The skill Practical Geology is a warrior skill first of all, it's meant to be used with other warrior skills as well. While it does benefit non-warriors it won't be as useful. The point being is that don't try to use it on a mage or rogue and consider it weak. The general idea is that it creates a melee power caster ability. It uses cooldowns and not mana, but they're low enough for it to be used multiple times. Secondly it has a defensive use, primarily anti-crit. There are a total of two attacks, two defensive stat boost levels, and two buffs. Both of the buffs can be cast on either enemies or yourself and there are reasons to do either. I'm not outlining the skills in any more detail here because I want you to play with the mod and learn them yourself. I'd like to hear any feedback bugs or whatever you want to say so please do. So anyway: enjoy.
So at first I was all "wow, those two levels with like 3 1-point resistances each are kind of...crap." Then I laid out my first Petrification, and I was all like "but it's SO WORTH IT to get to THIS!" Then I laid out my first Earthquake, and I was like "I can't wait to get to a ZOO with THIS!" Then I got to a zoo, and I was SO RIGHT. I heart this skill. Bushido+Geology= Rocky MCMXXVII: Dremor TKO!
Honestly those were purely because of being fillers. And you'll enjoy those when you step on an acid trap.
I'm honestly worried that Petrification might be too powerful vs. Dredmor. I know his resistances will keep him from dying to it's damage, but that many turns of doing nothing at all might make him a cakewalk.
Are you aware that targets are nearly invulnerable. Maybe I'll make it resistable with reduced resistance. I could also make daze reduce resistances making it easier to use it on an enemy you've dazed, but still somewhat resistable.
No, I didn't actually try attacking a petrified target. No need, it killed them all just fine on it's own. If that's the case, it's probably OK then.
I like it! Although, I've noticed that the - and - from the first spell don't seem to drop your or below whatever your other skills give you. i.e, if you have 6 from Unarmed Combat, it won't drop you below 6 .
That's not really under my control as that's in the engine code. Since most will come lategame and most people won't use stone fist on themselves lategame it shouldn't matter as much.
Yeah, I figured it was part of the engine. I'm on Floor... 6? So far, I haven't put any levels into Geologist yet, but the only time I've turned off Stone Fist so far was for Monster Zoos.
Dredmor was made immune to paralysis a while ago. Not sure if resistable=0 will override that (doubt it).
That +5 from Stone Fist makes Throwing a very, very viable early game strategy. I discovered it first with Runecaster, but I'm thinking Ninjitsu for my next run. OBSIDIAN SHINOBI FTW
Dredmor must have the ability too. He uses it to stay exactly the same distance from you at all times. And for nothing else.