Harper tree feedback

[Cordovan]

A new tree is available in this preview of Lamannia called the Harper! This tree is available to all classes. The Harper enhancement tree is free for VIP players, and available for purchase in the DDO Store for non-VIP players. Please take a look at the tree on Lamannia, play with it, and give us your feedback!

From the Release Notes:

(NEW): Harper - A new enhancement tree is now available to all classes! The Harper tree is free to VIPs, and is also available for purchase in the DDO Store.The Harper tree is currently only available to VIP players on Lamannia. Additionally, the Action Point costs of abilities are not adjusted to what they will be when U23 is released.) The tree is as follows:

• Core Abilities
  
  • 1 AP, character level 1:
    
    • Agent of Good I: +1 to hit versus evil, +1 Universal Spell Power.
    
    
    
  • 5 AP, class level 3:
    
    • Harper Training I: Int or Cha or Dex.
    
    
    
  • 10 AP, character level 6:
    
    • Agent of Good II: +2 to hit and damage versus evil, +5 Universal Spell Power.
    
    
    
  • 20 AP, class level 12:
    
    • Harper Training II: Int or Cha or Dex.
    
    
    
  • 30 AP, class level 18:
    
    • Agent of Good III: +3 to hit and damage versus evil, +10 Universal Spell Power.
    
    
    
  • 41 AP, class level 20:
    
    • Harper's Freedom: Dispel most detrimental effects from you and add +10 to all saving throws for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
  
  
  
• Tier One (0 AP Required)
  
  • Weathered Traveler: +1/2/3 Energy Resistance
  • Harper Enchantment I: Your weapon gains an additional +1 to its Enhancement bonus. You gain +20 to your maximum Spell Points.
  • Traveler's Toughness: +5/+10/+15 maximum hit points.
  • Awareness: +1/+2/+3 to Listen, Search, and Spot. Rank 3: +1 save versus traps.
  • Strategic Combat I: You can use your Intelligence modifier to hit with Melee and Missile weapons.
  
  
  
• Tier Two (5 AP Required)
  
  • Heroic Companion:
    
    • Anti-requisite with the Halfing race version:
      
      • Action Boost: Grants an ally +0.25[W] and +2 to hit and saving throws. Usable five times per rest.
      • Action Boost: Grants an ally +0.5[W], +4 to hit and saving throws, and +2% Dodge. Usable five times per rest.
      • Action Boost: Grants an ally +1[W], +6 to hit and saving throws, +4% Dodge, and +10 Physical Resistance Rating. Usable five times per rest.
      
      
      
    • Magical Endurance: +30/+60/+100 maximum Spell Points.
    • Versatile Adept I: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
    • Know the Angles: Antirequisite: Divine Might. You gain an Insight bonus to damage and the DC of tactical feats equal to ½ your Intelligence Modifier for 30/60/120 seconds. (Activation Cost: 21/18/15 spell points. Cooldown: 20 seconds)
    • Strategic Combat II: You can use your Intelligence modifier for damage with Melee and Missile weapons.
  
  
  
• Tier Three (10 AP Required)
  
  • Highly Skilled: +1/2/3 on all skills.
  • Know Your Foe: Multiselector: Gain a Favored Enemy. Passive: Add +1 to the DC of your spells.
  • Versatile Adept II: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
  • Harper's Leadership: Your hirelings, summoned, and charmed creatures gain +2/3/4 to all ability scores.
  • Int or Dex: +1 Intelligence or Dexterity
  
  
  
• Tier Four (20 AP Required)
  
  • Throat Dagger: Damages an enemy from afar for 1d4+4 Piercing damage per character level. Damaged non-boss enemies can't cast spells for 6 seconds. (This Spell Like Ability can be Quickened or Enlarged for no extra cost, if you have those feats.)
    
    • Higher ranks reduce the small spell point cost and reduce the cooldown.
    
    
    
  • Versatile Adept III: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
  • Vigor of Life: +10 Positive Healing Amplification. -10% less damage from Negative Energy.
  • Magic of Austerity: Like Eschew Materials, your spells no longer need common material components. This does not increase their Spell Point cost.
  • Int or Dex: +1 Intelligence or Dexterity
  
  
  
• Tier Five (30 AP Required)
  
  • Versatile Adept IV: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
  • Vigor of Life: +10 Positive Healing Amplification. -10% less damage from Negative Energy.
  • Moment of Clarity: For the next 12 seconds the DC of your spells and your tactical feats is increased by +10. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
  • Magic of Patience: Your spells benefit from the Extend Spell metamagic feat. This does not increase their Spell Point cost. Does not stack with Extend metamagic itself.
  • Multiselector:
    
    • Harper Enchantment of Deception: Your weapon gains an additional +1 to its Enhancement bonus and Improved Deception.
    • Harper Enchantment of Righteousness: Your weapon gains an additional +3 to its Enhancement bonus and Righteousness.
    • Harper Enchantment of Magic: Your weapon gains a +10 Harper bonus to Universal Spell Power.

[nat_1]

If I have points paid into the Harper tree as a VIP and I go F2P for a couple of months, what happens? Will I have to buy the tree in order to log into that toon?

[Holybird]

What is the cost of the Harper tree?(Haven't installed lamma client) Could someone be nice and inform me

[Vargouille]

If I have points paid into the Harper tree as a VIP and I go F2P for a couple of months, what happens? Will I have to buy the tree in order to log into that toon?

Our intent is that you can log in, and the Harper Tree will be reset (freeing up those AP).

[Severlin]

If I have points paid into the Harper tree as a VIP and I go F2P for a couple of months, what happens? Will I have to buy the tree in order to log into that toon?

Your points in Harper will be refunded upon login.

Sev~

[Loromir]

Best word I can think of to describe this tree...."Vanilla". Don't get me wrong, I like vanilla, but it doesn't get me very excited.

[TazMan098]

Love the theme of the tree!
Haven't really played around with it yet, but I see some nice hybrid Int based build possibility.

NOTE: This seem bugged at the moment as I can use the tree even though I'm just a Premium player, and not a VIP.

[Zoda]

Okay, this tree might be on the verge of being OP, but I love it anyway, great desgin, also finally an alternative to Divine Might for players who want to do max dps.

Now, off to make an INT based monk on lama.

[HastyPudding]

I really don't like the intelligence-to-damage/attack mod being so low in this tree or even being in it at all. It just feels so incredibly wrong, to me. That being said, when are we going to get a wisdom-to-damage mod?

Also, the tree has the only ranged power increase in the game, at the moment. Don't like that.

I'm not liking the way this tree (and the obvious ones to come in the future) is going...we're going to need more AP sooner or later, as 80 just isn't going to be enough, anymore.

There are so many things in this game that need to be fixed and added, and you add this tree that nobody asked for and nobody even knew about.

[Varinon]

Very.. Interesting tree.
Int-based Barbarians are now viable (but still not good--mostly barbarian fault, not the int)
This tree is a huge buff to assassin rogues, who can now fully spec intelligence.
In fact, I think this tree is possibly too strong. More on that when I do a full review.
Edit1: Side note: Didn't think of this at first, but this is a buff to pure classes, as heavily multi-classed builds are unlikely to have points to spare for harper.

[Braegan]

So at a glance,

-Why Int/Dex/Cha for Cores and Int/Dex for Tree?

-Yet another way for Arcanes to bolster their DCs higher then Divines and we still don't have a Wis based race (Wis is the only stat that isn't counted as a favorite by any race...still).

-Int for to hit/damage fairly cheap in the tree.

So Drow/Sun Elf Pale Masters...the new masters of DCs while toting strong melee/ranged power.

I just don't get this tree...at all.

[Saekee]

I assume the tier 5 is exclusive?

[TazMan098]

NOTE: This seem bugged at the moment as I can use the tree even though I'm just a Premium player, and not a VIP.

Also forgot to put it in, but "Throat Dagger" is currently called "Chorce Foke". Couldn't help laughing at the name of that ability, because if you swap the "Ch" in "Chorce" with the "F" in "Foke" you have; Force Choke (I'll make a Darth Vader build around this now)

[Bridge_Dweller]

Wow, I'm not sure what yet but doesn't it look like Strategic combat is opening the doors for some very powerful battle-casters?

[ddorimble]

First, I'd just like to say that's really interesting. An 'Order' (as in you belong to a particular 'order') PrE. I really like that. I'm not super familiar with the Harper's...but I feel like there must surely be something more Harper-specific you could have for the level 18 or 20 Core Abilities, just to get a little more Harper flavor in there.

The individual enhancements are pretty interesting. Spellcasting, melee, ranged...obviously somewhat favoring an Intelligence build...I think people will make some very interesting things with this...seems to immediately jump out as a perfect Rogue Assassin companion. Maybe a 'real' Arcane Archer, that really mixes Spellcasting with Archery.

[Livmo]

I'm not sure about wanting to be considered a Harper.

Most Harpers I know in-game are pikers, with the exception of the nice Huntsilver fellow in Overgrowth. He seems OK, and he helps me take down the evil dryad creature in the end fight when I solo the quest.

I guess I will have to spend more time getting to know more Harpers, before deciding if this is something for me to be asociated with.

Then again, who am I to judge?

After all I thought for the longest time that BYOH meant Bring Your Own Harpy!

[FestusHood]

Looks like something that could shore up some builds and classes currently thought of as being weak. Artificers, Assassins, and eldrich knights.

[patang01]

*Core Abilities
** 1 AP, character level 1:
***Agent of Good I: +1 to hit versus evil, +1 Universal Spell Power.
** 5 AP, class level 3:
***Harper Training I: Int or Cha or Dex.
** 10 AP, character level 6:
***Agent of Good II: +2 to hit and damage versus evil, +5 Universal Spell Power.
** 20 AP, class level 12:
*** Harper Training II: Int or Cha or Dex.
** 30 AP, class level 18:
*** Agent of Good III: +3 to hit and damage versus evil, +10 Universal Spell Power.
** 41 AP, class level 20:
*** Harper's Freedom: Dispel most detrimental effects from you and add +10 to all saving throws for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Interesting - the Harper's freedom seems almost like a destiny ability yet it's an enhancement ability. The cool down seems very long for what's more or less a glorified automatic dispel with a short big save. I just can't see anyone spending that many points to get what is VERY situational. To me it would be a lot better as an auto ability. Automatic dispel the worst effect and a +5 stacking bonus to saving throws once a minute. Most battles are short and this would take it out of the cycle of clicks to remember.

Tier One (0 AP Required)
* Weathered Traveler: +1/2/3 Energy Resistance
* Harper Enchantment I: Your weapon gains an additional +1 to its Enhancement bonus. You gain +20 to your maximum Spell Points.
* Traveler's Toughness: +5/+10/+15 maximum hit points.
* Awareness: +1/+2/+3 to Listen, Search, and Spot. Rank 3: +1 save versus traps.
* Strategic Combat I: You can use your Intelligence modifier to hit with Melee and Missile weapons.

The energy resistance is pretty much useless. Even at 1 point each. Compare that to the HP. You're better investing in HP instead. Double it and it seems more useful.
That strategic Combat I? Is that like the Arti buff spells that allows you to use int modifier to hit for missile weapons? So can they stack with each others or are they exclusive?

Tier Two (5 AP Required)
* Heroic Companion:
** Anti-requisite with the Halfing race version:
*** Action Boost: Grants an ally +0.25[W] and +2 to hit and saving throws. Usable five times per rest.
*** Action Boost: Grants an ally +0.5[W], +4 to hit and saving throws, and +2% Dodge. Usable five times per rest.
*** Action Boost: Grants an ally +1[W], +6 to hit and saving throws, +4% Dodge, and +10 Physical Resistance Rating. Usable five times per rest.

Interesting, a pet booster.

** Magical Endurance: +30/+60/+100 maximum Spell Points.
** Versatile Adept I: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
** Know the Angles: Antirequisite: Divine Might. You gain an Insight bonus to damage and the DC of tactical feats equal to ½ your Intelligence Modifier for 30/60/120 seconds. (Activation Cost: 21/18/15 spell points. Cooldown: 20 seconds)
** Strategic Combat II: You can use your Intelligence modifier for damage with Melee and Missile weapons.

I'm very ambivalent about the idea of first smacking so many classes with the melee power reduction as of late, including that of Blitz and then over a for profit way of boosting Melee power. Sure, I'll bite since I'm VIP. But as an enhancement?
And Know the Angles. I just can't think of how good that will be other then for a Juggernaught Arti. Seems very niche.
As with to hit, is the strategic combat II stacking with the Arti spell that can use Int modifier for damage or is it mutually exclusive?

Tier Three (10 AP Required)
*Highly Skilled: +1/2/3 on all skills.
*Know Your Foe: Multiselector: Gain a Favored Enemy. Passive: Add +1 to the DC of your spells.
*Versatile Adept II: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
*Harper's Leadership: Your hirelings, summoned, and charmed creatures gain +2/3/4 to all ability scores.
*Int or Dex: +1 Intelligence or Dexterity

More Melee Power, that's a potential of 12. Interesting. Lots of investment tho to get it. But still. P2P. At this point I hope you guys either correct this now before live then nerf something like this down the line - because I tell you, if people are paying for this power it would be a massive bait and switch to change it later (see also Iconic ALS reconstruct, please don't touch).

Tier Four (20 AP Required)
*Throat Dagger: Damages an enemy from afar for 1d4+4 Piercing damage per character level. Damaged non-boss enemies can't cast spells for 6 seconds. (This Spell Like Ability can be Quickened or Enlarged for no extra cost, if you have those feats.)
** Higher ranks reduce the small spell point cost and reduce the cooldown.

Throat dagger is interesting, situational, but that's a steep investment in a non main tree. We're talking about a fourth of all AP.

*Versatile Adept III: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
*Vigor of Life: +10 Positive Healing Amplification. -10% less damage from Negative Energy.
*Magic of Austerity: Like Eschew Materials, your spells no longer need common material components. This does not increase their Spell Point cost.
*Int or Dex: +1 Intelligence or Dexterity

Even more melee power (etc). I see more below too. 24 potential points in all.

Tier Five (30 AP Required)
*Versatile Adept IV: +2/+4/+6 to Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Universal Spell Power.
*Vigor of Life: +10 Positive Healing Amplification. -10% less damage from Negative Energy.
*Moment of Clarity: For the next 12 seconds the DC of your spells and your tactical feats is increased by +10. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
*Magic of Patience: Your spells benefit from the Extend Spell metamagic feat. This does not increase their Spell Point cost. Does not stack with Extend metamagic itself.
*Multiselector:
**Harper Enchantment of Deception: Your weapon gains an additional +1 to its Enhancement bonus and Improved Deception.
**Harper Enchantment of Righteousness: Your weapon gains an additional +3 to its Enhancement bonus and Righteousness.
**Harper Enchantment of Magic: Your weapon gains a +10 Harper bonus to Universal Spell Power.

The question is, will anyone bother adding vigor of life? That's a lot of points for something that's basically a tier 1 Human racial choice (will minus the neg energy one).
Moment of clarity seems nice but good lord; that's a lot of AP for a 5 minute cool down.
Magic of Patience seems nice, but how does it work? Do you still have to pick the meta among your spells or is it just automatically used?
The harper enchantments are crazy. I can't see one of my builds being able to afford it, considering all the other points needed to be viable, but good lord. Me want em.

Interesting tree. It's definitely an Arti's wet dream; if the int modifier to hit and dam stacks with the spell it's fantastic. If it doesn't you're talking about relatively low lever replacement and not worth it. But on the other hand other builds can benefit from what the Arti already does. But whom else other than say Rogues? Personally I wish it was Int/Dex/Char choices. It would keep with the theme of boosting those abilities. And it would be more useful to a lot more different classes (plus the harpers seems to be casters/bards mainly).

Alas, I can't see that many builds being able to use the full extent of the tree. Maybe if you're a caster type and human and invest in it instead of the race tree? But my Arti would love to be able too, but because of the terrible split of abilities between two mediocre trees its virtually impossible to have enough points over to put in this. And it would definitely make the Arti stronger. But with a split like this you'll make cross bow and rune arm abilities week including spell crit, just to add curiosity niche abilities.

[patang01]

Looks like something that could shore up some builds and classes currently thought of as being weak. Artificers, Assassins, and eldrich knights.

Unfortunately you need to spend a lot of points in both arti trees to be a good viable pure arti and there won't be many points over for this. So it's either strong in main abilities, or meh in a lot of them.

[Alternative]

So at a glance,

-Why Int/Dex/Cha for Cores and Int/Dex for Tree?

So Drow/Sun Elf Pale Masters...the new masters of DCs while toting strong melee/ranged power.

The Int in the tree is irrelevant to wizards because even now nobody has points to get int from all 3 wizard trees, people go for int from pale master, archmage and of course racial, there is not enough points to get int from EK. If someone would want to invest in the Harper tree they'd have to give up one of the wizard ones. All you can realisticaly get is +1 int/cha/dex from the second core.

Which brings me to my general opinion on the tree: not enough AP / too many enhancements in existing trees cost too much, the only builds to invest heavily in it will be the ones that build around it.