The one change Dom2 really needs.....

[PvK]

As for the original subject, life drain weapons, it would be nice to have a "no life drain" mod that changes at least the life drain magic items to something else, or gives them very high costs, even if only as a game option for people who would like to play some games without them.

Personally I tend to think the effect is simply modelled too strong. It's too often that the life-drainer gets all his damage and fatigue healed every turn. If the effect were a lot weaker, that could balance it, though that's not currently mod-able.

Zen's approach of increasing the cost seems very appropriate to me, too. My personal choices would probably be around:

Wraith Sword: Con 6, Death 4, 40 death gems.
Hell Sword: Con 6, Blood 4-5, 40-80 blood slaves.

PvK

[Zen]

Truper said:
re: the change to Sabbath

I understand the logic of what you're saying, and its certainly not an earth-shaking change. The only problem I have with it is thematic; the use of Blood magic should always require the sacrifice of slaves - this is exactly what makes Blood what it is, and makes it different from the other paths of magic.

On the other hand, even when I'm playing a Blood nation, I never bother trying to use Blood magic of any kind on the battlefield, since none of it seems that effective anyway, and managing the slaves is a nightmare.

Ah-ha! Yes, indeed it would not have much effect on Blood Magic, because yes, I would like it to keep the "blood for blood" theme. But what it would do is allow you to build a Sabbath and cast other Paths in a semi-communion.

Maybe that you've never even tried using it, means something.

Or it could just be that your lack of imagination has gotten the better of you!

P.S. The aspect that grates me is the micromanagement, not really making Mictlan into a magical Battlefield casting powerhouse (though that would be a side effect).

[Huzurdaddi]

P.S. The aspect that grates me is the micromanagement, not really making Mictlan into a magical Battlefield casting powerhouse (though that would be a side effect).

And not a bad one, IMO! Then they can learn the power and the price of communion.

It's great when it works. It's painful when it backfires!

[Zen]

Well you have to consider that the fatigue would still kill a goodly number of Mictlan priests, who are already pretty strapped for duty (research, blood hunting, forging ...).

But what it would allow you to do is use it to your advantage if you *needed* to without delving into that gulag that is the Gem Transfer screen for as long as nessecary.

[Yossar]

I never understood why blood sabbath cost so much (100) fatigue. That's the main reason I never used it. Even without requiring blood slaves, there's still going to be a lot of blood involved. The blood of the communion slaves. But it would be interesting for Mictlan to have fairly easy access to high level nature, astral, water, fire, and blood battlefield spells.

[Cohen]

Simply for default each gem cost for a battle spell == to 100 fatigue.

So Blood Magic isn't that used in battle magic because it costs not only slaves but a lot of fatigue.