Exalted Mod
 

Greetings, fellow forumites. This is to announce the start of the Exalted mod for Dominions II. This mod is based off of White Wolf's Exalted setting, and will feature high-powered commanders. If magic items could be modded, I would have all of the artifacts from Exalted in as well, but that will have to wait.

Now, for those that know Exalted, I had a question. Should I base the 'nations' off of the type of Exalt (Terrestrial, Lunar, Solar, etc.), or should I base it off of the actual nations that exist in Exalted (Nexus, Lookshy, Haslanti League, Coral, etc.)? I lean towards the former, because the Celestial Exalted at least would have to be relegated to the status of Hero if the latter approach were taken.

Now, a separate question for everyone, as this pertains to 'balance'. How much would you charge for a FSHH?????? mage? I figure somewhere in the 450-500g range. This would be the 'big draw' of the Solar Twilights.

Some 'basics' for those who may not be familiar with the Exalted setting.

You have the Terrestrial Exalted. These are people who inherit the power of one of the five Elemental Dragons (standard 4 + Wood). The Terrestrial Exalted run the 'Realm'. I figured for the 'Realm' nation, there would be at least five types of Terrestrials, one for each element. Probably 2 in their Element (so a Fire Terrestrial would be Fire-2), one random (with maybe that random restricted to Element), and a Holy 2 priest (all of the Exalted are going to be at least Sacred... and probably at least all level-2 Priests). I would make one Commander for the 'Terrestrial Exalt', but I don't how to restrict a Random-2 to one of the four elements OR Nature. I figure these will run around 150-200g. However much they cost, the other Exalted will run about 3 times that much, because that is about the power ratio in the Exalted setting.

The other Exalted are the Solar Exalted (Chosen of the Sun, really nasty against 'creatures of darkness' and overall badasses), the Lunar Exalted (think glamoured Werewolves, but much stronger), the Sidereal Exalted (Masters of Fate and Martial Arts), and the Abyssal Exalted (deathknights).

Hrm. Well, I'll post up a preliminary mod sometime tomorrow so that you can see where I currently am at, and you can comment on any problems you foresee with it.

Comments appreciated. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

yikes... a 10 pick mage http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

Sounds cool though.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Well, 8-pick + Holy-2 Priest. But rather, yeah. All but the appropriate 'priest' Caste of each type of Exalted will probably only be Sacred, but still, they're supposed to be the most powerful Mages.

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

First off, the mod sounds damn good. Exalted has turned into my favourite WW setting, since it has nothing to do with the WoD stuff (even though they hinted at it in all the advertisements). I'm also looking forward to see the sprites you use.

Second, I definitely think you should use your first idea, one nation per rather than the different regions. You'd probably end up with several nations with repeat units (like Lookshy and the Realm). A 10-pick mage does sound a bit staggering, but it's also appropriate. I'm a bit conflicted on that part. Also: Sidereals. How are you going to mod the "masters of fate" portion? All having Luck?

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">While such a mage would be easy prey in MP due to magic deul, I would caution you against including such a powerful unit. However, there are guidelines and you can extrapolate to get a rough idea what you should charge for the unit.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I calculate your unit like this:

Base leader cost = 50 gold
First path - 6 random = 300 points
Second and third paths = 30 points
Priest level 2 = 20 points

So 400 points, 600 if it's sacred... but I'd advise against sucha unit in a mod. Up to you though.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

To get the flavour right Exhalted need to be able to deal with TONS of normal troops, without special equipment. I'd suggest lowering the power of all the infantry units, and making those multi-path spell casters powerful fighters as well.

Could easily be an unbalanced mod, but I think it would be fun.

One problem I can see is that Solar exhalts are supposed to be just reemerging, and mainly sneak around because there are just SO many Terrestrial Exalts that known Solars are hunted (just not as much as they used to be).

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Pshaw, game balance is for the weak and sickly.
Even in the age of the Ascension Wars, the Exalted weren't MEANT to be balanced, and doing this to them seriously impairs their style.
Go overboard. Then make the Exalted nation a theme which costs 800 or so points, ensuring only impossible difficulty AI, players in insanely high point value modded games, etc. actually get to play them*.
Nothing quite as fun as having 16 player-controlled nations go up against one Exalted nation(Probably also player-controlled) in a desperate bid to make the world a saner, not quite so manga-Earthdawn-mock-WoD place. Y'know, Paradigm Shift(TM) or whatever.
Besides, if you absolutely must make them a balanced nation like any other, you could always give them an "Exalted --" theme*, and come up with some cliched explanation about how nobody believes in fairies anymore, and so the Exalted aren't anywhere near the 800 point special-scenario-or-ubernation-only juggernaut they once were. Either make them weaker, or weaken an existing, mere mortal nation and compensate by giving them the mostly-endgame-related wildcard that is the Exalted, as insanely expensive capitol-only commanders, or high gem cost national summons, with upkeep.
Go on, you know you want to.


* Well, not a theme, those aren't actually moddable yet... just make each of their pretender Chasses cost base cost+800 points.

** OK, not a theme. You get the idea.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Then again, even if you make them 200 Astral Pearl national summons, the Sidereal will be seriously out of whack out-of-the-box SCs. I mean, insanely high Astral, sacred, luck, twist fate, quickness, magic resistance, attack and defense skills to put pretty much anything else to shame. At only twice the cost of a Doom Horror, that's quite a deal. At the cost of a Doom Horror plus one casting of Gift of Reason, that ain't half bad either.
Hence my original suggestion to forget game balance altogether. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
If you want them to be true, full-power exalted without restricting them to special scenarios or throwing balance out the window, I suppose you could make them special heroes, available only at ultrarare special sites(Like the Gray Knights), or only in specific rare special events, or even combinations of events and sites/units.*
Of course, finding one of these sites or getting one of these ultrarare events would still be, in plain terms, an outrageous stroke of luck which wins you the game. A few Dragonblooded, the least smackalicious of the Exalted, could make short work of, say, a fully equipped Heliophagus. Therefore, players are likely to See this sort of workaround as more of an arbitrary, aggravating, random cheat mode sorta thing than an enjoyable gameplay feature.
Erm. Suggestion retracted.

All things considered, I am being kind of pessimistic, though. I'm sure the Exalted can ultimately be balanced, as long as you don't make them a nation like any other. However, unless you drop the Sidereal altogether, I do suspect you're going to have some major headaches preventing The Ultimate SC... then again, the Sidereal aren't supposed to actually work for any nation or fight anything, are they? What if you just made them a truly horrendous special event, like Bogus on PCPs? It's pretty much common knowledge that if the Sidereal ever go to war, it'll be the end of all creation, but one or two doing unpleasant things for unfathomable reasons is definitely acceptable.
With the Sidereal out of the way, everything else CAN be balanced, albeit tricksily. I mean, Lunars would make truly spectacular fighters and stealthy units(Plus a dollop of Nature, and a dash of Astral), but have very little SC potential.

Of course, once you actually start thinking about giving the Exalted a proper niche, rather than making them just like Pangaea, Abysia, Ermor, Marignon, and possibly Caelum combined, you open up a whole new can of worms. The 17 nations in Dom 2 are truly spectacularly balanced, and each has a unique range of strengths and weaknesses. The human nations overlap a little, but are ultimately very, very different, when you get down to it.
What niche could a balanced Exalted nation possibly fill? What disadvantages and, Pretenders help us all, advantages would they have, and how would you preserve the rock-paper-scissors equilibrium?


*I know this can't presently be modded, but at least it's already been done by the devs themselves. We know for a fact that special events can be linked to specific units/sites. Now all we have to do is invest as much effort in modding Dom 2 as the devs invested in creating it in the first place. I motivate, you mod.
Of course, if this actually can be done, the Exalted might make an interesting desperate Last resort for a losing nation. You spend insane amounts of gold and resources on a "Generic Prophecy" immobile, stealthy, noncombatant unit, and every turn, you have a 2% chance of an Exalted appearing to actually fulfill the generic prophecy in your darkest hour.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Duuuude. I may be getting on a tangent here, but am I the only one who sees the awesome potential of a whole line of grotesquely unbalanced modded nations? You can either pit a dozen or so ordinary nations against one, or set two or more up against each other and indulge your overkill fetish. I mean, comparing Sidereal to Doom Horrors, I was reminded of how I find it weird that Dominions has only one type of horror, in a few sizes, when by all rights there should be hundreds of types of 'em. I then realized that one of the few things that could pose a threat to a Cosmic Smackdown nation like East Exaltedonia, other than R'lyeh as it Should Be, would be a Horror touched, Horror controlled nation. Boo-yah!
But I digress...

Re: Exalted Mod
 

I'm glad there's some enthusiasm for the project.

The Solar mod is finished. They replace Marignon, for obvious reasons (or at least, obvious to those who know Exalted). Please don't 'whine' about the graphics, as I don't have a way to modify them yet.

Regarding balance, each Solar costs 450g, and 50 Resources. They all have FS???, with two randoms in Elemental and one in Sorcery. This is to prevent big gains in Death or Blood, which are definitely not thematic for them. They all have a base 30HPs and recuperation. They are also all Sacred. Differences by caste follow:

Dawn: Fear(+15), Standard(+15), Leadership 75
Zenith: HHHH, Awe(+0), Leadership 125
Twilight: Extra pick in Elemental, and Sorcery; only 25 HPs, Regenerate 10%, Forge Bonus 25%, Research bonus: 4, Healer 10%, Leader(all) 10. (Yes, they're big. They're your best Researchers. Good luck affording them.)
Night: Stealthy (+30), Assassin, Spy, 25 Leadership. These are possibly the best Assassins in the game, but they cost 4 times the amount of an Empoisoner.
Eclipse: Awe (+6), All Survivals, Sailing, good leadership.

The Eclipse is Mounted, the rest are on foot. The Twilight is the worst combatant, then Zenith, then Eclipse, then Night, and finally Dawn (best).

The only other commanders you get are the 'basic' independent commander, and the 'basic' independent priest. Your troops are Broadsword HI, Spear/Javelin LI, Ring Mail Archers, Bow LC, and Lance/Broadsword HC (which may go away). You start with a 'basic' commander, and 20 HI. In an initial test, it doesn't seem that much different than other nations, and I'm playing on Rich.

Next in the 'pipe' is the Lunars. I _do_ wish I could restrict randoms to only specific magics. If I could, I would remove the Elemental/Sorcery distinction from the randoms on the Solars, and instead say 'anything but Death/Blood'.

My only other question is how do I get this uploaded? I don't really have anywhere to put it Online.

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Agreed on the game balance! Out of the window it goes.

I contemplated an Exalted-mod earlier, but found the present modding tools lacking for my vision. What I envisioned doing, however, was some half a dozen nations balanced against each other, if at all. Some thoughts on that, perhaps it evokes some thoughts:

-The Empire
Very strong elemental exalted, no randoms however. Like, 3 or 4 on single path. A cool Empress pretender. A modified "Wild Hunt" ritual as a national spell - the point being that only the different kinds of Exalted and Faeries would be holy; Difficult to balance, though.

-The Northern barbarians
An uber-cool Solar pretender, the bull guy of the North. Assorted barbarian chaff as armies, Solar Exalted as national heroes, Lunars as recruitable commanders.

-The city state of Nexus
All human armies with very sucky pretender options. Merchant commanders with blood, the reasoning being that blood slaves would represent those things they offer to various protective spirits. Also alchemists and sages, seeing as Nexus is the center of learning. All with blood, with blood being the school to be modded for hedge magic. You can see where it went too complicated http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

-The Deathlords
I thought about doing a map with, say thirty provinces of underworld, from where only certain places could be accessed (the Shadowlands). Very strong independent Deathlords and powerful magic sites in the Underworld to conquer. Powerful pretender options and summonable Abyssal Exalted heroes alongside autosummoned rabble.

-The Celestial city
On similar veins, with immobile gods for pretenders, and a separate map for the City. Immobile like the Sphinx that is, no teleporting. Stealthy Sidereal Exalted commanders, only able to leave the city through a national teleportation spell.

-The Yozi
Again, a dimension of their own. A national modded send horror spell, sending a succubus instead, in order to gain commanders in the real world. These would be the Infernal Exalted and others possessed by the Yozi. Also a national blood gateway spell, very high cost, so the Yozi can leave their realm. This would signal the end of the world, as the Yozi would be better than anything else.

The idea would be that the Yozi player tries to score some commanders and provinces from the real world so he can blood hunt the slaves he needs to get his gamebreakers out of their confinement. The Yoziland wouldn't, of course, have any population. You can see why it is I never even begun the project http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

-Faeries
Main catch being a national crossbreeding-like spell, only with very varying results, from bugs to behemoths.

---

Well, this actually can't be too useful for you, but here it is anyway!

Re: Exalted Mod
 

As for the Sidereals... heh. Yes, they're going to be very good Astral mages. No, they're not going to be SCs. It's hard for someone with 10HPs, no armor, and a 10 base encumbrance to be a SC, no matter what kind of buffs they have. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Actually, I'm trying to retain game balance, but on a different level. If I can find the proper balance point for the Solars, then I might go with the 'nation' approach.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What I want more than anything is magic item modding for daiklaves and whatnot. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, my plans for the Terrestrials won't have them so powerful, because they need to cost about 1/3 of the Solars (so 150g, currently). I _really_ like the idea of a Wyld Hunt Ritual, though. I'll see if I can incorporate it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This is very similar to what I plan for the Lunars. All the Barbarian troops, and Lunar Commanders. No Bull of the North, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm not sure if Nexus is the 'center of learning'. Blood would be nice to represent the Slave trade, but it's too close to what the Yozis and the Infernals are doing for my tastes.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, an excellent idea about the map. The Abyssals, as is their nature, will be dark mirrors to the Solars.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Interesting idea! I'll have to see if I can incorporate this. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That would be quite interesting. I don't think I'd let them leave, though.


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Oh, I don't see why they can't recruit demons. They'd just have to do it with gems. Interesting, really. They would be a Blood equivalent of Soul Gate Ermor.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">How neat. You could use all of the Sidhe commanders for the Fair Folk themselves, as well.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Actually, it was extremely helpful. Thanks! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Mods can be changed 'on the fly'. I am not sure but with --postexec it might be possible to change the mod file so that the recruitable commanders will be different for one turn at a time. All units/commanders would be available at every fort, though, as long as you are unable to mod sites...

I think the --postexec is only executed in the host-computer, so the game would have to change the mod file of that turn too. I'm not sure if this would work, but wanted to share the idea...

And this mod seems to very interesting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Hmm. Endoperez, could you perhaps elaborate on this? Are you saying it's possible to switch the units available to a given nation (through switching the mod) on a turn-by-turn basis?

For example, it's possible for me to have 5 mods, all the same except for what type of Exalted is recruitable, and switch between them on a turn-by-turn basis? Can you randomize this?

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

On the subject of mages, Tien Chi have a 10 pick mage in Summer & Autumn FAWWSHHH?? who is sacred, flies and costs 250 gold. He is their schtick though.
They also have a master of 5 elements who gets a ? from the 4 plus N like your proposal.
I dunno about modding but can you look to see how they did that one?

Pickles

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Yes, you could have different Versions of the same mod like that, and change them every turn.

It's a manual process though, controlled by the single player or MP host.

There's no built-in way to randomize it, but someone could script something, if it were important.

PvK

Re: Exalted Mod
 

And I thought my Eshin assassins were overpowered...
I am SO looking forwards to this.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, you'll have to make sure that you don't change the actual units that have already been recruited, but instead modify the recruitable units list. Otherwise the stats will constantly change of units in the field.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Just had an idea:

Swop blood magic for Exalted summoning.

You can recruit normal humans, and you can have people out looking for Exalted. When you've looked enough (lots of blood slaves) you can cast the spell "Summon Solar" and a random exalted type appears.

Thought I'd throw that in, as one way to limit availability.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

While an interesting idea, Tris, I need to have Blood magic for summoning Demons. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Alternatively, I can make the Demons like the Tien Chi national summons, and do what you suggest... but I don't think I like 'bloodhunting' for Solars.

BTW, is there anything to prevent you from having spells that do the exact same thing (say, summon the same unit), and simply make it different reqs? I mean, the Exalted have the means to bind demons through Sorcery, but anyone can use Blood magic to summon those same demons...

Preliminary tests with the Solar end of the mod have some interesting results. Night Castes are excellent Assassins... unless they go up against HC/Knight Commanders. Caveat Emptor. As for the rest, the Dawn has severe fatigue problems, the Zenith runs around with the troops, and the Eclipse is being overlooked. The Twilight stands out as the best, but they're your only really good researchers.

It doesn't seem nearly as 'broken' as the stats might suggest... that, or I don't know how to make SCs (or when).

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

You can't currently duplicate spells - only change the requirements of existing spells. But you can make a spell become a national spell, which sounds like it might accomplish what you want.

PvK

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Hmmm...

Ok more ideas:

The blood was supposed to represent a thorough search through the populace to root out Solars. You find lots of people, check, and find 1 is a Solar.

If every Solar is a lvl 1 priest (at least) they should all have a lvl 1 priest spell called "Spend Essence" which allows them to recover all/some fatigue. Would solve Dawn problem.

Daiklaives (sp?) :

Make a large number of named Indy commanders, to be placed randomly. Each has a single powerful item. When you conquer the province, your Exalted will have a chance of finding an ancient weapon, perhaps from a past life.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

PvK, thanks for the info. Most of these would have to be national spells, but I'll work on it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Right, but that's not exactly how it works. Besides, I don't want the Solars to have Blood magic. That's the province of the Abyssals and the Infernals.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Very similar to what my twin has come up with. It would be a FS national spell, since all Solars have at least FS. BTW, I should mention that my brother is doing quite a lot of playtesting and making balance suggestions for this mod. Don't think I'm doing all of this by myself. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Lose the second i, and you're fine. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I could do that, but I'm not sure how. You can't mod magic items at all right now. I can make daiklaves and such 'normal' equipment, and make them the base equipment of the Exalted... but that'd make them a little too powerful.

Ah well. Must work within current restraints. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I almost have the Terrestrials done.

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Another thought:

If you are limiting sacred status to Exalted only, Battle Aura could be implemented through bless. Then just mod the pretenders to acquire the correct bless effect and you are ready to go! Fear, berserk, flame weapons, etc. All appropriate.


Concerning Lunars:

It could be cool to mod, say, 4 or five shapeshifts to the Lunar Exalted. Either just different skinshifters, or even better, a cycle similar to lamias, but longer. To elaborate, when your initial Lunar commander dies, it changes to, say, a wolf. Then when this wolf dies it changes to a bear. And so on. This would give a dramatic twist to battles, as the Exalted changes form time after time.

Dunno if that's even doable, don't have the documentation at hand right now, but it would be cool if it would.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I could do that, but I'm not sure how. You can't mod magic items at all right now. I can make daiklaves and such 'normal' equipment, and make them the base equipment of the Exalted... but that'd make them a little too powerful.

Ah well. Must work within current restraints. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I almost have the Terrestrials done.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">You can't currently create new types of magic items that can be looted, but you can create weapons which can't be looted.

You can place lootable magic items on independent commanders if you are creating or modding a specific map.

PvK

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">By Battle Aura, are you referring to the different Exalted's anima banner, and their Caste effects?

Incidentally, I think the Exalted are going to be the only 'Sacred troop', but there will be priests, and of course they will be Sacred as well.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If I knew I could mod the Lunars to be able to change shape, I'd do something like that, but I'm not sure if it's possible. Lunars are fully intended to be the be-all, end-all SCs for the game, though. When you get stuck with nothing but Barbarian troops for nat'l troops, it's really going to depend on the commanders. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

Animas, exactly...

On second thought they are better implemented through various other means, as they really are quite diverse. For Dawn, awe and/or fear, for Zenith a weapon that destroys undead, for Night glamour, etc.

You could do the Lunars by doing them over Machaka, this would allow you, what, 4 shapechanging commanders. Just overwrite Sorcerer, Soreress and the spider riders with Lunars (without using the #clear command) and their other forms (riderless spiders) with the changed forms. This would, I believe, give you two classes of Lunar, those that change shape from the first scratch and revert after battle, and those that change form after the first form dies. Haven't tried though, so don't know if this works for sure.

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, currently, the Dawn gets Fear, Zenith minor awe (I can't give them Undead-only Fear), Twilight gets Regeneration (but less HP), Night gets Stealthy (+30)/Spy/Assassin, and Eclipse gets better Awe.

I might give the Dawns Awe as well, which would fit, and give them the little bit of 'oomph' they need to get over the top.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I could, but I don't think I'm going to. I'll simply have the Lunars in War form. Glamour will be reserved for the Fair Folk, and the Changing Moons. The Night definitely _won't_ get it. It's just antithematic.

I like the idea of Machaka, but it'd be hard to get them right without losing the shapechange ability. And besides, IIRC, Machaka's shapechanging is involuntary. I definitely want the Lunars to shapechange voluntarily.

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, if I recall correctly the main feature of the Night anima was that it was not visible the way the others were, allowing them oftentimes to pass for mere humans, which is what glamour does. Anyway, just a thought.

As for the Zenith, couldn't you arm them with Flambeaus or Just Man's crosses? Wouldn't this be close enough? Or give some anti-undead spell to them as a national spell, and tweak the casting levels so that only Zenith can cast it. The coolest would be to make Banishment a 4 holy spell and make only Zenith have 4 holy. As a side effect this would also make the Abyssals more fearsome. Can holy spells be modded at all?

Re: Exalted Mod
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That is one of the two features of the Night anima, but that's why they have such high Stealth. When you look at Glamour in Exalted, you see it deals with illusion and bending reality. This is the province of the Fair Folk and the Lunars. I'm also well aware of how well Glamour works in combat, and I'm leery to give it to the Nights.

As it stands, the Nights can go virtually anywhere undetected. This includes enemy capitals. I believe that the highest Stealth rating on an Assassin currently in Dominions 2 is +10. The Nights are +30. Properly outfitted, they can Assassinate non-SC Pretenders. This is good enough for me.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, right now, they're still getting access to Holy Pyre (the Marignon National spell), which isn't bad there. Most Exalted should be able to cast it, though.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I believe they can. However, that hamstrings other nations. Currently, the Zeniths are the only high-level priests the Solars get, and that represents their anti-undead properties well enough for my purposes.

Ideally, I'd like to have a mod that can be played against non-modded nations (not just among nations made to use the mod). That requires the absolute minimum tinkering with non-specific elements as possible.

From a balance standpoint, you'd have to raise Banishment's damage to near auto-kill levels to even put a dent in the Abyssals. You're talking about a 450g priest being the only priest to have Banishment... that's rather too limited.

Scott

Re: Exalted Mod
 

I just changed my display name, and added my avatar. I hope no one got confused. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif