What is the "right" gear?

[freshlysnipes]

I have been playing since September and I think I have decent grasp on most things in the game. Lately I have been reading a couple threads in regards to raids and certain quests and having "the right gear." What exactly constitutes the right gear to have for Shroud and such? I am trying to get a better grasp on some of this and maybe in the process resolve some squishiness issues I have at times.

[KingOfCheese]

Raid bosses have DR (damage resistance) that can cause otherwise well built players to do little to no damage without weapons (or abilities) that compensate for the DR. This makes the players somewhat useless on the most difficult part of the raid.

Devil bosses require two things to overcome the DR: 1) a metal component (silver, metalline) and 2) a good component (holy, good). So a weapon that has both features is needed. MinII crafted weapons are great choices as they have both and other good features. However, a metalline of pure good does just fine. As does a silver holy/pure good. Add a greater bane to any such weapon and it is great.

Demons (DQ) are similar, but the metal component is cold iron rather than silver.

The Abbot (a lich) requires blunt (warhammer, maul, etc.) and holy/pure good (which also work great on undead Sorjek).

[KingOfCheese]

Some trash mobs are also better dealt with by specialty weapons rather than standard dps weapons. A few examples:

1) things with tons of hit points are often more quickly killed by stat damage (wounding/puncturing or weakening/enfeebling or maladroit/bone breaking) or stunning (weighted weapons) than by plinking away with a dps weapon.

2) beholders have very little STR. Going after them with weakening/enfeebling disables their spell effects very quickly.

3) high AC mobs (these are common in epic questing) can be killed more quickly if their AC is lowered--for example using destruction and/or improved destruction weapons.

[KingOfCheese]

In the mid levels 12-17ish, it is also good to have disruptors (for undead), banishers (for outsiders), and smiters (for constructs).

At all available levels, characters should all also have at least one ranged weapon, vorpals, paralyzers (mostly useful at mid levels), and curse or improved curse weapons.

[KingOfCheese]

Additionally, I'd say all characters (casters included) should have good portal beaters. Greater construct bane are great. Those that do additional alignment-based damage (portals are lawful and evil) add a nice boost.

A collection of different great bane weapons is also nice, but not expected. One in particular that is useful are great elemental banes since elementals have heavy fortification (can't be critted) and DR that can't be bypassed.

[Solmage]

Shroud Starting Equipment you should try to get for better shrouding:

- Potions of Remove Poison (grants immunity for 6 mins) or immunity item
- Disease Immunity item
- Weapon that bypasses DR such as:
+ metalline of pure good
+ holy silver of whatever
+ whatever silver of pure good
+ FREE lvl 14 paladin spell, holy sword - use this if you have it!!
- cheap vorpals for trash mobs in part 2
- Decent portal beaters (+1 greater construct banes are already better than most regular holy weapons and such, and not expensive)

Optionally, a Gird if you need GH, scroll if you can umd it - you likely don't NEED GH however. Fear immunity item could work just as well in part1 if you need that.

[KingOfCheese]

Regarding squishiness: add survivability factors.

1) hit points

a) max out your CON (+6 item, exceptional CON if you can get it)
b) get 2nd tier giant hold favor
c) wear a greater false life item
d) get the toughness feat if you don't have it
e) take all hit point granting enhancements
f) craft a shroud hit point item
g) get a Minos helm (+20 hit points)

2) damage mitigation

a) have a heavy fort item (minos helm is a great option)
b) stay buffed (displacement, blur, stoneskin, elemental resists, elemental protect, fire/cold shield) as much as possible either from self-buffing or from party members
c) be able to self heal as much as possible
d) protect yourself against stat damage--carry poison pots, have a disease immunity item (or carry pots); have curse pots

3) tactics

a) if you don't have agro, fight from behind the enemy--you'll take less damage from physical and spell attacks
b) pick your battles--if you can fight one or a few at a time, do so--don't engage an army
c) watch your own health bar--if you are getting low and you aren't getting healed, back out and self heal. Stay moving if you have enemy agro--ideally in a circle so that you stay in healing range of the party healers.

[bunkerhugger]

Looking as Gasolinia I'd say you're not far off on most equipment. Weapons you're set on - holy swords are mucho effective.

Squishiness may be your biggest problem, and quite often that is better addressed by tactics than gear - It's easy for a Paladin to grab hate in the beginning of a fight with smites. Don't do it. Wait until the fighters have grabbed some aggro before chain dropping those smites. If you're using stat damaging weapons you'll pull more hate too. I like to pull back and heal myself or others if my hate level gets too high. It saves the casters mana and gives me a chance to look around see if we're missing something as a party.

Your saves are low, though it might be because you logged out in your haggle gear. If you don't have it a resistance item would help.

[freshlysnipes]

I have a few different great axes that I use. A +5 Frost of pg, +1 Vorpal of pg and a +5 metalline of something among others until i finish my gs great axe. I also dual wield holy long swords, via holy sword spell, when need be.

[moops]

Other things to mitgate Damage in Shroud, TOD part 1(more so on hard and elite), VOD Bats, and Velah Fire Base--Firestorm Greaves, UMD Fireshield/Cold Shield Scrolls, or Ice Cloak or VOD bracers of Glacier (only need to wear long enough for the charge to go off).

Its not always an HP issue, Ive seen 700 - 800 HP non Evasion Barbs die within seconds in part 4 of shroud, the above things will help any non evasion, as well as lower HP evasion toons whom roll a 1 survive if you are pugging alot.

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

Regarding squishiness: add survivability factors.

1) hit points

a) max out your CON (+6 item, exceptional CON if you can get it)
b) get 2nd tier giant hold favor
c) wear a greater false life item
d) get the toughness feat if you don't have it
e) take all hit point granting enhancements
f) craft a shroud hit point item
g) get a Minos helm (+20 hit points)

2) damage mitigation

a) have a heavy fort item (minos helm is a great option)
b) stay buffed (displacement, blur, stoneskin, elemental resists, elemental protect, fire/cold shield) as much as possible either from self-buffing or from party members
c) be able to self heal as much as possible
d) protect yourself against stat damage--carry poison pots, have a disease immunity item (or carry pots); have curse pots

3) tactics

a) if you don't have agro, fight from behind the enemy--you'll take less damage from physical and spell attacks
b) pick your battles--if you can fight one or a few at a time, do so--don't engage an army
c) watch your own health bar--if you are getting low and you aren't getting healed, back out and self heal. Stay moving if you have enemy agro--ideally in a circle so that you stay in healing range of the party healers.

This is an excellent post.

Garth