User:WBURKE1/Spell Disabler Review

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Starting today, we'll be releasing a number of updates for spells that disable or debuff targets.

Goals

• Improve spell disablers so that magic has options available to set up and disable creatures.
• Improve support builds for grouping by allowing experience for contributions in a standardized way.
• Standardize effects and effect durations so combat flows more naturally and players aren’t forced to "take a timeout" for several minutes.
• Improve Survival training by adding more utility.

General Updates

• Most spells that disable or debuff a single target will have a 2 second cast roundtime and a mana cost in the 1-5 range. AoE versions will remain at 3 seconds of cast roundtime, but most mana cost will be lowered to the 5-10 range.
• Self-cast spells no longer force a TD reduction on the caster. This already applies for newer spells but some older ones still have this mechanic.
• A few spells will not require a skill check and have automatic success unless the target is more than 10 levels above the attacker. Ascension creatures targets can go up to level 20 higher, but there's a 10% chance of failure for each level past 10. Subsequent attempts against the same Ascension target increases the odds of success by 20% for each attempt. e.g. the first attempt might have a 60% chance of failure, but the second attempt only has a 40%, the third a 20%, etc.
  • The auto success level check against targets levels 11-20 will now work on grizzled and boss creatures (in addition to the previous ascension creatures). Currently, the default messaging is the same on failure, but we're planning to update it so it's obvious when subsequent attempts might result in success.
  • New failure messaging (thanks to @Gyres!):
    • No chance of success: The magic of your spell can find no purchase, overwhelmed by <target's> presence.
    • Potential of success: Your magic strains to overcome <target> and nearly prevails before it unravels.
• Some abilities will be updated to use the Standard Maneuver Roll (SMR).
  • So, let's talk Spell Power! The new disabler spells that use SMR take into account your level and your spell circle ranks to produce to produce Spell Power, which is what determines your success at punishing your foes. Spell Aim ranks can add to your Spell Power, but they offer a much smaller contribution than spell circle ranks. Disablers have a bonus to success; AOE disablers have a smaller bonus to success. 410 (Ewave) and 435 (Major Ewave) have also been updated to be more forgiving for those of you on the 10-ranks-is-all-you-get bandwagon.
• All abilities which induce roundtime will use Stagger (cannot stack, but can refresh).

Standard Negative Duration Formula

• All negative effects will be normalized around a 30 second maximum duration. This mainly pertains to actual spells, but we'll also try to update creature abilities in the future too.
• Base and minimum duration of 10 seconds.
• Maximum duration of 30 seconds against characters and 60 seconds against creatures.
• Warding and SMR spells/abilities will use (10 + ((end result - 100) / 5) * (1 against characters or 2 against creatures)) to determine the duration. e.g. a 140 end result would be (10 + (140 - 100) / 5)) = 18 seconds against a character and 36 seconds against a creature.
• Training in Survival reduces the duration by the following:
• Ranks 1-100: 1% per 5 ranks, up to 20%
• Ranks 101+: 1% per 20 ranks, up to 10%
• Kroderine Soul reduces the duration of magical effects by 25% and stacks (additively) with the Survival bonus.

Experience Contribution

• GLOBAL: Disablers across the board have been updated with regard to experience contribution.
• Elemental Saturation, Weapon Deflection, Interference, and Mass Interference have now been updated to contribute for creature experience. Dispels will also do so upon successfully removing a spell from a creature.

Dynamic Mana Costs

• Also, previously some spells would have a dynamic mana cost, but spell hindrance would always cause it to cost mana points equal to the spell level. With these updates, it's a bit more intelligent, so in the case of 320, it will cost 0 mana even with spell hindrance now. Some spells that have a cost that changes based upon single or AoE targets will use the highest mana cost of the two, but that's still lower than the previous model of being equal to spell level.

Spell Updates

The following spells updates are live. Additional updates are pending, especially for spells that have single target and AoE versions, as updating their cast roundtime or mana costs involves additional complexity. Those will be announced once released. The entire Development team has worked through design, coding, and QC to make this update possibles.

Stun Relief (108)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.

Unbalance (110)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.
• Additional updates are pending.

Web (118)

• Single target and room versions have moved from warding to the SMR.
• Reduced SMR single target castRT to 2.
• Reduced SMR single target mana cost to 5.
• Reduced AoE version mana cost to 10. CastRT remains at 3.
• CastRT and mana cost of the bolt version remain unchanged.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Spirit Dispel (119)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced base mana cost to 5.
• When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell. Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Searing Light (135)

• Reduced mana cost to 7.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Calm (201)

• Reduced CastRT to 2.

Interference (212)

• Updated to be auto-success.
• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 2.

Bind (214)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Frenzy (216)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.

Mass Interference (217)

• Updated to be auto-success.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Spiritual Abolition (230)

• For each spell dispelled, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell. Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana. The overall minimum is 10 mana and the overall maximum is 20 mana.

Prayer of Holding (301)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to maximum 4.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Blind (311)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Censure (316)

• Reduce mana cost to 10.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Ethereal Censer (320)

• Now costs 0 mana and no longer refunds 20 mana over time.

Elemental Wave (410)

• Converted to use SMR.
• Converted to use Staggered.

Weapon Deflection (412)

• Updated to new auto-success level check.
• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduce mana cost to 2.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Elemental Saturation (413)

• Updated to be auto-success.
• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 2.

Elemental Strike (415)

• Converted to use Staggered.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Elemental Dispel (417)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced base mana cost to 5.
• When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell. Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Major Elemental Wave (435)

• Reduced mana cost to 20.
• Converted to use SMR.
• Converted to use Staggered.

Sleep (501)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to maximum 5.
• Converted to use Unconscious.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Slow (504)

• Reduced single-target castRT to 2.
• Reduced single-target mana cost to 1.
• Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Hand of Tonis (505)

• Warding stun version converted to use SMR.
• Reduced stun castRT to 2.

Cold Snap (512)

• Reduced mana cost to 10.

Immolate (519)

• Immolate, spell 519, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review. The evoked casting roundtime is now 2 seconds. The evoked mana cost is now 5.

Elemental Disjunction (530)

• For each spell dispelled, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell. Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana. The overall minimum is 10 mana and the overall maximum is 20 mana.

Sounds (607)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Tangleweed (610)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Moonbeam (611)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Call Swarm (615)

• Reduce castRT to 2.
• Reduce mana cost to 5.

Mass Calm (619)

• Reduced mana cost to 10.

Corrupt Essence (703)

• Corrupt Essence, spell 703, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review. The single target casting roundtime is now 2 seconds.

Mind Jolt (706)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 4.

Pain (711)

• Pain, spell 711, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review. The inflicted roundtime has been converted to stagger.

Tremors (909)

• Converted to use Feeble.
• Reduced mana cost to 7.

Call Wind (912)

• Converted to use Staggered.
• Additionally applies Disengaged to targets.
• Reduced mana cost to 8.

Sandstorm (914)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.

Weapon Fire (915)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Lullabye (1005)

• Reduced castRT to 2.

Stunning Shout (1008)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Song of Depression (1015)

• Reduced initial mana cost to 10.

Song of Rage (1016)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced initial mana cost to 3.

Song of Noise (1017)

• Reduced initial mana cost to 10.

Empathy (1108)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Sympathy (1120)

• Reduced mana cost to 10.

Powersink (1203)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 1.

Force Projection (1207)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Thought Lash (1210)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Confusion (1211)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.

Mental Dispel (1218)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced base mana cost to 5.
• When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell. Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Vertigo (1219)

• Converted to use Staggered.
• Reduced mana cost to 10.

Mindwipe (1225)

• Reduced single-target castRT to 2.
• Reduced single-target mana cost to 5, open-cast mana cost to 10

Aura of the Arkati (1614)

• Reduced mana cost to 5.

Repentance (1615)

• Converted to use Staggered.

Judgment (1630)

• Converted to use Staggered.

Mystic Impedance (1708)

• Reduced castRT to 2.
• Reduced mana cost to 3.

Quake (1714)

• Reduced mana cost to 5.