Change it to be a CS spell, that can increase actual damage/phantom damage stuns.
Allow us to have the ability to see the illusion that the critter fears. Either by a sense, or in the messaging in the form of a faint "rolton" can be seen as the kobolds eyes dart back and forth. Or just allow it on players, since a different illusion for each critter would be harder. Or you could simply coded it to pick randomly from a pool of critters in the game. If nightmared critter level is < then x critter allow x to be picked as a nightmare.
Also another guild skill tie in. Allow once mastering the skill, to either set a specific illusion that always attacks the critter with nightmare, possibly one we can get altered for some great customization. We would also need to make it materialize in front of us, as an object in the room instead of just a phantom thing. Perhaps tie this part into lore, also making it via channel and extra mana cost.
Demon lore offers up a variety of demonic pre-set shapes, necro lore offers up a variety of undead shapes. Each illusion could have their own little benifits. The illusion would act like the normal illusion would but we would see the "fake" battle happening instead of the faint images and the darting. The critter could attack it, also other critters could attack it.
If in this extra channeled mode the critter prevails over the illusion, give the caster a slight backlash. Or if another critter quashes the illusion, perhaps give the nightmared critters a slight boost of having conquered their "fear".
Allow progression in the illusions guild skill to either enhance what illusions we can see or have defined, or just as a way to unlock more illusions for the extra channeled form.
I know guild skills are not supposed to be "combat" in anymore guilds, but I see no reason why they could not add to "fluff" parts of spells. As you could still channel without knowing illusions just as good.
While not directly a demonology boost, it does have relation to illusions and demons in a way.
Since the eye is actually an illusion, allow us to modify that illusion a bit. Perhaps tie the guild skill illusions into it.
1)Change it on demons so it doesn't take up a slot, but it melds sort of to the demons. A growth or something on the demon, but its an illusion we could find a way to get it to work with out taking up a slot.
2)Modifty the shape. Its an eye with bat wings, let us either with illusion skill, or some other means change the shapes we can make the eye. Perhaps upon mastering illusions we can illusions eyes. No longer should we be bound to the eye with bat wings? How about a slim dagger with an eye imbeded into the center. Some of the blink/hover etc messaging might have to be modified a bit but yeah...
First lets actually finish the skill. (I'm talking about the fleshing out of maelstorm and vortex like was said).
Then we can worry about the rest.
As you say demon illusions are too recognisable. That is where two things come in. The first would be the paint room, and the second would be the illusion pool.
The paint room, would be a room that allowed a small customization of the illusion. It would work similarly to shop arrange (And home arrange). Look descriptions would need to be added to the illusions. Each base illusion would have certain keywords that could be changed. And those words could also be arranged in a different order to change the show's wording a little, and to add emphasis to certain parts.
In the room, one would be able to change say a stooped and wizend gnoll to have blue eyes, long finger nails, etc. Things like that, would be picked from a list of options, then worked by the sorcerer into the illusion.
The process of working the changes into the illusion would be available to masters. It would take 5-10 minutes or so to do a full re-work of the illusion. After all it should take time to mold and shape essence into a form, but not long enough to make it prohibitive.
The second thing I mentioned, the illusion pool would need to be created. The illusion pool would consist of adjectives that go before the base illusion. And it would consist of more illusion types per demon. Each demon type should at the very least have one unique illusion available to them. I'd even say to go as far as having racial (cultural too) ones with Faendryl perhaps having one extra just for their role in demonology.
The illusions from the illusion pool would not require any extra, if you use it at random. To specify certain adjectives, would require an extra focus, requiring you to have 1 rank higher then the required skill in illusions (or mastery) costing 10 mana extra to specify. You can however, for the normal cost use any of the available illusions for that demon type.
This would also open up the ability for illusion alterers. Which would be the ability to customize the illusion. Which if you ask me is a great service to help bring demons a ability like familiars (will have) and companions have now. And the only way it makes sense to alter a demon is through the illusion one puts on the demon.
The alteration could go in two forms. you could have a normal alteration, with the show. Or if you want to get more complex the alterations could conform to the "paint" room guidelines, and have changeable words in it that can then further be customized in the paint room.
Also, there should be the ability for a master of illusions, to help mold and weave the essence into an illusion for somebody who is on the illusion task, but not yet a master. Just to not completly rule out the customization to a degree, but make it so it is still complicated, where one would idealy want to master illusions.
This would be done, with alchemy. The master of illusions, would be able to work with the person who wants the illusion, to form a essence horcrux (I used horcrux as harry potter is on my mind and it sounds like a cool thing for sorcery). The illusion master would be the one doing most of the work, weaving, manipulating the essence into the illusion desired, then infusing that essence into the horcrux.
The other person would come into the picture, in that it would need to be attuned, worked to respond to the calls of that person, that since they do not have a mastery over the illusion, it needs to be "binded" to them. When the horcrux is finally created, the user can then use that horcrux to illusion the demon.
The non-master would need to use the horcrux each time, and the horcrux would only have a certain length, 4-5 illusions, before it becomes drained of power.
Also one thing I didn't mention, is that the illusions in the pool should have different restrictions. Some should be limited to one demon type, while others can be to a wider variety. For instance a flower girl could be for grik, imp, shien, abryan, but not a verlok due to the nature of a verlok.
Also there should be more then one alteration spot. Each demon would have an alteration slot for an illusion. Now those spots though do not have to be for one demon. You could make it so that the illusion, the altered one, is useable for just that slot, or for all "like" demons. So you could in reality have two custom illusions for abryan, but one of those would also be for say a grik.
I doubt it would be possible for multiple slots, but storage is less of a concern these dies. If you must, they alterations could be done on a "essence paper" that all the information is stored there. Then the illusionist creates a horcrux (easier then creating one for someone else, this might be possible without alchemy due to a process in the paint room, so as not to always require the other guild skill). The horcrux would contain that information from th e "essence paper", which the information would then be translated into how the illusion looks.
Or just have it simply be a few cutomization slots for sorcerers.
1)Demon demeanor. Not every sorcerer has the same view of demons, though the ones who see them as possibly being "good" are far and few between. It would be cool to have a demon demeanor setting. So if there is a favorite demon you can set it so when you interact verbs may display a more friendly nature. But if you set your demeanor for abryan'sa to cold, because you do not like snakes. Your actions with verbs would be more cold.
2)Control Demeanor. It would be an interesting way of getting idle scripts under control. Not all slave masters would be the same in how the treat their slaves. One could be a little more lax giving a bit more freedom, while the other might give no freedom, or hardly any. This would be a cool system for demons. Demons depending on what setting the sorcerer sets could have a little more freedom in their actions. For instance that grantris while walking around could be free to amuses it self under those rocks over their as the sorcerer grants it some freedom. But now the sorcerer has a iron grip around that imp, it is no longer allowed to change into random objects in the area, it can try but it just can't do it, as the sorcerer is controlling/commanding it to do nothing...
3)Idle actions/scripts. Yes they are annoying and we do not need another "toy" to scroll the screen. But they need something, it would just liven them up a bit so they are not a pile of code. And in conjunction with number 2, would be a perfect fit for any sorcerer. Plus we could always stop the idle messaging if we wished.dd
4)Rp Verbs. Some one shadowed them and you can reach in and get them? You mis typed 405, and casted 705 at them? Lets have them, and it would be perfect if number 1 could go with that. Yes more work to get all "flavors" of messaging
5)Demons and eyes. Demons already have a limited carrying and get capacity. So instead of the eye taking up a slot, why not allow the eye to go into the demon. After all the eye is an illusion, so why can that illusion not change forms or "meld" with the demon.
9)Drag! Come on lets have it. Sorcerers are not the strongest sorts, and they could use help in draging. Not everyone is a necro nor can spend the 50k for crystals (As thats the going playershops.com rate) nor spend the time to make crystals. Or even have the necro ranks to animate a player. You would have one demon type from each valence that could drag. Grik, Abryan, Aishan.
10)Demon battles! Come one let us bored sorcerers battle our demons, it would be a fun way to past the time... We could build a thunderdome to do it in....
11)I said ilde messaging, and verb actions, but now its RP interactions. Like griks frighting imps and the like. I know abryan bow to snakes (a little more different messaging would be nice), but the rest of that stuff thats in the valentia would be nice.
12) More demon parts, how about a claw from a grik? or something from an aishan... Could be tied into the demon battle part, two may enter, parts will leave...
13)Demon clothing. Why not a special backpack that an imp can wear? A little cart a grantris or an aishan could pull? Something to up their carrying ability. I mean two items is good and all, but thats hardly at times one box. Now if they could do two boxes that are not dependant on the inside amount, that would be nice. But thats not how containers and carrying works.
14)Control bands. Small bands that can be added to demons that bear a sorcerers mark. Basically a slavers collar.
15) And how these added abilites could be balanced? ITs called lore. the more lore you have the more you know about demonology, so the more you should be able to do with your demons. Its a high cost to pay, but the benifits should be their for training above 50 ranks, and 100 ranks, and even up to 200 ranks. After all their is no current benifit, and even once 750 is around, we should still have some high up benifits for 725 and lore
16) Some sort of non-725 messaging or effects for devoting one self to demonology. I don't know what but it would just be cool. Sort of in never winter nights, you could devote yourself to the "dragon whatever" class and gain wings. Now I'm not saying gain wings, but perhaps just a lore verb or something. Perhaps the ability to turn ones eyes into the differet eyes the minor demons have? Blue eyes like a verloks, silver eyes like a grantris, flame eyes like an aishan. Other stuff to. Perhaps augmenting illusions.
17)Oh yeah almost forgot for high lore make that theroy in the valentia a reality. You know the one... Where you can summon a demon without the use of a runestone... Would be nice for those of us that take the time and effort and training to dedicate ourselves to that. Of course you'd have the fixskillers but eh can't be perfect, thats your mess not ours =p
18) A new ability for demons. May be a bit overpowered but eh, would be useful and easy to control/costly. Allow demons to it imbeds or wands and harvest some of that mana from them. I.E. Feed it a blue wand or twisted wand and it gains some of that mana. Would be a nice little boon, or give demons some mana when you first summon them. As useful as sending them mana is, it would be more useful to have them with it to begin with, or if your out of mana, feed them a wand and get a little mana back when they send it back.
19)More demon types released. Any ole ce gm could create a demon it was said, so get crackin and whip them into shape to do the 300 or so lines of code. Or get some of the more creative and evil (or good, as demons can be good) to create a new demon. I think a type a year would be awesome. And in ten years, that ten new minor demons. Very cool.
20)Give us the ability to bundle verlok feathers. I know its not perfect since there are different color ones, but at least it will cut down on the same color ones. Or if it is possible to still keep the "single" color make them bundle into a multicolored bundle of verlok feathers or something
21)Don't know if I included it earlier but... Give us a message that the demon deliver the message we told it to. Yes yes, I know it will always deliver it, but the matter is not if, but when. If I don't have my eye with it I can't tell for sure that it got that far.
22)Up the damage from being stolen, or damage the hand to stop them from stealing again until its healed. Perhaps having other effects as well on the thief.
23)Possible to anchor a point and tell demon to go there later. Not through an uncommon rune. The process should be by drawing a rune in that location. Perhaps tie alchemy into it.
24)Tell demon to go eye. The demon travels to the location of the eye (as long as its within realm, though we can control both eyes and demons across realm)
25)Demons can be told to GO HOME to go to the player?s home if the home is in the same realm and is in the player?s name.
26)There should be a send demon to guild command
28)Tell mdemon to flee. The demon flee's the area for whatever reasons. Goes somewhere other then where its at. Sends it to limbo perhaps? A way to get it to leave town quickly if its unillusioned or you don't have it illusioned with out tell it to leave(thus ending the spell)
29)Change it so that Demons can still return to you even if you have 204 up.
30)Allow demons to be sent to a room where we have a torment going
31)Stop 405 from working or telling its a demon while illusioned. As in have it say its a choatic beast, but not a demon. Defeats the purpose, and its hard to rp something not being a demon when characters can easily found out its not. (the results of 405 is IC), while still displaying who it belongs to since that needs to be in there.
32)tell mdemon to sentry.Tells us when things have passed by it, perhaps even what it is. Can be useful in some actual applications. Tell it to set up sentry at the entrance to the hunting ground and you know when people enter to stop some of the more selfish tactics of sorcerers (Open implode, open 710, torment everything and run around looking for more with killgroup on)Also under sentry perhaps also allow us to tell when critters gens in an area.
33)Scout. Allow with high lore to increase the information one gets from scout. Perhaps tell mdemon to scout advanced. Takes a little longer but we get a list of things in the area. It takes longer as it scouts out the area's where the people are in more detail, hence why we get say names of things.
34)High lore: Have demons stay around while we are dead, and perhaps allow a limited command of them. Say pick up items or some other stuff. Perhaps like someone suggested for 218 at simucone >>b)Idea brought up to prevent critters from messing with caster after death. Have the chance to it either succeed they stop the critters, or fail they join in.
35)Special actions manuvers for each demon. Nothing combat, just fluff. But allow us to tell igaesha to pass through objects, verloks to do aerial manuvers, imps to shapeshift.
36)Grik tribe interactions. Grik battles so to speak. Allow us to let rival grik battle it out. If imps are also present have griks get them to fight for their side.
37)Allow us to pluck the feathers from the verlok, with sometimes deadly results. Perhaps just like the results from sacrificing a demon
38)Allow us to tell aishan to stare people down. Giving them a glimpse of the aishans eyes. Nothing big perhaps just have them shiver or something. I'd say stun, but that might to abuseable
39)Allow grantris to hide under rocks or something or other, then where it hides under make it rock useable in the runestone system.
40)Allow demons to deliver when we are in the room.
41)Allow demons to consume dead bodies perhaps to give them mana of their own. No players.
42)Allow demons to 1)Regen their own mana, or have mana when we first summon them, that is only replenished by sending mana to them.
43)RP items for summoning, things that give us a different sort of go then just simply prep 725 cast runestone.
44)Additional things to put runes on. For instance statues and stuff. Instead of having the statue crumble, have the rune peel off. Perhaps then have fly-paper type thing. We draw the rune on the paper, and stick it onto something. When the charges are used up the paper goes away
45)demon that burps cute bubbles
46)Control the imp and shien face mimic to mimic certain people. Perhaps giving imps the ability to turn into a mini-mimic of the person or object. Shien can't,well they could probaly but they are covered in haze (Darn smokers)
47)Let demons go to a flare location. The demon sees the flare then we command it to scout it out yada yada, and it goes to that location of the person that casted the flare or just the "area" of the flare.
48)On the same note as 47, let verlok and igaesha do "flares" by flying up into the sky. Same function as 111 flare, but different messaging for it
49)Allow us to give our demons a message or phrase if you will that they will hold in their memory. Which we tell the demon to stay at a location, then people that whisper to or listen to the demon will get that message.
51)Make Lesser demons used in invasions show up as demons under scout. They are demons after all. I'd say ithzir and vruul also...
52)It would be cool to command our demons to forage for something. Make it based on demonology lore if we get the foraged item back harm free or something. Would just be cool and I mean history supports it, well some demons at least. Faendryl farmed, why can't we?
53)Make a new demon type, a water demon. Basically a demon lives in water, or thrives in water. Its application, would be utility, though an extremely limited and situation ability. Make the demon able to row the boats in the fishing system for us. Also another cool ability to it would be to allow it to attempt to catch fish...
54)Do this instead of 53, or in addition to it. A new ability for most demons (need arms), that be allow them the ability to row the boats for us. No reason why I shouldn't be able to command my demon to grab the oars and row. And would just be cool. Have it take just as long to row, just a different means then having us row.
55)PHASESTONES!!!!111!!!!1!!!!!
56) Allow the command mdemon to work for all commands. Instead of having to always specify the demon name or illusion name. As in send mdemon 999 would send our demon the mana. Would help cut down on other pets sharing the same noun. And just easier to use those commands.
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