Levitation

BadBeavers recent shoutbox post made me think, shouldn't levitation have some offsetting negative aspect to balance it? It allows you walk on water and avoid mines which is super powerful, but without some offset there is no reason not to leave it on all the time. I know in NH you cant pick up objects on the floor when levitating without a tool, what would be a cool IVAN thing to put in to balance it?

Not convinced it needs an offset, but maybe greater kickback? So instead of getting knocked back just 1 square it could be more, if an explosion goes off nearby that'd knock you back too. Getting thrown into walls sounds appropriate.

A "drawback" of levitation is its rarity. You can only get it from two items, both of which need to be wished for (or you do the Sumo quest).

I don't think the unability to pick things up would work in IVAN. In NetHack, levitation items are often cursed, which makes that inability an interesting problem. In IVAN, you would just take off the belt over each and every item, and be very annoyed.

I kinda like the increased knockback. That could be fun.

BTW, levitation is even better that you'd think. It also gives you a sizeable bonus to dodge chance.

Does zapping a wand make you fly backwards when levitating? it should. That would help temper its upside a little.

A rare ability could have a rare danger - magical traps (BARELY visible on the floor) that yank anyone flying/levitating downward for huge impact damage. Bonus points for an active high-level beartrap and something acidic on said space!

KILL.
THE.
MAGPIE!

i definitely what the whole levels to be built purely from such traps! so any magpie will die immediately. and any fruit bat too.

p.s.: i don't know how magpies managed to garble my text and replace themselves with ostriches (see edit history .

Some kind of trap for levitating/flying animals would be good. I agree it would also be useful to set said trap for magpies