What are you going to be ?

[Byzah]

As it's 100% instanced, I don't see the issue with AoE hitting the party too. After all, there's so many other ways a griefer can blow the mission (such as training, or if he's a key member, simply quitting). However, AoE that hits everyone can be become all but useless in a fast-paced game where mobs only stand still in one place if they're whacking on a party member. You get your alpha strike (if you can somehow survive the aggro) and then you have to switch to DD.

 

[Zeus]

well, enemy spellcasters and long ranged stuff wouldnt be in close (unless your meleeers have charged them).
ut i do see what you mean. its much easier if you can safely aoe your own party

 

[Byzah]

In EQ1 you'd still hit yourself if you were caught under a rain, column or other non-PBAoE. That would be another way they could go. (on the full pvp EQ1 server, you'd hit everyone..which must have made AE interesting).

It's not a big deal either way, but I would have preferred to have seen more powerful AoEs that hurt the party than weaker ones that don't (assuming everything is ye olde zero sum).

Obviously D&D purists will be upset (if they're not seething by now anyway).

In "realism" terms, it only matters if you think of a fireball as a magic-caused physical effect. If it's purely magical it can effortlessly avoid harming friends of the caster (with the pyrotechnic display included purely to scare foes witless).

 

[Zeus]

In "realism" terms, it only matters if you think of a fireball as a magic-caused physical effect. If it's purely magical it can effortlessly avoid harming friends of the caster (with the pyrotechnic display included purely to scare foes witless).

indeed. and thats something that different books/games differ on... is the magic still magic once its left the casters hand, or is it just a ball of burning stuff, that splashes? dont know what its explained as in dnd.
in the wheel of time books, it actually differentiates - mainly because one of the characters has a ward that stops 'weaves' working against him, but not the effects of weaves that have already finished. So whilst they couldnt throw him around with Power, they could use it to drop rocks on him... (personally though, i'm just waiting for a game engine to try and work in the concept of Balefire... it would be like controlled lag, almost...)

 

[Byzah]

Doesn't the classic description of the Fireball spell make clear that there's no explosive force (i.e. it won't blow windows out)? That implies it's magical, not physical.

That said, I believe dragons can fly in D&D as a physical, not magical ability, despite obvious breaches of the RL laws of physics.

So what counts as "physical" in D&D is anyone's guess, innit?

It's wot the DM says it is

 

[Janie]

Will this game has a player driven storyline, like Baldors Gate 2? Or will the whole story be a rather minimun thing like Wow? Oh and can you still Cloudkill Dragons offscreen

 

[Daerflin]

In answer to AE spells hitting parties, they could either say that AE spells do not hit party members or for the sake of a little realism introduce a meta magic feat that for a spell level increase makes party members immune to said friendly spell effects. There is a precedent for this, in the D20 system version of EQ RPG there is a metamagic feat called Quest Spell which does exactly this.

From what I've read to date Janie it appears to be story driven, not so much so that it becomes a 3D version of Baldur's Gate but perhaps a little more akin to Guild Wars. For starters you gain no exp for fighting monsters but only through completing quests, which certainly implies that you will be following a major story arc with various sub arcs to add variety. No more level grinding to max just killing a bunch of conveniently placed monsters, looks like you'll actually have to go adventure some.

 

[Gottaa]

I could be wrong but I thought Dragon flight in D&D was magical rather than physical, I would look in the book but it would involve turning my chair

 

[Chick]

What are you going to be ?

i wanna be a fire engine.....
neee-nor neeee nor ....

/coat

ps. Probably a 'ooman pally

 

[UKJett]

Human Fighter/Rogue Duel wielding Shortswords.

..or a lumberjack..

 

[Zed]

Theres a meta magic spell called shape spell I think in Complete Arance that does the juicy pick holes in spells to allow for you to miss out your players.