ValariusK
07-09-2019, 02:40 PM
Been running an iconic life on a pure bard scoundrel, and will share a few hints.
In low epics, when your INT is down in the 30ish region, KTA really isn't a great deal compared to what you can get out of spellsinger and warchanter to support a swashbuckler and your party.
Having 11 in spellsinger (for the ability to mez undead and a bunch of goodies in sonic and positive) and 24 in warchanter (to give everyone, you included, 6% Doublestrike or shot and a little more usp plus like +7 in inspire courage damage) is a really good deal and will leave you very short of AP.
One of the little secrets in nearly every game and MMO is that support abilities are nearly ALWAYS underpriced. My +7 inspire courage is around 5-7% of my damage (at level 26, my + damage shows around +102 or so typically), but it is ALSO a good 5% or so of all of my allies' physical damage. That 6% doublestrike is probably around 4% or so of my damage (I typically run around 50% or so doublestrike), but it's also about the same for all of my allies. Just in terms of raw firepower output, I'm adding an awful lot to a typical group in addition to non-trivial firepower of my own. Even that 3% melee combat speed I get from fatesinger songs (taking me to 48% alacrity) is nontrivial in what it adds to party members.
Speaking of that 48% combat speed and >50% doublestrike---you're going to wear down weapons fast. I found that the delta between a 21 hardness epic envenomed blade and a 26 hardness epic envenomed blade is huge. Before the adamantine ritual I was wearing it down to 'worn' in the second half of the second quest I was running. Now I can do 2-4 quests and repair afterwards. Here's a free hint on adamantine rituals. There is I believe precisely 1 hireling available that has trap the soul. It's the level 21 epic wizard hire. Hire him, take him to taming the flames on HARD difficulty (not elite) and have him trap the souls of every single elemental in there. Might as well complete the quest while you're there for the favor if you skipped it. That'll get you about 20 soul gems in about 10 minutes, enough for 2 adamantine rituals. 5 hardness doesn't seem like it should make that huge of a difference, but it does. I believe it's because the wear equation is based on the CR of what you're hitting vs the hardness of your weapon (and the CR is usually >> the hardness in epics). For the adamantine ore, just visit relic of a sovereign past, I usually do it every life anyway.
In low epics, when your INT is down in the 30ish region, KTA really isn't a great deal compared to what you can get out of spellsinger and warchanter to support a swashbuckler and your party.
Having 11 in spellsinger (for the ability to mez undead and a bunch of goodies in sonic and positive) and 24 in warchanter (to give everyone, you included, 6% Doublestrike or shot and a little more usp plus like +7 in inspire courage damage) is a really good deal and will leave you very short of AP.
One of the little secrets in nearly every game and MMO is that support abilities are nearly ALWAYS underpriced. My +7 inspire courage is around 5-7% of my damage (at level 26, my + damage shows around +102 or so typically), but it is ALSO a good 5% or so of all of my allies' physical damage. That 6% doublestrike is probably around 4% or so of my damage (I typically run around 50% or so doublestrike), but it's also about the same for all of my allies. Just in terms of raw firepower output, I'm adding an awful lot to a typical group in addition to non-trivial firepower of my own. Even that 3% melee combat speed I get from fatesinger songs (taking me to 48% alacrity) is nontrivial in what it adds to party members.
Speaking of that 48% combat speed and >50% doublestrike---you're going to wear down weapons fast. I found that the delta between a 21 hardness epic envenomed blade and a 26 hardness epic envenomed blade is huge. Before the adamantine ritual I was wearing it down to 'worn' in the second half of the second quest I was running. Now I can do 2-4 quests and repair afterwards. Here's a free hint on adamantine rituals. There is I believe precisely 1 hireling available that has trap the soul. It's the level 21 epic wizard hire. Hire him, take him to taming the flames on HARD difficulty (not elite) and have him trap the souls of every single elemental in there. Might as well complete the quest while you're there for the favor if you skipped it. That'll get you about 20 soul gems in about 10 minutes, enough for 2 adamantine rituals. 5 hardness doesn't seem like it should make that huge of a difference, but it does. I believe it's because the wear equation is based on the CR of what you're hitting vs the hardness of your weapon (and the CR is usually >> the hardness in epics). For the adamantine ore, just visit relic of a sovereign past, I usually do it every life anyway.