Could we get a better special attack for Storm stance?

[QuantumFX]

Good Morning Devs,

Since the release of Mod 8 I've been slowly levelling up my “I hope Eladrin’s feat coding skills are up to the task of completing Whriling Steel Strike!” build. During this time I've been reintroduced to the fact that the stance based special attacks (ex. Eagle Claw, Unbalancing Strike) can be used to open up finishers. This is great except for one small problem: Air stance has no melee attacks you can use for this purpose!

In order to match the current theme of the special attacks I would like to propose the addition of an air attack that mimics the generic trip feat but uses the (10 + Monk Level + Wisdom Bonus) formula to calculate the trip DC. This would be useful for DEX based characters and give STR based monks more options to trip.

[TreknaQudane]

Good Morning Devs,

Since the release of Mod 8 I've been slowly levelling up my “I hope Eladrin’s feat coding skills are up to the task of completing Whriling Steel Strike!” build. During this time I've been reintroduced to the fact that the stance based special attacks (ex. Eagle Claw, Unbalancing Strike) can be used to open up finishers. This is great except for one small problem: Air stance has no melee attacks you can use for this purpose!

In order to match the current theme of the special attacks I would like to propose the addition of an air attack that mimics the generic trip feat but uses the (10 + Monk Level + Wisdom Bonus) formula to calculate the trip DC. This would be useful for DEX based characters and give STR based monks more options to trip.

In theory, if mobs actually had penalty checks, you'd just use unbalancing strike followed by a trip.

That'd be Half Monk Level by the way to match the other two

[QuantumFX]

In theory, if mobs actually had penalty checks, you'd just use unbalancing strike followed by a trip.

That'd be Half Monk Level by the way to match the other two

But then I'd be well on my way to the Raging Sea or Aligning the Heavens rather than the Gathering Storm or Dance of Clouds. The elemental attacks lose their luster after 5th level. Debuffs aren't as bad of an alternative.

[Gadget2775]

In theory, if mobs actually had penalty checks, you'd just use unbalancing strike followed by a trip.

That'd be Half Monk Level by the way to match the other two

Mobs do suffer penalty checks...One that I know of for certain is invisibility. Which applies a negative modifier to opponents spot check.

Beyond that Unbalancing Strike isn't really a trip effect. It should be applying a -10 penalty to balance which **EDIT** doesn't **/EDIT** help trip attempts...Instead it determines how quickly you return to your feet.

To the OP: I like the idea of a Trip style elemental attack being added to the Air Stance. Probably level two to match the other elements. The current enhancement Ten Thousand Stars just doesn't really do it for me. It's application is severely limited, specifically by the lack of decent numbers of Shuriken. No vendors available to purchase, rare even as Monk class rewards and the odds of getting a good returner are just miserable.

[TreknaQudane]

To the OP: I like the idea of a Trip style elemental attack being to the Air Stance. Probably level two to match the other elements. The current enhancement Ten Thousand Stars just doesn't really do it for me. It's application is severely limited, specifically by the lack of decent numbers of Shuriken. No vendors available to purchase, rare even as Monk class rewards and the odds of getting a good returner are just miserable.

I'm pretty sure mobs make Balance checks to get tripped not stat checks like us.

[Gadget2775]

I'm pretty sure mobs make Balance checks to get tripped not stat checks like us.

I'll try to do some testing over the next couple days to verify one way or the other.

Beyond that I use unbalancing strike regularly and have never noticed (Doesn't mean it's fact as I haven't bothered to record results....) an increase in how often the mobs get tripped, only in how long they stay down.

**EDIT** It would also be very strange for the game code to check the mobs balance skill against trip attempts as it would require some very carefull coding to ensure players didn't end up working the same way. Very easy to get a coding bug if they both call to the "balance" skill. **/EDIT**

[MrCow]

I'm pretty sure mobs make Balance checks to get tripped not stat checks like us.

Monsters use a stat check (STR or DEX, whichever is higher) to resist the initial trip and a balance check to get up. I did testing on this about a year ago when I was uncovering the stats of Flesh Renders and noticed that they would nearly always go "FWUMP!" on the ground after I sapped them of their physical stats but the threshold DC for keeping them on the ground didn't change.

The larger issue is that monsters have an unchangable skill value. Their Spot, Listen, Balance, Move Silently, and Hide can never change. Stat damage doesn't change it, Bestow Curse doesn't change it, Greater Heroism doesn't change it, etc. Due to this, the -10 balance check aspect of Unbalancing Strike is only useful against player characters.

[Gadget2775]

Thanks for the confirmation MrCow...Just to ask have you checked negative skill penalties since mod 8 went live?

Side note and totally off topic...Checked your catalog the other day for information on Living Spells but didn't find them...If your interested I went out and did some testing on my own to determine stats etc...

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=164826

[MrCow]

Just to ask have you checked negative skill penalties since mod 8 went live?

Module 7, yes.

Module 8, no. I can check later in the week though.

[Gadget2775]

Module 7, yes.

Module 8, no. I can check later in the week though.

You sir, are "Da Bomb"

[MrCow]

Just to ask have you checked negative skill penalties since mod 8 went live?

I checked this weekend in Rainbow in the Dark (checking listen thresholds with curses and balance checks with a mix of different STR checks and unbalancing strike). Skills are still static and unchangeable on monsters.