Vampirism and Lycanthropy Options

[Rizen]

I think it might be an interesting concept to allow characters to become infected with vampirism and lycanthropy. This means that a character has the possibility of becoming a vampire or werewolf. This would come about after someone is bitten by those respective creatures.

The main issues I could think of were for those who didnt want to be infected, and characters infecting other players. I think for players who dont want to be infected, there could be a short waiting period after being infected for the character to take a certain potion or get healed by a priest or something. Perhaps there could be a way to prevent characters from infecting one another when attacking, assuming some sort of PvP is integrated. Since that idea does rely on there being PvP, I wont focus as much on that.

Also, I suppose there should be a way to limit the number of people who become infected. First, it might not be very likely for someone to be infected. Vamps and wolves could either be powerful enough that n00bs couldnt just bump into them, get infected, and run away without being slaughtered. Or, they could just be in a place so far out that n00bs would never really be able to find them. It could also be possible to make it that the blow that infects the character is a critical one, so that weaker characters wouldnt be able to survive it.

[Hankellin]

I know this is an old subject, but after hearing that the last full moon was a % larger than any prior ones I just could not help myself and think about this topic once again.


I still feel that Lycanthropy and Vampirism should be handled as a CURSE with heavy disadvantages to start.

Loss of Character control for X number of game months while in were form.

Needing fresh blood and sunlight restrictions for x number of game months.

Even getting the curses should be very difficult 1:1000 or more bites may transfer the curse. And then only from certain Boss monsters..

[Timmmy]

Wow I hope these and related curses make it into the game.Vampires and werewolves will a totally different side to the game and also could be very interesting in the storyline or at least adding a few quests.

At the moment I think it would be a good system to either have each race having its own kingdom or at least similar races sharing kingdoms.So you could have several species of humans(barbarians/civilised/ninjas(insert more appropriate names )),elves(high/wood/maybe fey) and orks(mountain/trolls/goblins).





Then the City of the Dead.This is how undead could be kept organised and limited.Firstly each undead city could have only one crypt(at a high level) with only a limited number of vampires,maybe around three(converted through a quest,perhaps having to beat one of the previous vampires).Note a vampire can be killed in their crypt but only by a living hand.Thus a vampire can be permakilled but only if living characters could fight their way through into the heart of an undead fortress city,defeat the powerful minions that guard the crypts while their masters sleep and then hammer the steak through their heart while they sleep.

As they are undead they can obviously not feed on their brethern and thus must travel far to 'living' lands to feed.Due to the nature of undead lands it is never truely day and thus the vampires can travel their own lands unhindered.However in living lands vampires must be VERY aware of the time.Sunlight is not simply something that burns over time or can be blocked with clothes.Sunlight should be instant kill with even powerful vampires having mere seconds to seek refuge.

A great thing about this idea is there will be a real tangible feel to differences in game time,not just for the vampires but for the players also who hunt them and are hunted by them.I'd bet as the sun starts to set player parties would start moving closer together seeking some comfort in others presence.

Note also a vampire must eat every night(that player is online,offline its assumed char does).If a player does not they will start taking both massive amounts of damage although never actually dying from it and losing their abilities(maybe a vampires abilities could reflect their 'blood').That is a starved vampire isn't going to be going around controlling peoples mind and lesser minions of evil.

Thus a vampires thirst is a real thing,if they dont feed it it will start to kill them and thus is a terrible curse.Add to this that vampires could reward players both in their valuable remains and the rewards offered by kings for their slaying and you could see why only a few would wish to play them.Also they can be permakilled and must avoid their food source during the day,striking during the few hours of darkness.They are very weak to fire/holy water,crosses etc.So why would you want to be a vampire(some thoughts)?

Vampires are immensely powerful,both in strength and resistances.No flowing blood means they are immune to poison and disease.They are the masters of mind control and thus are unaffected by all mind attacks.They are filled with dark magics which can call on powerful forces but also act to dispel or deflect most magics.They an rejuvenate much faster and also heal from their enemies(both by biting and also by drawing life from corpses).They can dominate certain NPCs(such as bandits etc).They can also call upon their kind(acting like lesser necromancers).As they can wield any weapon or armour(excluding blessed etc)there are VERY few on the battlefield who can stand up to them.They can curse players and confuse them and their pets.Their best ability could be to turn into a bat and travel very fast(flee combat,sunlight)allowing them to attack from behind were an enemy may not think of defending.





Werewolves are a much simpler species.They are pretty much just shapeshifters although restricted at that.Perhaps they should shun armour as they'd spend a lot of time splintering out of it and instead choose a barbarian style of gear,something like twohanded weapons and a few plates of armour that would be suitable for both their forms.

Werewolves could simply be very fast and powerful inspiring fear in players with low levels of mind control thus rendering them pretty much useless for a while.They could also have special attacks such as pin(jumping onto a char,pinning them to the ground and tearing at their defenseless body)and pounce(throwing char on the ground,stunning them).The talons could have a chance to disease a player.They should run on all fours and then fight on hind legs.

Silver weapons could cause extra damage.Werewolves can livein any kingdom and be of any race.Low level werewolves would change form every full moon and have to feed the whole time to evolve.That is a constant rage that would have to feed them or the change would be o much and they'd die and respawn as a normal char.However if a player managed to last through the changes they would become true werewolves with the ability to shapeshift when they want.Werewolves cannot own mounts as even in their human form the mounts can still sense the beast within.

Thus werewolves are quite powerful and eventually can control the change but they lose out on the ability to wear decent armour,ride mounts and even skill slower in areas that require concentration as their feral instincts override all.




Zombies,skeletons etc could be the typical character types of players who chose to go the undead route.These have similar skill routes to living beings just more towards their way of life.Also all other armies are against the undead(inluding the orks)and thus not many may chose to go the undead route.Thus it may be that only three vampires ever live on the entire map and those may do so under the constant threat of a light invasion and their extinction.