TOD Kiting

[voodoogroves]

Ok, about to figure out TOD kiting on my wizard.


Tempted to make a Water2/absorbing dagger ... but is that really required?

Beyond Fire Shield and some self-healing, what all am I prepping on my wizzy?

[Cartheron]

GS cold absorption is not needed. Fire shield and self healing is not needed too, if you kite perfectly, they will never hit you

Since I am far from being a perfect kiter, I bring triple cold absorption GS, fire shield, 600hp, eardwelered death aura and quickened neg energy bursts with me. It makes my life much easier, when shadows hit me for 40 on average

[voodoogroves]

GS cold absorption is not needed. Fire shield and self healing is not needed too, if you kite perfectly, they will never hit you

One day I may be l33t...

Since I am far from being a perfect kiter, I bring triple cold absorption GS, fire shield, 600hp, eardwelered death aura and quickened neg energy bursts with me. It makes my life much easier, when shadows hit me for 40 on average

... but I'm sure this is where I'm going to be starting.


Do you kite in Wraith form? Or lich?

[DaSawks]

My Wizard just got his boots so I would like to know too. Does Stone Skin, Displacement, Resists/Protections, Jump, Retreat, Haste and Nightshield etc. help in kiting TOD? I would assume "yes" but you know never be sure until you get in the quest.

[stille_nacht]

hmm i just get 30% striders, haste, protection, fireshield (fire), and run around in circles. Sure they might catch up once or twice... but i dont die often...

[Carpone]

Do you kite in Wraith form? Or lich?

Lich for the additional CON. The shadows cold aura is what kills you, not their melee.

[sephiroth1084]

Jump., Haste, Resist Cold, Prot from Cold/Elements, Fire Shield, firewall, QUICKEN.
On a PM, Death Aura and NEB.

Put two firewalls down at the bottom of the stairs, so they block the front of the steps and stick off to the sides:

\--/ kind of like this, but with the walls a bit more horizontal (perpendicular to the stairs/ parallel to the slope).

Run. If you have to cast anything, do so with Quicken on and in the air (start casting just as you leave the ground) while maintaining forward movement. If you get a tick of damage on you, cut a straight line for the next pillar and make a wide turn around it to try and catch the shadows up on the pillar.

When you get the message about the boss's focus wavering or whatever, run back to the stairs and refresh your firewalls, making sure to put a third most of the way up the stairs (or 1 on bottom, 1 on top if pressed for time). Resume running.

In undead form don't usually need to do any healing aside from your aura. I hear Wraith form's faster speed makes this even easier, though I'd worry about having perma-feathfall for this, as it slows you way down when jump-casting.

[Khurse]

Shadow Walk makes this a joke, IF you pause to cast firewalls a couple of times. (If you don't you can actually get so far ahead of the Shadows that they actually turn around and come at you from in front as well as behind, not really an issue on normal, bit of a problem on elite) _I throw a firewall on the stairs everytime I pass as well as two other wherever during the circuit.

My caster (on elite) uses Fire Shield,GS Cold and the Icy pots. Usually kite with Aura up (just in case).

You can find whatever pattern works for you, personally I go around the outside of the room. If you use Shadow Walk it doesn't really matter how close to the pillars you are (you actually don't want the shadows too close to the pillars) If you use haste make a tight turn everytime you pass a pillar. (Basically graze the pillar as you go around it.The Shadows follow you, so if they're right behind you they can get caught up on the pillars for a second or two, it slows the down a bit)
Some people go around the outside and cut through the middle, I'm not sure of the pattern, but I've never seen it work without the kiter getting hit. (Although I've seen enough pug Kiters do it that it has to work for someone)

All that being said, don't worry about it. If you can keep moving and don't freeze when you see a shadow, it's actually quite easy to do.

[bashemgud]

What are the firewalls on/around the stairs for?

[Mrmorphling]

To grab aggro from the shadows that spawn, preventing them to wreck the party hugging the boss

[sephiroth1084]

Shadowfiends spawn around the room and head for the stairs where the party is fighting. The have an aura around them that does about 250 points of cold damage every 2 seconds or so. Maybe every 6. If one gets up to the party and stays there for any length of time, the group almost invariably wipes.

They are susceptible to fire damage, so you throw some firewalls down and, when they run through them, you get aggro. They then change course and make a beeline for you, keeping the party safe. Firewall is preferable to other persistent damage spells because it will deal a tick of damage when first contacted, whereas it is possible to get through an Ice Storm or Incendiary Cloud without getting hit. Plus, firewall tends to have bigger ticks of damage.

[bradleyforrest]

Shadowfiends spawn around the room and head for the stairs where the party is fighting. The have an aura around them that does about 250 points of cold damage every 2 seconds or so. Maybe every 6. If one gets up to the party and stays there for any length of time, the group almost invariably wipes.

They are susceptible to fire damage, so you throw some firewalls down and, when they run through them, you get aggro. They then change course and make a beeline for you, keeping the party safe. Firewall is preferable to other persistent damage spells because it will deal a tick of damage when first contacted, whereas it is possible to get through an Ice Storm or Incendiary Cloud without getting hit. Plus, firewall tends to have bigger ticks of damage.

I like to add an Incendiary Cloud to the stair as well, just in case a firewall goes out. Cloud lasts a long time and is there for a safety net.

[JoshuJushin]

The Firewalls are there to take the shades agro - additionally I've seen cloudkill also used on top of the firewall as its duration is longer. The key to kiting is making sure your character is not encumbered and keeping a cool head. Since the shades run as fast as a hasted toon, you need to make sure your haste is kept up as this will only keep you at the same speed as them. The shades inability to navigate around the pillars is what allows you to maintain your distance ahead of them. The ability to jump cast without slowing down is imperative to success. Finally, I personally take off ff when I kite (I have seen people use ff but I find that they are more likely to be hit during the run). As has been said before the GS cold absorption item and fire shield are just there to help you live through hits from the aura. Depending on your squishiness, one hit might be all that's needed to take you down.

I will say though that nothing in DDO is more exciting then kiting as when you are doing you are directly responsible for the success of the raid at that point. And we all know with great power comes great responsibility. Also you can find videos on youtube showing what a successful run looks like. Your best bet is to try and obtain a spot as a secondary/backup but then in that case be care should your primary caster fall. Wish you the best of luck!

[Thrudh]

QUICKEN.

This. (assuming you can self-heal)

[sephiroth1084]

This. (assuming you can self-heal)

On my wizard's first life, without the ability to self-heal, I'd jump-cast Prot from Elements if I got hit with a tick as a proxy 120 HP heal.

If you're really good at jump-casting, you can lay a bunch of firewalls while you're running and kill shadows, which makes things easier, but tends to not be worth the effort, and is risky.

[Thrudh]

One question...

With GS Tier III cold absorbtion item, and fire shield (Cold) up, and quickened reconstructs....

Can a WF wizard just stand there shield blocking and not kite at all?

[sephiroth1084]

One question...

With GS Tier III cold absorbtion item, and fire shield (Cold) up, and quickened reconstructs....

Can a WF wizard just stand there shield blocking and not kite at all?

No, I don't think so. If it were one shadow, maybe, but once you get 3 or 4 or 5...

[Drwaz99]

It's easy once you learn the path and where they come from. I just resist up, fire shield of cold absorb, protection, hates and expeditious retreat. Also use 30% striders.

Watch a few youtube video, hope your group has decent dps, jump-cast firewall on stair/around stairs. RUN like Gump. Don't turn around to see where they are, you can tell by how loud the flapping of their wings as to how close they are.

I have never been hit. I do have a cold asorb GS mace if needed. Never needed it.

WF archmagi. ~400 Hp's

[sephiroth1084]

It should be noted that 30% striders aren't actually 30% and are quite a bit slower than Haste, and are therefore insufficient for kiting. Keep your Haste running!

[shadow_419]

One question...

With GS Tier III cold absorbtion item, and fire shield (Cold) up, and quickened reconstructs....

Can a WF wizard just stand there shield blocking and not kite at all?

No, I don't think so. If it were one shadow, maybe, but once you get 3 or 4 or 5...

I don't kite the shadows in ToD. I tank them, and get healed through the damage on a human wiz. Fire Shield (Hot)/Cold Resist/ Cycle Prot Energy,Prot Elements, Mass Prot (No GS absorption item)

The shadow's cold aura damage is a lot less than you think if you're not going in and out of the aura.