Stat Damage Effects -- How They Should Be

[Certon]

As of this posting the effects of inflicting stat damage to a mob are sub-par at best. For STR, DEX, and CON, the mob becomes stunned for a short time, then seems to become immune to further stat damage. It doesn't seem that damage to INT, WIS, or CHA has any effect whatsoever!

Two solutions -- the Easy Way and the Hard Way

The Easy Way

When a mob's stat is drained to 0, the standard effects occur. In addition, any stat damage to the mob against a stat that was drained to 0 would instead deal 10 untyped damage per point drained. This damage would completely ignore ALL forms of damage reduction.

The Hard Way

STRENGTH: When a mob's strength is drained to 0, they attack at a 50% reduction in speed and they become immune to strength damage until their stat is brought above 0.

DEXTERITY: When a mob's dexterity is drained to 0, they lose all evasion and improved evasion capability, and move at -75% speed. They become immune to dexterity damage until their stat is brought above 0.

CONSTITUTION: When a mob's constitution is drained to 0, their maximum Hit Points drop by 50% and automatically fail fortitude checks on a roll of 1-3. They also become immune to constitution damage until their stat is brought above 0.

INTELLIGENCE: When a mob's intelligence is drained to 0, they lose the ability to cast spells based on INT. They gain immunity to stat damage to intelligence until that stat is brought above 0.

WISDOM: When a mob's wisdom is drained to 0, they lose the ability to cast spells based on WIS. They also become easily controlled, automatically failing saves vs. charm. They gain immunity to stat damage to wisdom until that stat is brought above 0.

CHARISMA: When a mob's charisma is drained to 0, they lose the ability to cast spells based on CHA. Further damage to CHA deals 10 points of untyped damage per point drained.

[MrCow]

This is currently what happens when a monster is brought to 0 in a stat (for a stat they don't have labeled as "-").

• The monster is considered helpless:
  
  • The monster takes +50% more damage from most methods of damage (or more in unique cases).
  • The monster loses the ability to use spells or spell-like abilities, but retains the ability to use effects that are not classified as such (like scorpion burrowing or trip).
  • The monster's evasion is disabled.
• If the monster goes from 1 CON to 0 CON:
  
  • The monster is stunned (helpless variant) for 6 seconds.

All monsters slowly recover 1 attribute damage per 1 minute of time, per attribute. Monsters (and players) can not have an attribute go below 0.



The current implementation of attribute damage isn't entirely far off your suggestion, barring the things like "takes 10 points of untyped damage" or "move at -75% speed".

[GoRinNoSho]

Str drain should encumber things technically reducing attack speed etc.

Since 0 ability no longer kills and there is no autocritical then I think some of the ability score shields should be relooked at.

[Certon]

This is currently what happens when a monster is brought to 0 in a stat (for a stat they don't have labeled as "-").

• The monster is considered helpless:
  
  • The monster takes +50% more damage from most methods of damage (or more in unique cases).
  • The monster loses the ability to use spells or spell-like abilities, but retains the ability to use effects that are not classified as such (like scorpion burrowing or trip).
  • The monster's evasion is disabled.
• If the monster goes from 1 CON to 0 CON:
  
  • The monster is stunned (helpless variant) for 6 seconds.

All monsters slowly recover 1 attribute damage per 1 minute of time, per attribute. Monsters (and players) can not have an attribute go below 0.



The current implementation of attribute damage isn't entirely far off your suggestion, barring the things like "takes 10 points of untyped damage" or "move at -75% speed".

My confusion lies in the fact that once a mob's CON is drained to 0, it pretty much should be perma helpless if it is still being hit my CON draining weapons, but instead it seems like their CON stat becomes, as you put it, "--" All that work draining CON for a six second stun? I don't know... Also Epic Hard and Elite completely negate stat damage it SEEMS. I see lots of 0 DEX and 0 CON on mobs at those settings. Stat damage went from being too powerful to too milktoast. Can't we find a balance?