Are devils worth 7 blood each?

[PvK]

Graeme Dice said:

This wouldn't be good. This would have no more effect than making people right-click through 50 scouts a turn to check their hitpoints. As it is now, they cost more resources when you can spend 3 death gems to put them on a mound king.

You didn't quote my entire suggestion. The idea, already begun by the devs, was to attach a drawback and additional cost to the fettishes, and not just a free infinite fire income with almost no limit or cost. My suggestion was not just to require it be on something that can actually be diseased, which is logical given the description, but to also add a chance of damage which might kill the bearer. So it would be akin to the Soul Contract, in that it doesn't Last forever, because eventually the bearer will get a heart attack or seizure and die before the fettish can be applied to someone else.

PvK

[Kel]

Whether it is effective or not, I assume that's why contracts are cursed and horror mark you.

- Kel

[The_Tauren13]

I think the best suggestion to change clams is to make it a command that has to be given to whoever is wearing it: a "use item" command that would simply make 1 asral gem/turn. That way, your little scouts sitting around wont be able to hide and use them at the same time. Yes yes, i know what some people might say: "but it wont make any difference; i can just use domes!". Well, maybe it wouldnt make a BIG difference, but i dont think anyone is asking for a big change, just a change. It would definitely make some difference in that clam hoarding wouldnt be totally indestructable like it is now, and at least an opponent would be able to do something to kill off your clam income.

Now don't get me wrong; i don't support a change, i was just expressing my opinion about which suggestion was best. Personally, i think clams are fine as they are. The main reason people use them is not that they are overpowered, but because there is little else useful to do with water gems, like Panther and Cainehill were saying.

[Cohen]

Domes aren't totally protective as hiding is (nor Hiding is totally protective from some spells like Mind Hunt, but to cast it usually you should know that there's someone in that province, and a lone S1 mage will feeblemind your S4+ mage, even if it's S10 he'll get feebleminded).

[The_Tauren13]

I've been wondering about mind hunt... How exactly does it work?

[Thufir]

The_Tauren13 said:
I've been wondering about mind hunt... How exactly does it work?

Badly, in my SP experience.

You get the chance to kill one enemy commander (via Mind Burn or Soul Slay, whichever you've got, or Soul Slay if you've got both), but my experience is consistent with what Cohen is saying, in that the risk of being feebleminded is very high, even if you do it with a very high level astral mage. Also, I'm beginning to think Astral Projection carries with it the same kind of bogus risk.

Just had a thought - is it possible this is the same kind of bug that had been affecting magic duel? And then, is there any chance it's fixed in 2.14?

[Cohen]

You need too some research in Thaumathurgy.
It casts a Soul Slay or Mind Burn (the better you've researched beetween those 2), and cast it remotely (those spells are combat spells) on an enemy commander in that province.
It checks on MR and if fails to pass the check the enemy die if you've Soul Slay.
I know this strikes too hiding unit and glamouring ones. (I had a Man Thuatha besieging one of my castles ... the map shows that Man was besieging me but no units were shown ... I went for Mind Hunt, the spell found the target but sadly failed to kill him).
But it has a very high double edge... if there's an astral mage in the target province this will feeblemind all your guys casting the spell in that province (it's not very realistic imo that a single guy 1S could feeblemind 6 S3 or S4 mages casting that spell in the same turn). In fact this spell is usually used by Arco, that has healing priestess and cheap astrologers.

[The_Tauren13]

Hmmm.. so ANY astral mage in the target province will ALWAYS feeblemind ALL casting mages??? That does make it sound somewhat useless...

[Soapyfrog]

Well perhaps not useless but it sure does require good scouting reports.

I have seen it have a tremendous imapct on the unprepared... the suden death of an army commander just before a battle can have rather severe consequences!

[Cohen]

If the enemy hasn't Astral Mages in the province this is the best spell to kill SCs without engaging them.
I killed Wraithlords and Air Queens too with that spell.

If you'ven't Astral as default and your random pick is capitol only probably you'll have problems in covering your troops.