On the Couch with Amabel, episode 2 - Othea and Hera

[Amabel]

[It's actually episode 3 - don't suppose a moderator could fix the heading please? edit: c'mon Tolero - you can't expect me to believe you've stopped reading my posts within 10 minutes after they go live - change the title please!]

In this episode of On the Couch with Amabel, we have Herra and Othea, the backbone of Broke Ass Casters and two of the finest clerics in Stormreach.

I've had the pleasure of running with some of Stormreach's most effective healers from the "off peak" crew. Clerics like Enermax, Kenriith, Raylinn and Health, who always seem to have something in reserve and the ability to get a party through all but the most dire lag. I'm happy to say that you two are as good or better than any cleric I've ever had the pleasure to run with, and it's my pleasure to have you on the couch today.

Amabel: There are some fantastic clerics on Khyber, and I've mentioned just a few of the really good ones in the introduction. One thing all of those players have in common is multiple capped clerics. In some cases four or five capped clerics. Do you guys think that playing a healer is a state of mind?

Othea: No! It's about playing smart. Either you waste your mana on healing that squishy fool who only wants that kill count or heal the person/people who are gonna get the job done.

Herra: I think it is. I know when I play one of my tanks I try to think about what the clerics who are healing me have to put up with. Playing a cleric also gave me a different mind set in the game as to not just simply try to kill everything with my old caster but rather keep those "Meat Shields" up and going because then I don't have to kill stuff. There are times I like to pull out a Greatsword and go swing at something with my cleric but not too often anymore. I can also say that playing a cleric can be fun and at the same time be non-stop action.

Amabel: That subtelty you both refer to is interesting, because most of the clerics I mentioned before are very much in the mature adult category, although one is still a teenager, and a woman. What stage of life are you chaps in? I won't ask you to actually reveal your ages, but perhaps you could let us know if you're keen on a fancy surround sound setup or would rather a comfy chair that doesn't hurt your back and that holds your haemorrhoid cushion securely?

Herra: Well currently I would rather have a nice comfy chair but that is due to I have just undergone two major back surgeries over the last months of my life. If I had to say during my normal life, I would rather have the ass kicking sound system.

Othea: Well Amabel, I prefer a surround sound setup blasting some heavy metal while doing a speed VOD run or Shroud.

Amabel: So, how did Broke Ass Casters get started?

Herra: Well, O and I were always playing our cleric’s side by side for months and O created BAC then, the same night, asked me to join and we have been running side by side since then.

Othea: Broke Ass got started when Herra invited my tank to Utopia. I noticed Herra kept on playing his cleric as much as i did and enjoying playing his cleric. A a very good one. So since he invited me to Utopia I decided to return the favor.

Amabel: At one stage, Gtar said that Broke Ass Casters were his biggest customers. How many heal scrolls do you reckon you guys go through in your average week in Stormreach?

Othea: That depends on the difficulty of the quests and raids we run. I don't normally keep track but it's about 1000-1500.

Herra: Same for me, it depends on what I am doing that week. If I am doing one of my 10 shroud run weekends on my cleric, then I can use well over 2000 heal scrolls, but that also includes normal runs I do. I have used up 1500+ in a single run before but that was for a good cause. A normal week I would use around 1200 to 1500.

Amabel: I think I know that run. Yabba still shudders if I bring it up. Anyway, the last couple of mods have introduced some raids that were really tough on clerics until we learned how to run them more efficiently. The Shroud springs to mind. VOD was diabolical and half the server wouldn't take their clerics in for a long time. What do you guys think the most difficult quest to heal in was at the time it came out?

Herra: That is a close call. I would be split down the middle between Shroud or VOD or Enter the Kobold on Elite. Shroud took longer to get past part 4 than VOD because all of the weapons where already in place, but VOD was tough because of those bats. Enter the Kobold on elite with no evasion based toon. (Call me crazy) So Amabel, I really can’t pick one because they all had tough points about them.

Othea: I would have to say VOD. You can't heal people who are cursed! Not to mention mass heal works better when the party is together!

Amabel: Okay, okay, stop shouting at me! What spell is each of you most looking for to in Mod 9?

Herra: I would say either Implosion or Energy Drain. I like the fact I might be able to pay a beholder back for making me waste so many Restore scrolls of people.

Othea: Mass Heal of course.

Amabel: DDO is a wonderful game, sometimes a bit too wonderful. Many of the people reading this interview will have some personal experience with DDO addiction. Have either of you ever had reason to think it was a negative influence in some aspect of your life?

Herra: No I can’t say it has been. I have made some friends in DDO. Some of the friends have left the game but they are still friends none the less. Get back into the game Pantera!

Othea: Not at all Amabel. I've made friends playing DDO. I even took a trip just to meet with a few of them.

Amabel: Did either of you play pen and paper?

Herra: I have played P&P D&D, but I haven’t in the last few years.

Othea: Yes! I did play pen and paper but that was a long time ago.

Now, a lot of people don't like the French. Sure, they have a an inclination towards premature capitulation, which might be forgivable, but they also bombed the Muroa Atoll, sank the Rainbow Warrior, 25% of French women and 40% of men don't change their underwear daily, only 47% of all French bathe daily, and Morgellons disease sufferers say that the disease is caused by the French and that all Evian drinkers are at risk (admiteddly some also say they were infected during alien abduction, but hey, I'll go with it). Who do you guys think the French of Khyber are? [restrict your answers to monsters or NPCs please]

Herra: Well, first off Amabel, who does your research? Would you be willing to sub them out? I might have a job or two for them. I have often wondered about those banker guys from House K. I mean a few of them are in normal dress but they just don’t smell like money or smell quite right. I just always took it as they where drunk and slept with the pig or something, but maybe that isn’t the case. I think I will move my money out of the banking system and let Gtar manage my funds.

Amabel: Finally, the one everyone wants to know. Have you ever thought about Aussie while you were taking a shower?

Othea: That is why I run with Utopia!

Herra: Now Amabel in order for me to answer that question I would have to talk to you off the record. I mean I have already seen her nude, so………

Amabel: Okay, I think I'd better cut you off there Herra, cause I don't think, umm yeah, the bathroom is that way.

Well, thanks for joining me O. Herra seems to have disappeared.