Shadowdancer and crossbows

[20FootCezanne]

Shrouding Shot - Ranged attack: Perform an attack with +3(W) damage. On hit: You mark the target. If it dies within the next 10 seconds, you gain a shadow charge that can be retained for passive benefits from other enhancements or expended to activate special abilities. Successful uses of the Assassinate ability will also mark the target. At this tier you can retain a maximum of 7 shadow charges.




So, as the description says, if you hit a target with shrouding shot and it dies within a certain amount of time, you gain a shadow charge.

The problem with crossbows and this ability is, crossbows have two steps to their attack sequence - reload animation, and attack animation. When you use Shrouding Shot as you're about to reload, it expends the ability, without it actually doing anything, and you have to wait on the cooldown to use it again.


It would be nice if the ability wasn't expended until the attack animation. I know it's not a huge inconvenience, if you're just careful of when you use it, but just something I found to be a little annoying every once in awhile.

[Jay203]

same problem with deepwood sniper shot and wrack construct
crossbow reload animation is ******** :(

[Kilnedric]

I need to second this. This is a huge bug with this ability. And since so many other abilities require shadow charges, this really impacts the overall use of the Shadowdancer for a crossbow user.

Please fix this in the next patch.

[Jay203]

sad thing is shadow dancer looks a lot more appealing to my repeater build than Shiradi Champion :(:(:(

[20FootCezanne]

sad thing is shadow dancer looks a lot more appealing to my repeater build than Shiradi Champion :(:(:(

Yeah, I prefer the benefits of Shadowdancer over Shiradi on my artificer, I just wish the Shrouding Shot would work properly :P

[Jay203]

Yeah, I prefer the benefits of Shadowdancer over Shiradi on my artificer, I just wish the Shrouding Shot would work properly :P

haha, it's not just the shadowdancer abilities that's like that
you should wish the crossbows attacks need to be fixed in general :D:D:D

[Damian]

I hope Turbine is looking into this. I have to be super lucky to get a shrouding shot actualy firing.

Most of my clicks are lost in the animation. The click should give us a buff on the next crossbow shot or something... the way it is now, its totaly broken :-(

[Jay203]

I hope Turbine is looking into this. I have to be super lucky to get a shrouding shot actualy firing.

Most of my clicks are lost in the animation. The click should give us a buff on the next crossbow shot or something... the way it is now, its totaly broken :-(

rather than changing the skill mechanic, i'd prefer if they fix the crossbow attack mechanic >__<
the attack & reload system is.... lame >_<

[BlkDrgn28]

Yeah this problem is definitely not just limited to the Shrouding shot.. it is a problem with Crossbows P.E.R.I.O.D I have the same issues using the Wrack Construct enhancement. I definitely agree that something needs to be changed about the reloading of repeaters to make better use of the abilities... There is definitely more then enough going on during a fight that needs tracking instead of me watching my Animation to see if I have actually reloaded before using a special ability.. Cause it really sucks when I activate said enhancement ONLY to find out that I hadn't actually reloaded yet..... This is VERY annoying and really does need to be dealt with.

[Damian]

I agree that it sucks but a bandaid would be better than nothing...

They have sooooo many bugs to squash, never seen so many. I just hope that they notice this one or acknowledge it.

[capsela]

I ran into this bug. Please fix. A ranged attack ED not working with a common ranged weapon? Why is this happening?

[Oxarhamar]

Here is a more comprehensive list of the abilities that are like this with crossbow attacks


Shot type attacks being lost into the reload cycle of Crossbows. (light/heavy/great/light repeater/heavy repeater)

Enhancements:
Artificer Battle Engineer
Wracking Shot: Ranged Attack: On Damage: Deals 1d6/3d6/5d6 extra damage to constructs and living constructs, and applies Wracked: This construct or living construct fortification is reduced by 10% and loses its inherent immunity to sneak attack. This effect stacks up to five times.

Elven/Ranger
Arcane Archer
True strike: Ranged Archery Attack: Perform a ranged attack with +20 to-hit. Rank 2/3: You receive a +2/+4 Insight bonus to hit for 6/12 seconds. Activation cost: 2 spell points. Cool down: 3 seconds.
Dispelling Shot: Ranged Archery Attack: Performs a ranged attack that deals +1/+2/+3[W] damage and dispels 1/2/3 beneficial effects from your target. (Activation Cost: 5 SP. Cool down: 3 seconds)
Inferno Shot: Ranged Archery Attack: Performs a ranged attack with +0/+1/+2[W] damage. On Hit: Target gain 1 stack of Inferno (target takes 1d6 fire damage every 2 second for 6 seconds. This effect can stack 20 times, and loses one stack on expiration.) (Activation cost: 6 SP. Cool down 3 seconds)
Shattermantle Shot: Ranged Archery Attack: Performs a ranged attack with +1/+2/+3[W] damage. On hit: Target gains 1/2/3 stack of Reduced Spell Resistance (-1 Spell Resistance. This effect can stack 100 times) on Vorpal Hit: Shattermantle (-100 spell Resistance for 10 seconds. Will DC 10/14/18 + Half Ranger Level + Wisdom Modifier negates.) (Activation Cost: 4 SP. Cool down: 3 seconds)
Arrow of Slaying: Ranged Archery Attack: Performs a ranged attack with +250 damage. (This damage can be multiplied by critical hits.) (Cost: 20 spell points. Cool down: 20 seconds.)

Fighter Kensei
Shattering Shot: Focus Ranged Attack: Deals +1/+2/+3[W] damage. On Damage: Target loses 15% fortification for 10 seconds (Fort DC 10 + Half Fighter Level + Wisdom Modifier Negates).
A Good Death (Ranged): Focus Ranged Attack: Perform a ranged attack with +1 Critical Damage Multiplier. On Damage: If the target is below 20% health, deal 500 damage.
Deadly Shot: Focus Ranged Attack: Expend a use of Action Boost: Attack to perform a ranged attack that is automatically considered a critical threat. On Vorpal: 500 damage.

Ranger Deepwood Stalker
Sniper Shot: Ranged Attack: Performs a ranged attack with +2[W], a +4 bonus to-hit, +2 to critical threat range, and +2 to Critical Damage Multiplier. On Damage: The target will become momentarily confused and rendered vulnerable to sneak attacks for four seconds as if affected by the bluff skill. (Cool down 6 seconds)
Ranged Attack: Performs a ranged attack with +10 to hit and +1 Critical Damage Multiplier. On Damage: If you are in the Archer's Focus stance and Manyshot is not active, gain three stacks of Archer's Focus. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Merciful Shot: Ranged attack: Deals +3[W] damage. On Sneak attack: If the target is below 20% health, deal 500 damage.
Leg Shot: Ranged Attack: On Damage: Slow your enemy's movement by 50% for 10 seconds. (Cool down: 10 seconds)
Head Shot: Ranged Attack: Perform a ranged attack that is automatically considered a critical threat. On vorpal: 500 damage. (Cool down: 60 seconds)

Rogue Mechanic
Wracking Shot: Ranged Attack: On Damage: Deals 1d6/3d6/5d6 extra damage to constructs and living constructs, and applies Wracked: This construct or living construct fortification is reduced by 10% and loses its inherent immunity to sneak attack. This effect stacks up to five times.
Leg Shot: Ranged Attack: On Damage: Slow your enemy's movement by 50% for 10 seconds (Cool down: 10 seconds)

Epic Destinies:
Shadowdancer
Shrouding Strike/Shot: Active Ability: (Cooldown: 15 seconds) Melee or Ranged Attack: Perform an attack with +[1/2/3][W] damage. On hit: Mark target. It if dies within the next [6/8/10] seconds, gain a Shadow Charge. You can retain a maximum of [2/4/6] Shadow Charges.
Executioner's Strike/Shot: Active Ability: (Cooldown: 30 seconds) Melee or ranged attack. Perform an attack with +[1/2/3][W] damage, +1 critical threat range and +1 critical damage multiplier. On hit: You have a 35% chance to kill a living target instantly if the target fails a Fortitude save (DC 7 + Character level + DEX modifier + Number of Shadow Charges). Even on successful save target takes an additional [50/75/100] damage from this attack.

Shiradi Champion
Pin: Ranged or Thrown Attack: (Cooldown [20/15] seconds) enemy takes [+2/+3][w] damage. If enemy is not moving, enemy is pinned in place for [9/18] seconds. Enemy is slowed if moving. (No saving throw observed for either effect)
Otto's Whistler: Ranged or Thrown Attack: (Cooldown [20/15] seconds) Deal [+2/+3][w] damage. If enemy is moving, enemy starts dancing for [9/18] seconds. (No saving throw observed)
>>

To expand on this Crossbows have 2 sequences of attack Load/Reload and Fire.
During a sequence of attacks any of these Shot type attacks must be used when the Crossbow is loaded or the attack will go on cool down and nothing will happen.
Vs.
An Archer using a Bow however only has no reload sequence and can fire the shot attack at anytime.
A Melee using any of the respective Melee versions of some of these attacks also only needs to activate the attack.

For these attacks to be effectively used in combat with any type of Crossbow the player must pay very close attention to the cycle of reloading and make sure to activate the attack when a bolt is loaded or lose the attack and put it on cool down.

At times this is not such an big deal.
example: in a group where some melees have the agro and the Crossbow user can stand stationary relax and fire at will they can take the time to be sure the crossbow is loaded (sometimes for me this means firing a test shot prior to the attack to make sure the Crossbow is loaded this is an utterly emersion breaking annoyance)

Other times its extremely difficult to use these attacks when in the heat of combat. (when these attacks would be most helpful to save your skin)
Example:soloing EE Line of Supplies, ranging a dangerous caster in the middle of a battlefield full of melee mobs. Jumping and strafing to avoid being stunned with a melee attack while laying down fire on the caster using Pin would lock the caster down or a Deadly shot might finish them off entirely.


This is a long standing bug that was reported on Lamania during the testing of the Epic Destinies (Prior to the enhancement pass adding so many shot type attacks to the enhancement trees)
This bug is extremely emersion breaking and is considerably frustrating either ignoring these abilities at times due to the need to pay overly too much attention to weather the crossbow is loaded or not and also the frustration of mistiming the attack and losing it all together.

Proposed Fix:
If the attack is activated when the crossbow is not loaded and no attack takes place then the attack simple should not go on cool down since it was not used.
The attack should only go on cool down if a shot was fired.

[capsela]

Here is a more comprehensive list of the abilities that are like this with crossbow attacks

Yes, this is really depressing. I built a character spent TP respecing him to use this feature and then I find out its broken. Now Im out of TP and Im stuck in a bind because I trusted that a common ranged weapon would just work with a ranged attack. Oh but melee attack fury works with ranged. Incredible...

Im devastated.

[TheGuyYouKnow]

ranged abilities with crossbows can be used on the reload rather than the firing, this has been brought up before and never addressed.

[Wh070aa]

Shadow dancer has so many bugs, its not working ever. Don't even bother.