I just a twitter question where the answer is way over 140 char. If only I had some kind of blog???
Okay so I was asked “What is so special about the mantel? Compared to a prot cloak etc at low lvl?”
Let first look at the mantle: Mantle of the Worldshaper – Heroic Inspiration (5% bonuses xp), Regeneration(1hp/min), Scarab of Spell Absorption (5/Charges), DM’s Vision Set Bonus [ML: 5] (Quest Reward: The Abandoned Excavation)
I don’t know about you but I can’t always leave my Voice equipped while playing. I try to remember to get it on before I complete the quest. But sometimes it is just not likely. In those quests, I can normally use the mantle. I hate not getting the bonus 5% do to just not having away to get it.
Wearing the mantle is a lot like a free die hard feat. If you are going to be somewhere in the 0 to -9 range you have fair odds at getting that 1 hp to make you stable. Sometimes not. But often enough that it is worth wearing. I remember when the Trolls ring was a big deal. But you make Regeneration a 100% drop and no one wants to get it???
Also your talking about having true seeing at level 5 at your whim. If you were to go back and replay the all the CtH shows you will hear no less then 3 different episodes where Lessah goes on about true seeing via the Mantle/Vom.
But the main deal for me is the Spell Absorption. 5 rechargeable uses, even if they recharge at 1 a day. You can still swap it on off to make those charges count.
I can think of a few places I used mine just in the last week. I am riding out my last few 100k xp to cap. Meaning IQ quests, Dream Conspiracy is one of the ones I grind out. In this quest there are 2 levers that cast Mordenkainen’s Disjunction, and you can deal with all your buffs being lost and/or items being turned off. Or you can wear your mantle while you are using the lever, burn off 2 of its charges and not have an issue.
It helps making living through an inferno a little easer, in the Abbot raid. Similar use in the ToD raid, with Horoth’s banishment.
Now while leveling up there are even more uses for the mantle. If your in a hold heavy quest. Hard Pit for example. 5 charges can normally (with some understanding of the quest) get you past hold=death casters if you can’t cast FoM yourself. Or any other really bad spell …. Finger, Dominate etc…
❤
Samius Gurobo 
The mantle (and voice) is one of my must-have items on most if not all of my characters. Love it.
Plus I feel all D&D-like when I am wearing the Gygax and Arneson items.
But, but…
You have to do THRENAL! 😦
With COYLE! 😦
Oh @hollowgolem, Coyle does eat nuts. But if done right the first 2 quests in the chain are not bad. Just be ready for lots of BS for the capstone quest.
Over there! *chainsaw*
🙂
I’ve got the Mantle on two characters, and the Voice on two characters. The only character with both of them is my gimpy hagglebard who I more or less stopped questing with again, which amuses me.
I like having the choice for the 5% XP (Y’know, if I have both), I like having the spellblock thingie, I like having the regeneration if I’m gonna be keeping it on (Hey, free HP is free HP, right?)
Basically, I like the Mantle (although the +1 Luck bonus on the Voice is also nice… but I have too much stuff in my trinket slot for that. Mainly from the Pirate event…)
I just got the Mantle for Michaelsr, my Level 15 Cleric. I had to after hearing Lessah repeatedly mention it on CTH. He has had VoTM forever, but the combination is really nice, and it saves me from casting True Seeing (on myself at least).