Just how do destinies work? (what trees available)

[RS-Makk]

I'm hoping someone can help me with the basics - the tree I can start with is limited to my primary class (or if multi-classed can I do more than one?). When do other trees become available and how do I know which I'll have access to?

Thanks

[HastyPudding]

I'm not 100% sure since I'm not big on multiclassing, but I'm assuming you can pick from the destinies according to what classes you have. Say, if you have 2 rogue/18 wizard, you should be able to pick Shadowdancer and the Magister lines together, seeing as Shadowdancer is tied closely with rogue abilities and the Magister is available to arcane classes.

I know that my FVS (when he was capped before I TR'd him yesterday) only had access to the two divine trees (Exalted Angel and Unyelding Sentinel) because he was a pure 20 class. This makes me think the above is true, but I'll reserve judgement until I hear from people that have done it all, first.

EDIT: SEE MY POST BELOW FOR EXPLANATION.

[Expalphalog]

This whole thing seems to include a lot of assumed knowledge. Ok, so maybe trees are an MMO staple, but some of us who have never played another MMO don't know what the heck we're looking at.

I see a bunch of icons. Cool. Some of them have arrows pointing from one to another - I assume this means that one is a prereq for the other? What about the ones with no arrows? Which ones are available for me to pick? Can I pick any ability I want? Or do I have to start on the bottom row? If I want a particular ability do I have to pick the power directly below it to unlock it?

I guess it all boils down to: What do the rows symbolize? What do the columns symbolize?

[HastyPudding]

This whole thing seems to include a lot of assumed knowledge. Ok, so maybe trees are an MMO staple, but some of us who have never played another MMO don't know what the heck we're looking at.

I see a bunch of icons. Cool. Some of them have arrows pointing from one to another - I assume this means that one is a prereq for the other? What about the ones with no arrows? Which ones are available for me to pick? Can I pick any ability I want? Or do I have to start on the bottom row? If I want a particular ability do I have to pick the power directly below it to unlock it?

I guess it all boils down to: What do the rows symbolize? What do the columns symbolize?

Judging from what I've seen in-game -- and reminding you this is hearsay and educated guessing from having played many MMORPG's -- the trees work exactly like enhancements, only in a visual form. Each ability has a set amount of points you have to have spent in that particular tree in order to get them.

- It appears that the lower the ability is on the column, the 'lower' it is and less points you need to spend in that tree. This would mean that the higher you climb in the columns, the 'stronger' the abilities are and the more points required in that tree that you need to acquire them.

- Arrows clearly indicate that an ability requires a prerequisite in order to get it; say Skill B requires 3 points spent in Skill A in order to be activated.

- The points seem to be the same as AP; 4 per level starting at lvl 20, for a total of 24 at lvl 25.

The whole shebang explained in detail:
http://ddowiki.com/page/Epic_Destinies

[Arkenvis]

My understanding is that it's based off of the "sphere" of your primary class (and I'm betting in the case of ties it follows the same rules as past life feats from TRing) for which EDs you're allowed to choose to start, but you're not limited to the ED based on your class (which is good, since 3 classes don't have EDs based on their abilities). So an 18 Fighter/2 Paladin will start in the martial sphere, but if you're more interested in Unyielding Sentinel than in Legendary Dreadnaught, you can begin in Grandmaster of Flowers (which has the added benefit of unlocking both LD and SD while you work on getting access to US).

[HastyPudding]

The way it was explained to me...

Example:
1- You are a level 20 FVS and you pick the Exalted Angel destiny.

2- You can keep gaining experience in this destiny to 'level' it, gaining AP to spend on abilities in your active tree. You can only gain experience in epic destinies by completing epic quests and challenges. Epic destiny levels are not the same as epic character levels. You have 5 (21-25) epic character levels and a current grand total of 45 epic destiny levels (more will most likely be added once more epic destinies are created).

3- If you wish, you can pick another destiny to level later on (although you can only have ONE active at one time).

4- The only destiny adjacent to Exalted Angel is Unyielding Sentinel, and since Unyielding Sentinel is located within the divine destinies sphere, you only require 3 levels in Exalted Angel to switch to it.

5- Later you wish to pick another destiny, the next on the chain is Grandmaster of Flowers, in the melee sphere. Since you're moving from one sphere to another, you are required to have 4 levels in Unyielding Sentinel, instead of 3. You can eventually unlock all destinies and spheres through doing this; you never stop gaining experience in epic destinies even if you are capped at level 25. As long as you continue to do epic quests you continue to gain epic destinies experience.

6- The DDO store has an item called a 'Key of Destiny'. This allowed you to learn a destiny without earning the prerequisite. So, if you wish to go from Unyielding Sentinel to Grandmaster of Flowers, but do not wish to spend time grinding to level 4, you can use these keys to unlock the next step without the need to level.

7- So, if you picked Exalted Angel as your first destiny, and you wish to take levels in the Magister destiny, you will require: 3 levels in Exalted Angel, 4 levels in Unyielding Sentinel, 3 levels in Grandmaster of Flowers, 4 levels in Shadowdancer, and 3 levels in Fatesinger. So, pick your first destiny wisely.

8- If you decide to TR, your destinies are 'turned off'. Once you reach level 20 again, they will be turned on and you can resume where you stopped.

9- Twists of Fate are a limited amount of 'abilities' from other destiny trees that you can use, even if that destiny is not currently active. Let's say you are an Exalted Angel and you wish to use the 'Light as a Feather' ability from the Grandmaster of Flowers destiny. You may use a Twist of Fate to activate this ability while Exalted Angel is active. A great way to pick and mix your abilities, creating the ultimate customizable character with enough work and dedication.

10- You have a grand total of 16 Twists of Fate, and you receive one for every 3 epic destiny levels you possess. Although you can purchase some from the DDO store to acquire them sooner, you can still only have a maximum of 16.

[Maxson]

Your available trees are based on the type of class you have 6 or more levels in.

So:
Melees get access to the melee trees, arcanes to the arcane and divines to divine, the only slightly unusual one is primal which is barbarian, ranger and druid.

Once you pick a destiny you're stuck with it until you have enough levels in it to move to an adjacent one.

See those dots between two Epic destinies on the map of them? That's how many levels you need in a destiny to move to said adjacent one.

I'm not sure how twists of fate work yet, sorry.

edit: ignore this, the above is way more detailed.