Benderverse Mod -- Concept and Brainstorm

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:56 pm

FrankTrollman wrote:While we're at it, let's talk about nations that are "good" and "bad" at magic. There are basically three criteria you can consider:
How many paths does your faction have access to?

How good are your faction's researchers?

How good are your battle mages?
Now let's consider some benchmarks:
A nation with "poor" magic access has 9 paths. An example is MA Man, with N4A3E1W1 or MA Marignon with F4S3E1A1.

A nation with "good" magic access has 13 paths. An example is LA R'lyeh with S5W3E2D2N1 or LA Mictlan with W4B3S2N2F2.

The Northern Water Tribe has W4S3N3B2 - that is 12 paths, and we can call that "good".

Factions can be good or bad in research speed and research cost. We haven't done costs yet, so we can only talk about speed.

A nation with "fast" researchers researches at 12 RP with their capital-only casters and 8 with their build-anywhere guys. Like Bogarus.

A nation with "slow" researchers researches at 8 RP with their capital only casters and 5 RP with their build anywhere casters. Like MA Mictlan or MA Man.

The Northern Water Tribe has capital-only casters who research at 6 RP and build-anywhere mages that also research at 6 RP. That's slow by any definition.

A nation with "good" battlemages is like LA R'lyeh or MA Caelum: their build-anywhere battlemage comes out of the box with total paths of 6.

A nation with "poor" battle mages is like MA Man, where their build-anywhere mages have about 3 paths total.

The Northern Water Tribe has a battlemage who has 4 paths, making them "low middling". But they can have those paths all be Water, so call it "pretty good".
So what you're looking at is Good (but not top tier) path access, poor research, and good battle magic.

What I'd like to see from the Earth Kingdom is probably medium path access, slow research, and middling battle mages. The basic build-anywhere Earth Bender used for battle should be N3E1 with no more than 0.1 randoms.

-Username17

So what are the Earth Kingdom paths? Nature and Earth, obviously, but then what? Air? Astral?

Regardless, Earth Kingdom should have something like:
N4E3X2Y2 or N4E3X2Y1Z1, which gives them a total of 11 paths, putting them solidly between "Poor" and "Good".

Their best cap-only researcher (the Earth King) should generate 8 research, making him an N4E1H3 + 1.1xRandoms. Their researcher (the earthmover) should generate 5 research so he should have E1N1+1.1xRandoms. If the Earth Kingdom General is going to be an N3E1 + .1xRandom caster, we'll need to give that general a research penalty of -1 (or larger) to keep him from out-researching the Earthmover. I say we make the general the following:

H2 + 100% N3 + 100% E1 + 10% Random, Sacred, -2 research penalty, moderately expensive. I really like the novelty of the Earth Kingdom military corp not requiring a lab to recruit. Thematically, the Earth Kingdom should be full of castles and earthbenders, but have way more spies and functionaries than laboratories.

Also, what if we got rid of the Dai Li as a recruitable unit and instead make the Dai Li commander come with a one-time entourage of 10 Dai Li troops? Having both the Dai Li and the Kyoshi warriors be cap-only recruits rubs me the wrong way. Give the Dai Li soldiers a castle defense bonus and they collectively make their master a much more LA Man Judge-like commander (with a comparatively large patrol and castle defense bonus).

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:11 pm

I've seen a number of mod nations do the entourage thing. I could probably replicate it.

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:15 pm

Avoraciopoctules wrote:Request: Anyone know how I could access the sprites for Conquest of Elysium 3? There's a Giant Ant sprite that I think might serve as a good Canyon Crawler base.

I just saw this thread (http://z7.invisionfree.com/Dom3mods/ind ... wtopic=687), which does have all the CoE3 sprites available for download. Hope that helps.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:26 pm

I like NEFW for Earth Kingdom randoms. That gives them claymen and magma, and makes them feel really different from the sorcery-heavy Water tribe.

I'd like to see Earth Kingdom get a capital-only sacred with Blindness (call them Mole Warriors). I'm also not convinced that Nature should be thier highest path-- they need to be able to make forts out of earth gems after all.

Also, the Water tribe Warbender needs to lose his Holy levels. Northern Icecrafters have strict gender roles where mainstream waterbending and warfare are reserved for men, while women get to be healers and to run the moon cult (which also worships a female goddess who sometimes becomes human for a while). There should be no male priests in MA Water. I toyed with idea of a cap-only Foggy Swamp Emissary who has N2 and Ivy Lord 2 but it's unnecessary with all the other crap we've piled in. If people like it we can cut stuff to make room for it though.

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:33 pm

I've thought about the swampbenders myself and I think they should be relegated to summons and/or heroes. There's enough conceptual space filled up just by eskimo-inspired waterbenders that I don't think we really have room for saying "and they also brought some cajun water/plant benders up from the bayou, far, far away".

I'm cool with the male warrior, female priest division, by the way.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:03 pm

Yeah, a Plantbender hero would probably be fine.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:45 am

Shatner wrote:I've thought about the swampbenders myself and I think they should be relegated to summons and/or heroes. There's enough conceptual space filled up just by eskimo-inspired waterbenders that I don't think we really have room for saying "and they also brought some cajun water/plant benders up from the bayou, far, far away".

I'm cool with the male warrior, female priest division, by the way.

I could definitely see a "Free Peoples" faction that had the Foggy Swamp people, the mechanician, some Southern Water Tribe warriors, and maybe some sand benders or something. The Foggy Swamp guys are simply N with minor access to WB. They are Ivy Lords.

Avoraciopoctules wrote:I've seen a number of mod nations do the entourage thing. I could probably replicate it.

It's easy enough to do. You have the recruitable (or joinable in the case of a national hero) version have a first form and have it freespawn units. The first form doesn't have a second form and doesn't freespawn. So the unit makes a bunch of freespawn of whatever is appropriate, and then it changes into an otherwise identical leader that doesn't make any more.

You can use the same system to adjust the amount of upkeep a unit costs. So the form it transforms into can have a different gcost, and that will set the upkeep you pay for it. For example: you might want to set up a group that collectively costs 240 gold (and thus 16 upkeep), but then once it's in play, the leader only "costs" 30 gold (and thus 2 upkeep), while 14 members of the entourage "cost" 15 gold each (and thus 1 upkeep a piece). This gets around the problem of people buying the entourage leader and then getting them killed to reduce upkeep overhead.

-Username17

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:51 am

Also, the Water tribe Warbender needs to lose his Holy levels. Northern Icecrafters have strict gender roles where mainstream waterbending and warfare are reserved for men, while women get to be healers and to run the moon cult (which also worships a female goddess who sometimes becomes human for a while).

That's definitely true. But I'm not sure that losing the Holy levels is the way to go about it. The faction has a lot of sacred troops, meaning that it is going to need battle blessings. Ideally, the War Benders could do that without falling back on the women at all.

One thing I thought of was to ditch the Holy levels on the men, but to give them a national spell where they could bless with Water paths. That way you could keep the women out of the battles if you wanted.

-Username17

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:49 am

I'm presently working on the national stats (hopefully Province Defense won't bug out on me this time). If anyone wants to contribute stuff for the description, that would give me more time to implement other stuff.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:48 am

Why do the waterbenders need to be sacred anyway? Water Tribe fairly clearly has an organized religion and Master Pakku doesn't seem to be part of it, suggesting that while waterbending may be a gift from the goddess it's not viewed as a sacred act.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:26 am

Orion wrote:Why do the waterbenders need to be sacred anyway? Water Tribe fairly clearly has an organized religion and Master Pakku doesn't seem to be part of it, suggesting that while waterbending may be a gift from the goddess it's not viewed as a sacred act.

If benders weren't sacred, people would field armies of only benders, which is unthematic for all nations.

-Username17

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:17 pm

What stats do we want for the "Earthbent Boulder" weapon? Right now, I have a static range 2/3 that of a shortbow. How much damage, should it be armor piercing, and should it be area of effect. How many shots before ammo runs out?

EDIT: BTW, there's like 3 different "Boulder" weaponIDs in the base game. Wow.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:23 pm

The straight up regular boulder seems fine. Give the Earthbenders a Strength of 12 and they can "throw" it 4 squares. It would do like 22 points of damage, so it would be like one of those "smack them with a giant fucking rock" attacks. Smaller, longer range rocks could just be slings.

-Username17

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:39 pm

Fine by me. And it means strength buffs are more highly encouraged, which is probably a good thing. Just to clarify, you want boulder 27, not 424 or 471?

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 3:33 am

Right now, I'm dealing with a lot of bugs. I finally got the mod to turn on, but the army and commanders aren't showing up right.

Earth Kingdom V. 0.1
http://www.mediafire.com/?25b464h8cxp4a3z

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:28 am

You aren't getting any commanders because you are lacking all #addreccom tags. To help out, here's the relevant section of the MA Jomon mod I wrote, with the #addreccom section bolded:

#selectnation 84
#name "Jomon"
#era 2
#brief "Jomon is a feudal nation of human warlords and their samurai warriors. Ninja assassins complement the military forces."
#epithet "The Courts of the Ryu"
#summary "Race: Humans
Military: Light infantry, samurai archers, samurai infantry, samurai cavalry, ninja assassins
Magic: Average, Astral, Earth, Nature, Fire, Air, Water
Priests: Weak"
#descr "During the time of the Oni, many humans fled the mountains and surrounding areas and traveled to the coast seeking protection. The Ryujin came upon these humans, and offered them succor in exchange for treasure and allegiance. Although wary of exchanging one master for another, the Jomon saw no other choice and agreed. With the fall of the Oni, a new empire was formed around the worship of the Dragon King and the lesser kami of the land. A strict hierarchy formed with the Emperor on top and the peasant classes at the bottom. The Ryujin played the clans against each other, trying to gain prestige and fortune at the expanse of other Ryujin. With the coming of the new God, the Ryujin have united with the Jomonese to conquer new territory and find new riches for themselves."
#flag "./MA_Jomon/Trialflag.tga"
#color .3 .3 .3 -- I'm going for gray
#labcost 500
#templecost 400
#templepic 18 -- Far East, optionally could use 15 (also called Far East)
#clearsites
#startsite "Enclave of the Ryu"
#startsite "Imperial Shrine"
#clearrec

--Recruitables
#addreccom 1257 -- Ninja
#addreccom 3984 -- Gokenin
#addreccom 3988 -- Wokou Captain
#addreccom 3986 -- Jito
#addreccom 3985 -- Mounted Gokenin
#addreccom 3987 -- Shugo
#addreccom 2098 -- Monk of the Fivefold Path
#addreccom 3990 -- Envoy of the Ryu
#addreccom 1254 -- Shugenja
#addreccom 3989 -- Omnyo-ji

#uwcom1 2102 -- Crab General
#uwcom2 3990 -- Envoy of the Ryu
#uwcom3 3978 -- MA Ryujin

#addrecunit 1238 -- Ashigaru (Yari)
#addrecunit 3992 -- Ashigaru (Short Bow)
#addrecunit 3993 -- Wokou
#addrecunit 3994 -- Bushi (Naginata)
#addrecunit 3995 -- Bushi (No-Dashi)
#addrecunit 3996 -- Samurai Archer
#addrecunit 3997 -- Samurai Cavalry
#addrecunit 3998 -- Onni-Bushi

#uwunit1 2101 -- shrimp soldier
#uwunit2 2103 -- shark warrior

--Heroes
#hero1 1915 ---Kenji, the Red Tengu
#hero2 3973 --Otohimo, the Ryujin Onmyo-ji
#hero3 3974 --Norinaga, Master of the Fivefold Signs
#hero4 3976 --Ichiyo, the Saigu Imposter
#multihero1 2800 -- Member of the Shadow League

--Starting Units
#startcom 3984 -- Gokenin
#startscout 1257 -- Ninja
#startunittype1 1238 -- Ashigaru (Yari)
#startunitnbrs1 15
#startunittype2 3992 -- Ashigaru (Short Bow)
#startunitnbrs2 15

--Province Defense
#defcom1 3984 -- Gokenin
#defcom2 3990 -- Envoy of Ryu
#defunit1 1238 -- Ashigaru (Yari)
#defunit1b 3992 -- Ashigaru (Short Bow)
#defunit2 3995 -- Bushi (No-Dashi)
#defunit2b 3996 -- Samurai Archer
#defmult1 20
#defmult1b 20
#defmult2 10
#defmult2b 10

--Forts
#startfort 3 -- Fortified City
#defaultfort 40 -- Fortress
#mountainfort 37 -- Hill Fortress
#forestfort 34 -- Forest Fortress
#swampfort 11 -- Swamp Fort
#uwfort 12 -- Kelp Fortress
#deepfort 13 -- Kelp Citadel

#end

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:35 am

The art looks very good, by the way; you've got a real knack for sprite work. That said, the first EK Militia is holding a yari (#weapon "Yari"), not a spear, and the last EK soldier is holding a tower shield (#armor "Tower Shield"), not a shield. Of course, this is a very early version so I don't know if the art is correct and the mod needs to change, or if the mod is correct and the art needs a few tweaks. Also, the art having an opaque, black background has something to do with Alpha channels or something like that; I've never actually done any sprite work myself (my partner does all that for the MA Jomon mod), but he's mentioned the problem before.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:12 pm

Copying divine spells into water is stupid. If we're going to have the warbenders hand out blessing they should be priests. That said, I'm not convinced that having male benders give the blessings is better than making each army cart around female cheerleaders. I mean, having a cheerleader squad is super sexist, but that's water tribe for you.

Alternatively, what if bender infantry were simply capital only, or undesirable as a main force due to equipment limitations? If you got to choose between "guy with medium armor" "guy with high-damage polearm" "guy with ranged weapon that does damage" and "guy with funky cold attacks" it's not at all apparent to me that benders would win every time.

This has the advantage of avoiding some of the weirder scenarios with sacred benders, like Waterbenders getting blessed with Flaming Weapons or Earthbenders getting blessed with Air Shield.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:38 pm

This has the advantage of avoiding some of the weirder scenarios with sacred benders, like Waterbenders getting blessed with Flaming Weapons or Earthbenders getting blessed with Air Shield.

Water Tribe users running around with flame weapons would be a little weird. Earthbenders getting Airshield would be totally normal. Blocking arrows with earthbending is a normal thing you can do. Having "air shield" would just mean that the army was better trained at doing that.

But one thing I was thinking is that making Clams should be something of a pain in the ass for the Water Tribe. After all, we want them to feel like they are water first and foremost with astral a second suit. So what about giving separate randoms to the Men and Women of the Water Tribe? The Men could get WADS randoms and the women could get WBNS randoms. That would increase their magical diversity, but it would make it a lot harder for them to clam up.

-Username17

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:53 pm

If having the water tribe benders be priests is too weird and doing things like having water-based bless spells is too strained, how about we make the water tribe benders have an #onebattlespell where they cast bless. That means at the start of combat they, and some of the sacreds around them, will be blessed. If you want a troop layout that doesn't involve your caster buried in a mass of troops then you'll need to bring along the aforementioned cheerleaders.

I'm not saying this sort of thing is needed, but if people decide the water tribe needs an alternative, this is one more potential fix to choose from.

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:57 pm

Avoraciopoctules wrote:Right now, I'm dealing with a lot of bugs. I finally got the mod to turn on, but the army and commanders aren't showing up right.

Earth Kingdom V. 0.1
http://www.mediafire.com/?25b464h8cxp4a3z

By the way, Avoraciopoctules, if you need some help or want to delegate some of the work of coding up this mod, let me know and I'll do what I can. I don't do sprite work but I'm fine actually writing the .DM file as well as churning out descriptive text.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:27 am

I will happily accept help. I'm a bit preoccupied with meatspace stuff right now, so I haven't done much to work on the mod in the last few days, but I want to fix some more stuff before I ask for help on the the code. However, there is one area where I know I could use assistance without feeling bad about the current state of the mod.

Descriptive text would be wonderful. We have an idea what the individual units will be, and the mechanics that make them distinct. We don't need to know much else to write descriptions. Especially commanders, since I have better placeholder descriptions for the rank and file troops.

(by the way, thanks for all the helpful posts and suggestions earlier, I'd respond individually if I had more time.)

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:24 pm

Here's descriptive text for the the Earth Kingdom, its troops and its commanders. Some text was lifted from the wiki, others were invented whole-cloth by me. I put a few notes in there to help point out important mechanical or editing observations. I tried to keep the equipment and magical paths as accurate as I could given the discussion so far, though I had to make some changes to the Earth King when I realized how very little magic diversity there was in this nation, as it's currently conceived. Feel free to offer suggestions for changes and tweaks to the content if it reads strangely, sounds wrong or has typos.

The Nation
#desc "The Earth Kingdom contain numerous city-states, each ruled by its own king, that are joined together in a confederate monarchy that is led by the Earth King of Ba Singh Se. The people of the Earth Kingdom are heavily built by human standards and adhere to a philosophy of peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the other nations of the world. Earthbenders use their abilities for defense and industry and have fiercely defended their cities against attacks by rival nations. Unlike traditional earth magic, Earthbenders draw strength and vitality from their craft, and they enrich the earth beneath them in turn; harvests within the Earth Kingdom are always bountiful. With the coming of the new God, the ranks of the Earth Kingdom army have swelled and it soon will march beyond the gates of Ba Singh Se."

#summary "Race: Humans
Military: Well equipped militia, heavy infantry, sacred earthbenders and ostrich cavalry, stealthy Kyoshi warriors and Dai Li agents
Magic: Weak. Strong Nature and Earth with some Fire and Water. Expensive labs but most Earthbenders can be recruited without one.
Priests: Average"

National Perks: +1 strength, +1 hp

Troops
Earth Kingdom Militia (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, Broadsword, PR 25%)
Earth Kingdom Militia (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, Spear, PR 25%)
Earth Kingdom Militia (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, Glaive, PR 25%)
#descr "The militia of the Earth Kingdom is well-armed and better-trained than that of most other nations. They are not exceptional combatants, but their part-time military status makes them cheaper to maintain than career soldiers. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earth Kingdom Soldier (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, Maul, PR 25%)
Earth Kingdom Soldier (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, Shield, Spear, PR 25%)
#descr "Warriors without the capacity to Earthbend must train hard to be taken seriously by their commanders. The career soldiers of the Earth Kingdom are above-average in skill which makes them fearsome opponents. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earthbender Soldier (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Broadsword, Boulder, PR 50%, Sacred)
Earthbender Soldier (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Glaive, Boulder, PR 50%, Sacred)
#descr "The Earthbenders are the elite forces of the Earth Kingdom military. They are capable of shaping and hurling huge quantities of stone by channeling their magic through a series of martial stances and arm movements. In combat they hurl boulders at the enemy before closing to melee. They are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have castle defense +1 and a longer than average lifespan (say maxage 60 instead of the normal maxage 50)
NOTE: Earthbender is one word, not two seperate ones

Ostrich Horse Riders (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, shield, Light Lance, Bite, Boulder, PR 50%, Sacred, Mounted)
#descr "Ostrich Horses are used throughout the Earth Kingdom as mounts and beasts of burden. Earthbenders riding these form the core of the Earth Kingdom cavalry. The rider can hurl boulders as well as deliver a devastating lance strike, while the mount can deliver a vicious kick. Earthbenders are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have castle defense +1 and a longer than average lifespan (say maxage 60 instead of the normal maxage 50)
NOTE: Should have kick attack #397 instead of a bite (according to the wiki, that's what they do rather than bite stuff)

Earth Kingdom Archers (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Composite Bow, Broadsword, PR 25%)
#descr "The Earth Kingdom is perhaps best known for the devastating boulders hurled by its Earthbenders, but the arrows loosed from its archers are deadly as well. Archers are promoted out of the infantry, and they retain the skills and equipment necessary to fight on the front lines. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earth Kingdom Bandit (Full Leather Armor, Broadsword, Broadsword PR 25%, ambidexterity 4)
Earth Kingdom Bandit (Full Leather Armor, Maul PR 25%)
Earth Kingdom Bandit (Full Leather Armor, Shield, Spear PR 25%)
#descr "Where the militia is unable or unwilling to go, there are bandits. The bandits of the Earth Kingdom fight with a wide range of weaponry and are no less dangerous despite their lack of training. They wear lighter armor than the militia to allow them to perform hit-and-run attacks against their enemies. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Kyoshi Warrior (Scale Mail Cuirass, Crown, Katana, PR 50%, Sacred, Stealthy)
The Kyoshi Warriors are an all-female combat force from Kyoshi Island. Their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, though they do not possess earthbending skills. Clad in ornate, green armor, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents, the Kyoshi Warriors are extremely skilled and lithe combatents who are also exceptionally stealthy. Although Kyoshi Island had long remained uninvolved from the rest of the Earth Kingdom, with the coming of the new god the Kyoshi Warriors have left their island and traveled to Ba Singh Se. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Dai Li Enforcer (Full Leather Armor, Iron Cap, Poison Dagger, Shuriken, Kick, Stealthy, Patrol bonus, Sacred, PR 50%)
#descr "The Dai Li are the secret police of the Earth Kingdom who work to capture, interrogate, and imprison political dissidents. Selectively picked at a young age, the agents of the Dai Li obey their commander without question. Each one is a master earthbender as well as a stealthy agent skilled in the use of poison. They wear gloves and shoes, both made out of earthen materials: their shoes give them the ability to slide along the ground, increasing their speed, while their gloves can be hurled out to bind fleeing criminals. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have castle defense +2 and a longer than average lifespan (say maxage 80 instead of the normal maxage 50)
NOTE: If we don't want to make them extra fast, I can remove the bit about the earth shoes.
NOTE: Should these still be sacred? I think that was originally the case because they were recruitable, but now they're only an entourage.

Royal Guards (Full Scale Mail, Iron Cap, Glaive, Boulder, Sacred, PR 50%)
#descr "The Earth King of Ba Singh Se is the head of the entire Earth Kingdom and he is guarded by the Royal Guards, a contingent of exceptional earthbenders who patrol the palace for threats. They are capable of shaping and hurling huge quantities of stone by channeling their magic through a series of martial stances and arm movements. In combat they hurl boulders at the enemy before closing to melee. They are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have castle defense +2 and a longer than average lifespan (say maxage 80 instead of the normal maxage 50)

Commanders
Earth Kingdom Scout (Full Leather Armor, Leather Cap or Jingasa, Spear, PR 25%, Stealthy, Leadership 0)
#descr "The scouts of the Earth Kingdom are typically former bandits who have enlisted in the army and shown a gift for remaining unseen or inconspicious. Their reports on enemy army movements and the resources in enemy lands are invaluable to the prudent general. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earth Kingdom Commander (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Broadsword, Boulder, PR 50%, Leadership 40, Castle Defense +5, no initial paths but 100% N)
#descr "Earthbenders of modest skill who distinguish themselves in battle or come from wealthy families are often promoted to the rank of commander. Their magical skill is innate and unrefined, allowing them to be recruited from every corner of the Earth Kingdom, but leaving them ill-suited for research. They are often in charge of commanding non-bender troops; they are neither sacred nor do they wield any priestly authority. In combat they hurl boulders at the enemy before closing to melee. They are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have a sage bonus of negative one

Ostrich Horse Commander (Scale Mail Hauberk, Iron Cap, shield, Light Lance, Bite, Boulder, PR 50%, Sacred, Mounted, Leadership 40, Castle Defense +5, H1, no initial paths but 110% N1))
#descr "Ostrich Horses are used throughout the Earth Kingdom as mounts and beasts of burden. Earthbenders riding these form the core of the Earth Kingdom cavalry and they are often led by mounted commanders. The rider can hurl boulders as well as deliver a devastating lance strike, while the mount can deliver a vicious kick. Earthbenders are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom and wield limited priestly authority. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have a sage bonus of negative one

Earth Kingdom Functionary (Imperial Robe, no helmet, Dagger, PR 50%, Leadership 10, Sacred, Decrease Unrest 2, H2)
#descr "Though every city within the Earth Kingdom is ruled by its own king, the city and all the lands surrounding it is managed by a sprawling beaurocracy. And that beaurocracy is tended by functionaries. Though they are not earthbenders, they draw their authority directly from their king, making them powerful priests in their own right. A functionary ensures the province they are in is run smoothly, reducing unrest a little each month. With enough functionaries working in unison, the peasantry can be made to endure disasters and overtaxation quietly. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earthmover (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Broadsword, Boulder, PR 50%, Leadership 10, Castle Defense +10, Siege Bonus +10, E1N1+1.1xENFW)
#descr "The Earth Kingdom is very conservative in nature and so academies and laboratories within it are rare. The few earthbenders who are able and willing to enter these institutions go on to study a combination of magical theory and engineering, eventually entering the ranks of the Earthmovers. Any earthbender can construct a wall, but only the Earthmovers can build the enormous ringed walls that surround the cities of the Earth Kingdom, and only an Earth King can destroy a wall more swiftly than an Earthmover. They are also one of the few benders in the Earth Kingdom to study magic beyond what is strictly needed for earthbending. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earth Kingdom General (Scale Mail Cuirass, Iron Cap, Broadsword, Boulder, PR 50%, Castle Defense + 5, Leadership 80, Sacred, H2 + 300% N + 100% E + 10% NEFW)
#descr "Earth Kingdom Generals are second only to the Earth Kings in terms of raw earthbending strength. Their magical skill is innate and unrefined, allowing them to be recruited from every corner of the Earth Kingdom, but leaving them ill-suited for research. They are granted considerable military and priestly authority by their Earth King and often lead into battle the largest, most elite armies the Earth Kingdom can muster. A rare few are drawn from the ranks of the Earthmovers and so have additional magical talents. In combat they hurl boulders at the enemy before closing to melee. They are skilled at erecting and repairing stone walls, making them excellent defenders during a siege. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: Should have a sage bonus of negative two

Dai Li Commander (Full Leather Armor, Iron Cap, Poison Dagger, Shuriken, Kick, Stealthy, Spy, Patrol bonus, Castle Defense + 10, Sacred, PR 50%, Leadership 10, no initial paths but 110% N)
#descr "The Dai Li are the secret police of the Earth Kingdom who work to capture, interrogate, and imprison political dissidents. Every Dai Li commander is accompanied by a team of 10 Dai Li agents who obey their commander without question. Each one is a master earthbender as well as a stealthy agent skilled in the use of poison. Their earthbending abilities, as well as the absolute discipline they engender ensures no fortress they protect falls swiftly. They wear gloves and shoes, both made out of earthen materials: their shoes give them the ability to slide along the ground, increasing their speed, while their gloves can be hurled out to bind fleeing criminals. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."
NOTE: If we don't want to make them extra fast, I can remove the bit about the earth shoes.
NOTE: Should these still be sacred? I think that was originally the case because the Dai Li enforcer was sacred.

Kyoshi Commander (Scale Mail Cuirass, Crown, Katana, PR 50%, Sacred, Stealthy, Leadership 40, H2, should have really good fighting stats, esp. defense)
#descr "The Kyoshi Warriors are an all-female combat force from Kyoshi Island. Their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, though they do not possess earthbending skills. Clad in ornate, green armor, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents, the Kyoshi Warriors are extremely skilled and lithe combatents who are also exceptionally stealthy. Although Kyoshi Island had long remained uninvolved from the rest of the Earth Kingdom, with the coming of the new god the Kyoshi Warriors have left their island and traveled to Ba Singh Se. Their commanders can lead a large force of Kyoshi warriors deep into enemy territory if needed, and each one can bolster and bless those under their command. They are sacred to the people of the Earth Kingdom. The people of the Earth Kingdom are stronger and hardier than average and less affected by poison."

Earth King (Imperial Robe, no helmet, Boulder x 2, Crush (weaponid 90), Leadership 80, PR 50%, Castle Defense +15, Siege Bonus +15, Sacred, N4E2H3 1xEFW + .1xNEFW)
#descr "An Earth King is the ruler of one of the cities of the Earth Kingdom. They are each an earthbender of unparalleled ability as well as the head of the church; all authority flows from them. Because of their mastery of earthbending, they are incredibly strong and capable in combat, despite often being a century or more old. Some take special glee in using their immense strength to hurl multiple boulders great distances and then moving in close to literally crush their enemies. Like most earthbenders, they rarely have the time, training or inclination to devote themselves fully to research. Over the decades, many have dabbled in magic outside of earthbending. It is very difficult to besiege a castle inhabited by an Earth King, and very hard to hide behind castle walls when besieged by an Earth King."
NOTE: I changed this one to be an N4E2 + 1xEFW + .1xNEFW. Without that change, the Earth Kingdom has no E3 casters. Also, I don't think we want to be handing out frequent N5s in the middle era.
NOTE: Should have a sage bonus of negative one
NOTE: This guy should probably have a strength of 16 and a start age of 80 or 90 since his max age will be in the 150 - 200 range from all that nature magic.

Shatner · Post by **Shatner** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 6:31 pm

So... is this mod still a thing that people are doing? I ask because I'm willing to help out as well as write descriptions and what-not but I'm not going to toss all of that content into the void and hope for the best.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:22 pm

Like I said earlier, I'm pretty busy. This mod is what I am working on during frivolous downtime not spent on D&D or video games. I hope to produce a v. 0.2 build sometime this month, but it depends on whether I end up spending 10 hours per week on the bus again or not.