This document is a brief description of the MULTIGOD hack. -------------- Introduction - -------------- The intention of this code is to enhance the enjoy-ability and playability of clerical characters in the new skills/exp scheme. This is done by giving players gods to worship who in turn effect clerical magic and powers. Included in this patch are several new spells which (hopefully) will allow the priest characters a better chance to gain xp at higher levels. Notably, the "holy orb" and "holy word" spells have been revamped. When MULTIPLE_GODS flag is defined in include/config.h, this code is enabled. This code (described below) encompasses 3 main parts: an array of gods that players/NPCs may worship, new clerical spells which rely on the worshiped god's attrib- utes in Gods[] array and, altars/praying--the interface between a worshiper and their god. b.t. thomas@astro.psu.edu --------- Outline - --------- 1. Description of code - 2. Properties of the gods 3. Designing new gods 4. TODO/Idea list --------------------- Description of code - --------------------- This code is flexible and easy to configure (just edit the god archetypes). Part of the reason for creating this code was to allow server maintainers to develop their own "mythos". From my personal point of view, I hate having the old "Christian" aligned mythos, but if that's what you like, you can replicate it with this code too (see below). ------------------------- 2. Properties of the Gods ------------------------- Here is a fuller description of Gods archetype values. name - name of the god (required) other_arch - archetype that will be used for the summon holy servant spell. title - diametrically opposed god, leave blank if none exists attacktype - favored attack of this god, used in spells of summon avatar, holy word. Recipients of "holy possession" get this too. immune - Avatars/holy servants/recipient of "holy possession" gets this. protected - all of the above AND recipient of god's blessing and the priest of this god gets this. vulnerable - Avatar/servant/recipient of gods curse/priest of this god get this. path_attuned - priest of this god and recipient of "bless" gets this path_repelled - priest and recipient of "curse" gets this path_denied - priest and recipient of "curse" gets this slaying - comma delimited list of the races of creatures that are aligned with the god. "summon cult monsters" uses. this list to find creatures. Summon avatar/call servant code assigns this value to prevent them from attacking aligned races. Value is blank if no race(s) exists. race - comma delimited list of the races of creatures "holy word", "holy possession" spells will effect. Value entry is blank if no such race(s) exists. hp,dam,ac,wc - base stats for the summoned avatar. IF MORE_PRIEST_GIFTS is defined (in gods.c) then ADDITIONAL gifts/limitations will be assigned to the priest: A. FLAGS Now, the following flags, in addition to being used by the god (if planted on a map) are assigned to the worshiping priest: can_use_weapon, can_use_armour, is_undead, is_blind, reflect_missile, reflect_spell, make_invisible, stealth, can_see_in_dark, xrays NOTE: if can_use_armour/can_use_weapon flags are NOT present, then the priest will be forbidden the use of these items. B. STATS The following stats are used: luck - how lucky the god (and the priest) are. last_eat - how fast priest digestion is last_hp - how fast priest healing is last_sp - how fast priest mana regeneration is last_grace - how fast priest grace regeneration is --------------------- 3. Designing new gods --------------------- To examine the gods properties, use the '-m8' flag (ie 'crossfire -m8'). Note some of the big differences here in terms of spell_paths, races, etc. Most of these entries were designed with roughly polar opposite gods. For designing new gods. You should make sure that worshiping a god will be "unique" in some way. But playbalance first! You must consider the balance between the following: 1) spellpaths 2) priest gifts 3) priest limitations 4) special spells 5) attacktypes 6) summoned monster lists 7) properties of the avatar and holy servant. Here are some hard and fast rules for designing gods: - Decide how the cleric will get experience. The god should be either a 'summoning', 'turning' *or* a 'wounding' god. If summoning/turning, make sure the aligned_race/enemy_race list(s) has enough creatures to summon/slay at low, medium and high levels. DONT give a god attuned to wounding AND turning||summoning (in fact, at minimum, one of these 3 paths should be repelled/denied). - make sure the summoned avatar is stronger than the servant (!) - examine the avatar/servant stats. If set inproperly, you will give wimpy/super values. For example, Avatars/servants with less than 50 hp (and a high ac/no armour) will vanish quickly. Shoot for stats like: type | A V E R A G E S T A T S | hp | ac | wc | arm | dam | speed ----------|----------------------------------- servant | 50 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 5 | 0.15 avatar | 350 | -5 | -1 | 50 | 50 | 0.25 Its difficult to give measurements on how to trade these off. To help guide your choices try to conserve the value of speed*dam and (armour+1)*hp. - avoid giving the potent attacktypes of death, weaponmagic and paralysis. - gods have a vulnerability for every immunity. Not all attacktypes are the same. Immunity to physical, magic and common attacktypes (like fire/cold/electric) are very potent. Similarly, vuln to these is a big negative. - SPELL paths. Carefull treatment is needed here. Give a path_denied/ or a couple path_repelled for every path_attuned. BUT note: not all paths are of equal use. (ex path_abjuration has a very large list of spells). The main clerical paths are restoration, abjuration, protection, turning, wounding and summoning. For balance, make 3-4 of these repelled/denied and 1 or 2 attuned. Be sure to check out the special spells list (below). Attuned paths like DEATH, WOUNDING and (especially) PROTECTION are very potent. Allow for some balance else where if you assign (one!) of these as a path_attuned. - If using the MORE_PRIEST_GIFTS define: priest limitations of no weapons and no armour are very negative, be sure to compensate with more than an attunded path. Of course, you may break these 'rules' to create your god. When you do that, you had better make up for the bonus elsewhere! Otherwise, you will create a 'mega-god' whose worship (by the player priests) will unbalance the game. Designing a good god takes a bit of work. ---------------------- App A. Special spells- ---------------------- Here is a possibly *incomplete* list of the special spells that a god may grant use to a worshiper. Check the file spellist.h for the 0 bookchance clerical spells to find all of these. (This list was complete on 10/96). God has attuned path spells -------------------- ------------- INFO perceive self PROTECTION defense; immuntity to cold, fire, electricity, poison, slow, paralysis, draining, attack, and magic RESTORE remove damnation; reincarnation; raise dead; resurrection; regeneration WOUNDING cause critical wounds; retributive strike LIGHT daylight; nightfall DEATH face of death; finger of death SUMMONING insect plague CREATE wall of thorns ---------------- App B. Ideas- ---------------- -- Allow sacrifices. This is an excellent way to give a cleric xp. Need to create enemy_race creatures w/ bodyparts we can sacrifice, and designate a pointer in Gods{} to the appropriate array of stuff we can sacrifice for xp.