NS4 Change Log

Official announcements about NS4 from the Developers and DMs.
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Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Druid elemental shape and dragon shape:

- Lowered earth elemental natural ac in both normal and elder version.
- Greater water elemental form lacked weapon finesse, though it may not come up.
- Replaced warhammer for elder earth elemental with light hammer.
- Bumped then better distributed discipline bonus.
- Strength bump to dragon forms, more variation by type. Discipline should be pretty much the same across the board.

Don't know if I mentioned it before, but Dragon Shape is now tiered. Call it dragon below level 35, wyrm above level 35.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Linux has been away for a few days, so that means massive, heartrending, eyewatering, etc...nerfs.

- Druid animal shapes: 30% speed boost for panther shape.

- Attempt made to make invis purge do something. Remember, it's an AoE centered on caster, not a continuing aura.

- Camouflage/Mass Camouflage: provides 30% concealment instead of skill bonus, same duration.

- Holy Sword applies to any melee weapon.

- Bless/Aid/Prayer/Battletide/Holy and Unholy Aura: should remove lower level spells of this line to apply the better one.

- Epic Mage Armor: Provides +12 shield ac, lasts until you rest, undispellable.

- Epic Warding: Provides damage soak of the same power as a similar level earth genasi and will soak 15 physical damage. Lasts until rest, not dispellable, no damage absorbtion cap.

On my agenda is digging into the shifter shapes and hating life, the world and everything in it (I think druid elementals look pretty good, dragons need more testing). Probably rethink some Paladin spells as well. I do have some arcane/divine spell adjustments in mind, need to bounce those ideas around more before working on them.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Did we beef druids too much and have to nerf them? Or nerf them too much and have to beef them?

Stonehold (you'd better sit down for this):
- Now instant, not an AoE.
- SR : Yes, Will save or held for up to 6 rounds, 10 if extended.
- Every 3 rounds, subject held gets two chances to escape: a will save against the original spell dc and a strength save against that dc (d20 + str mod).
- Something held is immune from further Stoneholds.
- Effect is dispellable, but that was always true.

Nature's Balance: I'm sure there was a hideous NB spamming build somewhere that need nerfing ;)
- SR: No, 10m radius of effect. Effects last 10 rounds and do not stack.
- If friendly to caster, you get dr +6/10 that absorbs 10 x caster level physical damage capped at 250.
- If enemy to caster, you get 5 spell resistance decrease and take caster level divine damage.

Noticed the calculation was wrong in Tensor's Transform and Divine Power: were adding one extra attack they shouldn't in epic. As that attack is at full BAB, put a stop to that.

Tweaked some spawns. You don't go there, don't worry about it.

Things to look into near future list:
- Druid/shifter dragon looking ok-ish to me. Then I don't expect to solo the Plane of Shadow...it's still open for tweaks. Ack, forgot to tweak breath (which polymorph red drag shares--get to this later).
- Haven't forgotten the shifters, we needed a break from that mess. Will post thread for suggestions and my current ideas tomorrow.
- Someone use invis purge already. I'm like 80% sure it does something now.
- Wondering about ability of wiz/sorc to do damage other than Isaac's. Chain Lightning should probably be upped, can look at other pure damage spells. I might worship FrankTrollman, but this isn't PnP. I need to pry some scrolls out of the dms for my wizard and mess around some more.

Edit: Scary dragon breath added for Dragonshape and Shapechange. DC is 16 + hitdie/2, damage scales to something like 20 dice at level 40 (d10 for fire, d8 for electric, d6 for acid). Evasion applies. 2 Bio bugs fixed. The cheesy Draconomicon feats are not fit subject for discussion, lalalala, I can't hear you!

Edit2: Dragon breath is not party friendly. Dragons fry whatever they want. Indiscriminately even.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Beginning a few days of massive unannounced Shifter specific changes. Help would be appreciated, we have a few more build types to try out for not being horrible. Current status thread is http://www.nsrealm.com/public/ns/viewto ... &t=1001036

Unintentional div power, tenser's transform change undone. Should be good for doing what we say they do ab and # attack-wise: treat your character as one with full melee progression within the engine limits.

Trying out Bio's spell state saving ini setting. If it does work (hah) it'll cut some spell scripting overhead for some engine overhead.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Not enough feedback on the shifter stuff to work on that. So let's nerf divine power and Tensor's Transform again! Verified that this math looks good for the spells' intention: consider all your levels as those in a full BAB class for melee purposes barring the extra attacks being added starting at highest BAB (among some other things they do).

Added missing item to the force dragon that lets you get into somewhere you could not.

Massive unannounced polymorph changes warning still in effect.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Tired of waiting for stores to open. 24/7 for Avendell and Frostdale, removed no rest setting from stores that had them in Avendell.

Shifter specific stuff can still undergo massive change without warning.

Edit: quick one--see if you can feed Chirrem something other than the non-existent Dwarven Slave.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Lots of shifter stuff.

For non-shifters, mucked around with Ice Storm while I was there.

Spell resist = None.
Huge area. 6d6 bludgeon, 2 + caster level/4 d6 cold. Non-party friendly.

(It had been 2d6 bludgeon, caster level/3 d6 cold, SR = yes, friendly fire = yes.)
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Tried a few different ways to un-nerf Bio's surprise creature weapon nerf, no dice. (Keen and imp crit creature stopped working. Overriding stuff in baseitems.2da doesn't work. ack.)
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Shifter stuff. Hopefully getting to the end of this ordeal.

Dire Mace changed from critical multiplier 2 to 3. Should probably be 10, what a horrid weap. Correct on character sheet, wrong in item description (that would take a hak + tlk to change).
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Rearranged some AI spell priorities, cursed at the limited usefulness of the faster hardcoded functions.

Thinned out the number of spawns in some areas.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Ok, everything polymorph, as things are looking pretty good. Thanks to everyone that rolled characters and offered suggestions and put up with my "if I can solo shadow plane with it, there's nothing wrong with it!"

In general, all bonuses on worn items will be kept on any form. You get base shield ac, you get twice the dodge ac on boots, you do not get damage/attack bonus from gauntlets. If the new form has a weapon (doesn't have **** under weapon below), the properties on the non-ranged weapon in your right hand will go to that weapon.

Dragon breath: fire is d10, cold and electric d8, acid d6. Wyrmling breath doesn't scale that well, dragons go at about 2 dice per 3 hitdice (your total level).

Shifter abilities go off shifter levels for DCs or other calculations (for spells, mostly your caster level = your shifter level for effects, but they aren't dispellable...but breach will take off the effects if they are on the list for that breach spell).

Shifter forms: general wildshape forms replace one physical stat, you use your other two. They get a scaled discipline bonus, all get cleave and weapon finesse, others also get knockdown.

Code: Select all

Polymorph Self (gets some special qualities i.e. regen on troll, undead props on zombie. Minor disc bonus):
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP 
GIANT_SPIDER          ****       19   17   14   3       20    
TROLL                 ****       23   14   23   ****    10    
UMBER_HULK            ****       26   13   19   4       40    
PIXIE                 ****       8    23   8    4       ****   
ZOMBIE                ****       18   10   16   ****    40  

Shapechange (as polymorph self, disc bonus larger)
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP 
RED_DRAGON            ****       38   10   23   8       120    FireBreath             
FIRE_GIANT            Trident    34   12   23   ****    80           
BALOR                 Sword      28   18   26   ****    60            
DEATH_SLAAD           ****       26   20   24   ****    60    
IRON_GOLEM            ****       31   10   24   6       100

Druid animal shapes (not intended to scale well. Panthers gets 50% speed increase. Minor disc boost.)
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP
BROWN_BEAR            ****       20   13   15   ****    15          
PANTHER               ****       14   23   15   ****    ****        
WOLF                  ****       16   17   17   ****    ****         
BOAR                  ****       17   10   19   ****    30           
BADGER                ****       15   15   17   ****    ****            
DIRE_BROWN_BEAR       ****       26   15   18   ****    25              
DIRE_PANTHER          ****       17   25   17   ****    ****            
DIRE_WOLF             ****       19   19   20   ****    ****           
DIRE_BOAR             ****       21   13   23   ****    35            
DIRE_BADGER           ****       17   17   19   ****    18

Druid elemental shapes (elemental immunes, some stuff based on type, good discipline boost, forms with good dex get finessable weapons. Elders have weapons and you get some elemental damage too.)
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP
HUGE_FIRE_ELEMENTAL   ****       10   28   15   ****    ****           
HUGE_WATER_ELEMENTAL  ****       24   20   20   ****    ****         
HUGE_EARTH_ELEMENTAL  ****       26   10   20   ****   ****              
HUGE_AIR_ELEMENTAL    ****       15   28   10   ****    ****            
ELDER_FIRE_ELEMENTAL  SSword     10   34   17   ****    ****           
ELDER_WATER_ELEMENTAL Mrngstr    30   23   16   ****    ****              
ELDER_EARTH_ELEMENTAL LHammer    34   10   17   ****    ****              
ELDER_AIR_ELEMENTAL   LHammer    17   34   10   ****    **** 

Wyrmlings. Not intended for use much after you get them. Elemental immunity, some of the dragon stuff.
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1 
WYRMLING_WHITE        ****       19   12   17   5       15     Breath                 
WYRMLING_BLUE         ****       21   10   18   5       15     Breath               
WYRMLING_RED          ****       22   10   18   4       15     Breath        
WYRMLING_GREEN        ****       20   10   16   5       15     Breath         
WYRMLING_BLACK        ****       19   12   16   5       15     Breath 

Wildshape 2:
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1 
HARPY                 Dagger     **** 23   **** ****    15     HarpySpecial
GARGOYLE              Sword?     **** **** 23   ****    20     Stoneskin
MINOTAUR              GreatAxe   23   **** **** ****    25     ****   

Epic versions 
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1   
HARPY_EPIC            Dagger     **** 35   **** ****    40     HarpySpecial           
GARGOYLE_EPIC         Baxe       **** **** 35   ****    60     Stoneskin              
MINOTAUR_EPIC         GreatAxe   35   **** **** 1       50     ****  

Wildshape 3:
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
BASILISK              Lsword     **** **** 26   ****    30     StoneGaze     ****       
DRIDER                Mace       **** 26   **** ****    20     Darkness      WebBolt 
MANTICORE             BattleAxe  26   **** **** ****    50     SpikeAttack   ****

Epic versions 
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
BASILISK_EPIC         Sword?     **** **** 37   1       60     StoneGaze      ****
DRIDER_EPIC           Mace       **** 37   **** ****    40     Darkness      WebBolt       ****         
MANTICORE_EPIC        DwBatAxe   37   **** **** 2       60     SpikeAttack   ****   

Humanoid Shape:
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
DROW                  Shortsword **** 29   **** ****    ****   Darkness      UltraVis
KOBOLD_ASSASSIN       Scythe     29   **** **** ****    10     BloodFrenzy   **** 
LIZARDFOLK            Whip       **** **** 29   ****    35     ****          ****    

Epic versions 
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
KOBOLD_ASSASSIN_EPIC  Scythe     39   **** **** 3       20     BloodFrenzy   **** 
LIZARDFOLK_EPIC       Whip       **** **** 39   4       60     ****          ****  
MALE_DROW_EPIC        Shortsword **** 39   **** ****    40     Darkness      UltraVis

Wildshape 4: (Epic versions at shifter level 20)
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
MEDUSA                Katana     **** **** 32   ****    35     StoneGaze     StoneToFlesh 
MINDFLAYER            Rapier     **** 32   **** ****    30     GazeDebuff    SelfBuff 
DIRETIGER             Halberd    32   **** **** 1       60     BloodFrenzy   **** 

Epic versions 
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2
MEDUSA_EPIC           Katana     **** **** 43   6       100    StoneGaze     StoneToFlesh 
MINDFLAYER_EPIC       Rapier     **** 43   **** ****    45     GazeDebuff    SelfBuff 
DIRETIGER_EPIC        Halberd    43   **** **** 6       70     BloodFrenzy   ****  


Epic feat shapes:

Undead shape (Harm self 3x per day). Undead immunities excepting mental ones. Slash and pierce immune 25%, bludgeon/fire vuln 50%. Extra turning resistance.
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2        SPELL3  
VAMPIRE_MALE          HeavyFlail 35   28   21   4       50     HarmSelf      GazeStuns     ****         
RISEN_LORD            GreatSword 35   21   28   6       75     HarmSelf      RaiseDead     ****         
SPECTRE               Kukri      21   35   28   2       20     HarmSelf      VampiricTouch Invisibility 

Outsider shape. Varies...
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1        SPELL2        SPELL3  
AZER_BOSS_MALE        Scimitar   39   32   24   3       ****   Flamebeam     FlameWeap     FireShield   
DEATHSLAAD            Spear      39   26   32   5       ****   SpitAttack    RegenSpecial  ****         
RAKSHASA              Dagger     24   39   32   ****    ****   GrSpellBreach TrueSeeing    ****

Constructs (Construct physical immunes (including damage reduction +8/15), not mental. -10 reflex save to account for dex. 50% physical damage immunity to type--iron = slash, rock = pierce, demon = bludge. Vulns: Iron Electric 50%, Stone bludgeon 25%, Demon Fire 50%).
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP SPELL1 
IRON_GOLEM            Scimitar   48   30   24   3       90     SlowBreath    
STONE_GOLEM           Spear      48   30   24   3       90     KD_bolt  
DEMONFLESH_GOLEM      Club       48   30   24   3       90     RegenSpecial

Dragons. Immune to element of type, sneak attack, paralyze. Some skill bonuses. Breath. Ancient Wyrm at character level 35.
Type                  Weapon     STR  DEX  CON  DodgeAC TempHP
ANCIENT_BLUE_DRAGON   ****       44   35   28   2       120       
ANCIENT_RED_DRAGON    ****       47   32   28   2       120    
ANCIENT_GREEN_DRAGON  ****       41   38   26   2       120          
ANCIENT_BLUE_WYRM     ****       57   30   28   5       150        
ANCIENT_RED_WYRM      ****       61   28   28   4       150     
ANCIENT_GREEN_WYRM    ****       53   32   28   6       150
Need to look up some of the weapon types and think about bribing someone to transcribe my descriptions of what abilities do. And yes, Ithillid gaze attack is my favorite (if hit with the red drain vfx, it means that creature is 50% vuln to physical damage for 5 turns). And I need a new sig now :(
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Bard song: if your only class is bard, benefits to ab, ac, and saves increase by 1 at level 22.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Check your calendars, it's spell nerfing day!

Energy Drain: caster level d8 negative damage (if living creature), fort save or level drain (2d4 + 1).

Acid Arrow: SR = no. 4 + 1/9 caster levels d6 acid damage always. Continuing damage if one isn't currently being applied is 4d6 acid per round (for caster level/3 rounds). (Wanted to do a ranged touch, but there's no miss animation on the arrow :()

Burning Hands: attempted fix, upped die to d6.

Blind/Deaf: 2 rounds on failed SR and fort. Mind spell.

Mass Blind/Deaf: 3 rounds on failed SR and fort. Mind spell.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Posts: 3094
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Dragon Form combination of AC and damage protections on watch list...most other things polymorph related looking ok. But dragonform power is a fair margin higher than what I was aiming for.

Whatever amount of time of minor bugfixes...
- Tweaked Mist Dragon this weekend, like the result (would like more if it resulted in more dead parties...but it's ok).
- Bugfix and addition in plane of earth.
- I know I did a few other minor things that passed Tep's approval. So you probably won't like those.

Planned to do like this week:
- Two systems for DMs. One's something I forgot to go back and finish up, the other will hopefully make managing events easier...or at minimum look cooler ;)
- There's a few creatures made that don't spawn...I don't know if I'll finish the Ithillid area though. Depends.

After that, I'm going to spend some time dealing with NWN2 bugs and trying to make my non-dex bard work. Most of our recruiting is for NWN2, but if there's a responsible 18+ year old out there with either general programming or nwn scripting experience that can take on a semi-involved project (couple hours working with ns4 scripting, lots of testing with help from the team), the fear and dispel systems really need to be rethought, but at minimum bandaged for some weirdness and somewhat better scaled for epics.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

Lokey
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Re: NS4 Change Log

Post by Lokey »

Happy Nerf Day, everyone!

- Bigby hands (see if that fixes repeated checks, if not the only other quick fix I can think of is for nearby rift shards to eat them).
- 2 doors in earth plane.
- Some npcs (I can probably count on one hand the number of players I've seen in these places).
- Some other things I did last week but have already forgotten about, the statute of limitations on complaints about those stealth nerfs has expired.

Edit: Negative Energy Plane nerf made the deadline.
Tep wrote:I login and there's a dwarf to kill. You can't ask for much more than that.
Alkapwn wrote:NC has the most amazing melee build there is. Its a friggin unstopable juggernaut of pain.

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