Banishing/Smiting/Disrupting

[Desdemonte]

I cannot seem to find the reference to these weapons in the release notes. I know I read a while ago they being handled the same way as vorpals for their damage (the 100 over 1000HP, etc garbage), but I cannot remember if they are supposed to be only working on a 20 now or not. I tested the Shav side of the vale on my rogue with dual banishing rapiers and there is a huge difference in their efficacy. On live server, I crit on a 15 and it takes usually 2-3 hits to kill a monster (to get the roll I need and they always seem to fail their save). On Lam, it would only proc on a natural 20. I'd get the 100 vorpal dmage and they still seem to always fail their save, but there is a huge difference in the amount of beat-down required until you roll that 20. My guess is that the 100 damage (while superfluous here) is always applied to a 20 so it hits when mob is >1000HP. On an assassin 3 with a radiance weapon getting SA, there seems to be no reason wasting pack space on smiters and banishers any more. This *really* sux for disrupters where there is no SA.

Do these weapons need this big of a nerf, really? Going from a 1 in 4 chance to proc to a 1 in 20 is ridiculous. Why not leave the threat range the same, just increase their saves a bit so it will proc the same, just won't take the effect as often? Some kind of happy medium.

[gyerv59]

Yeah rapier, scimi users really got the short end on this deal. Why bother with a banisher when you could just use a vorpal?

Smiters will still be useful against golems and such, would be useful in epics if not for the 1000 hp cap on melee instakill.

Don't really understand this change, was there really a need to nerf banishers/smiters/disruptors, were they OP?

There was already very little reason not to use a kopesh on a TWF, now there is no reason not to.

[dkyle]

Lamannia release notes say how they work now: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066

Yeah rapier, scimi users really got the short end on this deal.

Yes, but Picks and Hammers got the long end.

Why bother with a banisher when you could just use a vorpal?

4d6 extra damage per hit is nothing to complain about. Vorpal only gets the "on 20" effect.

Don't really understand this change, was there really a need to nerf banishers/smiters/disruptors, were they OP?

A little OP some places (Vale), terribly underpowered in most others. All in all, I'd call this a buff to Banishing, Smiting, and Disrupting.

There was already very little reason not to use a kopesh on a TWF, now there is no reason not to.

Banishing Rapiers were never a great reason to not use a Khopesh.

[MrkGrismer]

I cannot seem to find the reference to these weapons in the release notes.

Here ya go:

Melee death effects on items (and the rogue assassin enhancement) have been redesigned.

• For targets with more than 1,000 hit points, vorpal no longer kills and instead hits the target for 100 points of bane damage. If a creature has less than 1,000 hit points, the vorpal effect is applied on a confirmed natural 20 as before.
• Disruption, Banishing, and Smiting weapons have had their hit die caps and saving throws removed. These weapons now do 4d6 damage on a hit, and kill an eligible target on a confirmed vorpal hit (natural 20) if the target is below 1,000 hit points. If the target has more than 1,000 hit points, they will take 100 damage.
  
  • Weapons with the Greater Disruption effect deal 6d6 additional damage on any hit instead.
  • Greater Disruption Guard will apply its death effect with no saving throw at its previous percentage chance, but will not deal additional damage.
  • Banishing Fists will grant the vorpal banishing effect to unarmed attacks, but will not do an additional 4d6 damage.
  
  

[Desdemonte]

Ah yes- was looking under combat, it is under items- TY

All-in-all I dislike it, as I am currently able to solo farm Coal, Devils and Rainbow with my rogue for ingredients. With the change I will not have an easy time of it. More testing needed....

[Desdemonte]

Update:

Just sat in Devils with dual banishing rapiers fishing for 20's. I gotta say- I am not a fan of the change so far.

Sure you get an extra 12-16 damage per hit on average, but watching all those 15's, 16's, 17's, 18's and 19's roll by doing nothing really bites. Not like it made the quest *much* more difficult (solo), just time consuming. Mind you, when you're fighting 6 of them and your health is getting low all it takes is a failed save on your part and you're dead where before it was just stand there and say bye-bye.