To empower or not

[Proffit]

Hello

What do you guys think about empower nowadays? I personally have a hard time thinking it's worth the extra cost to have empower running when you already have maximize on.

I run with Improved Maxmizing 2 (pre-req) and Efficient Maximize 2 item, so it's only 15 sp total.

A polar ray would go from 35->50 sp with empower on, and I dont think an almost 50% increase in cost is worth the kinda lackluster damage you get from it now.

And also, it's a lot of fun to just able to blast away like crazy and not have to worry that much about spell points.

I will still keep Empower if for no other reasons than the boost to my SLAs and for the occasions where I have the sp to use it without worry.

So, do you run with both maximize and empower on?

[Jsbeer]

I only take Empower primarily for use with SLAs - I think it is pretty SP-inefficient otherwise. I can see it being useful on normal spells very rarely, and then just when you have to take a boss down ASAP.

[WielderofGigantus]

I rarely run out of sp on most quests. And I find it's better to kill the enemy with one or two shots, rather than letting them hit on you or your allies for the three or four shots it would take without empower.


Scratch that. I have no idea. I haven't turned Empower off in months.

[Syllph]

With epic destinies and level 25 adding a big chuck of Spell points and the ability to twist in +10% more Spell points on top of lowering all spells by 10% more I see no need to turn off empower + maximize + quicken + heighten.

[Proffit]

With epic destinies and level 25 adding a big chuck of Spell points and the ability to twist in +10% more Spell points on top of lowering all spells by 10% more I see no need to turn off empower + maximize + quicken + heighten.

I'm not there yet but yes, that might just change things a bit.

[Kinerd]

The other thing that keeps me taking Empower on my (first life) sorcerer is... what else would I take? Yes my spell pen is not great, but one feat isn't going to make a big difference there. Yes my instant kill DCs are not great, but same story there. Why not Empower? It's free on my SLAs and if in some situation I don't have enough SP for it on my regular spells I can always turn it off selectively (secondary hotbar).

[Drekisen]

You are a sorc........empower and maximize are musts...unless you don't enjoy being a nuker...then whatever.

[Proffit]

You are a sorc........empower and maximize are musts...unless you don't enjoy being a nuker...then whatever.

I nuke like crazy, I just feel I'm getting more nukage out of not having empower on atm.

[firemedium_jt]

For ur DOTs

[gphysalis]

Elemental resistance on your non primary element, especially the dots.

[sirgog]

Couldn't live without Empower for SLAs and for DOTs. I don't usually use it on single-shot AoEs though.

[Lord_WC]

Dunno.
I got Maximize at lvl15. Pulled it into the quickbar, switched on, took it off.

I got Empower ant lvl18. Pulled it into the quickbar, switched on, took it off.

Hell, you need to spend that 4k sp somehow, otherwise people would accuse you of piking...

[CaptainPurge]

Well what feat would you want to replace Empower with, as a nuker?
I haven't turned off empower + maximize as a nuker. Rarely run out of SP anyway it seems. But can adjust to the idea of possibly going without empower if the current state of the game says it is a better idea for reasons I haven't heard yet.

[varusso]

My very general rule of thumb is :
SLAs = always Emp + max
DOTs = Max + Emp at least on the third+ stack, often on the first two as well
All other spells:
Normal = Emp
Hard = Max
Elite = Emp + Max

Very rarely do I run out of SP, whether solo or group, and that includes keeping up extended rage/haste for the group, as well as self-healing (though usually done with recon scrolls whenever possible).

I follow the same rul on my wizzies as on my sorcs, except that my wizzies tend to use CC and charms to reduce the need for sheer nukage.

[erikbozelie]

did the math for this in my wizard thread,
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=393472

[goodspeed]

as a sorc early on I see a fight going 2 ways. Either I cast fireball once, or I have to cast it twice. So either I have empower and max going, or i'm casting twice.

Plus once you get firewall, even as slapped around as it is, it is still the most efficient means of killing stuff maxed. After it comes less efficient then you still have your other aoe spells but most importantly sla's.

After u9 these were the go to spells....well at least on the ice and earth mage, the fire mage's sla's kinda suck, and air is kinda 50/50, the stun is nice, having to touch something isn't, and if you have the numbers im sure lightning bolt would hit for full.

Anyway sla's are your micromanagement. Sure you cast a big spell in there like polar ray, or a ball of something, or chain lightning. But really it's a web or a fog, and then an aoe mixed with those sla's. And those sla's bennifit from empower and max, and heighten (well most do I still think it's a ripoff about melfs)

And to go back to what another post said above; what else would you choose? Extend? I guess, maybe, personally I don't find theirs really any problem with timers at 20. Especially now that you can't give the most valuable spell to anyone but urself (displace)

Spell pen? If your trying for that I think ya chose the wrong class. Maybe extra dc's for conjuration perhaps, but really your a sorc. Your the dude that's supposed to declare HEY, yo it's cool guys don't flip, I got this as you stroll up to the 30 things the ranger just brought around the corner. (heh come on you know it's true.)