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horror

Horror

Horrors are otherworldly beings unaffiliated with any nation. They do not spawn naturally in the world as independents do, rather they have to enter through some use of magic or certain random events. Their most common means of appearing is to horror marked commanders, through blood magic, the horror cult event chain, and at the Cataclysm.

Horrors have a myriad of different attributes. All have high magic resistance, many are ethereal; additionally they typically possess multiple attacks with additional supernatural effects such as horror marking, life drain, as well as armor piercing or negating damage. There are three tiers of horrors, grouped by strength.

When summoned in battle, horrors will preferentially target units with horror marks. Units that are mindless are the last that they will prefer to attack, regardless of their horror mark status.

Horrors have been observed to be capable of casting restricted national spells such as Celestial Chastisement and Break the Third Soul.

Mechanics

Horror Level

The game has a concept of a "global horror level" which governs many aspects of their appearance, as well as their chance of upgrading:

Game State Horror Level
Normal 1
Cataclysm fully active, regardless of Astral Corruption 20
Astral Corruption is active 10
2 turns before Cataclysm 5
1 turn before Cataclysm 10

Upgrading Horror Types

When a horror is spawned, the game uses this value to upgrade the horror to a greater strength. This process happens as follows:

  • Calculate the "base upgrade value". This is calculated as:
  (Province's Drain scale + 3) * 5 + (Unit's Horror Marks * 20)
  • If this value is greater than 500, it is set to:
  500 + (old value - 500)/5, rounded down
  • If the global horror level is greater than 1, the base upgrade value is then set to:
  (base upgrade value + (horror level / 2)) * (horror level / 2), rounding down after each division
  • If requesting a lesser horror, roll a random number between 0 and 999. If the random number is less than the base upgrade value, continue as if requesting a greater horror. Otherwise, a random lesser horror is spawned.
  • For spawning a greater horror:
    • The upgrade level used is (base upgrade value / 10), the global horror level, or 3, whichever is greater.
    • Roll a random number between 0 and 999. If this random number is less than the new upgrade level, spawn a Doom horror that is not already on the map. Otherwise, spawn a greater horror.

Horror Attacks due to Cataclysm or Astral Corruption

Additionally, if the global horror level is greater than 1 (during Astral Corruption or the two turns preceding the Cataclysm), there is a chance that any non-Mindless mage forging an item or casting a ritual suffers an attack by a horror immediately after completing their task. For forging items with two different gem costs, each half is evaluated separately.

  • Calculate the "horror score" for the mage. This is given by:
  (number of horror marks on mage * 20) + 1 - Province's Drain scale + Number of Gems consumed in the action
  • An attack then occurs if:
  horror score >= exploding d(350 / global horror level)
  • If the horror score is greater than or equal to the result of an exploding d250, the attacker is a random Doom horror that is not already present on the map.
  • If the horror score is greater than or equal to the result of an exploding d100, the attacker is a random greater horror.
  • Otherwise, the attacker is a random lesser horror, with the number of attackers varying depending on the type of lesser horror selected.

Lesser Horror Multiplicity

Many lesser horrors do not simply attack alone, and tend to come with a variable number of non-commander versions of the same type as the selected parent. This is not always the case, some effect such as Hell Power do not spawn additional horrors of these types.

Horror Type Number
Horror Mantis 1d3+1
Float Cat Horror 1d3
Soultorn 2d6
Spine Membrane Horror 1d3
Belly Maw Horror 2d3
Brass Claw Horror 2d3

List of Horrors

All horrors possess the following unit abilities:

Magic Being
Fear (5), higher where noted
Spirit Sight

Magic power (1), higher where noted
Void Sanity (20)

Poor Amphibian, sometimes full
Need not eat

Lesser Horrors

These are the least threatening of the horrors, but often appear in multiple groups. Despite being the weakest, they can very easily be lethal to many commanders.

Unit Abilities Notes
Lesser Horror Darkvision (100%)
Fear (10)
Ethereal
Unsurroundable (2)
Teleport
Blink
Amphibious
Floating
Horror Mantis Darkvision (100%)
Resist Poison (5)
Float Cat Horror Resist Poison (5)
Ethereal
Damage Reversal (12 vs MR)
Blind
Amphibious
Floating
Soultorn Regeneration (20%)
Darkvision (100%)
Pierce Resistant
Spine Membrane Horror Blind
Flying
Pierce Resistant
Ethereal
Belly Maw Horror Darkvision (100%)
Unsurroundable (2)
Brass Claw Horror Pierce Resistant
Shock Resistant (15)
Unsurroundable (1)
The brass claws inflict armor negating shock damage.

Greater Horrors

These horrors are significantly stronger than their lesser cousins.

Doom Horrors

These horrors are unique and named, and are extremely powerful, possessing a number of special abilities. These may prove fatal even to some supercombatants. If under the control of a player, they have a chance per turn to disappear, yielding the message Suddenly, Doom Horror was nowhere to be found.

Additionally, they may destroy thrones in their current province if they appear on the strategic map for any reason.

Agon, Eater of Dreams

Agon - Eater of Dreams possesses a number of notable features: he is one of two horrors to have an attack with an additional magic resistance negating soul slay effect, making him especially dangerous to immortals. He also has a 25% chance to raise any non-lifeless creature he kills as a soultorn, one of the lesser horrors. Unlike the other doom horrors, he will not move on the strategic map if controlled by the independents.

Additionally, should he enter the strategic map, he triggers a global event which applies a horror mark to 5% of the units on the entire map.

Umor, Eater of Gods

Umor - Eater of Gods has three different forms which he shifts between as he becomes wounded. His later forms have lower protection, attack and defence skills, but more ability-based protections. Additionally, as he is the only horror with the extremely rare astral fetters ability, effects such as the Ring of Returning will not allow a commander to safely escape from an assassination attempt by him. He has a 75% chance to move on the map if independent.

Resist Cold (15)
Fear (20)
Damage Reversal (12 vs MR, +1 per form defeated)
Blind
Polymorph Immunity

Stealthy (40)
Ethereal
Teleport
True Ethereal (second and third forms only)

Kurgi, Slave to Unreason

Kurgi - Slave to Unreason is an immobile astral 1010 caster with an exceptionally large hit point pool. It has a 50% chance to move if independent. It also has 10astralpearl to use in every battle, which may allow it to cast spells such as Master Enslave. Its theft of reason attack can inflict feeblemindedness.

Scabiel, Maker of Ruins

Scabiel - Maker of Ruins is a massive creature which possesses the unique ability to destroy forts in its current province. Of note is its tremor attack, which can strike 25 squares at a time. Its independent movement chance is 75%.

Rarku, Hunter of Heroes

Rarku - Hunter of Heroes is one of the two horrors to possess a soul slaying weapon attack, alongside Agon. Of additional note is his high number of melee range attacks. His independent move chance is 100%.

Hruvur, Abomination of Desolation

Hruvur - Abomination of Desolation is a air 66astral 88 caster that spawns 10 False Horrors at the beginning of battle. It unique among horrors in that it has the ability to swallow and digest victims. Upon death, it lets out a death wail, stunning creatures that fail to resist.

horror.txt · Last modified: 2021/06/19 12:33 by loggy