Category Archives: Uncategorized

Summoners

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Looking over my epic bits spreadsheet I have realized that I have two “summoner” items ready to go, more or less, the Wolf Whistle and Roderi’cs Wand. To me this items scream “summoner” but we really don’t have a “summoner” in ddo, or do we?

At first when I realized that I had these items ready to go I thought to myself, “Got to get my Arty capped, ASAP!” The wand makes total sense as my Arty uses his dog, Robutt, in battle. Robutt, btw comes from the classic short story by Isaac Asimov “A Boy’s Best Friend” so no dirty jokes or reporting me for using “butt” in a name.

The Epic Thaarak hound would make a killer summon once the flame turret as more or less out lived its main usefulness.

But then last night I was working on Javabot, who made it to level 21 over the weekend, if you were wondering. And the first thing I did once stepping into some quest alone was summon Fin Fang Foom, the dryad and called my cat gold seal hire. Aka I summoned an army.

And I really don’t have room to fit in augment summoning into Java’s build but I could push it into Samiusbot’s build….

Unless the feat stacks with the granted feat from the wand, which I don’t think it does, giving Java the wand is just a better idea.

As for the wolf whistle, I think atm it is still best to remain on Samiusbot’s gear list. That poor bot doesn’t have an torc yet so he might even leave it on for the slots post 20 until an torc comes on line???

Anyway what do you think?

❤

EE Skullsmasher

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So a little while back I was talking about level 20+ weapons for Javabot to rock while in animal form. In that post I said there wasn’t much of anything in epic GH that I was that impressed with at least for Java in weapon form, Then later that day I was looking at the ddowiki, as I often do when I need to be inspired, and I happened to find myself at the list of level 25 weapons in the game and started checking them our. When I got to the Skullsmasher I was floored.

I will put a copy of the image from the wiki on my Gdrive so you all can check it out. If the image becomes broken at some point in the future the ddowiki link is here.

Skullsmasher EE

So lets check it out:

+7, Cool I can use all the help in the to hit/damage department I can get.
Intim +20, Well Java won’t be intimidating all the time, but as a S&B build with max ranks I could sometimes intim for lesser trash and the off boss like Sully in Tod?
Sup Ribcracker: An on crit effect for 13d8 is not too shabby to bad it only crits on a 20.
Red slot: Not a bad think to have in a weapon.
3.5[d6], Not amazing damage for an EE level 25 weapon, but its fine….

Now if we glue the wolf form stats to this thing we get a monster.

The base dice becomes a d10 and the crit profile becomes 19-20 X3 then we take the dice multiplier and glue it on to our wolf stats aka 3.5[d10] 19-20. That is amazing damage. It is a whole multiplier stronger then any web weapon and some of us are killing ourselves for the right web weapon.

That Ripcracker looks a lot better on a 19-20 that becomes 17-20 with Imp Crit but remains on a x3 weapon…. Add in holy burst via tod ring, a d10 frost (cold breath) and maybe shocking burst via a second tod ring and you have a big dps weapon. Way better then I first thought.

You spot any hidden sleeper eGH items for you?

❤

Another Night

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Started out on a high and went down hill slowly until I decided to go to bed. Lets run it down so there is something worth reading.

Samiusbot, lvl 10 arty, soloed a simi fast Spies in the House. I did have a death when an air elemental kicked me out into an electric charged floor and it took me too long to get back the save spot and had to get the dog to run me to a shrine…. But for a solo run it wasn’t too bad. I managed to have run pushing my skills on my mostly ungeared arty.

I wrapped up just about the time Tobril and the wife logged in for raids and we did a quick DQ. Thinking about it, Darth also took a death right at the end thanks to a group of blades that just sat on me and chained sawed me up.

Abbott was way smooth, the wife and I did goggles using the same room method, aka I moved my screen so she can see whats up via looking at my screen and I her screen. I managed to get a seal thanks to Dis having gotten a seal for every item he has from the Abbott. Dis is a one alt guy so he can have one of every item and then some and them all upgraded.

Then the “fun” started. Elite Enter the Kobold. Now I expect deaths in eEK or at least any time I am not 100% solo for eEK with like a huge caster/evasion guy. Like Samius’ last like I had no issues but he had like a 38-43 reflex score with his 2 rogue levels so those runs were fine. But as it happens part of the time Tobril forgot the pit trap and took a dive for a quick death. And then in the end fight l over pulled trash when the Kobold jumped down into the main area of the room and Java not having a ton of HPs 460ish or evasion started just taking massive fire damage even with my firestorms/fireshield spell running and I ate it hardcore and not long once I dropped Tobril fell when he got the love of the whole room. We recovered thanks to FinFangFoom hanging out at the lever.

Then starts a hard spam where no matter what I somehow had the love of the whole room and some times I could kill the Kobold and mostly won before taking a dive. Once we dropped all the bosses and then looting the chest I took enough fireballs to finish me off.

Think I died in every quest last night other then the Abbott and the DQ 6man…

But I got some where in the 110k+ range in less then 2 hours. I took before and after screen shots so I can give a solid number when I get home. But I will say I really started tilting and just couldn’t get out of the tailspin. But somehow kept having fun.

Anyway, need to get in a little more work so going to call it. Have a good Vday. Kiss your ladies or boys and rock some kinky sex and see you in game on Friday.

❤

Take 19 when Your Ready!

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So a few weeks back Geoff Hanna from http://www.gamergeoff.com/ did a post about holding level 18 until your ready to take level 20. He ran down a good list of arguments and clear thinking as to why you might want to hold out. I left him a comment about now with epic levels your no longer cutting yourself off from some groups and there are a lot of builds out there that should take level 19 as they get a big power boost. But over all we both agreed that when to level was up to the player and they content/groups they want play with.

And then the emails and tweets start coming in, a trickle at first but more and more of late, enough that I will go ahead and do a write up myself.

So lets look at the advantages of taking level 19. The ddowiki lists 38 level 17 and higher quests. This does include some raids and some F Realm quests, which we save for epic hard BB to make epic leveling faster. So we really have around 28 quests. Other then the level 17s taking 20s with you wont break your streak (and really take 20s on the 17s wont either but they will suspend it) while opening up the number of people that can group with you.

Think about that. How many people do you know with level 14-18 level alts vs the number of people with level 20 – 21 level alts? I will bet there are a lot more level 20 alts hanging out then all the level 14-18 alts combined. It is just a matter of what do you want to do? Does the 5th or 6th vale quest repeat for 6k xp sound like fun or does a elite Gen point for 22k+ sound like the winner?

For me I don’t mind repeating some quests 4-10 times in a row. But they have to be quick quests with a good xp/min and some kind of for the fun of it feel, like New Ring Leader or the STK capstone quest. But after I walk down the vale quests I am done with them for the most part.

Okay so we looked at grouping so the next major factor is builds. Does your build get a huge boost at 19? There are lots of key levels in ddo builds. Tobril’s FvS build for example gets wings at level 19 (17/1/1). When doing a 18/2 wiz OR clr/ ??? build 19 is level 9 spell . There is no reason to not take a level if taking it will make the next few 100ks of xp faster/more fun. If there is no gain and you’re having a good time then…

Guess what I am saying is taking 19 or holding to 20 is a very build and personal decision, but with the addition of post 20 levels your not cutting off the potential content/people like you were pre epic levels. In fact you might be hurting yourself by not taking 19. But if you do take 19 then you need to be willing to do the kind of content that is around and you need to be disciplined enough to hold out on taking 19 until you have done all the content you want to do pre 19.

Hope that clears up my thoughts for you that wanted me to expand on my comments on Geoff’s blog.
<3s

PS:
I also want to add leveling can be a huge morale boost. Not to single out Geoff again, but he seems to be stuck in a place where he hasn’t leveled in a looooooog time. And it seems to be wearing on him. I have been there. When you’re holding and holding and it seems like it has been weeks and weeks with out any forward progress you can loose morale quickly. When grinding out the 6+ life on a massice TR train any pick me up can be welcome.

Turning 20 Weapons for JavaBot

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Most of you know that I have been fairly focused on a few main alts. Foremost after Samius is Javabot, not that you would know as the playtime that is being shared between him, Darth and Samiusbot right now. But its true. The only major player that hasn’t been getting the love is Samyus just because what is there to tank atm?? Not a lot, unless I want to ready for EE DQ, but why bother with that right now? Java on the other hand will have a need to do some of the content that I haven’t really bothered with, looking at you Lob and Mad Arty. A crystal fire/air aka seeker+10/ 6% double strike shield sounds mighty fine when I don’t need to worry about amp/DR.

But I want to talk weapons.

So last live Java’s main weapon was a simple pos/pos GS great sword, nothing fancy or frilly about it. As I don’t have another tr plan for him at this time I am inclined to make him a few toys that have been burning a hole in my pocket as it were. And I have touched on this a few times but not from the point of view of 20 plus.

So keeping my mind that Tod rings work like they work in animal form and that I want to get a VoN red docent this is my list of possible toys.

Epic Sirroco:
Longsword: Base (+6), Air Guard, Epic Telekinetic, Force Burst, Sirocco, Smoke Screen, Vertigo (+10) and a Red slot. So with the new augment system I could slot an extra d10…

Very tasty CC weapon and happens to boosts takedown very nicely, but not the king of the DPS.

Kron’zek’s Cruelty:
Scimitar: Base (+6), Shocking Burst, Maiming, Keen, Lightning Strike, Improved Destruction, Red

Like my Lig2 but works with my Holy burst Tod ring while swapping holy for maiming and shocking blast for Imp Dest. Also happens to be a weapon druids are proficient with so it is like +4 to hit as well as a simi viable weapon when out of form. Don’t think the keen will work in animal form but what are the odds I can find something like this that has impact?

Epic Timeblade was on the list but I think I have leaned more to the Sirroco + a Lob shield for CC.

Drow of X weapon master trash weapon types were also on the maybe list for a long time like daggers and whatnot. But as most of their effects come from their base being changed it is not worth the hassle.

I had been looking at the Web weapons but I just don’t see them being better now that the set bonus is being changed to no longer stack with other like set bonuses. Yes Java runs a claw set.

Tobril wants me to look at the throwing weapons from the Evening star Challenges, depending on how fate is feeling the day I do some testing I might give them a try.

I also have been looking at the Lam forums to see if there is a one handed weapon that gives me a hard on with the GH update, and there is not. ☹ There is lots of nice gear for other slots but weapons have just been bad lately, in my eyes.

As all ways if I am missing a killer 1 handed weapon let me know.

<3s

Call me: Heal Dodger!

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This was a hell of a tough weekend for some people, including myself at times, in game. But mostly it was hard on the wife, as her lvl 23 clr got to heal our EE group.

The wife is still finding her footing again as the healer. She has taken a break to level her Bowonk and TR her main a few times into a druid which in her words is not a healer.” Letting Grim’s ladylove, Will, play her rogue was both a break and a curse. I watched again and again as Will (and others) jumped out of the healing aoe just as the mass was landing then fail to stay alive.

Last night when Tobril and I switched to our “little” people he let me know just how often I was jumping out of the mass about once every three mins. Lets just say it was a good thing I had a 30% xp pot running to cancel all the -10% no death bonus I lost us. ☹.

Lets see:

In Dust I fell on to the spike traps and when I tried to jump out I somehow triggered it 3 more time at 200 a hit 4 hits makes a very dead Javabot.

When running with the devils I went to move Phlor’s alt up, yes I was dual boxing his account, a part member pulled some glowballs right to Java’s unmoving body. That was not the last death in that run.

In Coal Chamber.. No I didn’t die. Nor did I get lost. Tobril? I don’t think he died either… But he was lost more then once.

Rainbow I, ate a 400+ point fireball just after I took a 100 point hit from something and I cast a Heal over time vs heal. Had I been at full I think I would have lived, but as I was on my first tic I was less then full and died.

RitSac: Earth grappled to death hard. Real hard! I was less then pleased.

I really like the Druid but I need to be faster on that heal I guess. When Java was a FvS his 3 key (the easiest one for me to push) was heal (quicken) Maybe it needs to be again.

All that said, but it was a good weekend. We did the first and second Web chains on EE for some it was new favor and on Streak. The TR train is shroud flagged again and I can go and solo them on hard or normal a few times before leveling to 19. Yes it is worth leveling to get some 21s for ToD flagging on elite so I can be once and done with all of them but Sins.

Any way how is your timing when it comes to jumping out of the melee?

<3s

Review Time

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So I have been simi focused on DDo for topics this last month, thereabouts. So lest do something different, Movie/Tv reviews.

Checking out my Neflix shipping history the last movie I got was Ted, so lets start there.

Ted: I really liked this movie. Thought it was funny and other then being a fairly straight line plot wise it was worth the time to watch it and who doesn’t love Flash Gordon?
I need some kind of rating system???? 4/5

Battleship: This was a sleeper for me. Like Ted I didn’t see this one until Netflix sent it to me. I really liked it. Again the plot was a simi straight line although I expected more Die Hard then what we got so there was a little bit of a plot change from what I was expecting.
4 .2/5

Thinking about it, all the movies on my recent watch list have been good. So lets skip to an out standing movie that you might not have seen.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy: Just trust me. If you like those raunchy comedies like a American Pie/ Animal House vibe then this is a winner. It was the best Nexflix movie I have seen in 6 months at least.
4.8/5

Jumping over to instant streaming:

House of Cards: AMAZING! Just go see it. It and Suits are the best shows out right now. There are some minor minor issues I have sometimes like the background volume is a little to high for me and I can’t always easily get the main conversation.
5/5

Shameless (UK): Like those raunchy movies I ❤ this is a tv show that is the embodiment of raunchy goodness. Unlike most shows for me this one started off really high and then hung there and is slowly falling as the cast changed and the show had to adapt. That said I am still watching it, very slowly… s1 5/5 s4 3.5/5

On 3rd thought there is some amazing hotness on the show that would not be as key of a role had the cast not had their adjustment.. . But British chicks are hot.

I have been watching al kinds of crazy Docs also but Netflix doesn’t want to show my history so I can’t name any atm. But the last 2 were one about building an original Wright flyer to see one fly today and another about hidden planets in our solar system including a possible failed Dwarf star. Both of which I thought were educational. If not entertaining.

What do I NEED to watch that I might not have seen?

<3s

NOOOOOOO! Oh and a Yes.

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Lets start with a little update, thanks to a friend who had a similar launcher issue I tried getting the newest DDo launcher and vs the one we downloaded back around Chirstmas when we got this new PC and everything is working. Amazing! The idea was the Mac support changes did something to the connection server that the old client was missing. So if you don’t need to do a first time install/update your fine. But if you do need that first update you might just want to go and get the newest install files. Not the worse task ever. Just would have liked to see that listed some place by Turbine….

Anyway Victory! We even got everything running and updated time for guild raid night (Abbott and a DQ). Also I was able to get some xp on Javabot. We got enough that Tobril had to level so I got to level also!

So I jumped to the back to get something I was super excited to try. Tod rings + Lig2 + animal form = Badass dps for a caster like build!

I grab my Encrusted Ring hit the tear 2 alter in the battle field added Holy Burst and started trying it out… I didn’t notice anymore damage dice….. What?

So I started doing some testing. I pulled everything and looked at my damage. Okay poopy good enough added my ring and there was the holy damage. Added the lig2 and there was its damage. Pull the ring off and no change. Put the ring back on and I crit. And I see the holy burst damage, or at least I think I did….

I make a comment and look at my lig2: holy/lighting burst/Lighting blast. Tobril says something to the effect of well you know that sometimes holy and holy burst from tod rings don’t always stack right, don’t you?

Vader Nooooo

Swap weapons to my min2 and yep the holy damage is there. Guess holy and good burst work just fine… Other then my Lig2 all my other one handed weapons are either not finished green steel or a level 1 throwing hammer with acid and cold touch… Not going to work.

So begins the next dilemma, my dps plans had me rocking a set of dps rings when needed. But always my holy burst ring and I had planed to use my lig2 to do so. But that is less then ideal. So now what?

I could add a third tear to some of the other green steel I have in the bank.:
Another lig2 in progress this one a long sword when I was rocking a monk/pally build. But it is shock/good burst.
A Rad2 think it is flaming/good burst.
Other options are:
Make a quick/cheep triple earth would be a fair to good leveling weapon.

Following the thought about a good leveling weapon, do I really want to burn the mats? Not really so what is lying around that I could get?

My first thought is I have been meaning to make a few of the one handed Cannith Elemental Weapons. Would the Water Khopesh be a winner? Maybe the Air rapier would be a better match?

But then I started thinking what other lvl 16 weapons are around?
Envenomed Blade could be good for a few levels.
Fang of Siberys, I have one someplace I am sure.
Those Druid weapons that are caster/dps hybrids that are not amazing at either but touch both are easy to come by, maybe one of them.
I would cash in a tome set if they weren’t about to get a huge upgrade…

The other option is just keep using the Lig2, and miss out on a set of damage numbers it is not like it is worse then what I was using a few hours ago right?

Send in your thoughts. Also if you have any input as to what to add to the other right let me know.

❤

Might be Down for a While…

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So yesterday I went home with a brain splitting migraine. I mean I wasn’t sure I could drive home I was so bad. But I made it and once I got there I went to my mostly dark basement and hid my head in the darkness. Time crawled by and after a few hours I was able to brave the Tv and then DDo. Although I was no wear near 100% I was able to get in a little game time with the brits and when they left for the night I did nothing for a long time.

A few hours later the mail/UPS guys came and dropped of the wife’s Vday gift, a new video card. And in her own words “Installation should be part of the gift.”

So together we started installing the monster of a card I bought her. But like most things in like there are complications, enough that I am starting to dislike Win8 now too.

Anyway, long story short I got the video card to work but ended up having to do a “refresh” or I think that is what they are calling it now. Think it is a rescue install of the OS. But now the launcher is stuck at Connect.

I am almost at my wits end. I checked the firewall settings, reinstalled DDO, reset the router and more or less everything I could think of doing. But I guess I need to try a “clean boot” and if that doesn’t work I will put in a support ticket and see if Turbine can help.

If all else fails I guess I will be looking at finding a copy of Win7…

What that means is I might be down for a while because if the wife can’t play no one be playing!

Grumble grumble…..

Well wish me luck, or better yet if you have any other ideas to get things moving let me know.

<3s

Shiradi Champion Could Ruin Everything

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So on Samius I have been “gathering the low hanging fruit” destiny wise anyway. This last weekend, thanks to the xp boost, I was able to break into the primal destinies. Unlike some of the other lines I felt like I could be bothered to put points into this this line and I am super pleased.

Did you know that all the Shiradi procs also trigger on spells? Can’t say that I did.

Hmmm I am an evocation AM right now. That means I throw a lot of Magic Missiles around. Trust me for 2 sp for 150ish damage is fairly good way to throw SP at a mob. And is really stainable. If like me you cycle those clicklies I can web and then just spam MM, Avenging light, un-meta-ed MM, ChainM, un-meta-ed MM about the time to start the chain again.

So to say I have a lot of shots at the different Shiradi effects is an understatement. It worked so well, even though I was only level 2 in Shiradi, I stayed for the xp durning our EE runs.

Think I am tier 3 now with the prism-rainbow line running and oh my! Almost every MM cast has a little something per cast. But now I am seeing 2 effects per cast of MM. And if you thought 2 sp for 150 points was good add in a 2d10 and a d100 more damage. I can’t wait until I can fire up double rainbow effects.

The question for me becomes, is there enough depth in the destiny beyond prism-rainbow-double rainbow?

I don’t think so but I can see redoing some twists for “fun” quests adding Prism Double Rainbow to Brace for Impact if I am willing to lower my DCs from twists and park in a caster destiny.

It will fall to how much fun double rainbow ends up being.

❤