Tag Archives: Epic

25 is Weaksause

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I have a window where i can write like a champ. I can’t spell a bloody thing but the werds just flow out of me. Unfortunately for me that time is about 5 mins after i crawl into bed while my brain tries to do anything but relax around the pain in my head until i finally pass out for whatever sleep i can muster. For some strange reason i feel it is trying to escape the pain and get my body to sleep regardless of the throbbing electric fire that is my skull 24/7. The real crime is i only remember about 20% of those werds unless i get up and make notes. Even so nothing ever seems as good in the morning as it does at midnight. Think it has to do more with werd choice, what i can spell vs what is in my thesaurus.

Anyway something was bothering me giving my brain a target to claw at both last night and most of today. And it is DDo related for a change. Oh, i am talking about the changes to grouping levels for quests.

I get it we don’t want to allow 19s in to epic quests because epics get out just too much xp for the heroic xp curve to handle. Which is bull shit! That is a rant best left for a DDoCtH or a While we are Playing, but if a 19 can handle him/herself in an epic quest THEN FUCKING LET THEM! If 99% of new content is built for 20+ level questing then let people play that content. Now if you want to impose party member penalties because someone is 3+ levels higher then the 19 then that is fine. Adding a minim level to the quests was just LAZY CODING. I can think of 3 better ways to keep heroic players out of epic content with out imposing level minims. Again another show.

I bring this up because this has burned me a few times in the last couple of weeks. Right now i am on a bit of a DDo break/TR tear… Can one both be on a break and on a tear? I am not playing much during the week as i am mostly focused on eTRing Samius but i am not really loving the epic levels solo like i was when i was able to catch people in the evenings. I don’t really love the idea of heroic TRing anyone as i feel that the current endgame is sewed towards ranged dps and Samius is all ready filling that role better then most. So while play anyone else?

So anyway some time in the last week i went to jump into one of the new quests with Tobril and the ladies but i was too low level to join them. No worries i will just do X, i need to go and do it anyway. In that case it was the “farm chores” but it has been quest Y or restocking or flagging or whatever. But i spent some time in the week and Saturday crossing into level 25 what i thought was the lowest minim level for doing the newer content so as to be a helper. Turns out that 26 is the minim level. Grrrr!

Could i swap and jump to someone like Butterz? Sure but i would have been more of a hindrance then a help. Not that bards aren’t great and lots of fun but again the end game favors ranged dps. Her idea of ranged is Dwarven Thrower. Are you a giant? Sweet take extra damage. No? Sweet take extra damage. If only 2d6 was sweet damage… And my arty is also rocking out at about level 25. So no help there either.

No i really thing this minim level is lazy and is a quick fix for what was an exploit that just should be the rule of law. If a heroic could complete an epic they deserve the xps.

There is one other thing that has been eating at me while we are on the topic of epic xps. Why if we now have these stupid minim level nonsense is there a penalty for having someone 3+ levels over you anymore? Why do you have both? Either the watermark is here (minim level) or here (someone 3 levels highter then you) not both? Again i would point to sloppy juggling to fix a perceived exploit. But hey even i can’t ride a dead horse.

Am i alone in this? Comments.

<3s

Gear Up: McPlunderer @ 20

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So Monday night the wife took her Dps/survival build to 20 and a few runs of raiding the giants vault and an explorer or two in the devil’s battle field I had also reached even more epic levels!  Shit, my amazing lvl 12 and 14 gear is not so amazing now….  To the epic sheet and the DDowiki.com!

First thing I did was gather all the bits to make an epic Midnight’s Greetings. This guy is most likely a staple for most of my adventuring. As almost max INT rogue build (1 point went into DEX to hit 21 for future things) the eMG is amazing: +10 uses my slightly higher DEX for hit/dam and a score of other key abilities including a RED SLOT! Like I assume many of you, I started to use a red slot even in my melee builds for devotion to power my healing from the epic destinies. A +10/11 weapon would have a 30/33 implement bonus and that is huge if you’re trying to lessen the use of scrolls and wands; every point counts!

So what else did I grab real fast? At 18 I crafted a 6con/GFL ring with a yellow slot. But my maths were off and it is a lvl 20 item… grumble. But I have it on now. And I was able to slot 6 CHR. By doing that I was able to free up my cloak and belt slot. On the other finger I nabbed a tear 3  lvl 20 Ring of the Buccaneer were I went ahead and slotted Fort to free my helm. While nabbing that ring I also nabbed one of the Treasure Hunter’s Spyglasses that is a tear 3 lvl 20 item and filled its green slot with PRR which does a lot of cool things for my rogue, including cutting back on item swaps for skills. Chasing that thought of reducing item swaps I took my Gnoll Hide gloves and slotted Str and vitality letting me but my +6 STR gloves back in the bank.

In an attempt to fill now empty body slots I grabbed a Drow Piwafwi and my 2/3rds finished CordOp helm. And yes my belt slot is still empty…  And my boots are practically empty. Thing they are dex boots with 20% striding slotted in a yellow slot. AKA junk now.

So I am looking at belts and boots today as well as things that are simi long-term items. I can limp along like normal until more permanent items are ready to go. So I am leaning towards making a list of handy FR commendation items when we start the web flagging as well as a list of GH and High Road items I would like to have as options….

If you had a gear list for an assassin or dps or ranged rogue let me know other wise I know what my left side of my brain is doing as my right side gets some work done.

<3s

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

New is Always Better, Right?

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Last night Java, Steam and Torrance (the Wife) went to try our hands at the some of the new quests. For the record Java might not be the best one for this quest but as I have never run it before and atm he is my go to guy for new content (wf Fvs with tons of great gear) he made the most since to me at the time. Oh and he is the only lvl 20 guy I have on my account flagged for FR. I have a few 20+s but xp for the wife was a factor.

First up Thorn and Paw. Step in on hE.

Side bar. Can we all agree to use eX for epic difficulties and hX for heroic difficulties? Cool thanks.

OH might be thought of as spoilers………………..

So we get started the 2.5 of us on hE. Buff and start moving and a wall of plant mobs show up. I BB and the wife firewalls and all the plant mobs stop and start Acid Balling spamming for 150 over 30 rests. Which while great from a challenge point of view, I mean that feels smarter to me (stand back out of the aoe and spam high dps spells), but it is a bitch when applying the beat down via non-evasion builds.

Almost right away the wife’s hirehealbot dies due to the huge incoming spell damage. I end up casting heal almost every time it is off timer until the last tree caster is down.

As we move along the quest seems simple enough, the fights are a little costly. The fighting the named Druids we encounter along the way plus the acid spamming trees are real tough but we press on. Clear one side and do the thing. Trying to be simi spoiler free, but I think people that know the quest know what I am talking about. Anyway doing the thing opens things up so more mobs can come at us and we are running low on Sps but we get back to the middle.

Start clearing the other side post shrine and rebuff, I move Steam to the middle which seems safe to throw those buffs. When the other side and I realize that there must be another shrine on the first side that we missed as we stumble into what is clearly a shrine room. Look over and Steam is dead? Nice.

Get back to the middle where I need to clear some trash (that showed up to kill Steam while my back was turned) running myself low on Sps while the wife looks for the other shrine and falls in to a hole and dies. It is not funny, but today I can’t help but smile a little. As soon as I am able I get to her and get her up. And together we find the shrine. And head to what we think is the end fight. But the way is still blocked. Okay go ahead and look at the wiki. It says check the pits for trash. 4 or 5 dead mobs later and the end fights starts.

Which was super cool, at one point I was using both accounts at the same time while the wife kited the room around. Mostly do to my own dumb actions…. Over all new quest and on hE 6kish xp and the wife is starting to get despaired.

We move on to Outbreak where in the first room we are over whelmed with mobs casters and melee alike. And have to deal with casters spamming fear and chain lighting lets just say at that point the wife was done….

Post her leaving I swapped to As400 with the plan to do more Seal runs when I say Oncler doing what I thought was Epic xp runs in Party Crashers. Turns out we were only doing the one run then moving on to Snitch which is bugged as hell btw and not worth the time. About then food was ready and I logged to eat and watch TV.

Later I get back on to do a challenge run for mats 20 mins and 3 pots later, I need a better non-Necro killer caster for some challenges. What do I get? Less then 200 armor fragments. Might need to get a little better on that one….

Already long so I am going to call it. Rock out kids.

<3s

More on End Game Caster Gear

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Last we talked about As400 I had the goals of getting a Necromancer’s Staff (done) and a seal of the Ring of ER (not done ☹) But hey one out of two tough to farm items in 3 or 4 days is not bad.

Assuming that I do finally get my hands on the Seal I need to get my hands on a Spider Robe (+3 exp Int) and some kind of +7/8 item. Once that is done I have a few other slots to fill.

But before the wiki and I can do our thing and find items to farm for I need to know what slots are open.

So lets see at least one ring slot is open. The cloak slot would open up with a new int item. Getting a spider robe clears out the need for the Bracers of the Glacier now that I have the Necro Staff so it would be open. Gloves are totally open right now and my boots are for FF and a large guild slot that can be moved to any other guild slotted item. I don’t remember 100% and my.ddo doesn’t like old 400, but I think that my belt slot is a simple con belt.

So in summary I am married to my hat, torc, robe (once I get the new one), a ring (once I get that seal) and a staff…. Which means mostly everything. Oh boy….

So what can we get with easy farming/plat?

Well Belt of the Sun Soul is a quick farm. And is a +7 con belt not bad for a generic Con incress if it would grant HPs . The Sun Bracers have exp con and a save bonus, also not bad.

Speaking of easy to farm bracers that are not bad, the War Wizard’s bracers are more Sp and HP even if the rest is not uber… But I can see wearing the bracers all the time once I get enough favor and make the Spider robe part of the War wizards set and swapping into the Amulet in non-torcing fights to push the Sp a little more.

I am not in love with the rest of the turn in items on my Wiz and that leaves us with a lot of open slots so lets look at epic items. Under Boots we have Epic Firestorms, Dustless and Golden Greaves. I would put Delving boots but I will never get a pair. Oh and lets not rule out Rock boots, they are real good for my wiz in fact. Think I will plan on them.

Gloves? The Cannith challenge system doesn’t have any gloves so we can’t just run with them so lets look at the epics. Bramble caster and not a lot else, might have use this slot for some Green steel…

Cloak the Epic Phiarian Cloak is a clear stand out for a PM. But the two epic slots from a Cloak of Flames might be better.
But mainly I need to decide do I bother trying for a Tod Ring/set? The thing is all the Tod Rings are +6 stat and would be a waist I get my hands on a +7 or better Int item. And are any of the ring+belt sets worth it? Maybe the Archmage set??? Kinda…

Idk might use one of my Large Guild rings for like a Great school Focus of Fort so I don’t have to slot extra fort anyplace and keep that guild Hps….

As always if you have any ideas use the comments.

❤

Epic Tuesday is Dead, Long Live Epic Wednesday

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For the last few weeks Tobril and I have been talking about moving Epic night to another night. For a few reasons, but the mainlyTuesdays never really work all the well for him/the guild.

The night started off well. As soon as I logged on Oncler asks me to join a eDQ. The run goes fairly smooth in my opinion. But as a bard (Butterz is my main Epic person with Samius in TR land) I didn’t drink any pots to heal. I just used what I had when I felt I needed to and meleed most of the time. There were a few shards and whatnot in the box for people but nothing but a much needed token for me.

There was talk of more raids but I need seals and a shard to round out Samyus’ gear in the short term. So we broke off and picked up Phlor and did the normal epic runs for seals and shards.

Snitch and Tide Turns went fairly quickly for three people. Picked up a scroll in each. A Big Top and a Edge. No seals or shards. 😦

After Tobril wanted to Tod. What the hell I said. And swapped to Samyus. Tobril had me tank Sulo. I will tell the Tod story later maybe as a bonus for today, idk… But I had lots of fun and lets leave it at that for now.

I know we switched to our FvSs at that point and did Snitch again. That run was very funny. In the first room right off the bat Tobril got Greater Commanded. While I took a Comet Fall and got knocked down. When I stood up, I triggered a symbol of stunning and rolled a 1. And was stunned to death. With me dead all the mobs turned on Tobril who was still laying down. When he stood up a comet fall finished him off also. Restart, This time with Magic Circle.

Take two goes super smooth, at least until the chest monster. When we both broke our smiting weapons against its head. I had my not as good back up of a holy smiting maul for Shroud portals and ground the last little bit out. And right be for Crateous we killed a rat with an Vest scroll with my name on it. Yep, it was a three scroll night. And they were all good/useable. 🙂

Wrap up in good order and we both get seals, but for the Wand and not the Great axe, aka why I keep running this quest.

So over all it was a super good night. I got to hang with both Tobril and Phlor. Got some good scrolls, and the wife was very happy all night playing the Beta. Btw I don’t know what I can say about things I saw over her shoulder. But I can say she was very pleased with things and what I saw looked very cool.

Maybe I will read the NDA and see what I can say for those of you that can’t check it out yourself.

❤