Draven
Pioneer
So, with the discussion that's been coming up a lot, there's a concern that seems to exist that by creating an additional source of "Fix Dead," there'll be too many "Fix Dead" solutions in the game economy that will render "Dead" useless.
The current solution, the Life spell, puts exclusive pressure on Earth Caster players to memorize a specific spell that no other character build experiences.
If the game economy requires that a single-solution to "Fix Dead" must exist, then I propose a radical solution, which will also address another need that I feel our game economy needs.
Delete the Life spell, and replace it with a non-production item (akin to wands, components, and spellbooks) that costs a fixed amount of coin, cannot be Merchanted back, and will not drop as treasure policy.
I name my proposal "Ointment of Life." (This differentiates it from Alchemy, Potions, and Scrolls, intentionally.)
I propose it costs 5 gold per purchase (expensive, but relatively reachable), can be purchased by anyone, and has no expiration date (or, if it must have an expiration date, that it's no earlier than a year).
By doing this, Earth Casters will still remain the premier healers and fixers in the game, but will now be free to use Earth Storms, Doom, Circles of Power, or lower-level spells mem'd in 9th free of the pressure of having the exclusive access to "Fix Dead." Additionally, this solution would absolutely result in chapters saving money on coin. Furthermore, by tracking purchases of "Ointment of Life," Plot can measure lethality. If they feel there's a fair amount of Ointment in the player's hands, they can play a bit more deadly, or even throw out nefarious bad guys who like to throw Shatters that target Ointment of Life!
A final benefit would be that while it would be costly (at least, compared to production items), it is not a cost that cannot be reached, even by lower-level players. That means that low-level groups with compositions that don't include a primary healer (or even any healer), they can still equip themselves.
This solution will free up players to play the characters they want to play, and invest their coin to compensate for any skill disadvantages they might lack. I think that will result in a game that can be both dangerous but more fun for everyone.
The current solution, the Life spell, puts exclusive pressure on Earth Caster players to memorize a specific spell that no other character build experiences.
If the game economy requires that a single-solution to "Fix Dead" must exist, then I propose a radical solution, which will also address another need that I feel our game economy needs.
Delete the Life spell, and replace it with a non-production item (akin to wands, components, and spellbooks) that costs a fixed amount of coin, cannot be Merchanted back, and will not drop as treasure policy.
I name my proposal "Ointment of Life." (This differentiates it from Alchemy, Potions, and Scrolls, intentionally.)
I propose it costs 5 gold per purchase (expensive, but relatively reachable), can be purchased by anyone, and has no expiration date (or, if it must have an expiration date, that it's no earlier than a year).
By doing this, Earth Casters will still remain the premier healers and fixers in the game, but will now be free to use Earth Storms, Doom, Circles of Power, or lower-level spells mem'd in 9th free of the pressure of having the exclusive access to "Fix Dead." Additionally, this solution would absolutely result in chapters saving money on coin. Furthermore, by tracking purchases of "Ointment of Life," Plot can measure lethality. If they feel there's a fair amount of Ointment in the player's hands, they can play a bit more deadly, or even throw out nefarious bad guys who like to throw Shatters that target Ointment of Life!
A final benefit would be that while it would be costly (at least, compared to production items), it is not a cost that cannot be reached, even by lower-level players. That means that low-level groups with compositions that don't include a primary healer (or even any healer), they can still equip themselves.
This solution will free up players to play the characters they want to play, and invest their coin to compensate for any skill disadvantages they might lack. I think that will result in a game that can be both dangerous but more fun for everyone.
