Ideas for the rebalancing of Atmospheric Vortex

[Eldar]

Ok, as I think we all saw earlier, Atmospheric Vortex is just a tad broken in it's current form. It's a mass murder weapon, and it really shouldn't be an 'I win now' button like it seems to be in it's current state.

A few things about the spell for those who don't know.

1. It saps MV and then HP, eventually rendering anyone in the room (including the caster) unconscious on the floor.
2. It does NOT end a combat round, preventing people effected by it and in combat from the caster from fleeing or reacting if they have already taken their action
3. It works indoors (which doesn't make a lot of sense considering the desc it adds to the room.
4. It is only apparent from one room over.
5. It is NOT combat castable

Things that might help to re balance it.

1. Giving it a set duration instead of until the mage collapses on the floor as it currently is.
2. Reducing the amount of damage to MV/HP it currently does.
3. Having it automatically end a combat round and start a new one, to give people a chance to flee.
4. Making it impossible to invoke indoors.
5. Giving it reduced effect at longer ranges.
6. Increasing the amount of damge the caster takes
7. Some combination of the above

Obviously, post any other ideas you all have, and comment on the ones I put up.

[Geras]

I think 2, 4 and 5 are big issues. It's really a who-acts-first kind of thing that encourages both sides to be twinks.

The only one I'd really advocate for as a fix is 3. I'd take that a step farther though and maybe have it engage everyone in the room in combat and then take a couple of combat rounds to progress fully. It would give everyone a chance to act, but still be totally badass.

I wouldn't want to touch the core of it though. It's a badass, powerfull spell that makes mages SCARY. That's a great thing. At the same time it has big limitations (namely it damaging friend or foe, including yourself, alike). I think that's a great thing too.

Also, it should have sharks in it.

[Takta]

I'm of the opinion we need a total and complete refactoring of the spell, to be honest. I hadn't seen it used against other players before and it was just completely broken. There was not time enough to type a single pose between the spell beginning to take effect and everybody going unconscious!

My inclination is that we need to convert all time-based spells to work on a turn system, and probably have turns exist as a more general state that people can be entered into without being in combat.

I.e., if there is a combat going on in the room, everybody in the room is forced into turns. Perhaps the turn command can actually push people into turns as well rather than only being a suggestion (though in that case it'd be nice if you could opt out of turn order).

With a setup like that, Atmospheric Vortex could drop a large amount of damage per turn, but only once per turn, until the caster was rendered unconscious (either by the vortex or by everybody nearby with swords and freaking out).

[Onyxsoulle]

One thing I could see happening, have the strings it sets as it. However, have it so it only does one string per combat round, it would take up the caster's action during the phase until it is done(due to having to concentrate to keep the spell up).

[Eldar]

If that was done, then it's damage would have to be redone so it was appropriate to round based combat. Increasing rather significantly most like, so the caster wouldn't be immediately swarmed by 6 or 7 people. Since it IS intended to be a crowd control spell. For that matter, it should DEFINATELY, seriously hamper fleeing and moving more than it currently does under the turn based system to kind of balance it out a tad. It wouldn't be an I win now anymore, but it would still be an extremely powerful spell which could turn the tide of a fight.

[Geras]

I think Takta's suggestion is a good one.

[Gavin]

I'd like to see a wholesale refactoring of both combat and magic to incorporate turns, as Takta suggests. Whenever someone casts or stabs in a room full of people, about 75% of the OOC chatter that ensues concerns turns (which is admittedly the only fair way to adjudicate such scenes).

In other words, I agree 100%.

Such a system would broadcast turns, and possibly involve an initiative system. It might not need to enforce turns for onlookers. For instance, spectators in a combat scene needn't be held to the same standard.

So, two requests:

(1) Force everyone into turns, allowing parties to opt-out if they're clearly not involved in a particular scene (but in a case of vortex, they would be no matter what); and

(2) Allow all parties to a combat, if agreed upon, to adjust the default timer of 5 minutes - whether to shorten it (could be a HUGE boon in scenes with a ton of people) or extend it, if everyone's watching a duel where folks are writing descriptive combat poses.

[Brent]

Also, keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily render the caster unconscious. There is at least one spell, Thandoks Urth perhaps, that negates the mv/hp loss if cast before the vortex.

Brent

[Leech]

Wouldn't it be easier just to have attacking, or being attacked, in any way shape or form, send you into the combat turn system instead of making onlookers have to 'opt out' or forcing them to turns?

I just foresee it making public duels, tournies, ect, really annoying.

[Geras]

I'd just like to ask that for any spells that are removed for balance reasons like this, that creating a replacement spell be given a high priority. This is especially important for air spells, as combat spells were a huge part of the value in pursuing that element, and without spells like Vortex there isn't that much left aside from one or two nice spells.