In general I really think this is something that would help to balance out Goods versus Evils.
Now if this were to happen I think the Maledictions in case would need to be worked up specifically. Some Maleds like Blind/Weakness/Enfeeble would be fine for Goods, some like poison would be borderline IMO from a RP pov, a lot of the more evil ones would be way to OOC for a good, like plague/dysentry etc...
A new class would bring a lot of fun, and a lot of new options, and I've always felt that Goodie's were a little unrepresented in the whole 'spell your oponent up' area.
If the code is still about for Illusionist this might be a decent place to start from, although it would need some MAJOR looking at, as Illusionists never really worked within FL codebase.
and a pure healing class for evils!
and a pure healing class for evils!
Exactly my thoughts, major RP coflict... no thanks 
Goods don't have a mal class cause goods would not cause that kind of suffering. Just not how they roll
Says who? In the case of extremist purity (which is only one such example), where the goal would be the eradication of evil, why wouldn't a good pray for disease and the like as a way to bring down powerful evil forces that can stand up to sword and magic?
Even if it was a maledictive-style class in terms of game mechanics that played similar to how a shaman does but with the skills not being your plague, poison etc. skills to get around this 'problem', I think it would be very cool. Obviously different to shaman to give it some spice, but a class that played in the same sort of way. I can think of a few ideas for the 'theme' of the class off of the top of my head. Maybe a goodie qclass. I like the idea.
Dey
I could see a goodie shaman, (for lack of a name for this class) being like a shaman but much more a debuffer and much less a painbringer, so halfway between a healer and shaman, but not a cleric. I'm actually interested in this now.
Edit: To make a balance point, it is already balanced, so putting another class, which I support, would imbalance it, for what that's worth.
Cleric-Cleric
Shaman-Healer
DK-Paladin
Maybe if it was a qrace/class then we'd be on to something.
I would imagine it not being a divine class (as it doesn't make to much sense for Gods of light to be giving their priests curses and stuff) but rather a mage class.
And yes, A quest class might be best. I made the comparison to the Illusionist class because, although from what i hear they were stupidly unbalanced in FL, I know the class has been used to very good effect in this way with similar codebases.
Hrmm, I in the battle of evil vs. good, is it not the idea that evil will do whatever it needs to, to accomplish it's ends. Good will do what it takes, as long as it is moraly free of causing others to suffer, that is their end. What I think might be cool, is if goods could instead of simply killing, allow them to capture their prey. From their RP would ensue, and the victim of said capture would basically be tied up or something of the like, and "incarcerated" for a period of time.
I think that instead of trying to justify a reason for a good aligned player to use maledictions, perhaps there should be a class that can add effects that weaken resistances. In some forms, they do exist in the already offered classes, however, what I would like to see is clerics get more options like the ranger, warrior, etc. as far as skills/spells. I think this offers a lot more unique opportunities for specialization, and perhaps more RP ideas. Instead of simply receiving a bonus to bless combat wise, a cleric of combat would also receive larger ac bonuses, more combat related spells, such as (dare I say it) firestorm(that might be a bit too much, but something to consider). They would not have the same healing ability as a lot of the other clerics, but this is to balance things out. Perhaps even limit combat clerics to spells that do mostly physical damage, whereas the others would generally do magic damage dependent on their respective faith. I realize that this would make shaman's and healer's have to be absorbed into clerics, but we could limit things down into more core classes, and you get to choose path's and possibly even multiple skill/spell groups within various classes.
I realize many might argue that this would greatly change the game. I would assuredly agree, but the game is going to continue to grow and change, and I think a more skill based game would be an excellent way for us to head towards.
Goodie: I pray to you [insert God] to bring down your divine blessing upon your loyal follower.
You have been imbued with colon cancer!
Goodie: Aw crap.
I seem to remember PSI's doing things similar to a shaman. Isn't this kind of considered the same?
boarderline qclass info lol
See this would work, because it would bring the true sense of the word "Shaman" into our game. Most tribal shamans are not priests of disease, they are very spiritual and in most cases they heal more then they curse. However this could be worked into the good alignment with some reworking of spells.
Shamanism is a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman. There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world; following are beliefs shared by all forms of shamanism:[1]
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Spirits exist and they play important roles both in individual lives and in human society.
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The shaman can communicate with the spirit world.
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Spirits can be good or evil.
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The shaman can treat sickness caused by evil spirits.
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The shaman can employ trance inducing techniques to incite visionary ecstasy.
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The shaman's spirit can leave the body to enter the supernatural world to search for answers.
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The shaman evokes animal images as spirit guides, omens, and message-bearers.
Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living. In contrast to organized religions like animism or animatism which are lead by priests and which all members of a society practice, shamanism requires individualized knowledge and special abilities. Shaman operate outside established religions, and, traditionally, they operate alone. Shaman can gather into associations, as Indian tantric practitioners have done.
I was thinking that could help as a guide...?
There is already such a class, end of discussion, OK?
Edit *** Bleh - little bit antagonistic on my part - rough day at work edited out. ***
This is a discussion - if Malch tells us to end it I guess we will. Its not like people are saying OMG malch must imp a new class now! I just stuck an idea out for discussion and people are looking at it for ideas.
Goods get Healers. Focus on healing.
Evils get Shamans. Focus on disease.
Give goods shamans? Give evils healers then.
I would love to see Ilusionists back in.
They looked quite a cool class.
Turning day into night, and casting those phantasmal dragons.
Psis don't appear, to me, to be half as cool.
For example we have, Invokers that are the mages of Afflictives,
Shamans the communers of Maledictions, and Psi the mages of mental spells.
Also, goods can use Plague. They can recite a scroll or a certain class can do something that can plague you. But you will pay dearly for such a tatic as there is a big chance you are going to end up "Damnated".
PS: Most other muds, do not have clerics like we do. They have Good clerics that are efectivly healers. And they have Bad clerics that are efectivily Shamans. No inbetwen ray/path class.
