Greetings one and all,

Now I'm not sure if this idea has been toyed with before or if it's the pipeline. It may not even really be feasible in terms of coding and/or gameplay but this forum is for ideas so here it is.

How about having blank scrolls and plain potions which can be infused with magic from the various spell casting classes? Perhaps the scrolls can be *scribed* and the potions *imbued* (or something along those lines) with any spell the caster has knowledge of. It could perhaps follow the same guidelines as recharge where it costs 3 times the casting cost of the spell. This would probably mean creating new skills for the magical classes (perhaps in line with recharge so those classes that get recharge also perhaps get the skill scribe and/or imbue).
To keep it in balance (so that you don't have a big bad giant running around with 50 full heal scrolls) the potions and/or scrolls could maybe be made a very rare random load?

As I say, not sure if the idea is workable, but could be an interesting twist. Any feedback would be good, let me know what you think.


Bannik.

The idea is doable with code, but gameplay balancing comes to mind. As you've noted, you don't exactly want some supertank to run around with 50 full heal and sanctuary scrolls, nor a million portal scrolls and whatnot.

Scribing and potion mixing are two things that would really be neat, but there has to be a way to balance it all. The load rate on the special bottles and/or parchment could be set to an extremely low random, but would put it in the same class as cracklers. How many people do you see running around with THOSE on their shoulders?

The limitation idea is good, but it does TOO good of a job of limiting. Having it cost 3x the amount of power/mana/songs (you can write your ballads out, too) is also a good way, but my cleric is case-in-point that it doesn't take long to regen 600 mana after recharging a full heal if you have the right gear

If a really solid way can be determined that would balance it out as well as keep the practical usage of the skills alive, then let us know! I'll be thinking of ways it can be accomplished as well, and I'll post my thoughts as a reply to this post

I could definitely see something like this in the game. Great idea, man

Thanks for the great response Vulsin, as always feedback is great

Just to perhaps clarify the idea a little. Do you think these scrolls and potions would recycle in the game naturally? (And this might be the tricky coding bit)
Once say, a potion or scroll, had been infused with a certain spell, it became a potion or scroll of *spell name*, even if maybe the item name change thing can't be done in terms of coding you could get someone to identify magic on it once charged with a spell.

As a normal scroll or potion would, once the item is used after being charged, it disappears from your inventory and the blank item would then return into the loading pool to be picked up by some other lucky little adventurer.

Perhaps there is a way of making their chance to load a bit better, but putting a cap on how many can be in the game at any one time - maybe like 20 of each or something like that.

If it worked this way, I think they might circulate pretty well.

As I say, this might be too tricky to code, but let me know what you think.

I'll also have a think about the wider range of the usage of skills like scribe and potion mixing - some very interesting possibilities there...

(Everyone elses feedback is more than welcome too)


Bannik.

One idea you might want to add to the mix (so to speak) is ingredients (at least for potions -- I suppose sacrificing some type of artifact could work as well for certain scrolls). You could then have a virtually unlimited number of "blank" potions and scrolls without a problem, you just have to create the ingredients with appropriate scarcity (and naturally some type of power/level association). That way it would be more useful to lower level players (who might want to just make a potion of refresh instead of a potion of ultimate power). Building them would be a bit of a bear, but it would certainly make for some fun skills that could earn a player a little bit of money or even power if used properly. Figuring out which classes get which skills and at which level will need to factor into the balancing act as well, no easy task.

Just a few thoughts.

Best regards to all,

--Nezmar

P.S. Keep them ideas rolling, they are great!

This may be slightly off topic, but what's wrong with an unlimited supply? I mean, it's not like the big bad guys don't run around with clerics in their pockets today (and, ahem, you know who you are). Give the little guys some of that advantage too.

For that matter, why can't we just have full heal and sanc potions/scrolls sold in the shops?

The empty bottles and blank scrolls could be normal items, but have a certain item type (think of mixing bowls - containers that have a special type that lets you mix in 'em), which would allow anyone to have as many as they wanted.

The ingredient thing is an extremely good idea, which would work well with the idea. One thing I might suggest is instead of "a potion of fireshield", maybe have it so it's some sort of color, viscosity or smell. "A thick, red potion" or something similar comes to mind.

Some of the lower-level ingredients (to make refresh potions and the like) could be easily available, and even a whole shop could be dedicated to selling such (Shaler's shop?) so it could be useful at all levels. The super powerful ingredients for spells such as full heal, fireshield and whatnot could be very rare, which would make their value be greater. Hey, great way to jumpstart some sort of economy, eh?

As for the full heal, sanctuary and similar scrolls/potions not being sold, I really don't see why they can't be. Have the value of certain ones high enough so that if you wanted 100 of them, you'd have to shell out a pretty hefty sum of cash.

And I've just gotten another idea, though it's way offtopic, so I'll post to a new thread

Keep the ideas comin'!

On the same token as ingredients being hard to find... And the "blank" scrolls...

Easy solution.

Put them all in a shop, have a high price. This limits the part where someone's running around with 20 full heals. Because, said potion takes, say, 250K to produce, and the "alchemist", of course.

No one mentioned anything about earning experience for this. Wouldn't it be cool to say you leveled a mortal mage from 50-100 simply by experimenting with a mortar and pestle and creating potions and scrolls? I think assassins should be able to earn experience by concocting poisons. And why can't ninjas make smoke bombs and powdered flash bangs that give them an exit or a window for a guttural kick? The smoke could build up like a fireshield/iceshield showdown, and the flash bang could be an instant auto blind/paralyze for everyone in the room for a prompt or two, depending on your saving throws (GIVING THEM A PURPOSE).

And like what was previously stated, all of the ingredients could be purchased, although at a price somewhere near the stratosphere, until the inflation is under control. But the lower level ingredients could be bought and loaded easily.

Sorry if I'm rambling now, but I really like where this thought process is going.

SOunds like a good idea, couldn't one of the shops in town buy and sell some of the ingridents and so forth in order to keep or help the flow of gold through town. This would help out the newer player looking to make some much needed gold but not have the vial for mixing or the skill, and would give more gold to the shops from the older players buying the needed supplies for mixing potions.

Trogan

http://www.dl2.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=166

hey you wanted short simple and sweet, just because I never jotted down the full list dosn't mean it wasn't discussed in the past.

I got a better idea, vote, and log onto build server. Or wait. Mail me at ottoderfrosch@swbell.net with what you'd like to seen built since no one is gonna help me.
Thanks