Spells for DC

[manikus]

I think what I will do is take Iron Skin out of the database, but just comment it out in the .txt version so that a designer can easily add it in if she so desires.

[Uatu]

Sounds okay to me

[Shadow Stranger]

If I recall, hostile Mages in Dark Queen of Krynn never used Bracers of AC6, unlike the Mages in the previous game Death Knights of Krynn. In DQK the lack of Bracers, that the party could sell for cash, may have been meant to avoid inflation, the party getting too much money.
DQK was a high level game, Iron Skin was probably meant to boost the AC of mages while giving the party nothing to sell. Hence if it was really meant for them the short duration would not be a problem, battles did not last for hours and the mages were high level.

[Uatu]

Hmm, that makes sense - I do seem to remember some games having lots of bracers (most magic-users having them). I do think that other protection spells would have worked well, too, though.

[manikus]

Originally Posted by Uatu Sounds okay to me

Alright, I'm doing it then.

[Shadow Stranger]

It actually seems to have started in Death Knights of Krynn, I am not sure because I can't access the manual. There it makes less sense, unless it was meant to boost the AC of hostile mages.
Anyway, if you are a designer and you want to make some humanoids tougher but not via items that the PCs can sell for cash, you could give the monsters spells like Iron Skin. Magical spells that create temporary magical armor and weapons make the monsters tougher in a fight but the party can't sell said armor and weapons if they win the battle.

[Uatu]

Interestingly, humanoids are actually in AD&D 1e rules given a rather pitiful spell selection

The best of their spells that you could give them in a combat are probably:

C1: Cure Light Wounds
C2: Snake Charm (need some snakes, though!)
C3: Cause Blindness, Cause Disease, Dispel Magic, Prayer, Bestow Curse
C4: Poison

MU1: Shield ...and maybe Affect Normal Fires (you need a fire, though)
MU2: Scare, maybe?

Basically, only level 3 cleric (shaman) spells have much choice here

[Shadow Stranger]

How could they hold their ground against races that have access to full selections of spells, like Elves and Humans? This is a violence filled world where there is endless fighting, a very Darwinian world indeed. It is not like humanoids are invincible in melee combat, hence they have nothing to counteract the magic coming from humans.

[nologgie]

Originally Posted by Uatu Interestingly, humanoids are actually in AD&D 1e rules given a rather pitiful spell selection The best of their spells that you could give them in a combat are probably: C1: Cure Light Wounds C2: Snake Charm (need some snakes, though!) C3: Cause Blindness, Cause Disease, Dispel Magic, Prayer, Bestow Curse C4: Poison MU1: Shield ...and maybe Affect Normal Fires (you need a fire, though) MU2: Scare, maybe? Basically, only level 3 cleric (shaman) spells have much choice here

In the p&p version, they were actually fairly strong.

C1: Command (One round, single target Hold Person)
Cause Fear
Cause Light Wounds

C2: Hold Person
Silence 15' Radius

C3: Animate Dead (more of a prep spell, but they last a long time)
Continual Light (permanent blindness)
Cause Blindness
Cause Disease
Glyph Of Warding (prep)
Bestow Curse

M1: Sleep
Enlarge
Magic Missile
Charm Person

M2: Web
Stinking Cloud
Continual Light (as above)
Darkness 15' Radius
Invisibility
Levitate
Mirror Image
Ray Of Enfeeblement
Scare
Strength

Particularly those on their own turf with time to prepare could wreak havoc on parties of equal or slightly greater levels.

[manikus]

I would really love if DC could use the light and darkness spells. I would love to black out part of the combat field or change the way a hallway looks (in 3D mode).