Basilica del Sole Nascosto

[MofoMojo]

I figured I should stop just haunting other peoples threads and actually post an announcement and brief description for my mod.

 

My mod is a ... hommage ... if you will, to a novel I had begun to write about 20 years ago on the 1st vampires, and basically pulls from lore that I either developed or included from other vampire legends and metaphysic studies when I was much younger.

 

The name of the Mod is: Basilica del Sole Nascosto, loosely translated "The Church of the Hidden Sun".

 

It will start out pretty much like many others want to do, as a Vampire System Overhaul. I have discussed some of my ideas in the following threads which were started by Vannixii and Jakisthe but outside of that, we are not working on the same mods.

 

http://forums.nexusm...mpire-overhaul/

http://forums.nexusm...pire-mod-ideas/

 

My take on this, and currently my plan. Is that Vampirism becomes not only a class, like it is now, but a skill with it's on Perk tree that you level with your character. The skill will advance through the act of feeding, use of Vampiric Abilities, and Quest related bonuses. Levels will give you acess to newer or stronger abilities, and you'll be able to assign perks against the Vampiric Perk tree.

 

The way I view feeding for vampires is that Life Force is what helps animate and provide power to vampires and that it is carried in the blood stream. My vampires cannot feed on blood from a bottle, or dead creature as the life force for that being has dissappeared. Vampires can ultimately go into a comatose state when the life force has been exhausted, and so much like a diabetic that is running low on "sugar within the blood" they become more and more lustful to consume what will restore their lifeforce, or blood. Starving yourself will cause the Vampirism skill to diminish and the associated perks to disable, but starving will also add certain abilities, more closely related to being in a addiction frenzied withdrawal. At higher levels of starvation people will KNOW you are a vampire and there will be little you can do to hide the fact.

 

I would like many of the vampire's perks and abilities to potentially be useless in the Sunlight, and for sun to damage them.

 

At earlier levels of Vampirism I expect the player to simply have a slight edge up on a similar stat character without vampirism, but as they level up they should become a force to be reckoned with, however with the higher abilities will come deadlier weaknesses to create a sense of balance.

 

Currently implemented in my mod are:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Scaling jump height (not too much as the game mechanics just don't work right for it). You can get to about 3 times your normal jump height at the highest level of jumping in my mod right now
   
3. Scaling fall height. I have 4 .... perks ... at the moment that decrease fall height damage by 25%, 50%, 75%, and 99%. To put this into perspective, at 75% I can jump out of the tower just south east of Whiterun without dying
   
4. I have sun damage built in. It WILL eventually kill you, but the shade is your friend and overcast skies will keep you safe travelling during the day. You cannot fast travel while you're taking damage from the sun, so find some shelter.
   
5. Feeding - You can feed from children now, you can also feed from others that aren't asleep but it's a hostile act
   
6. Vampiric Evasion Perk @ 25%, 50% 75%, and 90% chance. Due to your increased "speed" when someone power attacks, you can occassionally detect it. Time slows down and you are able to evade if you manouver properly. This is similar to the Block skill but without the blocking
   
7. Fortified Unarmed, Melee, Block, and Weapon Speed - You are faster after all
   
8. llusion Modifier
   
9. You're health does regenerate faster, but not in the sunlight. In the sunlight NOTHING regenerates and your health will damage over time
   
10. You are weaker to attacks from Werewolves in their Beast shape. I haven't settled on a percentage but it's in there now.
    
11. Since you don't breath, you can stay underwater indefinitely.
    
12. You take extra damage from silver weapons. I know this is more in line with Werewolf lore, but some Vampire lore has this, as does my personal vampire lore.
    
13. Immune to disease
    
14. Increased damage from Silver Weapons
    
15. Weakness to fire
    
16. Speechcraft fortification (may switch to a scaling spell)
    
17. Food has no benefit
     
    

 

Planned:

 

• Mist form
  
• Removing sneak modifier. If you want to sneak, learn to sneak. But, as a vampire you will be able to reduce your movement noise
  
• Combat Health Regeneration will be a little higher
  
• Immune to most poisons, but not all
  
• Prone to "Turn Undead"
  
• Blood Hunger will cause loss of certain perks while gaining of others
  
• Blood Lust - I've decided if you starve yourself long enough, that feeding on a victim in this circumstance should REALLY hurt, if not KILL, the victim.
  
• Vampiric Sprint - You can sprint for longer, the stamina drain is not as high as it would be for normal PC
  

 

And much more.

 

From a back story perspective, much of my original fiction novelization was based on Christianity which has no presence here so I hope to adapt some different themes but keeping with the traditional idea of a "Church". I will be using in game book "Immortal Blood" as a staging theme to support the idea that a high ranking member in a chapel could be a vampire and perhaps build out some of the mythos surrounding the writer or the remaining "living" character in the story as the backdrop.

 

I have not released my initial mod yet, because the thought of using .BAT files, or manually instructing people to find and add specific perks and spells can be problematic but if anyone would like my current WIP I would consider uploading the beta to the Nexus.

 

Edit: Missed some items. Added above and already implemented. Edits include

 

[*] Weakness to fire

[*] Speechcraft fortification (may switch to a scaling spell)

Edited January 28, 2012 by MofoMojo

[MofoMojo]

Additional thoughts:

 

Life Force

In my personal lore, vampires aren't drinkers of blood for the "SAKE" of blood. In order to survive they must consume the life force of other, living, creatures to survive because they are undead. i.e. they lack the ability to generate their own life force. They have a heart beat because the life force must still be carried by the blood in their bodies to the cells otherwise they will die, similar to oxygen for humans.

 

This means that vampires, in my lore, can feed on the dead but it would have no effect as their life force is gone if they are dead. The act of feeding on the dead will not, however, act as a "poison" to vampires. That being the case, I will likely not even implement the ability to feed on a corpse as it serves little to no purpose.

 

Since Lifeforce is the root of much of the vampires power whether discussing automatic powers such as increased strength or speed, or powers that must be activated such as influence over others. I would love to implement LifeForce as another "vessel" like health, stamina, and magica and have ALL spells consume that lifeforce. That may be more difficult to implemet and because it would require UI modding, it would likely interfer with UI enhancements and I do not wish that to happen. So for the sake of speed, Lifeforce may simply be tracked on a scale from 0 to 100. Feeding will fill the life force level, time will deplete the life force level. As the vampire skill increases, i.e. their Vampiric level goes higher, the speed at which this "meter" depletes will scale up (be quicker), thus causing the player to have to feed more often to keep their current skill levels in tact. This will be a hard to measure balancing act and may change.

 

At higher levels, vampires will be easier to recognize by NPCs. To counter this, the vampire will have spells which they can cast to influence those around them so they don't "see" their true identifity. Failure to keep the spell in check, will result in attack on site for many NPCs.

[PrimalMight1]

adding my two cents in about the attack on site for many npc's.

 

 

Well I am for this and I am not. Like the hero of Solitude of the hero of the Stormcloaks. Basically if one becomes a thane of a major city. That city might hate you or shun you but they should respect the position of thane. Will the guards watch the vampire to frenzy and keep it so people aren't turned. By the gods yes. But one would have to be highly illogical and impractical when the Vampiric ever living dragonborn super being wishes to serve as thane to say Ulfric or Legate to the Legion. In the Imperial Province vampires are accepted in upper echelons so long as they maintain their humanity.

 

So well for certain class of npc's shouldn't be hostile. I could see the entire town of Morthal being hostile no matter what but certain cities like Riften. Maven Black Briar she makes deals with the dark brotherhood and has contacts with them. They include undead so she might not care so much. Later down the road the thieves guild. They are for profit and once loyalty has been established especially after the nightingale incident well turning a blind eye to the uber awesome thief who later sells his soul to Nocturnal and becomes the sort of avatar of the deal with nocturnal the thieves guild has should be respected and put on a no touch status.

 

 

Small towns sure. Even some of the larger ones. But Factions should generally remain untouched. Oaths are powerful and binding in the culture. But the main thing is if mr. super vampiric dragonborn powerhouse says Are you a god? You say "YES!" but if that same being asks "Can I serve your cause and slay your foes?" Only a moron would trust him at first but only a moron turn him down and not use a willing piece on the board. By sending the vampire on missions keeps you safe not less safe having the vampire nearby.

 

 

So I could see more radiant quests with the civil war as they constantly send the vampire to do battle. Hoping it dies but the more the vampire kills the safer you are and if the vampire dies well your foes are less and you saved in a sense trusted manpower. Eventually the vampire would gain a semblance of respect like the court wizard of Solitude in where she is sorta protected so long as her loyalty remains true.

 

Companions might require a Persuasion or Intimidate check but bribing should fail. <I mean brothers and sisters in arms that make oaths strong enough to last beyond dead is pretty strong.> <plus they are werewolves who are they to judge really?>

The sorcery place maybe later down the line from what choice you makes determines if they'd be hostile or not.

 

I mean its pretty much a known vampire amongst the Jarl of Solitude's court. Just people pretend not to notice.

 

 

 

 

Now about the UI meter. I don't know about upping the time required per feeding the stronger one gets. It can be seen going either way. Stories of master vampires requiring only small bits of blood to become empowered but they are known to go on huge feeding spree's at the same time. It might just be easier to implement this. Keep the four stages or maybe add a fifth.

 

--Feeding might no longer bring one to stage 1 but instead only lower the stage by 1. Thus a really starved vampire stage 4 would have to feed three times to go to stage 1.

 

>edited on:

 

Though maybe have multiple clans move into the area. I mean the three vampire clans of morrowind should be starving for people as the mortals are all leaving perhaps they should try and move into skyrim. Where ever the herd moves the wolves follow. And have clans have specific bloodline traits and powers. I mean we already have knowledge of a couple of clans.

 

The imperial legion is here so the Cyrodillic Clan could be here. The Dunmer all pretty much tried to migrate here. So one can expect the clans to move here. Thats four clans plus the Volkihar.

Edited February 3, 2012 by PrimalMight1

[MofoMojo]

adding my two cents in about the attack on site for many npc's.

 

 

Well I am for this and I am not. Like the hero of Solitude of the hero of the Stormcloaks. Basically if one becomes a thane of a major city. That city might hate you or shun you but they should respect the position of thane. Will the guards watch the vampire to frenzy and keep it so people aren't turned. By the gods yes. But one would have to be highly illogical and impractical when the Vampiric ever living dragonborn super being wishes to serve as thane to say Ulfric or Legate to the Legion. In the Imperial Province vampires are accepted in upper echelons so long as they maintain their humanity.

 

So well for certain class of npc's shouldn't be hostile. I could see the entire town of Morthal being hostile no matter what but certain cities like Riften. Maven Black Briar she makes deals with the dark brotherhood and has contacts with them. They include undead so she might not care so much. Later down the road the thieves guild. They are for profit and once loyalty has been established especially after the nightingale incident well turning a blind eye to the uber awesome thief who later sells his soul to Nocturnal and becomes the sort of avatar of the deal with nocturnal the thieves guild has should be respected and put on a no touch status.

 

 

Small towns sure. Even some of the larger ones. But Factions should generally remain untouched. Oaths are powerful and binding in the culture. But the main thing is if mr. super vampiric dragonborn powerhouse says Are you a god? You say "YES!" but if that same being asks "Can I serve your cause and slay your foes?" Only a moron would trust him at first but only a moron turn him down and not use a willing piece on the board. By sending the vampire on missions keeps you safe not less safe having the vampire nearby.

 

 

So I could see more radiant quests with the civil war as they constantly send the vampire to do battle. Hoping it dies but the more the vampire kills the safer you are and if the vampire dies well your foes are less and you saved in a sense trusted manpower. Eventually the vampire would gain a semblance of respect like the court wizard of Solitude in where she is sorta protected so long as her loyalty remains true.

 

Companions might require a Persuasion or Intimidate check but bribing should fail. <I mean brothers and sisters in arms that make oaths strong enough to last beyond dead is pretty strong.> <plus they are werewolves who are they to judge really?>

The sorcery place maybe later down the line from what choice you makes determines if they'd be hostile or not.

 

I mean its pretty much a known vampire amongst the Jarl of Solitude's court. Just people pretend not to notice.

 

 

 

 

Now about the UI meter. I don't know about upping the time required per feeding the stronger one gets. It can be seen going either way. Stories of master vampires requiring only small bits of blood to become empowered but they are known to go on huge feeding spree's at the same time. It might just be easier to implement this. Keep the four stages or maybe add a fifth.

 

--Feeding might no longer bring one to stage 1 but instead only lower the stage by 1. Thus a really starved vampire stage 4 would have to feed three times to go to stage 1.

 

>edited on:

 

Though maybe have multiple clans move into the area. I mean the three vampire clans of morrowind should be starving for people as the mortals are all leaving perhaps they should try and move into skyrim. Where ever the herd moves the wolves follow. And have clans have specific bloodline traits and powers. I mean we already have knowledge of a couple of clans.

 

The imperial legion is here so the Cyrodillic Clan could be here. The Dunmer all pretty much tried to migrate here. So one can expect the clans to move here. Thats four clans plus the Volkihar.

 

You dug up my thread! :)

 

Very good coverage indeed and I can agree on the fact that your faction standing should sway whether or not you are KOS/Attacked. That's a very well thought out idea. I don't have as much time to reply right now but I much appreciate the feedback.

 

-MM

[MofoMojo]

Jakisthe and I have joined forces, as it were, to combine our modding efforts. Perhaps the Basilica del Sole Nascosto will make an appearance in Belua Sanguinare Revisited. Please visit that thread here.

[ciakko]

Hello MofoMojo , you're great!

You described the vampires as they really are.

I just only want you to notice that, in mythology, silver hurts werewolves do not vampires.

 

Some time ago I started a mod in Oblivion who spoke of the awakening of the first vampire, Lilith.

Lilith had great power among them to become invisible and replicate, but the nice thing is that drinking his blood, you could learn his powers.

I'm not good with programming but with the Construction Set was pretty good.

Now I want to continue this project and create a series of dungeons at the end of which you will fight an elder vampire and acquire his powers.

A good mod on vampirism would be very helpful.

I ask you if you had thought of an animation to use for feeding by standing.

As I said I'm not good with programming much less with the animation. If I could implement in your project you will give me a hand with mine.

Thanks

Edited February 6, 2012 by ciakko

[MofoMojo]

Hello MofoMojo , you're great!

You described the vampires as they really are.

I just only want you to notice that, in mythology, silver hurts werewolves do not vampires.

 

Some time ago I started a mod in Oblivion who spoke of the awakening of the first vampire, Lilith.

Lilith had great power among them to become invisible and replicate, but the nice thing is that drinking his blood, you could learn his powers.

I'm not good with programming but with the Construction Set was pretty good.

Now I want to continue this project and create a series of dungeons at the end of which you will fight an elder vampire and acquire his powers.

A good mod on vampirism would be very helpful.

I ask you if you had thought of an animation to use for feeding by standing.

As I said I'm not good with programming much less with the animation. If I could implement in your project you will give me a hand with mine.

Thanks

 

Hey Ciakko,

 

Lilith was actually a Jewish legend of being the first woman, created equally at the time that Adam was. She was unable to concieve and (details are sketchy for me) turned into a monster once Eve was created. In her despair, she was said to have fed on the blood of baby's by tearing off their heads. In that doctrine, she was effectively the first vampire.

 

While not currently part of my mod, in my book I was working on, drinking from elder vampires would bestow the drinker their powers as they became closer to the "source".

 

If there's anything specifically (from a script or implementation side) that you're looking for assistance, just ask. I will always try to help within reason!

 

-MM