Why Comet? Why Dragon's Breath?
Tresset
Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
I probably just duplicated an existing thread yet again, but I want to know...
So why exactly do we have both Dragon's breath and Comet? They are basically the same thing only one is far superior to the other (well maybe not that much but you get the idea). Now before all of you smarty pants pseudo-trolls go: "Why do we have either when there is Improved Alacrity?" I would like to seriously consider this question for a moment... These spells are so similar and yet one has such an advantage over the other it really makes me wonder what the original devs were thinking when they put both these spells in the game. Almost makes me think they were like: "I think comets are cooler!" "Oh yeah? Well I think Dragon's Breath cooler!" and they couldn't decide which one to include so they just tossed both in there made one better because reasons.
Thoughts anyone?
Tresset's Comet mod can be found here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/27351/tresset-had-a-whim-improved-comet-mod
So why exactly do we have both Dragon's breath and Comet? They are basically the same thing only one is far superior to the other (well maybe not that much but you get the idea). Now before all of you smarty pants pseudo-trolls go: "Why do we have either when there is Improved Alacrity?" I would like to seriously consider this question for a moment... These spells are so similar and yet one has such an advantage over the other it really makes me wonder what the original devs were thinking when they put both these spells in the game. Almost makes me think they were like: "I think comets are cooler!" "Oh yeah? Well I think Dragon's Breath cooler!" and they couldn't decide which one to include so they just tossed both in there made one better because reasons.
Thoughts anyone?
Tresset's Comet mod can be found here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/27351/tresset-had-a-whim-improved-comet-mod
Post edited by Tresset on
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Comments
Any chance we'll get new mage HLAs? Maybe an Ice/Lightning/Acid version of Dragon's Breath for Dragon Discipile.
What would not be easy for me to do is putting all the different breath spells in the spell book at the same time.
Edit: And I would also not know how to change the appearance of the spell...
Often I prefer Dragon's breath, for 3 reasons.
1. Does more damage than Comet (with a "save for half" clause, so against most enemies there's practically no difference, but still, in theory it can do more damage)
2. Instant demilich killer
3. Can hurt highly resistant magical opponents
And I find it funny when Dragon's Breath does tons of damage to dragons.
But Comet is nice when you want to target only a single enemy, when you want to take foes one by one.
Moreover, it's faster. While you have to wait for the dragon's head to appear before the fireball casts, Comet is virtually instantaneous.
So, I use both these spells.
A meteor moving through the vacuum of space typically travels at speeds reaching tens of thousands of miles per hour. When the meteor hits the atmosphere, the air in front of it compresses incredibly quickly. When a gas is compressed, its temperature rises. This causes the meteor to heat up so much that it glows. Re-entry temperatures can reach as high as 1650 degrees C! Can't really see any cold damage here
Dragon's Breath: 20d10 damage and knockback, save for half damage and no knockback
Given that enemies by the time you can actually cast those spells (and have level 9 slots NOT taken by Time Stop) should make their saving throws some 90% of the time, I'd rather have the small chance of stunning rather than knocking enemies back (which messes up positions) and doing some more damage (which will easily be compensated by my fighting dudes against a stunned enemy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGC2byVmoA
As it is, Dragon Breath's MR ignoring abilities alone just unbalance the whole game in its favour. If you wanted to equalise them, Comet ignoring MR as well (if you're gating in a literal hunk of ice then that's not something resistable in the first place) would place the two abilities pretty well neck and neck (one deals more damage, one stuns for 1-4 rounds).
Also for me the casting time is important, so that is an equalizer.
I just opened the file SPL of Comet and there's no stun effect in it, only a wing buffet and sleep.
Reported, #7295.
I also noticed that comet has the exact same wing buffet effect as dragon's breath. Dragon's breath also has a sleep effect but it lasts for only half a round as opposed to comet's 3 round sleep effect. That's right, comet does not stun for 1d4 rounds as per the description but actually 3 rounds every time. I reported that to J so she can update the description.
1. 15d10 damage (no save, no MR) 4 rounds stun + knockback (save vs. death to avoid, no MR).
2. 10d10 damage (no save, no MR) 1 round stun + knockback (no save, no MR)
I could also partition the damage between fire and crushing or maybe also cold (if we don't care about realism here) on either # 1 or # 2 if that is suggested.
10d10 fire damage and 5d10 crushing damage (no save, no MR)
Knockback and 1 round stun (no save, no MR)
I will post the mod in the modding section and link this to there.