Concentration

[Ananvil]

How necessary is this skill?

In PnP it has a high usefulness, but I'm not sure how true that is in DDO.

[Tuney]

From expersense on my bard. Its very useful for non quickened spells and scroll usesage as you have to make damage +10 vs that to make your cast. And it doesn't auto-fail/win roll , so if you are casting and mixing it up it is very useful or just trying to land that touch spell with out quicken.

[Junts]

I'm really interested in this myself, as I didn't really notice much conc failure even before on my sorceror; how much difference am I gonna notice going from 32 to 45 concentration?

I've been playing with it for a couple days and honestly haven't noticed yet. I'd like some experienced sorc feedback as to what the most important concentration lines are (most things do 20ish damage, so Im guessing the typical conc dc is around 35-40.

[BlackSteel]

I noticed a large difference going from mid 30s to mid 40s selfbuffed on my cleric. Raid buffed, and you can dance in the blades in the shroud without quicken and not worry about missing a heal.

[Impaqt]

Concentration is way more important for scrolls than it is for casting on a Sorc. THe animation is so quick on most spells you rarely get wacked mid cast. Some Symbols still take a bit, but lets face it, Your usually not dropping those in the middle of a fight.

[gfunk]

My sorcerer has full ranks in concentration, but hasn't bothered with an item at all to increase it further (I think its something like 19+6con+4gh+2hgf=31). I can't recall ever having a problem getting a spell off.

Conversely, I tried the same strategy on my cleric (just maxing ranks, but no concentration item) and I notice that failed checks are much more of a problem (and there are also much worse consequences). I might possibly just need some refining of my play style, but in the meantime I'll wear a concentration item to get me to the mid 40's.

So in terms of usefulness, I think it has alot to do with how you play your character. That said, I wouldn't skimp on ranks of concentration skill as you can't go back on that one.

[Dexxaan]

My "Holy Tactics Warrior" (11 Cleric Paladin 3 Fighter 2) has a 42 Concentration and it makes a huge difference when compared to say my Evasion Wizard that just passed the 30 mark.

Quicken is nice but at 10 SP´s a pop... I use it sparingly.

[Junts]

all my characters except my sorceror never turn quicken off unless they're buffing the party :P

My umd isn't quite scroll-worthy on the sorc yet; if he pulls a supreme shard tonight, he'll be nofail and I'll start carrying them, but 70% success doesn't do it for me.

I'm mostly asking because there's a point in the future where my sorceror could have to choose between a con bracket and concentration (right now, its not an issue, but it could become one) and the idea of having 350 hp unbuffed on a sorceror appeals to me a lot.

[unionyes]

My Sorc has max ranks too, and an item (+10 hat, would look great on a monk) that I keep hotkeyed in case I need it but generally don't use it.

Its AFTER I cast that I usually get aggro and start getting whacked on. The only time that it would have been nice to have is after dropping a max empower firewall and something breaks free of the tanks intimidate and shield wall and comes after me AND it makes the two or three saves against whatever instakill spell or FTS that I am throwing at it from my up to that point safe casting spot.

[Mirta]

How necessary is this skill?

In PnP it has a high usefulness, but I'm not sure how true that is in DDO.

As a caster with 57 concentration I think it's quite useful. It saves me from having to take quicken. The only thing that really interrupts me is death. Also, concentration applies to scrolls.

[gamblerjoe]

concentration is very important. max ranks are mandatory for all wizards, sorcs, clerics and casting bards. dedicate a slot for a concentration item too (i reccomend the helmet slot.) all skills are more or less situational, but concentration checks come up all the time.

imo, quicken is a waste of a feat (which all casters wish they had more of,) and a waste of spell points when it is turned on. iv seen casters that keep it on all the time. they use it as a crutch because they are so bad at moving around and positioning themselves. as a result, they are voluntarily decreasing the number of spells they can cast between shrines, and therefore decreasing their contribution to the quest.

if u have a high concentration check, you save yourself the spellpoints that would have been lost to fizzled spells, as well as the sp that would have been wasted quickening.

[Ananvil]

Thanks everyone, for your input.

[tinyelvis]

It depends on your play style.

If you get hit a lot, concentration matters as well as high hit points and perhaps even self healing. If you don't get hit much, you know how to manage your aggro and/or stay out of harms way, then it is almost unnecessary.

I have but 9 ranks of concentration and carry no item. If I fall to 50% or less damage I hop away from danger and instantly scroll a heal in mid flight. A much more important skill is diplomacy. Not so much to avoid damage, but rather to shed aggro when too much uber spell use pulls it from the melee's. Hide and move silent can be important if you like to sneak.

[Starlytes]

I have a 42 i believe on my WF wizzy Wizbott .... so with stone skin on all the time its really like a 52 due to the 10dr that stone skin provides ... the Titan Goggles is my concentration item ... it just fits in nicely with my gear... reaver cloak for the +6 int
Earth Grab Guard SP boots with the Cool Elemental friends, since I can control when I get haste:D... So really the point to my post is USE STONE SKIN IF U CAN :D