Vicheron

Don't forget that mage spells cost more to train than priest spells.

Race specific traits and skills would be nice. Sliths could have a regeneration trait that lets them heal faster. Nephils could have trait or a skill that lets them use their tail to do stuff.

Well you don't know the whole story but I'll tell you since by the time the scenario's finished no one will remember any of this. *Spoiler* - - - - - - - - It's not really Pyrog. During the war a group of demons were summoned by the Empire to help revive Pyrog so they could learn its secrets. The war ended before they could finish the experiment. The demons were trapped with powerful magic in Pyrog's lair when the Empire left. Some giants inadvertently discovered the secret lair where the demons were imprisoned. The demons enslaved the giants and had the giants help the demons take possession of Pyrog’s corpse. The demons then had the giants kidnapped a bunch of humans, enslaved them and turned them into their priests. These priests returned to the part of the Abyss settled by humans. They pretend to be good and help the people there so they could convert people to their new religion which was created by the demons. The converts basically unknowingly pledge their souls to the demons. The ultimate goal of the demons is to have the humans and giants fight a prolonged war so they can collect everyone’s souls eventually gathering enough power to break through their prison and return to the netherworld to become kings. The demons are just using Pyrog to mislead everyone. The demons want to destroy the new settlement of necromancers by tricking people into thinking that the necromancers raised Pyrog and lost control of him because the necromancers have the best chance of figuring out where the souls of the dead are going.

There are going to be a lot of things in my scenario but it all ties together. It takes place some time after Avernum 2, after the Abyss has been rebuilt. I had originally wanted it to take place around the time of Avernum 3 but now I want it to take place after Avernum 4. *Spoiler for my scenario which probably won’t be finished until Avernum 8 comes out* - - - - - - The old foe is Pyrog. He has risen as a lich and is mobilizing the giants. How has he risen as a lich you ask? Maybe it's not really Pyrog, maybe the giants somehow brought him back, maybe it has something to do with the newly founded settlement of necromancers in the Abyss, maybe it has something to do with the fact that his lair was taken by the Empire during the war and turned into a laboratory, or maybe it's a combination of those things as well as other factors.

Avernum 5 could take place in the Abyss since the Abyss is the new Avernum. All of society's unwanted are sent there, it's dangerous, untamed, unexplored, and mysterious just like how Avernum was when it first started. I had a great idea for a BoA scenario that takes place in the Abyss but I'm really bad with scenario editor so if I do try to make the scenario it'll probably take many many decades. The basic premise is that there's trouble in the Abyss, an old foe has risen, and you're sent by the King to investigate. The giants are beginning to organize under a new or old leader, depending on how you look at it. There are new factions rising in the Abyss. There's a new religious order trying to help the Abyss fend off its enemies. There's a new town built by necromancers, they help defend the Abyss against giants and monsters so they're tolerated, and there's an Avernite research colony exploring the area and trying to study Erika's tower.

Spoiler - - - - - - - - - You use the teleporter at Fort Avernum to get to the Abyss.

If demons are to be A5’s main villains, it does not mean it has to be "demons smash, demons crush." I'm sure demons are very fond of excessive and unnecessary violence but they are also very intelligent, cunning, and adept at deception and coercion. They enslaved Sss-Thsss’s tribe. Both Grazahd and Rentar-Dumbo made deals with demons which undoubtedly ended up favoring the demons. The demons wouldn’t even have to attack directly at all. They could just fuel the hatred that already exists between the various factions, whisper dark thoughts into the ears of leaders, supply both sides during wars and collect the souls of the dead.

What is with this "demons are bad villains because they're inherently evil" thing? Need I remind you that the demons were in Avernum long before it was discovered by the Empire and that the Avernites were the aggressors who killed their lord and drove them from their homeland? Maybe demons are inherently more prone to evil than other species but their drive to murder wouldn’t be their only motivation in attacking Avernum, they want their freaking home back.

I don't think the dragons would be attacking the Empire so soon. They're very patient creatures. I would think that they'd at least wait until their children have grown to adulthood which may take a couple of centuries and the Empire would probably want to wipe out the dragons before that happens. The side quest I'm thinking about involves the Empire trying to find where the dragons are hiding and your group helps either the Empire or the dragons depending on how the rest of the story goes. If you help the Empire the quest may involve you sneaking into the dragon's lair and stealing their eggs, if you help the dragons, the quest may involve you somehow sabotaging the Empire's search.

Are people forgetting that three powerful dragons have sworn terrible vengeance against the Empire? And they're breeding, possibly with other dragons who are still living on the surface. The dragons don't even have to be the villains. The Empire could be trying to hunt them down before their children grow up and become a much bigger threat. That's worth at least a very big side quest. Vahnatai PC would be way too hard to balance. They'd have natural bonuses to dexterity, intelligence, endurance, magical abilities, and Vahnatai lore. That's like a 60% experience penalty even if they're given extreme weakness with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Oh and not all demons are evil, there are some that are more or less neutral. Plus Avernum once belonged to the demons, there obviously weren't that many people there for the demons to torment before the Empire started sending people down.

Maybe Cheeseball ran away, he always hated living like a domesticated cat.

I think there should be creation modifying devices, like an anvil for creations, but there should be a level/creation type requirement for creation modifications, for example a certain upgrade might have a requirement of level 20 for a fire creation but only a level 18 requirement for a magic creation. As for golems, there should be a specific skill dedicated to the creation of golems and golems shouldn't level like creations. I think that golems should be able to gain experience but in order to level them you have to go to an anvil and spend a certain amount of gold depending on your golem crafting and mechanics skill. Plus you should be able to upgrade your golem, the power of the upgrade would depend on the golem's level. Oh and they shouldn't have auto-heal, unless you upgrade them with it, you have to repair them with living tools.

If the Sholai does play big part in GF4, they should be a neutral party plus they should have their own branch of magic and since they're explorers they should be utility spells like farsight, scry monster, detect life, stealth, etc.

I bet that if there are easter eggs, it would have something to do with the forge, maybe a combination of the right items, perhaps pants.

Doesn't Phariton buy research notes too?

I think that you can keep them both if you stay neutral like help the rebels on Harmony and destroy the Creator on Dhonal.

There are essence and health pools in the testing grounds so you can recharge and heal up after every test. I only had like 50 essence with all my creations. I used a lot of crystals and spores during the tests. Plus I played on normal, not torment

Greta is a better henchman since she's more powerful and she's weak minded but Alwan is a better character.

Well I did all the tests with a level 19 Shaper, 2 Vlishes, 2 Glaahks, and Alwan. Be sure to cast Augment, Essence Shield/Armor, and Steel Skin on everyone, then the Golems will rarely hit you and will do a lot less damage.

The ending for both sides are very similar. For the rebels, you go back to the council and tell them everything. They imprison you, the rebels attack shortly after and free you. You command an army of serviles and creations that have joined you willingly. Ashen Islands become an important base for the rebels. You fight the Shapers but the Shapers are crafty and there's no victory in sight. Ghaldring's sitting on top of his tower contemplating the war and thinking about how the power of the Geneforge is not enough to defeat the Shapers and that the rebels need acquire more power, somehow.

I don't think it's more difficult, it's just that the monsters are harder to kill but they hit less often. Creation resistance is also play a part forcing you to use different tactics against different creations. Plus some creations have been changed, glaahks cost way more which sucks since now they’re not really worth their cost, drayks are cheaper and a bit weaker but that’s ok, drakons have been strengthened a bit, and eyebeasts have been weakened.

It would be cool if G4 had the original creatures that the creations were based on. We know from G1 that the serviles and fyora were once actual species that evolved on their own and were enslaved by the Shapers’ ancestors so it’s reasonable to assume that many if not all of the other creations were also based on species that evolved on their own and it is possible that some of those creatures escaped enslavement and still exist somewhere. For all we know, there could be an entire Drayk empire out there somewhere.

G3 is like the DS9 of the Geneforge series.

So are you a Shaper? You need more than 3 creations if you're a Shaper.

I think that having the character start the game as a fully trained Shaper/Guardian/Agent should be seriously considered. A lot of big things are going to be happening and the whole weak guy that no one's heard of coming out of nowhere to become a powerful warrior and saving the world thing is getting old.