First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all the GMs for their 3.0 work, and thanks to Raesh for working up new spells for us. Since our spells are being looked at / added to a bit, I've just got a couple of comments to share:

HoJ seems exceedingly niche, almost to the point of uselessness (to me - I don't remember the last time my paladin was stolen from). I actually haven't even tested it because it's never seemed that useful to me. I'd like to suggest an improvement - let us be able to gesture not only at thieves, but also at a mage casting a spell to interrupt their spell prep and potentially crush their hands. The "better not try it on the innocent" design could depend on what type of spell is being prepped - Target or Debilitation and the spell works fine, but if they're prepping a warding or utility or augmentation spell, there is backlash to the caster. Would anyone else be interested in that function?

Secondly, Shatter... On the original proposed spell list, Shatter was listed as a damage amplifier instead of an armor damager. I figured it was because someone on high didn't want "trash someone's armor" spells floating around (no one said - I just assumed), and was pretty okay with getting a damage amplifier. However, I just read that there is a potential planned armor damaging spell for Bards, and maybe CoZ does the same thing for Clerics? So why then was the decision to make Shatter a simple "drop your shield" spell? It's underwhelming to me, because not all mobs carry shields, and as for PvP, don't shields get auto-picked up in 3.0? It might just be because I don't really PvP, but is anyone else kinda unimpressed with the new Shatter? Or at the very least think this one could use a name change? I mean... does it actually shatter anything?

Okay, those two things being said I really like how 3.0 is turning out for paladins. At first I was a little butt-hurt that we weren't getting gobs of new spells and sweet abilities... but really I think it's only because we don't really NEED much more. 3.0 is good to us, IMO. Also, I love AA and am excited for the multi-shot TM spell that Raesh hinted at.

Thanks for reading!

>>It makes their shield arm useless, so that they cannot even attempt to use the shield skill for a duration.

Well that's different, then. Never mind.

I've been mostly experimenting with my characters' hunting levels and casting caps. Nothing I've fought in test uses shield, so the spell does nothing for them.

Right, I still have trepidation on the slot cost of of BW, but its a great spell.

HoJ I think is a little bit of a relic, a spell entirely based around PvP(monsters dont steal) and in general a little meh in terms of its functionality. Why would I gesture at someone to give them CvC approval on me instead of just smiting?

The idea of making HoJ a breath of fire like effect where you can gesture at something to keep it from retreating was very awesome. Hope that gets noticed by the higher ups.

Right, drop item/break items are just bad for a game like DR. If DR was set up a bit more like EVE or other sand box games where you were, from day one, expected to loose your items, that be different. But the game economy isnt really set up that way, there are 'rare' quest items and all sorts of other reasons this would not work.

I do think the game needs a better plat sink to stop inflation, but I think enchanting and other short term plat-for-use buffs would do that.

Anyhow I'm pretty happy with Shatter as is now.

Holy brawling damage, particularly against cursed / undead.

Player of Ryken
---
"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." ~ Doug Larson

AIM - RykenDR

It wouldn't be a bad name for our anti hide/anti retreat spell.

>>That would be pretty awesome. I imagine some passive effect that surronds the paladins with holy ethereal chains that bind those at melee range. The paladin can gesture at a target X times per cast to send out to a target and bind them from retreating, even pull them im if the contest wins by a some margin.

That I kind of like, though not as a HoJ expansion.

-Raesh

"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose

"That I kind of like, though not as a HoJ expansion."


Perhap the call for the Hounds of Rutilor to aid the Paladin in a time of need!



The bucket burbles suddenly as its contents begin to dissolve....

Suddenly it spits out some niniam field plate onto the floor.

>I've been discussing HoJ with some other GMs and the general feeling is that it is, as most of you put it, a relic.

I think this has been suggested before but how about making it a debilitating spell that lowers an enemy target's offense? I would love this even if there was a tradeoff of increased defense for the same target (to borrow from SR 2.0). We have a good number of utility spells now but not much debilitation.

More tanking toys always make me happy. That said, thanks again for AA!