anyone had much success with the spell Slow?

[drachine]

seems like when it's cast on me it's quite effective if i don't have haste. was wondering what you guys' take on this spell was. i remember for a time it was not working.

[Angelus_dead]

seems like when it's cast on me it's quite effective if i don't have haste.

It's a debuff, so it's naturally more effective on players than on monsters.

There are only 6 players, but maybe 100-200 monsters, so casting Slow once can hit 100% of your team, or 5% of their team.

Because monsters normally lose their first fight, debuffs cast on them don't last enough to be much use. But a debuff on players can last through several rooms worth of monsters. Slow is additionally damaging to players because their survival may depend on dynamic repositioning, which monsters don't know how to do.

[drachine]

you're saying if i cast it, it can effect members of my own party?

[Angelus_dead]

you're saying if i cast it, it can effect members of my own party?

No. I'm saying that it's a debuff which lasts several minutes, and that's why it bothers you if monsters cast it.

If YOU cast it on monsters, those monsters are killed anyhow within 10-30 seconds, and the rest of the spell does nothing. The penalties are over.
If monsters cast it ON YOU, then you're still alive 30-300 seconds later, and the debuff is still going. The penalties continue.

A debuff spell (like Slow) is only very helpful if the target is going to be alive and fighting for a while. The only DDO monsters that keep fighting for more than a minute are raid bosses, who are immune to Slow. If they weren't immune, then Slow would be good in that situation; instead, some other debuffs become primarily useful in raids (stuff like Exhaustion, Crushing Despair, and Symbol of Weak-Pain).

By their nature, debuff and DPS spells are more useful to mobs, while buff, CC, and kill spells are more useful to players.

[Desteria]

Second to every thing AD said, in thids case he is 100% spot on....

I even played with slow a bit recently sicne i hqad a free level 3 spell when i got level 5 prot elments it;s not worht casting.



Note this is very difrent form PnP where certen badguys = Fight WIN if you land slow on them, ie blue slaads, MAraliths, basicaly any thign with TONES of attacks that dotn neccicarly hit that hard on there own. Does not applie to the mosters that just want to charge and max PA with one BIG hit slow barly touches them.

[Zenako]

I used a Wand of Slow to reasonable effectiveness out in Co6 a while back on my then 7th level Wizard. Would drop/spam the spell on the fights and the melees did take less damage, which is often a problem at those levels when done at challenging settings. (she was mostly a buffer and enchantment wizard at the time and we did not want to have 20 pink hats running the halls with us .

[sephiroth1084]

I've found that it can be useful, but you have to have some foreknowledge: the best fights to use it in are ones that you know will be difficult and will last a while. The problem, though, is that these are few and far between and that many monsters seem to be immune to the effect.

[jddonkeykong]

i think it worthy to note incase anyone does'nt know, keep a remove paralyzation clickie handy or remove para pots because it will remove the effects of slow from you .

[Venar]

The other issue is that for the same about of SP, you can cast a web and have mobs not move at all.
It's still decent on some mephits/elementals. But other CC are just stronger (web, hypno, fogs)

[Memnir]

The only time I've messed around with Slow is on a Wizard. Honestly, it's a pretty feeble spell that is not worth the slot on a Sorc. In my experience, level 3 spells are pretty tight in balancing spells slots vs. use - and Slow is just not effective enough to justify it on a Sorcerer.

[Zenako]

The only time I've messed around with Slow is on a Wizard. Honestly, it's a pretty feeble spell that is not worth the slot on a Sorc. In my experience, level 3 spells are pretty tight in balancing spells slots vs. use - and Slow is just not effective enough to justify it on a Sorcerer.

Even on a Wiz I think I have really only used it from a wand when running lvl 5-8 quests. About the time the mobs start to hit harder and they still do not have great saves even against a wand. Was a better use than just selling it.

[bigj1608]

It works great on giants. I wouldn't use it myself.