Sorc: surviving Harry's fire ball

[Mubjon]

I took my sorc into the shroud tonight and it was the first time that there was not enough melees to hold aggro. So as I was dishing out 800+ dmg at each cast I would get smashed with a fireball or maybe it was meteor swarm, not sure just know that it would deal about 250+ dmg to me each time, I have 274 hp at level 17 I think if I remember right cannot log in to check right yet.

So what are other Sorcs doing to survive those hits? I could go and get a minos helm I suppose that would break up the Wrath of Korrel set, but it would put me closer to 300 hp at level 17. What other things can I do to survive his attacks when I am in a group where I am dishing out the most dmg?

By the way it is not as if I was trying to pour it on either But I am an Air Savant and the lighting bolts, balls, and electric surge are very nice against Harry. Cycling through my spells I easily outperformed the others in the group, even waiting about 15 to 20 seconds for the melees to grab the aggro as I have done in previous shroud runs.

Does fire shield help much here? I could scroll it I suppose. Before the start I did have 30 pt fire resist applied, but did not have the 120 protection from elements.

[sirgog]

You can cast Fire Shield: Cold, which halves all fire damage you suffer.

As a Sorc you can't easily take the spell (level 4 has high-quality stuff), but you can use scrolls of it, which can be purchased from vendors.


Also Harry's Fireballs and Meteor Swarms have nothing to do with aggro. He casts them at random party members. It's good to have a high HP character between Harry and you for this reason, but Fire Shield will make sure that one mistake will not kill you.

[Jaid314]

You can cast Fire Shield: Cold, which halves all fire damage you suffer.

As a Sorc you can't easily take the spell (level 4 has high-quality stuff), but you can use scrolls of it, which can be purchased from vendors.


Also Harry's Fireballs and Meteor Swarms have nothing to do with aggro. He casts them at random party members. It's good to have a high HP character between Harry and you for this reason, but Fire Shield will make sure that one mistake will not kill you.

this, plus use of fire resist and protection. again, you can basically scroll protection; it's only 108 points instead of 120, so it isn't quite equal, but most of the time it'll get the job done. alternately, there are level 10 wands you can buy iirc.

[MsEricka]

Fire resist plus fire shield cold and his meteor swarms turn into mosquito bites.

A little DR/ wouldn't hurt against the bludgeon damage either.

[TheDearLeader]

I will echo what Sirgog said, with a bit more.

Fire Absorption 50% - Fire Shield (Cold)
Fire Absorption 33% - Cannith Crafted Trinket, or Firestorm Greaves.
Fire Absorption 20% - Epic Cloak of Flames, or Dream Edge, or Shroud weapon's Tier III.
Fire Absorption 15% - Shroud weapon's Tier II, or ToD Ring
Fire Absorption 10% - Shroud weapon's Tier I

That's an abbreviated list. There is more out there.

Also, yes, his spells are random aggro. You can stop patting yourself on the back because he DBFed you.

Furthermore, since he *is* random aggro... don't wait 15-20 seconds to unload, like you say you've been doing in the past. Curse/DPS as soon as he drops, and do not stop for anything.

[Cardtrick]

Does fire shield help much here? I could scroll it I suppose. Before the start I did have 30 pt fire resist applied, but did not have the 120 protection from elements.

Fire shield helps immensely, but protection from elements doesn't help much at all unless you cast it after every single time you get hit, which is both annoying, SP-intensive, and a significant hit to your DPS.

Without fire shield, a 250-pt fire ball will hit you for 250-30 = 220. With fire shield, it'll hit for 125-30 = 95. Because Resist comes in after fire shield/fire absorption, it actually cuts your incoming fire damage by more than 50%. You want it up at all times when facing Harry.

Note that protection from elements takes effect before any resist/absorption/fire shield effects, so it will be removed after every single hit.

Your HPs are also a bit low to be in Shroud, although that's somewhat inevitable until you run Shroud enough to pick up a green steel HP item. Do you have +6 CON and Greater False Life? If you're hesitant to break up the Sora Kell set, you could use the Toughness bracers rather than Minos, but you should definitely be using one of those. You want to do whatever you can to get up above 300 HP. With that and fire shield, you should have a much easier time staying alive in Shroud

[TheDearLeader]

Because Resist comes in after fire shield/fire absorption,

I don't believe this to be fact.

Pretty sure the order is Protection -> Resist -> Absorption. There was a nice someone that spent a lot of time swimming in lava to determine this.

[Solmage]

240 damage fireball
x 0.5 reflex save
====
120
x 0.5 Fire Shield Cold
====
60
-30 fire resist (as an arcane you should have this no matter what)

Total Damage: 30 points. (Point and laugh)

Also, your hitpoints are a bit low for your level, unless you DID go for a good reflex save, chances are you made your con too low or you aren't using +6 con and greater false life. If so, get them before your next shroud.

[Jaid314]

I don't believe this to be fact.

Pretty sure the order is Protection -> Absorption -> Resist. There was a nice someone that spent a lot of time swimming in lava to determine this.

that would fit what he said. resist comes after absorption.

[TheDearLeader]

240 damage fireball
x 0.5 reflex save
====
120
-30 fire resist (as an arcane you should have this no matter what)
====
90
x 0.5 Fire Shield Cold

Total Damage: 45 points. (Point and laugh)

ftfy, as per the post linked above.

that would fit what he said. resist comes after absorption.

I derped my arrow order. Fixed now.

[goodspeed]

I always have protection, stoneskin, and firesheild up at all times. To not is to invite an ass kicking when those meteors hit or that delayed ball of hell explodes.

Rage is of course always on as well for the extra 20 hp, and heal scrolls are right there next to the weapon setups on the hotbar at the ready to **** 250 to 300 hp back into me.

Now these are just the timed buffs, you should always have the basic lineup going with 30 resists of every element, and so on.

Is it costly to cast these things again and again? Yep. But then again as a sorc you should also have a mana pool of around at least 2700 by lv 17 on a first life without GS. Maybe a bit more. More then enough to hit every meta, keep em going, and blow harrys ass to hell and back in round 1 with 2 other mages.

[TheDearLeader]

But then again as a sorc you should also have a mana pool of around at least 2700 by lv 17 on a first life without GS. Maybe a bit more.

I kinda want to see the numbers on this. So, I did the math.

Charisma @ Level 17
18 Base
02 Tome
04 Enhancements
04 Levelups
06 Item
=34 Charisma

1370 Level 17 Sorcerer (Includes Magical Training)
0312 Bonus SP @ 34 Charisma
0200 Magi or Power X Item
0070 Energy of the Dragonblooded II, required for Savant I
=1952 SP @ level 17

Only a difference of 750 or so.

[Cardtrick]

I don't believe this to be fact.

Pretty sure the order is Protection -> Resist -> Absorption. There was a nice someone that spent a lot of time swimming in lava to determine this.

You're definitely right. +1 to you . . . Huh, I always thought it was Protection->Absorption->Resist. I need to stop posting.

Although this doesn't change the fact that, since protection comes before anything else and is removed after absorbing a set amount of damage, it's often gone in one hit and is much less important than absorption/resist.

[Jaid314]

I kinda want to see the numbers on this. So, I did the math.

Charisma @ Level 17
18 Base
02 Tome
04 Enhancements
04 Levelups
06 Item
=34 Charisma

1370 Level 17 Sorcerer (Includes Magical Training)
0312 Bonus SP @ 34 Charisma
0200 Magi or Power X Item
0070 Energy of the Dragonblooded II, required for Savant I
=1952 SP @ level 17

Only a difference of 750 or so.

heh, funny, that was about what i was thinking

i mean, maybe a bit more than that (semi-decent chance of a wiz VI item, very tiny chance of archmage item, and of course there's potential guild slots and the trinket from the cove event), but yeah... 2700 SP on a first life no-gear sorc is not a reasonable expectation.

[Saravis]

Surprised no one has mentioned this, it is by far the best way to eliminate damage from Harry's fireballs and meteor swarms:

DODGE.

I'm really surprised at how often people just stand around and take a blast to the face, when you can just strafe to the side and take no damage.

Just don't draw an attack to the healers.

Oh and ditch the Sora set, superior potency vi is easy to obtain and you're wasting two slots to get it.

[sirgog]

Surprised no one has mentioned this, it is by far the best way to eliminate damage from Harry's fireballs and meteor swarms:

DODGE.

I'm really surprised at how often people just stand around and take a blast to the face, when you can just strafe to the side and take no damage.

Just don't draw an attack to the healers.

Yeah that works too. Takes a bit of practice tho, as you need to be aware of where *not* to run. Above Normal, it is not a good idea to dodge a 220 damage DBF by stepping into the blade mincer and taking 6 70-point dings from it.

Normal 6 blade hits is about the same as a DBF so it's not a big problem.

[butcheredspirit]

I see a little bit of talk about DR, and stoneskin.

These are useful things to have up, but won't help against a meteor swarm (or any other spell that deals physical damage, like cometfall, blade barrier, or ice storm).

Spells bypass physical damage reduction, because the source is magic.

[Mubjon]

I will echo what Sirgog said, with a bit more.

Fire Absorption 50% - Fire Shield (Cold)
Fire Absorption 33% - Cannith Crafted Trinket, or Firestorm Greaves.
Fire Absorption 20% - Epic Cloak of Flames, or Dream Edge, or Shroud weapon's Tier III.
Fire Absorption 15% - Shroud weapon's Tier II, or ToD Ring
Fire Absorption 10% - Shroud weapon's Tier I

That's an abbreviated list. There is more out there.

Also, yes, his spells are random aggro. You can stop patting yourself on the back because he DBFed you.

Furthermore, since he *is* random aggro... don't wait 15-20 seconds to unload, like you say you've been doing in the past. Curse/DPS as soon as he drops, and do not stop for anything.

did someone **** in your cheerios?

I unloaded on him with a complete cycle and then I see the blast coming at me, well guess what? I would say I got his attention as he had to turn around and fire it off at me as I always stand behind him when he first comes in. If that is not grabbing his aggro then what is? Especially with others attacking him?

[Mubjon]

Surprised no one has mentioned this, it is by far the best way to eliminate damage from Harry's fireballs and meteor swarms:

DODGE.

I'm really surprised at how often people just stand around and take a blast to the face, when you can just strafe to the side and take no damage.

Just don't draw an attack to the healers.

Oh and ditch the Sora set, superior potency vi is easy to obtain and you're wasting two slots to get it.

Well apparently it does not matter because he is random aggro So I can stand pretty much anywhere and the healers still have a chance at getting a fireball to the face just because.

[Mubjon]

Thanks for the information to those that gave it, it is helpful and I am running the shroud so I can get the hp gear.

At level 17 I have

274 hp - I rarely see a Sorc with as much or more than I have that is first life at this level. Minos would add 20 more and I do not think I cast rage much so that would be another 20?

2240 sp - Enough to cast the buffs and such that I need if I can fit the spells have to see what I could drop and scroll for some of the more lifesaving buffs like Rage, Protection and fire shield as I am not sure I want to scroll or wand those.

I will see about the bracers for the extra hp in the meantime, I am not sure if this character has the greater false life or if my TR has it. Have to double check at what belt he has.