Pale Master Guide

[Portalcat]

No, I don't have the mats for both. I can do the Eternal Scorching Light at any time as the FOTM raid is easy to run and obtain mats from -- the shadow phlogistons less so. And of course, I have no desire to create both and find out they don't stack on the live server. I'll try to email a dev and see what happens.

Message sent...

Eternal Chilling Darkness does not stack with Fey Energy Tap IIRC, which suggests to me that it likely would not stack.

I would guess that they would be on separate timers though, such that you could trigger one to re-up the temporary spell points with one while on timer to trigger the other.



I'm not sure what build would want both - that would require not wanting the exceptional DC from a two-hander and steady use of both cold/negative and fire/light spells. That's a big stretch for a PM DC caster. Maybe a Druid might consider trading a DC for this?

[ssternlight]

I'm not sure what build would want both - that would require not wanting the exceptional DC from a two-hander and steady use of both cold/negative and fire/light spells. That's a big stretch for a PM DC caster. Maybe a Druid might consider trading a DC for this?

Well, as you could see from my earlier question regarding the new raids, a 68 DC doesn't seem to cut it with many of those mobs. So, I guess you could say there is an ongoing DPS approach in my particular build that drains SP's enough that the extra 50 SP every 45 seconds appears more tempting than one more DC. In effect, I'm admitting a kind of defeat for my version of the pure PM build in these raids.

To put it another way, Ruin, Burst, and a finisher if needed seems more effective than mindfog/wail or some combo of enervation/energy drain/ necrotic ray (which is not bad by itself) with a FOD chaser. Since Halt/Command Undead work fine on EH at the current level they're not part of the equation. Finally, I don't really know where the line is for effective DC casting in these raids but I'm guessing it's not "69." If I'm below 100% on SP, shooting off the random scorching ray at 8SP to get 42 more net doesn't seem like such a big deal. Ultimately, I guess I could re-ask the question is there anything else in Tier III that would be of more value than the 42 net SP every 45 seconds -- so far I'm not seeing it.

[Portalcat]

Finally, I don't really know where the line is for effective DC casting in these raids but I'm guessing it's not "69."

Necro DCs in the mid 70s are achievable while buffed. In a few weeks, ship buffs will increase for necro DCs by one and persist through death.

[Andoris]

Looking over the updates to the U22 loot and the Cannoneer's Goggles stand out.

Cannoneer’s Goggles
Goggles
Wizardry IX, Impulse 114, 10% SP Discount to Spells, Green Augment Slot - slotted with +8 DEX

The 10% SP discount is significant, and the impulse spell power will free up a Orange slot, allowing me to slot a meridian fragment full time. As a side note, it saves me the ingots on the nuking tier2 TF item (not yet crafted), as I can now consolidate my Nuking and Spell Pen gear swaps (and frees up a hot bar slot).

Down side is that my +3 int item is currently in my goggles.. so time to reconfigure gear again.

Here is my current gear layout:

Gear: -
Trinket: Litany (alchemical resistance ritual)
Head: Green Steel: Ice Lore 13%, Fire lore 14%, Void lore 15%
Neck: Green Steel: Earth/Air/Air +10hp, +150sp, +2 con skills, +4 cha skills, +6 int; Balance of Land and Sky / Sages Locket [swap]
Goggles: Intricate Field Goggles +3 insightful intelligence (Green: +2 Evocation /Yellow: GoTIB)
Bracers: Dumathoin’s Bracers (Blue: +40 False Lifet)
Body: Shadow Dragon robe, Shadow caster (Blue: +8 Resistance Green: 250 Spell points )
Cloak: Deathwyrm Cloak (Green: +2 Conjuration) / Sages Mantle [swap]
Ring: Conjuration Focus +2 of Kinetic Lore 15% (Colorless: +8 Str Yellow: +2 Illusion ) / Lantern Ring (Green: +2 illusion Colorless: +8 Str )
Ring: Health 10 Dodge 10%
Boots: Spiked Boots (Green: +2 Enchantment, Yellow: +2 iCon)
Gloves: EE Master Illusionist (Yellow: +2 Necromancy)
Belt: EE Belt of the Seven Ideals (Green: Good Luck+2 /Colorless: +11 heal)
Quiver: Quiver of Alacrity

Weapon Sets:
General: +12 TF Quarterstaff 150 Nullification; +1 Exceptional DC; +6 Necro DC; Eternal Chilling darkness (Red: 138 Combustion Orange: 138 Force SP Colorless: +15 Spell craft)
Nuking: +11 TF Shortsword 150 combustion (Orange: 138 Force SP Purple: 138 Cold SP) / +11 TF Orb 150 Nullification +6 Necro (Orange: Meridian Fragment);
SR Mobs: +11 TF Shortsword 150 Combustion; +7 Spell pen (Orange: 138 Force SP) / +11 TF Orb 150 Nullification +6 Necro (Orange: Meridian Fragment);
Healer Role: +9 Recon 132 of Repair lore 19% / +11 TF Orb 150 Nullification +6 Necro (Orange: Meridian Fragment);

Swap Items:
Trinket: PLIS, Eardweller, Bauble
Neck: Epic Twisted Talisman, Twisted Talisman, Archivist's Necklace, Torc, Beholder Optic Nerves
Cloak: Epic Mirror Cloak, Prismatic Cloaks (30% elemental absorb), Jeweled Cloak
Ring: Djinn ring, Epic/Heroic Ring of Spell Storing, Feather fall, Circle of Hatred
Boots: Cannith Boots of Propulsion, Boots of Anchoring
Bracers: Aquatic

My current thinking is to reconfigure the gear as such:

Trinket: Litany (alchemical resistance ritual)
Head: Blue Helm +3 insightful intelligence (Green: +2 Good luck; Yellow: GotiB)
Neck: Green Steel: Earth/Air/Air +10hp, +150sp, +2 con skills, +4 cha skills, +6 int; Balance of Land and Sky / Sages Locket [swap]
Goggles: Cannoneers Goggoes (Green: +2 Evocation)
Bracers: Dumathoin’s Bracers (Blue: +40 False Life)
Body: Shadow Dragon robe, Shadow caster (Blue: +8 Resistance Green: 250 Spell points )
Cloak: Deathwyrm Cloak (Green: +2 Conjuration) / Sages Mantle [swap]
Ring: Conjuration Focus +2 of Kinetic Lore 15% (Colorless: +8 Str Yellow: +2 Illusion ) / Lantern Ring (Green: +2 illusion Colorless: +8 Str )
Ring: Health 10 Dodge 10%
Boots: Spiked Boots (Green: +2 Enchantment, Yellow: +2 iCon)
Gloves: EE Master Illusionist (Yellow: +2 Necromancy)
Belt: Green Steel: Ice Lore 13%, Fire lore 14%, Void lore 15%
Quiver: Quiver of Alacrity

General: +12 TF Quarterstaff 150 Nullification; +1 Exceptional DC; +6 Necro DC; Eternal Chilling darkness (Red: 138 Combustion Orange: Meridian Fragment Colorless: +15 Spell craft or +11 Heal)

I would lose potency 80, either +15 spell craft (likely) or +11 heal and always on spell penetration (I do have a weapon swap for +7 spell pen though).

I could cover the potency by swapping to a sages ring, but that would cost 10% dodge. As I have gear to cover all my elements except lightning, I should be able to drop potency all together with just the loss of Eldar's as an option (I almost never cast it anyways).

Thoughts?

[Portalcat]

Looking over the updates to the U22 loot and the Cannoneer's Goggles stand out.



The 10% SP discount is significant, and the impulse spell power will free up a Orange slot, allowing me to slot a meridian fragment full time. As a side note, it saves me the ingots on the nuking tier2 TF item (not yet crafted), as I can now consolidate my Nuking and Spell Pen gear swaps (and frees up a hot bar slot).

Down side is that my +3 int item is currently in my goggles.. so time to reconfigure gear again.

Here is my current gear layout:



My current thinking is to reconfigure the gear as such:

Trinket: Litany (alchemical resistance ritual)
Head: Blue Helm +3 insightful intelligence (Green: +2 Good luck; Yellow: GotiB)
Neck: Green Steel: Earth/Air/Air +10hp, +150sp, +2 con skills, +4 cha skills, +6 int; Balance of Land and Sky / Sages Locket [swap]
Goggles: Cannoneers Goggoes (Green: +2 Evocation)
Bracers: Dumathoin’s Bracers (Blue: +40 False Life)
Body: Shadow Dragon robe, Shadow caster (Blue: +8 Resistance Green: 250 Spell points )
Cloak: Deathwyrm Cloak (Green: +2 Conjuration) / Sages Mantle [swap]
Ring: Conjuration Focus +2 of Kinetic Lore 15% (Colorless: +8 Str Yellow: +2 Illusion ) / Lantern Ring (Green: +2 illusion Colorless: +8 Str )
Ring: Health 10 Dodge 10%
Boots: Spiked Boots (Green: +2 Enchantment, Yellow: +2 iCon)
Gloves: EE Master Illusionist (Yellow: +2 Necromancy)
Belt: Green Steel: Ice Lore 13%, Fire lore 14%, Void lore 15%
Quiver: Quiver of Alacrity

General: +12 TF Quarterstaff 150 Nullification; +1 Exceptional DC; +6 Necro DC; Eternal Chilling darkness (Red: 138 Combustion Orange: Meridian Fragment Colorless: +15 Spell craft or +11 Heal)

I would lose potency 80, either +15 spell craft (likely) or +11 heal and always on spell penetration (I do have a weapon swap for +7 spell pen though).

I could cover the potency by swapping to a sages ring, but that would cost 10% dodge. As I have gear to cover all my elements except lightning, I should be able to drop potency all together with just the loss of Eldar's as an option (I almost never cast it anyways).

Thoughts?

The 10% is nice, though we have to give up a lot to get it, including 3 spell pen, 24 impulse, potency, and an augment that's doing something useful. Especially if that's spellcraft, we're trading a fair amount of general damage. The spell pen by itself might be a meaningful tradeoff, given we're near the line for no-fail in a fair amount of content.

It may be better, but it's not a slam dunk. I'm probably not going to change my gear set for it, given that it means farming a blue helm without being so, though I sure won't sell a +3 int helm if I pull it now.

[Andoris]

The 10% is nice, though we have to give up a lot to get it, including 3 spell pen, 24 impulse, potency, and an augment that's doing something useful. Especially if that's spellcraft, we're trading a fair amount of general damage. The spell pen by itself might be a meaningful tradeoff, given we're near the line for no-fail in a fair amount of content.

It may be better, but it's not a slam dunk. I'm probably not going to change my gear set for it, given that it means farming a blue helm without being so, though I sure won't sell a +3 int helm if I pull it now.

I am planning a weapon swap with a +7 spell pen item that I can switch to if I start to see blue shields, although I will agree, by not having the always on +3 I will likely see those shields a lot more often. Instead of losing spell craft, I have been thinking of dropping the +8 strength (can always carry pots of bulls strength if needed).

As for spell power, I still have combustion (my primary element), nullification, and force always slotted -- with easy swaps I can get light and ice spell power. So potency is really only a backup for corrosion and magnetism, both of which almost never get used so I really don't see that as much of a loss.

The big costs are 24 impluse and the need to farm out a blue helm (ugg, I thought I was done with Tor farming).

I figure that the 10% reduction is equivalent to about 450-500 spell points after you factor in your spell point clickies and feywild tap. I don't know if I can pass that up.

All that being said.. I need to pull a blue helm first, so I have some time to think on it.

[bluwasabi]

good reading +1

[caellwin]

so any clue what quest gives the Goggles yet?

[Portalcat]

so any clue what quest gives the Goggles yet?

They drop in Precious Cargo.

[caellwin]

Looking over the updates to the U22 loot and the Cannoneer's Goggles stand out.



The 10% SP discount is significant, and the impulse spell power will free up a Orange slot, allowing me to slot a meridian fragment full time. As a side note, it saves me the ingots on the nuking tier2 TF item (not yet crafted), as I can now consolidate my Nuking and Spell Pen gear swaps (and frees up a hot bar slot).

Down side is that my +3 int item is currently in my goggles.. so time to reconfigure gear again.

Here is my current gear layout:



My current thinking is to reconfigure the gear as such:

Trinket: Litany (alchemical resistance ritual)
Head: Blue Helm +3 insightful intelligence (Green: +2 Good luck; Yellow: GotiB)
Neck: Green Steel: Earth/Air/Air +10hp, +150sp, +2 con skills, +4 cha skills, +6 int; Balance of Land and Sky / Sages Locket [swap]
Goggles: Cannoneers Goggoes (Green: +2 Evocation)
Bracers: Dumathoin’s Bracers (Blue: +40 False Life)
Body: Shadow Dragon robe, Shadow caster (Blue: +8 Resistance Green: 250 Spell points )
Cloak: Deathwyrm Cloak (Green: +2 Conjuration) / Sages Mantle [swap]
Ring: Conjuration Focus +2 of Kinetic Lore 15% (Colorless: +8 Str Yellow: +2 Illusion ) / Lantern Ring (Green: +2 illusion Colorless: +8 Str )
Ring: Health 10 Dodge 10%
Boots: Spiked Boots (Green: +2 Enchantment, Yellow: +2 iCon)
Gloves: EE Master Illusionist (Yellow: +2 Necromancy)
Belt: Green Steel: Ice Lore 13%, Fire lore 14%, Void lore 15%
Quiver: Quiver of Alacrity

General: +12 TF Quarterstaff 150 Nullification; +1 Exceptional DC; +6 Necro DC; Eternal Chilling darkness (Red: 138 Combustion Orange: Meridian Fragment Colorless: +15 Spell craft or +11 Heal)

I would lose potency 80, either +15 spell craft (likely) or +11 heal and always on spell penetration (I do have a weapon swap for +7 spell pen though).

I could cover the potency by swapping to a sages ring, but that would cost 10% dodge. As I have gear to cover all my elements except lightning, I should be able to drop potency all together with just the loss of Eldar's as an option (I almost never cast it anyways).

Thoughts?

why would you have Balance of Land and Sky on your Necklace? cant see the guard being worth it and the other stuff doesnt stack unless im mistaken.

[Andoris]

why would you have Balance of Land and Sky on your Necklace? cant see the guard being worth it and the other stuff doesnt stack unless im mistaken.

The +3 to saves on Balance of Land of Sky stacks. That allows me to push my Ref save into the low 70s.

There isn't any other Green Steel effect that offers more for EE content (imo).

[ChemE]

So it's looking like most all lvl 28 PM's have switched to shadowscale robes and thunder forged staffs or two weapon sets? About to tr into my morning lord final life in a few weeks and I have enough mats to make the armor and finish my tier 3 staff.

[Wipey]

The +3 to saves on Balance of Land of Sky stacks. That allows me to push my Ref save into the low 70s.

There isn't any other Green Steel effect that offers more for EE content (imo).

Hmm so you have saves on Greensteel but ditch Parrying bracers for Dumathoins
Does the raid bracers do that much for you ?

[Andoris]

Hmm so you have saves on Greensteel but ditch Parrying bracers for Dumathoins
Does the raid bracers do that much for you ?

I never bothered with Parrying bracers as the Healing Amp portion didn't do anything (and my fleshy toons are using all of my Sup Parry of HA bracers ). Dumathoins is really just there for the big PRR boost.

I put BoLaS on the Greensteel because there was really nothing better (green steel guard wise) to put on the Greensteel item. BoLaS is not worth a slot by itself, but if I am going to be wearing GS anyways, I might as well take the extra +3 to saves

[Andoris]

So it's looking like most all lvl 28 PM's have switched to shadowscale robes and thunder forged staffs or two weapon sets? About to tr into my morning lord final life in a few weeks and I have enough mats to make the armor and finish my tier 3 staff.

The DC bonus from shadow scale and thunderforged are too good to pass up. If you have the mats, it is the way to go.

[ChemE]

The DC bonus from shadow scale and thunderforged are too good to pass up. If you have the mats, it is the way to go.

That's what I was thinking; plus the Shroud is getting a little long in the tooth from 15-28.

[peng]

The +3 to saves on Balance of Land of Sky stacks. That allows me to push my Ref save into the low 70s.

There isn't any other Green Steel effect that offers more for EE content (imo).

The saves bonus stacks? What type is it?

I never bothered with Parrying bracers as the Healing Amp portion didn't do anything (and my fleshy toons are using all of my Sup Parry of HA bracers ). Dumathoins is really just there for the big PRR boost.

Until I can get dumathoin, I'm using sun soul bracers. +4 ins saves, +7 wis for will saves/neg spellpower, and +2 ins con saves me an augment slot.

[Andoris]

The saves bonus stacks? What type is it?


Until I can get dumathoin, I'm using sun soul bracers. +4 ins saves, +7 wis for will saves/neg spellpower, and +2 ins con saves me an augment slot.

Not sure what type of bonus it is, but it stacks with everything we tested.

As for bracers, the Sun Soul is a good option. However, personally I would go with the Sage's Cuffs for the big Ruin hits and then slot a Guardian's Ring for the PRR.

[peng]

I know you're pretty set on t5 PM, but you might want to reconsider AM. Arcane supremacy gives a hidden +2 int. https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...t-and-AM-vs-PM

[Andoris]

I know you're pretty set on t5 PM, but you might want to reconsider AM. Arcane supremacy gives a hidden +2 int. https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...t-and-AM-vs-PM

I have been aware of that for quite awhile.

However, it is obviously not working at intended and will likely get fixed at some point (likely sooner now that it is public). Also due to the AP costs you really don't gain any DC's by going Arcane Supremacy over PM for Drow. For Sun Elf the AP costs do not allow you to invest in Fey Wild Tap or Arcanium for that tree (making sun-elf kindof pointless).

Example 1: Pale Master tier 5

PM Tree - 41 Ap
AM Tree - ~25 AP
Racial Tree - ~14 AP

Example 2 - Arcane Supremacy

PM Tree - 31 AP (you need Lich form)
AM Tree - 41 AP (you still want the capstone)
Racial Tree - 8 AP left (just enough to cover +2 Int with 2 ap to spare)

If you are playing a Drow, Arcane Supremacy can be fun to play with.. but once you swap to Sun Elf, there just is not enough AP to go around.