gear for improving spell DC

[scruffus]

I have recently hit level 20 with my sorc, this is my first character to do so, and at the moment my DC is a little low at 33 for the content I have access to.
So my question is what would be some good suggestions for some of the first few DC boosting gear items i could shoot for, specifically what are items that are in reach given that I can only run quests where a DC of 33 is viable. I'm finding a little bit of a paradox at this level of play: In order to run epic quests, you have to have epic gear/in order to get epic gear you have to run epic quests. I have done a lot of reading in these forums, so I do have the basic idea, and I know about some of the gear that is out there, I just feel that a lot of it is out of reach ATM. A little background:

my DC is from:
first life drow
plain old +6 charisma ring
evocation focus feat
3 tiers charisma enhancements
greater evocation, enchantment and necromancy focus weapons that I swap out as needed. thats all I can think of ATM (on a break from making pies for thanksgiving)
So probably I need +7 charisma and ex. charisma items.

I am FTP, I have the vale, menachturan, shavarath, gianthold, necro 4, phiarlan carnival, and whatever the packs are that have HOX, chrono, and devil assault. Again all I can think of ATM but I think that's it

I do have epic ornamented dagger and both robe and cloak from the mabar event.

some items i'm thinking about getting: the calitomes set, and epic helm of frost. Any better suggestions?

A couple of notes:
I really would like to stay away from slotting charisma/ ex. charisma in a weapon slot- I rely too much on being able to swap out weapons

I do plan to TR soon, I would just like to get some things banked first to make the next life more fun.

I got going on learning about DCs in the first place when I hit amrath for the first time and was shocked at how hard it was. I ended up getting sort of obsessed with the place, (partly because its such a cool zone) and as a result its put me on this path of trying to get my character viable for it. After 3 blood of dragons, inumerable enhancement resets, and many feat swaps, I finally got to where I can survive in there, although I burn through my 2500ish spell points pretty fast, so there is probably much room for improvement.
thats all... I think... so whats my next step?

[Isharah]

Sample breakdown.


Charisma score w/ static buffs:
20 - base
06 - item
03 - enhancements
05 - level ups
02 - tome
02 - ship buffs
-----------------------
38 Charisma ( = +14 modifier)

Spell DC:
10 - base modifier
14 - stat modifier
09 - spell level
01 - SF: school
01 - GSF: school
02 - item
-----------------------
37 Spell DC

Capped spell DC (no past lives):
10 - base modifier
18 - stat modifier*
09 - spell level
01 - SF: school
01 - GSF: school
02 - item
-----------------------
41 Spell DC

*Capped static cha = 20[base]+7[item]+3[exc cha]+3[enhancements]+5[level ups]+4[tome]+2[ship buffs]+2[yugo pots]

[scruffus]

Sample breakdown.


Charisma score w/ static buffs:
20 - base
06 - item
03 - enhancements
05 - level ups
02 - tome
02 - ship buffs
-----------------------
38 Charisma ( = +14 modifier)

Spell DC:
10 - base modifier
14 - stat modifier
09 - spell level
01 - SF: school
01 - GSF: school
02 - item
-----------------------
37 Spell DC

Capped spell DC (no past lives):
10 - base modifier
18 - stat modifier*
09 - spell level
01 - SF: school
01 - GSF: school
02 - item
-----------------------
41 Spell DC

*Capped static cha = 20[base]+7[item]+3[exc cha]+3[enhancements]+5[level ups]+4[tome]+2[ship buffs]+2[yugo pots]

This, and any ideas on how to get it, is what my post is about.

But since you took the time to put up the exact breakdown of charisma modifier and DC score, I'm thinking maybe I should have posted a better breakdown of my own.
First off, I didn't include ship buff when i said my DC is 33, and the other factor is that at character creation i didn't max char, instead putting 2 points into con. (knowing what i know now I wouldnt do this again) So heres my breakdown, this time w ship buffs:

Charisma score w/ static buffs:
18 - base
06 - item
03 - enhancements
05 - level ups
03 - tome
02 - ship buffs
-----------------------
37 Charisma ( = +13 modifier)

Spell DC:
10 - base modifier
13 - stat modifier
09 - spell level
01 - SF: school
no greater sf school atm (as a evo sorc I should probably swap my spell pen feat for this I know)
02 - item
-----------------------
35 Spell DC

[cdr]

There are seven (epic) items with +7 Cha: Cloak of the Silver Concord, Helm of Frost, Ring of the Silver Concord, Shimmering Pendant, Dynastic Falcata, Elyd Edge, and Vambraces of Inner Light.

I'm assuming we can pretty much eliminate the two swords and the full plate.

Of those, Shimmering Pendant is by far the easiest to get. The seal comes from Partycrashers and the shard from Big Top, neither of which is difficult and are often pugged, and it's not very in demand so there's a high chance people will just pass them to you. Get this first.

Helm of Frost is the second easiest to acquire (though an order of magnitude more than Shimmering Pendant) and the most popular +7 CHA item around. You'll probably be aiming for this long term, but with eChrono being more difficult and less popular than it used to be it's going to take more work.

You can make a green steel weapon with +1 and +2 excep Cha (+3 total), and with Cha you can even make it ConOp (which will stack with accessory ConOpp). It's easy to do, costs between 1.5M (non conopp) and 3M (conopp) plat in materials, and is ML12 for leveling future lives. Quite a few people do this.

You can slot +1 excep stat easily in any open epic augment slot.

Long term, you're almost certainly going to want to get a TOD ring and upgrade it with +2 excep Cha. You can get one of the +6 Str +1 excep Cha ones, or you can put +2 in one of the Savant TOD rings and slot +1 in an epic slot.

Do keep in mind that an extra +1 enhancement and +3 exceptional still leaves you at an odd number given your stats above. You'd have to add a +4 tome or Litany to bring you to even, and given the current state of Abbot a +4 tome might be a more realistic goal.

[Isharah]

This, and any ideas on how to get it, is what my post is about.

Well 33 DC is a long way from cap, so I thought you'd want to know first the easier stuff to get so that you can at least get your DC up to 37, which is a decent value for a first-life non-drow sorc.

But since you asked, +7 cha on epic helm of frost (you will want 3-piece abishai set as your end gear), +2 cha crafted on a ToD ring (which may or may not have +1 cha too; if you don't have +1 cha on ToD ring, as cdr said you can use a colorless epic augment slot for this).

[scruffus]

TYVM to both of you, that's exactly the summary of info I was hoping for and haven't been able to find.
I didn't know about the carnival item, and those are the only epics I have run thus far, and I did alright in them so that items definitely in reach.
I asked the leader of a PUG echrono once what kind of DC he was looking for, and he said 40+ so since then I haven't tried to join any echrono groups.
Presently working on getting a ToD set as well, that might take awhile.
So far have a sort of avoided shroud crafting just because of the grindage factor, but as you point out ML 13 could make that option pretty attractive.
At least now I feel like I've got something to build a plan around!

[cdr]

I asked the leader of a PUG echrono once what kind of DC he was looking for, and he said 40+ so since then I haven't tried to join any echrono groups.

The problem with epic raids is that casters tend to get pigeonholed into CC because the bosses have so much HP that arcanes can't keep up DPS without drinking quite a few pots. CC and buffs are the only unique things you have as an arcane past a certain point, and any CCer can provide buffs. You might just have to keep applying to PUGs until you find one who's willing to take on a newer person, or start your own. It's especially hard as a sorc since wizards have enhancements/feats that end up making their DCs 4 or 5 better than sorcs on average.

You mentioned wanting to TR; you may just want to TR into say a human pale master and grind your epic gear in that life. You'll want to pick up a wiz life since the active past life feat is +1 DC to everything.

[goodspeed]

Well if your trying for cc in epic as a sorc (id prolly want 1 or 2 wiz past lives) You could always increase your dc through crafting by I think 1 or 2 points.

Basically when im ccing I have a whole hotbar dedicated to just various settups. My main settup is for dmg but also has a -2 to enchantment. So I switch to a secondary settup for the +3 spell pen as well as a crafted GS weapon that boosts cha with +3 exceptional. Then switch trinkets around for a +2 to enchantment spells.

Alot of switching especially when something bad happens but it gives you a lil extra to dc. Also don't forget those debuff spells. Cast a couple of those then cast your cc.

As far as a raid like chrono on epic it's a definite thing that cc is what's needed. A sorc can drop things quick to but it expends alot of power to do it. Though I like to drop charged storms inside the disco ball and let it hit for around 100 or crit for maybe 3 while I pick individuals off.

Main problem is a sorc can cc but it takes alot in feats, some gear, enhancments and past lives don't hurt either.

[Isharah]

I asked the leader of a PUG echrono once what kind of DC he was looking for, and he said 40+ so since then I haven't tried to join any echrono groups.

If you absolutely need to perform primary CC, get spell penetration items. Bring Otto's Irresistible Dance and Web. Web works well even with crappy DCs. Have people kite mobs through it.

From my experience, a sorc is still most useful in eChrono as a nuker. Note though that this requires you to have decent HP since you will be taking more trash aggro than usual (decent = 400+ buffed). Nuke for the first and second bosses; they don't have that much HP. With 2 decent sorcs in party you can kill Razor Arm even before the mobs get to the group. For part 3 you will be most useful as a back-up buffer/healer (scrolls) for tank in case something happens, and for spot-CCing (power words or ID) the devils that succeed saves vs. your primary arcane CC.

That 40+ DC thing, you only need if the rest of the party is not epic-ready or if their lazy bums want to pike.