versions. I would think most of those things I suggested for new skills can be created from a very simple version already existing and offer much broader class specific designs. A much smaller Alchemy type system for most of the scents or mushroom things, combined with an easily modified imbue and resist nature for the imbedables, and a modified fletching to create the carving wood skill. Probably the messaging and QC aspects are more of a bear then the creation of the systems.

Neat. I love the idea of guild skills relating to our companions.


~ Nuadjha, the Briar Fox

You inhale deeply upon your pipe, puckering your lips as you send out three rings of smoke before you, then puff out a small vine of smoke that darts right through all three which causes them to disperse in a hazy shroud!

And it hits two birds with one stone: it improves companions and it offers some trainable guild skills.


~ Nuadjha, the Briar Fox

You inhale deeply upon your pipe, puckering your lips as you send out three rings of smoke before you, then puff out a small vine of smoke that darts right through all three which causes them to disperse in a hazy shroud!