[Skill] to be named Melee skill mod

Discussion in 'Modding' started by Concept, Jul 15, 2015.

  1. Concept

    Concept Member

    I've had the distinct and terrible pleasure of wanting to mod a game that no one talks about (or possibly plays?) anymore. While I am many years late to the party, I would still like to party. I've been navigating the poorly documented XML files for the game and using what modding resources are available here to cobble together a mod of my very own~

    Unfortunately what I lack is a mastery of the game itself. While I enjoy dungeons of dredmor I've maybe killed Dredmor once in the past few years. Rarely do I even reach the double digit floors. I enjoy dredmor more for making builds and mixing abilities. As such I've really enjoyed using mods that add skills. So I figured why not make one myself?

    I've essentially coded the mechanics of a yet unnamed melee skill mod but I'm having some difficulties with the numbers of said mod.
    The basic mechanics of the mod work as such: Each level of the 6 level Skill gives a separate chance to generate a buff on attack. For the sake of discussion let me call this "Buff A."
    Buff A gives you a damage bonus of an exotic type. When you attack, the buff is removed after the damage is applied.

    Fairly simple so far: you have a chance to get anywhere between 0 and 6 stacks of this buff when you attack. Any current stacks are used up in that attack and a new set of stacks are generated. As such every attack you make has a bonus of 0-6 of the buff.
    The current balance for Buff A generation leaves you at a 30% to generate no buffs, a 40% for 1 buff and a lower chance for the rest, with 6 buffs very rarely triggered.

    Here the mod gets a big more tricky as far as balance goes.

    A skill is then introduced to allow you to store Buff A stacks. You can convert Buff A stacks into Buff B. Buff B is not used on attacks and remains with you. As of right now Buff B does nothing, but I've been experimenting with it give some small bonus, however I can't figure a good number for that bonus. Similarly as of right now Buff B is is more or less permanent, I've experimented with Brittle buffs and giving it a duration but neither felt satisfying. I've also tried making the permanent Buff B not just give you a bonus but also a malus making them not necessarily purely beneficial. However I've noticed DoD in general as a design does not impose penalties no you but rather doesn't give you bonuses if it needs to punish something.
    But the fun does not merely end there.
    Buff B, upon reaching 5 stacks automatically converts itself into Buff C, giving all the benefits of 5 stacks of Buff B but with an additional bonus! The same balance questions for Buff B apply to C, as written above.

    The ride never ends.

    The final active skill of the mod allows you to cast it by giving up a stack of Buff C. Whereupon it consumes a one stack of Buff B every turn (it will also automatically convert any C to B should you run out of B but still have stacks of C). I have no idea what kind of stats would be appropriate for this active skill . It is meant to be some clearly overpowered form of some kind but I'm not sure of what kind of stats are justified by the cost.

    The final passive skill of the mod simply gives you a passive chance on hit to generate a stack of Buff B

    If I could get some feedback on the mechanics as well as proposed bonuses I would be grateful. I've been as vague as possible in the mechanics as the flavor the class is up for change. As it stands right now, most of the abilities give a bonus to righteous damage and the buffs are called smites. This is due to the fact I started making this mod because I like hearing the noise righteous damage makes.