Measuring Distance
Catoblepapotamus
Member Posts: 2
Hey, I'm trying to figure out how to judge distance in this game, for stuff like spell ranges and missile attacks. Anyone know any info on this topic or a good method to use?
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Comments
If you want to know how much of an area of effect fireballs and other such spells cover, my suggestion is to experiment with those spells. Cast some fireballs and see how far away someone has to be from them in order to avoid them. It takes a lot of work to be a skilled mage. Even being a sorcerer is tough.
It would be nice if these games had a targeting circle like they did in Neverwinter Nights 2. That would really be handy.
Melee weapons have a range too, daggers are the worst, you need to stand toe to toe with the enemy to stab with your dagger. Basically, bigger your weapon, the more reach you have. Two handed weapons like staves, spears, halberds, two handed swords are known for their reach and can strike a foe even from behind a friendly tank. The reach of the weapon is important im backstabbing too, if you backstab a dangerous foe, say a ghast, with a dagger, you will be almost touching the critter and if it survives the backstab, it can reteliate to you quickly before you can escape:a hit will paralyse you and your fate will soon be sealed. However if you backstab with a quarterstaff, you will be at a safer distance from the beast, and can run away more easily from the reteliation.
Most spells say their range in the spell description. Most (if not all, except mass cure which has an area of effect centered on the caster) healing spells are touch range, you need to get close to the target. There are quite a number of mage spells that target only the caster, mainly the buffs like armor, shield, mirror image. For targeted hostile spells, most spells range is the line of sight of the caster, however there are exceptions: fireball has a better range than skull trap, it can be hurled from way further than a skull trap. Skull trap will have better damage potential in higher levels though. (And a better damage type for those who resist/immune to fire)
When you are blinded by the spell, or when an enemy is blinded, its visibility range is reduced to touch range. Blind creatures can only sense and attack targets that are closest to them, so you can still melee abeit with hefty penalties for being blind. Spellcasting is the same, if you try to cast a fireball on a target the blind caster will walk to the target and start casting fireball at touch range, and it will go blast at point blank range, not a good thing unless the caster is immune to fire. If the target wanders off from the caster's visibility range (which for blinded caster is touch range) while the spell is being cast, the spell is never finished and is wasted.