Bug fixes VS Player Experience and Game Balance. Cernd issues.
Nytram
Member Posts: 13
First I discovered that they removed the constitution bonus from Greater Werewolf form and other shapeshifting to prevent death when characters switched back. I thought "Ok that's a bit annoying for me but if characters were dying I can see why they fixed it". So after having to find, install and learn to use EEkeeper just to give him his constitution back (25 instead of 13), I carried on playing with Cernd.
Standard Cernd is not a popular character by any means. He is often criticised for being worse than other NPCs and a lot of people find him boring. I have used him a lot and the key feature that made me ABLE to use him at higher levels was being able to dispel his claws and use a weapon instead. Even when doing this it basically just made him into a mediocre warrior with limited weapon selection but I liked his character and wanted to use him.
Now I come to play in 1.3 and find that they have made it impossible to dispel shapeshifting weapons. So now my greater werewolf Cernd is permanently stuck with his 1d6 puppy claws.
It is clear that their ability to be dispelled has been deemed a bug and I understand that the idea is to clean up bugs wherever you find them. They have truly done a great job in terms of quality of life fixes, game clarity and ease of use changes.
That being said I feel like these particular changes have really affected the balance of Shapeshifters in the game and have made them EVEN weaker than they were before. Bug fixes are great but changes that effect game balance and player experience should be thought about more carefully.
It is frustrating that in an Enhanced Edition an NPC is just flat out worse than he was in the original game. This makes players even less likely to take him than before. The idea that If I played the unenhanced version I would have a better experience using that character seems crazy to me.
Are other people also frustrated by this?
Standard Cernd is not a popular character by any means. He is often criticised for being worse than other NPCs and a lot of people find him boring. I have used him a lot and the key feature that made me ABLE to use him at higher levels was being able to dispel his claws and use a weapon instead. Even when doing this it basically just made him into a mediocre warrior with limited weapon selection but I liked his character and wanted to use him.
Now I come to play in 1.3 and find that they have made it impossible to dispel shapeshifting weapons. So now my greater werewolf Cernd is permanently stuck with his 1d6 puppy claws.
It is clear that their ability to be dispelled has been deemed a bug and I understand that the idea is to clean up bugs wherever you find them. They have truly done a great job in terms of quality of life fixes, game clarity and ease of use changes.
That being said I feel like these particular changes have really affected the balance of Shapeshifters in the game and have made them EVEN weaker than they were before. Bug fixes are great but changes that effect game balance and player experience should be thought about more carefully.
It is frustrating that in an Enhanced Edition an NPC is just flat out worse than he was in the original game. This makes players even less likely to take him than before. The idea that If I played the unenhanced version I would have a better experience using that character seems crazy to me.
Are other people also frustrated by this?
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Comments
That being said compared to the original game Cernd now has
1) Elemental resistances that now stack with other bonuses while he is in form
2) A fixed Conjure Fire Elemental spell that just got a big boost towards the strength bonus the elementals get (the 16 hit dice fire elemental for instance went from I believe having 14 strength to now having 20).
3) Druids who equip the Staff of Arundel will now retain the spells they gain when in form. In the original if you had the staff equipped and transformed you lost that extra 5th and 6th spell. This made transforming Cernd to be a real pain since you had to re-memorize them and then rest to get back those spells.
I won't go into my usual diatribe about how shapeshifters are underrated (although they are), but I really do agree that they should get the iwdee stats. Between that and the better spells, its all I want for Christmas
I must be the only person who thinks they're balanced just right. I would complain if it weren't for the fact that the slightly gimped werewolf can also instantly shift into a full powered druid, something the "ungimped" werewolves can't do
Then again, maybe I'm just being prissy because I have a migraine. If so then I apologize mate. At least you try with the class and make your decision, which I can respect completely.
As for the friendly werewolf bit I think anyone can describe anything to make it sound ridiculous or plausible. For example, maybe when they first transform their hands become extremely bestial (think standard werewolf horror with bones cracking as they extend etc). Maybe dispel magic makes their hands slightly more human again, allowing the Shapeshifter to grip objects such as a weapon. It's all about how you imagine the scenario playing out when dispel magic is cast.
Edit: perhaps migraines don't make the best times to post