Scribe Failure Explosions

[Enig]

It seems to me that having scribing failures instantly destroy a single container (three times in a row, from perfect condition, and they don't even leave scraps so they're completely unrecoverable) seems like kind of a harsh mechanic.

As an alternative suggestion maybe the damage could instead be spread out across all of the scribe's objects, or all of their equipped objects? Or the damage could be increased, split between two or more types types or randomized (so energy immunity wouldn't negate it altogether), stun added, etc.

[Briek]

couldn't there be a percentile for failure damage each time you fail to scribe, I mean everyone gets lucky sometimes right?

[Saranya]

Clearly the solution is to ban all forms of writing and books throughout the Realms.

*runs from Oghma*

Seriously though, is the damage always to a container (vs. some other item type?) Is the container worn or in inventory? There have been many changes recently but this sounds a bit fishy & might be worth bouncing over to bugs for more testing.

[Nysan]

Clearly the solution is to ban all forms of writing and books throughout the Realms.

*runs from Oghma*

Seriously though, is the damage always to a container (vs. some other item type?) Is the container worn or in inventory? There have been many changes recently but this sounds a bit fishy & might be worth bouncing over to bugs for more testing.

Good point.

Location of container? Worn/Inventory/Ground?
Same container all three times?
What kind of container? Traveler pack, beltpouch, spell pouch?
Same spell for all three incidents?
Character under any effects at the time? You mentioned energy immunity, code can be screwy at times.

I do not have scribe on any of my characters, just brew, so I can't test myself. If scribe behaves anyway like brew, those questions can be useful to find out why your bags are poofing every time. Fine line between bug and "working as intended".

[Dalvyn]

How can you produce an explosion by attempting to write a scroll ? I can understand how it could happen when you brew a potion (even though I don't like the idea - all it does is incite the brewer to brew naked, and that's just a pain that doesn't add anything interesting to the game), but I can't even understand why a scroll would explode.

(I know "it's magic", but even magic can have some consistency).

[Gwain]

I'm guessing that it explodes as part of old code from general muds? Scribing seems to have changed very little over the years. I might be wrong though.

[Nysan]

Old code used to cause explosive damage to self and equipment with critical failures of scribe. It is almost exactly the same code as brew was, so it shared most of the... weaknesses, like explosions. Not sure how much still remains of the old code.

I would like to see both brew and scribe grow beyound the need of explosive failures. Like Dalvyn said, it only really inspires characters to be naked or wear very little clothing during the process, little value in promoting RP. Plus, I never understood how these two crafting abilities have personal risk but a player has no fear of Smelting failure burning them, Mining causing a cave in, Slicing taking off a hand, ect. *shrug*

[Enig]

Sorry for the lateness of my reply!

I've destroyed two different containers so far; one of them was being worn on the belt and the other was in my inventory.

One of the containers (the one on the belt) was a scroll case and the other was just a big bag (with no ability to be worn anywhere).

Different spells caused the explosions for all of the incidents, I think.

Energy immunity might have been active for one or possibly two of the explosions but definitely the first time it wasn't (because I was under the impression that it wasn't dangerous, ICly and OOCly! )

Subsequent to these three incidents I've experienced four or five more explosions after having dropped all my containers to the ground, some with energy immunity and some without, and in none of those instances has any other part of my equipment been damaged at all.

[Solaghar]

Has this always been something that happens? I have scribed hundreds of times and never once experienced this.

[Gwain]

Well actually, I thought brew and scribe had been changed back in 2006 to only acid damage the brewer ( I think this was made for brew only though) I have no idea if it was changed back though.

[Gorwin]

Old code used to cause explosive damage to self and equipment with critical failures of scribe. It is almost exactly the same code as brew was, so it shared most of the... weaknesses, like explosions. Not sure how much still remains of the old code.

I would like to see both brew and scribe grow beyound the need of explosive failures. Like Dalvyn said, it only really inspires characters to be naked or wear very little clothing during the process, little value in promoting RP. Plus, I never understood how these two crafting abilities have personal risk but a player has no fear of Smelting failure burning them, Mining causing a cave in, Slicing taking off a hand, ect. *shrug*

Well cant speak to the scribing but slicing is dangerous. Might just be my low ability in it, but I manage to cut myself quite often doing it. No equipment damage but lots of cuts.

[Nysan]

Old code used to cause explosive damage to self and equipment with critical failures of scribe. It is almost exactly the same code as brew was, so it shared most of the... weaknesses, like explosions. Not sure how much still remains of the old code.

I would like to see both brew and scribe grow beyound the need of explosive failures. Like Dalvyn said, it only really inspires characters to be naked or wear very little clothing during the process, little value in promoting RP. Plus, I never understood how these two crafting abilities have personal risk but a player has no fear of Smelting failure burning them, Mining causing a cave in, Slicing taking off a hand, ect. *shrug*

Well cant speak to the scribing but slicing is dangerous. Might just be my low ability in it, but I manage to cut myself quite often doing it. No equipment damage but lots of cuts.

Was talking more about excessive damage (I've had body parts mangled by brew failure before, been a while though) and equipment damage. At best, I have only seen slice cause 5% health damage to a party member using it, never mangled an arm or destroyed their gloves. Thats the double standard I meant. Sorry if it came out poorly.

[Sei]

I expect suffering an explosion will do more damage than accidentally cutting your hand, though..

[Timaeus]

Bringing this post back from the dead because as I was scribing a scroll (first attempt on new scroll) I had this wonderful event:

Your spectacular failure at scribing onto a blank scroll causes it to burst into flames!
A spell pouch ignites and burns!
The contents of a spell pouch spill out onto the ground.
You recoil as Lamorak exhales a horrible fireball at you, which you barely manage to twist away from!
You finish scribe.

And a brand new, undamaged spell pouch was destroyed with a single failure. Seems quite a harsh result for failing at writing words properly. Damage the pouch sure, but destroy is very annoying and un-necessary. And from reading the thread above it does not appear that it was ever really addressed.