Question about encumberance

[Oraticus]

Ok, I'm not trying to spam the forums, I swear.

I found a Pseudo-Dragon Scale Mail of Craftsmanship which outdid the Blue Dragon Scale Mail I was wearing. In the description for the armor, it specifically states:

"This armor is finely wrought, tough yet unencumbering"

So, I throw it on and lose some SP while getting the message:

"The weight of your armor encumbers your movement"

Is this a bug, and armor of craftsmanship isn't supposed to encumber you, or is it just a case of bad description being misleading?

[kandrc]

Ok, I'm not trying to spam the forums, I swear.

I found a Pseudo-Dragon Scale Mail of Craftsmanship which outdid the Blue Dragon Scale Mail I was wearing. In the description for the armor, it specifically states:

"This armor is finely wrought, tough yet unencumbering"

So, I throw it on and lose some SP while getting the message:

"The weight of your armor encumbers your movement"

Is this a bug, and armor of craftsmanship isn't supposed to encumber you, or is it just a case of bad description being misleading?

The armor itself is not encumbering you. It doesn't have a (-x) to-hit penalty. However, the total weight of all of your armor is encumbering you. Unlike the to-hit penalty, this is sometimes worth worrying about. Check how much SP you have with and without the weight penalty and decide whether or not the benefits of your armor choices are worth that penalty.

[Oraticus]

Ok, got it... so if I were to drop other armor, I'd get my SP back.

Seems like the best stuff I find for my priest is always heavy gear. Oh, well!

[Derakon]

The SP penalty is 1 point per pound over 30, if I recall correctly. Since it's a flat amount, as your SP pool increases, the relative severity of the penalty grows smaller. Even mages will eventually be flouncing around in heavy armor, if they like the stats on that armor.

[luneya]

Ok, got it... so if I were to drop other armor, I'd get my SP back.

Seems like the best stuff I find for my priest is always heavy gear. Oh, well!

It's also important to note that you don't need to drop the armor to eliminate the SP penalty; merely unequipping it will suffice. Dropping is only necessary if you are suffering speed penalties, which are based on a comparison of the total weight of wielded or carried objects in your player's inventory and your strength stat.

[Oraticus]

Ah, yes, "drop" was a bad way to phrase it.

Based on the description, does Armor of Craftsmanship at least weigh less than its less finely-crafted cousins? Otherwise that description just seems misleading, even now that the mechanics have been explained to me.

[Pete Mack]

It weighs a little less, and it has more AC bonus. It exists primarily to make the other kinds of ego dragon armor more rare. That said, psuedo-dragon armor is distinctly better than basic 4 dragon armor, if you have the resistance covered elsewhere. rDark is a pretty useful resistance. And almost nothing resists the breath attack, which actually matters for a mage. I suspect it only knocks a point or three of Mana off your total. The only reason to wear the other armor is if you are slowed below normal speed.

[Oraticus]

...That said, psuedo-dragon armor is distinctly better than basic 4 dragon armor, if you have the resistance covered elsewhere. rDark is a pretty useful resistance. And almost nothing resists the breath attack, which actually matters for a mage.

A magic pseudo-dragon armor, along with a ridiculously heavy adamantine armor were the cause of a "9" feeling on a very early floor for the dwarf priest I'm running. I thought light/dark breath would rarely work, since so many enemies resist "light"-based offensives like Spear of Light, but the light breath doesn't seem to be reduced by "resists bright light", and that armor's activation got me through some very nasty encounters and kept my priest alive long enough to get some offense elsewhere! That armor was a veritable nuclear kill switch for most early mobs and even some early uniques!

Not that I'm complaining, but why isn't the light breath neutered by "resists bright light"?

[Derakon]

There's two kinds of light. One of them normally just illuminates, but also deals damage to specific vulnerable enemies, most notably orcs, jellies, and worm masses. This is what Light Area, Spear of Light, and the various magic devices of Illumination/Light/etc. use. The other kind of light damages everything; it's what all monster breaths use.

I wouldn't be averse to merging the two, though it might have some balance implications.

[Oraticus]

There's two kinds of light. One of them normally just illuminates, but also deals damage to specific vulnerable enemies, most notably orcs, jellies, and worm masses. This is what Light Area, Spear of Light, and the various magic devices of Illumination/Light/etc. use. The other kind of light damages everything; it's what all monster breaths use.

I wouldn't be averse to merging the two, though it might have some balance implications.

It would definitely hurt the awe-inspiring power of pseudo dragon mail, though, which would be quite the bummer with how awesome breath attacks are now!

[Derakon]

To be clear, I'd favor merging them so that all sources of light are bright enough to deal damage to any target. Then the orcs, jellies, etc. would merely be extra-susceptible to this kind of damage. The current "weak light" sources would just be tuned to deal relatively small amounts of damage.

[Oraticus]

Works for me that way. As long as I can still blast dragon lasers through mob faces.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

To be clear, I'd favor merging them so that all sources of light are bright enough to deal damage to any target. Then the orcs, jellies, etc. would merely be extra-susceptible to this kind of damage. The current "weak light" sources would just be tuned to deal relatively small amounts of damage.

Nah, orcs aren't hurt by torchlight or lantern light. Sunlight (and the magical lights of the elves) is what hurts them.

[Derakon]

Nah, orcs aren't hurt by torchlight or lantern light. Sunlight (and the magical lights of the elves) is what hurts them.

Sorry, I meant all spell-like effects that create light. So the Phial used as a light source would not hurt them, but activating the Phial's Light Area effect would, for example.