Magic Items Suggestions

[Saber Cherry]

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.

[NTJedi]

Saber Cherry said:
Randoms on magic items seems a little odd, though I'd love for stats on units to be slightly randomized.

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.

[Gandalf Parker]

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.

[OG_Gleep]

NTJedi said:
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.

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.

[Twan]

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.

[NTJedi]

OG_Gleep said:

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.

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.

[Fate]

Twan said:
(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)

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!

[OG_Gleep]

NTJedi said:
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.

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.

[Sandman]

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.

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.

[NTJedi]

OG_Gleep said:
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.

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.

OG_Gleep said:
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.

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.