Boss creatures/saved posts

Initial Release (12/20/2018)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 12/20/2018 04:18 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

Hi everybody,

I just activated an system that will let some creatures generate in packs, some generate as a mini-boss kind of thing, and for some recurring unique creatures. I don't want to give everything away all at once, but I'll tell you that the upgraded creatures, when they appear, will be toughened up in a variety of ways, including some new and unusual abilities.

This is intended for a wide-spread release, but at the moment, you can run into these dangerous foes in the Abandoned Mines of Teras Isle and in Darkstone Castle, where you'll find kiramon; in the Spider Temple; in Planes 1 and 2 of the Rift where you encounter raving lunatics; inside the walls of the Skull Temple; on Gyldemar Green; in Bonespear Tower; in the Fenghai Warrens; in the Ruined Tower and Dungeon of River's Rest; and some particularly nasty and rare enemies can be found lurking in Castle Varunar.

I realize that Ta'Vaalor isn't in that - I have some spots picked out and ready to go and they'll be showing up shortly.

Stay safe, it's dangerous out there!

Ixix

First Update (12/20/2018)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 12/20/2018 05:26 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

Crested basilisks and Bog wights in the Ta'Vaalor areas are now part of the list.

I'll definitely be expanding the level ranges in future expansions.

I did not get the Kiramon in Ta'Illistim in this round.

Ixix

Second Update (12/20/2018)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 12/20/2018 08:09 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

The Zaerthu Tunnels in Zul Logoth are a bit more dangerous now, that'll have to be the last single area for now while I work on some other things.

I'm making some tweaks and adding some stuff based on suggestions, and I'm keeping an eye on how things are going. I'm sorting out another batch of hunting grounds to set up, but I'd like to get a good idea of how things are shaking out before I expand too much. I don't have any specific dates or times for when another round is coming but I'll post here when I release updates or get hunting areas squared away.

Ixix

Regarding Achievements (12/21/2018)

In reply to: Will there be an achievement list/title/reward for the ones you've found and managed to slay? by SJOSEPH

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 12/20/2018 08:09 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

There might be something like that down the road. I have no specific plans or ideas for it currently though.

Ixix

Regarding Magic Immune (12/22/2018)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 12/22/2018 09:01 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

As far as I can tell 1 magic immune bog wight has spawned in prime, and 1 magic immune dogmatist has spawned in shattered. Nobody in shattered noticed. The bog wight was mushed with a maul.

As I've said I'm keeping an eye on things and making adjustments - I expect the magic immune minibosses to be among the hardest to fight, and as such they as are also some of the rarest and least likely to appear - but if they (or any other type) is not performing as intended I'll make revisions. I haven't seen anything that tells me that the magic immune minibosses are actually too hard or too common though.

Also I double check and the Skull Temple is producing miniboss dogmatists, but all of the minibosses have a low chance to spawn, and only the dogmatists are setup currently so there's going to be a lower volume there. So I bummed that you're bummed that you haven't seen many, but it looks like that's just luck that's made that happen (not happen?).

Ixix

Messaging When Glam Critters Spawn (01/09/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/09/2019 05:35 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

Hi everybody,

I've released a small update to this system. The most notable things that you'll see are messaging in the are when a pack, miniboss, or other special creature spawns, and a couple of abilities that you haven't seen yet.

Along with that update, I'll be expanding the number of hunting areas and creatures that can spawn packs and minibosses - I'll post again when I do that with the list but consider this your advance warning!

Ixix

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/11/2019 03:54 PM CST
Subject: Creatures Get a Gift

I actually didn't do the special messaging in the room that they spawn in, it's in the other rooms in the area so that you know that something is kicking around.

Sorry - that could have been more clear on my part!

Ixix

More Critters (1/13/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/13/2019 10:34 AM CST
Subject: More Gifted Creatures!

Hi everybody,

I've setup several additional creatures to spawn packs and minibosses.

Near Wehnimer's Landing, zombies, centaurs, krolvin warriors and warfarers, ghostly pookas, spectral miners, night mares, dark vorteces, stone trolls, and Illoke elders. Near Icemule Trace, spiked cavern urchins, massive grahnks, ice trolls, frozen corpses, and sabre-tooth tigers. In the Rift, Vvrael witches and warlocks, and aivren. Near Solhaven, dobrem, rotting woodsman, cougars, fenghai near the lake, vesperti, and dybbuks. Near Teras, ash hags, lava trolls, giant fog beetles, skayls, massive pyrothags, wind wraiths, red tsarks, fire mages, and sirens. Near Zul Logoth, giant albino scorpions, troll wraiths, and rock troll zombies. Near River's Rest, moor hounds, moor witches, krolvin corsairs, lesser moor wights, greater bog trolls, flesh golems, and tomb trolls. Near Ta'Illistim, kiramon workers and defenders, lesser and greater faeroths, black forest ogres, yetis, lesser griffins, muscular supplicants, moulis, dhu goleras, and greater constructs. Near Ta'Vaalor, crazed zombies, frenzied monks, warrior shades, and black forest ogres.

Be careful out there!

Ixix

Round 3 Will Have Highest Level Areas (1/13/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/13/2019 02:37 PM CST
Subject: More Gifted Creatures!

I'm glad to hear that people seem to be enjoying these updates so far! The current plan is for round 3 to include the highest level areas, I'm not sure when that'll happen, it kinda depends on if any issues pop up with the wider release.

Does anybody have any particular feelings about whether or not they've run into a creature that was too hard or underwhelming or anything like that?

Ixix

Adjective Order (1/14/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/14/2019 09:30 AM CST
Subject: More Gifted Creatures!

<<If they are not always the same, meaning if any gifted construct can have counterattack, would it be possible to add in another adjective so we can tell? A battle-ready ghostly greater construct or some such.>>

I've tried to set things up so that the most important ability will be the one that assigns the article - I'm not sure if I can have extra long creature names but I just tried it and it worked better than I expected so I'm going to look into that. Also, that counterstrike boon is turning out to be a bit stronger than I anticipated, particularly when it's on something like a construct - so I'll probably tweak things a little so that will be recognized as a more important one.

<<Have you considered picking one or two hunting areas to not implement the gifts?>>

Definitely, I've purposefully tried to not set this is up in a variety of hunting areas, across all town areas, at all levels. I've also tried to be careful to not boost creatures that are already potent.

Ixix

No More Stun Lock (1/14/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: (Unknown)
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 01/14/2019 01:28 PM CST
Subject: More Gifted Creatures!

I released a small update and shouldn't be getting stun locked by canny/keen creatures anymore - you'll have a short period of immunity if they get you with one. Not too long, but enough to run away if you want.

Ixix

Professor Ixavier's School for Gifted Creatures(07/06/2019)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 344
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 07/06/2019 11:44 AM EDT
Subject: Professor Ixavier's School for Gifted Creatures

Hi everybody,

I've released a set of updates to the pack/miniboss/boss creature systems, including the following things:

Several new boons that can be granted Some tweaks to the existing boons An update to ASSESS to show you all of the boon hints on a creature Some new adjectives to describe the boons An update to keep minibosses from piling up if they're avoided/missed A slight bump to the minimum strength of minibosses A Long-Term Experience reward for defeating pack, miniboss, and boss creatures

Have fun and watch out!

Ixix

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 349
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 07/09/2019 09:26 AM CDT
Subject: Professor Ixavier's School for Gifted Creatures

War griffin minibosses probably won't take over the EN, I'll put those on the list to evaluate. Beings could use a little spice too. I'm planning to expand to a few new areas/creatures with the treasure updates (it may not happen simultaneously).

Ixix

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 367
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 07/11/2019 04:02 PM CDT
Subject: Professor Ixavier's School for Gifted Creatures

That dybbuk counter-attack was pretty unlucky damage wise, but I'm going to tweak that a bit to lower the ceiling of the damage. The counter-attacks are also preventable if you sufficiently disable the creature. I'm going to think about adding missing an arm to the conditions that will prevent them, but that is intended to be one of the most dangerous abilities that a creature can have. I think that you were doubly unlucky in that that dybbuk was also stun-immune. The ASSESS verb will show you all of the hints on what abilities a creature has now, and also if a creature is granted counter-attacks, it should always show that without having to assess them (as either apt or ready).

Ixix

Boss Creature LTE Reward (07/07/2020)

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 698
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 07/07/2020 06:50 PM CDT
Subject: Boss Creature LTE Reward

Hi everybody,

The long-term experience reward for defeating a boss/miniboss/pack creature will no longer factor in how much experience you have in your bucket (or whatever the kids are calling field experience these days).

Ixix

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 701
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 07/07/2020 08:22 PM CDT
Subject: Re: Boss Creature LTE Reward

Yes, you should always get an LTE reward assuming that you would earn field experience from the creature. You may not end up with any field experience if you're all topped off but as of this update you'll still earn some LTE. Sirens specifically are high enough level that you should always earn something.

Ixix

Category: Combat, Magic, and Character Mechanics
Topic: Hunting Grounds
Message #: 711
Author: GS4-IXIX
Date: 08/13/2020 08:02 PM CDT
Subject: Boss Creature Treasure

Hi everybody,

I've released an update that grants a chance for bonus treasure when you loot pack creatures, minibosses, and bosses.

Ixix