Tickle and Control Weather

[Taegost]

I have a question, both of which are probably either A) Already somewhere WAYYYY inthe past or B) Covered in a help file somewhere, but I haven't found B, and I'm too lazy to look for A, so here we go:

1) Control Weather - Druid's get Control Weather and Call Lightning in the same circle... My rationalization is that it was done this way so CW can facilitate the Lightning spell... But does it? I've tried everything in the help file, and I still can't get it to create the necessary clouds to cast Call Lightning, which makes the spell almost useless to me.
If it CAN'T affect the clouds, can that plz be added? Or maybe making it Cold then Hot, or vice versa, to create clouds (Because of the extreme temps, if it's cold, water condenses, then it becomes hot, and evaporates to become clouds, the opposite also applies) or mebbe making "Cloudy" an option when casting it.

2) What is the reason that Harm does so little damage now? I remember back in the days of Lost Swords, it did mad damage, which I can understand why it was toned down, but with the damage it does now, and it's long casting time (Which I agree with, if it's UG'd) the only reason I mem and cast it is to help notch my spellcast healing...
Other then that, at level 23, my Shillelagh do more damage then Harm, and I have spellcast healing and nature at about the same level, and I don't even know about Spec, but still... The fact remains, I have 1st circle spells that do many, many, MANY more times damage then Harm, which is 4th circle for me.
Can Harm at least be looked at? Mebbe tweaked a tad?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

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Taegost, The one and ONLY STUPER DRUID(tm)

[Guest]

I'm gonna address the shill/harm issue, as I'm not familiar with weather control in the slightest. I'm sure some of the higher level druids could expound on that for you. (Also note that weather control is used for many more spells than just that one).

As for the damage you're seeing on shill vs. harm: remember that shill has a check for being in nature, and harm does not. At low levels (23 is your example) this may result in shillelagh doing nearly the same or possibly *slightly more* than harm. (My tests didn't show anything like doubling harm damage at your level with appropriate skills). As you continue to go up in level, your harm damage will increase and your Shill will stay approximately the same. Add to that the fact that you can use harm anywhere for full affect, and you'll find that in the long run it does better damage.

[rylan]

Assuming harm is a true reverse of heal, you'll be doing around 95hps with it if mob fails save. Clerics with spec heal will do upwards of 140hps on a good roll.

[moritheil]

Errr... my harm does more dam than my shill, but due to being grouped, I'm not in nature much anymore. I still don't cast harm, as it doesn't do *much* more dam.

And it's 5th circle, unless something changed.

[Treladian]

You affect clouds by using control weather to make it wet. You can tell if conditions are optimal for the spell by using innate speak (speak with plants) and looking for a line about the local flora looking forward to a light show. That means that conditions are good for lightning.

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"Maybe I should stop and ask for directions . . ."

[Taegost]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Treladian:
<B>You affect clouds by using control weather to make it wet. You can tell if conditions are optimal for the spell by using innate speak (speak with plants) and looking for a line about the local flora looking forward to a light show. That means that conditions are good for lightning.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ahhh, I see I've tried making it wet tho, and it didn't make clouds, mebbe I just need to play with it some more.
As for the shil, I actually tested it out the other day, I ran 4 tests of shil and 4 of harm against buffs (Only decent mob I can solo without totally obliterating, that I've found)
I start the fight with 5 sticks, brings the mob down to PH.
Casting the 4 shil I have memm'd, buff dies, sometimes I don't even get the fourth.
It was about the same all four times, except once I actually had to cast dust devil to kill it.
Then, with harm, 5 sticks down to PH.
4 harm, mob is at awful. 2 dust devils later, it's dead.
Sometimes it barely made it to awful.
Now, if I was on the road, that's a totally different story, in which I agree that harm does a lot more damage.
I learned the hard way it's a lot more difficult solo'ing buffs in half-nature rooms with only 3 heals mem'd
Thanx everyone for your replies!
Oh... Another thing... The reason for my shil being so much more powerful then my harm COULD be due to the fact that I've been level 23 for around 2 months now, because I keep helping out lowbies on BGR, and I don't cast my healing, just my nature nukes, and every time I get close to leveling, I die, which sets me back to where I was a month ago, except with better spellcast and specialize nature

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Taegost, The one and ONLY STUPER DRUID(tm)

[Galok Icewolf]

Not all spells are created equal. Some spells max out at low level, some at higher. Harm maxes out higher then shill by some 5-10 levels probably. E.g. get to 35th level then try the spells again. You'll notice harm does WAY more damage.

NO spell under 8th level ever does it's max damage when you get it. This is something i've found out with my tests.

[Taegost]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Galok Icewolf:
<B>Not all spells are created equal. Some spells max out at low level, some at higher. Harm maxes out higher then shill by some 5-10 levels probably. E.g. get to 35th level then try the spells again. You'll notice harm does WAY more damage.

NO spell under 8th level ever does it's max damage when you get it. This is something i've found out with my tests. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ya, that's something I prolly shoulda thought about before I posted it
Of course, I also never realized that spells have different caps, I thought they'd just keep increasing with your skills 'till they're all maxed out.

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Taegost, The one and ONLY STUPER DRUID(tm)

[taelin]

Remember, Control Weather is incrimental on a scale of X to -X so keep casting and see what happens!

[Taegost]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by taelin:
Remember, Control Weather is incrimental on a scale of X to -X so keep casting and see what happens!</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Really? I never knew that... Hrmmm, guess I need to start playing around with it some more
Thanx everyone for your feedback!

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Taegost, The one and ONLY STUPER DRUID(tm)

[gordex]

Control Weather:

wet, dry, warm (should be "hot" imo), cold, calm, windy

Sometimes you need to cast the spell more than once to get the desired effect. Also, once cast, you will need to wait 1 min before being able to effect the weather again.

wet - effects call lightning
dry - can't remember what it effects, if anything (I dont ever use it!)
warm - effects dessicate
cold - effects Hailstorm
calm - effects suffocate
windy - effects cyclone

The opposite obviously effects the others too. (i.e. control weather cold negatively effects dessicate, but positively effects hailstorm)

Gordex - Gordex Travel Agency

[Taegost]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gordex:
<B>Control Weather:

wet, dry, warm (should be "hot" imo), cold, calm, windy

Sometimes you need to cast the spell more than once to get the desired effect. Also, once cast, you will need to wait 1 min before being able to effect the weather again.

wet - effects call lightning
dry - can't remember what it effects, if anything (I dont ever use it!)
warm - effects dessicate
cold - effects Hailstorm
calm - effects suffocate
windy - effects cyclone

The opposite obviously effects the others too. (i.e. control weather cold negatively effects dessicate, but positively effects hailstorm)

Gordex - Gordex Travel Agency</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think Dry affects Dust Devil
Hrmm, thanx for the info, I'm gonna go play with it if I get some time tonight, 'cuz I know I won't be able to play until at least next Wednesday unless I'm REALLY lucky

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Taegost, The one and ONLY STUPER DRUID(tm)

[moritheil]

dry affects dust devil.