The List of Vague and Incorrect Descriptions

[Borror0]

This thread will list all the in-game descriptions that are either unhelpful by being too vague, or incorrect, or by giving false information.

This is done for the following reasons:

• Serve of reference to players
• Inform the developer as to which descriptions need to be fixed or more detailed
• Perhaps get answers to some of our questions

List is divided by category and each category will have its own post.

The five categories are:

• Enhancements
• Feats
• Items
• Skills
• Spells

If you believe that any description is missing from the list, then please post what it is and I will add it to the list. I will also add a link to the answer, if known, so this list will be also usable to find quick answers to information not found in the Compendium.

[Borror0]

Barbarian Death Frenzy:

• The mouse over on the buff bar and in the examination window reads "OMG You are so angry!"

Barbarian Frenzied Berserker:

• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Barbarian Might:

• Amount by which our glancing blows damage is improved.
• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Defensive Stance:

• Missing bonus type for the increased hate generation

Fighter Kensai <Specific Weapon> Mastery I & II:

• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Fighter Stalwart Defender:

• Amount of DR when actively blocking -- Player answer: +2 DR per tier
• Amount of AC when actively blocking -- Player answer: +1 AC per tier
• Maximum Dexterity Bonus increase unclear -- Player answer

Frenzied Berserker II-III:

• Incorrectly states to grant a +1 bonus to critical multiplier while raging when the bonus is only limited to critical hits on a natural 19 or 20.

Kensai: Power Surge

• Does not mention the duration-- Player answer: One minute per charge

Human Versatility:

• Shows an hexagonal icon which suggests it's a passive enhancement but it's actually an active ability

Paladin Defender of Siberys I:

• Amount of AC when actively blocking

Paladin Defender of Siberys II:

• Missing bonus type for the 25% increased hate generation

Paladin Defender of Siberys III:

• Explanation of how our defensive auras are improved -- Player answer: +1 to Aura of Good's saves and AC bonus

Paladin Divine Righteousness I:

• Missing bonus type for the 100% increased hate generation

Paladin Hunter of the Dead:

• Percentage of healing amplification -- Player answer: 10% Healing Amplification per rank
• Percentage of negative energy absorption

Ranger Master of Archery:

• Alacrity bonus type.
• Quantifying the bonus to attack speed.

Ranger Tempest III

• Does not list whether to attack is a main hand or off-hand one
• While not necessary, mentioning at which swing it is would be nice

Rogue Cheat Death:

• Percentage to resurrect.
• Formula by which the chance to resurrect is decreased at each death.

Rogue Subtle Backstabbing:

• Missing bonus type for the reduction to aggro generation

Rogue Thief-Acrobat II:

• Attack speed bonus type.
• Quantifying the bonus to attack speed.
• Movement rate bonus type.
• Can still get tripped by minotaurs

Touch of Death:

• Does not mention it only works when unarmed.

Warforged Greater Weapon Aptitude:

• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Wind Stance (Lesser, Normal, Greater, Ultimate):

• Attack speed bonus.
• Attack speed bonus type.
• Constitution penalty.
• Dexterity bonus.
• Dexterity bonus type.

All of these question on Wind stances were answered by Eladrin, here.

[Borror0]

Aura of Good:

• Mistakenly says the bonus applies against evil foes when it applies against all foes, regardless of alignment.

Combat Expertise:

• Incorrectly uses "up to 5 of your attack bonus" as the penalty is static (always -5)

Defensive Fighting:

• Doesn't mention the size of the penalty to attack rolls -- Player answer: -4 to attack rolls
• Doesn't mention the size of the AC bonus -- Player answer: +2 to AC

Defensive Roll:

• Percentage (or amount) of health at which the feat start working
• Percentage of chance to avoid damage

Deflect Arrows:

• Frequency at which the effect occurs

Evasion:

• Does not mention that it only works when wearing light or no armor

Favored Enemy (Vermin):

• Incorrectly shows a rat in its icon. Rats are animals, not vermin.

Greater Two Handed Fighting:

• Number of additional glancing blows.
• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Greater Two Weapon Fighting:

• Number of attacks added -- Player answer: Adds an extra offhand hook on your first and fourth animation.

Improved Feint:

• No mention of the duration

Improved Shield Mastery:

• What type of damage absorption? -- Player answer: Damage Reduction
• How much DR? -- Player answer: +3 DR while blocking

Improved Two Handed Fighting:

• To-hit bonus to glancing blows.
• Damage bonus to glancing blows.
• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Improved Two Weapon Fighting:

• Number of attacks added -- Player answer: Adds an extra offhand hook on your third animation.

Quickdraw:

• Attack speed increase on thrown
• Does not say that it reduces the activation time of certain abilities (like Intimidate or Action boosts)

Quicken Spell:

• Says that spellcasting cannot be interrupted by any attacks, which is false

Quivering Palm:

• Does not mention the cost -- Player answer: 30 Ki
• Does not mention the formula for the DC -- Player answer: DC 10 + monk level/2 + wisdom mod
• Does not mention it only works when unarmed.

Rapid Shot:

• Attack speed increase on ranged weapons
• Weapons affected -- Codog's answer: Bow, Thrown, Crossbow, Repeating Crossbow

Rapid Reload:

• Attack speed increase on crossbows weapons

Resilience:

• Doesn't mention the size of the penalty to attack rolls -- Player answer: -4 to attack rolls
• Doesn't mention the size of the bonus to saves -- Player answer: +4 to saves

Shield Mastery:

• What type of damage absorption? -- Player answer: Damage Reduction
• How much DR? -- Player answer: +3 DR while blocking

Stunning Fist:

• Does not mention the formula for the DC -- Player answer: DC 10 + monk level/2 + wisdom mod
• Does not list duration -- Player answer: 6 seconds.
• Does not mention it only works when unarmed.

Suggestion (bard ability):

• Compendium incorrectly lists duration as 30s
• In-game description lists 51s on high level bard even though the duration is longer than that

Two Handed Fighting:

• To-hit bonus to glancing blows.
• Damage bonus to glancing blows.
• Amount by which the chance of producing special weapon effects on glancing blows increases by.

Two Weapon Fighting:

• By how the penalty is reduced -- Player answer: The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6.
• Does not mention that it allows unarmed monks to fight as if they were dual wielding

[Borror0]

Air Savant:

• Better named "Air Savant Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the increased chance of critical hits with electricity spells
• Missing bonus type of the increased electricity spell critical multiplier damage

Anger's Wrath:

• Better named "Anger's Wrath Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the bonus to to-hit

Arcane Archer:

• Better named "Arcane Archer Set" for clarity
• "When both items are equipped your ranged alacrity will be increased by 10%. This is a competence bonus." should be rephrased as "When both items are equipped, the set grants a +10% Competence bonus to ranged alacrity."

Archivist:

• Better named "Archivist Wrath Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the bonus to spell points

Archmage:

• Better named "Archmage Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the increased chance of critical hits with spells
• Missing bonus type of the increased critical multiplier damage

Assassin:

• Percent chance of applying negative level
• Better named "Assassin Set" for clarity
• Missing size of bonus to attack and damage with sneak attacks
• Missing type of bonus to attack and damage with sneak attacks
• Missing type of reduction to threat

Backstabbing:

• Missing bonus type for the bonus to damage
• Missing bonus type for the bonus to to-hit

Concordant Opposition:

• No mention of the proc rate - Eladrin's answer: 4%
• No mention of the amount of temporary hit points gained or of spell points recovered

Crippling

• The wording is unclear as to whether it stacks with other penalty to movement speed

Curespewing:

• Duration is missing missing -- Player answer: 1 minute
• Mistakenly lists the penalty as typed (morale penalty) although the penalty stacks with other sources of "morale penalty"

Deepwood Sniper:

• Better named "Deepwood Sniper Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type to ranged alacrity
• Missing bonus type to to-hit
• "a +2 bonus to hit" is improper DDO grammar. It should say "a +2 bonus to to-hit" or "a +2 bonus to attack rolls."

Dusk:

• Poorly worded way to say it's a concealment bonus.

Improved Curespewing:

• Duration is missing missing -- Player answer: 1 minute
• Mistakenly lists the penalty as typed (morale penalty) although the penalty stacks with other sources of "morale penalty"

Earth Savant:

• Better named "Earth Savant Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the increased chance of critical hits with acid spells
• Missing bonus type of the increased acid spell critical multiplier damage

Fire Savant:

• Better named "Fire Savant Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the increased chance of critical hits with fire spells
• Missing bonus type of the increased fire spell critical multiplier damage

Improved Destruction:

• Duration is missing missing -- Player answer: 1 minute
• Decreases AC by 4, not 8.

Improved Roaring:

• DC to resist fear effect is missing -- Player answer: 28 DC will save
• Duration is missing missing -- Player answer: 1 minute
• Does not mention the reoccurring save at every 6 seconds.

Jorgundal's Collar:

• Missing bonus type -- Player Answer: Enhancement bonus

Lesser Vampirism:

• Amount of HP drained per hit - Player answer: 1 HP per hit

Levik's Defender (set):

• Better named "Levik's Defender Set" or similar for clarity
• Doesn't mention +1 Fortitude and Will Save (stacks with resistance , morale and luck)

Ninja Spy:

• Better named "Ninja Spy Set" for clarity
• Missing size of bonus to attack and damage with sneak attacks
• Missing type of bonus to attack and damage with sneak attacks
• Missing type of reduction to threat

Paralyzing:

• Incorrectly states it paralyzes the target; it dazes the target
• Unintuitive name. Should be called Dazing, instead
• Does not mention the interval at which saves are made
• "every several seconds" is not proper English, if you are to be purposely vague, at least say "every few seconds"

Roaring:

• DC to resist fear effect is missing -- Player answer: 25 DC will save
• Duration is missing missing -- Player answer: 1 minute

Set Bonus (Arcane Mind):

• Better named "Arcane Mind Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the bonus to first level effectiveness
• "will increase the effectiveness" is too vague for a newcomer. Better to say "will increase the damage dealt by your spells"

Set Bonus (Troubleshooter's):

• Better name would be "Troubleshooter's Set Bonus" to differentiate itself from other set bonuses
• Does not mention the bonus type to Open Lock and Disable Device
• Does not mention the bonus type to saves --Player answer: Insight bonus
• "to Fortitude, Reflex and Willpower saves" is needlessly wordy and could be replaced by "to all saves"

Silver Flame Lesser Healing Potion

• Claims to heal 250 HP when it only heals 100 HP

Slowburst:

• The wording is unclear as to whether it stacks with other penalty to movement speed
• Does not list the speed reduction

Spell Failure:

• Should be renamed to "Arcane Spell Failure" as "Spell Failure" incorrectly suggests that divine spells are also affected

Sundering Ooze Guard

• Chance of AC decrease -- Player answer: Estimated to be around 20%
• Does not list the DC to resist the AC reducing effect -- Player answer: 40 Fortitude
• Does not mention the penalty type -- Player answer: Unknown but stacks with Sunder
• Amount of AC decrease -- Player answer: 5 AC
• Chance of summoning an Ooze -- Player answer: Estimated to be around 1%
• Does not even mention the duration -- Player answer: 24 seconds

Tharne's Wrath:

• Missing bonus type for the reduction to aggro generation

Treason:

• Missing bonus type for the reduction to aggro generation

Vampirism:

• Amount of HP drained per hit

Vicious:

• The damage dealt to the player is affected by Dungeon Scaling (when applicable) and thus the player may or may not get inflicted 1d3

Water Savant:

• Better named "Water Savant Set" for clarity
• Missing bonus type of the increased chance of critical hits with cold spells
• Missing bonus type of the increased cold spell critical multiplier damage

[Borror0]

Bluff:

• No mention of the duration of the effect
• Does not mention it a single target effect
• Does not mention that there is an animation

Concentration:

• Does not mention its importance for the monk class
• Does not mention the DC -- Player answer: 10 + damage dealt + level of spell being cast

Haggle:

• Does not mention the percentage of improvement -- Player answer: 0.25% per rank

Heal:

• Amount of hit points healed when rest -- Player answer: 10+3*(level+highest Heal score among nearby party member)
• Does not indicate the DC to restore an incapacitated characters -- Player answer: DC 21

Intimidate:

• Does not mention the size of the bonus or penalty for monster of different size then you -- Player answer: +4 or -4 for each size category under or above you

Repair:

• Does not indicate the DC to restore disabled Warforged characters -- Player answer: DC 21
• Amount of hit points healed when rest -- Player answer: 10+3*(highest Repair score among nearby party member)

Tumble:

• Does not indicate it reduces falling damage

Use Magical Device:

• The percentage of activation is always 5% lower than reality on the display for scrolls and wands.

[Borror0]

Blur:

• Does not list the bonus type -- Player answer: Concealment bonus

Cure Light Wounds:

• Incorrectly states that the spells heals for 1d8 hit points +1 per caster level, when the dice is 1d6+2 hit points +1 per caster level

Cure Moderate Wounds:

• Incorrectly states that the spells heals for 2d8 hit points +1 per caster level, when the dice is 2d6+4 hit points +1 per caster level

Cure Serious Wounds:

• Incorrectly states that the spells heals for 3d8 hit points +1 per caster level, when the dice is 3d6+6 hit points +1 per caster level

Displacement:

• Does not list the bonus type -- Player answer: Concealment bpnus

Divine Favor:

• Does not indicate that the bonus caps at +3

Expeditious retreat:

• Lists 20% speed bonus when no change was listed in Release Notes (should be 25%)

Fireball:

• Incorrectly states that the damage is 1d6 per caster level, when the correct damage is 1d3+3 per caster level

Grease:

• Does not mention it affects party members

Haste:

• Provides a bonus to movement speed but does not list the size or bonus type of the bonus.
• Does not even mention existence of said bonus to movement speed

Holy Aura:

• Incorrectly state to affect allies like it. Only affects self.
• Incorrectly types the save bonus a resistance bonus, but it stacks with resistance.
• Incorrectly states that it wards characters against enchantment and charm spells.
• Enchantment and charm spells is redundant since all charm spells are enchantments.

Holy Sword:

• Does not mention that the weapon created is also Silver and Byeshk on top of being +5 Holy Cold Iron.

Implosion:

• No mention of the frequency at which the death effect occurs
• Incorrectly states that it does not affect incorporeal creatures
• Incorrectly states that Spell Resistance does not apply

Magic Missile:

• Incorrectly states that the damage is 1d4+1 per missile, when the correct damage is 1d2+3 per missile

Meteor Swarm:

• Extremely vague description giving no information

Niac's Cold Ray:

• Incorrectly states that the damage is 1d10 per caster level, when the correct damage is 1d6+4 per caster level

Scorching Ray:

• Incorrectly states that the damage is 4d6 per ray, when the correct damage is 1d8+16 per ray

Shadow Walk

• Doesn't mention type nor magnitude of the speed bonus.
• Doesn't mention type nor magnitude of the miss chance bonus.
• Doesn't mention the visual limitation.

[wiglin]

This is a great post idea. We have way too many abstract descriptions in this game.

[FluffyCalico]

"incorrect, or by giving false information" agree those need to go.



As for too vague well that's more of a point of view. I do not agree here.

[Borror0]

As for too vague well that's more of a point of view. I do not agree here.

Well, the point is to list it and if the developer feel the description needs to be more elaborated then they will.

Otherwise, well they won't.

[Kraldor]

None of the TWF feats are clear on what they do.

Two Weapon Fighting - Reduces the penalty for fighting with two weapons. By how much?
Improved/Greater Two Weapon Fighting - Increases the number of attacks when fighting with two weapons. What size increase?

Also,
(Improved) Shield Mastery - Increases the amount of damage you can absorb when defending with a shield. What size increase?
Rapid Reload - You reload a crossbow faster than normal. How much faster?
Rapid Shot - You can fire ranged attacks faster and reload faster when using a ranged weapon. How much faster?
Quick Draw - You can change armors faster, have less of a combat delay when changing weapons, and can draw and fire throwing weapons more rapidly. .....once again, how much faster?

[Borror0]

None of the TWF feats are clear on what they do.

Good point. Added.

Two Weapon Fighting - Reduces the penalty for fighting with two weapons. By how much?
Improved/Greater Two Weapon Fighting - Increases the number of attacks when fighting with two weapons. What size increase?

• Two Weapon Fighting: The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6.
• Improved Two Weapon Fighting: Adds an extra offhand hook on your third animation.
• Greater Two Weapon Fighting: Adds an extra offhand hook on your first and fourth animation.

[Borror0]

(Improved) Shield Mastery - Increases the amount of damage you can absorb when defending with a shield. What size increase?

Good catch. Each are a +3 DR active boost.

[Kraldor]

• Two Weapon Fighting: The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6.

It should probably be mentioned that TWF also enables the first extra attack hook for handwraps. But that's more of an unmentioned effect than a vague one.

[Borror0]

It should probably be mentioned that TWF also enables the first extra attack hook for handwraps. But that's more of an unmentioned effect than a vague one.

Still worthy of notice. I didn't even know that. I assume TWF steals one away from GTWF?

That would make sense and balance out GTWF a little (and help TWF being effective earlier, which not a bad thing).

[Kraldor]

Defensive Fighting - While using Defensive Fighting mode, you trade attack bonus for a small AC bonus. Casting a spell ends this mode.

Doesn't mention the numbers - -4 to hit +2 to AC

[Aesop]

Still worthy of notice. I didn't even know that.

Now you know... and knowing... is about as cliche as I get

Aesop

[Kraldor]

Still worthy of notice. I didn't even know that. I assume TWF steals one away from GTWF?

That would make sense and balance out GTWF a little (and help TWF being effective earlier, which not a bad thing).

It doesn't "steal away" an attack from GTWF (I'm not even sure what you mean there tbh)

If you use handwraps without TWF feat, the first attack animation is one attack hook. You only get the extra attack hook on the first animation if you take TWF. This is different than using two weapons, which still gives you an extra attack on the first animation regardless of whether you have the TWF feat or not.

[Borror0]

Defensive Fighting - While using Defensive Fighting mode, you trade attack bonus for a small AC bonus. Casting a spell ends this mode.

Doesn't mention the numbers - -4 to hit +2 to AC

You're on a roll today. Added.

[Borror0]

It doesn't "steal away" an attack from GTWF (I'm not even sure what you mean there tbh).

Oh, ya. I get it now.

What I meant was that GTWF grants an extra attack hook on the first animation. I thought the developers moved that extra attack swing from GTWF to TWF. It would make sense in that it would make TWF better at low levels (currently, it's better to stay S&B until level 6).

Added.

[Kraldor]

You're on a roll today. Added.

Yeah I just took a quick peek through the list of feats-

Resilience - While using Resilience mode, you trade attack bonus and half of your damage for a bonus to saves. Casting a spell ends this mode.
Doesn't mention what the penalty is to hit and what the bonus to saves is.

Improved Feint - A melee attack which also Bluffs enemies, enabling sneak attacks for a short period of time.
Duration?