Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I believe RoR kicks in as soon as you take 1 point of damage, unless that very attack kills you, so in your case the Starspawn should have survived. With the spell Returning, you'd be totally safe - unless you got insanity while attracting that Horror.

Quote:

the ritual would have to take effect somewhere. Body guards would probably have helped, and maybe a lucky amulet.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If, like I suggest, your Starspawn's first move is to cast Resist Magic, then yes, in that case bodyguards and a Luck pendant would have definitely helped him to survive for a couple more rounds. But I doubt the final outcome would be any different.

BTW, do you guys often see Horrors? I'd say they're even rarer than Vastnesses in my own tests: got 5 Vastnesses (1 hostile), and only 2 Horrors so far.

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">So if you capture and conquer Ryleh... don't be using the gate??
That's too bad... if that's the case.

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

I set an Illithid Soldier and 4 assorted summons to guard my Starspawn (often a Greater Otherness and a few immobile or aquatic things), and scripted him to cast "Control", and the only horror that attacked got controlled. Unfortunately, I didn't get to keep him=(

I suggest giving them a Rune Smasher or other penetration aid, a luck item, and an antimagic amulet.

As for the cost: It is only 5 gold per turn... minimal. 150/15/2 (/2 for as priestly starspawns are sacred) = 5. And all the summons are upkeep-free.

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Heh, that was a brilliant idea! I'm ashamed I didn't think about it myself! Too bad it doesn't work.

[Edit: didn't notice: "Horror". Hmmm, maybe it works with the regular summon? Question: what happens when you try to Control or Charm a Vastness if the Blood Vengeance kicks in - do you get charmed yourself? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ]

I'd stick to Ritual of Returning + Returning anyway. It's the safer way to keep your summoner alive, and there's no reason to fight without purpose.

Quote:

As for the cost: It is only 5 gold per turn... minimal. 150/15/2 (/2 for as priestly starspawns are sacred) = 5. And all the summons are upkeep-free.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">You forget the initial investment. If, as I suspect, each attempt to summon incur a 5% chance to become insame, then you can expect a Starspawn priest to Last for ~14 turns, and therefore a turn spent at the Gate (note: not a summon) "costs" you 150/14 + 5 ~ 15.7 gold.

[ January 13, 2004, 17:56: Message edited by: Nagot Gick Fel ]

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

A Horror with four attacks? Hm. A Doom Horror gets four attacks, mostly if not entirely armor-negating, including an instant-death attack ("Consume Soul"). Ritual of Returning might help if you survive the Astral Claw, Soul Leech or Life Drain attacks, 'tho.
(Divine Glyph = ?)

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Use both if you can. Ritual of Returning (ritual) and Returning (battle spell).

If you are attacked by a summon or an Horror, you get to move first, and casting Returning as your first spell is 100% safe. And the ritual will remain active. Cost: 2 pearls.

If you're attacked and get insane, you won't get a chance to cast Returning, but the ritual may save you. An insane priest is still useful for his Mind BLast, and if he had a high summoning skill you can always cure him and reuse him later. Cost: 3 pearls.

There's still a chance you get insane and insta-killed by a Vastness casting Soul Slay, but nothing is absolutely safe in Dominions - and that's a good thing IMO. Cost: 5 pearls and a Starspawn.

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

Ritual of Returning. Cost: 3 pearls.

Not getting your priest with high summoning skill killed. Priceless ...


(Sorry, couldn't resist.) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Heh, if you priest lost his mind with 20+ in summoning, maybe you've got a good reason to start a war with your Arco neighbor. Such a good summoner might well be worth 40 nature gems. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

(Well, I don't really know, my best score was certainly less than 15).

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

So if you capture and conquer Ryleh... don't be using the gate??

hopefully not.

Re: Stop the Insanity!
 

Well, somebody should try it at some point. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
There is at least one non-Void Gate site which also allows Void Summons. I've no idea whether or not Starspawn priests get an advantage when using that. R'lyeh with *two* Void Summoning attempts per turn might be pretty nasty.