FrancisSmall
02-28-2019, 11:04 PM
The continuing saga of Rollet Wilkins, a 2nd life character based on Strimton's Acid Arrow (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/469213-quot-strimtom-s-acid-arrow-quot-maximum-bow-dps-f2p-new-player-friendly) who is attempting to solo quests on Elite. Along the way I am trying to analyze the effectiveness of her various life choices.
Previously on Rollet:
Rollet in Korthos (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502254-Rollet-in-Korthos-A-Stathead-on-Acid)
Rollet in Shan-To-$#@! (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502483-Rollet-in-the-Halls-of-Shan-To-!)
Rollet in the Tombs (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502657-Rollet-in-the-Tombs)
Gosh, over a month since my last post. I'm just a dirty casual gamer when you come right down to it, but I swear that I haven't abandoned my toon.
Rollet advances to level 7 and we do a major crafting cycle, creating new gear for everything except armor. The crafting locations should remain fairly constant as I craft new gear every 3 levels or so:
Belt: Dodge & False Life [augment: Master’s Gift]
Boots: Dexterity
Bracers: Resistance & Spellcraft
Cloak: Spell Resistance & Natural Armor [Featherfall]
Gloves: Corrosion & Deadly [UWA]
Goggles: Wisdom
Helm: Wizardry & Accuracy
Necklace: Spell Saves & Sheltering
Ring #1: Constitution & Protection
Ring #2: Striding
Trinket: Ranged Alacrity & Healing Amplification
Longbow: Electrical Effect & Doubleshot
I was unable to slot Parrying onto the boots even though it is advertised as craftable as a suffix. I have a suspicion that it’s not allowed until level 10, even through this isn’t advertised. The suffix slot for goggles will take True Seeing if I ever get around to getting the ingredients and find that it’s useful. The suffix slot for Ring #2 will take Devotion when I get significant self-healing capability. The one hole in my crafting is the lack of Fortification which drops from 60% to 5% this level. Next level I’ll slot a Heavy Fortification (100%) augment onto my armor.
Damage calculation: 124 dps overall, or +10% compared to level 7.
Pierce: 2.25d8: 9.75 average (+1 die for point blank shot, +0.25 for guild bonus)
+2 - past life, ranger
+3 - +3 enchantment
+10 - Dexterity bonus
+4 - deadly
= 28.75 dpa
+ 3.08 (10% crit bonus, +2 guild crit bonus)
+ 0.45 (Ranged power: 3)
+ 71.95 (acid: 7 x 4.5 x 2.3 for 130 acid spellpower, - 0.5 for rounding losses)
+7 electricity (Electrifying 2)
+1.5 cold (1d2 Ruby of Lesser Frost)
= 112.7 total dpa
x 0.8/s (Current shots/s with Rapid shot feat)
x 1.05 (ranged alacrity)
x 1.085 (doubleshot, 2% guild, 3% PL, 3.5% gear)
= 103 dps
Manyshot (236 dps when on) adjusts this upwards to 124 dps, or about 12% better than the level 7 figure of 111. A modest bump, but I think we will have to wait until level 10 for the next big increase. The big increase is on the saves side, fortitude/reflex/will saves have jumped from 14/16/10 to 18/20,14 and we get an additional +4 to spell saves, so a big +8 this level vs. spells. We also now have Spell Resistance 10 – but not clue how much or little that helps. HPs are at 187, and SPs are way overstocked at 374. Can anything better go into that Wizardry slot?
Three Barrel Cove: Scoundrel’s Run – the fire trap nearly did me in, otherwise this is mostly a three-dimensional rat maze.
The Fire Caves: 1st was easy – remember fire resistance! 2nd was easy too.
Delera: Mystery of Delera’s Tomb – Easy.
Delera: The Missing Party – Got it from the acid trap without any resistance on. Purchased a Ghostbane ruby and crafted it onto a longbow along with Force Effect (2d6 force damage) – forgo doubleshot (3%) since it uses Lodestones and Headsmen beetles which are moderately expensive, and +3% doubleshot is nice but not essential. Also crafted 500 +1 holy arrows to bypass the DR of the Ghostly Skeletons.
Delera: Free Delera. Good call on the Ghost Touch, made short work of the wraiths.
Delera: Thrall of the Necromancer. OK, in on Elite – a level 10 for this little 'ol level 7 character. I pay attention to the quest notes and only take 30 pts of damage from the fire trap – no problem, buuuut I managed to stop in front of the poison trap right after the cold trap. Oops. Try again. Better prepared, I handle the trap/ambush. The rest of the quest follows easily. At the end she’s within 2000 XP of the cap so I level her to 8. For enhancements I choose Survivalist I (10 HPs, +3PRR in light armor), +1 Dex.
Crafted some new level 8 gear:
helm (wizardry, accuracy; blindness immunity)
ring (striding, devotion; fear immunity)
armor (heavy fortification).
The damage calculation for level 8 is essentially unchanged. I also analyzed the improvement from using a Silver Longbow: the extra damage from using d10 vs. d8 damage along with the increased critical threat is nearly offset by the loss of the damage effect shard. It’s not worth the effort to acquire one, especially now that I am using the red augment slot for a ruby of Ghostbane.
Tomb of the Shadow Guard - Yeah, almost died.
Tomb of the Shadow King - This one is supposed to be really tough and requires a hireling to solo, so I bring along Fergus. It sounds complicated and this is my first time doing it, so I expect to die, a lot, and I don't disappoint. I die, then die again. The invulnerability on the cloak has little effect. Are phase spiders the most annoying mob or what? I die when rendered helpless when my strength is reduced to 0. OK, maybe this one needs some planning.
I want to boost my strength to counter the strength damage I’m getting, so I craft a strength shard and incredibly enough I have a spare slot on my boots it can go it, so that adds +5. (The slot was where Parrying was supposed to go.) Next, I replace my Longstrider spell with Ram’s Might, that will give me another +2, at least when I remember to keep it up. Now onto the guild potion vendor where I stock up on Cure Serious, Heroism, Lesser Restoration, and Haste. Back to the Necropolis. I learn to drink like a sailor on shore leave, continually downing healing, heroism, haste, and lesser restoration pots. I use Manyshot to clear out the mobs when available. I methodically work through the dungeon, trying not to trigger any mob re-spawns. Rushing to a torch and disposing of the mobs while next to it seems to be a winning strategy since the torch debuffs the monsters. I take out all 16 torches, go back to the west entrance, activate Nsu... and just shoot him up. That was easy! (Apparently the quest ending was much harder when you had to lure him in to the light trap.)
Tomb of the Shadow Knight - Traps, traps, and more traps. My first attempt was unsuccessful, so I started taking notes about what trap damage to expect where, and eventually complete it.
Tomb of the Shadow Lord - Seemed pretty easy compared to the others – once I figured out how to get my pocket cleric to pull the levers.
Shadow Crypt - Not too bad. Well, it was my first time ever on this quest and it took a couple of hours (while consulting the wiki) to complete it, but once I did so and collected the mad XP I see why people go to the trouble to get a crypt opener.
Rollet's XP is capped again, so onto level 9...
Previously on Rollet:
Rollet in Korthos (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502254-Rollet-in-Korthos-A-Stathead-on-Acid)
Rollet in Shan-To-$#@! (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502483-Rollet-in-the-Halls-of-Shan-To-!)
Rollet in the Tombs (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/502657-Rollet-in-the-Tombs)
Gosh, over a month since my last post. I'm just a dirty casual gamer when you come right down to it, but I swear that I haven't abandoned my toon.
Rollet advances to level 7 and we do a major crafting cycle, creating new gear for everything except armor. The crafting locations should remain fairly constant as I craft new gear every 3 levels or so:
Belt: Dodge & False Life [augment: Master’s Gift]
Boots: Dexterity
Bracers: Resistance & Spellcraft
Cloak: Spell Resistance & Natural Armor [Featherfall]
Gloves: Corrosion & Deadly [UWA]
Goggles: Wisdom
Helm: Wizardry & Accuracy
Necklace: Spell Saves & Sheltering
Ring #1: Constitution & Protection
Ring #2: Striding
Trinket: Ranged Alacrity & Healing Amplification
Longbow: Electrical Effect & Doubleshot
I was unable to slot Parrying onto the boots even though it is advertised as craftable as a suffix. I have a suspicion that it’s not allowed until level 10, even through this isn’t advertised. The suffix slot for goggles will take True Seeing if I ever get around to getting the ingredients and find that it’s useful. The suffix slot for Ring #2 will take Devotion when I get significant self-healing capability. The one hole in my crafting is the lack of Fortification which drops from 60% to 5% this level. Next level I’ll slot a Heavy Fortification (100%) augment onto my armor.
Damage calculation: 124 dps overall, or +10% compared to level 7.
Pierce: 2.25d8: 9.75 average (+1 die for point blank shot, +0.25 for guild bonus)
+2 - past life, ranger
+3 - +3 enchantment
+10 - Dexterity bonus
+4 - deadly
= 28.75 dpa
+ 3.08 (10% crit bonus, +2 guild crit bonus)
+ 0.45 (Ranged power: 3)
+ 71.95 (acid: 7 x 4.5 x 2.3 for 130 acid spellpower, - 0.5 for rounding losses)
+7 electricity (Electrifying 2)
+1.5 cold (1d2 Ruby of Lesser Frost)
= 112.7 total dpa
x 0.8/s (Current shots/s with Rapid shot feat)
x 1.05 (ranged alacrity)
x 1.085 (doubleshot, 2% guild, 3% PL, 3.5% gear)
= 103 dps
Manyshot (236 dps when on) adjusts this upwards to 124 dps, or about 12% better than the level 7 figure of 111. A modest bump, but I think we will have to wait until level 10 for the next big increase. The big increase is on the saves side, fortitude/reflex/will saves have jumped from 14/16/10 to 18/20,14 and we get an additional +4 to spell saves, so a big +8 this level vs. spells. We also now have Spell Resistance 10 – but not clue how much or little that helps. HPs are at 187, and SPs are way overstocked at 374. Can anything better go into that Wizardry slot?
Three Barrel Cove: Scoundrel’s Run – the fire trap nearly did me in, otherwise this is mostly a three-dimensional rat maze.
The Fire Caves: 1st was easy – remember fire resistance! 2nd was easy too.
Delera: Mystery of Delera’s Tomb – Easy.
Delera: The Missing Party – Got it from the acid trap without any resistance on. Purchased a Ghostbane ruby and crafted it onto a longbow along with Force Effect (2d6 force damage) – forgo doubleshot (3%) since it uses Lodestones and Headsmen beetles which are moderately expensive, and +3% doubleshot is nice but not essential. Also crafted 500 +1 holy arrows to bypass the DR of the Ghostly Skeletons.
Delera: Free Delera. Good call on the Ghost Touch, made short work of the wraiths.
Delera: Thrall of the Necromancer. OK, in on Elite – a level 10 for this little 'ol level 7 character. I pay attention to the quest notes and only take 30 pts of damage from the fire trap – no problem, buuuut I managed to stop in front of the poison trap right after the cold trap. Oops. Try again. Better prepared, I handle the trap/ambush. The rest of the quest follows easily. At the end she’s within 2000 XP of the cap so I level her to 8. For enhancements I choose Survivalist I (10 HPs, +3PRR in light armor), +1 Dex.
Crafted some new level 8 gear:
helm (wizardry, accuracy; blindness immunity)
ring (striding, devotion; fear immunity)
armor (heavy fortification).
The damage calculation for level 8 is essentially unchanged. I also analyzed the improvement from using a Silver Longbow: the extra damage from using d10 vs. d8 damage along with the increased critical threat is nearly offset by the loss of the damage effect shard. It’s not worth the effort to acquire one, especially now that I am using the red augment slot for a ruby of Ghostbane.
Tomb of the Shadow Guard - Yeah, almost died.
Tomb of the Shadow King - This one is supposed to be really tough and requires a hireling to solo, so I bring along Fergus. It sounds complicated and this is my first time doing it, so I expect to die, a lot, and I don't disappoint. I die, then die again. The invulnerability on the cloak has little effect. Are phase spiders the most annoying mob or what? I die when rendered helpless when my strength is reduced to 0. OK, maybe this one needs some planning.
I want to boost my strength to counter the strength damage I’m getting, so I craft a strength shard and incredibly enough I have a spare slot on my boots it can go it, so that adds +5. (The slot was where Parrying was supposed to go.) Next, I replace my Longstrider spell with Ram’s Might, that will give me another +2, at least when I remember to keep it up. Now onto the guild potion vendor where I stock up on Cure Serious, Heroism, Lesser Restoration, and Haste. Back to the Necropolis. I learn to drink like a sailor on shore leave, continually downing healing, heroism, haste, and lesser restoration pots. I use Manyshot to clear out the mobs when available. I methodically work through the dungeon, trying not to trigger any mob re-spawns. Rushing to a torch and disposing of the mobs while next to it seems to be a winning strategy since the torch debuffs the monsters. I take out all 16 torches, go back to the west entrance, activate Nsu... and just shoot him up. That was easy! (Apparently the quest ending was much harder when you had to lure him in to the light trap.)
Tomb of the Shadow Knight - Traps, traps, and more traps. My first attempt was unsuccessful, so I started taking notes about what trap damage to expect where, and eventually complete it.
Tomb of the Shadow Lord - Seemed pretty easy compared to the others – once I figured out how to get my pocket cleric to pull the levers.
Shadow Crypt - Not too bad. Well, it was my first time ever on this quest and it took a couple of hours (while consulting the wiki) to complete it, but once I did so and collected the mad XP I see why people go to the trouble to get a crypt opener.
Rollet's XP is capped again, so onto level 9...