Category Clerics -- The Cleric's Altar (15)
Topic Guild Guru - Announcements (1)
Message Malediction Changes -- Now Live (235)
By DR-SKRALTHAEN@PLAY.NET
On Aug 6, 2000 at 11:52

The aforementioned updates to the Malediction spell are now live. So what the heck did we do to it?

1) The ceiling evasion penalty (creatures only) was reduced by an almost inconsequencial amount. Nobody should notice much change at all here, although those who are on the very verge of certain critters might.

2) The ceiling offense penalty (creatures only) was reduced by a large amount. Those who were able to get the offense penalty will notice a fairly large change here. The spell was effectively turning hafwa into field goblins for far too long a time frame. This has been reduced so that the spell is not the "Ultimate Death Sentence" spell any longer, although it is still very potent and will keep a creature that is just above your skill level from completely pulverizing you. It will not, however, allow folks to hunt creatures 50 levels above them. Sorry :) (Note that the younger clerics don't get the offense penalty since this spell is tiered somewhat like Benediction, and thus they will notice no change.)

3) The minimum mana for the spell has gone up. Five mana was just far too low for the spell's potency and duration. The new minimum mana ranges between 8 and 16, dependant upon two factors -- Do you have low devotion, or moderate-to-high devotion? Are you snap-casting, or have you fully prepared the spell? If you keep these two things in mind, you will be able to prepare the spell with eight mana minimum and the added burden won't be too much over what it had formerly been. Snap casts are still possible, they just cost more mana for the same effect.

"But you said all the changes weren't going to be bad!"

I'm getting there ;)

4) We have added in two more penalties against creatures. Before the changes, Malediction only hindered a creature's evasion. This has now been extended to include shield and parry skills as well. We trust that this will make up a bit for the reduction in the offense cap.

That's it, folks. I ask that you all test the new version of Malediction as if it were just released today. Comparing it to the old version won't get us anywhere, as the old version (mainly the offense penalty cap) was far too overpowered (yes, for ANY guild). I am certain that you folks will still find many uses and joys in this spell if you take the time to see it for what it is, and not what it was but is no longer :)

-GM Skralthaen

PS: The premium preview for the spell has been extended for the next week due to the nature of the changes that have been made. It should be removed from preview next Sunday.