Hi guys! I have a question for mage players out there regarding my new mod comming out in a week or so. its a bit complex but in a nutshell heres how the mod works:

The mod lets you summon your "power animal" - think of these as being like demons from "his dark materials" books basicly you hold down the cast button and your power animal is summoned perminatly at the cost of 15% of you're total health, until you dismiss it or it dies. What form you're power animal takes depends on your skills and attributes - if your strongest skill is heavy armour for example, it takes the form of a bear. The animal also changes size based on your level- at level one you're atherial companion will be a bear cub, at level 20, it will be larger than you.

The spell can also be used to command your companion - cast and left click for defensive combat, cast and right click to attack on sight, cast and both buttons and it will hold position. However, each form has its own "power move" that you can activate by tapping the cast button. A bear, for example, will get on its hind legs and roar, knocking foes off their feet, whilst the dog companion will allow you to "smell out" enimies through walls and in darkness at the cost of blurred vision. Activating these powers costs some of you're own fatigue.

Now, I have all the combat forms and stealth forms done, powers, sound effects, scripting and all, and Im starting on the magic forms. However, Im not sure what players would prefer of these two options:

Option One)

A different, possibly non spellcasting form for each magic skill. Example:
Restoration = a deer with combat enabled
Power: Restores nearby allies health
Alteration = Imp
Power: gives the player 70% fire, lightning, and ice shield for 20 seconds

Option Two)

Every mage character has a will-o-the-wisp form that has all of the players spells fighting along side him. When their "power" is activated, they will asploooode themselves in a blast that has differnt effects for each skill- restoration asplosion will heal nearby allies, Destruction will asplode into fire, conjoration will asplode and be replaced by a few skeletons, etc etc


I only ask because whilst the idea of a companion that has all my own spells is pretty awsome, mage types might be a bit peeved they dont get a representation of themselves. And no, before anyone asks, Im not smart enough to combine them and have fire-ball shooting deers

Gonna hopefully have this done in a day or two (most of the work from here will be copying and pasting scripts and adding the new effects) so fast answers appreciated

Mysterious Mr. Bear

I like option 2 the best, but I think that this will be overpowering to give it all spells. I think you should try to center it around the spells without giving it 100%. For example, a mage with 100 conjuration and 75 in all other schools would have a creature with 75 conjuration and 25 in all other schools. This would fit the idea of a magic avatar, but without making it equal in damage to the player.

that is a GOOD idea! I wouldn't have thought of that I worry though that by giving it 25 in all other schools it will just spam flare... I'll see what works with it

I didn't literally mean it like that, I meant it as more of a specialty summon. Slight subtraction in main, but a bit more in secondaries.

On an unrelated note, what happens if you get a maxed out character?

This mod looks really good. :goodjob:

Hmm, In not quite sure what you mean with main/seconderies... my plan is (I think) that all magic summons will recieve all spells, but receive -25 skill in their speciality, and -50 in all other schools, meaning if you are a master in destruction, and have 75 conjuration, the magical avatar will have expert destruction spells and journyman conjouration spells. I will make sure that they have at the very least 25 skill points in the specialised school, so beginner characters will actually make use of it

As for maxed out characters... well, I have something planned for that thanks for the support!

Oh, that is almost identical to my idea except that you have a bit more subtracted from conjuration, but I will definitely be using this mod either way.