DDOGamer: Fixing Casters Using the First Edition Player’s Handbook

[geoffhanna]

http://gamergeoff.com/images/2015-10/first%20edition%20wizard.png (http://www.gamergeoff.com/fixing-casters-using-the-first-edition-players-handbook/)

First Edition Wizard doesn't have to worry about obsolescence.

-> Why? Because spells. (http://www.gamergeoff.com/fixing-casters-using-the-first-edition-players-handbook/)

[FranOhmsford]

I posted my own list in another thread just a couple of weeks ago {2nd Ed rather than 1st}:


Here's some options for the Devs:

Wizard/Sorc

Lvl 1
Colour Spray
Find Familiar *
Gaze Reflection
Phantasmal Force
Wall of Fog

Lvl 2
Improved Phantasmal Force
Mirror Image
Spectral Hand
Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter

Lvl 3
Feign Death {To get mobs to stop attacking you}
Melf's Minute Meteors

Lvl 4
Protection from Normal Missiles {100% Deflect Arrows for 30 seconds - Might have to be self only - Moved up from Lvl 3 because of obvious issues of possible OPness}.
Illusionary Wall {Place at intersections to stop mobs from getting to you}.
Leomund's Tiny Hit/Secure Shelter {Portable Rest Shrine with a very long cooldown}.

Lvl 5
Demi-Shadow Monsters {Summons multiple 2-5 small mobs with high aggro gen to distract mobs from you}.

Lvl 6
Evard's Black Tentacles {Moved up from Lvl 4 to avoid making Firewall/Acid Rain/Ice Storm defunct AND to give it to Wizards later than Warlocks.}
Reincarnation {Yes this is an Arcane Spell!}.

Lvl 7
Bigby's Grasping Hand
Mordenkainen's Mansion {Player Housing - No in quest use}.
Mordenkainen's Sword
Spell Turning
Teleport without Error {Programmable Teleport spell via /loc}

Lvl 8
Maze {similar to Imprisonment but with a short duration - Conjuration rather than Abjuration and Minotaurs & creatures with 0 Int....Oozes etc. are completely immune to it}
Mind Blank {Useful against Mind Flayers}

Lvl 9
Bigby's Crushing Hand
Imprisonment {No Save Abjuration Instakill that doesn't actually kill the mob so cannot be evaded through Deathward/Block - Obviously needs a very high cost/cooldown}.
Wierd {Lvl 9 version of PK}



Cleric/FvS

Lvl 1
Light {so you can add in more Rainbow style quests - Should work in Rainbow too but would be of short duration so the torch would clearly be the better option.}

Lvl 3 {Moved up from Lvl 2}
Silence 15' Radius {Stop caster mobs in their tracks - Main use for melee Clerics/Souls obviously}

Lvl 3
Feign Death {Same as Arcane version}

Lvl 5 {Moved up from Lvl 4}
Imbue with Spell Ability {Short term Buff that gives 100 Temp SPs - Not usable on self - SP Cost should be 100 too.}.
Firewall {Yes this is a Divine Spell!}.

Lvl 6
Wall of Thorns

Lvl 9
Creeping Doom
Earthquake
Holy Word {Ultimate Banishment Spell}

Divines always had a much smaller spell list than Arcanes so it's difficult to find spells that would translate to DDO.


* Find Familiar = Small Choice of Viable Companions that also confer a small bonus to the caster based on the companion's species:
Bat: Listen +3 per Caster Level, +1 Dmg per attack per Caster Level {Max 15 - Does not stack with Deadly items}
Rat: Hide +3 per Caster Level, +1 Dmg per attack per Caster Level {Max 15 - Does not stack with Deadly items}
Falcon: Spot +3 per Caster Level, +1 Dmg per attack per Caster Level {Max 15 - Does not stack with Deadly items}
Owl: Search +3 per Caster Level, +1 Dmg per attack per Caster Level {Max 15 - Does not stack with Deadly items}
Toad: Swim +3 per Caster Level, +1 Fort Saves per Caster Level {Max 12 - Does not stack with Resistance items}
Snake: Bluff +3 per Caster Level, +1 Reflex Saves per Caster Level {Max 12 - Does not stack with Resistance items}
Spider: Jump +3 per Caster Level, +1 to Conjuration DC per Caster Level {Max 6 - Does not stack with Spell Focus Items}

All skill buffs max at 30 and do not stack with standard Skill items or Spells.

Familiar can be chosen upon Log on and acts as a Perma Buff until sent away/Log off. {If sent away cannot be recast until cooldown comes off timer - Suggest Looooong timer, at least an hour to avoid constant changing - Relog will remove cooldown though so as to not cause issues with Disconnects.}.

[Basura_Grande]

Nothing you talked about addressed the actual issues with casters. Caster's problem is bad red-named DPS.

How would anything you posted help in that situation?

[Vellrad]

Nothing you talked about addressed the actual issues with casters. Caster's problem is bad red-named DPS.

How would anything you posted help in that situation?

Change wand/scroll mastery from flat +% increase to:

1 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 33% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +5 + spell level/2.
2 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 66% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +10 + spell level.
3 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 100% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +10 + spell level. Non scrolls also benefit from any effect increasing spell DCs from appropriate school.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Animal growth is already a druid spell in this game.


Anyways, adding a handful of low level spells is not going to do much for casters.


Edit: btw fran, protection from normal missiles only protects from normal missiles. It would offer zero protection if the attacker is using a +1 arrow, or a flaming bolt or whatever magical missile.

[Basura_Grande]

Change wand/scroll mastery from flat +% increase to:

1 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 33% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +5 + spell level/2.
2 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 66% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +10 + spell level.
3 AP: Scrolls, wands, staves and another items used to cast spells benefit from 100% of your spellpower and have their DCs increased to highest of your int/wis/cha +10 + spell level. Non scrolls also benefit from any effect increasing spell DCs from appropriate school.

While not all that is needed this is a very good idea. somebody report this post so a dev sees it! :)

[Grailhawk]

While not all that is needed this is a very good idea. somebody report this post so a dev sees it! :)

You think spellpower on disposables is enough with out upping caster level? Or you suggesting they start dropping high caster level disposables its kind of in consistent in the game as things like wands of Fireball stop gaining caster level around 11-15? I guess for some spells that's ok since they will cap in that level range anyways.

[Basura_Grande]

You think spellpower on disposables is enough with out upping caster level? Or you suggesting they start dropping high caster level disposables its kind of in consistent in the game as things like wands of Fireball stop gaining caster level around 11-15? I guess for some spells that's ok since they will cap in that level range anyways.

I didn't say it was enough, I said it was a good start.

Casters need more, actually the game needs to change for casters to be of value. The mobs need to be dangerous enough that crowd control would be needed again and monster save/SR need to be low enough for this to be a viable idea. I hope we see this in Reaper.

[Eth]

While not all that is needed this is a very good idea. somebody report this post so a dev sees it! :)

While the idea itself isn't bad, I would need more hotbar space and a bigger inventory...

[Grailhawk]

I didn't say it was enough, I said it was a good start.

Gotcha.


Casters need more, actually the game needs to change for casters to be of value. The mobs need to be dangerous enough that crowd control would be needed again and monster save/SR need to be low enough for this to be a viable idea. I hope we see this in Reaper.

Ya, would be nice if CC was needed and the game played a lot more like old Epics but I think all we will get in the long run is some DoTs that make caster decent DPS.