Category Archives: DDo

Welcome Back Samius, All Your Guys Are Broken!

by

2

I know you all missed me very much and awaited my return with bated breath. Well I to hungered to write for you again.

Okay enough of that shit, to the meat!

Day 1 of U19 for me. Knowing that I would most likely need to use that +20 heart on Samius to get him up to snuff I chose to use McPlunderer as my enchantment test bed. Other then Samius he is currently my top guy for dealing with whatever DDo life throws at me.

Just as a quick reminder McPlunderer is/was my twf/full AA/Assassin 18/1/1 rog/arty/fghr. He was fairly tight. Right around 650 hp fair to solid dps against things looking at him, great dps vs things looking the other way and a fairly high instant kill DC (could be +3 higher as a pure rogue). ☺

Now with the changes I dumped 46 points into the assassin tree however many points it took to unlock arcane archer enough in kensei for my haste boost which I found in acrobat in a way that might be a little more useful… But almost non-left to spend in the Archer tree. Aka my build is shot.

Time to hit the old idea room, aka the pooper. While clearing my mind I hit the wiki like I often do and started to wonder.

Would 3 levels of ranger be worth it? I wouldn’t need to meet the prerequisites for AA via feats any more so the question is can I get everything I “want” from AA with just 3 levels of ranger?

Make arrows, check
Morphic arrows, check
Force Arrows, check
But not slaying arrows…
But you know soul Magic looks real good if you have cocoon twisted in as your healing… Echo of power for 4 -8 and a few bow hits and heal. Loth you might be a lot less scary real soon.

But the other nice thing that happens is you open up tempest and Deep Wood Sniper, which is really what this build is all about big dual welding with a massive ranged option.

As an added bonus I would be able to swap my dilettante feat to Paladin for a huge bonus to saves.. Might have a build for you all in a few days.

<3s

Complete and Total Indifference

by

1

So U19 is right around the corner and some of my friends are so excited that they took the week off to rock it hard. Me I am just not all that excited and also I have a trip to Phoenix for work that will cause me to miss out on the first week high drop rates. I think at least some of my apathy for this update is due to the enchantment pass and the build shake up.

Cut to people asking me about build advice? Long story short; I don’t have answers. Yet.

But I will.

So I have been looking at builds (Vault, main forums, emails, etc) and I have been looking at the ddowiki for details of the enchantment pass. And I see a nice trend where we might have a lot of multiclass builds running around.

On the other had I see a lot X monks, 5+ fighter, 2 druid builds using axes centered builds and o wonder how many other really solid builds or out there…

But something that I don’t know if everyone has noticed or not yet but Helfs get a arcane spell fail reduction line which is real nice. I could see a heavier armored arcane tank make a come back at least for me. And that makes me happy.

Guess the point is please keep asking me those questions helping you will drive me to look at things and that might get me excited about the change. Maybe.

<3s

GREAT WHITE LAND SHARK!

by

0

First of all, no I am not running out and changing my gear right this minute. But I am starting to form a plan that I could swap to if there is not a lot of amazing new loot drops in the update. And having meet Solar the odds of there being anything other then the liner progression of what is currently around are slim to none. And a gear layout even in progress as this one will be is a helpful exercise for us MMo players.

Lets see this is for Samius and I am just hitting the thought process.

The key aka the catalyst for change in my current list:
Stormreaver Tablecloth (yellow slot 1st upgrade)

Once a fairly stable Int+8 slot is chosen in this case the cloak we need to slot in the +3 exp int. Currently that is filled with a Spidersilk Robes, which has a few perks to take into account but is 0 help in the PRR department. And right now PRR is king, well PRR and Displacement….

SO lets look at armors to add in a little PRR.

Blue Dragon armor
+7 Enhancement Bonus
Draconic Mind
Greater Spell Penetration IX
Greater Arcane Lore
Potency +80
Superior Lightning Resistance
Blue Augment Slot

Once you add in the Armor you almost have to work in the matching helm.

Blue Dragon helm
Draconic Mind:+15 artifact Universal Spell Power.Int +3, Green Augment Slot, Yellow (colorless) Augment Slot

Thing is this hat is rare and pricey. When I looked there was on on the SH for 1000 shards. Not sure what that is in $s but as I have like 180 shards and 300tp it is out of my range. But when you start looking at the item its self other then the greater lore and the Superior Lightning Resistance the Belt of Seven Ideals does the same work costs a ton less and adds an extra colorless slot.

Add in the swap to the Blue helm would remove my Green Steel Helm (Min2) that is out of date but would mean making a replacement HP item some place. All for 15 spell power and Lore?

Now hear this out. If I used the goggle slot for my 3 exp Int aka eH or better Field Optics I could swap to the Bo7I covering most of the Blue powers and making room for the White dragon set.

White Dragon armor
+7 Enhancement Bonus
Draconic Resilience
Heavy Fortification
Protection +7
Shield +6
Superior Cold Resistance
Blue Augment Slot

White Dragon hat
Draconic Resilience +50 artifact bonus to Hit Points.Con 8, Green Augment Slot, (Yellow or Colorless) Augment Slot

Meaning I still need that replacement GS, but I will have slots for things that I am currently doing with out as well as things I would like to have room for like MORE PRR. Also happens to have the added perk of 50 more Hps…

Might sound silly, but if there is not a worth wild reason to change in the update you might see at least one really strange fat Halfling wizard running around yelling GREAT WHITE LAND SHARK!

<3s

FoT number 20 == Lots of Work for Me

by

0

One of the many things that Samius has been waiting on for his gear load out changes has been the Stormreaver’s Napkin. It more or less is the key to a totally new gear layout. Well it took 20 runs but I finally have one. Now all the gear hunting/farming that I have been putting off needs to happen.

Woot?

The thing is I really don’t know what to do.

I can wear my blue dragon armor now and dig up +3 int goggles or even better a eH or better blue helm. But honestly I am debating a change to white???

Long story short I just don’t know how to lay out anything right now. I know that the cloak is my base aka a non-swapping point for the base int/chr and I have to go from there.

Ideas?

Mystical Magical Cosmic Thingy

by

0

Today I want to invent a new item and maybe make a few new powers for DDo items. First of all, I want my item to have that super chaotic feeling but still be useful.

So the first useful power/random power I want to add is a guard style effect that moves your attacker to a random “empty” spot when it procs. But something I really want to add is when you equip this item you get an iu box with a few options like this”

1% Very far away
3% fairly far away
5% simi far away
10% not all that far away…

This will allow you to scale the proc% but moving the distance where the monster is moved away to further or closer to you. So say if you select the 1% rate the mob could be moved any place in the dungeon zone. Where the 10% moves the mob to an empty area with in 30’ of you. The 5% would be between 30 and 60 feet where the 3% would be 60 to 90 feet. The proc might also have some kind of Dot given incase you some how moved a mob to a place where you couldn’t reach it/it can’t reach you (say behind a door) but you need to kill said mob to open the door.

In my mind this power would be desired by either a caster or a ranged build. Any one that wants to have mobs away from them could make fair use of this item. At first I was thinking an orb. But maybe this would make more since as an item. Maybe if we can make this something really good we can create a torc replacement. So lets look a making it amazing for a necklace.

Okay so lets give it another guard effect that has a list of buffs effects.

Rejuvenation Cocoon is the nuts, I can see this one of many on proc effects.
The Sp regen song as if it was from a Spell Singer would also be very impressive proc.
Other buff (think tea with the queen) effects that are stupid powerful but having a small percent proc rate and then a simi long list of random or simi random effects.

I don’t know about you, but I might move my torc out of my neck slot for this super mystical magical cosmic thingy necklace….

Ideas?

<3s

Helfs are Failures

by

3

How is it possible that the master race could be ruled out of so many of my future build plans due to a simple over looked feature? Simple, they lack the master beard as an option. Boom! Dead to me.

I went home ill at lunchish yesterday, Think I might have pushed cooking something a hair further then I should have. All I can say is sometimes it sucks not being able to smell and I cooked it really well and it tasted good? Long story short after a trip or two to the restroom, I was to wiped to return to work and I feared a return restroom visit, so I jumped on to ddo and looked for low stress options. I knocked out a GH explored loop and then I decided to go ahead and TR McGoggles.

Yes, I don’t have a real detailed build plan. But for what I am doing I really don’t care. It is something for me to fiddle with in my spare time. He is a second lifer so I am not worried about XP and as he hasn’t been played in months before TRing he won’t be missed in epics.

I hit the rez button and fill in his name; lets do this thing! I start as a Helf Ranger. Stats look good, Skills look better then I thought. Get to look and it hits me, McGoggle has that boss “Wendell Beard”, but that is not an option for Helfs…

Let me side bar, Wendell is a guy I know from the local DnD/Card scene. He is the Hollywood nerd. Always dirty, stinky (as I understand it) and always knows just enough about any topic to comment but then be completely and totally wrong. But for years he had this amazing beard that shot out in all directions. So when I see that ddo beard option I think “Wendell Beard” though technically think it is called the Winnfield. Want to know a little secret? There are 2 beards I wish I could have in RL, the Winnfield and the massive biker beard. You know the goatee that goes to your belly button and you braid into huge braids. You know like how Clankenbeard draws me. ☺

Realizing this over sight I back out and start over as a human as to get the proper beard. Yes I know that it will effect the over all power of my build a LOT. No AA for me on the back of Helf. But come on, some alts just need the right look. Now I need to buy some funky color hair dye; last life McGoogles rocked a bright blue, maybe this life that Acid Green out of the store?

<3s

Heal vs Howl of Terror vs Earthquake vs Finger of Death?

by

0

Last night the TR Train crossed into level 15 opening up three level 8 spell slots to Javabot among a few other things. The first is auto filled with that level’s summoning spell leaving me with 2 slots.

What to do?

Being Wisdom based my DCs are more then fairly solid for heroic levels and are not bad for eHs and lower epics. DC casting in eE is just not worth the investment in my mind at the moment. I think people could make a go at it, even if they are never really pleased at where things stand at any given time….

Anyway, do I take one or both of the CC spells? Howl was super good leveling up on my own.

This life I have been playing much more aggressively then I tend to do when soloing. Gathering trash until Red skulled before turning to clear and being the first guy in the room when possible. What can I say having Tobril and Tim, as my insurance policy is both help and a hindrance. They let me be a little bolder as my failure does not mean the end of the quest but then our completive nature tend to ramp things up.

So back to the question, Howl is more of a save my nuts or a “hold” spell. Earthquake has a similar function but it does some damage and can pick up latecomers to the party after the spell has been cast. But has a hell of a long casting time for a guy with out quicken…

Finger is a key removal spell, but really it has about the same functionality as Creeping Cold right now, aka kills a guy.

Heal is about the same as Regen but with a larger up front payoff.

So as of last night my prepped spells are Howl and Finger. Earthquake is too slow and Heal’s main functionality can be replaced by Scrolls (if switching forms), panacea and of course regenerate.

I am also thinking about trying to go elemental over dog in a few quests to get a better feel for that form and to build a little personal experience with some of its interactions. And that will change my layout in lots of new and to me at this time unexpected possibilities….

<3s

Royal Scimitar, Sleeper Druid Weapon?

by

2

So I was just thinking about gear for next level and my brain stumbled into Royal Scimitar (elite).

2[w]
+5 Enhancement Bonus
Destruction
Bloodletter
Red Augment Slot aka good, d4 elemental dice or some spell power….

Glue that onto the wolf frame +5, 2[1d10] 19-20, Destruction, Bloodletter…

Right now I am using a Lit2 green steel khopesh or +5, 1.5[1d10] 19-20 Shock, Good burst, shocking blast, lighting strike.

Sure there is more damage in the Lig2 but having to deal with no prof penalty means there are lots of missed attacks. So wouldn’t that make the scimmy a little bit better?

But hey, I have a Skullsmasher (elite) maybe it will be the better weapon… But in this lower level content with the less then ideal attack bonus Destruction seems better then Intim +13.

Just food for thought…

<3s

Dhakaani Shield?

by

3

So last night Javabot took level 11 and the normal 5 min gear up happened when I realized that I was still using the Dhakaani Shield. A simple +2 wooded shield with a blue slot (heavy fort slotted), why is there not a better shield for a druid at this level?

So I have been looking at shields today, with a few requirements to keep in mind: Heavy Fort and cool effects that will work in dog form (no metal).

So first of all, there are not a lot of named shields that are not made of metal between levels 1-15. I count six. Out of those six clearly the Carved Bone Shield is the best, +5, Neg Energy Absorption 20% and a purple slot. Not bad.

But I started thinking what if I crafted something myself with a red or a blue slot?

Tendon Slice 8% stands out assuming that it would enchant all my attacks.
With Takedown being one of my main attacks Vertigo is worth wild.
The shield might be a cool place for a sneak attack bonus or greater false life or native fort allowing that slot to handle fort if blue or a spell power if red.
Seeker 8 also is a real contender… again assuming a blue slot for fort.

What am I going to do? No idea.

Ideas?

<3s

My Smok’n Hot Healer Idea

by

5

Since the last post I have been mulling over different druid builds. With the TR train in full swing some nights a week, as people have time to play, my motivation to grind out gear/destiny xp for capped alts fades. And for the last few weeks I have been debating what my list of guys brings to the table.

I have:
Samius as my do everything guy.
McPlunderer as my Dps/removal guy.
Darth Samius a pure dps build.
Samyus my tank that hasn’t done anything after doing all the FR quests on EE other then Web which he has done 0 times.
And Java who is returning to the dog form as a tool box dps/healer guy.

Meaning that my bard gets very little play my “healers” get no play and I have at least 2 guys that have used a true heart just waiting for a build to TR into.

So why is that rambling important?

1, I am board now when not working the TR train. Right now levels are close I don’t want to be the one that makes everyone else have to play catch up. But I am in a place where I want the good vibes from the low level Skinner box pushes.

2, Lately there has been a point/place where something was made harder/didn’t happen because our core group was short a healer. I am thinking when we throw up a raid mostly. But there are lots of times I would like to give Tobril and Rachel the option to not have to heal but can’t because my healers are un such disrepair.

Okay so idea in a nutshell, 17/2/1 druid/ranger/x. X could be anything allowing for pairing with druid’s alignment issues. I am leaning fighter or wiz for the feat but an argument could be made for arty or rouge for skills/namely UMD. The core idea is a two weapon fighter using mostly the flameblade spells (as needed) in either Fire ele form or Ice form that also has manyshot/bow str as another dps option. With a quick human build going ranger, ranger druid until I wanted gtwf (bab) where I took fighter then returned to druid I was able to fit in all the feats for TWF tree/Manyshot tree and had room for toughness, power attack and 1 meta before epic levels. If I could loose a feat I could go Helf and take Arcane Archer I think anyway…

I need more time with the planer, but as I was fiddling I got a txt from Tobril that read “xp?” and I spent the rest of the night xping.

As always, thoughts?

<3s