Illithids

Leiland · Post by **Leiland** » Wed Apr 02, 2003 8:24 pm

With any character there are choices to make about how to play the character. Illithids and elves happen to get skill related choices as well as role-playing choices. Death field is an evil spell. How many "good" people out there would cast a spell that just kills everything in the room? What if some poor good natured and innocent mob walks in just before you cast, eh? Elves become more and more evil every time they cast energy drain because it's an innately evil spell. It just doesn't make sense for a saintly person to go around energy draining little bunnies and city guards for extra hit points. Sure, you can use it against evil mobs as well, but the concept of energy drain is evil, at least that's the way I've always interpreted it. And as I see, the same goes with death field. If you don't want to be evil, then you can't have the benefits of evil spells. Also, death field is extremely powerful. There has to be _some_ restriction on it.

On a side note, if death field were to be changed at all, which I highly doubt will happen any time soon, I would suggest that the level range on which it works be changed to include low level mobs. I never did understand why you can't effectively death field a mob more than 5 levels lower than you. I understand 5 levels above, but come on... I can't pull off an effective death field on an elven scout at level 40. That's pretty pathetic.

Divebomb · Post by **Divebomb** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 7:15 am

Stars wrote:As for illithids, I have never seen anything that might suggest they don't feel the effects of drinking.

What has there been to suggest that they SHOULD feel the effects of drinking? Illithids are not humans, it may not affect them the same. There is no reason to say that they should be affected more, less, or the same as everyone else.

Leiland wrote:I understand 5 levels above, but come on... I can't pull off an effective death field on an elven scout at level 40. That's pretty pathetic.

You assume that the magical nature of the spell should have an influence over all creatures when in fact, depending on how much power you have (i.e. your level) it only affects those in a similar power range (+- five levels). This makes huge mobs immune as well as tiny mobs. They simply have too much or not enough power to be influenced by the effects.

I'm not saying that death field shouldn't affect mobs at a low level, but i think if it does, it's becomes the cheapest spell in the game (in case it's not cheap already). Nothing like walking your level 50 illithid behind your level 10 dwarf and using death field to incapacitate mobs and kill them with single blow by the baby character.

Stars · Post by **Stars** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 9:47 am

If you had bothered to read any of my other posts, and I know you have, then you can see how silly this sounds...

Divebomb wrote:What has there been to suggest that they SHOULD feel the effects of drinking? Illithids are not humans, it may not affect them the same. There is no reason to say that they should be affected more, less, or the same as everyone else.

Of course there is evidence that illithids feel the effects of alcohol. They get drunk now, don't they? If you are suggesting that illithids should be changed so that alcohol does not affect them, then you are free to support that suggestion. It is at this point not in the illithid description, or any other place in BR that I can find, saying that it might be so.
"help illithid" claims that illithids are a peaceful race. Now, this could be viewed in a number of ways. First, peaceful may simply mean that they abhor physical combat. This would coincide with the d&d mind-flayer, who prefer to use their mental powers over any other confrontation, possibly even running from conventional fights. Peaceful might also mean that the nature of the race is totally benign. They usually do not wish to harm others. However, this does not mean that there would not be the occasional bad seed. There could be a million zillion explanations for evil illithids. The help file just suggests they are peaceful by nature, which might imply they are nice to others...unless you tick them off, apparently (only because they have such nasty offensive spells).
I have stated previously that all magic-users should have penalties to spellcasting abilities while drunk, not just illithids. Not only that, but fighers should have their physical attacks penalized. That includes just about everyone, if I'm not mistaken. No one was singling out illthids for unfair treatment here. I'd like to see alcohol changed dramatically from how it is now, if not by my examples then hopefully be someone elses.

Divebomb · Post by **Divebomb** » Thu Apr 03, 2003 2:25 pm

I was refuting both sides of the argument.

There's no evidence that alcohol effects should be changed or should be the way there in the first place. Based on that, there's no support to change them. I used your quote because it was the most meaningful comment that I found first. I didn't actually disagree with you.

Ginzor · Post by **Ginzor** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:01 am

Bah!
I posted the alcohol change thingie in the first place cause I thought it might be a good thing.
And one might think about whats the meaning of this forum if not posting ideas,

I will make it clear that its not up to me to make the desicion!
So there!

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Mon May 19, 2003 8:27 am

SQUIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lairian · Post by **Lairian** » Tue May 20, 2003 2:11 pm

Alcohol affects all creatures with minds of any sort we know of. Heck, it was a popular remedy back in the day for overly aggressive pigs.

If Illithids are carbon based oxygen breathing creatures, which I assume they are since they eat the same food as other races and don't need gas masks of some sort, there should be no reason why alcohol wouldn't affect them.

Ginzor · Post by **Ginzor** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:22 am

Alcohol affects all creatures with minds of any sort we know of. Heck, it was a popular remedy back in the day for overly aggressive pigs.

If Illithids are carbon based oxygen breathing creatures, which I assume they are since they eat the same food as other races and don't need gas masks of some sort, there should be no reason why alcohol wouldn't affect them.

That will bring us back to what I wrote quite a while ago. The first thing about Illithids and alcohol I suggested was that alcohol affects the mind of every living creature. Should illithids be able to think and use their mind attacks as well drunk as sober?

Nyteshade · Post by **Nyteshade** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:44 am

my 2 cents illithids suck anyway why penalize them more the don't get dual, enhanced damage, can't/don't get to wear flaming eq, and need to use there mana for EVERYTHING. I think they should just stay the same

Comatose · Post by **Comatose** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:51 am

Nyteshade wrote:my 2 cents illithids suck anyway why penalize them more the don't get dual, enhanced damage, can't/don't get to wear flaming eq, and need to use there mana for EVERYTHING. I think they should just stay the same

I totally disagree. Illithids do not suck. Very few know how to play them well. Those I have seen that do know how to play an illithid are amazing.

Ginzor · Post by **Ginzor** » Wed May 21, 2003 8:15 am

Just imagine the leveling spree in heroland!
Heal Restore, death field, death field, death field!
Do I need to say more?

Stars · Post by **Stars** » Wed May 21, 2003 8:34 am

Ginzor wrote:That will bring us back to what I wrote quite a while ago. The first thing about Illithids and alcohol I suggested was that alcohol affects the mind of every living creature. Should illithids be able to think and use their mind attacks as well drunk as sober?

You know, this brings me back to what I have written earlier. All spellcasters should have penalties to spellcasting while they are drunk. All fighters should have penalties to fighting while drunk. Perhaps there could be a new skill called "drunken fighting" that negates these penalties. Dwarves might be the only race naturally immune to the negative effects of alcohol.

Ginzor · Post by **Ginzor** » Wed May 21, 2003 9:05 am

This reminds me of the game Fallout 2 (wink @ Croplin) where you can gain a perk called drunken fighting and become a 20% better fighter when under the influence of alcohol.
Wee!

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue May 27, 2003 2:32 pm

How about a mass energy drain spell for ills, where it takes energy from every mob in the room, but it lowers their align double of that a normal energy drain would do if not more. This would not only help with the whole evil thing but would be fun to have (if not practicle) think of it, being able to tap into the beings of others in order to restore your own life force. only drawback would be if it failed then all of the would attack you

calling it like Subversion or something Subversion of the Body/mind I dun know.... this is just a weak attempt to have ills get charm....

(*knows he should drop this argument already*)

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue May 27, 2003 2:36 pm

or a spell which causes like weaken,fairie fire (or something like it making the mob easier to hit), and blindess or a mix of those or something called like hypnotic gaze of doom!!! or just draining gaze or something. If we already have somehting like this let me know