Garrote

[Elseenas]

First of all, Hi Everybody :-)</p>



I think it is only fitting that my first post be on the topic of assasination skills</p>



As to garrote: I remeber having used this skill before and finding it almost worthless for the following reasons:</p>
<ul>
[*]The Expense and Difficulty of finding the wire (from DK I was traveling to Bloodstone by means of Illithid)</li>
[*]That I could be attacked while garroting an opponent (aren't I behind them?) but could not do anything about it (including drop the wire and run thanks to that _long_ pause after the attempt)</li>
[*]The frequency at which I experienced broken wires</li>
[*]That it almost *never* lasted very long at all, even on the most pathetic, easiest to kill mobs in DK</li>
[/list]

Out of Curiosity, are any of these being addressed?

On another note, want another coder? ;-p

[Yayaril]

I did extensive testing and work with this skill when it came out. (I felt obligated since they used my idea.) After practicing for countless hours on bandits and evil magicians outside Waterdeep, my skill had reached 'very good', yet I constantly broke wires and my longest runs of using this skill successfully were for about 8 to 10 pulses. On average, I would last 1 or 2 pulses before I was flipped and my wire broke.

On a few occasions I used this skill to mess up a cast attempt when a basher had missed his bash. I definitely liked the messages and the atmosphere they lended. 'A bandit turns white...' This was a fun skill, however had a bit low of a success rate.

Asking the other two or three assassins over level 35 how much they used this skill, and my heart sunk as they replied that they never used it.


Yayaril, Persuer of Waelos

[Elseenas]

<g> ye might want to quantify that with *human* assassins over 35 ;-)

There was at least one duergar who worked on it and I was the only drow assassin (to my knowledge) capable of using it.

Anyways, to add to the comment:
All of us came up with the same results. 1 to 2 pulse average and all of the problems discussed above.

Elseenas of No House Worth Mentioning

[Yayaril]

The assassins I saw, at least. I know there were several assassins who were almost always anonymous. I couldn't remember their names very well, because they were darkies and had big long names that were impossible to type.

Yayaril

[Guest]

I assume when you say "pulses" you mean rounds.

In any event, as part of the rogue combination / upgrade, I tweaked the skill somewhat. It may need further tweaking, but it should hopefully be a little more reliable.

--D2

[Yayaril]

Oh goody, I can't wait to get back to the Turning point and garrote those poor clerics to death, heheheee.

Reminds me of springleap. I worked that skill up to mastery and a solid 50 percent of the time I would land back on the ground again. At least I could be different than the dragonpunching monks.

Yayaril

[Nitania]

I for one am GLAD garrote is being tweaked!!!! I used it a lot, but more often than not it would flip me on my back and break my wire!

My biggest beef with garrote is that the wires we had to use CONSTANTLY broke. Now, if I remember right, they also weighed 5lbs... I dont know if any of you have ever carried a 2foot length of 5 pound wire but its not realistic. A garroting wire is not long, and its about as thick as a piano wire. Because they broke left and right you had to carry at least 30 with you at all times.. (more if you were practicing it) which made it hard on your load (unless you decided to carry none because you felt the skill was totally useless, like most assassins I knew). Please lower the weight for them or if you keep them at 5lbs, make them !break. It's Realistic to see the occasional garroting wire break, they would get worn out from use.. but to break a 5lb garroting wire escpecially on its first usage would take one thick and sturdy neck to snap it in half!

Thanks for reviewing rogue skills that need tweaking, I know we all appreciate it a great deal.

*cackle*

Nitania

[This message has been edited by Nitania (edited 02-23-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Nitania (edited 02-23-2001).]

[Cirath Uruxx Kalith etc]

"Now, if I remember right, they also weighed 5lbs... I dont know if any of you have ever carried a 2foot length of 5 pound wire but its not realistic. A garroting wire is not long, and its about as thick as a piano wire."

quite true, there is also the fact that if a 2 foot lenght of wire is 5lbs then it is about and inch or two in diameter. have you ever tried bending cable that thick? much less strangling someone with it. realistically a garrote would be either metal wire about the thickness of a low A guitar string or, more likely a piece of cord about as thick as a shoestring, maybe a bit thicker, with a small piece of wood tied to each end. now when you think about it, they would be damn near weightless, but if you had to give them a weight then make it 1 lb. anything more is just silly

strange ramblings from a mean man,
Cir

[Yayaril]

The thing is, the assassins of Toril weren't very sophisticated. The 'garroting wire' actually consisted of a 16" long piece of bridge suspension cable, which is a 6" diameter pure steel 'wire'. Actually, the wires were five pounds for awhile. Eventually, after talking to the admins a few times they were reduced to one pound. This was liveable, considering at any given time I toted around 100+ wires. Thank goodness for weightless bags.


Yayaril

[Harthorm]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but bards had one or more instruments (although hard to get) that wouldn't break strings, etc? Didn't thieves ever have !break picks (I always lusted after them, but never got high enough with my hairy Twiblin-ite to find out if the rumors were true). Can't we have a hard to get !break garrote wire, as well?

Harthorm/Twiblin the Halfling Thief - "Your only defense is to carry your purse in a pocket higher than your waist!"

[This message has been edited by Harthorm (edited 02-23-2001).]

[Tilandal]

Yes there did exist !break lockpicks and instraments. They are very rare and I have only seen 1 person with !break lockpicks and I remeber a bard was looking for some !break stuff. I think having a !break wire is a good idea. It would have to be very hard to get though.

[Jegzed]

My bard had quite a fine collection of !break instruments

/Jegzed

[Elseenas]

Realistically (ack, theres that word), garotting wire is either metalic or nothing fancier than corded beads. It is designed to break the opponents neck, not asphyxiate them (though it would work for the latter purpose as well).

It would weigh significantly less than a pound and almost NEVER break except after many uses.