Repel mechanics. How exactly it works?

[ano]

How would you explain the fact that Empoisoner with a skull staff (length 4) was killed by dragonflies very quickly (and no dragonfly died from repel) while archdevil repels and kills all of them?

[Sombre]

The archdevil has far higher attack than the empoisoner, so he's far more likely to succeed in his repel attacks.

[ano]

Emposioner with skull staff: attack 14
Vanjarl with Frost Brand: attack 18

Probably, you're right. Dragonflies have def15 so probably it's not so easy for Empoisoner to hit them.
And what about the stated repel penalty? Do you know how it's calculated? Manual states that there's a penalty -2 for each repel attempt. What is this penalty applied to?

[Digress]

Its a shame that the secondary effects of some weapons don't kick in after a successful repel.

Weapons dripping with poison for example don't "empoison" those attackers that are repelled.

[MaxWilson]

Digress said:
Its a shame that the secondary effects of some weapons don't kick in after a successful repel.

That would certainly make the Stone Sword, Sun Slayer, Shadow Brand, etc., exceedingly strong. Every time you attack Baron X the Gargoyle, he gets a repel roll and you (and the other five squares around you) have to roll MR or turn to stone. Ouch.

-Max

[Taqwus]

Or, without Cons 8, Wailing Ladies -- area-1 length-6 "save or die" attack.

It'd also be a bit ugly with the Devourer of Souls.

[Digress]

MaxWilson said:
That would certainly make the Stone Sword, Sun Slayer, Shadow Brand, etc., exceedingly strong. Every time you attack Baron X the Gargoyle, he gets a repel roll and you (and the other five squares around you) have to roll MR or turn to stone. Ouch.

You may have noticed the "some" It would make AoE weapons really nasty - too powerful obviously.

Clearly the game is crying out, absolutely screaming, for a #repeleffect mod command

I understand that Johan is on something of a roll in the adding fun/useful mod commands department at present.

Then someone could go through and add a #repeleffect to every weapon in the game. I volunteer .... someone else

[Renojustin]

But how do you explain the 20 dragonflies that attack and are all destroyed by one defender? Clearly the repeller's Attack is not being lowered for each attempt, or successful repel. It seems like a pretty clear case of being a bug.

[chrispedersen]

One of my little tricks:

Does anyone beside me - like combining swarm
either a blood curse, or carrion growth?

[Sombre]

ano said:
And what about the stated repel penalty? Do you know how it's calculated? Manual states that there's a penalty -2 for each repel attempt. What is this penalty applied to?

It seems, though I am not sure, that this penalty isn't working properly with mindless units.