Any advice from pale masters?

[Fluffyburrito]

I'm a new player and I've been looking at some of the pale master stuff for wizards using the character creation tool, and I got to say, it looks like a blast. I don't see many players using it though... is it nerfed in some way in terms of damage? Also, I can't really tell what the "negative energy spells" are and how pale masters are supposed to use being healed by negative energy to their advantage. Also, are their any particular builds that are recommended?

[Angelus_dead]

I'm a new player and I've been looking at some of the pale master stuff for wizards using the character creation tool, and I got to say, it looks like a blast. I don't see many players using it though... is it nerfed in some way in terms of damage? Also, I can't really tell what the "negative energy spells" are and how pale masters are supposed to use being healed by negative energy to their advantage. Also, are their any particular builds that are recommended?

Pale Master is currently a failure of game design, with a bunch of weak abilities that may sound good to people who don't know better. But the developers will try to improve it in the future.

You might like this thread to learn about what the problems are: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=237466

The new version will include some arcane negative spells, deathward resistance, stronger skeles, inflict potions, and other improvements.

[jwdaniels]

My friend currently runs a pale master, doesn't use firewall, and is one of the more effective wizards that I've run with.

What server are you on?

[timewalker]

its not QUITE as bad as people make it out to be, the pets are a dismal failure currently, if you are looking at going pale master just get the 3 teirs and lich form for monsterious necro dc's.

hopeing for improvements though 2 feats + wayy too many action points for the full PrE atm

[DarkAlchemist]

its not QUITE as bad as people make it out to be, the pets are a dismal failure currently, if you are looking at going pale master just get the 3 teirs and lich form for monsterious necro dc's.

hopeing for improvements though 2 feats + wayy too many action points for the full PrE atm

100% agree as this is what I did since I tried the pre on Lamannia.

[Rakian_Knight]

I don't know about the new stuff comming with U5, however I do believe that Pale Master is a good PrE if you simply don't be dumb with how you play. My pale master doesn't deal a ton of damage, if fact I only prepare Chill Touch, Magic Missle, Frost Lance, Force Missle, and Polar Ray as the only damaging spells. However, what I lack in damage I make up for in other ways. Mainly because I looked at what would be good to work with the weaknesses of necromancy spells. Necromacy works almost solely with fortitude so I went with Enchantments as well. I use FoD and Wail to elimate the weaker enemies and Dominate or Mass Charm spells to deal with the tanks. Hold spells also become a good friend because imagine all your DPS friends now getting auto-crits on all the tanks you couldn't take out with a Finger of Death or Wail.

The only down sides to this is that on bosses you can't do too much besides weaken the bosses saves and to hit however, it always feels good when you run around and Finger of Death a red named boss. The other thing that you will need to focus on is by passing Spell Resistance since 90% of your spells will need to.

This is how I play but it isn't the only way

~Rakian_Knight

[LunaCee]

it always feels good when you run around and Finger of Death a red named boss.

You CANNOT insta-kill red or purple named mobs. You talking orange named rares? That is doable. Red name and above are immune to that thing because of this little thing known as blanket immunities.

[oweieie]

You CANNOT insta-kill red or purple named mobs. You talking orange named rares? That is doable. Red name and above are immune to that thing because of this little thing known as blanket immunities.

Blanket immunities that aren't actually applied. Explorer rares generally aren't immune to anything, some quest red names don't have the immunities you'd expect such as the "masters of earth" in SoS being stunnable etc. and optional red names in quests often don't have immunities either.

[Angelus_dead]

Blanket immunities that aren't actually applied. Explorer rares generally aren't immune to anything, some quest red names don't have the immunities you'd expect such as the "masters of earth" in SoS being stunnable etc. and optional red names in quests often don't have immunities either.

Explorer rares are not red named.
The Master of Earth in SOS displays the word "Immune" and a splash of blue/white pixels in response to stunning attempts. There is only one creature of that name, not "masters".
Optional red names are immune to instakill.

[Rakian_Knight]

You CANNOT insta-kill red or purple named mobs. You talking orange named rares? That is doable. Red name and above are immune to that thing because of this little thing known as blanket immunities.

Maybe at higher levels they get immunities but if you are ever favor running, you can instantly kill bosses.

What I'm more refering to might be orange named bosses, mini-bosses, like The Giant Skeleton in Tomb of the Blighted (Trap the Soul is the best) and the Named Ogre Mages that drop the keys in Let the Sleeping Dust Lie.

If I typed something wrong.... SSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

[timewalker]

No you are Partially right, the orgres for example are orange named bosses as are some end bosses of lower lvl quests which you may have been running for favor.

typo's happen

[ddoer]

I tested PM on the test server briefly. It has improved a lot, especially because

• added Necrotic Ray - it's low in dmg but it is suppose to be able to cycle with Necrotic touch so you could deal consistent damage in close range like a low-end melee.
• Harm scroll is available - not sure how easy to obtain, but at least there is a way for your grind collectables for harm scrolls that address the need of self-healing in undead form. You probably need UMD to use it, however.

imho, as long as a full neg energy spec wiz can't out-damage (or at least get close to) a full fire/cold spec wiz, any pale master still should specialize in fire/cold and try to get as much negative damage as possible. PM3 is too expensive due to the Wizard Intelligence III and Wizard Energy of the Scholar III requirement and it justify for the +10% damage and +3% crit chance. I would spend the action points in the following way:

• max improved max/emp/quicken - total 36 points
• max fire/cold dmg/crit chance/multipler - total 22 points (58 accumulated)
• wiz int1,2 and spell point 1,2 and racial toughness 1 - total 10 points (68 accumulated)
• PM 1,2 - total 6 points (74 accumulated)
• for the remain 6 points, you may put in any of scroll mastery (non-WF)/force amp (WF), spell pen 1, racial toughness 2, Lich form

Except when you run out of mana (and not able to regen or use mana pots), I can't tell of necrotic ray and touch have practical value in actual quests. they are definitely not useful on epic, and actually, the whole necromancy school is not useful for epic. The above action point arrangement is the best i could make without making my wiz too gimp'd

My friend currently runs a pale master, doesn't use firewall, and is one of the more effective wizards that I've run with.

What server are you on?

You should play with more people ... and better people.

[Bogenbroom]

I have a variety of wizards and I like my Pale Master. I basically had to give up a lot in terms of acid and force damage to get it as it takes a LOT of AP to deck out.

My PM, though, is not as powerful or flexible as a straight wiz *but* its is MUCH better at insta-kill stuff. For example, I'd much rather eardweller farm on my PM then on one of my reg wizzies.

Also, PM is up for a minor revamp in U5, along with the addition of spells that actually use his bonuses.

Regarding Red mobs... No, insta-kill does not work on them. In explorer areas, generally rares are orange names, not red, at least until you get to RR. So Orange in the Vale, Red in RR.

[Gulnar13]

You want advices on how to play a pale master?

1. Don't summon the pale-master pets. If you want summon something, summon the Hezrou.
2. Unless you're a very high UMD fleshy/self-repairing WF, avoid using necrotic touch.
3. Avoid using necrotic touch at all if the enemy is capable of dealing high spikes of melee damage or if has any kind of cleave/melee aoe.
4. Be VERY wary when you go lich-form.
5. Don't say loud that you're a pale master.

Indeed, our craft is a dark one.