morale and status effects

[seraph]

i noticed in the manual that monsters get a morale bonus if the player has a one or more status effects, but do not get a penalty if the monster has any status effect except stun (but not heavy stun). it seems slightly inconsistent. the player doesn't have many ways of inflicting status effects any way so i think adding this would not be unbalanced.

[taptap]

Originally Posted by seraph

i noticed in the manual that monsters get a morale bonus if the player has a one or more status effects, but do not get a penalty if the monster has any status effect except stun (but not heavy stun). it seems slightly inconsistent. the player doesn't have many ways of inflicting status effects any way so i think adding this would not be unbalanced.

Agree in principle, but what exactly do you have in mind? Poison or confusion?

You can inflict stun in several ways by horn or staff of light (and earlier versions ability), many monsters have a special problem with light and you can inflict morale penalties just by being very bright, cruel blow and slaying weapons produce additional morale penalties + morale penalties by ability + direct attack on morale by song of Elbereth or horn of terror. I.e. you have many more ways to affect monster morale than they have to affect yours.

[seraph]

slow from crippling shot (and thrown potions of slowness?); confusion from cruel blow already has a morale penalty so meh; poison; uh thrown potions of blindness. ...wow there's less ways than i thought. or maybe i just haven't found that many yet.

[wobbly]

Doesn't poison do instant damage to enemies? i.e. it's got a morale penalty through the damage spike.