I've been experimenting with a build I've tentatively called "Inquisitor". It's a variation on the Enchanter, I suppose, which focuses on movement and close-range spells.
Something which became quickly apparent is that there aren't all that many touch-range spells. There's Burning Touch, Freezing Touch, Shocking Touch, Petrifying Touch, Enfeebling Touch, Vampiric Touch, and Death Punch. And I suppose Diving Light, Trip, Charming Touch also count, although for this build they have stat penalties.
Of the Elemental ones, Burning Touch is available at level 1, Shocking Touch at level 4, and the others at level 7. Burning is the only one which does damage, the others inflict a hard CC. Those are good of course, but that produces the interesting effect that I run my mage up, succeed in landing a status... and then the only damage spells I have to use are long-range...
So that prompted me to think of a couple of close range touch spells which do minor damage, but can't inflict any status effects.
NEW SKILL IDEASAerothurge -
Static Shock -
"Stupid carpet." Aerothurge: 1 // AP: 3 // Duration: Instant // Cooldown: 5 turns.
Delivers a minor electric shock to a target in touch range (3m). Air damage, no status effects.
Geomancer -
Dust Knuckles -
"Taste allergies, numbnuts!"Geomancer: 1 // AP: 3 // Duration: Instant // Cooldown: 5 turns.
Delivers minor earth damage to a target in touch range (3m). Earth damage, no status effects.
Hydrosophist -
Icy Grip -
"Don't touch me with those cold hands!"Hydrosophist: 1 // AP: 3 // Duration: Instant // Cooldown: 5 turns.
Delivers minor water damage to a target in touch range (3m). Water damage, no status effects.
***
I'm not really expecting these to get into the game. Theoretically, they shouldn't be too complicated when it comes to animations and icons, I'm sure existing ones would work with minor tweaking only. Possibly new icons to differentiate them from the CC-only versions.
"To get 45 spells, that's like 5 schools of magic at Rank 4, ... "
Well,
Aero/5 >> 19 spells
Witch/4 >> 9
Hydro/3 >> 7
Geo/3 >> 7
Pyro/2 >> 5
+ 2 spells in rings
+ staff of Magus spell
--------------------------
50 spells at all
plus basket of scrols about 30pcs
plus heap of flasks and food. Well food is just for a feeling, its crap.
My caster is on the 19th level now.
I like game UI. especialy character chain menu is briliant. Skill eruption late game would need an improved UI to handle this.
I would say, allow drag the root of the skill (Man-at-arms, Aero) to the skill bar. Then it opens a bag of skill. This bag is closed automaticaly on mouse focus loose.
Ah, I see.
Yes, dragging the root of the skill to the skillbar to create an unfolding menu sounds like a great idea. Divine Divinity actually had something similar (but a bit messier, as it had all the skills in columns).
Swen has mentioned on his blog that they're looking at improving the UI, but no details have emerged yet.
