So we have it - our epic handwraps

[systemstate]

I totally agree with the OP on this. The Mabar items are my first ever "epic" items, and while they're pretty cool and I'm glad to have them... There's just an emotional something missing. I don't really feel like I earned them I suppose.

I mean, it wasn't even a difficult grind. I got everything I needed in just a few hours. Funny how I have yearned for epic items, and now that I have one it almost feels like I cheated.

[Crazyfruit]

They might be easy for you guys, but not everyone has unlimited time & only one character.

I'd want the level 16 (or epic) cloak on all my characters. Wraps on my 2 monks.

I'm not going to get any of them because I have less than 3 hours of playtime between now and the event ending in a couple days.

If it lasted an entire month or something, sure, maybe a bit too easy to get...

[grodon9999]

My Clonk now has Epic Handwraps, took about 4 hours. And to think I'd considered respeccing him for Khopesh . . .

It's absurdly easy, get 'em while they're hot!.

[Nyvn]

I was afraid of that. And, I would presume that managing to get an ill equipped level 8 monk through said raid on said difficulty is really a "silly rabbit, Trix are for kids" kind of option...?

EDIT: Bingo. Thank you, Darkrok.

Epic Tokens are from epic quests that are only accessible to level 20 characters.

[Therilith]

The OP sums up my feelings about the event items nicely.

Except the anti-nerf sentiments, but I guess it's far too late for that.

[Darkrok]

Given the limited time this event is available I don't think it's inappropriate to have epic items available from the event.

Killing the dragon 3 times is not trivial. You will be in some runs that fail simply because the lag is too crippling. If you figure someone plays 3 hours a night Wed-Sun that would be 15 hours. I'd estimate you'd see about 12 dragons in that time (you're not always going to log right in to a dragon,might have to log before it shows up, etc.). Even if we figure over 80% success rate that's 10 dragons. That's a couple epic items and a couple level 16 items. And that's it for a year.

In MMO's, some items are challenging to get due to grind. Some are challenging to get because they're in a difficult raid (not many in DDO though). Some however are challenging to get because they're only available for a limited time. All those choices are valid design decisions. I think the loot from the event is well balance, and I certainly don't feel like I'm having anything handed to me. In this case, I'm having to race to get the epics I want. We don't have many sprints in DDO but this is one.

[Taimasan]

Yea, the wraps are tight. Ive had the light bursting effect go off like crazy!!! Even if you don't bypass DR on normal difficulty im starting to wonder if they are better than devouts on normal. For us small percentage of monks that are still dark =).

[slimkj]

Even in a full group of 20s it took me 2 full nights of grinding to get enough motes to make the handwraps (well and to buy a lich dust for making them).

Oh the motes didn't take long once I got the hang of it, I meant getting the epic dungeon token.

[hcarr]

I think its about right for what it takes to get them and what they are. Even though they say epic I would put them on par with greensteel weapon. Best part is the sound effect of the blast going off.

[oweieie]

Epic Tokens are from epic quests that are only accessible to level 20 characters.

Note they are bound account, so you can transfer them through shared bank from a 20 to your lowbie/reincarnate.

[gott_ist_tot]

There's just an emotional something missing. I don't really feel like I earned them I suppose.

I mean, it wasn't even a difficult grind. I got everything I needed in just a few hours. Funny how I have yearned for epic items, and now that I have one it almost feels like I cheated.

That's exactly what I meant in my post.

Thanks for your replies. It seems for some it is in fact a challenge. Kudos for you! You will be treasuring your handwraps more than I do i recommend reading the forum posts on maximizing gains in the event.

I probably shouldn't, but just can't stop myself... what do you mean by 'small percentage' of dark monks? This is my first dark monk (level 16 atm). I soloed the Vale at level 12 with no hirelings and barely any cure potions (not a TR btw.), all rares included. I killed the momma dragon at level 13 with a help of healing hireling. As soon as I got to 16 I went into Shroud, and almost every ToD on Harry was for 500+250. And I'm strength based.

Dark monks are not in danger of extinction, and I rarely see people who converted because of the change.

[grodon9999]

So . . . will my 18/2 Cleric/Monk with these handwraps, Hoyburst and Shocking Burst ToD rings do more/close damage than if he were using Khopeshes? Assume 30ish STR and power attack (he doesn't have either of those but I smell an LR coming soon . . .).

I've no idea how to calc handwraps.

[butlerfamilywa]

*Sarcaism On* More Epic Handwraps are on the way.. didn't you look at the 'fuseable' handwraps from the free to play quest?

Yes I know, it's focused on the 2nd most useless stance available, but it'll still be Epic...
*Sarcaism Off*

[vVAnjilaVv]

For one...it's supposed to be fun...not hard.

For two, you do have to get an epic token if you don't have one laying around...like me...I had to complete three epic quests just to get my handwraps done as I kept getting fragments instead of a token.

For three, there are a lot of low level that are probably already struggling with the event because the high CR monsters are mixed in with the ones they can actually kill.

So plz, will all the people wanting this to be epic difficulty just go run some epic dungeons and leave the rest of us to enjoy it.

[Fennario]

I wish I could complain about how easy these are to get. I would love to have them, but its not going to happen. It ends in 2 days and I have been too busy with life the last couple of weeks to farm them. Which is a good thing.

But I am disappointed that I will have to wait who knows how long for a chance to get these for my favorite character.

I have probably a few hours tonight to try, and that's all the play time I'm gonna get with kids and Halloween this weekend. Hopefully Turbine will think about extending the event a little while longer. Tying such a cool item to a limited time event is frustrating for I'm sure a lot of people.

Guess I will be gimping myself as the OP suggests by not being able to get these.

They are also insultingly easy to get. Up to a point where a monk not having them would be considered gimping himself.

Have to admit, a few choice words shot out of my mouth at you when I read that. I apologize.


EDIT: Just realized I am fresh out of dungeon tokens, so that crushed my last sliver of hope I had tonight

[NeutronStar]

1. These handwraps, while very nice (super nice vs Undead), are not the be all to end all vs non-undead. I agree with those that say if Greensteel handwraps existed, they would be equivalent. Except in cases where your toon is fighting Undead, these handwraps are Epic in name only.

2. Despite what I said above, I'm very happy to have made mine. They are my first and will probably be my only Epic item of any sort. They took me roughly 5-6 hours to make and I really appreciate that. I just don't have the time these days to play the game as much as would be necessary to acquire things like the ESOS and such.

3. Yes, relatively speaking, they were easy to make but I don't feel I "cheated" to get an Epic item. As I mentioned in my points above, they aren't TRULY Epic (not like the ESOS) and considering how little time I can devote to the game these days, the time I did spend on them was a lot for me. Couple these facts with the additional fact they're only able to be acquired for a few (5) days in October, I think they're "just right."

4. As to the idea you'd be gimping your monk if you don't get them, I find that to be almost laughable. They certainly aren't "mandatory" by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, they're great vs. Undead but the vast majority of the endgame is not Undead-themed. In fact, the MAIN reason I made a concentrated effort to get them is I can't see a Light Path monk not having an item called "Wraps of Endless Light"! Seriously, it's almost a role-playing reason!

Thanks for reading.

[phalaeo]

My Clonk now has Epic Handwraps, took about 4 hours. And to think I'd considered respeccing him for Khopesh . . .

It's absurdly easy, get 'em while they're hot!.

Lawl- I made 'em for my Clonk, too.

[vVAnjilaVv]

4. As to the idea you'd be gimping your monk if you don't get them, I find that to be almost laughable. They certainly aren't "mandatory" by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, they're great vs. Undead but the vast majority of the endgame is not Undead-themed. In fact, the MAIN reason I made a concentrated effort to get them is I can't see a Light Path monk not having an item called "Wraps of Endless Light"! Seriously, it's almost a role-playing reason!

Actually I was thinking along the other path....I crafted the wraps for my dark monk first as they took a pretty hard hit against undead with the ToD nerf....and these more than make up for that IMO.

Light Monks already have a super advantage against undead so I am less concerned with crafting a pair for my lighty, altho if they do keep the event going past the weekend I will be crafting my lighty a pair...along with at least a tier 3-4 robe for any of my characters that can't cast nightshield on themselves.....and I don't mean from a shield clicky or a nightshield scroll :P

[khaldan]

1. These handwraps, while very nice (super nice vs Undead), are not the be all to end all vs non-undead. I agree with those that say if Greensteel handwraps existed, they would be equivalent. Except in cases where you're toon is fighting Undead, these handwraps are Epic in name only.

I give you a quote from Junts:

~snip~

Gog is right in that its basically the same as generic (+2) greater banes with no prefix, except that it has the burst effect (which is why I described it as force burst of regular bane: 1d10 burst, 3d6 damage, +6 total bonus). The geobs you describe have 1d10 burst, 4d6 added damage, and +6 total bonus. They're better.

specifically, at 300-500 (av 400 a proc), the wraps do 800 damage over 100 hits, or roughly 8 damage per hit, which is just slightly more than the 7 damage per strike dealt by a 2d6 effect (and less than the 10.5 dealt by a 3d6 effect).

There is no exact handwrap that does identical damage to these. They are very slightly better than the generic force burst of bane I described them as, but by so little as to be negligble. They are not better than high-quality greater banes, especially since they cannot be icy bursted. Any +3 or better greater bane with icy burst is better than these, and +2s are essentially the same. Other prefixes are, obviously, gravy.

TL;DR they're around the usefulness of +2 greater everything bane handwraps that turn into +6 double greater undead bane handwraps with lightning strike on them. How useful that is is up to the person.

[Anthios888]

So . . . will my 18/2 Cleric/Monk with these handwraps, Hoyburst and Shocking Burst ToD rings do more/close damage than if he were using Khopeshes? Assume 30ish STR and power attack (he doesn't have either of those but I smell an LR coming soon . . .).

I've no idea how to calc handwraps.

These handwraps are worse than a decent greater bane handwraps. You seem ... blinded by the light. Go take a cold shower and do some math. 1d6 burst + 350 damage 2% proc rate (about 7 damage a swing).

Yeah, they're COOL, but I fear that there will be many more like you gimping their toon so you can finally be EPIC.