Quick Poll: Environment and Spell Damage

Since I'm now basically rescripting every spell in the game, I have the option to change a little bit of the mechanics. I'm throwing up a poll for a couple of days here just to get a feel for players' opinions on one potential adjustment.

I'm considering having certain environments and/or time of year (namely hot desert/lava filled areas and freezing cold areas, and possibly the months of Midwinter and Midsummer when outdoors) have a minor effect on the damage caused by fire and cold spells (10% adjustments).

Examples:
fireball (hot environment or summer): +10% damage
fireball (cold environment or winter): -10% damage
cone of cold (hot environment or summer): -10% damage
cone of cold (cold environment or winter): +10% damage
ice storm (hot environment or summer): -10% cold damage (no effect on bludgeoning portion)
ice storm (cold environment or winter): +10% cold damage (no effect on bludgeoning portion)

So, what do y'all think? Please vote in the poll above sometime in the next 2 days. I'm holding off actually rescripting any spells until I get all the "functions" coded, and this is one of them.

Note: Spells of all five "elemental types" are already affected by being cast underwater, and that won't change.

I really like the idea of seasonal spells and spells being effected by environment... it makes sense that casting a fireball at someone that is already hot will do extra damage, as it does for getting less damage for someone cold or covered in snow (I mean the snow needs to be melted first)....

A small mechanic that I think will add a bit of extra immersion in the game...

I gotta go with RustyDios on this one ... a great little way to add to the immersion!

I like the idea of an immersive new mechanic, but I think it should work the other way around. Hotness and coldness are relative concepts; if you're outside and it's 115F, then you go inside and stand under a central air vent that's going at 75F, the air feels frigid. Likewise, if you're shoveling snow in 0F weather, then go inside and touch something that's been sitting at room temperature in a 75F house, it could feel warm or hot. If a pack of halfling bandits try to mug Crideas while he's passing through Calithia, they'll feel more pain from his Glacius' Ice Blast than his Fireball because it's a greater overall change in temperature and thus a greater shock to the system.

Sorry about the extra long reply; just got out of a midterm and I'm still in "essay answer mode"

And as long as you're thinking about environmental effects, what about electricity doing more damage in a particularly dry environment? Or damage over a wider area somewhere that's wet?

I know I ain't able to play currently, but I suggest a sliding scale based on temp extremes from +/- 1-10%, so a gradual application may be made based during travel on whatever you deem as the Base, and I would suggest that being the starting Inn. Thus effects may gradually change based on map distances travelled (say North & South), varied terrain types, and altered weather conditions.

And I agree more with Ra Cha Chongo that introducing intense extremes may seem more traumatic, such as placing heated glass in cold water might cause shattering results. As for electricity, arid regions might be condusive to such effects, as well as subterrainian areas as they are - wait for it - grounded.

Dang it, I already voted, but I wanna change it to no. On accou8nt of MAGIC, and it doesn't have to make sense. Also, if I'm in a lava-cave, I expect enemies to be more vulnerable to cold.

Christopher Robin R2 wrote:Dang it, I already voted, but I wanna change it to no. On accou8nt of MAGIC, and it doesn't have to make sense. Also, if I'm in a lava-cave, I expect enemies to be more vulnerable to cold.

Yo should be able to cancel your vote and do it over. Or, you couyld leave it as yes, because I've read the comments and would make it the opposite of what's listed now, because that makes sense.

This is why I like to get feedback.