Palantir of Westernesse trap detection

[Nate]

Anyone know if the Palantir of Westernesse was intended to detect traps and secret doors for the entire level? It detects objects, doors and stairs for the whole level but it detects traps and secret doors only for the standard limited door/trap detection range which seemed odd. I'm playing version 3.1.2.

[Derakon]

Sounds like it's just combining a standard Detection effect with a standard Enlightenment effect. Enlightenment lights and maps the level, and thus reveals anything that isn't hidden -- i.e. no traps, no secret doors, no monsters not in LOS, etc. Detection just detects everything in your local area.

Detection of the entire level, especially if it detected monsters, would be too powerful IMO.

[nullfame]

I believe what Derakon describes is the intended behavior. From a coding perspective, not that I've looked, it is probably easier to lean on two existing functions.

Detecting all monsters would probably be too much but with a longer recharge time perhaps justifiable. IMO the recharge time is about right to force you to wield it on even boring levels for a period of time.

I could get behind it detecting all traps and doors without additional penalty since by that point detecting traps is just a nuisance. I could also get behind hijacking your thread and eliminating traps outside of vaults and the spell and having both be more random but that would be rude.

[fizzix]

I would actually prefer that both the palantir and clairvoyance:

1: mapped the entire level
2: detected traps for the entire level
3: detected all monsters in the standard detection range
4: detected some* monsters across the entire level
5: detects no objects

*some can either mean some random chance of detection or all monsters. The % chance could let you know what type of monsters inhabit pits or whether there's a pack of time hounds on the level, without being too powerful.

[Taha]

Boo to no object detection. I mean, that is one of the best reasons to play as a priest, the anticipation of that full detection ability.
________
Kiaritta

[Nate]

Thank you for the helpful info. At my current progression, detecting traps and secret doors is more of an annoyance than having any effect on gameplay so it would be nice to have the Palantir detect doors and traps for the whole level but it's not a big deal for me.

[Timo Pietilä]

Originally Posted by fizzix

I would actually prefer that both the palantir and clairvoyance:

1: mapped the entire level
2: detected traps for the entire level
3: detected all monsters in the standard detection range
4: detected some* monsters across the entire level
5: detects no objects

*some can either mean some random chance of detection or all monsters. The % chance could let you know what type of monsters inhabit pits or whether there's a pack of time hounds on the level, without being too powerful.

I'd prefer:

1: Map and wizard-light entire dungeon, do not show dungeon floor before you actually have seen it.
2: Detect traps, stairs, doors in close range or entire dungeon, both are acceptable to me.
3: Does not detect any items or monsters

IMO detecting items in entire dungeon is too powerful.