Magic Items Suggestions
 

Oilskin Boots
Cons-2
Water-1, Nature 1
Enchanted to exude a highly water-repellant oil, these boots are virtually impossible to immerse. The wearer may walk on water, and cross oceans, though he may not bring his troops.


Ring of Dragonkin
Cons-2
Fire-1, Water-1
This ring contains the soul of a Dragon, which binds to that of the wearer. After being placed on a finger, the ring may never be removed, as such an action would tear the soul of the owner and cause instant death. The affinty to dragons granted by the ring allows increased effectiveness (+1) of summoning spells for Dragons and similar creatures. Lesser animals, sensitive to the aura of a Dragon, will also have a tendancy to avoid the owner (+1 Animal Awe).


Ranger's Boots
Cons-2
Nature-1, Earth-1
Grant the wearer survival skills for all terrains, and increased strategic movement (+1).


Frozen Crown
Cons-6
Water-2
The Crown's bearer becomes immune to all forms of cold, and is surrounded by an unnatural chill, like a Bane. His skin becomes as hard as ice (base protection 10), though the hardness varies with the local temperature. Cold-blooded creatures may die within minutes of wearing this Crown.


Thief Shoes
Cons-2
Air-1
Riding on a cushion of air, these shoes allow the utmost silence for delicate operations, and are sought by master thieves the world over. (+10 stealth, only to stealthy units)


Chameleon Cloak
Cons-4
Nature-5, Blood-5
The flayed skins of hundreds of chamelons are sewn together and kept in an eerie semi-living state with the sacrificial blood of humans. The resulting cloak is not a pretty sight, nor a sight at all - for it blends with the surrounds and grants almost perfect invisibility. The only telltale of a spy thus concealed is the slight smell of blood that never seems to fade. (+15 stealth, only to stealthy units)

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Personnally I suggest to make a special slot for human sized non magical commanders to allow some items considered too powerfull if allowed to all commanders (such as items giving stealth or even stealth to commanded regular troops, recuperation, healing power, illusion power -your army looks twice bigger in other players report-, giving bonus to hp, and other powers discarded because of their possible use on a SC or other hard to kill being). If I understand why it's a bad idea to make for example a ring of invisibility usable by elemental kings or other arch devils, I find sad that such a classical item doesn't exist for classical heroes (as well as other items giving some chances to an human sized warrior type heroe to be usefull in the end game). This special slot may also give more interest to human pretenders compared to other chassis if allowed to them.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

I like those, especially the Thief shoes. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

I like the thief shoes as well. The chameleon cloak isn't worth it, though.

Drain stone: Low-level earth item. Grants drain immunity to the holder. Intended to help Ulm use indy mages more effectively.

Great oak bow: Low-level nature item. A good all-round bow with hefty damage. An alternative to the bow of precision.

Bracelet of binding: Mid/high level nature item. The transformation spell works much better with this item equipped.

Tornado ring: Low/mid level air item. Arrows fired by this character ignore enemy air shields.

Endless sack of ore: Mid level earth item. Equipping it will increase the resources available in the province by 40.

Trinket hammer: Mid/high level earth item. Allows the user to forge two trinkets for the price of one, improving the utility of these items in the late game.

Book of Life: Unique nature/astral artefact. Boosts the nature and astral skills of the holder by one. Mages recruited/summoned in the province where this book rests will never have blood or death in their randoms. Also boosts the growth rate.

Trickster's hat: Low/mid level fire/astral item. Reduces the cost of all level 0 and 1 spells by half.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Not bad stuff. Some thoughts....

I already abuse that black-heart thing making assassins. The most controlling limit that exists on it now is that the units that do/dont have stealth are fairly well thought out. If a stealth item is created, I would massively abuse that combination. SC are bad enough without SC assassins. OTOH I do agree that things like cloaks of invisibility and rings of invisibility are SOoooo standard in games like this that it seems strange they arent in the game. I could see it if they were put in and the assassin heart thing was taken out.

WHen I saw Drain Stone I had another thought. I was expecting it to be another one of those items that you sneak into an enemys territory in order to affect him. Like that bane stone. Something that would put a drain on the magic to poison someones secret lab that you found

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Love these items, SC - great ideas! For my two cents: the Frozen Crown and the Thief Shoes are underpriced. The Crown makes a good SC even better and the Thief Shoes make a good spy practically uncatchable.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Don't like this one. Combined with Ulm's forge bonus it basically just gives a loophole to the Drain penalty.
Really like this one tho! Trinkets are so much fun and so rarely see any use. My thought here tho is that these would be used almost exclusively to make the small set of trinkets that we all already know and love: Wineskins, AML, AMA, Skull Charms, etc. But perhaps this isnt such a bad thing? And you are right it might bump up interest in other items too, like bows maybe?

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Ideally I would like to see forged items to have some random flexibility in their total value.

For example= Your thief shoes which give +10 stealth for stealthy units. The game would be more interesting if this item provided randomness ranging from +8 stealth to +12 stealth.
This allows for more unique creations... especially for items which give multiple features.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Nice idea but it would just result in more MM in the long run. Needing to know which pair of shoes was the +12 and which was the +8 means you are clicking through all of them to find out, you know?

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

besides, as much as I LOVE randoms, that would change the game abit too far from multiplayer strategy-vs-strategy toward the soloplayer strategy-vs-luck. I try to recognize the devs priority there by trying to curb my own love of chaos to keep from asking for too many randoms.
Love the thought though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Randoms on magic items seems a little odd, though I'd love for stats on units to be slightly randomized. On the other hand, a "Magic Wand" that comes enchanted with a fixed random spell (random within certain constraints; allowing the user to cast it for free) would be interesting.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Well if 100 enchanted spears are forged in a magical realm... it seems very odd for them all to do the exact same amount of damage. Seems more reasonable for a slight variation where some are sharper and/or more unique.
I love the idea for slight randomness on stats of units as well... seems only logical all units are not perfectly equal.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

There might also be an overhead problem. If Dom3 has vastly increased the max numbers on things like provinces, commanders, units in the game, etc then having all spears the same might involve some saving of array space and processing time.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Think your getting it mixed up. The odd part is they were created in a magical realm. If you buy that then everything else makes sense.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

some ideas :

gem purses...

Gem Purse (greater misc item, around astral 3-4) : this magical bottomless purse stores gem in an astral space connected to all other gem purses of the same nation in the vicinity. A mage using one of these bags may take gems during combat in the inventory of any other character carrying a gem purse in the same province (the gem inventories of all characters carrying gem purses in a battle are merged for the battle engine).

Gem Summoning Purse (astral 3-4 very powerful misc) : this magical purse is connected via the astral plane to your laboratory. A mage carrying this purse may exchange gems with your lab, even if he's not in a province with one. Summoning gems with this kind of purses needs concentration and is not possible during combat.

The Purse of the Infatiguable (astral 5-6 misc artefact) : The Shadow Seer Terzahn of the Nexus, creator of this purse, is supposed to have won a 13 days long fight against the endless hordes of Hades, and was then called Terzahn the Infatiguable. Anyway, this battle was the last the forces of the Grey Tower of Nexus have won. The war was lost, probably a result of the gem bankrupt following this victory. The character carrying this purse, if he needs gems during combat, will summon and instantaneously use gems taken in your laboratory to stay conscious as long as you have gems in your stock.

Some powerful hand items for mages...

(school x) Specialization Staff (two handed magical staff, very powerful items or artefacts, level 7-8 in a school, 1 version for each school) : the specialization staves are only usefull to a mage proficient in several schools of magic. When wielding a Specialization Staff he looses his powers in all schools but the one of the staff, but his proficiency in this one is greatly increased. (magic bonus : 1 point for the first point he had in other schools, + 1 for two more total levels in other schools, +1 for 4 more levels, +1 for 8 more, etc... - ie : a fire 3 water 3 astral 2 earth 2 mage carrying a fire specialization staff will become a fire 6 mage ; a fire 3 astral 10 earth 5 with the same staff will become a fire 7 mage)

Wand of Chaotic Evocation (one handed, very powerful item, 6 blood) : this wand infused with blood and chaotic essence will reveal its powers only in battle, making its wielder able to cast random evocation level 4-5 spells when the order ‘cast item spell’ is used. The effects of these random spells will be proportionnal to the skill of the wielder in blood magic (for dammage, etc... each spell will be considered casted by a mage having a level in each school needed equal to the level in blood of the caster) but the activation of these chaotic powers is very tiring : the user will get 100% of the fatigue cost of each spell casted with this item (the fatigue a mage having just the minimum skill would get if his skill in the spell school is 0).

Staves giving a school bonus –Staff of Conjuration, of Evocation, etc....- (two handed, very powerful, level 4-5 in one path, for example nature for conjuration, fire for evocation, astral for enchantment, death for thaumaturgy, air for alteration) +10 bonus for rituals and 20% fatigue reduction when casting spells of this school in battle.

Wand of Magic Detection (minor item or trinket astral 2-3 or astral 1 nature 1 one handed) : this wand adds one to the level of its wielder in each practiced schools, only when searching magic sites.

Greater Wand of Magic Detection (greater astral 3-4 or astral 2/nature 2 one handed) : this wands adds one to the level of its wielder in all schools only when searching magical sites (even schools the wielder doesn’t practice).

Ultimate Wand of Magic Detection (very powerful or artefact astral 5 or astral 4/nature 3 one handed) : allow its wielder to find all the magic sites in his province when searching.

More items for smiths :

Intelligent Hammer (two handed hammer, greater or very powerfull item, earth 2 astral 2) : this intelligent forge hammer gives to its wielder a minimum knowledge of one in all schools of magic, only usable to forge items (all items needing a level one in any school become craftable, but his level in schools already practiced is not improved, also, as the intelligent hammer is two handed and has no forge bonus, the items created with its help will be quite expensive).

Dwarven anvil (misc, earth 3 fire 3 greater item) : this anvil, creation of the dwarven smiths, increase the efficiency of a good hammer (forge bonus x 1,20).

Trinket factory anvil (misc, greater earth 4 item) : this anvil, another creation of the dwarven smiths, allow its wielder to forge two trinkets quality items of the same kind in a month, and for the price of one.

The Intelligent Anvil (misc, very powerful earth 3 astral 3) : this anvil, like the intelligent hammer gives its wielder a minimum knowledge of one in all schools, only usable to forge items, the only difference is the slot, allowing this item to be used with hammers giving a forge bonus.

The hammer of duplication (two handed hammer, very powerful or artefact, earth 4 fire 4) : used by the ancients titans to equip their armies this hammer, when forgeing items of the “greater” level or inferior will produce two items of the same kind in a month, and for the price of one. Its power is anyway not sufficient to duplicate very powerful items (or artefacts of course), and this hammer has no forge bonus out of its duplication power.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

No... it's even more likely for forged items to not be exactly the same in a magical realm because unlike a non_magical realm these forged items can have magical properties making them sharper or more accurate.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Shouldn't a level be added at levels 1, 3(+2), 6(+3), and 10(+4) in other schools? Then it fits evenly into 10, otherwise it maxes out at 7, after granting 3 more levels. An alternative is making it use 1, 4(+3), and 10(+6).

I like your ideas, very interesting!

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Why?

Does it make sense that every single banelord would have the exact same training and be identical to every single other one? Sure...because its a fictional magical realm.

Does it make sense that you can convert magic gems into troops? Sure because its a fictional magical realm.

Does it make sense that every single item is exactly the same? Sure because its a fictional magical realm.

Does it make sense to try and say these things don't make sense? No...because its a fictional magical realm.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

I like these ones. Nice concept.

Loki's Crown: Unique nature artefact. The wearer can cast transformation on themselves without risk and at no cost.

Blade of Expertise: Mid level earth/water item. The effect of this character's experience is doubled.

Thief gloves: Low level nature item. Lets stealthy units steal a small number of gems from enemy labs. The enemy will be informed of this.

Deacon's staff: Low level astral/fire item. A priest wielding this loses banish and smite, but gains holy armour and divine strength, two self-explanatory holy spells. Does triple damage to undead.

Paladin's sword: As above, but loses bless and sermon of courage, and gains more holy attack spells. Holy flare? Holy darts?

Mace of Glory: Unique fire/astral artefact. As above, but gains everything and loses nothing. Increases priest level by one.

Blizzard Bow: Low/mid level water item. A nice bow with a potent freezing aspect.

Enchanted vial: Mid level fire/water item. Halves the fatigue cost of acid spells.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

No... how do you justify everything being exactly identical just because it's a fictional magical realm?? Show me the information or history which backs up your theory.

Just because something is fictional does not mean all traits of a similar item have to be perfectly identical. Each of those 100 enchanted spears are forged from ore or steal or a combination of metals, in a magical realm some of the metals used have a chance of being magical allowing a greater variation compared with normal reality. The identical setup of forged items is done within Dominions to simplify the progamming code not because it matches realistic fantasy realms.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
Don't you think it's a little ridiculous to demand information and history to back up arguments about fiction?

It simplifies programming, reduces micromanagement, and in general, is a good choice. However, it could be argued that every magical item is actually duplication of a platonic, ideal "perfect sword" or "perfect shield" or "undead-killing sword". Remember, the artifacts can be re-forged! If magic is used to duplicate an existing idea to the smallest detail, the statistics are always exactly the same.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

I can't believe you just said that.

Realistic Fantasy.... read that back a few times and maybe you'll see my point.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Yes perhaps I've too much prevently nerfed this item. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif My goal was to make hard to gain more than 5 levels with it, even with a powerful rainbow pretender.

But it may be better to hardcode the maximum and make it gives for example 1 level for 1-2, 2 for 3-5, 3 for 6-9, 4 for 10-14 and 5 for 15+.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Some other ideas :

forgers becoming the item... (probably too much work to code this kind of things but a fun idea)

My Own Demilich Skull (very powerful death 6 item) : to forge this item the death mage must kill himself, as his own skull will become the demilich one. The demilich skull can then be carried by another character and will randomly cast spells in battle its forger was able to cast (but will be of no use to cast ritual spells). Like Carcator demiliches generally tend to be grumpy and often cast curses even on their own troops. A pretender god becoming an item can't be called back as long as the item is in game.

Controling Soul (astral 5-6 vp misc) : to create this item the astral mage must definitivly quit his physical body, becoming this globe of astral energy. The controling soul can then be carried by another character and will take control of one of his ennemies in every battle (MR negates but the controling soul has a penetration bonus equal to the astral level of the item creator ; this enslave mind spell is casted every round untill an ennemy fails, but the soul can only take control of one per fight). But this power is not the most exceptionnal of a controling soul : this indestructible globe will always be found if his wielder dies in battle, and has such a powerful spirit that it may control even its finder. An ennemy commander finding the controling soul will be seduced like by a succubus if he fails his MR check (pretenders gods are of course immune).

Living Demonic Sword (very powerful blood 4 two handed sword) : to forge this item the blood mage must infuse a sword with his own blood, killing himself in the process, but transfering his soul and some of his powers into it. The dammage done by a demonic sword are based on the skills of its creator in elemental magic. The physical dammages this sword may done are increased by 3 by level he had in earth magic, and the sword gets one more attack by other elemental path practiced by its forger, doing 3 points of appropriate dammage by level he had (ie if he was a fire 3 air 2 blood 4 the sword will have a fire 9 dmg and an electrical 6 dmg attack in addition). The wielder of this sword will also gain 1 to his blood magic skill by 3 points the sword creator had in blood, and 1 to each statistic by 8 points its forger had in it. A pretender god becoming an item can't be called back as long as the item is in game.

Living Diabolic Sword (very powerful blood 4 two handed sword) : to forge this item the blood mage must infuse a sword with his own blood, killing himself in the process, but transfering his soul and some of his powers into it. The dammage done by a diabolic sword are based on the skills of its creator in arcane magic. The attack of the diabolic sword will be armor negating if he had 3 or more in astral magic, have a drain strength power if he had 3 or more in death magic, and will be poisonous in proportion to his nature skill (from weak poison for 1 to death poison for 6+), and the sword will give its user a berserking hability with a bonus equal to the skill of the creator in blood. The wielder of this sword will also gain 1 to his blood magic skill by 3 points the sword creator had in blood, and 1 to each statistic by 8 points its forger had in it. A pretender god becoming an item can't be called back as long as the item is in game.

(the same may be done for armors, demonic living armor giving resists or auras based on the elemental paths of the creator, diabolic living armor giving powers like etheral form if created by an astral mage, regeneration for nature, cursing attackers for death, + the general stat/blood bonuses)


more items having control powers on magical creatures (with a powerful but very situationnal power, good counters against some strategies) :

Crown of Elemental Control (1 by elemental path, greater or vp item needing about 3-4 levels in the school) : This crown will try to take control of all ennemy elementals each round. (a MR check will be done for each elemental creature of the item school in the ennemy army each round, the elemental is controlled for the round if it fails).

Crown of the Seasons (nature 4-5 greater or vp item) : this crown will try to take control of all seasonnal spirits in the ennemy army each round.

Crown of the Ingenior (earth item, same effect on mechanical men and clockwork horrors)

etc...

or even non magical creatures, but less efficiently :

Ring of Human influence : this ring will try to control the human ennemy soldiers close to you (MR check for all ennemy humans in a 5 or 10 range or control for the round).

Rings/Crowns of Troll/Lizardmen/Tritons influence, (etc...)

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

It's the same as you saying that elves are 100feet tall with glowing pink noses... you have zero history to backup your statement.

As mentioned earlier by Endoperez, "It simplifies programming, reduces micromanagement, and in general, is a good choice." The identical setup of forged items is also done within Dominions to simplify the progamming code not because it matches realistic fantasy realms. If your statement was true then games like Diablo_2 and the RPG Might&Magic would be wrong for having random variations of the items found.
What you are suggesting is UNRealistic Fantasy where all weapons, items, people are exactly the same. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

**edit in Might&Magic I refer to sequel#4 thru #7 because those are the ones I played.

Sure it's possible every magical item is a perfect duplication... but the same as if every child in a magical realm suddenly were identical with blue eyes and blonde hair... there'd have to be a mystical reason behind this event. Imagine reading a fictional book where all houses were exactly identical yet no reason was ever explained... unrealistic fantasy. My point is if no reason, history or information exists to backup this theory then it's unrealistic fantasy.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Yeah, that would work. Whatever happens, it is a good idea! (though the question arises, can the staff be used to go over level 10?)

Also, I like the idea of the forgers becoming the magic item. Maybe the champion's head (already present) can be made free, but require the forger's life? The possibilities are monumental... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

About the magic items debate, I do agree that for technical reasons they should be identicle, but random stats for troops commanders and items would be nice.

However magic drain scale was mentioned, why not have that affect magic items but on a current province level, not a home province level

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

I've tried to be really nice about this, as if I were looking to mock you I couldn't have written better responces myself. Of course I do, as my point is that fiction is ficiton. Its not based in reality. My backup is every book in Borders in the science fiction section.

If you can show me, one instance where a real elf isn't 100ft tall with glowing pink noses I'll shut up and apologize. (actually I do remember reading one story where the elves were extinct giants...but I don't think they had pink glowing noses)

Theres no such thing as unrealistic fantasy. Its whatever the author wants it to be.

There is nothing wrong with that. But to say it doesn't make sense is pretty silly. And to try and backup with real world facts is even more silly. This isn't Rome Total Realism, where backup to arguments over units and such fits. This is a fantasy game. You can buy that we can sacrafice virgins for units, turn gems into mythical creatures, create magic items but ........

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Wrong... those books do NOT say all swords are perfectly equal or any item of the such without a reason. Even in D&D you can find weapons of varying types. You just can't grasp that what you are saying is UNRealistic fantasy.

The point is a statement such as this is UNRealistic fantasy because it contradicts all other fantasy facts about elves. Saying all fire swords are perfect duplicates without any reason is the same as me writing that anytime OG_Gleep plays a nation in Dominions his troops are all bald and without teeth.




Realistic fantasy is as simple as saying wizards use magic.
UNRealistic fantasy is as simple as saying wizards only melee fight in battle.
Sorry you can't grasp this.

Yes, each example you listed can be backed up by fantasy lore unlike your belief in all enchanted spears being perfect duplicates. As explained earlier the identical enchanted spears within Dominions is done because it simplifies programming and reduces micromanagement.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

This sentence is so hilariousy stupid that I can't believe any person of normal intelligence would post it. There are no fantasy "facts" about elves. There are standard fantasy _conventions_ about elves, not facts.

Perhaps you should go back in time and tell that to Tolkien. After all, he isn't being "realistic" by giving Gandalf the most powerful sword of any of the members of the fellowship. A sword that Gandalf uses to fight instead of casting spells.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Good god man. Its not that I don't comprehend what you are saying, its that I can't believe you actually think that.

The whole point about fantasy is that it is not grounded in any type of reality. If what you were saying made any sense, then there would be no fantasy in the first place. The only limits on fantasy or fiction is the human imagination.

There is no such thing as unrealistic or realistic fantasy, theres just fantasy.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Hm I think you all should stop fighting over this. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif .. afterall we are talking about fantasy, and there everything is possible. 100 feet tall elves? Why not? Miniature dragons? Why not? Good looking ogres? Why not? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif ... of course there are standards for various things, but that doesnt mean that you cannot change it if you want.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Ahh - nothing like a good pissing contest to make a big impression on first-time visitors to the official forums. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smirk.gif

Meanwhile, the only important point was made way back - if forged magic items had variable stats the *game* would become a micromanagement hell.

Re: Magic Items Suggestions
 

Enough...I'll chalk this up to Spring Fever. There's a third thread we're looking at. This is the second we've had to lock up.