After the last update, Viconia only managed to summon skeleton warriors with the animate dead spell. The skeleton warriors seems nerfed as well, they're carrying ordinary long swords.
There also seems to be a bug, as they turns hostile if damaged/attacked by party.
Whoa, skeleton warriors? At low level? That's a very powerful monster, and you're supposed to have a 15th level (level corrected as per @Mortianna, below) cleric before you get it.
I think having ghasts was too strong. The original summoning of regular skellies was more logical.
Summons have always turned against the caster if they get hurt by an AoE, so I'm not sure what you're complaining about there. Did the pre-patch versions have summons who did not turn on the caster upon being damaged by a party member? If so, that was a bug.
If they got rid of the ghast-summoning, then I think that was a good idea. Any cleric could dominate all of BG1, solo, using those. Hello, paralyzing touch? Ahem.
I know, but it seems to be different now - or a bug. Viconia was level 6. Also the skeleton warriors are not so strong. They are resistant to magic, but they was killed by the Eleminster/Gorion doppelgangers.
@Jarleale, interesting. I'm not sure why they would call them "skeleton warriors", then.
A lot of people, however, will dispute your assessment of regular skellies as "useless". They are resistant to all forms of attack, and they make excellent distractions and meatshields while your caster gets his spells cast. Enemies will tend to attack them first and waste their best spells on them, as well as to continue to attack them while you unload your spellbook on your enemy.
@Shandyr, unless maybe we imagine them as the kind of horror movie skellies who still have pieces of muscle, organ, and flesh dangling from those bones, as well as intact, horribly unlidded eyes staring from the skull sockets. Mwah,hah,hah,hah. (Flash of lightning and clap of thunder..)
@Shandyr, that might actually make an interesting point of discussion in another topic: at what point of decay does a zombie become a skellie? Does a zombie still depend on functioning internal organs for its animation? If not, isn't a skellie really just a zombie after its flesh is fully gone?
Dr. Frankenstein. Paging Dr. Frankenstein. Or, perhaps @Mortianna could enlighten us.
The new summon thing is linked to a bug topic I created, where a suggestion was made, and was taken into account by Seth. The ghasts have been replaced by regular skelettons. These skeletons grow stronger at level 7, 11 and 15. They don't use the right animation right now (the evolution should be more noticeable) and the spell description will probably be updated in the future.
@Shandyr, that might actually make an interesting point of discussion in another topic: at what point of decay does a zombie become a skellie? Does a zombie still depend on functioning internal organs for its animation? If not, isn't a skellie really just a zombie after its flesh is fully gone?
Dr. Frankenstein. Paging Dr. Frankenstein. Or, perhaps @Mortianna could enlighten us.
LOL. :>0
Oh, the finer points of D&D necrology! Anyone have one of Van Richten's lorebooks handy?
I'd say zombies are basically skeletons with extra baggage (meat baggage, that is), but the distinction between a zombie and a skeleton is tricky. Like you mentioned, some skeletons probably have scraps of flesh still clinging to their bones and maybe have an eye or tongue that hasn't yet decayed. Similarly, some zombies that are in an advanced stage of decomposition may have bones showing in some parts. Ultimately, I think it should be based on smell: skeletons are generally done rotting, while zombies aren't.
I don't think zombies need any of their organs to function since they are animated by (and embued with) negative energy. But, since zombies are still undergoing the processes of decay, there are many more possible hindrances to their movement rate: rigor mortis, broken or twisted leg/back/neck, skin sloughing off, impaled with a spear in a previous battle, etc. Skeletons' bones are held together by the magic that animated them, so they're much lighter and more mobile than zombies (although a fresh zombie animated from a newly-deceased "donor" could conceivably be just as fast as a skeleton, especially if they've had an "Embalm" spell cast upon them).
A couple of things would definitely make zombies more formidable, imo: (1) Requiring low-level characters to make a fear check (i.e., save vs. death) whenever they encounter one, especially if it's especially ripe and is buzzing with flies and crawling with maggots (I'm sure a talented graphic designer could whip up an animation of this with ease). (2) Require a save vs. death (or else contract a disease) whenever one is hit by a zombie. The decaying dead, despite their unforgettable stench, would most likely carry some sort of parasite or infectious disease that could be passed onto to the living. Maybe it's a good thing player characters can't animate them in BG:EE
@Cheesebelly I can't speak to the original IWD, as my memory is too hazy of it, but IWD2 had great summons across the board. From Apocalyptic Boneguards with Animate Dead, to summoning a vast array of creatures with Summon Monster, it definitely had variety to its summons. I think summoning the Drowned Dead were my favorite. Those guys just never died, seemed to be highly resistant to almost everything.
You could summon the Drowned Dead in IWD2? :O Geezus, those guys are the stuff of nightmare, or at least, they always were for me in Heart of Winter. *spots one, gets surrounded by 15* - I believe each gave like 4000 XP too XD
IWD1 also had plenty of Monster Summoning spells if I am not mistaken, going all the way up to level 9 spell (although it would be impossible to cast them unless you get yourself a mod which allows high level spellcasting).
I just checked and it is indeed true - on page 9, you get to have 'Monster Summoning VII'. Although I can't seem to find what kind of monsters it creates, I'm pretty sure I saw Greater Mummies coming out of it XD
The 15+ version is immune to normal weapons, not sure about the 11+ one..but I can vouch the first 2 aren't. Not really a bug persay though...they're already resistant to a lot of damage types, and even totemic summons don't get normal weapon immunity till 10.
So - apart from the Skeletons dropping their weapons (which I assume *is* a bug?) is the fact that animate dead now produces varying levels of Skeleton Warriors intended, or a bug?
It's intended, it's just in need of a little fine tuning. A lot of people were complaining that the skeletons it summoned originally (BG2 version) were garbage (which they were), but a ghast was a bit much. Suggestions were made, and thus they've decided to just use scaled skeleton warriors so the spell use remains consistent at all levels.
It's intended, it's just in need of a little fine tuning. A lot of people were complaining that the skeletons it summoned originally (BG2 version) were garbage (which they were), but a ghast was a bit much. Suggestions were made, and thus they've decided to just use scaled skeleton warriors so the spell use remains consistent at all levels.
I just had Yeslick, his two (or three) skeleton warriors (from two casts of Animate Dead), obliterate the sirines on both west coast maps, as well as to force the rival adventuring party on the Gullykin map to waste all their spells. That, my Web, and Yeslick's Silence spell made them pushovers.
The Animate Dead spell rocks!
It's simply one of the best, most powerful summoning spells in the game, no matter what they do to it. Undead charm spell immunity, hello? Charm spells are the most deadly spells in the game, and enemies waste them on your undead summonses.
The Sword Coast Strategems mod removes this exploit by making casters too smart to waste charm spells on undead, or any other, summons.
Comments
I think having ghasts was too strong. The original summoning of regular skellies was more logical.
Summons have always turned against the caster if they get hurt by an AoE, so I'm not sure what you're complaining about there. Did the pre-patch versions have summons who did not turn on the caster upon being damaged by a party member? If so, that was a bug.
If they got rid of the ghast-summoning, then I think that was a good idea. Any cleric could dominate all of BG1, solo, using those. Hello, paralyzing touch? Ahem.
Btw, clerics have to be 15th level in order to summon skeleton warriors.
Following stats:
HP: 20, AC: 6, THAC0: 15, Dmg: 1D8+1, 1 APR.
Resistances: 100 % cold and poison, 25 % magic, 40 % slashing, 50 % piercing, 60 % crushing.
Saves: 5/7/6/5/8
STR: 16
DEX: 9
CON: 9
Almost as useless as an ordinary skeleton and definately not worth a 3rd level cleric slot.
A lot of people, however, will dispute your assessment of regular skellies as "useless". They are resistant to all forms of attack, and they make excellent distractions and meatshields while your caster gets his spells cast. Enemies will tend to attack them first and waste their best spells on them, as well as to continue to attack them while you unload your spellbook on your enemy.
Just don't hit a skellie with an AoE!
They shouldn't be called skeleton warriors though, to avoid confusion.
Dr. Frankenstein. Paging Dr. Frankenstein. Or, perhaps @Mortianna could enlighten us.
LOL. :>0
The ghasts have been replaced by regular skelettons.
These skeletons grow stronger at level 7, 11 and 15.
They don't use the right animation right now (the evolution should be more noticeable) and the spell description will probably be updated in the future.
I'd say zombies are basically skeletons with extra baggage (meat baggage, that is), but the distinction between a zombie and a skeleton is tricky. Like you mentioned, some skeletons probably have scraps of flesh still clinging to their bones and maybe have an eye or tongue that hasn't yet decayed. Similarly, some zombies that are in an advanced stage of decomposition may have bones showing in some parts. Ultimately, I think it should be based on smell: skeletons are generally done rotting, while zombies aren't.
I don't think zombies need any of their organs to function since they are animated by (and embued with) negative energy. But, since zombies are still undergoing the processes of decay, there are many more possible hindrances to their movement rate: rigor mortis, broken or twisted leg/back/neck, skin sloughing off, impaled with a spear in a previous battle, etc. Skeletons' bones are held together by the magic that animated them, so they're much lighter and more mobile than zombies (although a fresh zombie animated from a newly-deceased "donor" could conceivably be just as fast as a skeleton, especially if they've had an "Embalm" spell cast upon them).
A couple of things would definitely make zombies more formidable, imo: (1) Requiring low-level characters to make a fear check (i.e., save vs. death) whenever they encounter one, especially if it's especially ripe and is buzzing with flies and crawling with maggots (I'm sure a talented graphic designer could whip up an animation of this with ease). (2) Require a save vs. death (or else contract a disease) whenever one is hit by a zombie. The decaying dead, despite their unforgettable stench, would most likely carry some sort of parasite or infectious disease that could be passed onto to the living. Maybe it's a good thing player characters can't animate them in BG:EE
PS - as far as I remember, shouldn't warriors be immune to unenchanted weapons?
Edit : seems I was wrong, it looks like IWD had simply skellies and zombies per level of the caster. FEAR ZEE ARMEH OF UNDEAD!
IWD1 also had plenty of Monster Summoning spells if I am not mistaken, going all the way up to level 9 spell (although it would be impossible to cast them unless you get yourself a mod which allows high level spellcasting).
I just checked and it is indeed true - on page 9, you get to have 'Monster Summoning VII'. Although I can't seem to find what kind of monsters it creates, I'm pretty sure I saw Greater Mummies coming out of it XD
The Animate Dead spell rocks!
It's simply one of the best, most powerful summoning spells in the game, no matter what they do to it. Undead charm spell immunity, hello? Charm spells are the most deadly spells in the game, and enemies waste them on your undead summonses.
The Sword Coast Strategems mod removes this exploit by making casters too smart to waste charm spells on undead, or any other, summons.