Rogues 'n Raiders - The Penalty System - Magic Debuffs

Overview:

Rogues 'n Raiders adds an optional penalty system which gives NPCs the ability to inflict debuffs on their opponents, making combat more challenging and interesting. The Penalty System encourages a smart playing style – simply tanking hits and spells will result in your character gaining multiple debilitating effects, which could make fights harder, longer and more dangerous than they need to be. The Penalty System also helps to diversify enemies, and increases synergy between different enemy types.

The Penalty System is disabled by default. The mod works fine without it, but some enemies will not have access to their full range of abilities. To enable the Penalty System install and activate one of these two optional files:

RnR Optional File - Penalty System (Lite):

• Injuries and magic debuffs have a short duration.
• Spells, scrolls and potions that heal injuries work instantly.
  

RnR Optional File - Penalty System (Full):

• Injuries and magic debuffs have a long duration.
• Spells, scrolls and potions that heal injuries work over time.
• This is the version Rogues 'n Raiders was originally built around. It is recommended for challenging gameplay, and to get the most out of the mod.
  

Magic Debuffs:

• Magic Debuffs are grouped into three categories - Hexes, Curses and Sorceries.
• Hexes are caused by raw magical energies clinging to a target, or seeping into their equipment.
• Curses corrupt their victims' bodies, damaging their health and skills.
• Sorceries act on their targets' minds and souls, warping their perception and thoughts.
• Player characters with low magic skills will need to learn about debuffs in order to be able to identify their effects.
• Magic debuffs can be blocked by wearing the appropriate enchanted equipment.
• Magic debuffs can be dispelled using spells or scrolls, or left to expire on their own.
  

Identifying Magic Debuffs:

Due to their occult nature, the effects of hexes, curses and sorceries may not be immediately apparent to those not versed in the ways of magic. The Penalty System provides cues to warn players when they incur magic debuffs, but revealing their exact effects requires players to meet at least one of these conditions:

• Having a high enough level in a magic skill will automatically reveal the effects of debuffs tied to that skill.
  

• Casting Divination will display the details of any magic debuffs affecting the player in the Active Effects section of the Magic menu. It will also highlight any cursed NPCs with a purple aura. Divination is a novice level Alteration spell that can also be cast from scrolls. Divination spell tomes and scrolls can be bought from vendors or found as loot.
  

• Reading Arcane Tomes will impart knowledge about all the debuffs belonging to a specific school of magic. This will unlock the details of those debuffs permanently. Arcane Tomes can be bought from traveling merchants or looted off dead enemies.
  

Compendium of Magic Debuffs:

Hexes:

Burned:
Effect: Reduces Health Regeneration.
Delivery Method: Fire Spells (Pyromancers / Flame Atronachs).
Identification Requirements: Arcane Knowledge - Elemental Magic / Destruction Level 30.

Frozen:
Effect: Reduces Stamina Regeneration.
Delivery Method: Frost Spells (Cryomancers only).
Identification Requirements: Arcane Knowledge - Elemental Magic / Destruction Level 30.

Electrocuted:
Effect: Reduces Magicka Regeneration.
Delivery Method: Shock Spells (Electromancers / Storm Atronachs).
Identification Requirements: Arcane Knowledge - Elemental Magic / Destruction Level 30.

Curses:

Atrophy:
Effect: Reduces One-Handed, Two-Handed and Archery.
Delivery Method: Death Coil (Necromancer Signature Spell).
Identification Requirements: Arcane Knowledge - Necromancy / Restoration Level 50.

Blight:
Effect: Reduces Health Regeneration. Prevents Magicka and Stamina from regenerating fully.
Delivery Method: Blight (Blight Enchantment on Defiler Swords).
Identification Requirements: Arcane Knowledge - Necromancy / Restoration Level 60.


Preventing Magic Debuffs:

Whenever a signature spell or enchantment hits a target there is a possibility that it may apply a debuff in addition to its regular effects. The chances of this happening depend on the spell's power - strong spells are more likely to inflict debuffs than weaker ones.

Magic debuffs can be blocked by wearing items bearing protective enchantments:

• Weak ward enchantments prevent debuffs from low-level spells.
• Strong ward enchantments prevent debuffs from low and mid-level spells.
• Powerful ward enchantments prevent debuffs from all spells.
• Ward enchantments only provide protection against a specific type of magic or element.
• Wards can be learned by disenchanting items, and applied to new equipment pieces.
  

Dispelling Magic Debuffs:

Magic debuffs will expire on their own after a certain amount of time has passed, but they can be removed instantly by casting the following spells:

• Dispel Hex - An apprentice level Alteration spell that removes Hexes from the caster.
• Lift Curse - An apprentice level Alteration spell that removes Curses from the caster.
• Expel Sorcery - An apprentice level Alteration spell that removes Sorceries from the caster.
• Cleanse - An adept level Alteration spell that removes Hexes, Curses and Sorceries from the caster.
• Cleansing Touch - An adept level Alteration spell that removes Hexes, Curses and Sorceries from a target.
• Panacea - A master level Restoration spell that cures the caster and nearby allies of all ailments and heals them.
  

The tomes for learning these spells can be found for sale once the player is sufficiently skilled in Alteration (Restoration in the case of Panacea). These spells can also be cast from scrolls, which can be bought from vendors or found as loot.