Mage Revisions

I CAN LEARN SNEAK?! I love you Thad <3

Arcane Reclamation. Do Want.

So wait... every time a mage throws a packet and misses they automatically gain that spell back if they have the merit that you can get as early as level 3? That makes dodging spells much less useful other than not getting hit immediatly. I would understand if perhap it had a max cap per rest that could be refreshed in such a manner.

Everything else looks good to me, also the 'Grasping Hand' link is broken at the moment. Thanks for reading.

It's supposed to be like DnD's "Reliable" Spells which were available for any Wizard at Level 1 in 4e. We have to blow a merit and get it a few levels later. :P But I can see where you're coming from.

Thanks Jop, I could see it in the game. I think packet throwing is hard and I know that aiming those packets can get tough. I like the idea, I just think it needs to be a higher level or perhaps have a cap even if it is a precious merit. Perhaps some type of scaling feature where a level 9 mage would benifit from it more than a level 3 would. Or be able to recall more spells in such a way.

Reclamation makes wizards pretty broken, spell damage is already impossible to parry without a deflect, (and any other ability beyond that has to be usually countered by the same) now if you try to dodge the packet completely, a mage can just get to keep hitting you with potshots until you have to take it.

This punishes players who are naturally agile or make an effort to dodge packets, which was sensibly within the boundaries of the rules now.

The risk/reward with the focus magic merit has been completely rescaled, now the fear of missing is taken entirely off the table.

Playing a ranged class afforded you the ability to deal ranged damage, While melee classes have to skillfully parry,dodge and aggressively press openings in a defense- now mages don't even need to have a good throwing arm and a sharp eye.

    Maybe not Alex, but you have to consider that those mages who don't have a good throwing arm and don't have a sharp eye become actionless quick unless they expose themselves for easy hits. This makes the class no more broken than it was before, which is none. A mage could always just leave battle for a minute to refresh; Now the party will be able to have their crowd controllers and glass cannons in the fights longer making the fighting efforts stronger for longer.
    If you are arguing your point from a monsters stand point, then don't worry about it. Monsters are meant to die, and if they aren't intended to die in a mod then plot can very easily make that happen. Just like in D&D, if your players are too strong then make your monsters stronger and monsters can always get stronger.
    If you are arguing this from a PvP standpoint, then just think that your mage opponents will be a larger threat now. No more, "Oh, he has used all of his actions! I can now take him out with ease."
    I think that the merit is awesome and not broken in anyway.

There were already a number of revisions implimented in the game that could help a mage who sucked at his own class get by: Spellsteel, pale ivory, etc.

You're completely right about a pve setting, without having to weigh one class against another then you can break them all you want. But this is Orn, and in Orn people will fight eachother- So that argument has no relevance whatsoever. It's more of a "what if?" argument at that point.
 
Your pvp argument isn't holding water any better,  This completely changes the meta of pvp fighting Abilities shouldn't become "At-Will, until taken by opponent". If you discarnate yourself,  You have little choice but to eventually be ripped out of that escape with a phase or counter it with another prepared escape, as your mage opponent doesn't have to aim at you and throw his shot successfully.

To my knowledge, the only mechanic that's recently been implemented to help balance this is "bum rush" which, by definition of it's clunkyness encourages unsafe fighting practices.

Don't get me wrong, these are great, creative ideas and they are hard not to love- But they completely break the ecosystem, I feel like I would be doing a disservice to Orn by NOT arguing for them.

It will be staying as-is, but I'll give you guys some insight into my reasoning to help settle any misgivings. The intent of the merit is to make long-range attacks viable. As things stand, a mage or scout would never attempt to throw an action at more than mid range due to the low likelihood of hitting. Since we don't have any means of propelling projectiles at long range more reliably (Umstead won't let us use bows), the only option is to make missing not wasteful. Hence, Arcane Reclamation and Sharpshooter.

Personally, I would consider taking it, but I probably won't. If you're decent enough with packets, you can hit reliably at mid or short range even if the person is actively trying to dodge you. Thus, the only real benefit is for people who aren't very good with packets to begin with or people who are trying to hit at longer range.

Dodging is still a viable tactic; you still don't get hit by the attack. My advice would be the same with or without the merit: Close range on the ranged attacker. If you stay far away from them, they'll beat you eventually regardless of the merit. Dodge the first packet, then rush (or Rush) them while they're saying their incant for the second.

As with most of my ideas, what may seem OP today will most likely be proven balanced or underpowered tomorrow. Remember the hubbub over Withstand? Chill out, give it a chance, and trust that if it's truly broken, I'll fix it. I always do.

Arcane reclamation is a great theory, but in practice its broken as hell. I hate to say it. The only way I could see it being more balanced, is if you made it soley for spellblast  and increased the merit level. Its just far too powerful to be a level three merit. Yes it helps with range, but as a newbie mage, you aren't going to be able to control your spells like that, or call back the energy. Imagine a mage with chronomancer and Arcane reclamation. slow slow slow slow slow slow slow. you are going to have to take the effect anyway.  Any spell you use that is incantless can be thrown over and over again ensuring its effect, no matter the person's ability to dodge. Defenses become useless. It is overpowered and needs more revision, and even if it is from a pve standpoint, no one should be able to throw that many spells like that. Its just rediculous. If you are going to give someone the ability to refresh their abilities infinetly, might as well give it to everyone.

"Chill out, give it a chance, and trust that if it's truly broken, I'll fix it."

It hasnt even been seen in play, let's just wait it out and see what happens. If it's shit, you can have all the I told you so's you want.

I second Jop's notion.  Commenting is fine, but be respectful, please.  Forum and game rules still stand, even on design discussions.

I will always believe a miss should count as a miss. Thats one of the risks you take at long range. That being said, I stand behind Thad, and I definitely stand behind Josh's comment. Theres no true way to see if something is broken until you test it.

I think the concept of the idea isn't bad, and I feel some things may end up needing to be tweaked. I think there are some valid points all around, really. All the same, I'd really like to see it in play before I address any concerns I haven't already asked about elsewhere, regardless of whether or not I intend to use it myself.  

from what i have observed from the many of yrs of larping (since '00) and gaming in general there will ALWAYS be someone not happy over someone else getting a new spell or ability.. not to step on any toes but chill out!! we come to orn to hang with one another and play a game not bicker over who gets to do what. atleast that's why i come.

I come for the bickering...

I like the sound of this. Unfortunately I am unble to pick up this ability because I have no more actions left. :(