So, Necromancy is one of those things on EFU that has always been suitably epic and fun, but more and more I think it is on the PC end so easily stymied. PCs are able to do some seriously fun stuff with animation and conjuration and alchemy and all that but it got me thinking-
What if you could unleash undead? Summon them and then turn them into persistent spawns and globally hostile creatures for a single reset.
Leave a handful of guards outside a meeting that would attack anyone as a psuedo alarm, populate your local graveyard, start a panic in some corner of Mistlocke. So often when anyone sees animated zombies their first instinct is "See Invis + Stomp Necromancer" effectively eliminating an entire force of undead.
I just think it'd add a potential level of subterfuge and ability to hype a necromantic presence without risking such blatant FD. From local cultists to Merchants trying to sell more anti-Undead items by summoning their own undead, then after the attack acting like it's so horrific and buy my "undead warding potions!"
It'd be like a little random encounter that PCs themselves could create without overly needing DM presence. The ability to leave those scribed signs or threatening notes from the writing box...but now amongst your mob of zombies = A pretty cool way to make a name for yourself
Agree, plus this sounds a lot more fun.
Would be nice.
I would fund our Korean scripter studio for a month for this. This would be awesome.
That definatly sounds awesome.
I think this would definitely allow for a greater level of tactical freedom and creativity, too.
When Shevarra and her crew recently attacked Mistlocke with a bunch of undead, I think they just needed to abduct someone. They managed to black out someone but their retreat was delayed because the summons had to be used to keep the village occupied. Had Shevarra transitioned out sooner, so would have the skeletons making for a messy retreat.
I think this is a very good idea, I suppose I'd also suggest rather than have summons simply disappear if you go over the points cap, have them turn on the creator or something similar maybe.
Sounds like an awesome idea.
I guess players will be responsible enough to not leave their created armies around for transition ganks.
cool ^^
something similar to the necromancer system could be added to druids as well, regarding persistent fighting plants, like the assassin vines...
Yes. Though this seems open for abuse by camping a bunch of undead on a transition, much like some nature pc's would do big scary animals.
Course I would think one of the guidelines would be don't put them near transitions, but also would the undead do full damage or subdue?
Controlled undead would presumably do the same as the PC controller was set to. I would not ordinarily expect them to spar, mind. >.>
Uncontrolled undead once released would do full damage, I guess. Unless this hypothetical script was made so the unleashed undead could somehow be instructed to do another type.
As to transition abuse, well, I suppose it is a problem but not necessarily a big one. Our player base generally seems responsible. I would be willing to chance it.
~tOH.
I've wanted this since Mort wrote the animation script. It would add so much more to being an Animator.
Given how this might be a little abuseable, having it as a cool reward for awesome RP'ers, or as a ritual one might find deep in the belly of Nebezzdos or the Conclave ruins. Or both!
Either way, I like it.
EFU has a responsible playerbase. And those few irresponsible players that do come along tend to get sorted out fast.
I agree with Adhesive, sounds like something that would be neat and DM allowable through special ig circumstances.
I thought something like this was already in place for people with SF or GSF Necromancy.
Hells yeah that would be awesome to do without DM help... I also think it's on par with stuff earned IG, via a ritual or gained power or whatever, but yeah - an IG mechanic to get it done on your own is enticing.
It's possible (or was when I discovered it) through partial bug of the engine to already do this, and i won't tell you how, but I never used it for that very reason.
It seems like scripting something like this would be super complicated. If it were possible to be scripted, I'd recommend that the animator's summoning pool was depleted of the appropriate cost of each errant animate for the rest of that reset, or at least until the unleashed minions were destroyed, as per others under their master's command. This would represent how taxing it was to the creator to maintain their existence, whether through divine or arcane means.
The issue of FD or subdual is a lesser point, as the OP is really suggesting they become like other monstrous spawns - hostile and ready to kill... though it would be a cool option to choose their "instructions".
Druids and Rangers can already sorta do this, except they don't have to create anything (and those are definitely FD ;) ). Having a ritual to summon a special guardian to a grove or some such thing might be better pursued ICly, though a scripted ritual would also be sweet!
Imagine what Kiaransaleen would do with this... Goddess yes, Vengeance Hunters on the Graverending!
hmmm... thinking further about it... unleash summons... (the necromancers rage about the try to open it to the general mass)
This would also completely boost the following of Velsharoons dogma as they are supposed to mark their undead and unleash them into the world after they are done using them! I don't think it would be too cool for it to be required by app or quest into Nebezdos however as that would require DM supervision and even more scripting to do. This should be something that DMs don't have to take time off to help a person achieve I think. This is awesome, and certainly will require player responsibility, however rooting players who leave them as transition ganks out should be pretty easy since all the DM has to do is look for who created that undead and BAM! consenquences. This will make sense as instead of just being a summon your actually creating the undead. I always thought it was strange when a person animated something and when they died or decided not to use it, that it would just..fall down dead? The energys put into making it tough drain healing items and time for each individual undead, not to mention bodies, its always a shame when that beautiful masterpiece of a giant lizard, or hulking ogre has to be unsummoned, unleashing it is ever so much sweeter.
I think it'd also be nice to remove the titles "summoned" or "animated" from the spawn. It's a pretty big give away that may lead to metagaming the presence of a necromancer.
I would love to see this! Though it does sound like something only a powerful animator would be able to do. Maybe create items in game that have special properties that can release the undead from your control. Alchemy, plot, or random. It could go a lot of ways! But i dont think its very balanced if every caster can sustain a bunch of summons without losing them.
And maybe just have it be a spellcraft check. Or something cool and interesting like that.
I suppose technically if -this- can be scripted, it would also be scritable to unleash generic summons.
Then again, I think part of the animation script is that animated undead don't have a 'summon duration', but I'm not sure.
If NOT, and there's going to be a script that decommissions the unleashed undead after a while, I think the same should be possible for all summons.
Otherwise, of course, excellenct suggestion.
Animations aren't summoned. However, this would be so very very cool.
oh and once you release the undead they should not be controllable anymore, they shouldn't be hostile to the creator, but the creator can no longer control them if he releases them.. that sounds more fair
Loving it!
Quote from: NecropolisV;312909oh and once you release the undead they should not be controllable anymore, they shouldn't be hostile to the creator, but the creator can no longer control them if he releases them.. that sounds more fair
That's not really logical, if they are released from control and left as rampant sentinels then they should be VERY hostile to the creator, if a necromancer released undead from his will and control they aren't exactly going to be happy with him for enslaving their souls and binding them into corpses etc.
Think of it like this... you got a rabid dog. You keep that rabid dog on a leash and keep it pointed forward, its gonna attack what you want. You let go of that leash, that dog is just as likely to bite you as any other guy.
Having recently played a concept that would have benefited massively from such an implementation, I can only give praise for this suggestion.
It would be a fantastic addition to the server and the process of Necromancy, and allow for an entirely new level of player interaction with concepts that can often become isolated due to the inherent evil that comes with them.
The undead we animate (barring spirits) are mindless creatures, puppets. They aren't a rabid dog or an angry little servant, they're a tool. Telling it to "wait here and attack anyone who comes by" is what we're wanting to do, not "you are released from service, do as you plea-ARGH!"
Either way it works out I'd be thrilled, it's one of those ideas I've had for a while and always wanted to see implemented heh.
I'm bumping this because it's a neat idea that should be implemented some day. I'll make a note to bump it again in a year or so.
Please begin flooding the bug report forum with the new implementation name and roman numbers after next reset. I don't care about this one, even if it is available as a player tool now. You need spell focus necromancy to use it.
Oh hell yes!
Thank you gentlemen! I had been wanting this for so long haha.
If I didn't have some pressing personal matters to attend to I'd so jump on this and create an army of undead garden gnomes to patrol Ymph!
Well played, EfU.