Buffer spells/songs

[Ether]

Does anyone here who's looked into how the game is coded know exactly how some of these work?

Some are obviously described in the manual - Vorpal Plating adds the 2-8 points of damage (though, come to think of it, is it applied just once per turn, or for each attack?). One can see how much The Traveller's Tune or Mystic Shield reduces AC.

But some of them aren't so obvious. How much does Battleskill vs. Oscon's OrgeStrength really help?

I tried to see for myself, using Falkentyne's Fury (damage increase song) on my Paladin, Monk, and Hunter. Here are the results

Paladin
no song - 23.3 damage average
song cast during combat - 22 (this had a very small sample)
song cast while traveling (started in Skara Brae) - 27
song cast while in the sewers - 19.2
average damage of song cast while wandering - 23.1

Monk
10.3
11
11.6
10.3
10.9

Hunter
8.3
9.75
9.3
9
9.2

As you can see, the results are rather mixed.

I'm just curious if anyone knows anything more definitive. I'd like to play this a little bit differently than I did 25+ years ago (attack, attack, use fire/flame horn and damage spells if in trouble), but it's real hard too when you can't tell if the buffer works. And if the other spells work the same, it's not real easy or clear to figure out.

Thanks

[drifting]

Falkens Fury adds to the melee damage. The amount is based on the level of the dungeon you are in. If the song is played outside of battle and you then enter battle with the song still playing you still get the damage bonus.

The damage bonus is cumulative. Each time you sing the song in battle adds to the bonus.

[Ether]

Thanks, but, at least in this particular case, exactly how much?
In my testing with the Paladin, it appeared to decrease damage dealt. Which really doesn't make sense.

Historically, I always played The Traveller's Tune, partly because I could see what it did the AC. I can't tell exactly how much some of these spells/songs help.
Using the FFury song again, 10 extra points of damage while roaming the sewers would be an obvious choice. Only 1 extra point ends up being an obvious choice also for a different reason.

[drifting]

Thanks, but, at least in this particular case, exactly how much?

One point per attack

[Ether]

Ok, thanks.
Doesn't seem worth much, at least at this point in the game. Maybe it is in Mangar's tower, if the damage is based off location, and the Paladin/Monks are getting 8 attacks a turn?

Any breakdowns on some other spells?

[drifting]

Any breakdowns on some other spells?

Any one in particular? I've decoded them all...

[Ether]

Whatever you feel like typing
Or at least, which ones appear to be are useful, particularly later in the game.

Early on, it looks obvious that one is better off spending the spell points on a group damage spell (Starflare, Warstrike) instead of a buffer spell, even if there are only 1-2 foes in said group. But maybe that's not the case later in the game when the monsters aren't hurt much by a low level spell like Starflare.

[Maven]

I have used them, but only in specific situations.

I use Vorpal Plating when I have a new party and there's nothing else useful for my Magician to do.

I use the MSDOS version of Bard's Tale, and Battleskill and Oscon's Ogre Strength don't even have an effect. Same with Luckalaran. The FEAR spell actually has the opposite effect that it's supposed to.

I have used Falken's Fury in one special case, with spectacular results. I was testing a 5-bard beginning party against the skeleton's in the catacombs. My bards all sang the Treveler's tune so their AC was too low for the skellies to hit. I was just whacking away at them with level one weapons, and not doing much damage. It was a long fight. One of my bards had picked up a Lak's Lyre or Bardsword, and had unlimited songs. I had him sing Falken's Fury every round. It wasn't long before my bards were doing a lot of damage. Before the end of the fight they were doing 100 damage per hit.

After I get to level 5 or so, there's always something more important for my characters to do than buff spells. I seldom use them.

[Ether]

What I was starting to figure. Noticed that a lot of those spells weren't in BT2 or BT3.
I suppose these spells way be useful to help a fighter against a single creature with strong direct magic resistance, though I don't recall how many creatures fit that bill.
Oh well, was looking to try something different this time around.

Do like the Bard idea, will have to try it once I found a bardsword (I don't think I realized what it did 30 years ago!)