Trap the Soul - needs updated for u14 and beyond

[ferrite]

With the new epic content in MoTU, the spell no longer functions on most new enemies that are above 30 hit dice, and there are quite a few of them. The spell needs reworked anyway, and now is as good a time as any to do it. Currently there are three 'versions' of this, slightly wonky spell.

Trap the Soul - 10 HD
Trap the Soul - 20 HD
Trap the Soul - 30 HD

I recommend scrapping all of the above and creating a new spell, 'Trap the Soul'. The caster need no longer select a specific version, the game does it automatically AND utilizes the correct and most efficient shard from your pack. I feel this was the correct way to implement to begin with.

In addition, without changing too much about the curent system, three new shards are added to the current set

Tiny Khyber Dragonshard - up to 10 HD
Small Khyber Dragonshard - up to 20 HD
Average Khyber Dragonshard - up to 30 HD
NEW - Greater Khyber Dragonshard - up to 40 HD
NEW - Superior Khyber Dragonshard - up to 50 HD
NEW - Epic Khyber Dragonshard - above 50 HD

The new shards are acquired same as before, either by drops or combining lesser dragonshards in the Stone of Change.

Naturally this opens up a lot of other things down the road like new crafting recipes and equipment, new bane-type weapons, etc.

[soulaeon]

It should be combat or character levels, instead of hit dice.

[goodoldxelos]

With the new epic content in MoTU, the spell no longer functions on most new enemies that are above 30 hit dice, and there are quite a few of them. The spell needs reworked anyway, and now is as good a time as any to do it. Currently there are three 'versions' of this, slightly wonky spell.

Trap the Soul - 10 HD
Trap the Soul - 20 HD
Trap the Soul - 30 HD

I recommend scrapping all of the above and creating a new spell, 'Trap the Soul'. The caster need no longer select a specific version, the game does it automatically AND utilizes the correct and most efficient shard from your pack. I feel this was the correct way to implement to begin with.

In addition, without changing too much about the curent system, three new shards are added to the current set

Tiny Khyber Dragonshard - up to 10 HD
Small Khyber Dragonshard - up to 20 HD
Average Khyber Dragonshard - up to 30 HD
NEW - Greater Khyber Dragonshard - up to 40 HD
NEW - Superior Khyber Dragonshard - up to 50 HD
NEW - Epic Khyber Dragonshard - above 50 HD

The new shards are acquired same as before, either by drops or combining lesser dragonshards in the Stone of Change.

Naturally this opens up a lot of other things down the road like new crafting recipes and equipment, new bane-type weapons, etc.

This is a horrible idea, no more dragonshards just simplify the spell!

[CaptainSpacePony]

This is a horrible idea, no more dragonshards just simplify the spell!

Yes, simplify!

[lorenpechtel]

I very much agree with it picking the right shard. We have no good way to know the number of hit dice of our target other than casting it and see what works/what fails.

[sirgog]

I very much agree with it picking the right shard. We have no good way to know the number of hit dice of our target other than casting it and see what works/what fails.

Usually in recent content, HD = CR.

[Such755]

This is a horrible idea, no more dragonshards just simplify the spell!

What he said.

[soulaeon]

Just want to disagree about removing dragonshards. Some spells should always have rare or expensive materials, because that adds an interesting element to the game, and it also provides some balance to keep people from spamming Trap the Soul. If they removed the material component, they would have to add a 30 second cool-down, like they did with Finger of Death.

[ferrite]

This is a horrible idea, no more dragonshards just simplify the spell!

Look at it this way.

DDO is a business like any other, the purpose being to make money. The more money made, the more resources can be hired/acquired, and the larger the game can become with more new content. New types of dragonshards translates to new items in the DDO store to serve aforementioned goal. Its not pay2win if you can also acquire said items in-game at no cost as well, through time spent.

Just want to disagree about removing dragonshards. Some spells should always have rare or expensive materials, because that adds an interesting element to the game, and it also provides some balance to keep people from spamming Trap the Soul. If they removed the material component, they would have to add a 30 second cool-down, like they did with Finger of Death.

Correct. If Stoneskin had no special material component, there would be little need for other DR protection. Or spells like Wish (which thankfully has never been implemented).. players would simply wish their way through the game.

The developers usually make a good attempt to translate faithfully from PnP, here is what that version of the spell requires:

"Material Component
Before the actual casting of trap the soul, you must procure a gem of at least 1,000 gp value for every Hit Die possessed by the creature to be trapped. If the gem is not valuable enough, it shatters when the entrapment is attempted. (While creatures have no concept of level or Hit Dice as such, the value of the gem needed to trap an individual can be researched. Remember that this value can change over time as creatures gain more Hit Dice.)"

So yeah. Per the rules, a gem is definitely required for this spell in any case.

[ka0t1c1sm]

I like this idea and I agree that the material component should remain. If they'd make it so the Dragonshards fit in our ingredient bags,or gave us spell component bags, then /signed.

[sirgog]

Just want to disagree about removing dragonshards. Some spells should always have rare or expensive materials, because that adds an interesting element to the game, and it also provides some balance to keep people from spamming Trap the Soul. If they removed the material component, they would have to add a 30 second cool-down, like they did with Finger of Death.

FoD actually has a much shorter cooldown than that. 6/8 sec IIRC.

It's Wail that has the long one, and anyone with a brain can see why - even despite all the nerfs it has suffered it's still the most powerful offensive spell in the game (and in competition with Haste, Heal, Mass Heal, Raise Dead and variants, Energy Drain and the three big DoTs for the position of most powerful overall spell in the game).

If TTS had no component, it would be perfectly reasonable on a 10 or 12 second cooldown.