Easier obtained runearms

[Supyro]

Runearms are a must for artificers but for f2p people who worked to get their artis, finding good runearms is difficult. Therefor I propose this: randomly generated rune arms or random loot runearms that can be found anywhere.
The following factors could be random:
-Blast shape (cone, ball, line)
-Arm element and imbue (any type of the savantable or force)
-Damage (imbue and blast)
-spell power (based on element, universal for force)
-craftable

[Oxarhamar]

Not a bad idea

[Satyriasys]

The force one they sell on the ddo store is good for mid levels. It's easy enough to grind the points for.

[Ausdoerrt]

I dunno, I think the uniqueness of runearms is part of their appeal. Kinda like it is with most trinkets. This game isn't really playable beyond mid-levels without purchasing any packs (whether with money or grinding points) - and almost EVERY pack has a runearm included. So it's not that hard.

I think it's pretty fair that the game starts you off with 2 free runearms, making you earn the rest. Also, the Cove is up quite often recently.

[SirValentine]

Also note that a number of rune arms are bind-on-equip, which means you can buy them on the Auction House or have a friend pass them to you or something.

[Ausdoerrt]

To elaborate: I'm not against making more runearms available per se, but I'm concerned that random-generated items under the current system will simply turn out to be vendor trash like the rest of the loot tables.

[Supyro]

To elaborate: I'm not against making more runearms available per se, but I'm concerned that random-generated items under the current system will simply turn out to be vendor trash like the rest of the loot tables.

The randomly generated arms aren't supposed to be as good as the named ones. They are simply an easier way of finding rune arms than grinding for p2p quests only to grind those more.

[droid327]

Firstly, I ran my first Arti life to 20 and TRed using only the Waterworks runearm (I think it was? The L2 Flame Cone one).

Second, there's plenty of non-BTCoE runearms that can be acquired via trade quite readily, and are actually pretty good: Strinatis, the Tor ones, Corruption, etc.

Third, Arti is a Premium class that you cant get without spending either real money, or grinding out a lot of TP. Its not something new players, fresh to the game without a TP to their name, would have to worry about. Its fair to assume that by the time you roll up an Arti, youll probably have also acquired additional non-F2P content packs to get the best level-appropriate gear - just like you could say about virtually every other class.

[CThruTheEgo]

This is an interesting idea, if for no other reason than it would be nice to have a larger variety of rune arms, particularly for endgame. It looks like when Knives Eternal comes out on Monday, it will be the only optimal endgame option.

But as Ausdoerrt pointed out above, we'd probably just end up seeing nothing but sonicproof of ghostbane rune arms.

[Livmo]

This is an interesting idea, if for no other reason than it would be nice to have a larger variety of rune arms, particularly for endgame. It looks like when Knives Eternal comes out on Monday, it will be the only optimal endgame option.

But as Ausdoerrt pointed out above, we'd probably just end up seeing nothing but sonicproof of ghostbane rune arms.

I would love a rune arm that shoots Prismatic Spray that is also Cannith craftable.

[droid327]

It looks like when Knives Eternal comes out on Monday, it will be the only optimal endgame option.

Only for caster Artis who can benefit from the Force SP boosts to Tac Det and BB. The blast effect itself is nothing special (and may be Reflex savable, I think, which makes it pointless vs Evasion mobs), and the imbue is still inferior to Glass Cannon.

[CThruTheEgo]

Only for caster Artis who can benefit from the Force SP boosts to Tac Det and BB. The blast effect itself is nothing special (and may be Reflex savable, I think, which makes it pointless vs Evasion mobs), and the imbue is still inferior to Glass Cannon.

I have read on the Lammania forums that the blast is higher dps than either Archaic Device or Corruption of Nature. I'll find out for myself once I get one. And yes, reflex save would suck, but we will see.

If you are mostly artificer and using a rune arm, then the shot damage is a considerable amount of dps and will contribute far more dps than the imbue. The imbue would only be more significant for one of those fully repeater specced artis that has as much ranger and rogue as they do artificer. Because of significantly lower arti levels, the shot won't do as much damage. But if you've got mostly artificer levels, caster specced or not doesn't matter, the shot damage is a significant portion of your overall dps and Knives Eternal seems like it will be the sole endgame option for that purpose.

And just for the fun factor, I fully support a prismatic spray rune arm.

[droid327]

I have read on the Lammania forums that the blast is higher dps than either Archaic Device or Corruption of Nature. I'll find out for myself once I get one. And yes, reflex save would suck, but we will see.

If you are mostly artificer and using a rune arm, then the shot damage is a considerable amount of dps and will contribute far more dps than the imbue. The imbue would only be more significant for one of those fully repeater specced artis that has as much ranger and rogue as they do artificer. Because of significantly lower arti levels, the shot won't do as much damage. But if you've got mostly artificer levels, caster specced or not doesn't matter, the shot damage is a significant portion of your overall dps and Knives Eternal seems like it will be the sole endgame option for that purpose.

And just for the fun factor, I fully support a prismatic spray rune arm.

If you're not a repeater specced arti with /6 Ranger, then you're a caster specced arti, even if just by default I don't know how else you could play an 18/2 or pure Arti, really. There's nowhere else to glean DPS except through spells and SLAs, nowhere else to spend 80 AP except AT boosts. My testing on Lama with my imported Arti didn't show much difference in damage between Knives and Corruption for single-target (single-kobold ) damage; and since it scales linearly, the runearms should still be relatively the same compared to one another, regardless of your Arti levels. Yes, overall damage is better for a pure Arti - but the problem of low DCs means, especially in EE and L30 content, your runearm damage drops off suddenly and severely as mobs start to get into "no fail saves" range against you.

I also wish they'd start adding more "creative" runearm effects than just changing the damage type and varying cone AOE/radial AOE/single target. Spray might be a good one, but I'd also like to see something like a Healing Burst AOE runearm, or a runearm that gives you a buff while charged (10% Incorp per tier? +5% Damage per tier?), or a no-save CC effect (Hold Monster on your target as long as it remains fully charged).

[Livmo]

I also wish they'd start adding more "creative" runearm effects than just changing the damage type and varying cone AOE/radial AOE/single target. Spray might be a good one, but I'd also like to see something like a Healing Burst AOE runearm, or a runearm that gives you a buff while charged (10% Incorp per tier? +5% Damage per tier?), or a no-save CC effect (Hold Monster on your target as long as it remains fully charged).

What about the spell web?

Depending on charge tier and/or how many tiers have charged at the time of fire 1-4 or 1-5 webs or nests shoot out and arrest the baddies in place if they fail their save?

EDIT ~ I suggested spells since their mechanics are in play already in game. Also the webs/nets could borrow from teh snare traps in Haunted Halls (graphic/annimations).

[dontmater]

how about a tornado rune arm

[CThruTheEgo]

If you're not a repeater specced arti with /6 Ranger, then you're a caster specced arti, even if just by default I don't know how else you could play an 18/2 or pure Arti, really.

I absolutely agree with this, and artificers get enough feats as pure that they can max out both repeater and casting capabilities. There's no reason not to have both, but I still occasionally see some who just want to focus on the repeater and neglect the casting potential.

Yes, overall damage is better for a pure Arti - but the problem of low DCs means, especially in EE and L30 content, your runearm damage drops off suddenly and severely as mobs start to get into "no fail saves" range against you.

Yeah rune arm DCs are a problem. I really don't understand why all DC bonuses do not affect the rune arm. And I agree if Knives Eternal is reflex, then there will be a lot of content where it won't be useful at all (i.e. against anything with evasion). When not dealing with evasion mobs though, even when saved against consistently, rune arms still put out a significant amount of damage.

a no-save CC effect (Hold Monster on your target as long as it remains fully charged).

What about the spell web?

Depending on charge tier and/or how many tiers have charged at the time of fire 1-4 or 1-5 webs or nests shoot out and arrest the baddies in place if they fail their save?

EDIT ~ I suggested spells since their mechanics are in play already in game. Also the webs/nets could borrow from teh snare traps in Haunted Halls (graphic/annimations).

I like both of these ideas. Some CC options for rune arms would be a lot of fun. And webs/nets certainly seems like a no-brainer.

how about a tornado rune arm

LOL! I can imagine the forum rage now... It would be glorious.

[cdbd3rd]

...

And just for the fun factor, I fully support a prismatic spray rune arm.

Spray or Ray, both could be fun.

More so if they're not locked away in some some high-level raid chest.