First things first, a return to commenting on 'Cool Down' times on spells. I know this has been talked about before at the start of last year, but still seems like a horrible mechanic (as written). It's sometimes hard to get my point across in text, but I'll try not to ramble.
I must have misunderstood how these worked until now, because I'm recently shocked at how that is a horrible mechanic to have for such an interactive Role-playing game as ours."Cool-down Times"
The use of some skills are extremely taxing and require the character to rest for a period of time before being able to use any of their skills again. When any skill with a Cool-down time is used it causes the character to be in "Cool-down fatigue."
During this time no Active skills may be used until the "Cool-down" process is complete. The Cool-down process may also be interrupted
as would a Charge or Timed skill and if so the Cool-down count starts again. The character may move normally during the Cool-down process.
For example, I was planning on taking the skill "Counterspell"- it just fits my new character. But I now realize, just a single use of this skill not only costs a Life Point (appropriate), but negates my entire character sheet of skills, with the exception of dual-wielding "1", and read/write, for 20 minutes! All that, for the only cool-down skill I possess???
And because I can be disrupted as with any normal timed skill, to get that 20 minutes over with as soon as possible, I actually have to hide from any chance of an NPC affecting me, therefore likely missing out on the scene.
I can't even use the aforementioned dual-weilding very well, because I'll likely be taking damage in return, thereby disrupting me constantly- resetting the 20 minutes every time. Theoretically, if I pop a counterspell near the start of a long cave battle, and considering how hard it is to escape being effected by anything in a cave, I could easily see myself constanly "cooling down" in resetting spits and spurts for the rest of the cave battle, which can even prohibit me from being capable (which is rough on a sage) of using any information skills during anything at the end of the cave.
Frankly, why should a skill mechanic so completely stop me from being relevant in the game actions that follows, and for so long?
Wouldn't it make sense (and I think it would better fit the feel of spells, and how "cool-down" times were supposed to replace "casting times") if when "cooling down" from such a skill, no other skills with cool down times could be used.
In effect, like reload times, but covering a "set" of skills.