What will really change with next expansion to casters?

[alemulet]

Hello all, im reading some threads in forum saying "wait till expansion comes, cuz this will change", "nobody will tr to pm anymore, all aim for wf sorc as caster", "potency is a dead effect" ... i tried to find the sources about this arguments, but failed... so what will really change in next expansion? i have 3 chars that im planning to tr: wf sorc is the priority (aim to wiz pm next life, just finishing some gear), fvs evoker (aim for sorc or another fvs life), art (last priority, maybe keep this life, pretty solid char how it is now)... but i dunno now.. what will really (100% sure) change in caster world? pm is past?

thx in advance

[donblas]

so what will really change in next expansion?

As far as I can tell, casters will become the most powerful toons in endgame.

[Matuse]

PM isn't obsolete, but instakill spells in the highest difficulty quests are taking a big loss of effectiveness.

Potency is a dead effect because unlike now where Superior Potency and Superior Devotion or Superior Glaciation give the same +50% bonus, in the expansion, equal item level Potency only gives 60% of the Spellpower bonus of a type specific effect.

So Superior Potency VI gives 48 Spellpower, where a Superior Glaciation VI item will give (IIRC) 72 Spellpower. That's a massive loss in spell performance. So much so, that Potency just isn't worth carrying at all.

Also, if you are trying to farm an Eardweller: Don't. It's garbage now. Yes, it gives the +25 stacking spellpower, and that's nice, but with the change to disease immunity, everyone (even warforged) gets the stat penalty automatically. -10 Cha is bad news for every spellcaster except maybe Wizards, and even they could have a problem if it drops them to 0 and renders them helpless.

[alemulet]

PM isn't obsolete, but instakill spells in the highest difficulty quests are taking a big loss of effectiveness.

Potency is a dead effect because unlike now where Superior Potency and Superior Devotion or Superior Glaciation give the same +50% bonus, in the expansion, equal item level Potency only gives 60% of the Spellpower bonus of a type specific effect.

So Superior Potency VI gives 48 Spellpower, where a Superior Glaciation VI item will give (IIRC) 72 Spellpower. That's a massive loss in spell performance. So much so, that Potency just isn't worth carrying at all.

Also, if you are trying to farm an Eardweller: Don't. It's garbage now. Yes, it gives the +25 stacking spellpower, and that's nice, but with the change to disease immunity, everyone (even warforged) gets the stat penalty automatically. -10 Cha is bad news for every spellcaster except maybe Wizards, and even they could have a problem if it drops them to 0 and renders them helpless.

hmm.. and about blade barrier? nerfed? cuz impact/impulse dont increase blade barrier dmg, only potency right? so, how now? and pls where you found this? and others changes?

[Lonnbeimnech]

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=376774

scroll down to 'spell power'

[alemulet]

Is this rules already working in lamannia?

[Khatzhas]

PM isn't obsolete, but instakill spells in the highest difficulty quests are taking a big loss of effectiveness.

Specifically, repeated use will cut into their effectiveness severely. After instakilling a group, you'll get a fading debuff based on the number of mobs you killed that will lower your DCs for more death spells.
The current proposal is -2 to death spell DCs per mob, fading by 2 per 15 seconds.

Potency is a dead effect because unlike now where Superior Potency and Superior Devotion or Superior Glaciation give the same +50% bonus, in the expansion, equal item level Potency only gives 60% of the Spellpower bonus of a type specific effect.

So Superior Potency VI gives 48 Spellpower, where a Superior Glaciation VI item will give (IIRC) 72 Spellpower. That's a massive loss in spell performance. So much so, that Potency just isn't worth carrying at all.

You're ignoring the rest of the changes to the system. Spell power effects are additive now, not multiplicative. The difference between using a Glaciation +90 spell power item and a Potency +60 spell power one is around 5% of potential max spell damage.
That is neither a "massive" loss in spell performance, neither is it "not worth carrying potency at all" if you regularly use spells of several different schools.

I believe Force-based spell power boost items (Impact and Impulse) now affect blade barrier and similar spells, as the enhancements do.

[good_ole_corwin]

I believe Force-based spell power boost items (Impact and Impulse) now affect blade barrier and similar spells, as the enhancements do.

They dont - the item boosts specifically say they affect force damage, while enhancements mention both force and untyped. BB is untyped.

[alemulet]

They dont - the item boosts specifically say they affect force damage, while enhancements mention both force and untyped. BB is untyped.

BB/disintegrate/cometfall huge nerf?

[Dwarfo]

Not so much a nerf but actually a buff in elemntal spell damage. The use of clickies basically required now though.

[Therrias]

Also, if you are trying to farm an Eardweller: Don't. It's garbage now. Yes, it gives the +25 stacking spellpower, and that's nice, but with the change to disease immunity, everyone (even warforged) gets the stat penalty automatically. -10 Cha is bad news for every spellcaster except maybe Wizards, and even they could have a problem if it drops them to 0 and renders them helpless.

Oh, does that mean that warforged can get the spell point eggs now?

[Matuse]

You're ignoring the rest of the changes to the system. Spell power effects are additive now, not multiplicative. The difference between using a Glaciation +90 spell power item and a Potency +60 spell power one is around 5% of potential max spell damage.

Um. No?

Absent any other factors, a 100 point spell with Glaciation +90 will do 190 points. With Potency +60 it will do 160 points. 190 is just a tidbit more than 5% larger than 160.

Leaving aside that Potency +60 would be the current equivalent of Superior Potency IX, not exactly the game's most common modifier, yes? I know there's a runearm that has Potency +60 on it, but hey, it's a runearm, so not really an Arcane/Divine tool. And for any Potency +60, there is <Element> +100 to beat it. Superior Potency VII is the highest currently existing potency effect, and it's basically only existant on the fully upgrade cove dagger. That changes to Potency +52 on Lamma.

They dont - the item boosts specifically say they affect force damage, while enhancements mention both force and untyped. BB is untyped.

Impact items are being changed to affect all untyped spells. This would include dual-type spells with untyped elements (like Ice Storm, Meteor Swarm), as well as Disintegrate and Blade Barrier.

There is a trinket item coming in update 14 that I'm currently drooling over:

Holy Symbol of Lolth - Trinket: Spellcasting Implement +15, Nullification +102, Radiance +102, Impulse +102, Exceptional Charisma +1, Exceptional Wisdom +1, Embrace of the Spider Queen [ML:21,BtCoE]

Since the odds of getting a Litany for me are basically nonexistant (it simply never drops, ever), this is my new trinket of choice. With a Devotion item somewhere, I have all 3 "elements" of my FvS covered. Odds are I'll not get any alchemical anythings, but my personal preference with the AC changes in the expansion would be a Flametouched Iron shield for the offhand, and then skiver mainhand. That takes care of...well, just about everything for spellcasting. You could even go with the new green dragonscale armor which has the -10% SP cost of the abbot staff.

[Khatzhas]

Um. No?

Absent any other factors, a 100 point spell with Glaciation +90 will do 190 points. With Potency +60 it will do 160 points. 190 is just a tidbit more than 5% larger than 160.

The figure I gave was based on max potential, not absent any other factors.
Once you add in enhancements, clickies, feats, equipment, implement etc, a 30 point difference in spellpower means a lot less.
Remember: New system is additive, not multiplicative.

[Jaid314]

As far as I can tell, casters will become the most powerful toons in endgame.

this is already the case now; that's not a change.

edit: also, i'm pretty sure impulse DOES work on blade barrier now.

[Jonathrint]

Are these changes only for the epic content?
This looks like WOW-type numbers where everything is +X... not a percentage, just + some meaningless number, where stats and bonuses creep up to absurd amounts like Dragonball Z or something.

This is not sounding like D&D at all.

[Vellrad]

Oh, does that mean that warforged can get the spell point eggs now?

They can't eat them anyway.

[Udalric]

BB/disintegrate/cometfall huge nerf?

Yup it's devastating nerf to BB ,expect to get max 60% current dmg.

[Matuse]

BB/disintegrate/cometfall huge nerf?

Yup it's devastating nerf to BB ,expect to get max 60% current dmg.

Impulse items work on Blade Barrier. At least, they will once Update 14 goes live. The existing Laceration effects on Alchemicals are being changed to Impulse effects, because Impulse is being changed to work on Blade Barrier, as well as every other spell with untyped damage.

[Gorbadoc]

I wonder if Blade Barrier and Meteor Swarm (the non-fire component) will be reduced by the target's physical resistance, since they should be slashing and bludgeoning damage.

If so, Greater Glyph of Warding could become situationally stronger than blade barrier, and obviously elemental (including light) spells will be that much more preferable.

[Vellrad]

I wonder if Blade Barrier and Meteor Swarm (the non-fire component) will be reduced by the target's physical resistance, since they should be slashing and bludgeoning damage.

If so, Greater Glyph of Warding could become situationally stronger than blade barrier, and obviously elemental (including light) spells will be that much more preferable.

BB. ice storm and meteor swarm already deals physical damage, and its not reduced by DR (but should be.
So I guess they won't be reduced, but who knows...