Racial quests

[Jaraiden]

Well, this can't be posted in each race, but since AE is introducing more lore into the game, it seems fitting that each race has a race quest (based out of their town, and likely around level 40) to complete for improved racial abilities.

Dragons have their "Become a True Helian/Lunus" (aka Rite of Passage) so that is the reasoning for level 40.

The adventuring side should be more symbolic so a casual/dedicated player can complete it. It should be achievable by any class (single or multiclassing). Also, it should be rewarding asa solo series of quests or quests needing one other.

As for crafting, a bit harder but achievable based on one of three sequences of tasks - blacksmith / outfitter / scholar. So a character can opt for a blacksmith series of crafting tasks.

The reward would be an improved racial skill or a new one, keeping in mind Saris should not sprint faster/longer and Sslik should not regenerate faster.

[Just trying to get around a possible mentality of char. A has very hard quest so char. A gets a lot ofhelp to get him/her through it -the quest couldlose the lore/reasoning behind it.]

[Tigris]

As a Saris, a good reward for a hard complex quest like a rite of passage for a Saris might be a version of the passive saris ability, Enhanced Life Magic, tat would actually be useful. As it is it's pretty useless.

[Dvergar]

Well, I'd prefer much more class-specific epic quests than race-specific ones. In a class-specific one, you gain boni for what you can use. On a race specific epic, it might be totally useless for the school you're in...

Not to mention that each school has different goals, no matter whichrace you're from.

But still, I'm waiting for some real racial differences. Like one school that is limited to a single race. Well, my favorite would have been: Human Paladin, Half-Giant Berserker, Dwarven Axeman, ... Well, as most of them are already available to all, it would still be possible. For example Dwarven Trollslayers, Half Giant Barbarians, Elven Tracker, ... A school only availabe to this race, more specialized than the prestige schools, with equipment limited to only that school, ... Too bad that this wasn't done right from the start [:(]

[Jaraiden]

Well, each race has inherent advantages (such as a Half-giant with extra strength or a Saris with extra dexterity) . . . so a passive boost to such advantage would help if the player both wanted that race and primary class that would benefit from it.

Perhaps such an epic-class quest discussion can be started in the Schools forum (that has adventurer and trade/crafting subforums).

[Dalthbar]

It would be a good way to change those dinky +5 or so bonuses we get (that become useless quickily) to percentage based bonuses (such as 104% base skill).

[Fireclaw]

New racial abilities sounds like a good idea. They need not be overpowering combatwise since they should not change the balance of the races too much, but should still be useful and fun. These new abilities should be gained as quest rewards. The quests should have a few steps, but need not be tremendously epic quests like dragon ROP. Say one quest for each race at level 40 (similar to level of dragon ROP) and second quest for each race at level 100 (similar to hoped for requirements for ancient dragon ROP)

Here are some suggestions for quest rewards:

1. Level 40 half-giant gains the ability to pull a boulder from the ground and throw it, dealing modest ranged damage. Perhaps 40-80 ranged damage +strength modifier, over a range of 30, on a 10 minute timer.

2. Level 100 half-giant - ability to throw opponent 30 meters, dealing 200 damage +strength modifier on a 10 minute timer. (would be even better once falling damage added).

3. Level 40 dryad - ability to glide at fly speed 60 (cannot ascend while airborne, but can glide horizontally losing 6m of altitude per second. Otherwise functions like dragonflight). Activates automatically when jumping at apex of jump.

4. Level 100 dryad - ability to glide at fly speed 60 (cannot ascend while airborne, but can glide horizontally losing 3 m of altitude per scond. Otherwise functions like dragonflight). Activates automatically when jumping at apex of jump. This would replace the level 40 dryad glide. In addition dryads would also gain a limited "ascent" ability. When active "ascent" would allow a dryad to ascend at will just like a dragon.. "Ascent" would be an ability with a 5 second duration and 1 minute recycle and would be activatable while flying.

5. Level 40 Saris - gains the ability to bite opponent. useable once every 10 minutes. Similar to dragon bite attack, though less damage and much less damage over time.

6. Level 100 Saris - jumping height doubles. Useable at will.

7. Level 40 Sslik - gains ability to cast weaker version of Sslik regeneration on ally. Shares timer with regular Sslik regeneration, but otherwise similar.

8. Level 100 Sslik - gains Tailslap ability (similar to dragon tailslap). deals small amount of damage and poison's opponent reducing its dex and focus to 85% of normal for 1 minute. 10-minute timer.

9. Level 40 dwarf - gains ability to cast weaker version of dwarven toughness on ally. Shares timer with regular dwarven toughness.

10. Level 100 dwarf - gains ability to pound opponent into the ground (literally), so that opponent's model sinks halfway into the ground, and opponent is stunned for 10 seconds. Deals double damage. 15 minute timer.

[Mutrock]

7. Level 40 Sslik - gains ability to cast weaker version of Sslik regeneration on ally. Shares timer with regular Sslik regeneration, but otherwise similar.

9. Level 40 dwarf - gains ability to cast weaker version of dwarven toughness on ally. Shares timer with regular dwarven toughness.

Well Those 2 makes NO sense at all. [:|]Those 2 are genetically inherited abilities, not magical. So it's not logical if those are castable on others. It would be logical if a fiend for example could cast and area fiendish channeling ability...since magic is not restricted to 1 entity, but flows all around us, it would be more realistic if a higher level fiend can control or better said channel not only the magic directed at him but the magic in an area around him.

The abilities you proposed would be better if those were enhanced versions of the one you start with, so a better enhanced sslik generation, or a longer lasting dwarven toughness.

[Mutrock]

It would be a good way to change those dinky +5 or so bonuses we get (that become useless quickily) to percentage based bonuses (such as 104% base skill).

Now this is what I've been thinking myself all along. It's much more logical and useful if the current skills are changed into percentages like you said. [:)] Characters get stronger as the level, which means they learn to control their bodies and minds better as they advance, which automatically means they learn to exploit their gifts better as they advance. This is indeed better reflected if bonusses are reflected in percentages than a static number

[Fireclaw]

Well, I can see how sslik regeneration and dwarven toughness should not be castable on others, even in weaker forms. I was getting a bit tired after thinking through my proposal for dryad abilities.

I agree that ALL racial bonuses should be percentage based and not fixed benefits. This should also apply to some dragon ROP benefits which were virtually unnoticeable if you did ROP at a higher level.

On the other hand, I disagree that the new racial abilities should be improvements over the old racial abilities. First of all, just having a tougher dwarven toughness is boring. It will make you more powerful, but its not something new and fun. Second, some of the abilities (dwarven toughness, Sslik regeneration) are already extremely powerful. It would be far too unbalancing to give players stronger versions of them. The goal of these new racial abilities should be to give each race some interesting quests and fun NEW abilities that set each race apart more. However, the new abilities should NOT make a race vastly more powerful than it is now.

I think the new racial abilities should be something creative and different. Something that really sets each race apart, and a new ability that players of those races can really look forward to. I think my dryad proposal in my prior post fits this. Some of my other examples need work.

[Pero Salmon]

I would agree that an additional racial ability would be reasonable. As a sslik, my regenerate is a life saver. I could heal 10% of what my health points every 5 seconds for 30 seconds it is actived. So I could heal about 240 hps each 5 seconds. This extremely useful when im close to death or I know Im going to lose a battle. I could tell you countless times it have saved me. Giving this ability an enchanement wouldnt be required.

However, again I do agree on additional racial abilities. Depending on the type of the quest or the type of difficulty we should get what we deserve from the quest. A tail snap like someone said would be nice, but if I had to kill two boss mobs that are at lvl 80 and each of them have 20,000 hps each of them that requires me to have a group of five people with me to kill these mobs (something like the RoP), then this new ability should do some serious damage against any mob. Perhaps I get a guarnteed hit with a400% bonus from a normal attack, with a recycle time of one minute would be reasonable for the quest I had to complete.

Pero Salmon

[Fireclaw]

Well, keep in mind dragon ROP is a little more involved than just killing a couple uber boss mobs in a group. Dragon ROP involves countless hours leveling adventurer, crafter and hoard just to meet the requirements to begin. Even when you meet the requirements, the ROP epic quest itself has over 100 steps and can easily take over 15 hours of playing to complete.

[Jah]

Well, keep in mind dragon ROP is a little more involved than just killing a couple uber boss mobs in a group.

His point was that it be non-soloable, like Helianhatchling vs Kaa quest.
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Since Helian / Lunus are factions not races and these racials are meant to be useable by the entire race a dragon should not need to RoP to gain access to them. In the spirit of being a dragon and not a faction:

Dragon racialwould be similar to Fyakki's hardened shell as a 30sec/5min ability.
Being a dragon and since we gain in power 2 dimensionally ...
[ base level gains/hoard match and increased # of scale slots with lvs ]
1st aspect > Have the baseshell match same tier fyakki or an apropriate adjustmant from them for low tiers.

2nd aspect > Have the shell protect against melee for T1 then add damage types:
T2 resists primal
T3 resists flame
T4 resists nature
T5 resists energy
T6 resists spirit

This would be invaluable to any dragon regardless of lifestage / combat style / crafting.

[Fireclaw]

Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised if AE simply decides not to give dragons ANY new racial abilities. After all, everything about dragons is already a racial ability.

Would suck for us dragons though.

[Syllis SunFlower]

Would like to point out that dryads and satyr's don't have a racial city, so exactly where would our quests begin?

[HratLi]

Hahaha... Maybe they require the gnomes to go to Old Rachival to get theirs ;)

-HratLi

[Shaw Moking]

Dryads have their own wee island, and the Satyr's too...(just the Satyr ones aren;t exactly welcoming)

[Belog]

Maybe i just don't know where to look, but i've never seen the satyr racial ability that gives a bonus to nature magic. I've found the Satyr Charge ability, which is very useless since it's melee only and on a 5 minute recycle timer for a 12 second stun. Thunder Cloud does the same thing and recycles much faster. Which is kind of why I'm so concerned for the nature abilities. I planned the whole character around that, since I am Ranger/Shaman. The Satyr Freedom ability is pretty nice, but it doesn't always work, and it only works agains THE root spell, not rooting spells, like ice shackles or whatever (forgive me if that's not one, i'm a ranger like i said). I can see how being completely immune to all forms of rooting might seem overpowered, but just remember: Dwarven Toughness. Not that i'm saying nerf dwarves either, before i get a bunch of overly-sensitive "little people" jumping all over me.

P.S. Even though it's not a race specific ability, i think the invisible armor option rocks.

[evilkarl]

The satyr enhanced nature is a +10 to nature skill I think. Like all the racial skill/stat buffs (other than dryads) its weak.

all active racial abilities are on a 5 min recycle and a 12 second stun is pretty good for a low level however like most abilities (except dryad daze/dwarfen toughness/sslik regen) it does not scale up or grow as you do.

[refuse]

Any movement on the other races getting quests?

[Jah]

Any movement on the other races getting quests?

According to Bowman...all races will be gaining a series of 6 racial quests [ 1 per tier, same ability that increases each tier ] in January... [*-)] . I highly doubt any will be started from it's racial town; T1 possibly but due to Satyr/Dryad towns being inconvenient not likely. So far the only 1 in game [ and this is hearsay ] is T3 1/2 Giant started by Trandalar attune quest NPC.

all active racial abilities are on a 5 min recycle and a 12 second stun is pretty good for a low level however like most abilities (except dryad daze/dwarfen toughness/sslik regen) it does not scale up or grow as you do.

As far as I know... 12sec stun is thelongest in game.

*Dragon racials scale per level. Natural armor and breath weapon.
*Elf racial 'leadership' scales per level. Group buff [ weapons only ] Max dam +30-40% accuracy increase. Since both damage and accuracy go up each level, so do the benefits of the racial.
*Human's pathetically lame excuse for a racial scales per level, if it's in a class that cast's offensive magic. +?% to spell accuracy.

*Dwarven toughness does Not scale per level, though it's just as usefull at any level.
*Gnome racial is just as usefull at any level. -50% delay.
*Fiend racial gets more usefull the higher your level. Reflects all offensive spells back at caster(s). Extremely handy if one fights WA. Very lethal if one attacks an elite fiend with magic and doesn't notice this turn on.