Question About Drainlife

[Vhan Tiegros]

Ok, I'm a big time newby when it comes to this game, but my friend got an editor for it, and we were doing some test characters at my house. We pumped up magic weaponry and drainlife to about 20, and he equipped one of those goblin magic staffs. Well, when he hit things with his magic strike (goblin staff's green glow hit thinger) His health wasn't coming back. It didn't seem to be giving him back any HP, and having 20 into magic weapons didn't seem to be boosting the goblin staff's magic damage a hell of a lot.

In short, can someone fill me in on two questions?
1. Whether or not I'll get health back when I attack things having drainlife with a nether staff, and other magical weapons without charged spells.

2. How magic weaponry skill affects a weapons magic damage. I mean not the charged ones... Just regular ones that either start things on fire, freeze 'em , or give them the purple flame on attack (Nether).

(Also aware something could be screwed up with the editor...)

But before I dump my time into training a warlock legitimately, I gotta know these things. :/ I was counting on that class to give me back HP when i strike stuff with my magic weaponry. Like Nether Strike, Or magic strike... Not charged spells on the weapons.

[Compertz]

Hi

Not sure I can answer your questions but ...

Its a great game and like you I had a phase of testing things out with the editor. The editor doesn't really deliver the equivalent results of what happens in game. Basically the editor can't duplicate a highly leveled character. The editor is probably not broken its just the this game is exceptionally complex in terms of how it calculates things. Basically there are no real shortcuts using the editor - it's almost irrelevant.

However I've built up a character to use Drain Life (just through playing the game) and it worked well - as far as I was concerned. There is a heck of a lot under the hood in this game. Its not balanced in many ways, I'm not sure it can be balanced its just so deep. For now just play and read the forum and play - it won't come together quickly. It's not even worth trying to build a character to get some super edge - it'll cost you somewhere.

Personally I'd start with Fighter and build from there.

Good luck

[Vhan Tiegros]

Thanks, but I'm still curious. I've made fighters before. Owned the game for a few years, and played off and on. I guess I'm gonna try a warlock now. However, the only plus I saw was the potential to drain life when smacking something with a staff of magus, or a nether staff. That's really why I want these questions answered, Particularly if there is another warlock out there somewhere. I'm not one yet, but I'd like to know before I actually get the class upgrade.

[Scottg]

However, the only plus I saw was the potential to drain life when smacking something with a staff of magus, or a nether staff. That's really why I want these questions answered, Particularly if there is another warlock out there somewhere.

The Warlock *is* about drain life. A War Witch has it as well, but its just another fantastic bonus for that class. The Cabalist also has this ability (though its the poor "beggar" of the group). HOWEVER, the Warlock has the learning bonus to magic weapon in both the Warlock class AND the required Battlemage class (..the others don't). That allows for potenitally *3* learning bonuses to magic weapons - this allows for higher skill levels in magic weapon (and provided you have drainlife as high as practical), which equals increases in weapon magic damage. (..more magic weapon damage, more health replenished for your character.)

Its not just a staff of magnus, or nether staff - its ANY weapon that has a magic weapon requirement AND has magic damage. (..not simply an effect like sleep, stun, poision, etc..)

*IF* you decide to go this route then carefully consider the weapon to use in-game. In particular IF its a weapon you haven't played with before AND you are either unlikely to receive it until late in the game (or not at all like all of the "demon" blades"), then use the editor and place it in your game *AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME*.

The "Demonblade of Charrus" is an excellent example of a weapon you'll never get to use unless you use the editor and place it in your game at the beginning of the game.

Here is a listing:

http://www.gamebanshee.com/dungeonlords/equipment.php

[Vhan Tiegros]

Thanks Scottg! It sounds to me like I'll be getting health back when I hit monsters with weapons like that. I'm aware there are better magic weps later in the game. However, my only main concern was about getting HP back for striking monsters with a weapon that has magic damage attatched. The magus staff and nether staff were the two best examples I could think of, as they don't have charge spells. I'm really just looking to hit, and have some HP returnage going on.

Now for next question.

Does anyone know when I'll start seeing a noticable amount of HP coming back when i hit stuff with drainlife? How high do I need magic weps and the drainlife skill before I'll start gaining anywhere between 1-5hp a swing?

[Scottg]

Does anyone know when I'll start seeing a noticable amount of HP coming back when i hit stuff with drainlife? How high do I need magic weps and the drainlife skill before I'll start gaining anywhere between 1-5hp a swing?

Its been a while so I don't remember.. rule of thumb though..

Drainlife to at least 9-10. At least double the magic weapon's minimum requirements.

[Vhan Tiegros]

OK! I've made my warlock, and have now pumped my drainlife to 10 (The millions of exp that took... -_-') and my magic weapons to 18... (Again, the millions...)

Long story short... I'm still not noticing any health returned when I hit stuff with magic weapons. WTF? Does this work, or doesn't it? How high do I need the skills? Also, I did this without an editor. For the love of god, someone help.

[Scottg]

OK! I've made my warlock, and have now pumped my drainlife to 10 (The millions of exp that took... -_-') and my magic weapons to 18... (Again, the millions...)

Long story short... I'm still not noticing any health returned when I hit stuff with magic weapons. WTF? Does this work, or doesn't it? How high do I need the skills? Also, I did this without an editor. For the love of god, someone help.

It should be working.

questions:

CE?

Whats your weapon's magical attack?

Whats your arcane level?

Whats your nether level?

[Vhan Tiegros]

Yes, I'm using CE.

My weapons magical attack is rune strike, and i have others with flaming attacks, and an ice one. None seem to be doing anything, not even my staff of magus, or nether staff.

My arcane level is 11, or even 12, I think. My nether magic is definitely 11.

Know something I don't? Probably...

[War-Wiz]

I never bothered to look to close when using weapons as a Warlock. I used magic most of the time and the Drainlife skill did work for that as I recall.

Da Wiz :mischief:

[Vhan Tiegros]

I realize there are better classes, and this might not be such an issue to most DL players. But the reason i chose a Warlock is because I'm completely attracted to the idea of leeching life with my melee weapons in a fashion that uses no spell books or or anything. I just like that kind of self sustaining unit, and the dark little spin behind the angle. It feels cool to hit something with a weapon, and get good health back. XD So that's why I really wanna know about hitting stuff with magic weapons.

[Scottg]

Know something I don't? Probably...

Actually no. (..but it could well be that playing a multi-player game is your problem.)

Last time I played a Warlock was on 1.4.. so who knows? I'm trying to "push" a character through now to test it out (..I'm in Faithen Keep at the moment). Might have an answer in a couple of days.

[Scottg]

After *extensive* testing..

Unfortunatly Drainlife no longer works through magic weapons. Before CE, (though I don't know which version I was playing - I think it was 1.4), it *did* work via a weapon (and conversly not spells). Now it only works with spells and weapons that have spell casting (like scepters).

In this case its a bummer.. But for spell casters it works *extremely* well (particularly against large groups of opponents).

Sorry for the misinformation and time spent.

[Vhan Tiegros]

Scottg, you are the bomb for that info! Thanks. As unfortunate as that is, oh well. I also owe Da Wiz a thanks for his input about the maze. At any rate... I think it should work for weapons. Bummer that it don't, after all... The warlock gets a bonus in magic weapons pointlessly now.

[Claudius]

You can still kill with magic weaponry. And drain a buttload of life no doubt with a nova spell.