[X] My Assistant

I thought it was just 10% dmg reflected, I didn't think that it mitigated anything, other then that school of magic.

Sorry Bob, I think I derailed your thread slightly. Anyway, I noticed that you can only have one elemental shield in effect at a time (like the spells). So using a Fire Gem will cancel Frost Spikes, for example. Now, whether or not the same applies to combining gems with spells, I don't know...

I thought it was just 10% dmg reflected, I didn't think that it mitigated anything, other then that school of magic.

10% reflected damage would seriously make my day versus Ryouko and Konata on End of Days. I've used it (and not used it) enough to tell that they definitely mitigate some physical elemental damage.

For that matter, why aren't there any reflect damage or reflect magic spells? I loved using those in Oblivion to make enemies kill themselves from attacking me.

So far, even at my low level, I'm finding all of the powerups to be useful. Even the spike shields.

At my current stats, it only does 5 damage to an enemy each turn that it hits (which is most of the time). The thing is that it really adds up. Over twenty turns that's up to 100 damage that I didn't have to go out of my way to cause. Against 9 enemies, that's usually 800-900 damage. I've been seeing some bigger numbers from other users, so if you do the math, those things are kinda cool. And with zero use time they can be used right at the start of a battle in an arena/grindfest/itemworld without penalty.

My best friend is the Mystic gem though. Turn 'Inferno' into a nuke (at no MP cost). Couple that with a penetrated armor and imagine what one could do to ... anything.

What's the channeling effect suppose to do?

What's the channeling effect suppose to do?

Free spell with +50% effect (for supportive spells that effects duration not power)

Free spell with +50% effect (for supportive spells that effects duration not power)

Oh? Thank you, Boogeybutt. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

I just used a Shock Gem in a real battle for the first time (as opposed to Item World on Easy). With the difficulty set to Hard and the monsters hitting for non-zero damage, this is what I got:

4 6 Your spike shield hits Giant Panda for 18 points of elec damage.
4 5 Giant Panda hits you for 162 slashing damage.
4 4 Your spike shield hits Rabid Hamster for 33 points of elec damage.
4 3 Rabid Hamster hits you for 184 piercing damage.
3 7 Your spike shield hits Rabid Hamster for 32 points of elec damage.
3 6 Rabid Hamster hits you for 181 piercing damage.
3 4 Your spike shield hits Amphibious Sperm Whale for 21 points of elec damage.
3 3 Amphibious Sperm Whale hits you for 146 crushing damage.
2 13 Your spike shield hits Rabid Hamster for 32 points of elec damage.
2 12 Rabid Hamster hits you for 180 piercing damage.
2 10 Your spike shield hits Amphibious Sperm Whale for 21 points of elec damage.
2 9 Amphibious Sperm Whale hits you for 148 crushing damage.

After Weakening the monsters, I got this:

9 6 Your spike shield hits Giant Panda for 8 points of elec damage.
9 5 You block the attack from Giant Panda.
9 4 Your spike shield hits Rabid Hamster for 18 points of elec damage.
9 3 Rabid Hamster hits you for 101 piercing damage.
8 7 The effect Shield has expired.
8 5 Your spike shield hits Giant Panda for 8 points of elec damage.
8 4 Giant Panda hits you for 68 slashing damage.
8 3 Your spike shield hits Rabid Hamster for 9 points of elec damage.
8 2 Rabid Hamster hits you for 49 piercing damage.

So the damage returned does depend on the monsters' elemental weaknesses, and it is proportional to the strength of their attacks, except that there's a fixed minimum amount, so if you're playing on too easy a setting you won't see it.

You might want to add that if you're a low level (like me) you won't really see it either. ... unless you're playing at Battletoads difficulty or something. I've not been brave (crazy?) enough to attempt that one.

Every little bit counts though.

So the damage returned does depend on the monsters' elemental weaknesses, and it is proportional to the strength of their attacks, except that there's a fixed minimum amount, so if you're playing on too easy a setting you won't see it.

Good to know. Not worth two clicks of my mouse though.

Every little bit counts though.

I really doesn't. You lose a turn off spells. That one MP very quickly adds up if you use them all the time.

You lose a turn off spells. That one MP very quickly adds up if you use them all the time.

I feel I should understand that statement, but its meaning is eluding me.

I feel I should understand that statement, but its meaning is eluding me.

Lets try it like this:
Using worthless gems is an action which costs a turn off of the duration of cast spells (e.g. shield, regen). I'm giving that turn an approximate value of 1 MP. If you use lots of worthless gems, the 1 MP you waste off of your cast spells adds up.

This post has been edited by Boggyb: Dec 13 2009, 03:08

Did you remember to add in the MP cost that it would take to set the effects of the gems? I'm not sure if any spells like them exist, but if they do, their cost is likely more than a single MP.

It's a bit of a balance game. Besides, with only one slot for gems, it's not like you'll be losing much even over the course of a few days.

Did you remember to add in the MP cost that it would take to set the effects of the gems? I'm not sure if any spells like them exist, but if they do, their cost is likely more than a single MP.

Those spells do exist, and they cost more than a single MP. Of course, even though I have access to them, I have never cast them because they are worthless so that point is moot.

Then don't use them and wait for something else to replace them. For a low level swordsman without those spells, their use is much greater. Like I said, it's a balance game.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

As the only supportive spell I use on a regular basis is Shield, I just have to wait till it wears off, then use the gem and then cast a new Shield. The gem that gives Channeling is always a blessing. The elemental ones seem to me quite irrelevant, but I use them all the same. After all, they are freebies if you use them at the right moment.

Turns out Spike Shield Gems aren't useless!

41 8 Arena Clear Bonus! Received:
[Average Mana Potion]
41 7 You are Victorious!
41 6 Regen restores you with 44 points of health.
41 5 Cockatrice has been defeated.
41 4 Your spike shield hits Cockatrice for 7 points of wind damage.
41 3 Cockatrice hits you for 29 piercing damage.
41 2 Cockatrice gains the effect Weakened.
41 1 You cast Weaken.
40 3 Regen restores you with 44 points of health.
40 2 Cockatrice gains the effect Weakened.
40 1 You cast Weaken. (I started spamming weaken here to boost my dep prof)
39 6 Regen restores you with 44 points of health.
39 5 Your spike shield hits Cockatrice for 7 points of wind damage.
39 4 Cockatrice hits you for 42 piercing damage.
39 3 Condemn hits Cockatrice for 268 holy damage.
39 2 You cast Condemn.

I still had 50 mana left for spamming Weaken, so the Shock Gem actually ended up being worse than useless! Heh.

Apparently Restorative Gems replaces potion/draught effects... Learned that hard way.

Apparently Restorative Gems replaces potion/draught effects... Learned that hard way.

Indeed. I'll put that on my list of things to PM Tenboro about. Whether that is intentional or not.

I would have expected it to work that way, but I hadn't got around to testing it yet. I'd also expect Spike gems to cancel any Spike Shield spell you have in effect.