Slayer - Spoiler

[davfrahen]

My character hasn`t got the ability to become the slayer.
He did so against Bhodi in Spellhold, and then again whilst everyone was asleep, again, in Spellhold.
But he hasn`t got the icon to allow him to do it when he wants to.

[mr_sir]

if i remember correctly, you change into it a few times with no control before you learn to use it and gain the ability to do so.

[fable]

Exactly. Once you gain control you can do it at will, though your rep decreases by 2 every time you assume Slayer form. Which is odd, because that happens even if you do it completely in private.

[dj_venom]

And if you stay in it too long, it'll kill you.

[davfrahen]

I nearly always end up using it in the underdark against that monster in the village. I have got it now, but I got it at a much later stage in the game.

[Deadalready]

Resting more often will often give access to Slayer form earlier.

[Lazigothi]

Exactly. Once you gain control you can do it at will, though your rep decreases by 2 every time you assume Slayer form. Which is odd, because that happens even if you do it completely in private.

I would guess the rep goes down even in private, perhaps because willing oneself into a form spawned off from the essence of the god of murder somehow "shows" or otherwise comes across to everyone else. . . ?

Otherwise, I'd say if reputation directly reflects actions only of public renown (witnessed, recorded, made into Bard tales, announced to those in public office, etc.), then it feels like an imperfect game mechanic to exact balance for good aligned characters when they shouldn't "want" to become slayers anyway but are played by gamers who want to play both sides.

[fable]

I would guess the rep goes down even in private, perhaps because willing oneself into a form spawned off from the essence of the god of murder somehow "shows" or otherwise comes across to everyone else. . . ?

We could say that, in the game's internal context, reputation actually represents a conflation of world reputation, local view, and party view of your actions. I'm guessing the loss to rep when you change into the Slayer is due to the last of these, as "good" and "evil" characters in your group see this side of you they never did, previously. Of course, I also think the whole good/evil law/chaos stuff is arrant nonsense in any game.

However, the whole reason you lose rep in fact is probably nothing mroe than a penalty deliberately imposed by the game designers to prevent you from using the change very frequently. It's an easy and quick power-up, however brief, so lowering your rep until guards attack you on sites and all merchants close their doors would seem an adequate way to prevent players from resorting to it all the time.

[Lazigothi]

It's an easy and quick power-up, however brief, so lowering your rep until guards attack you on sites and all merchants close their doors would seem an adequate way to prevent players from resorting to it all the time.

Ack. I didn't know low rep could get low enough to do that. I find that frustrating since I'm currently heroic and still get snotty, elitist attitudes from the nobles. There should be something equally dramatic with a high enough rep (or at least I haven't seen it yet). (Not intended to change thread topic) As long as not "willingly" changing into the slayer keeps my high rep unaltered, I'll be happy with my good character.