Posted August 16, 2020
You are welcome to disagree with what follows; or re-examine what you thought you knew...
About: The Stoning Spell Effect in an Enchanted Item or Artifact
*Note: This commentary is based upon a Ranged Hero armed with an Item/Artifact Bow, but can be adapted for melee combat as well. I only use one Melee Hero against weak monsters, unless my Ranged Hero’s haven’t killed everything else.
If you look through the Manual for all the Spell Effects which can be put into an Item/Artifact, you will discover Stoning isn't among them. Likewise, in Artifacts, the Petrify Spell Effect requires more than two (2) Nature Spell Books. Since the Manual doesn’t have Stoning as an Effect, you may be surprised to learn the game does! (Aren’t I a sarcastic B?)
If you look at the Basilisk, you will discover it has Stoning Gaze. So the Stoning Spell Effect you can put into Items/Artifacts is actually a Gaze Attack which can kill all creatures by turning them into stone. This includes Undead, Flying Creatures, Creatures which are Immune to Magic, and Creatures which are Immune to Missiles.
Likewise, your Hero's level compared to what is being attacked is important (see the combat against a Basilisk example in the Manual). If your Hero is the same level as the unit/monster being attacked, the enemy Saves at -1. But if your Hero is two (2) levels below the enemy, the enemy actually Saves at +1. Equally, if the enemy is four (4) levels below your Hero, the enemy Saves at -5 (-4+-1). So even if a very tough unit/monster is the equivalent of Champion or Lord in levels, the unit/monster will eventually be at a disadvantage when your Hero matches or exceeds the units/monsters level.
Even if your Hero is at first level and only has a 10% chance of instantly killing a monster, since a Ranged Hero has eight (8) shots, the likelihood of instantly killing a tough monster without your Hero suffering a scratch are fairly good (80%).
Likewise, while Stoning does attack a unit on a figure by figure basis, if a Hero has an Attack of 12, in theory that Hero could kill 12 figures if they all failed their Save. Equally, Demon Lords and other tough monsters are only a single figure and would have to resist all 12 of the Hero's attacks (12 attacks X 10% chance of instant kill =?!!). Of course, what happens in real combat is not what is theoretically possible.
About: Random Dynamics and Combat
Combat, as described in the Manual, is only the base upon which combat takes place. A long time ago, one of the contributors to the programming of this game posted an explanation of the Game’s Dynamics, including how those Dynamics effected the Combat System this game uses. The mathematics were beyond me, but I did absorb a few pertinent concepts which have served me well.
1. Every combat, and the results of that combat (like the spells or treasure you might get), falls into one of four random categories:
A. Zero to Minimal/Weak/poor
B. Fair/Low Level/below average to slightly below average
C. Good/Strong/average to better than average
D. Excellent/Powerful/really good to awesome
Think Spell Books... really bad to really good. Enter a Dungeon - really bad treasure, really weak monsters (IE: ghouls); re-load and try again - mediocre treasure but the monsters/ghouls inside are really tough this time.
Depending upon the circumstances, the random chance which determines a ‘zero-to-minimal result might be 2%; but in a different dungeon with (or without) exactly the same monsters, the zero-to-minimal chance might be 30% or even 100%. So not only is combat random, it is specifically random for each location combat might take place.
[An unfortunate side effect of this is several times my Capitol City has been one of those locations where there is a 40% chance the defenders are wimps. Equally, there have been times my troops have been almost unbeatable.]
What this means to the player is that although the Manual tells us how damage and Resistance is calculated, what can happen in actual combat is not what the Manual tells us should happen! You can enter the same Dungeon and discover it has wimpy Sky Drakes one time and almost-impossible-to-kill Sky Drakes the next time! Or, get an awesome Artifact out of a Dungeon which has only given mediocre +1 Items up until then.
(Note: A, B, C, D... Dungeons can fall within any or all of the possible random ranges provided that if more than one range is the case, it must be sequential. In other words, some Dungeons can offer crap through awesome, while others can only offer Fair, or Fair through Good. It might be 99% Fair and 1% Good, but it is still sequential.)
2. The programmers came from an on-paper DND background where even a God could fail its Saving Throw. Because of this, there is no such thing as 'Immunity'. Instead, the programmers gave 'Immune' units/creatures 25-35 extra Shields and/or Resistance.
So if an attacker is high enough in level, and if the defender gets a bad-to-really-bad Save, it's 'Immunity' won't always prevent it from taking serious damage.
[A really tough spell caster with two or three (2-3) items that cause an opponent to Save at -4 can often kill a Sky Drake with two (2) Ranged Shots even though a Sky Drake is supposed to be 'Immune'.]
3. The Spell Books Under your Wizard’s Portrait… is an indication of what the random nature of the game will be like for that particular game. Although I’ve never tried it, the programmer suggested that the Books were actually a list of what you could sequentially expect, in general, from each combat (with randomness still a part of that consequence). The math was beyond me, and I was never able to figure out what the programmer was saying. So I don’t know if he meant every combat, overland combat, Dungeon combat, etc.
About: ??? Immunity
If you've ever been attacked by flying Paladins, or seen Paladins get healed by a spell, you know that even though Paladins have Magic Immunity, they are not Immune to Magic!
I could cast a 'Dispelling' Spell directly on the Paladins and remove the enchantments that have been cast upon them. I can even cast an Area Effect Dispelling Spell and remove the enchantments that way.
So if a Paladin {This isn't possible if the Dynamic System has favored the Paladin instead of the attacking Wizard.} is Immune to the Spell Lightning Bolt, it may surprise you to discover that a Paladin is only partially immune to the Area Effect Spell Call Lightning. A Paladin has great Resistance, but Call Lightning can eventually kill it (so can Cracks Call which effects the ground and only incidentally the unit/creature standing in that space.).
1. Great Unsummoning and Meteor Storm are spells with a Global (Area) Effect. As such, Magic Immunity does not apply; Resistance and Shields do, but not 'Immunity.
2. As noted in the Combat Section above, 'Immunity' only adds extra Shields or Resistance. Since the level of the attacker in relation to the level of the defender is the most important aspect of combat, Immunity can eventually be overcome and sometimes even a terrible Save can be enough.
About: An Almost Guaranteed Hero for Hire!
If you are Charismatic, the cheapest Hero you can hire costs 50GP. If you aren't, the cheapest Hero costs 100GP. If you don't have the cash, no Hero is going to offer their services.
At the beginning of the game, you won't have 50GP/100GP! But if you save your game one or two turns before you do, you will discover that almost always, on the turn you get the money, or just a few turns after, a Hero will offer to join you. If you don't like that Hero, or if one doesn’t offer to join you, just re-load and try again.
About: Fantastic Creatures and fantastic units
Fantastic Creatures can only be made by certain races if they have built a Fantastic Stable. Fantastic Creatures cannot be Unsummoned or Banished.
But fantastic units are Summoned Creatures! Heroes’ and Champions which have been summoned are fantastic units; but Hero’s and Champions which are released Prisoners or have been Hired are not. Anything which has been Summoned can be Unsummoned or Banished if it fails its Save!
In Closing:
I've got too much to say (interpret that how you want) and I'm not interested in playing the forum game any more. I've enabled 'visibility' in my profile so anyone who wants to ask a question can contact me.
Bon Chance.
About: The Stoning Spell Effect in an Enchanted Item or Artifact
*Note: This commentary is based upon a Ranged Hero armed with an Item/Artifact Bow, but can be adapted for melee combat as well. I only use one Melee Hero against weak monsters, unless my Ranged Hero’s haven’t killed everything else.
If you look through the Manual for all the Spell Effects which can be put into an Item/Artifact, you will discover Stoning isn't among them. Likewise, in Artifacts, the Petrify Spell Effect requires more than two (2) Nature Spell Books. Since the Manual doesn’t have Stoning as an Effect, you may be surprised to learn the game does! (Aren’t I a sarcastic B?)
If you look at the Basilisk, you will discover it has Stoning Gaze. So the Stoning Spell Effect you can put into Items/Artifacts is actually a Gaze Attack which can kill all creatures by turning them into stone. This includes Undead, Flying Creatures, Creatures which are Immune to Magic, and Creatures which are Immune to Missiles.
Likewise, your Hero's level compared to what is being attacked is important (see the combat against a Basilisk example in the Manual). If your Hero is the same level as the unit/monster being attacked, the enemy Saves at -1. But if your Hero is two (2) levels below the enemy, the enemy actually Saves at +1. Equally, if the enemy is four (4) levels below your Hero, the enemy Saves at -5 (-4+-1). So even if a very tough unit/monster is the equivalent of Champion or Lord in levels, the unit/monster will eventually be at a disadvantage when your Hero matches or exceeds the units/monsters level.
Even if your Hero is at first level and only has a 10% chance of instantly killing a monster, since a Ranged Hero has eight (8) shots, the likelihood of instantly killing a tough monster without your Hero suffering a scratch are fairly good (80%).
Likewise, while Stoning does attack a unit on a figure by figure basis, if a Hero has an Attack of 12, in theory that Hero could kill 12 figures if they all failed their Save. Equally, Demon Lords and other tough monsters are only a single figure and would have to resist all 12 of the Hero's attacks (12 attacks X 10% chance of instant kill =?!!). Of course, what happens in real combat is not what is theoretically possible.
About: Random Dynamics and Combat
Combat, as described in the Manual, is only the base upon which combat takes place. A long time ago, one of the contributors to the programming of this game posted an explanation of the Game’s Dynamics, including how those Dynamics effected the Combat System this game uses. The mathematics were beyond me, but I did absorb a few pertinent concepts which have served me well.
1. Every combat, and the results of that combat (like the spells or treasure you might get), falls into one of four random categories:
A. Zero to Minimal/Weak/poor
B. Fair/Low Level/below average to slightly below average
C. Good/Strong/average to better than average
D. Excellent/Powerful/really good to awesome
Think Spell Books... really bad to really good. Enter a Dungeon - really bad treasure, really weak monsters (IE: ghouls); re-load and try again - mediocre treasure but the monsters/ghouls inside are really tough this time.
Depending upon the circumstances, the random chance which determines a ‘zero-to-minimal result might be 2%; but in a different dungeon with (or without) exactly the same monsters, the zero-to-minimal chance might be 30% or even 100%. So not only is combat random, it is specifically random for each location combat might take place.
[An unfortunate side effect of this is several times my Capitol City has been one of those locations where there is a 40% chance the defenders are wimps. Equally, there have been times my troops have been almost unbeatable.]
What this means to the player is that although the Manual tells us how damage and Resistance is calculated, what can happen in actual combat is not what the Manual tells us should happen! You can enter the same Dungeon and discover it has wimpy Sky Drakes one time and almost-impossible-to-kill Sky Drakes the next time! Or, get an awesome Artifact out of a Dungeon which has only given mediocre +1 Items up until then.
(Note: A, B, C, D... Dungeons can fall within any or all of the possible random ranges provided that if more than one range is the case, it must be sequential. In other words, some Dungeons can offer crap through awesome, while others can only offer Fair, or Fair through Good. It might be 99% Fair and 1% Good, but it is still sequential.)
2. The programmers came from an on-paper DND background where even a God could fail its Saving Throw. Because of this, there is no such thing as 'Immunity'. Instead, the programmers gave 'Immune' units/creatures 25-35 extra Shields and/or Resistance.
So if an attacker is high enough in level, and if the defender gets a bad-to-really-bad Save, it's 'Immunity' won't always prevent it from taking serious damage.
[A really tough spell caster with two or three (2-3) items that cause an opponent to Save at -4 can often kill a Sky Drake with two (2) Ranged Shots even though a Sky Drake is supposed to be 'Immune'.]
3. The Spell Books Under your Wizard’s Portrait… is an indication of what the random nature of the game will be like for that particular game. Although I’ve never tried it, the programmer suggested that the Books were actually a list of what you could sequentially expect, in general, from each combat (with randomness still a part of that consequence). The math was beyond me, and I was never able to figure out what the programmer was saying. So I don’t know if he meant every combat, overland combat, Dungeon combat, etc.
About: ??? Immunity
If you've ever been attacked by flying Paladins, or seen Paladins get healed by a spell, you know that even though Paladins have Magic Immunity, they are not Immune to Magic!
I could cast a 'Dispelling' Spell directly on the Paladins and remove the enchantments that have been cast upon them. I can even cast an Area Effect Dispelling Spell and remove the enchantments that way.
So if a Paladin {This isn't possible if the Dynamic System has favored the Paladin instead of the attacking Wizard.} is Immune to the Spell Lightning Bolt, it may surprise you to discover that a Paladin is only partially immune to the Area Effect Spell Call Lightning. A Paladin has great Resistance, but Call Lightning can eventually kill it (so can Cracks Call which effects the ground and only incidentally the unit/creature standing in that space.).
1. Great Unsummoning and Meteor Storm are spells with a Global (Area) Effect. As such, Magic Immunity does not apply; Resistance and Shields do, but not 'Immunity.
2. As noted in the Combat Section above, 'Immunity' only adds extra Shields or Resistance. Since the level of the attacker in relation to the level of the defender is the most important aspect of combat, Immunity can eventually be overcome and sometimes even a terrible Save can be enough.
About: An Almost Guaranteed Hero for Hire!
If you are Charismatic, the cheapest Hero you can hire costs 50GP. If you aren't, the cheapest Hero costs 100GP. If you don't have the cash, no Hero is going to offer their services.
At the beginning of the game, you won't have 50GP/100GP! But if you save your game one or two turns before you do, you will discover that almost always, on the turn you get the money, or just a few turns after, a Hero will offer to join you. If you don't like that Hero, or if one doesn’t offer to join you, just re-load and try again.
About: Fantastic Creatures and fantastic units
Fantastic Creatures can only be made by certain races if they have built a Fantastic Stable. Fantastic Creatures cannot be Unsummoned or Banished.
But fantastic units are Summoned Creatures! Heroes’ and Champions which have been summoned are fantastic units; but Hero’s and Champions which are released Prisoners or have been Hired are not. Anything which has been Summoned can be Unsummoned or Banished if it fails its Save!
In Closing:
I've got too much to say (interpret that how you want) and I'm not interested in playing the forum game any more. I've enabled 'visibility' in my profile so anyone who wants to ask a question can contact me.
Bon Chance.
Post edited August 16, 2020 by TrainedMedium
