Throwing lumps of clay.

[melphen]

I have been running over lumps of clay without thinking for a while now. I though today to pick them up and chunk 'em at things. I was hoping that I would blind things from time to time the way the mud room will blind the PC. This would be a very interesting option in combat. While that hasn't happened I am getting "and kill it right away!" messages. What is this all about?

Seeing as how this lumps of clay aren't getting destroyed and 1 shotting anything I hit I'm thinking I have found the most magical clay ever.

[SirTheta]

Not being destroyed is fixed in p21, so it's likely that they could be upgraded in such a situation [I believe they don't currently train weapon skill either].

[melphen]

They train thrown rocks.

[SirTheta]

Hm, not fixed yet, actually, my bad - terrible memory of these RFEs - awaiting feedback from Creator.

Do they train slings when used with slings? Maybe I am misremembering again.

There is an existing RFE that lumps of clay should slow enemies - I think that makes the most sense once the issues are fixed.

[melphen]

Haven't tried this with a sling... hold for answer... Nevermind, I don't have a sling.

EDIT:

Just got this message:

"You exactly hit the large snake and kill it right away!" The only time I have seen "You exactly hit" is with slaying ammo. I think I read a critical hit does this anyway and that is why slaying ammo does it. I have never seen "and kill it right away!" like this,

[Stingray1]

Clay is currently not a valid missile for slings.

[sylph]

Just got this message:
"You exactly hit the large snake and kill it right away!"
That's your find weakness skill. :D

[melphen]

That's your find weakness skill. :D

Cool, thanks for the information.

EDIT:

So I just looked and this character doesn't have find weakness. Any other thoughts?

[_Ln_]

Cool, thanks for the information.

EDIT:

So I just looked and this character doesn't have find weakness. Any other thoughts?

Every char has a base chance to inflict a critical hit. It's pretty low on its own though. Some other things give a extra chances to inflict crits.

[sylph]

I think it's 5% for a crit, increased by up to 20% based on your find weakness skill, and up to 10% for ranged find weakness. Also worth noting that ranged crits have a much higher multiplier than melee crits (which is why slaying ammo is so much more effective that slaying melee). I'm not 100% sure about any of this info though, since the game changes all the time.

[melphen]

I think it's 5% for a crit, increased by up to 20% based on your find weakness skill, and up to 10% for ranged find weakness. Also worth noting that ranged crits have a much higher multiplier than melee crits (which is why slaying ammo is so much more effective that slaying melee). I'm not 100% sure about any of this info though, since the game changes all the time.

5% chance isn't bad, but it isn't the 90% that would explain how often these lumps were hitting.

[sylph]

5% chance isn't bad, but it isn't the 90% that would explain how often these lumps were hitting.

Which message are you referring to here, though?
'Exactly hit' is a crit. 'Kill it right away' is when you kill a creature that was previously unwounded.

[mewmew]

You cannot use clay with slings.
It's generally of limited use as a weapon, it's an amazing replacement for rocks but nothing more, if you want to run a rock throwing character it's a way to go, but you generally want something which can have slaying suffixes like arrows or quarrels. It's still amazing early game, especially on a hurthling.

P.S. I remember I almost drown my hurthling archer once, gathering precious lumps of clay after a wilderness encounters in the swamps :3

[sylph]

You cannot use clay with slings.
if you want to run a rock throwing character it's a way to go, but you generally want something which can have slaying suffixes like arrows or quarrels
You can throw sling bullet of slaying.
Furthermore, a 'huge rock' is so ridiculously high in damage, it might as well be slaying. The only challenge is hitting with it, and the +tohit you get for a high-level throwing skill far outweights the -tohit from a huge rock. I killed the SFB with 2 huge rock throws, and in the late game you get your slaying anyway.

I'm not saying throwing rocks is amazing or anything, but it's a *very* strong start, and doesn't completely lose relevancy later on. I think having lumps of clay not break makes sense, but having them do comparable damage to rocks is ridiculous. I think they should confer a 1/2 damage penalty, like broken or rusty items.