Conjuration/Necromancy
Posted: Sat May 19, 2018 10:03 pm
I've seen a few people mention this here and there but I figured I'd make an individual topic about it. I apologize if this has been discussed already under my radar.
One of the magic skills what was available in later TES games, but not in Daggerfall, was conjuration. I don't know how easy it would be to integrate a new skill (or skills) as a mod (or if it is even possible), but this would could add some extra depth for magic users. This would especially be true if a Necromancer's guild/faction was ever implemented alongside it. Here are some mechanics I envision that would make sense for the system(s):
Conjuration:
Governing Attribute: Intelligence
Conjuration would allow you to summon a subset (or all) of the creatures in the game (any non-humans/humanoid characters). There could be multiple ways that they could be summoned: on self, or on target. On self would simply summon the creature nearby (would need to make sure it doesn't spawn in the void), and on target would simply launch the spell like a projectile, and upon impact with a wall or target, the impact location would be the spot at which the creature is summoned. The spells could have a spell point cost upon summon (or attempted summon), and perhaps, upon a successful summon, a drain on spellpoints constantly until the creature is dismissed somehow by the summoner, the creature dies, or the player runs out of spell points. Initial spell point cost would be based upon the level of the creature that is being summoned. The rate of spell point drain would also depend on the conjuration skill, and a higher skill would result in slower decrease. Of course, the gradual loss of spell points aspect could be ignored or could be left as a configurable option.
Other mechanics that could be integrated into this system would be a chance for the summon to be hostile to the character. For example, a low-level spellcaster will likely find it difficult to summon daedra, and doing so would be dangerous (i.e. the spellcaster would find it difficult to manipulate, tame, and control the mind of the creature summoned). The chance that the summon is hostile would depend, again, on the conjuration skill as well as the creature's level. A (simple) formula for the chance of a summoned creature being hostile could be:
if [creature's level] - [Conjuration Skill/5] < 0:
Chance = 0%
else:
Chance = ( [creature's level] - [Conjuration Skill/5] )*5 [chance is in %]
Of course, this formula is simple. Perhaps an exponential function which decays to 0 as the player skill reaches high levels would be more appropriate (which would give a consistent sense of risk associated with conjuration, no matter the player's skill).
Other mechanics that could be used in this system would be the language skills. I would imagine that a player with a high daedric skill would find it easier to summon a daedric creature than another player with a low daedric skill, assuming their conjuration skills were identical. This influence could be manifested as a lower spell point cost that is based on the associated language skill (if any). This would likely be a secondary effect on the spell's cost; that is, one point in conjuration would be more useful that one point in a language skill for reducing the spell cost. Nonetheless, this would be another way to make the language skills more useful.
Lastly, a necromancer's guild could be implemented into the game alongside this. I imagine that this guild would be difficult to gain entry to, and would be secretive, much like the dark brotherhood and thieves' guild. Perhaps when the player reaches a certain conjuration level (like 50, for example), the guild may offer an invitation. I also imagine that this guild would have close associations with the dark brotherhood and perhaps (more negative) relationships with the mages guild.
Other things to think about would be perhaps the ability to resurrect dead corpses. This could also be governed by conjuration, but could be separated into a separate 'necromancy' skill, although I'm not sure that's entirely necessary. Perhaps resurrected corpses have a chance of being animated as zombies instead of reverting back to their original form (in the case of humanoids).
This is me just shooting some ideas around. Let me know what you guys think, and share some of your ideas as well to perhaps expand from or revise mine.
One of the magic skills what was available in later TES games, but not in Daggerfall, was conjuration. I don't know how easy it would be to integrate a new skill (or skills) as a mod (or if it is even possible), but this would could add some extra depth for magic users. This would especially be true if a Necromancer's guild/faction was ever implemented alongside it. Here are some mechanics I envision that would make sense for the system(s):
Conjuration:
Governing Attribute: Intelligence
Conjuration would allow you to summon a subset (or all) of the creatures in the game (any non-humans/humanoid characters). There could be multiple ways that they could be summoned: on self, or on target. On self would simply summon the creature nearby (would need to make sure it doesn't spawn in the void), and on target would simply launch the spell like a projectile, and upon impact with a wall or target, the impact location would be the spot at which the creature is summoned. The spells could have a spell point cost upon summon (or attempted summon), and perhaps, upon a successful summon, a drain on spellpoints constantly until the creature is dismissed somehow by the summoner, the creature dies, or the player runs out of spell points. Initial spell point cost would be based upon the level of the creature that is being summoned. The rate of spell point drain would also depend on the conjuration skill, and a higher skill would result in slower decrease. Of course, the gradual loss of spell points aspect could be ignored or could be left as a configurable option.
Other mechanics that could be integrated into this system would be a chance for the summon to be hostile to the character. For example, a low-level spellcaster will likely find it difficult to summon daedra, and doing so would be dangerous (i.e. the spellcaster would find it difficult to manipulate, tame, and control the mind of the creature summoned). The chance that the summon is hostile would depend, again, on the conjuration skill as well as the creature's level. A (simple) formula for the chance of a summoned creature being hostile could be:
if [creature's level] - [Conjuration Skill/5] < 0:
Chance = 0%
else:
Chance = ( [creature's level] - [Conjuration Skill/5] )*5 [chance is in %]
Of course, this formula is simple. Perhaps an exponential function which decays to 0 as the player skill reaches high levels would be more appropriate (which would give a consistent sense of risk associated with conjuration, no matter the player's skill).
Other mechanics that could be used in this system would be the language skills. I would imagine that a player with a high daedric skill would find it easier to summon a daedric creature than another player with a low daedric skill, assuming their conjuration skills were identical. This influence could be manifested as a lower spell point cost that is based on the associated language skill (if any). This would likely be a secondary effect on the spell's cost; that is, one point in conjuration would be more useful that one point in a language skill for reducing the spell cost. Nonetheless, this would be another way to make the language skills more useful.
Lastly, a necromancer's guild could be implemented into the game alongside this. I imagine that this guild would be difficult to gain entry to, and would be secretive, much like the dark brotherhood and thieves' guild. Perhaps when the player reaches a certain conjuration level (like 50, for example), the guild may offer an invitation. I also imagine that this guild would have close associations with the dark brotherhood and perhaps (more negative) relationships with the mages guild.
Other things to think about would be perhaps the ability to resurrect dead corpses. This could also be governed by conjuration, but could be separated into a separate 'necromancy' skill, although I'm not sure that's entirely necessary. Perhaps resurrected corpses have a chance of being animated as zombies instead of reverting back to their original form (in the case of humanoids).
This is me just shooting some ideas around. Let me know what you guys think, and share some of your ideas as well to perhaps expand from or revise mine.