Help me get started...

[gHzSWB]

I suppose I am the type that likes to at least know where I am going before I leave even if I am not soo strict about mapping out the way there and all. Accordingly, I have never done the shroud or bothered crafting with the exception of recently adding the alchemical +1 AC to a couple armor items.

What holds me back is the disdain for the terribly grindy nature of this game especially for these types of things but also the lack of a clear understanding of what I want to have at the end. I have seen the crafting planners and think I can use them to get an idea of what I need but I have no idea what I want.

How about some suggestions on how to start, I was thinking a rapier for my DEX ranger and maybe an item for him as well - suggestions on what effects I might consider for an end product for him? Also, I have some random questions about greensteel stuff and the Shroud crafting in general. Can I make more than one greensteel wepaon? Can I equipt more than one greensteel weapon? I believe you can only have one greensteel item (jewelry or whatever) at a time, is that true or is the limitation just on equipped? Can I use one character, my current Ranger for instance, to craft and build an item for an up and coming character? What is the level restriction on these crafted items?

Thanks in advance for any help getting me started with this.

[Starlytes]

I suppose I am the type that likes to at least know where I am going before I leave even if I am not soo strict about mapping out the way there and all. Accordingly, I have never done the shroud or bothered crafting with the exception of recently adding the alchemical +1 AC to a couple armor items.

What holds me back is the disdain for the terribly grindy nature of this game especially for these types of things but also the lack of a clear understanding of what I want to have at the end. I have seen the crafting planners and think I can use them to get an idea of what I need but I have no idea what I want.

How about some suggestions on how to start, I was thinking a rapier for my DEX ranger and maybe an item for him as well - suggestions on what effects I might consider for an end product for him? Alot of Rogs like the Radiance Wep due to the Blinding effect and anything blinded is AUTO backstab.

Also, I have some random questions about greensteel stuff and the Shroud crafting in general. Can I make more than one greensteel wepaon? U can make as many as u want and Duel wield them

Can I equipt more than one greensteel weapon? I believe you can only have one greensteel item (jewelry or whatever) at a time, is that true or is the limitation just on equipped? U can only have one un-cleansed item on at a time or suffer damage. do 20 shrouds get a cleansing stone use that in last alter with power cell and item to be cleansed and u can wear 2. it removes the Taint of Shavorath. Do 40 shrouds and u can cleans a second item and wear 3. (cleansing stones bind to that character

Can I use one character, my current Ranger for instance, to craft and build an item for an up and coming character? U can use it to make blanks in meridian but then mail off to another character because when u equip it or upgrade it, it becomes bound to that character

What is the level restriction on these crafted items?

Thanks in advance for any help getting me started with this.

Hope this helped out

[gHzSWB]

OK, cool - Radiance on one for sure then. Is my thinking on elect or acid as base elemental good, I figure those are closest to universally damaging. So rapier - acid or elect - radiance on one and maybe AC bonus on other - then what about third effect?

[Eternity25]

Greater Good, Good Burst, Good Blast or a Lightening Strike Rapier are very power and do a lot of damage. Lightening Strike's 3rd tier would require a double shard and 24 large ingrediants.

The dps Lightening Strike Rapier combo I like is:
Shock
Good Burst
Shock Blast
Aspect of Lightning: Chain Lightning (2/rest)
Lightning Strike: Occasionally does massive lightning damage on a hit

Triple Positive Rapier does:
Holy
Good Burst
Shock Blast
Aspect of Positive Energy: True Resurrection (1/rest)
Dual shards cannot be used for Pure Upgrades

The Triple Positive Weapon is also the best portal beater in the game and one of the best dps weapons.

[Junts]

OK, cool - Radiance on one for sure then. Is my thinking on elect or acid as base elemental good, I figure those are closest to universally damaging. So rapier - acid or elect - radiance on one and maybe AC bonus on other - then what about third effect?

OK, you don't understand how this works.

You pick 3 effects (tiers 1, 2 and 3); they are associated with elementals and will be singlular effects, like, say, here's the fire-direct damage progression:

tier1: flaming
tier2: flamingburst
tier3: flamingblast

each element is associated with a couple statistics it can be used to boost (earth is con and wis, for example; positive is con and cha).

when you combine elements, you gain bonus effects -based on the elemental combination-.

for example:

fire + fire = essence of flame, gives you a delayed blast fireball clicky
air + air =essence of air, haste clicky

positive + earth = essence of mineral, gives a stoneskin clicky.

if you have done a mixed effect (like pos+earth) fortiers 1and2, you prepare a dual shard upgrade for the3rd tier, making a positive and earth shard, combining them, then putting them on your weapon -this is called a dual shard upgrade. it isnt necessary when upgrading to aspect of air 2 (because air is just air), butmineral requires a mix, so you have to make a mixed shard.

most of the power combinations people are suggesting to you are 2nd aspect effects, like:

aspect of lightning 2 (tier1 pos,tier2 air, tier3 pos+air): 2% chance ofa 600 damage lightning bolt going off on any swing
aspect of radiance 2 (tier1 pos,tier2 flame,tier3pos+flame): 4d6 light damage and 4seconds blind on crit
aspect of mineral 2 (tier1 pos, tier2 earth,tier3 earth+pos): weapon becomes transmuting, keen, does 1d4 more slicing damage,gains hardness and durability

Ie, a radiance weapon will -always- be positive and flame effects - this could be (6 charisma positive, 5 fire resistance flame, dual shard 4 insight ac flame), or (positive: holy 2d6, flame: flaming burst 1d6 and 1d10 oncrits, dualshard flaming blast 1d10 crits and 4d6 etxra on natural 20s).

you cannot make an acid damaging radiance, or a lightning damage mineral - they will always be fire/pos and earth/pos combinations.

each is good for different features, for example:

mineral2 - transmuting makes it the best raid boss weapon in the game (it always breaks dr)
radiance2 - blind makes it great for sneak attackers or people with iffy ac, as they are hit less: its the best trash mob killer
lightning2 - does the most damage per swing if there is no dr on the mob; marginally more against vod or shroud bosses on normal, but much. much worse than mineral on hard or elite, where the dr is greater.

thearmor class bonus effects are static, and you can do+4 insight ac -on any element shard-, so you can always add that.

stat bonuses vary by alignment (earth cant do dex; fire can't do wis; positive can't do str)

you should reverse engineer your weapons from the dual shard effect you want (eg, if you want a raid bossweapon, make mineral, if you want pure damage, make lightning), and go from there

also keep in mind that the general 'price in larges' for a wop rapier is 48; enough to make two dual shard weapons (usually given in mineral form, as its the most popular weapon type, since dps weapons are most important for raid bosses). I mention this since you have a thread up about trading a wop rapier; you would be reasonable to decide the two weapons/effects you want(specific ingredients willvarydependingwhether you want, say, the elemental blast or the insight on tier 3), then ask for exactly the right number of ingredients to make bothweapons for your wop.

[gHzSWB]

Very good info all , thanks.

Talking with some folks here is what I think I want to start - good versatile all around:

> Acid rapier, holy or good burst, transmuting/mineral with slicing proc and stoneskin clickie

> Elect rapier, holy or good burst, and light strike proc and +4 ac

Thoughts?

[Junts]

I would reverse the tier 1/2effects: most mobs in this game are evil, so you get more damage from (holy/elemental burst) than from (elemental/good burst), though the good burst hits marginally more mobs, almost everything you care about your damage against is evil, on which the holy (2d6 perswing, instead of1d6) does more damage.



You have one effect you didn't choose on your mineral: the actual base tier 3effect (equivalent totheinsight ac): acid blast is a nice choice, and you also have 2 exceptional constitution (16 extra hp) available to you there. Stacking acid resistance or wisdom don't help you much, and you already have insight on your lightning strike.

[gHzSWB]

All good info - thanks - will post back with anymore questions or for clarification as I proceed.