The pup has been neutered

[AzB]

As promised, with the new update the pup has been neutered. No more 150pt sneak crits.

Oh well, I'm glad I had it for low levels. It made it a breeze to solo through a bunch of them. In groups it was a bit embarrassing for my pup to have 5 times the kills I had.

Now if they would only allow lightning to actually work on something. I tried it on a rock, and it even made it's evade save.

Edit: I also noticed in Delara's tomb that my bear was doing no damage to skeletons. I thought bear attacks were bludgeon attacks... but there were the little 0s after every swing. If I equipped a fireblade scimitar in bear form, it would register a couple points of fire damage after the 0 for the bear attack.

I tested out different weapons and forms on the attack dummy, even got the pup to help out... and it took 3 minutes for us both to take down the dummy. (17 str +4 scimitar) I think I'm going to reconfig as a spell caster. Melee, especially against undead is incredibly pointless. My bard, similarly leveled and equipped can take down the dummy in just a bit over 30 seconds... with no help from a pet.

Anyone else notice this, or is it something going on with my character?

[Sylvado]

I have been noticing the dummy taking a lot longer to take down on the first day after the past few updates, regardless of class.

[Fhauvial]

On Delera's: Bear form attacks are supposed to be bludgeoning and slashing, so far as I know. Were you attacking the regular skellies or the ghostly? The ghostly have DR/Good as well.

[Archangel666]

The problem I have with them basically halving the Wolf's damage (Went from 60 ish to 30 ish) is that now the Wolf has all the durability of a wet paper towel in a hurricane.

Previously it could at least kill mobs fairly fast to stop it taking too much damage and needing too much healing.

Now? It takes an eternity to kill mobs and takes a ton of damage. This wastes SP healing the silly thing and it's not like Druids have too much SP. My Druid at 22 has 2165 SP.

[AzB]

The problem I have with them basically halving the Wolf's damage (Went from 60 ish to 30 ish) is that now the Wolf has all the durability of a wet paper towel in a hurricane.

Previously it could at least kill mobs fairly fast to stop it taking too much damage and needing too much healing.

Now? It takes an eternity to kill mobs and takes a ton of damage. This wastes SP healing the silly thing and it's not like Druids have too much SP. My Druid at 22 has 2165 SP.

I laughed when I saw the enhancement for the pup to increase it's ability to draw aggro. That's like the last thing he needs now. We need a "heel" button so he'll stay put when he's not needed and not become a liability. I would've thought the "come here" button would work that way, but as soon as he comes back, he turns around and runs right back into the fray, sometimes barely giving me enough time to heal him. And of course, this all takes my time and attention away from the fight so I end up doing nothing but calling him and healing him. If he was killing stuff, it would be ok. But now that he just annoys anything over 2nd level, it's pointless.

It's easier just to leave him out of quests, and summon him for the rare times he's useful for something.

Az

[Gadget2775]

**SNIP**
We need a "heel" button so he'll stay put when he's not needed and not become a liability. I would've thought the "come here" button would work that way, but as soon as he comes back, he turns around and runs right back into the fray, sometimes barely giving me enough time to heal him

**SNIP**.

Takes two commands on the pet/hireling bar. First is passive, second is come here.

[riexau]

I more or less stopped using my puppy after gianthold. The trauma penalty for having your pet die is just too severe when it's getting 1-2 shot in higher level quests. That said, at least when his damage was broken, it was almost worthwhile to sometimes bring him out for that extra bit of oomph.

I fear now that fluffy may never see the light of day again.

[Galeria]

Yes, the complaints of "the wolf puppy is too powerful" were heard and responded to quickly. Yay.

Now the master summoner portion of druid has been nerfed as well so that it is solidly mediocre in every aspect.

[danotmano1998]

Yes, the complaints of "the wolf puppy is too powerful" were heard and responded to quickly. Yay.

Great, NOW look what you guys did!
I won't even say it, I'll let the little guy speak for himself.



NOTE: Adjusted to be more reasonable = Turbine dev speak for nerfed the **** out of.

[Expalphalog]

The release note says that the pup should now be 'neither under nor over powered' or something to that effect.

Does this mean that the pup was toned down in early levels where it was tearing through content like a 4x twinked TR, but buffed up at the late levels where it was as worthless (but beloved) as my cosmetic pup?

Or does this mean that it was simply across the board nerfed thereby making the release note writer a liar by claiming that they would not be underpowered?

[erikbozelie]

the pup has been neutered "with the nerf-hammer"

this... is .. too... painfull... to ....think.... about....

i mean... what would you do when something like this comes up to you and says:

its neuter time, just hold still ok? this will only take a second.

[Gadget2775]

the pup has been neutered "with the nerf-hammer"

this... is .. too... painfull... to ....think.... about....

i mean... what would you do when something like this comes up to you and says:

its neuter time, just hold still ok? this will only take a second.

Immortals has a really sick (and by sick I mean twisted and wrong) scene where they do that to someone. Horrible evil scene.

[cypan41]

I agree that at earlier levels it was way over powered. However after say 16 it was doing appropriate damage for lvl. I wish they would have ramped up the damage and allowed pets to be useful for Druids. Alas, no more bothering with pets I guess. It will free up those spells for.. oh wait. There's nothing useful in those spell levels. Great..

[Hawkston]

Regardless of what damage the pup does, I think he's still useful. I put a deception collar on him, and with the bluff enhancements (I forget what they're called), I see a lot of orange icons over mobs heads. This seems to really help in melee with wolf form (adds SA damage) and I don't have to do anything he just does it automatically. He can still guard an extractor by himself in House C challenges, and with his occasional lever pulling and stone carrying duties I don't think I'll put him away any time soon.

As for undead, you'd think skeletons would be especially vulnerable, after all they are like a walking chew toy for bears and wolves. They aren't of course, but they do go down to spells (if you're having trouble hitting with call lightning, get your evocation DC up somehow, I find it better than regular lightning bolt and it doesn't need line of sight). No problem meleeing the "fleshy" undead like zombies, ghouls and wights in animal form, but I do notice that I get incorporeal misses on wraiths and spectres even when i have a ghost touch weapon equipped.

[Smitey]

I get incorporeal misses on wraiths and spectres even when i have a ghost touch weapon equipped.

Would this be handwraps you were using Hawkston? I have monk levels and am in witer wolf form and noticed this in Orchard just now but haven't investigated yet.

[Gadget2775]

Would this be handwraps you were using Hawkston? I have monk levels and am in witer wolf form and noticed this in Orchard just now but haven't investigated yet.

Cannith wraps don't seem to transfer any mods to animal form. But they convert into Collars that function for pets pretty nicely. Mines now using my +2 shock of lesser vamp.

[Hawkston]

Would this be handwraps you were using Hawkston?

I was using Tenebrous Stiletto and a shield.

[Smitey]

Cannith wraps don't seem to transfer any mods to animal form.

I don't think that's the case as mine were random gen ghost touch+disruption wraps and Hawkston is using a named dagger:

I was using Tenebrous Stiletto and a shield.

All the wraps I've created (scream/bleed at early lvls; greater incorp bane; holy; stun etc) have been registering.

This would appear to be a more general 'form' issue with ghost touch property itself.

[Gadget2775]

I don't think that's the case as mine were random gen ghost touch+disruption wraps and Hawkston is using a named dagger:



All the wraps I've created (scream/bleed at early lvls; greater incorp bane; holy; stun etc) have been registering.

This would appear to be a more general 'form' issue with ghost touch property itself.

R u sure your the one missing? Pet and hireling attacks also display and can easily be mistaken for your own.

[Smitey]

Will complete a bug report - can you confirm similar Hawkston?