who should buff?

[LordMond63]

Splatterfart is right- there is no easy, 100% of the time answer here.

Much depends on the quest being done. If there aren't many shrines, then I really don't want to see the healer(s) using their sp buffing IF there is another character in the group that can handle those necessary and/or helpful buffs. The same goes for a Wizard; if the Bard can handle Blur, Rage, Haste, etc., then I'd want the Wizzie (or Sorc) keeping his spell points for damage output.

This is, of course, assuming that there is an alternative (in that example, a Bard). If that isn't the case, I prefer seeing the Sorceror or Favored Soul handling the buffs because they have more spell points. If we have two Wizzies or two Clerics, I prefer having the one with the least sp buff so the one with the higher hp can max damage output or healing.

One thing I have discovered in most PuGs is that I should expect no buffs at all and be pleasantly surprised when I receive them without asking. If I am a buffing class, I pass out the 'basics' (Blur, Rage, Haste, Resists) without waiting to be asked and provide things like Jump upon request.

[Enoach]

I was in a PuG group yesterday that had the following classes (all L6 and 7s)

Sorcerer (me)
Arti
Wizard
Bard
Barbarian

Noone would give out buffs so I wand whipped Blur to everyone once and got on with it.

Everyone died apart from the Arti and I, but we did complete.


So much for teamwork


What is expected from a Sorcerer in terms of party buffing given the party makeup Ive described?

What buffs are expected from a Sorcerer in general?


Thankyou

The answer is both easy and complex, but the best answer is Everyone that can

• As a Sorcerer you are limited in the number of spells you have both for killing/controlling/buffing
• The bard is also limited but will usually carry more buff based spells giving them an edge
• The Wizard has a larger Spell pool with a shallower spell point pool, coupled with a higher likelihood of having extend means if necessary buffs could be made to last longer. Keep in mind the more buff you require of a wizard the less Crowd Control they will be capable of...
• Artificer has the shallow Spell point pool, but also carries other spells that could benefit party members that no one else can. In this case The Barbarian, the bard and himself might have been the limit of the melee weapon buffs.
• Barbarian - Any clickies they brought with him to fill in the gaps of buffs not received. This is why a barbarian should never pass up potion bottles that are spilled from the broken crates.

Now at a minimum the Bard should have sung the few songs that they had. Warchanter buffs for combat would have benefited at least 3, Spellsinger would have also benefited 4 and should sing the song with 10% reduction first before any buffs are given, a Virtuoso would have plenty songs for both buff and fascinate if needed.

So as you can see all are capable of buffing, but it is dependent on what they have and how willing they are to use the SP for party enhancement over offensive measures.

Comments like "You don't need buffs for low level content" are only partially true, buffs are not as needed but sure do make quests much smoother to complete especially if they are appropriate buffs - example you don't need every resist in 99% of the quests; so don't buff every resist. At your current level Fire is the most common damage type, followed by Acid and Electricity.

To finally get to my point - it takes communication, and in your case one approach you could have taken was; "Hey I can cast buff {enter buff(s)} here, does anyone need?" If anything it gets the ball rolling.

[d1mitri]

Very few buffs that are passed down without someone asking for it. Started when I was giving out fire resists in a quest with a lot of lava. So with extend (15+10)*6=150 SP. Turned out most of them had ship buff resists, so about 100 of that SP was wasted.


So no thanks, ask for it. Someone will be kind enough to cast it. Wizards carry most of all useful buffs since as you advance in levels, damage spells start being replaced by "just in case" spells - which most are buffs. But for such a shallow SP pool, you only really cast what is necessary.

You are the one who knows best what buffs you already have on you - so ask for ones you don't have. Checking everyone's names for which buffs they have or don't have is unreasonable. Anyone who volunteers to buff after asked is the right person to do so. ^^

[MrkGrismer]

Generally speaking I would say that you can expect to be included in any mass buffs if you stay close enough to the caster and don't go running off, otherwise if you need something, ask.

Bards, unfortunately, have no Resist Energy so you will never get RE from a bard. Which is unfortunate, I really wish they would give RE to bards...

[Ralmeth]

Whoever is willing to buff, really. For a sorc at your level the only buff I would consider taking and casting on the group if I were you would be blur. IMHO I would expect that a sorc use most of their mana on damage spells.

I'm currently running a level 6 wizard and at this level I like to make sure that everyone in the group has blur and for anyone that could benefit, bull's strength. Then most importantly I'll haste the group regularly for those that stick with the group (yes, I've encountered melees that always ran off without haste even after stating that I was going to cast it...seems counter-intuitive). In my experience at low levels it's pretty rare that I find someone else willing to buff so I usually end up doing it.

[adam1oftheround]

Short answer: Everyone but the Artificer and yourself should have buffed themselves enough to stay alive.

Each character should be able to buff themselves. You should be self sufficient. Buffs provided by others should make the quest go faster, but if you cannot keep yourself alive, you are failing to contribute. If you cannot buff yourself to prevent death, you should not be in this quest.

If you died, you should have buffed yourself with, con, AC, toughness, HP, cure pots...

[tekkentroop]

my opinion:

as above,

-people who can buff themselves should do so.
-people who need buffs should say so.

Imho, bard should be the first to hand out the needed buffs since he cant use his SP for offensive spells. Haste/Rage should be cast by somebody who has extend (which sorcs usually dont have, my wiz and my bard have it)

[JeisonBlade]

I pass whatever buffs i have, I ask for whatever other buffs I cant cast but know I'll likely need, then I move on with life.

[Astraghal]

You should be self sufficient.

DDO like traditional D&D is based around the concept that more can be accomplished through the synergy generated by team of specialists working together to achieve more as a group than they could individually.

If everyone was self-sufficient, there would be less individual deaths, but more overall wipes and resource usage.

That doesn't mean that people shouldn't play smart though.

[MrkGrismer]

DDO like traditional D&D is based around the concept that more can be accomplished through the synergy generated by team of specialists working together to achieve more as a group than they could individually.

If everyone was self-sufficient, there would be less individual deaths, but more overall wipes and resource usage.

That doesn't mean that people shouldn't play smart though.

This is true, however, the more things that everyone can do the more resources are left for things that only certain classes/characters can do.

For instance, at end level all my characters that cannot cast Resist Energy carry at least a cloak of Greater Energy Resistance for each type (so six cloaks), my Bard and Rogue also have an outfit of each type. This allows the character to have energy resistance in at least one element (possibly two) without the need to have it cast. However, if the character is in a party and can get it cast on them then they can use a different cloak (such as the cloak of night, or the magewright cloak, etc.).

I think it is good to strive to be self-sufficient but being in a good group can really cut the resource usage for everybody.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

I would probably have Blurred the Barb, and cast a Haste. Every now and then cast another Haste.

Not sure I would have used a wand for Blur on anone but myself though.... unless before a tough fight, or the group was having trouble with the quest..

Depending on the quest, the Bard may have gotten a Resist from me as well. (Something that took me awhile to realise is that Resist Energy is 'not' on the Bard spell list.)

Everyone else in that group should be taking care of themselves at least.

IMO everyone else should be helping the Barbarian out to the best of their ability.