I saw Dehodson's Atheist Monk skill tree, and I loved it, but being more of a warrior guy myself, I thought I'd put my own spin on the idea of Atheism (or in this case, antitheism) as a skill tree, but this time more warrior-oriented! The result is my current (WIP) mod, the Antitheist Paladin! The premise of the skill tree can be summed up with this quote from the description of the first level skill: “When your parents made you go to church in your youth, you hollowed out your book of hymns and secretly read science books, magic books, guides to traps, combat disciplines, and the occasional dirty magazine. Time well spent IYHO, although things touched by the gods tend to rapidly defile themselves in your hands as a result. Ah well.” That's not an exaggeration. This skill tree's first level ACTUALLY DOES land you a particularly nasty, un-resistible 100% chance to corrupt your own equipment every time you attack. Basically, if the gods have touched it, you'd be wise to keep your OWN hands OFF of it. This sorely limits your equipment options, similar to how Killer Vegan sorely limits your food options. However, it also comes with VERY good stat bonuses, handy skills, and multiple 10% chance-to-proc-on-hit elemental abilities. Obviously this runs a high risk of either being ludicrously over or underpowered, so I'd like community input on how big of a deal the no-artifact handicap is, and whether or not the stat buffs I put forward make up for it. The stat bonuses will also be set up so that while this is technically a warrior skill, it improves warrior, rogue, and wizard primary stats equally, to improve versatility. Here's the roadmap for the skill tree so far. I have all 8 levels mapped out. Antitheist Paladin: You neither need nor want the assistance of the gods in doing what’s right. Level 1: Common Sense. “When your parents made you go to church in your youth, you hollowed out your book of hymns and secretly read science books, magic books, guides to traps, combat disciplines, and the occasional dirty magazine. Time well spent IYHO, although things touched by the gods tend to rapidly defile themselves in your hands as a result. Ah well.” Effect: 100% chance on hitting or being hit in melee to corrupt your own artifacts. Cannot be resisted. Stat boosts: +1 trap sight radius, +1 trap affinity, +1 Tinkering, +1 Smithing, +1 Alchemy, +1 Wandcrafting, +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy, -1 Righteous Resistance. Level 2: Heretical Engineering Mk. I. “You can’t for the life of you understand why anybody could possibly worship the lutefisk god. Don’t they realize that he demands tribute in the form of the butchered corpses of HIS OWN (supposed) RACE? You lack any respect for him whatsoever, and this sheer audacity allows you to craft some rather blasphemous tools.” Spell: Spawn Heretical Odd (Spawns 2 Heretical Odds). Cooldown: 50 turns. Stat Boosts: +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy, -1 Righteous Resistance. Level 3: Healing Arts. “The Grand High Sorcerer of Existential Magicks, Sam Harris, strongly feels that there is great value in the healing arts, and that one of our highest priorities should be to truly study it and extricate it from the clutches of the church and alternative medicine. You feel the same way. You also would very much like to have his babies.” Spell: Healing Arts (heals you equal to your magic power, costs 10 Mana, does not reduce with savvy). Stat Boosts: +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy, +1 Health Regeneration, +1 Mana Regeneration, -1 Righteous Resistance. Level 4: Heretical Engineering Mk. II. “Okay, this is just ridiculous. For crying out loud, the servants of the lutefisk god ARE ALLIED WITH DREDMOR. That does it, you’re kicking things up a notch.” Spell: Spawn Heretical End (Spawns 1 Heretical End). Cooldown: 250 turns. Stat Boosts: +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy, -1 Righteous Resistance. Level 5: Heretical Engineering Mk. III. “Inconsequentia claims that many of the artifacts she has you carry around are ‘too powerful for any man’. You’ve decided to test that claim.” Spell: Spawn Heretical Doodad (Spawns 1 Heretical Doodad). Cooldown: 250 turns. Stat Boosts: +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy, -1 Righteous Resistance. Level 6: Full of Heart. “While your player was perusing the skill tome, you were the subject of a failed ambush by an archangel, who tripped over a displacement glyph and splinched. Seizing the opportunity, you ripped out the archangel’s heart, and ate it to gain his powers. That… IS how it works… isn’t it? You sure hope so. If not, that’s just plain embarrassing.” Stat Boosts: +2 Burliness, +3 Nimbleness, +3 Sagacity, +2 Caddishness, +2 Stubbornness, + 3 Savvy, -2 Righteous Resistance. Level 7: No Turning Back. “You’re assured by the gods that you will certainly face the fires of hell when you die. The solution is obvious. Don’t die. Ever. If the gods can do it, why can’t you?” Stat Boosts: +3 Burliness, +4 Nimbleness, +4 Sagacity, +3 Caddishness, +3 Stubbornness, + 4 Savvy, +1 Health Regeneration, +1 Mana Regeneration, -2 Righteous Resistance. Level 8: Ascend to Godhood. “You’ve become what you have grown to despise. On the bright side, that makes you the first god with a slightly less than a god-complex-level ego. Tonight, Dredmor. Tomorrow, THE HEAVENS! Stat Boosts: +4 Burliness, +5 Nimbleness, +5 Sagacity, +4 Caddishness, +4 Stubbornness, + 5 Savvy, +1 Health Regeneration, +1 Mana Regeneration, -2 Righteous Resistance. ITEMS/RECIPES: Projectile Lutefisk (thrown weapon) Crafted with: 1 Heretical Odd, 1 Lutefisk. Uses Tinkering toolkit, level 3. Damage: 1 crushing, 2 Necromantic, has a 5% chance to invive thaumite swarm. Description: “The religion of the lutefisk god, like many religions before it, has adopted as its primary sacred symbol an object that has in fact historically been used as a potent instrument of torture. To those who find this fact absurd, you invite them to read the item’s flavor text. Of course, since that’s not visible to most people, you’re more than happy to give a practical demonstration.” Projectile Horadric Lutefisk Cube (thrown weapon) Crafted with: 1 Heretical End, 1 Horadric Lutefisk Cube. Uses tinkering toolkit, level 5. Damage: 1 crushing. On hit: Remote Lutefisk Paradox (Same as lutefisk paradox, except of course it can be triggered remotely. Description: “Ah, the lutefisk paradox. Most people hear of it and come to the conclusion that you should never attempt to fold a lutefisk cube into itself. YOU, however, come to the conclusion that you should just have the lutefisk cube fold into itself somewhere FAR AWAY FROM YOU.” Various equipment crafted out of quest items. I think this is possible, the quest items are specified as actual items in the code, which I assume I can put into a recipe.
Love it, a more Skill+Build dependent than luck dependent warrior that can get exp for ALL artifacts he gets with archeologist and really USES the cash he gets ;D i see a dual wield staff or sword fighting warrior with archeologist, burglar, anthiteist and usurper mud-hole that rox through the dungeon to kick Dredmors shining low-back ;D Also to hell with Krong! ;D You my dear friend just got a WATCH THIS THREAD and i LIKE it Waiting impatiently for the mod Also, Assassination, yeah, Assassin+what i said earlier. Also II, sparkles. Love it!
Very well then! I'll continue work on it and show it to you guys later! EDIT: Ninja'd. Wow, nice reception! I hope I don't disappoint!
This actually sounds like an awesome build, that'll add unique flavor to the game. I'm watching this thread too, and am waiting in anticipation of playing this skill ^_^
Hm, so nothing's stopping you from tithing lutefisk, kronging things, or doing inconsequential quests, BUT the fancy equipment you gain becomes worthless over time. Neat! Don't forget to make the corruption trigger on cast and on ranged shots, too. Maybe lutefisk could be auto destroyed on some sort of trigger as well, it could even give you 2 hp as if you ate it but stomached it better than most? IDK, it's an interesting skill and don't feel obligated to incorporate my incoherent half-ideas into your clever big idea!
I imagine, given what your character does, that you'd consider this for the batman build if you were to do it over? Speaking of which, I can't wait to see the next part of that! It's very amusing!
Ooooh! I just came up with something! Unfortunately it needs a little bit of item artwork. Basically, I simulate a crafting tree by adding skills that spawn unique ingredients when used, similar to the runecrafting mod. This is referred to as "Heretical Engineering", and here's an example of what you can craft with the reagent acquired by the second skill on the tree: Level 2: Heretical Engineering Mk. I. “You can’t for the life of you understand why anybody could possibly worship the lutefisk god. Don’t they realize that he demands tribute in the form of the butchered corpses of HIS OWN (supposed) RACE? You lack any respect for him whatsoever, and this sheer audacity allows you to craft some rather blasphemous tools.” Spell: Spawn Heretical Odd (Spawns 2 Heretical Odds). Cooldown: 50 turns. Stat Boosts: +1 Nimbleness, +1 Sagacity, +1 Savvy. ITEMS/RECIPES: Projectile Lutefisk (thrown weapon) Crafted with: 1 Heretical Odd, 1 Lutefisk. Damage: 1 crushing, 2 Necromantic, has a 5% chance to invive thaumite swarm. Description: “The religion of the lutefisk god, like many religions before it, has adopted as its primary sacred symbol an object that has, in fact, historically been used as a potent instrument of torture. To those who find this fact absurd, you invite them to read the item’s flavor text. Of course, since that’s not visible to most people, you’re more than happy to give a practical demonstration.” So yeah, I need item art for "Heretical Odd", "Heretical End", "Heretical Doodad," and like 3 thrown weapons. Anybody willing to help out?
Added the current (WIP) skill road map to the OP for "peer review". It goes up to level 3 so far, and it's going to be an 8-skill tree.
I'm a little wierded out by the fact that it's a Warrior tree that grants Nimbleness, Savvy, and Sagacity for the first few levels. Those are the three non-Warrior stats, ne? Also, moar crafting! One Moar Thing: Heretical Crafting Mk II should grant an ability that uses the "sacrificeartifact" effect. Generally, I'm not in favor of replicating an ability that's kind of the lynchpin of one of the core skills, but in this case the flavortext is just too perfect to resist: you hate Krong and Inconsequentia, so you break their shit. Perfect.
-11 Righteous resist at the end and no possible way to negate it without artifacts, that kinda harsh, -8 would even be too much, also why do you have less Righteous resist when you become a god? You are an avatar of the self righteous now So maybe -1 at all levels of the skill but a +2 when becoming god? That gives you -5 in the end. Also why not add some damages instead of so many stats and a little less lutefisk plz? Maybe some Krong on engineering 2? Like you only believe in technology not some old-fart smith god from the dark ages, moar tinkering! ? Also healing arts should give what it gives PLUS a +1 to wand craft bonus? (You're idol IS a mage right? ) Also maybe more Caddishness instead of savvy? Aside of that it looks quite awesome, love the descriptions and some HEFTY HYPOCRISY in the end
I am a fan of essence's idea with sending an artifact to the League of Extraordinary Gentleman so that they may send it to a volcano. (The latter part is trademarked, so, use it if you want and don't ask me ) Maybe get money instead of exp so that the skill won't be replicated. Also, essence i see we think alike with crafting ^.- we even both wrote moar
when you say moar crafting, do you mean moar crafting points, or moar recipes? Also, I'm going to try out the skill tree with JUST the stat bonuses and the 100% corruption, to see how it balances. Thanks for the feedback guys!
I meant moar recipes. I don't care for more crafting points; I don't want to step too much on the crafting skills. But there should be something else to do besides throwing weapons.
Note the little thing at the bottom of the post: I haven't decided on specifics yet, but I think I can make quest items usable in recipes. For example, combining the glove and the candle to create "The hand of glory", which improves sight range greatly maybe?
It gives Nimbleness, Savvy, and Sagacity so that it can in essence be an "all classes" skillset. As you level it up, you gain 2 points in everything, despite the class technically saying "warrior" on it.
