Non Combat Races

[moxica]

What I mean by non-combat is that combat isn't the focus.

 

The only mods that I've made are Races with a few spells that are focused on escaping danger, rather than confronting it.

I've never released any of them for several reasons.

They don't look like anything special, I don't really know how to make them available (though I could learn if I needed to) and mainly, I don't think that many players are interested in playing an escape artist, a trickster or a scavenger. Personally I find them the most fun, but they are very slow levelers and can require a lot of patience, since you're going to spend most of your time, watching battles instead of participating in them.

 

It's better if you use OOO or MMM since you get more groups of enemies to run into each other and fight. Then you pick up the left overs, avoid the survivors, and move on.

 

I've been feeling like I want to contribute, lately, since I've enjoyed the hard work of others for all these years. I was thinking that out of appreciation for the many highly talented people out there, I should share a mod with the community.

 

So all that blabber just to ask a simple question-

Is there anyone interested in a non combat skilled character?

 

 

Of course as you gain levels your character can become whatever you want, but in the early stages, you'll be doing a lot of escaping, avoiding, and basically cowardly acts

[Genzel]

I would definitely try out this kind of character if it was done well enough. Could you put up some example skill sets, or some interesting spells ideas beyond the simple frenzy or command spell etc. Perhaps something like a "summon wall" spell for a quick getaway or a mass frenzy spell. Invisibility spells would actually be useful for this kind of character too. I enjoy things which are a fun challenge to play. :happy:

[moxica]

I've used a mass frenzy spell, an invisibility spell, and a paralyze spell. They all work well and are effective, but I don't know if they would be considered op or not.

The way I see it, when you're using MMM or OOO, an encounter with an enemy that can kill you in 2 or three hits or 1 spell is a reality. Even a fighter character can have trouble with them.

So I don't consider those spells op for a weak non-combatant character.

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to go ahead and make one for release. It'll take a bit of time cause I want to do some research for names, check out some unique looks, and look into some various lore to come up with something that will be unique and fun.

 

I'm going to look into creating temporary "buffs" powers that will give a character added points in a few skills.

For example, if you cast a power called "Burglar" it will raise your security, sneak and illusion by 20 points for 300 seconds. That will give you enough time to get into and out of a cave or ruin at this heightened level. It will be more of a state of mind rather than a magical spell. It can only be cast once a day.

Another would be "Trickster", where you can increase your agility, athletics, and speed to jump off of cliffs and down hills that would otherwise cause injury or death. I have been able to cause up to 3 enemies to leap after me and die on impact, with this one.

Those are just a few examples.

I want it to be just right and for some reason, I've been having trouble making spells and getting them to show up with my race. Once I get my research done, and work out these bugs, I'll be putting it out there.

Thanks for your response!

[Genzel]

Awesome, sounds good. Have you thought of making a special class or birthsign that could go along with the race?

[Genzel]

Oops, double post

[madman132]

I wouldn't play anything that can't defend itself. Most NPCs are rather stupid and relying on them to protect me would be strategically unsound. Or abysmally stupid, to put it more bluntly.

You could get away from most encounters if you're able to summon something that attacks the enemy rather then trying to follow you as you run away, but that would only shift the issue; instead of playing someone that kills things you're playing someone that summons things that kill things. If you'd be ok with that, why not cut out the middlemonster and cast something to kill enemies, like magical Fireballs :D

[David Brasher]

I like to play non-violent characters sometimes.

 

I like to play clerics sometimes. They avoid shedding blood, especially of people who may someday give up their sinful ways and start following the gods. Some of my clerics will run great distances to avoid having to hurt their pursuers. Some of them have some good spells for evading their pursuers or stopping them in their tracks in a non-lethal fashion.

 

I have also played thief characters. They are only interested in getting wealth without a lot of work or danger. The thieves code says that it is okay to steal practically anything from anyone. It is part of a big game. But you try not to hurt anyone. That is not sportsmanlike. You can take their gold, but may not take their lives. That would just be wrong!

[moxica]

The idea behind the mod is that defending yourself can involve more than killing, or summoning something that kills, the enemy.

When I run to other npc's, I'm not going for help from them. I'm leading a group of goblins to a group of mages or bandits or whatever, to get them to fight each other.

The other night, on the road to Kvatch, I was being chased by 5 Goblins. I led them past a cave with 6 bandits outside of it. Most of them began fighting but a few bandits continued chasing me all the way to the refugee camp. The Kvatch refugees attacked the bandits. I then ran back to the cave, where the Goblins were pretty much wrapped up, and the remaining bandits chased me back into Camp Kvatch. I continued through the camp, and jumped off the cliff, nearly killing myself and killing 1 of my 2 pursuers. I rejoined the road and ran back to the junction to get to Kvatch. I didn't realize that I had activated another nearby camp of Mage bandits and they joined the battle.

When it was all over, there were 17 dead including all the residents of the Kvatch refugee camp. 1 mage was still alive and trying to hit me with fireballs. I paralyzed the mage, looted what I wanted from everyone, and left the mage there.

17 dead, all the loot I wanted and all I did was paralyze one enemy and do some running.

That is the point of the mod. Fight with brain instead of brawn.

It won't be for everyone, in fact I know, most won't understand it. But I've been playing this way for a year now, and find regular combat quite boring.

It will only work with MMM, OOO, or any mod that increases the population of enemies.

 

Alchemy is going to be high because of the need to make poisons and potions.

Sneak for obvious reasons.

Speechcraft, illusion, mercantile, and personality, because what is a trickster without these?

Atheletics for speed.

Acrobatics for high falls while minimizing damage.

 

The class or classes will enhance these skills.

 

I've never created a Birthsign, but I'll look into it since that could be a huge help.

 

Since this race will not start off with any high weapons skill, would you consider it over powering to have the total amount of skill points, usually set at 45 for other races, set at 65?

[Genzel]

All sounds good, and I actually just installed OOO partly because this sounded very fun. Some people won't want to play this, but some of my favourite video game memories were intense funny chases. I recall playing Morrowind with my friend on original xbox. We were wearing no armor attempting to max out our speed and punch a bandit then run for our lives and see who could get the farthest. We ended up with like 10 cliff racers behind when we found a small hut with a broken roof. When the bandit entered the door, we got a lucky hit and took him out. I then looked through the cracked roof and a scamp was staring and screeching at us from above. The entire thing was insane and just frightening, looking back to see enemies just barely out of reach. When you feel immersed enough, a good chase fight at the brink of death can be soo much fun!