A God am I - Egyptian Magic

This is the 1.1.1 version. Next post will have the 1.1.2 version.

Code:

  <!-- Sandstorm -->
 
<spell name="Asp Target Hit Effect" type="targetfloor" >
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Sandstorm" spell="Asp Poison Cloud" percentage="50"/>
  </spell>
 
  <!-- extra fun Sandstorm hit effects -->
 
<spell name="The Test Of Time" type="self" >
  <buff useTimer="0" stacksize="1" allowstacking="0" removable="1" bad="0"
        icon="skills/test_of_time64.png"
        smallicon="skills/test_of_time32.png" >
      <primaryBuff id="1" amount="5" /> <!-- SAG -->
      <secondaryBuff id="10" amount="2" /> <!-- armour -->
      <resistbuff blasting="5" />
      <halo name="sprites/sfx/imhotep/imhotep" first="0" num="1" frameRate="100" centerEffect="1"/>
      </buff>
  <description text="Truly, you were built to stand the test of time. (Thanks, Imhotep!)" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="The Ruin Of Time" type="target" >
  <buff useTimer="0" stacksize="1" allowstacking="0" removable="1" bad="0"
        icon="skills/test_of_time64.png"
        smallicon="skills/test_of_time32.png" >
      <primaryBuff id="0" amount="-5" /> <!-- BUR -->
      <secondaryBuff id="10" amount="-5" /> <!-- armour -->
      <resistbuff blasting="-5" />
      </buff>
  <description text="Truly, this one has failed the test of time. Watch it crumble. (Thanks, Imhotep!)" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Asp Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Asp Poison Cloud" percentage="50" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Imhotep Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="100" taxa="Animal" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="100" taxa="Construct" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="100" taxa="Other" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="100" taxa="Undead" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Test Of Time" percentage="100" taxa="Player" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Anubis Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="damage" putrefying="2" putrefyingF="0.1" necromantic="2" necromanticF="0.1" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Ra Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="On Fire" percentage="90" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Fire 1" percentage="50" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Sandstorm Cloud"
      type="targetfloor"
      icon="skills/spells/conjure_miasma32.png"
      mineTimer="6"
      mineSpriteDrawOrder="1"
      mineSpritePNGSeries="sprites/sfx/sandstorm/sandstorm"
      mineSpritePNGFirst="0"
      mineSpritePNGNum="5"
      mineSpritePNGRate="100"
      mine="1"
      mineradius="1"
      minePermanent="1"
      minesMustBeUnobstructed="0">
  <effect type="damage" blasting="1" slashing="1" blastingF="0.06" slashingF="0.05" piercing="1" affectscaster="1" />
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Asp" spell="Asp Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Imhotep" spell="Imhotep Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Anubis" spell="Anubis Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Eye of Ra" spell="Ra Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
  </spell>
 
 
<spell name="Call the Sandstorm" type="targetfloor" icon="skills/sandstorm32.png">
  <requirements mincost="12" mp="24" savvyBonus="0.1" />
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="50" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Asp" spell="Sandstorm2" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Imhotep" spell="Sandstorm3" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Anubis" spell="Sandstorm4" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Eye of Ra" spell="Sandstorm5" percentage="100"/>
  <description text="Channel the fury of nature and the Ruin of Time to blast away ye mighty enemies - and despair. The Sandstorm becomes more powerful with the more Egyptian Glyphs you have active."/>
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm2" type="template" templateID="09">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm3" type="template" templateID="15">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm4" type="template" templateID="21">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm5" type="template" templateID="22">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Sandstorm Hit Effect" type="targetfloor" >
  <effect type="damage" blasting="1" blastingF="0.2" slashing="1" slashingF="0.2" secondaryScale="3" />
  <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" percentage="100" />
  </spell>

 

Here is the 1.1.2 version.

Code:

  <!-- Sandstorm -->
 
<spell name="Asp Target Hit Effect" type="targetfloor" >
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Imhotep" spell="Asp Poison Cloud" percentage="35"/>
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Sand in Eyes" type="target" >
  <buff useTimer="1" time="30" self="0"
        stackable="1" stacksize="5" bad="1"
        icon="skills/sand_in_eyes64.png"
        smallicon="skills/sand_in_eyes32.png" >
      <secondarybuff id="18" amount="-1" /> <!-- negative sight syntax is broken! leaving this here 'til fixed -->
      <!-- <sightbuff amount="-1" /> --><!-- archaic sight syntax works in negative -->
      <secondarybuff id="9" amount="-10" /> <!-- EDR -->
      <secondarybuff id="17" amount="-2" /> <!-- trap sight -->
      </buff>
  <description text="The sand does not belong in your eyes!" />
  </spell>
 
  <!-- extra fun Sandstorm hit effects -->
 
<spell name="The Test Of Time" type="self" >
  <buff useTimer="1" stacksize="1" allowstacking="0" removable="0" bad="0" self="1" time="64"
        icon="skills/test_of_time64.png"
        smallicon="skills/test_of_time32.png" >
      <primaryBuff id="1" amount="5" /> <!-- SAG -->
      <secondaryBuff id="10" amount="2" /> <!-- armour -->
      <resistbuff blasting="4" />
      <effect type="removebuffbyname" name="The Ruin of Time" amount="1" />
      <halo name="sprites/sfx/imhotep/imhotep" first="0" num="1" frameRate="100" centerEffect="1"/>
      </buff>
  <description text="Truly, you were built to stand the test of time. (Thanks, Imhotep.)" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="The Ruin Of Time" type="target" >
  <buff useTimer="1" stacksize="1" allowstacking="0" removable="0" bad="1" self="0" time="24"
        icon="skills/test_of_time64.png"
        smallicon="skills/test_of_time32.png" >
      <primaryBuff id="0" amount="-3" /> <!-- BUR -->
      <secondaryBuff id="10" amount="-3" /> <!-- armour -->
      <resistbuff blasting="-2" />
      </buff>
  <description text="Truly, this one has failed the test of time. Watch it crumble. (Thanks, Imhotep.)" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Asp Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Asp Poison Cloud" percentage="40" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Imhotep Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="50" taxa="Animal" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="50" taxa="Construct" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="50" taxa="Other" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Ruin Of Time" percentage="50" taxa="Undead" />
  <!-- anyone want to let me know why the ruin of time is fired on the player? I suppose taxa isn't respected in that case -->
  <effect type="trigger" spell="The Test Of Time" percentage="50" taxa="Player" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Anubis Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="damage" putrefying="2" putrefyingF="0.09" necromantic="1" necromanticF="0.09" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Ra Sandstorm Effect" type="target" >
  <effect type="trigger" spell="On Fire" percentage="80" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Fire 1" percentage="40" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Sandstorm Cloud"
      type="targetfloor"
      icon="skills/spells/conjure_miasma32.png"
      mineTimer="6"
      mineSpriteDrawOrder="1"
      mineSpritePNGSeries="sprites/sfx/sandstorm/sandstorm"
      mineSpritePNGFirst="0"
      mineSpritePNGNum="5"
      mineSpritePNGRate="100"
      mine="1"
      mineradius="1"
      minePermanent="1"
      minesMustBeUnobstructed="0">
  <effect type="damage" blasting="1" slashing="1" blastingF="0.05" slashingF="0.04" piercing="1" affectscaster="1" />
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Asp" spell="Asp Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Imhotep" spell="Imhotep Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Anubis" spell="Anubis Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Eye of Ra" spell="Ra Sandstorm Effect" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Sand in Eyes" percentage="33" taxa="Player" />
  <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Call the Sandstorm" type="targetfloor" icon="skills/sandstorm32.png">
  <requirements mincost="13" mp="25" savvyBonus="0.09" />
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="50" centerEffect="1" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Sand in Eyes" percentage="33" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Asp" spell="Sandstorm2" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Imhotep" spell="Sandstorm3" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of Anubis" spell="Sandstorm4" percentage="100"/>
  <effect type="trigger" requirebuffontrigger="1" requirebuffontriggername="Glyph of the Eye of Ra" spell="Sandstorm5" percentage="100"/>
  <description text="Channel the fury of nature and the Ruin of Time to blast away ye mighty enemies - and despair. The Sandstorm becomes more powerful with the more Egyptian Glyphs you have active."/>
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm2" type="template" templateID="09">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm3" type="template" templateID="15">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm4" type="template" templateID="21">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
<spell name="Sandstorm5" type="template" templateID="22">
    <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
    <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" />
  </spell>
 
<spell name="Sandstorm Hit Effect" type="targetfloor" >
  <effect type="damage" blasting="1" blastingF="0.2" slashing="1" slashingF="0.2" secondaryScale="3" />
  <anim sprite="sprites/sfx/stancechange/stancechange" frames="5" framerate="100" centerEffect="1" />
  <effect type="trigger" spell="Sandstorm Cloud" percentage="100" />
  </spell>

 

Or, to summarize:

• Adds the "Sand in the Eyes" debuff
• Test of Time and Ruin of Time are now on a timer, and Test of time weakened slightly, Ruin of Time weakened significantly
• Asp Poison clouds spawn slightly less often
• Test of Time and Ruin of Time don't spawn as often (and Test of Time replaces Ruin of Time on the player when it does. I think this code looks like it's still glitchy possibly? I'm not sure whether it's intended or not but taxa doesn't work on triggers...)
• Anubis Sandstorm effect does 3+.18mag damage instead of 4+.2 mag (split between necromantic and putrefying
• Ra sandstorm effect sets things on fire less often.
• The sand clouds damage scales slightly less. (.01 times magic power less for both blasting and slashing damage)
• Spell is 25-.09 sag MP to cast instead of 24-.1 sag to cast.

TL;DR: It costs a tad more, does a tad less damage, and triggers special effects less. Also: Sand in the Eyes has a chance to hit you when you cast it. (and whenever anyone steps in the clouds I think? It looks like it's supposed to only give you that if YOU step in the cloud but, as mentioned, taxa does not actually work on triggers.)

 

Thanks. That does clear it up.

 

Let me revive this thread.
Egyptian magic synergizes amazigly with warrior skills.
Basic template for an Egyptian Warrior: The eponymous Egyptian Magic, Ley Walker and Blood Magic + 4 other warrior skills of choice.
I do Berserker, Maces, Dual Wielding and Smithing.
Sandstorm still wrecks things, and the Asp Empowerment is amazing.

 

If you only intend to use the first skill of the Leywalker tree, you can always sub it out for Tourism. I've done it a few times.

 

No, I upgrade it a lot.

 

I'm fairly certain everyone takes Ley Walker for its exceedingly powerful spell, Thaumaturgic Tap. It's basically free mana, and nullifies mana issues until DL5 or so, and even then it's stupidly good.

Honestly, I prefer Ley Walker to Blood Mage.

 

As do I. The passive needs a touch more to be worthwhile, but the free mana on a timer can be an emergency escape button when your other emergency escape buttons cannot work due to no mana.

 

I'm just curious: which part of the stacked effects does the AOE on melee knockback when I have all four glyphs running? Is that just from the Ra glyph, or is it a particular combination? That's -really- awkward in crowded areas, when it blasts say, the artifact I was wandering over to get onto an inaccessible island, so learning how to turn it off might be a good plan.

 

Ra knocks back. The others I think are not capable of this. Turn the rest off and try. Drop any one item on the ground and walk a step back from it. Wait until a monster walks onto that square and hit them. Did the item move?

 

It's the Ra that knocks stuff back,

 

OP here.

Derpin' around level 13, the latest samuraibots around are the first enemies able to shrug off the sandstorms.

Glyph of Ra still pretty much bosses them around.

(Staves, Crossbows, Ley Lines, Alchemy, Tinkering,. Smithing and Egyptian Magic)

 

That's pretty much my recent experience with it as well.

It's rather telling that the spell maintained effectiveness that far down despite your splashing in various warrior and rogue skills that in theory should be handicapping your .

 

Check the screenshot and you'll see that most if not all equipment in the character sheet is and friendly

 

"OP here" has two ways it can be interpreted, and I mis-read you.
You meant "I'm the Original Poster of this thread."
I thought you meant "This skill seems Over Powered to me."

My most recent Egyptian character was really focused and always had mana to spare, so my response to any monster four or more spaces away was a sandstorm. Zoos were a walk in the (sand-strewn and dune-covered) park.

It felt OP(definition 2) compared to just about any other character I've played lately, but left me wondering if maybe the single-mindedness of the rest of my build was the explanation. Your posts illustrate that it's still extremely strong even in a hybrid build that's only 3/7ths wizard.

I see that (now).

Mainly I'm just saying that if you had more wizard skills your would be 8 to 13 points higher, your 30+ higher, and all spell costs would have hit minimum much sooner. You don't need that level of specialization because the sand storm does the dirty work so well. The storm is still wrecking monsters despite your having levels in tinker, smith and crossbow instead of (say) blood magic, wandcrafting and magical training. It's just that good.

 

Perhaps we could neuter the base damages and increase scaling? We could also increase some upkeep costs for the buffs. We could increase base mana costs, and then increase savviness scaling.

These changes would make Egyptian Magic more wizard oriented. However, this has a problem: this adversely affects the gish part of the skill.

So, again, we need to ask ourselves what the tree should be. Is it okay that it can be a primary mage skill? I don't think so. Sandstorm needs more utility, less damage, and damage ought to be moved to the other buffs (which are supposed to be The Point, in my opinion.)

The skill revolves around mana management and power scaling from handling upkeep buffs. And yet, it also has a hugely powerful AoE skill that serves as a bread and butter tool for damage.

If the devs were willing to put in the time to code it, we could put Sandstorm on both a mana cost and a cooldown timer (basically making it so downtime="" didn't automatically ignore mana requirements.) This is something I'd like to see happen for mods, anyway, but it could be a good way to balance the spell, as well as make Sandstorm quite unique.

Of course, with a cooldown, it'd likely need to retain its power, or receive a LOT of utility (which I find more preferable.)

In Heroes of Newerth there's a hero who has a "Sandstorm" spell, that when activated shrouds him in a sandstorm, which renders him invisible and slows nearby enemies. This might seem unrelated, but my point is it's a utility spell that fits thematically. I'm not saying give Sandstorm an invisibility aspect (though this is an option) but rather the spell could give some sort of utility after its damage is decreased.

Take my suggestions with a grain of salt, please. They're suppositions in every possible way. The biggest point I want to make is: What do we want Egyptian Magic to do? Once that question is answered, balance will become clearer.

 

I think putting Sandstorm on a timer is the best option. If you make it also subtract some mana when you cast it (it doesn't cost mana, but it subtracts, say, 25 when you cast it, or whatever portion you have) then it has interesting anti-synergy with the significant mana upkeep costs from the rest of the tree.

Here's the problem this solves: Egyptian Magic is a very nice wizard skill for folks who attack in melee. It requires significant mana upkeep to accomplish this. But if you have the mana upkeep skills / items to handle that, you also have enough mana to spam spells like Sandstorm. Conversely, if you can't get enough mana to use the main buff spells, you also don't have enough mana to spend on a spell like Sandstorm.

If we leave the mana-management for the buffs, (both casting cost and upkeep) and put Sandstorm on a timer, I think both types of builds are improved.

 

How about having Sandstorm take away one copy of each Egyptian Magic buff, then?
Not exactly the most elegant way to do that, but it would match the theme ("your glyphs wither in the sandstorm", or something of the kind), force you to spend more time (and more mana) to renew buffs after casting it to retain effectiveness, and it would be more prohibitive to wizards than to warriors because warriors are the ones more likely to have whole stacks of these buffs instead of just one (because they need their mana regeneration, while for warriors mana is just a supplement).

 

Lower Sandstorm base damage a lot (so non-wizards can't instadeath so easily), increase scaling (so wizards can still instadeath, since they gave up some melee and roguey stuff), apply "sand in your eyes" debuff for -25 -25 (so gishes get some help hitting with their magically buffed weapons rather than watching the sand do *all* the work).

Having the melee buffs give a few more non-elemental stats might be good too; are more effective the closer you get to 100, which is easier for a gish than a wizard; and is better the more you have, and is better the more and "AD Caster" (things like Rocket Punch that scale with ) you have, both of which are more common on gishes than wizards.

With these changes, Wizards will still have their room-clearing uberness and some "suck less at melee" stuff similar to Astrology, Viking, Necro, Flesh (ish). Gishes will have some "hey you can spend that otherwise useless booze making yourself better at your primary game plan (melee) as well as picking up something that can help soften up a zoo or boss" (but the low damage and lack of surplus make it not Plan A).

I don't know if any mana costs need to change; is it too cheap for a 70% wizard? Too expensive for a 70% warrior? How many mana skills are needed? Is 3 warrior, 1 rogue, Egyptian and Leylines+Blood an acceptable ratio? etc.