More things to forge
 

I would love to see some added items for us to forge. Nothing game breaking. Not even booster stuff. Just some niche use stuff.

How about a series of boots that allow commanders the various terrain survivals. ie forest survival boots, swamp survival boots. etc.

How about a misc item that provides the "mounted" ability:
Mechanical Horse.(5 earth gems)
Bone horse (5 death gems)
Warsteed (5 nature gems)
Flying mounts (15 air gems) Also gives flying.
Hippocampi (5 water gems)

How about some more standards?
Battle standard 5E or maybe 5N) gives 15 morale.

We need more things to do forge with our fire gems:

Flaming torch(misc slot) 10 F gems. Makes the first volley of arrows flaming.
Bane fire mace (1h) 10F 10D. Mace that has small radius banefire.
Axe of fire. (2h) Save or go blind like blindness spell.

So many more items we could use. What would be your suggestions?

Re: More things to forge
 

Agreed on the fire!

Hot Water Bottle: Cold blooded commander avoids penalty in cold lands
Really Big Hot Water Bottle: Commanders army avoids penalty in cold lands
Flaming Torch (different version from yours): Gives unit 50/100% darkvision


Some other abilities that I think should be available:
- heresy
- extra hit points (armour probably)
- twin casting (lets mage cast twice per turn with high fatigue penalty)

Re: More things to forge
 

Can you even mod HP into an item right now?

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I have absolutely no idea

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To continue a theme: how about a third version of your flaming torch? one that summons a regular Fire Elemental. We may have something in the game that does that, but I can't think of what...

Re: More things to forge
 

Red Ruby Ring - Plus 1 level of Fire Magic.
Blue Agate Ring - Plus 1 level of Air Magic.
Deep Sapphire Ring - Plus 1 level of Water Magic.
Yellow Topaz Ring - Plus 1 level of Earth Magic.
Clear Crystal Ring - Plus 1 level of Astral Magic.
Opaque Emerald Ring - Plus 1 level of Nature Magic.
Polished Bone Ring - Plus 1 level of Death Magic.
Liquid Blood Ring - Plus 1 level of Blood Magic.

Re: More things to forge
 

i'm not so sure this particular line up of items is a good idea at all. sounds a lot like some line up of generic Magic The Gathering Cards; and handing out path boosts willy-nilly is the last thing we should be doing. I think the devs have balanced paths, spells, availabilty, and path boosting availability pretty deliberatly. adding things like this would only wreck it.

Re: More things to forge
 

Simply suggestions for items, I don't understand the whole balance thingy. Obviously the game is not perfectly balanced nor will it ever be. If the items are really to powerful, they could just be made accordingly expensive to offset that.

Maybe have a min requirement for wearing them, like lev 6 or something. Maybe each one could have a path specific atribute too.

Re: More things to forge
 

How about an item a bit like Elixer of Life, except that it just gives your mage an immobile, hard to destroy statue deathform with maybe 1 hp but etherial and 30 Prot, with 100% immunity to Fire, Cold, Shock, and Poison, but no ability to fight or cast spells. So it gives your mage, but you lose the item when this happens? It could require Astral and Earth to forge.

Re: More things to forge
 

I dont understand. why would I want a unit that doesnt have any ability to fight or cast spells?

If you mean that´s just for battle duration, then isn´t that a lot like crystal heart, but worse?

Re: More things to forge
 

It gives the unit a second form, after it's reduced to 0 Hp., meaning it would have a chance to save a unit that otherwise would be dead. And it would be a lot like Crystal Heart, in some ways, yes, but doesn't Crystal Heart still cause death when it activates, and cause afflictions when it's equipped? This would be more like a stasis field.

How about a suit of armour that gives a unit the Undead tag, and allows that unit to lead undead?

Re: More things to forge
 

Sticky Feet (boots): Can't be displaced by tramplers

Monk's Belt (misc): Don't suffer defence penalty for subsequent attacks in a round

Stigmata: +1 holy, -3 reinvig

Butterfly Net (2 handed weapon): Struck units entangled and must make an MR check or lose flight

Re: More things to forge
 

now the Monk's Belt is a grand idea. It provides a currently non-existant option that does not overpower current options. It doesn't interfere or displace any currently existing item in ultimate functionality. I think that is an example of a perfect item to add.

it's just... pure options
without creating a disturbance


Stigmata is potentially overpowering. I'm always leary of any path boost item. I think that is where we must be most careful.

the other two I can't think of any use for... at least not one that I would give up another item for it.

Re: More things to forge
 

An artifact scabbard that can heal its owner's wounds. Takes a hand slot, gives rejuvenation and regeneration but only a non-magical Broad Sword as a weapon. Inspired by the Excalibur myth.

Copper Blade, a Air/Earth item that gives 50% lightning resistance and shocks enemies like Lightning Spear.

Steel Banner, casts Legions of Steel at the beginning of battle.

Re: More things to forge
 

Overpowering in the end comes down to cost and level really. Any ideas people come up with can be tweaked. The stigmata idea for instance might end up also making the unit immobile in combat, or have a higher penalty.. in terms of overpower all it will realistically do is allow Divine Blessings by more units and make banishments a bit stronger.

Agreed that the sticky feet and butterfly net are of marginal usefulness, they were just ideas. I'm sure there are niche purposes for them

Perhaps one wants to create a wall of cheap trample blockers to protect archers/mages. You'd only need one every few squares to block an elephant charge.

The butterfly net is to stop flying thugs/SCs from retreating. It has annoyed me no end in one current game to watch a kitted out SC be taken down to near death and subsequently retreat instantly. One unit able to immobilise him with a cheap item would prevent that.

I like the idea of excalibur's scabbard, my concern though is that it would just become a must have item passed around between thugs and SCs to heal afflictions. I guess if unique and/or cursed would be ok. Presumably it’s a misc item, the user could still use any sword. Excalibur itself I wouldn't call a normal broadsword anyways

Re: More things to forge
 

I was thinking it would be unique, but being cursed might work, if it was expensive enough.

I'd make it take 1 hand slot. It's inspired by Excalibur's legend, but the sword isn't meant to be Excalibur, so I thought something like non-magical sword or an Enchanted Sword should be enough. The scabbard is the big thing, the sword is just something that accompanies it.

Re: More things to forge
 

Well, the sword *is* Excaliber/Caliburn, it ought to be just a little good :) How about Excaliber as a 2 handed, cursed, unique artifact, that gives Regeneration/Heals Affliction (or maybe just Immortality-the Arthurian legend has Arthur surviving and coming back again and again to defend Britain in times of danger), and functions as a 2-handed AN weapon?

Re: More things to forge
 

Hi, Hb you seem to know alot about roman army, What I would like to see is pilum. Ermor and pythium should have them. While being similar to a javalin they had a different function. They took the sheilds of the defenders out. The tip was a soft metal so it would hook on to the sheild. Then the legonare would step on the shaft. Then wack away. Pretty smart weapon. :D

Re: More things to forge
 

Again, the magical scabbard is inspired by the Excalibur myth. Not Excalibur the sword, but the story in which Merlin tells Arthur he should prefer the scabbard to the sword, Arthur doesn't listen and loses the scabbard soon after. THAT story, THAT scabbard, WITHOUT that sword.

I like the scabbard more and, figuratively speaking, lost the sword.


A new item idea:
A misc item that makes the commander Mute, increases his research ability slightly and lets him cast Rage (and/or Confusion?) in battle. The description tells how it was meant to replace vocal communication with telepathic messages, but the voiceless messages were strange and horrible and impossible to understand. People with weak mind found themselves confused and attacking each other when given messages by the item-wielder, so the messages are now directed at enemy armies. It could be called Quill of Flaming, or a Silicon/Mirror Matrix, or a Flaming Tongue. :rolleyes:

Re: More things to forge
 

You're absolutely right about the scabbard, Endoperez. I'm aware that the scabbard had either healing or injury-reducing properties, although I was confused about the (separate from the sword) context you meant it in. Either way, it should be an artifact.

The Dolorous Spear/Lance of Longinus/Spear of Destiny should be in there too, by the way.

I'd like to see King Arthur himself in the game, in some context, perhaps-as previously suggested-a Lord Warden that's been made a Prophet? The name change wouldn't be too much of a deal-breaker either, since Arthur wasn't aware of his own history until he pulled the sword from the stone.

The Arthurian Cycle is such a huge body of work that it really ought to be referenced more, in the game.

The Carolyngian Cycle/Chansons De Geste would be nice to see more of, also, especially-I imagine-for the French among us. And the related 'Cantar de Gesta' of the Spanish.

Re: More things to forge
 

This one could really overpower SCs.

Many cool ideas otherwise. I like the Stigmata & Butterfly net thigs :p

And what about families of magic unique unboosters ?
Star's Thirst : -1 Astral to all mages on the battlefield
Saharah Pal In : enhances Star's Thirst by 1
Saharah Pal Out : negates the previous item

^^

Re: More things to forge
 

I am not fond of extra path-boosters, since that will enable any races entering other paths more easily and eventually remove their magic difference. But I will also vote for adding new items, which can add more opinion for our strategy:

Can we have a helm to make the unit "blind" and reduce his precision but meanwhile grant him dark-vision?
Can we have a unique item to "call" a new death-match?(this item should be removed by using, like that magic lamp)

Other ideas are armor to improve stealthy ability, unique item to grant army a moving death dome, unique bow to "fire" horror mark, shoe to permantly make unit immobil but also autocast Strength of Gaia.

Re: More things to forge
 

The path boost items could be designed so that they can't be used to "create" a new path, only to boost exsisting paths.

Re: More things to forge
 

As already is, Skirmisher. ;)

Re: More things to forge
 

That rule applies for the existing items too, and I think it a commen sense for further discussion. But adding more boost items is still too much for the balance.

Recentlly it is not too difficult to get mages with one new path (by indy/summons), but as any race goes on expanding his path, he will eventually meet his limit since the path boosters are very limited in choice. And if you enlarge that opportunity by adding new boost items, the whole magic system will be affected.

Another example: the S9 Wish can normally only be casted by S6 mage + starshine skullcap + 2 rings(or 1 ring + lucky coin). If we have an extra new S booster, this extreme limit will be much lower, and we can even image some S5 national mages cast Wish in group. That could be fun, but I will feel it a too big change.

Re: More things to forge
 

This is just a wish list anyways,it's quite possible everything written here will be ignored. It just amounts to people dreaming out loud.

I do sense alot of "fear" with regards to change though. And I find that somewhat ammusing.

Re: More things to forge
 

I'd love something that added Stealth to a commander. Maybe a cloak of invisibility (body), or an artifact helmet? Or even a ring that added 0 Stealth but caused Horror Mark would be nice. They've all been around forever in the myths.

And Skirmisher-the hope is that someday we'll be granted the power to mod Forged items, in which case we'll just make our own :)

Re: More things to forge
 

Dominions 4 eh?

Re: More things to forge
 

Not really...we can already mod items, we just need the ability to add paths, levels, and gem costs, and set them up as Construction spells.

Re: More things to forge
 

With all the concern regarding magical balance wouldn't that be like opening pandora's box?

Re: More things to forge
 

actually you could just change the existing boosters to other levels..

Re: More things to forge
 

I think an item that granted a unit the ability to have a second form (like skratti) would be fun. I.E. the commander would get a new "Change Shape" option that would allow them to take on a new form for a loss to some of their magic paths. Obviously it could be very powerful depending on what unit you get, but there could even be a version of it for each gem type.

Totem of Earth: Bear... something with high hp/prot
Totem of Air: Some flyer.... raider/increased map move
Totem of Nature: Wolf/moose....stealthy raider
Totem of Death: Minor undead... 0 enc caster, but vulnerable to anti undead stuff
Totem of Astral: .....can't think of anything, perhaps something with high magic resistance
Totem of Fire: Offensive thug, something with multiple attacks
Totem of Water: Amphibious unit

Re: More things to forge
 

Not so sure on new lower level item boosters, there definitely seems to be a point to the difficulty in raising magical abilities. However, I think that since there is a Scepter of Corruption with +3 Death, that it would be interesting if there were an artifact for +3 to other paths as well. I think it should generally compete with other boosters for that path, just as the Scepter replaces a Skull Staff.

Crystal Crown (head) +3S
Clogs of the Mountain (feet) +3E
Robe of the Oceans (body) +3W
Sledge-o-matic (2h mace) +3B
Apollo's Crest (head) +3A
Wild Reaver (2h axe) +3N
Crown of the Infinite Blaze (head) 3F


Something along those lines. :p Anyway, I think as an artifact, those wouldn't be any more (over)powerful than the Scepter, but would give some interesting options.


Also, I think it might be interesting to have fully cross-path item boosters. Such as an item that takes 15N to forge, that gives a Death boost. A way that people who are very strong in one particular path could diversify a little bit, just a little more easily than they do now. Of course, there is the issue of trading items in MP which would enhance overall availabilty..... But I think people would learn that it's best not to spread that around. What gives you a LITTLE help diversifying into something you otherwise had trouble with, might give someone with already strong access an incredible advantage over you.

Re: More things to forge
 

Sorry JimMorrison, but I have to comment on this:

I'm more interested in artifacts that have stories behind them-what they *are*, and why they are, more than what they can do. I play Dominions in large part because of the depth already present in the game, and when I mod something in, I try to make it "live" a little.
It adds to the challenge of creating something, and I end having a sense of accomplishment, of either *being* creative, or preserving-in a popular form-something that already has a place in human culture.

I don't think it's quite fair to add a forgeable item to the game (or anything else, honestly) *just* to fill power gaps. Particularly artifacts. It's nice if they do, ofcourse, but shoehorning something it, just to have access to it, seems rather cheap...

Pretty much anything and everything has already been thought of-so whatever item you want to have access to via Forging is probably out there, and if it's not, or not quite what you want, it's a lot more interesting to put some thought into the item's place in the world, than it is to just come up with a random name and slap it on a bunch of stat increases or whatever.

Re: More things to forge
 

Well, and that was just a toss-away list for the sake of having it. ;) Obviously, artifacts - more so than other forged items - are unique, and thus should have some unique flavor to them. I think it's perfectly valid to conceive of an item, simply because the purpose for that item exists. That is the logical end of the bargain, then the creativity must be engaged to complete the process.

I mean come on, I put the Sledge-o-matic in the list. For blood. You hit turnips with it, you see. ;) Obviously something more thematic and less humorous would actually be implemented. :p

Re: More things to forge
 

Hey there all ;)

I must say I think you're throwing in some pretty much overpowered things into the cauldron... :D oh well, I think it always happens in wishlists. Who was asking for Mechas for EA R'lyeh? :p

Ironical notes aside, I must say I'd like some "sets" of items into the game. Possibly not something so obvious like: "Armour of the Phoenix", "Helm of the Phoenix", "Boots of the Phoenix" and so on, oh my :D

Something less obvious, like 3 or 4 items thematically side-correlated through their history, which being put together on a commander give some good side effects - like a good amount of standard or Fear or Awe or Fortunetelling or whatever :)

i.e. the crown, trident and mantle of an ancient Atlantean king, which put together on a commander "make the spirit of the king revive" and grant him Awe+0, Standard+10 and 40 of his units waterbreathing :)

Re: More things to forge
 

Here's mine.

Lightless Lantern (the research booster) would give 100% dark vision.

Replacement organs:

Arm of Bronze [heals missing arm, takes misc slot]
Leg of living wood (or maybe silver, with air gems) [same as above, for leg]

Crystal Eye [gives sight to the blind]
/alternatively
Copperface, helmet with a realistic face carved to it's visor [a fairly low grade helmet, prot 8, which would give sight to the blind, probably should be cursed]

Re: More things to forge
 

I for one was really disappointed to find that donning both the boots and the robe of Caius the Druid didn't have some additive effect (unless it actually did and I didn't notice...)

Another good combo would be the Soulstone of the Wolves and the Pelt of Fenrir.

IIRC, there is already an additive effect of +Awe for Crown/Whip of command + one of the + leadership wands. So, it seems like it should be feasible...OH - there's also the Twin Spears and the Picus/Procus axes...so it definitely seems to be thought of.

Anyway ++more additive effect magic items :)

Re: More things to forge
 

The Awe effect seems to come just because of the extremely high Leadership that you happen to have joining all those Ldr+ items ;)

Re: More things to forge
 

Except that extremely high leadership without those items doesn't produce Awe.

Re: More things to forge
 

JimMorrison, I understood exactly what you were doing, and why, and I wasn't trying to single you out. I just noticed a lot of people going "oooh, what can we add that will do X?", and your post was a good example of a point I wanted to make.

I agree that it's perfectly reasonable to add an item to get a desired effect--but when you do, you should also have to do the work to make it interesting.

And I stand by my Mechas for Aboleths idea :p Sure it's crazy, even bizarre, but until somebody comes up with-and actually implements-a better idea to make Aboleths competitive, I'm allowed a few wild ideas about them :)

Re: More things to forge
 

Only if they get a new national hero, "Krang". :D


And I don't labor under any preconception that any of these items will actually make into the game in a usable form anytime soon. But IF they were to gain inclusion into the vanilla game, I think that all KO is really going to take from the post, is the concept that the other paths deserve a powerful artifact booster. Unless you can show me another artifact that someone conceived, AND wrote the description for, that appears in the game now - I will assume that I would only act as inspiration, not as author. ;)

Re: More things to forge
 

It'd be pretty cool to have more nation specific items. Granted there's no real way to make something nation specific yet. Ermor's Black Laurel gets around this by enhancing a nation specific spell, and C'Tis's jade mask isn't really specific as anything with the cold blooded tag can use it. It's a good start though.

Aside from that, I'd like to see more damage types in "brand" form. Someone previously mentioned a Banefire Mace, so why not take it a step further. How about a censer that acts like a flail that shoots acid everywhere. If you want to get ridiculous, you could even have a "brand" for physical damage, just a huge hammer or something that made pure physical concussive force explode wherever it struck. Also a whip made from something's spinal column that mind blasted everything in the immediate area would be awesome as hell.

Re: More things to forge
 

Ahh,thought of another one. A mancathcer weapon. 2 handed. On a succesfull hit acts like the net effect from a net wielding unit.

Re: More things to forge
 

If magic items give +100 leadership or more, you automatically get Awe. It doesn't matter if it's both Twin Spears or Whip of Command/Sceptre of Authority/Crown of Command.


More items:
Brush of Illusions, A3, misc
A magical brush that can be used to paint illusions. Summons few phantasmal beings at the beginning of battle and lets the wielder summon Phantasmal Warriors.

Instrument of Doom, misc
There could be more usical magical items in Dominions: horn with siege bonus (Earth), flute that casts Sleep or Sleep Cloud in battle (Nature), drum that casts Rain (Water), etc.

Fists of Stone, constr 6, E2, 2-handed
Like a combination of Gloves of the Gladiator and the Alt-1 Earth spell: several attacks at high base damage and with strength added to damage.

Doomsayer, constr 6, Earth or Earth/Air, 1-handed ranged
A magic sling that fires boulders (base dam 20+str, range 18).

Giantslayer, Constr 2, Earth 1, 1-handed ranged
A magic sling with normal sling stats except for base dam 10, deals extra damage against large enemies.

Pebblestone Sceptre, constr 8, E2, 1-handed
Staff that has authority over trolls. Summons a single Troll every turn. It i ncreases magic resistance and gives fire resistance 75% and works as an armor-piercing mace with high base damage and attack value.

Crimson Standard, Constr 4, B5S1, 2-handed
Several human skins spread over a wooden frame colored red by the blood still seeping from the skins. Gives Fear, reinvigoration 4 and increased strength, slowly causes horror marking, lets the wielder act as Sabbath Master. Casts Horror Marks in battle, but sometimes at targets close to the wielder instead of at the enemy. Causes Area Fear when used as a weapon.

Owl Father, constr 8, E3N2, misc
A stone owl enchanted with the spirit of the ancestor of all owls and forced to offer advice to its owner. RP +5, darkvision 100%, fortune teller 15%, supply bonus 25.

Re: More things to forge
 

Voodoo Puppet, Earth+Blood or Nature+Blood
Randomly curses units in the province its located in.

The Hourglass, artifact, cursed (has to be atoned to the wielder), purely Astral
Quickens the wearer and allows to cast spells twice per round. Wearer ages twice as fast. The glass can also be shattered to cast quickness on everyone including enemies (but without the 2 spells effect).

Uhh, I almost forgot:
The Notebook, artifact, nature and water
Allows an oh so wise mage to remember more than 5 orders... ;)

Re: More things to forge
 

Oooh, I like this one :)

...there's the Horror Harmonica...

...the war-horn that has a siege bonus exists. Also casts Panic or Terror or something fear related. Can't seem to find it in the Dom3DB spreadsheet though...

Re: More things to forge
 

A fan (hand slot) that caused knockback (use the trampling-scatter code) and provided a good air shield would probably be thematic for Air. Possibly appropriate for a TC role-player.

An assassin-themed throwing knife (misc slot) that gave a single high-precision AP throwing strike and a stealth bonus (only for the already stealthy) might also be niche-but-thematic.

I still like my old idea of a unique blood weapon which essentially consecrated kills (those who died by the weapon having some chance to generate temple checks). :p

If we were being even crazier, it'd be funny in a rather twisted way to have a Flayed Cloak (blood/death) which had a Horror Mark aura, perhaps boosted Blood, and which also had high Fear (as sane people run the heck away from the Accursed One).

Re: More things to forge
 

Inspiration for further items:

http://www.cleandungeon.com/article_index.php?anum=391

http://www.odstudios.com/article.php?anum=424

Re: More things to forge
 

I know there's Horn of Valor, but I don't think it gives siege bonus. There could be another horn that has siege bonus and casts panic, but I don't remember its name either.