Special Scrolls

For things relating to the setting which doesn't fit in development, bugs or feedback.
Highlander
Posts: 155
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:06 pm

Special Scrolls

Postby Highlander » Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:57 pm

Forgive the vague subject line, I'm not sure what else to call them - I've seen (as have others) recently some scrolls appear as loot, which seem to offer a single use spell effect to anyone who cares to use that scroll. I'd appreciate a bit of team feedback regarding these, as from the perspective of a player who usually plays casters, some of these don't seem to fit too well with a low magic server which aims to encourage cooperative parties.

As a specific example, Lori for now has a scroll which gives 5-9 turns of negative energy protection and death ward effects to anyone who uses it, and those need a 5th and 7th level priest in the party in normal circumstances. Negative energy protection is a turn/level duration spell that needs a 5th level priest to cast - a direct arcane comparison to this item would be a scroll which gave free access to a displacement effect. I don't know how the loot tables are contructed, but I'm also slightly slightly concerned that these "once only" scrolls might replace the standard caster class scroll as a loot category- in tonight's trip we found 2 of these, and 1 "real" scroll. If these scrolls drop regularly, and a PC gathers up a few of them, then the priest is on the way to becoming obsolete for the next crypt trip.

I think this type of scroll can be a really neat idea (Ginny's teleport scroll for example) if it can do something that a caster cannot in NWN mechanics, but to offer anyone a replication of what should be a potent warding spell I don't think is desirable, particularly if that effect is only castable by 5+ level PC's - a scroll that gives a 1-2 turn mage armour might be fine, for example.

I realise I am talking from a position of relative ignorance of the builder side of the server, so other thoughts and contributions more than welcome.
Lori Peveril: Enchanter
Auri: Mountian Druid
Riva Merys: Mystran Priest
Theli Ironfist: Dwarf Monk
Reyne Kendrick: Sneak

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Kerstman
Posts: 304
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:30 pm
Location: Central Euro Timezone

Re: Special Scrolls

Postby Kerstman » Sun Apr 23, 2017 11:26 am

I understand the concern very much, but I am not sure if conclusions can yet be drawn. That does not at all mean this post thread is started too quickly, but I feel it is too soon to draw any final conclusions yet about these scrolls disrupting the balance. I did not pay attention to yesterday's scrolls and in general am not very knowledgeable about caster PC's and spells in NWN, but I agree there should not be too many of these spells in loot and they should never replace the default scrolls in the loot tables. However, I doubt they shall ever replace the presence of an arcane or divine caster. In my opinion they do tread on the territory of the Use Magic Device skill and therefore I'd suggest to only make them usable for PC's with spellcasting abilities or with sufficient UMD skill. Not by any illiterate barbarian or a blind monk, to name a few extremes. If non-casters wish to use such scrolls perhaps they can, but only with sufficient knowledge arcana or knowledge religion if you'd ask me.
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