Stone of Change - Eldritch Rituals Cookbook

[Spisey]

Very nice. Gratz! I am sitting here laughing on the timeliness of this post considering the complaints that there are no caster focused items...... Very nice Rogue or Wiz item!

[Mavnimo]

Very nice. Gratz! I am sitting here laughing on the timeliness of this post considering the complaints that there are no caster focused items...... Very nice Rogue or Wiz item!

I don't consider, a chance to proc enervation weapon, a nice wizard item. the reaver staff works much better, if thats what ur going for. a straight Negative or fire line will net the same +9 int. since negative doesn't dominate anything he is left with looking at just fire dominated combo's which limits his selection.

and overall this is pretty much melee dominated equipment. most of the guards benefit melee more, as do the on hit effects.

most casters look for ways of increasing damage of spells, difficulty checks of spells, spell penetration. I would have loved to see the tempered + bolas mix to have been spell mastery +1 to dc or +2 to dc of spells. even an elemental potency ?% increase to all spells that stacks.

[Angelus_dead]

I don't consider, a chance to proc enervation weapon, a nice wizard item. the reaver staff works much better, if thats what ur going for.

+9 intelligence or charisma in one hand is a Great wiz/sorc item. It wasn't a recent discovery, but it's a great thing and not an item category that melees get a comprable version. Compare it to the Dreamspitter or Staff of the Petitioner. Those raid-loots use up both your hand slots to give just +1 DC to one kind of spell (relative to the Napkin that everyone wears). With shroud scepters, casters can get +1 or +2 DCs to all spells in just one hand, leaving the other for superior potency.

But yeah, it's wrong to act like the benefits of this item were something new.

[Soul-Shaker]

+9 intelligence or charisma in one hand is a Great wiz/sorc item. It wasn't a recent discovery, but it's a great thing and not an item category that melees get a comprable version. Compare it to the Dreamspitter or Staff of the Petitioner. Those raid-loots use up both your hand slots to give just +1 DC to one kind of spell (relative to the Napkin that everyone wears). With shroud scepters, casters can get +1 or +2 DCs to all spells in just one hand, leaving the other for superior potency.

But yeah, it's wrong to act like the benefits of this item were something new.

yes, but mav is saying its kinda of a waste because dreamsplitter fires off on crit which for most casters are 20s or held targets. But the enervation effect on that item is based strictly on chance so even if you hit a held mob it wont go off each hit. The other thing he was mentioning is this is the item tier3 bonus that +9 int is forced onto for tier3 bonus due to the fact that negative is overriden by everything(T3 would be fires int exceptional +2). Other then the fact that its a +9 stat item, the stat items are restricted into a Tier3 bonus for dual shards because of dominance. Also the only real good bonuses on a weapon for casters is stats while fighters get many to choose from and tier3 bonus effects although restricted by dominance gives them more options to work with.

[lucid8]

well to be quite honest casters shouldn't have gotten as much as others for this mod. I think all of you know who have both casters and melee toons, that the melee needed a boost. So that being said would you rather they kept the crafting even and nerfed your caster, or just orientated the new loot towards melee? I am quite happy with the new crafting system, and the casters still have plenty to choose from HP's Sp's and +1 to +2 spell DC. the only thing they are missing is better augmentation for raw damage, which if you are fully speced for damage as a caster atm you very much well know that u don't need more at this time as far as game balance is concerned..

[Mavnimo]

Something I was just thinking about to switch dominance, tho it might be a bit extreme. Using pos/neg as an example. going +EE/-EE will give us the dual shard +EE/stalemate, making Positive the dominant focus. Maybe adding -EE to the dual shard will switch the dominance, or sometihng as simple as adding the negative focus to the dual shard. Just to make it fail safe where u wouldn't exactly lose any ingredients/shards I'd suggest having a set final path where u will be happy with either outcome.

I will try something like this when I build up another 36 larges because I plan on using them anyway
for the experiment I will be making a +DM, EDM, +DM/EDM(the holy acid burst acid blast transmuter) and will be making a second +DM to try it and switch dominance. if it fails i have a +DM, +DM weapon ill add the final shard to should it fail. If anyone is closer then I am please feel free to try it. currently have 14 larges so it will take me a little while to gather the rest.

[Mavnimo]

well to be quite honest casters shouldn't have gotten as much as others for this mod. I think all of you know who have both casters and melee toons, that the melee needed a boost. So that being said would you rather they kept the crafting even and nerfed your caster, or just orientated the new loot towards melee? I am quite happy with the new crafting system, and the casters still have plenty to choose from HP's Sp's and +1 to +2 spell DC. the only thing they are missing is better augmentation for raw damage, which if you are fully speced for damage as a caster atm you very much well know that u don't need more at this time as far as game balance is concerned..

People have said it before, this isn't ur typical mmo. balance is for pvp oriented mmo's. Everyone knows casters always get stronger switching from low lvl support roles to high lvl leading roles. Who do u think closed the gateway in the market place? a fighter? :-)

[Tanka]

People have said it before, this isn't ur typical mmo. balance is for pvp oriented mmo's. Everyone knows casters always get stronger switching from low lvl support roles to high lvl leading roles. Who do u think closed the gateway in the market place? a fighter? :-)

Kargon's facebash, obviously.

[Zaodon]

Incineration Guard

[Alexander_Illusioni]

I think casters made out good in this crafting. I made a +6 con, +6 wisdom (three more on my will saves), +3 exceptional int bonus (+1 or +2 for all my DC's plus added spell points) that I carry all the time (no +6 int as the nakin is a must at this point in time IMO). Combine that with goggles that provide wizard VI (yes not quite as good as skiver) and another 150 spell points, some skill points in either concentration or UMD and I would say casters have made out very well. The stat increases for melees IMO are not at all as useful. Put +3 exceptional strength bonus on a weapon and you can get an additional +1 or +2 damage and to hit, but sacrifice holding a decent weapon for damage. So the stat items help wizards clerics and bards, while the damage items help melees. And characters that do both can swich between weapons. IMO everyone wins with the crafting, and I play both. Tier three bonuses, with the exception of concordant opposition and the +5 protect, heavy fort item, favor the melees, but most of the loot in this game does as well. Anyway no crying here, with a +3 exceptional int item, and I am looking forward to what may be added in future Mods for crafting.

[Mavnimo]

It's not that casters don't have anything to make its the lack of "bonus effects" for casters. A fighter can make a weapon that does damage and as a bonus he gets more damage. A caster makes a weapon to help his spells/sp and as a bonus he gets nothing or something he will likely never get to use. Like the +9 charisma scepter all positive with greater disruption. When will I use greater disruption? on this particualr combo whats the harm in adding one of the Improved Extend I effects already in game or +1 to a spell focus as a bonus.

[Borror0]

Well, Mavnimo, there is Concordant Opposition. It's only when you get hit!!

And, if there is a way to choose the dominant foucs, you can either put Int or Cha at third.

[Mavnimo]

Well, Mavnimo, there is Concordant Opposition. It's only when you get hit!!

And, if there is a way to choose the dominant foucs, you can either put Int or Cha at third.

Well, Borror0, I didn't say caster don't get any bonus effects. Concordant Oppostion is 1 out of 20/21 tier 3 weapon bonus effects, You could make an argument for Air guard, so thats 2 out of 20/21.

[Borror0]

Honestly, doesn't make me that sad. Means less grinding for my sorcerer.

In my opinion, most tier three effects are not worth 24 Shards when you can have one for 12.

[Alexander_Illusioni]

Honestly, doesn't make me that sad. Means less grinding for my sorcerer.

In my opinion, most tier three effects are not worth 24 Shards when you can have one for 12.

Agreed!

I will get bored doing this raid, long before I have all the 3rd tier items I would like for all my characters, let alone getting the extra special 3rd tier bonus.

[maddmatt70]

It's not that casters don't have anything to make its the lack of "bonus effects" for casters. A fighter can make a weapon that does damage and as a bonus he gets more damage. A caster makes a weapon to help his spells/sp and as a bonus he gets nothing or something he will likely never get to use. Like the +9 charisma scepter all positive with greater disruption. When will I use greater disruption? on this particualr combo whats the harm in adding one of the Improved Extend I effects already in game or +1 to a spell focus as a bonus.

Mav, I have to say that I have been very unimpressed with the bonus damage effects other then radiance and mineral. In my opinion they might as well not exist for how rarely they go off.

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

Incineration Guard

Nice.

How much fire damage does this do on a successful proc?

Garth

[Shade]

I don't think the loot is incredible for either casters or melee I mean compared to some of the past raid loot we got

. I mean the sword of shadow in mod1 or madstone boots in mod4 - they were an incredible melee items, way better then any raidthing melee can get in mod5 or 6.. And the reaver napkin in mod4 or the powerdrain gloves in mod6 - awesome items in many ways even superior to the SP items we got now in mod6..

So yea overal the quality of the loot is down, but the selection is up.

And really I don't think casters should of gotten the best overall selection or most varied either considering overall the last few mods raid loot was far better for casters:
Mod 5 - Abbot.. Heavy caster raid which needs allot of casters to suceed and has awesome caster loot: Powerstore staff, Powerdrain gloves, nice combustion necklace.. Vs whats there for melee? Nothing really interesting.. A sword thats really situational and geared mainly for paladins only. Meh. And the littany of the dead ofcourse - but thats great for any class. Then all the other items were pretty subpar so who cares.. So casters win 3 to 1 there. (well won - past tenses considering that loot is pretty much unavailable now)
Mod4 - Reaver. Well semi balanced.. Got the napkin and dreamspitter for casters vs the madstoon boots and shield for melee. Then a few other mostly token use melee weps.. and the head of good fortune which works for anyone, but overall better for casters as they benefit from the saves and umd more.. Vs melee prefering the trinket slot for the bloodstone. So overall 2 to 2 there.
Mod3 - Casters raid again. Most groups will not even attempt it without some casters.. Best loots: Greenblade, Staff of arcane power and the torc.. All caster stuff. The other things that are decent are non-class specific: Jerky, Googles, Ring, etc. Nothing really straight melee geared aside from the chaosblade which again is very limited to aspecific class and alignmenet (generally chaotic fighters that like the khopesh) So 3 to nothing for casters on that one.

So yea melee deserve some better raid loot considering past results.

[Guildmaster_Kadish]

Mod3 - Casters raid again. Most groups will not even attempt it without some casters.. Best loots: Greenblade, Staff of arcane power and the torc.. All caster stuff.

Ummmm... No. Do you even play a caster? The Torc isn't bad, but I have a battlecaster who is often in the thick of things and I only see it trigger about three times in a quest for 20-30 mana each time. It's alright in a pinch if you need the mana for one more haste, but it really isn't all that spectacular when compared with other raid loot (Pouch, Chaosblade). As for the Greenblade and the Staff, they are both flat out BAD. Melee's have FAR more good loot from the DQ than casters: The Glasses for TS, the Chaosblade, the Bracers (yes casters can use them but they are far more useful for a melee)...

You also mentioned the Abbot. Once again, the items you listed as "good" are really quite mediocre, except for the Litany of the Dead, which as you mentioned, can be used for anyone. The Staff simply doesn't do much for taking up two hands (relieving most casters of their SR weapon, or their damage weapon, or both). The gloves simply don't do a whole lot, and the most wizards have better necklaces and better combustion items (the only useful thing about the necklace is the clicky, which only allows a fast-casting sorc maybe 3 spells tops). For the melee's you have the only slashing banisher that drops, as well as sharing the Litany with everyone else.

Mod4 as you say is fairly balanced; wizards have the cloak, all casters get the dreamspitter, anyone can use the head, and fighters get the boots and shield.

So by NO means have fighters EVER gotten shafted in raid loot. Especially if you consider the dragon, in which there was literally no useful loot for casters. The Titan was reasonably balanced, casters get the gloves, fighters get the ring. Raid loot has always been reasonably well balanced between casters and fighters (and yes I play both).

Regarding your other point (that Shroud raid loot is somehow worse), just imagine you were back before Mod6. Someone tells you that you could get +3 stacking to ANY stat, or a greatsword whose DPS is higher than the SoS with only the first upgrade (granted, SoS might be slightly higher than a +5 Holy GSGS in the hand of a barbarian). Or you could upgrade this weapon with Acid, +4 AC, and transmuting and slicing. Or electric and get a small chance of a 600+ point lightning blast. Or, as a sorceror, you could get an item that singlehandedly gives you 600 sp. And those are just a few of the options. The raid loot in the Shroud is EASILY comparable to past loot, and depending on the effect, can be quite a bit better. A helm with 45 stacking hp, +5 prot, and heavy fort? No problem.

Anyhow, just my two coppers.

P.S. I think that Shroud raid loot as it is is reasonably well balanced as well. Fighters get way better third tier effects, but casters can benefit much more from +3 stacking to a stat and from the stacking hp and sp.

Master Kadish

[Vienemen]

It would have been nice to at least have one tier 3 bonus effect from dual shards on a weapon for casters. I dont consider % on hit enervation or non stacking 20% concealment as making the cut.

Some would say hard to please, but I think most people here would consider 1 special effect for casters available on weapons as not being a very selfish request.