redoubt
03-22-2018, 05:32 PM
I've used Shiv all along, but I've seen increased comments about using Imp Feint. What do you see as the advantages of one over the other?
Shiv is a +3W where Imp Feint is +2W.
Feint has a shorter cooldown.
***Feint affects all mobs in an arc*** does this work??? Does it provide an AOE attack at +2W???
With assassin's trick I've just used it for fort reduction and sneak damage on hard to sneak mobs. Shiv has usually been enough to get sneak, so I rarely use assassin's trick.
Thoughts?
Wiki Descripions below:
Shiv: Melee Attack: +1/+2/+3[W] damage. On hit: Makes a Bluff check, using your Bluff skill, for one second + .25 seconds per Rogue level. On Sneak Attack: Target also gains a -2 Fortitude Save against Poisons for 20 seconds. (Stacks 5 times.) (Cooldown: 12 seconds) Passive: Reduces the threat of all your attacks by 5/10/15%
Improved Feint:
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Usage: Active
Prerequisite: One of Sneak Attack (Rogue level 1) or Half-Elf Dilettante: Rogue
Description
Official: "A melee attack which also Bluffs the enemy, enabling Sneak attacks for a short period of time."
As of Update 34 Patch 2 (Release Notes) Improved Feint no longer requires Combat Expertise. The feat now adds +2[W] damage, and has had its cooldown reduced to six seconds. Threat reduction has been increased to 40%.
Observed behavior:
The use of this feat has inconsistent results. A moment after triggering Improved Feint, a bluff roll is made. The roll is modified by the character's bluff skill. If the roll is successful, combat messages will say your threat is reduced by 25%, and an effect icon will usually, but not always, appear. (The 25% threat reduction is a normal part of the bluff skill, but is independent of sneak attack damage.) The effect icon text is "Mostly Harmless: You have successfully used the bluff skill, and gain a 25% reduction to the threat generated by your melee attacks, missile attacks, and spells, making monsters less likely to attack you for a short time." The effect icon counts down for 6 seconds then disappears.
If a character performs any action immediately after using Improved Feint, the attempt to "bluff" does not proc and there's no effect.
With handwraps, there is no delay before the feat roll.
Sometimes the combat log shows sneak attack damage, but it is a replacement for normal damage. That is, you never hit with normal damage and sneak attack damage from one swing.
Recommendation: Until the bugs are fixed, only take this feat if you will be using handwraps and want to be able to trigger a 6 second 25% threat reduction. (It is unverified that this is working.) You would probably also want invest in your bluff skill.
Notes
For the official version of this feat (which is not working, as described above):
Affects multiple enemies in a frontal arc.
Behaves exactly like the Bluff feat, except for the cooldown, and it is on a separate timer than Bluff.
Does not have a bonus to the Bluff roll like Improved Trip's and Improved Sunder's +4.
A Fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Assassin's Trick: Activate: Target opponent loses 25% of their fortification and 25% of their immunity to sneak attacks for 15 seconds. (Cooldown: 6 seconds)
Shiv is a +3W where Imp Feint is +2W.
Feint has a shorter cooldown.
***Feint affects all mobs in an arc*** does this work??? Does it provide an AOE attack at +2W???
With assassin's trick I've just used it for fort reduction and sneak damage on hard to sneak mobs. Shiv has usually been enough to get sneak, so I rarely use assassin's trick.
Thoughts?
Wiki Descripions below:
Shiv: Melee Attack: +1/+2/+3[W] damage. On hit: Makes a Bluff check, using your Bluff skill, for one second + .25 seconds per Rogue level. On Sneak Attack: Target also gains a -2 Fortitude Save against Poisons for 20 seconds. (Stacks 5 times.) (Cooldown: 12 seconds) Passive: Reduces the threat of all your attacks by 5/10/15%
Improved Feint:
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Usage: Active
Prerequisite: One of Sneak Attack (Rogue level 1) or Half-Elf Dilettante: Rogue
Description
Official: "A melee attack which also Bluffs the enemy, enabling Sneak attacks for a short period of time."
As of Update 34 Patch 2 (Release Notes) Improved Feint no longer requires Combat Expertise. The feat now adds +2[W] damage, and has had its cooldown reduced to six seconds. Threat reduction has been increased to 40%.
Observed behavior:
The use of this feat has inconsistent results. A moment after triggering Improved Feint, a bluff roll is made. The roll is modified by the character's bluff skill. If the roll is successful, combat messages will say your threat is reduced by 25%, and an effect icon will usually, but not always, appear. (The 25% threat reduction is a normal part of the bluff skill, but is independent of sneak attack damage.) The effect icon text is "Mostly Harmless: You have successfully used the bluff skill, and gain a 25% reduction to the threat generated by your melee attacks, missile attacks, and spells, making monsters less likely to attack you for a short time." The effect icon counts down for 6 seconds then disappears.
If a character performs any action immediately after using Improved Feint, the attempt to "bluff" does not proc and there's no effect.
With handwraps, there is no delay before the feat roll.
Sometimes the combat log shows sneak attack damage, but it is a replacement for normal damage. That is, you never hit with normal damage and sneak attack damage from one swing.
Recommendation: Until the bugs are fixed, only take this feat if you will be using handwraps and want to be able to trigger a 6 second 25% threat reduction. (It is unverified that this is working.) You would probably also want invest in your bluff skill.
Notes
For the official version of this feat (which is not working, as described above):
Affects multiple enemies in a frontal arc.
Behaves exactly like the Bluff feat, except for the cooldown, and it is on a separate timer than Bluff.
Does not have a bonus to the Bluff roll like Improved Trip's and Improved Sunder's +4.
A Fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Assassin's Trick: Activate: Target opponent loses 25% of their fortification and 25% of their immunity to sneak attacks for 15 seconds. (Cooldown: 6 seconds)