Curse counters

Now, I think a set of spells that would counter or mitigate curses might be
useful. I would limit them to a specific target at the lower levels (easy,
average) and maybe allow you to protect an entire hex at the hard levels. I
think a spell that would stop curses in a blanket region is way to much.

I think the spell should reduce the damage suffered in some fashion from a %
reduction in damage to total immunity.

This spell would give your mages something to do (hang about casting
protection spells) but would not totally throw out the curses ability. This
counter needs to be localized and defensive to prevent throwing things out
of balance.

I have been on teams where we were able to get sickness/weakness kills on
T2. That is a powerful tool and a team should be rewarded for doing so (and
the death of several NG commanders at Minas Tirith in a row was nice!).
Also, even if the Noldo?BS can put together a curse squad by t9 all the more
power to him. He and his team spent the time and resources to make it
happen. They should stand a better chance of winning.

Matt

···

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Farrer [mailto:richard@rfarrer.freeserve.co.uk]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 10:06 AM
To: mepbmlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [mepbmlist] 4th age and curses...

Curses have problems. Mainly they take so long to get
ready.

You need 3 mages at 70 natural rank each in order to
kill one person. And each of the 3 need to pass their
skill roll. If you are only 70, then your skill isn't
that good - maybe 70 or 80 % ?. The odds of succeeding
at odds of 80% three times is only a bit better than
50/50.

And getting to a natural skill of 70 (or higher) isn't
that easy to do. The higher your level, the lower the
increase you get.

The other problem is that the ability to gain curses
is given by certain items (and we all know what these
items are). Smart cookies will limit the enemy getting
these items, or will ping the item and send in agents
to stop the items being used (so people with curse
items tend move every turn).

Then when the mages are off killing people, they are
not at home doing prenmgy and getting better.

I'll hazard a guess and say that two curse squads is
the normal limit per side ?

In Game 32 I played the Noldor. I had a Curse squad with 60+% curse chance
by turn 9 and 90+% by turn 23 (end of game) The team also had another curse
squad running & enough characters for a third, although they never got
together. The DS also had a Curse squad - until there company commander got
assassinated & most of the FP agents turned up at that hex theat turn. That
was with Tinculin & Elenruth both located somewhere south of Harad. For the
stronger mage nations it really doesn't take long to create a Curse squad.
With a couple of artifacts, it's also easy to get a good curse rank. It's a
nice spell if you can get it, but too powerful. Limit Spirit Mastery to
Sickness or change curses to do 50% mage rank in the same hex and it would
be better. Alternatively, create an anti-magic spell which blocks scrying &
Spirit Mastery.

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I like the idea of not having artifacts improve the cast chance for
the curse list (OK for them to help in research). Curses are a nice
tool, but in 1650/2950 all of the mage artifacts can be used to make
it 100% certain, which is not consistent with the other kill orders.
It is simple to program, and would have the effect of placing more of
a premium on sickness/weakness squads rather than curse squads, or at
least add some uncertainty to using them. The cast percentages could
be tweaked higher, and Harlequin could also add the ability to more
artifacts (random each game) to both give a purpose to research
artifact spells and make them somewhat easier to learn.

IMO simple changes are more likely than complex ones.

cheers,

Marc Pinsonneault

--- In mepbmlist@egroups.com, "Ashley, Matthew" <Ashley.Matthew@h...>
wrote:

Now, I think a set of spells that would counter or mitigate curses

might be

useful. I would limit them to a specific target at the lower levels

(easy,

average) and maybe allow you to protect an entire hex at the hard

levels. I

think a spell that would stop curses in a blanket region is way to

much.

I think the spell should reduce the damage suffered in some fashion

from a %

reduction in damage to total immunity.

This spell would give your mages something to do (hang about casting
protection spells) but would not totally throw out the curses

ability. This

counter needs to be localized and defensive to prevent throwing

things out

of balance.

I have been on teams where we were able to get sickness/weakness

kills on

T2. That is a powerful tool and a team should be rewarded for doing

so (and

the death of several NG commanders at Minas Tirith in a row was

nice!).

Also, even if the Noldo?BS can put together a curse squad by t9 all

the more

power to him. He and his team spent the time and resources to make

it

···

happen. They should stand a better chance of winning.

Matt