Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

This solution didn't seem to get much attention. It got me thinking: "Is it possible to cripple a mage in such a way that he/she would be useless in a battle - i.e. making him/her a forger-only mage".

My idea:
Lord of the Forge (or some other name)
(Capital only or not - dunno)
paths: 2E1F1? (elemental random)
stats as the regular Master Smith but with some/all of these changes:
Precision: say 5 or lower (zero perhaps ?!?)
MR: again low
Research "bonus": -3 (or some other fitting number)
Price: somewhat lower than his paths would suggest.

The effects and the fantasy-logic behind it could/would be:

Low precision: with these randoms the only 100 precision spells available would be frozen heart and incinerate(with phoenix power), all other spells would fly all over the place. The fantasy logic behind it could be that this smith is so focussed on forging the tiny nitty-gritty details of magical items that he is somewhat near-sighted, or have blood shot watering eyes due to the heat/flames that he's always around ?

Low MR: would make him susceptible to all sorts of spells. Perhaps his excellence at forging is caused by a natural susceptibility to magic ?

Research penalty: this could be used to justify a low gold price, and it would ensure that his role as a forger is fixed. The logic behind this could be that he's a specialized forger and not a scholar.

I'm not sure that it would make Ulm much stronger, but if he's cheap it would at least give Ulm some extra options and still be in line with the flavour of the nation - and extra options would be a strength ?

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

Given that metal also conducts heat and cold very well, I'm not sure that any elemental resistance on it would be appropriate (armies baked in their armor, and they froze in it too). On the other paw, reduced encumbrance and whatnot would be appropriate, for all Ulm's Black Plate troops.

Reducing the encumbrance on that stuff would go a long way towards making Ulm's troops more useful; given the superior metalworking Ulm is considered to have, and the extra strength of the soldiers, they perhaps shouldn't get exhausted so soon.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

On the 2nd turn, Ulm isn't going to have nearly enough research to allow that GK to cast five buffs. But slapping the black steel armor on can allow the GK, the PoD, and the VQ to start expanding on turn 2, or even one of the liches. After you have some alteration and enchantment researched, then you take the armor off, and hopefully the PoD hasn't gotten any bad afflictions before then. (Ditto the GK, but his etherealness makes it less likely.)

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

My vision of Ulm:

Apprentice Smith
2E

Only a few people of ulm are gifted with magic powers. Those few are sent on a journey to learn the ways of the smithy, traveling with the ulmish legions of steel and searching for places of arcane knowledge.
While they have a long way to go before they can forge items as skillfully as their teachers, they are already immune to drain and have mastered the basics of earth magic.

Master Smith
3E2A2F
Immobile
When the time has come for the apprentice to return to the forges of their origin, they are awarded the title of a Master Smith, those who are capable to bind the elements to their steel. This power comes to a price, however. The master smiths are not allowed to leave their forges, so that the magic will be kept away from the pure land of ulm. While some might not accept this fade, most Smiths embrace their destiny, forging the best equipment for their friends with which they once traveled together.

Hero:
the Legate
2E1F
100% Resistance against everything
no body and hand slots
Might be an assassin
Those smiths who refuse to return to the forges of Ulm are called the exiles, or the fallen. They are sworn enemies of Ulm, and must be eliminated at all cost. If one is found, the council of master smith sends one of their own to return the fallen apprentice, dead or alive. The chosen one is then transformed into a being of pure steel, a man golem who is immun to all magic. He won't rest until the enemies of Ulm are defeated.

Special:
The forges

The laboratories of Ulm are, unlike those of the other nations, no places of contemplation and studying, but rather busy places of apprentices being trained and lots of military equipment being produced.

A mage doing research in an ulmish forge will have his research skill lowered by one. In exchange, each ulmish forge produces one earth gem each turn.

new neutral placement:
Exile conclave

This is a place where those fleeing from the wrath of Ulm have gathered. The original master smith 2E1F (now called Fallen Smith) is recruitable here as well as the rogue apprentice 2E, The master smith still has his forging bonus, but both lost their drain immunity.


I know not everything here is moddable, but this is my vision of making Ulm a nation to be reckoned with, but without loosing it's distinct feeling.
What do you think?

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

With a complete set of earth based trinkets, a ghost king does not need to cast any buffs, as he will have a protection of 30. Of course, you should probably add quickness and mistform, but anything else is not needed for bashing independents. One could also stick to the lighter blacksteel if you wanted, or use a PoD and put trampling boots on him.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

Oh weird, I thought Blade Wind was a national spell of Ulm, but it's not. Just Legions of Steel...

PvK

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

After some consideration, here's my Ulm. It doesn't change things that drastically, it just gives them some more magical breathing room, with more efficient research and higher MR elite units.

New unit:Apprentice Smith

A one-earth, drain-immune forger. Costs 65 gold. His intended role is primarily off the battlefield; researching and forging low-level earth items. On the battlefield, he's limited to casting light buffs and flying shards.

New starting spell:Iron Will

This is a nice spell for Ulm; accurate, useful and thematic. And of course, the apprentice smith is tailor-made for casting it.

Plus, it's from a magic school (Thaumaturgy) which isn't really high on Ulm's agenda, so giving them this will spare them some research.

New Item: Drain Stone

This low-level Earth item grants its wielder immunity to drain, like an Smith. The intended use for this item is to allow indy mages used by Ulm to research to the best of their abilities. It's essentially the same as an owl quill.

Unit Change: Better Guardians

Reduce the Guardian's cost to 18 gold, and give him a better halberd (at an increased resource cost). And MR 12. I don't see a problem thematically with giving Ulm's ultra-elite units a bit of a magical protection - they're from the heart of a land of drain, men of iron will, after all.

The regular Ulmish troops can keep their weakish MR; it creates a clearer distinction between the regular grunts and the special troops.

I'm toying with the idea of making the Guardian's weapon able to hit ethereal and/or triple damage versus magical creatures. Now that would be cool. But possibly a bit much, as well?

Unit Change: Better Black Knights

Same as the Guardians: boost their MR to 12. A society which fears magic is going to surely going to want to protect their ultra-elite units against it.

Unit Change: Better Arbalests

Just an HP increase of one, to bring them into line with other Ulmish regulars.

Site Change: Fire Gem Income

Make the Forges of Ulm give one or two fire gems as well as the earth gem income. Sure, it breaks the 'only 5 gems' rule, but so do Pythium and Mictlan.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

To Cainehill and Graeme Dice:

I can see your point, and I guess your way works just as well. But I do research
Alteration 2 before I sent my GK out by himself. With every other nation, I have
Alteration 2 researched at the end of turn 2, with Ulm, it happens at the end of
turn 3. I consider a GK with Air shield, Quickness, Mirror image, Luck and Twist
far safer to use than one in full armour. I also like to let him research a
bit longer, as Ulm can certainly use it.

Sending the GK with escort is not something I like doing. The chance the escort
routes is there, mostly because the GK kills slowly, and I would much rather
gather a stronger army, and have it take provinces by itself.

... Hmm... I think I will take the ten turn challenge with Ulm.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

Perhaps it's just me, but why does everyone seem to think that Iron Faith's only advantage over base Ulm is the random pick on the Priest.

Did base Ulm get a Holy-3 Inquisitor in 2.15 and I just didn't notice?

As far as the various magic ideas are concerned, they seem a little, well, overdone. If you're going to go the 'apprentice' route, you might as well do all of it.

Apprentice Smith -- 1E
Journeyman Smith -- 2E1F
Master Smith -- 3E1F1R Capital Only

Sounds like a good place to start a 'Guild' theme for Ulm.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I am not sure of all your chances, see comments below.

Why would one ever buy this? It is a bad researcher (3 points), cannot cast any useful battle spells (65 gp for 4-5 Iron Wills/battle is not useful IMO), cannot forge any useful items... Master Smiths are what Ulm has. They are cheap, and moderate researchers when one remembers that you get 120 free points from their drain immunity.

Maybe. I haven't used it much, though. Maybe both Legions of Steel and Iron Will?

No! With "low Earth" this would take away Ulm's specialty, drain-immune mages - and Ulm would get nothing out of it! Ulm's Master Smiths already are immune, and Ulm would have to find independents to make this useful. Other nations, OTOH, would be able to make Drain-protected Vanir, Mystics, Sea Kings...

I agree that some kind of a bonus would be appopriate. Just making it magic weapon able to harm ethereal opponents could do, I think, but extra damage against magical creatures would be very powerfull. I don't know if it would be too much. Is it possible to mod Moon Blade-like extra damage for magical units?

They already are quite good. Magic resistance increase would do, also, but much beyond that would be bad IMO.

This is good also. It's not much, but atleast thematic.


But then, both are known for their high power in ways of magic. Ulm, the nation with as little magic as possible, with higher-than-normal magical resources? Thanks, but no thanks.



You can mod most of these things into Ulm. Apprentice Smiths just needs graphics unless you replace one of Ulm's existing units (maybe one of the Commanders) and drain-immunity is not moddable, but you can give him small research bonus. Magic resistance (or other stats) of existing units are easy to change, and while you might not be able to mod extra damage you can create a new Halberd that will hit magical units. Or use the existing Enchanted Pike, although that wouldn't fit Ulm's magic.