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Author Topic: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless  (Read 3006 times)

Nefensis

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item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« on: December 26, 2008, 12:23:59 AM »


I can't possibly understand the potential of this weapon, it's even worst than a blunt sword or a forfarian claymore. lol i dont get why we pollute the server with items like that.

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tzaeru

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2008, 12:28:10 AM »
I can see the purposes in certain kind of combat situations. Fighting someone you'd hit anyway (mage, low level rogue?), with low fort (mage, rogue?), who can't do positive/divine damage (mage, rogue?) and who you want to show your superiority (mage, rogue!)  is surely fun.  :D

And somehow the diversity of both good and bad items gives the server a very unique feeling. Makes it somehow more interesting and real, especially with the exciting descriptions!

failed.bard

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2008, 02:50:03 AM »
  I think death shards have the same DC energy drain, and the no damage trait is less a negative than the ones on this item, lus, most any class can se them.

Nefensis

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2008, 03:05:15 AM »
Considering there is 1 other available double sword (parry spike) and neither are... easy to get by.

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Eledaar

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2008, 12:07:49 PM »
Considering a 1 is an automatic failure on the level drain roll and this weapon adds an attack per round, the loss of 1 ab and 1 damage kind of balances out - this weapon really isn't all that terrible, though I think maybe reduced weight would make it more viable as a backup.

I mean, it's more of a novelty item than a primary use item, but I feel that way about other, similar items as well.
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Kung Fu Orc

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2008, 03:24:28 PM »
Reduce it's weight, say it's made of bone or something.

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EO

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2008, 03:42:03 PM »
It has these drawbacks because level drain is insanely 'costy' in NwN. Only way to balance it is with big drawbacks. Level Drain on hit isn't bad either, it can really mess a caster up since level drain affects spell selection.

Nefensis

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2008, 04:01:33 PM »
It has these drawbacks because level drain is insanely 'costy' in NwN. Only way to balance it is with big drawbacks. Level Drain on hit isn't bad either, it can really mess a caster up since level drain affects spell selection.

level drain dc 14 is okay against low levels, but since when does a lvl 6 poses a threat to anyone? Lol

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Wids

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2008, 05:16:26 PM »
It has these drawbacks because level drain is insanely 'costy' in NwN. Only way to balance it is with big drawbacks. Level Drain on hit isn't bad either, it can really mess a caster up since level drain affects spell selection.

level drain dc 14 is okay against low levels, but since when does a lvl 6 poses a threat to anyone? Lol
A Level 6 is plenty threatening to a Level 2.  Especially if the Level 6 is from one of the warrior classes, who tend to dominate the lower levels.  :P

Ruxandra

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2008, 09:49:20 PM »
It has these drawbacks because level drain is insanely 'costy' in NwN. Only way to balance it is with big drawbacks. Level Drain on hit isn't bad either, it can really mess a caster up since level drain affects spell selection.

If I recall, level drain doesn't actually do that in NWN. It merely drops ab/saves and maybe something else by 1, but I'm too sick to be bothered testing it.
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tzaeru

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2008, 12:38:41 AM »
It has these drawbacks because level drain is insanely 'costy' in NwN. Only way to balance it is with big drawbacks. Level Drain on hit isn't bad either, it can really mess a caster up since level drain affects spell selection.

If I recall, level drain doesn't actually do that in NWN. It merely drops ab/saves and maybe something else by 1, but I'm too sick to be bothered testing it.

I'm quite sure one of the patches changed it. I do remember being wacked down to level 6 and almost dying since I suddenly was unable to cast anything..  :P
Or then there might have been int-reducing monsters too.

Knas

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2008, 11:18:28 AM »
Please keep in mind that most characters never get beyond level 8ish ;) 

And also two handed swords are a very exotic weapon. Why would there be tons of them in Barovia? :p

There are pleanty of longswords, axes, hammers which are common weapons thus there are also more magical ones.

Ric

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2008, 02:36:35 PM »
Sorry Knas, but I really am starting to think we're playing on different servers.  Almost 4/5 of the server is above level 10, the last I checked the player list.  It only takes about 2 months just to get to that stage.

Yes, it would be an awesome low-level PvP weapon, but here's the kicker:  Only high levels would most likely be able to find such an item, so it's pretty doubtful a lowbie would ever get their hands on this item.

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2008, 02:37:46 PM »
We've got about 10 000 PC's in the Vault, I'm sure most of them are below level 8, so Knas is right. ;)

Ric

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2008, 02:41:06 PM »
Yeah, of which 95% of those 10,000 were test characters, new people testing the server and quitting, and throw-away characters for remakes... Anyway, off-topic.

If it's supposed to be a drain-weapon, maybe a less painfully gold-cost substitute would be in order, since level-drain isn't on the popular list?  How about a specific ability-score drain like wisdom or intelligence?  Something that would actually make casters go "Crap!"

Knas

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2008, 03:15:26 PM »
No ric, we're not. And perhaps you should look again during euro time.

And 8ish to me would be 4-12 .. saves are still low class abilities are yet to be fully unlocked etc.

Nefensis

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2008, 04:09:01 PM »
Ann-ndd this conversation is deraaiilllled ladies and gents.

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Ric

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2008, 05:08:27 PM »
If you're measuring the playerbase when there's only 5-10 players online instead of the usual 30-40+, then of course your statistics will be off.  I just did a tally list for giggles.  Out of 38 people, there were 14 people below level 8 and 24 people above level 8.

The big point of the item discussion is that there's far too many cruddy properties for anyone to ever want to use that weapon.  The death shard is a +2 weapon with On Hit Level Drain.  Yes, it does have negatives to concentration and discipline, and there is "No damage", but that weapon is exceptionally good for an assassin PC.  It gives them +2 AB and despite having "No damage", the sneak/death attack damage still goes through, and that's where most of the damage comes from anyway.

This weapon?  -2 Strength and Constitution alone and no attack bonuses.  On a cleric or bard, yes, it could hold some value, but then if I'm playing one of those classes, why would I buff such a crap-tastic weapon when I can buff one of the many other better weapons that hold the same gold value?  Even a buffed death shard would hold more value than that (I can use a shield with a death shard).

tzaeru

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Re: item - specter's arm - totaly worthless
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2008, 02:33:14 AM »
Mmh.. I don't see why every weapon should be the best in it's league, useful for even high levels and so on.

It'd be extremely sad if only items that are good or -even useful- in PvP or PvM are ever dropped.

As a quite casual looter I haven't seen even close to all of the items the server has, so it's always fascinating to read up the new descriptions of never before seen items and so on - even if the item is complete crap in combat. ^_^

..And they make actually useful items seem somewhat more exciting and worthy to find.

EDIT: btw, off topic notice: Counted the average level of the server to be 10,8 right now. If I might add, most of the characters I can't recognize to be too many months old. Quite average level at the moment, I've counted it around ~12 during US times when everyone are in their high levels and on the other hand, when there are 4 players online middle of week during EU times, it might be 2. (or 18  :P )
« Last Edit: December 28, 2008, 02:39:56 AM by tzaeru »