Update 29 Feats: Other Feats

[Silverleafeon]

I think it is just more SLA promotion (for which you get all benefit and no extra cost). They seem really enthusiastic about getting us to use only SLAs.

I';m going with copy and past error, but you might be right.
Promoting relook at it either way.

[Vooduspyce]

• Intensify Spell
  
  • METAMAGIC: +75 Spell Power, spells cost +25SP. Works on any spell affected by Empower.

As it is written, it will not work on Heal/Regenerate. Would be nice if it also would benefit these spells.

[Silverleafeon]

This looks poor.

I wouldn't take this as a heroic feat, much less spend an epic feat slot on it.

I think the Devs can agree with us that EPIC feats should be superior to HEROIC feats in some manner or another.

[Therrias]

[URL="https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/467837-Update-29-Feats-Overview"][B]
[*]Master of the Dead

• Your Chill Touch, Necrotic Ray, and Negative Energy Burst spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

Very interesting stuff. I just want to point out something that the team must have overlooked: Necrotic Ray does not currently have a maximum caster level.

I repeat: Necrotic Ray does not currently have a maximum caster level.

Pale Masters will thank you very much to leave Necrotic Ray as is and substitute Death Aura in it's place for this feat.

[maddong]

Overall awesome job!

1. I hate clickies. I'd remove the level 21 feats. Not worth the programming effort....

2. Intensify spell should be free (no mana cost).

3. A better use of master of knowledge would be to let your arcane bolt/blast be affected by meta magics. I'm guessing this should require wizard levels. Will they each require certain classes so you don't pick feats that are of no use to you?

[Holymunchkin]

Uncapping the spells looks great! Especially for shouter bards, and artificer's Blast Rod. I don't think it will be enough off hand though. Casters need more burst. High cooldown high sp spells. My 2 cents.

[Tlorrd]

[*]Master of Light

• Your Sun Bolt, Searing Light, and Sunburst spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of the Wilds

• Your Produce Flame, Creeping Cold, Call Lightning, and Word of Balance spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

So here is my perspective on this topic of Master of Light. This is coming from a previous cleric who now plays warlock but wishes someday to go back to cleric.

I don't understand the mixture of spells chosen for master of light. To me instead of this feat applying to versatile builds, it seems to narrow build choices for divines.

Lets look at the spells and who can attain them ... and the caveat is that almost all of the other master's feats apply to a single class/PrE such as the various elements for various Sorcs, Druid as listed above, etc.

Sunbolt: Druid, Divine Disciple, or top tier Exalted Angel ED
Searing Light: Cleric or Favored Soul
Sunburst: Druid, Divine Disciple, or Sun Elf

To get all three spell for a build one must be a Divine Discple or Sun-elf Favored Soul running in Exalted Angel. It seems that all the other Master's feats have multiple spells (basically all) that affect a single class and all other caster classes are covered. I understand the light theme and these are basically the best light spells, but it limits a lot of versatility for favored souls as they must be sun-elf and in exalted angel to benefit from all three or a divine disciple. Two of the spells are actually druid spells and not on the normal spell list for clerics or favored souls. Additionally the spells are all an SLA for a Sun-elf Divine Disciple running in Exalted Angel only. The other elemental master feats do not have race restrictions to attain all spells as an SLA. I mean the Master's of Wild feat has 4 spells that are all SLA for druids regardless of race.

The other point I'd like to mention is the choice of Sunburst as having no max caster level. This spell actually has static damage against all foes except undead and oozes of 6d6. So its no limit caster level is only affecting a fraction of the mobs while other AOE spells from the other Master's feats affect almost all mobs unless they are immune which is more rare than common. Additionally one can only get Sunburst if they are a druid (and they already have a Master's feat listed above) or if they are a sun-elf or divine disciple. Non sun-elf favored souls are left out in the cold.

My suggestions is to change Sunburst to an AOE alignment spell such as Holy Smite (as it seems the theme is to boost SLAs) or Order's Wrath. Both Clerics and Favored Souls get these spells with Clerics obviously at an advantage as they get one of them as a SLA.

[Silverleafeon]

So here is my perspective on this topic of Master of Light...

Perhaps we need:

Master of Alignment: Your four divine alignment spells have no max caster level?


I noticed you did not mention Sunbeam, but it has (as far as I can tell) no max caster level anyway (neither does Firestorm or Nimbus of Light), unless their is a inferred heroic cap that we don't see.


Sunburst is a go to spell vs undead (and their are still a lot of them in DDO).


I think the bigger question is this:

"Will Favored Souls ever get access to light spells?"

Grant Favored Souls light spells for their spell lists inside the Beacon of Hope tree (see my Lost Trees Project for details) and suddenly things look different, don't they?

Beacon of Hope enhancement tree round 9


Core Abilities


Font Of Hope: For each point spent in this tree you gain +0.75 Universal Spell Power and +0.75 Positive Energy Spell Power (for a total of 1.5 Positive Energy Spell Power per point spent).

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 0 Requires: Favored Soul Level 1


Beacon Glimmer: Spell Like Ability: Faerie Fire (Activation Cost: 2 Spell Points. Cooldown: 10 seconds.)

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 Requires: Font of Hope, Favored Soul level 3


Beacon Brightness: Spell Like Ability: Glitterdust (Activation Cost: 5 Spell Points. Cooldown: 20 seconds.) Passive: Adds 10 Positive Spellpower

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: Beacon Glimmer, Favored Soul level 6


Summon Healing Archon: Toggle: Spell like ability: A small lantern archon hovers over your other shoulder and heals nearby allies. This archon is indestructible, deals {1d5 + caster level / 2} positive energy healing every 2 seconds, and uses half of your Healing Spell Power and Spell Critical effects for its light healing effects. The archon always heals the ally with the fewest hit points in range that has been damaged. Empower Healing and Enlarge Spell Feats can modify this ability. Cost: 20 spell points. Cooldown: 6 second. (Note: You can only have one Archon active at a time. This Archon and the Offensive Archon will un-summon each other upon casting) Passive: Adds 10 Positive Spellpower

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Beacon Brightness, Favored Soul level 12


Penetrating the Darkness: All Positive Energy Spells and Light Spells Receive the Enlarge Spell Metamagic Effect, without adding additional spell point costs.
Passive: Adds 10 Positive Spellpower

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: Summon Healing Archon, Favored Soul level 18


Touch of Hope: You gain +2 Cha, and gain a new Spell-like ability: Panacea: (Activation Cost: 0 spell points. Cooldown: 12 seconds.)
Passive: Add to the list of favored soul spells that you can choose from to learn: Fire Shield as a level 4 spell.

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: Progression: 40 Requires: Penetrating the Darkness, Favored Soul level 20



Tier One abilities

Glow of Hope: When you cast a positive energy spell, you gain 3/6/10 Temporary Hit Points. Tier 3 If you have Epic Levels, Add your Favored Soul Class Levels to this number.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 No requirements

Wand Mastery: +25%/+50%/+75% effectiveness of your wands, scrolls, and other items that cast spells, and +1/+2/+3 to the save DCs of your offensive wands.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 No requirements

Angelic Touch: Your Positive Energy damage spells have an additional 1% chance to critically hit.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 1 No requirements

Bedside Manner: +1/+2/+3 Diplomacy and Heal.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 No requirements

Spell Points: +30/60/90 Spell Points.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 No requirements


Tier Two abilities

Ray of Hope: When you critically hit with a positive energy spell, you gain 3/6/10 Sacred temporary spell points.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requirement: Glow of Hope

Least Beacon: Add to the list of favored soul spells that you can choose from to learn: Produce Flame as a level 2 spell.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 No requirements

Angelic Touch: Your Positive Energy damage spells have an additional 1% chance to critically hit.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 Requires: Angelic Touch (Tier 1)

Efficient Empower Healing: Healing spells cast while the Empower Healing Spell feat is activated cost 1/2/4 fewer spell points.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: Empower Healing Spell

Embracing the Light: you gain 3/6/10% Light Absorption
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 No requirements


Tier Three abilities

Purifying Light: you gain 3/6/10% Acid Absorption
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 No requirements

Warming Light: you gain 3/6/10% Cold Absorption
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 No requirements

Angelic Touch: Your Positive Energy damage spells have an additional 1% chance to critically hit.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: Angelic Touch (Tier 2)

Lesser Beacon: Add to the list of favored soul spells that you can choose from to learn: Sun Bolt as a level 3 spell.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: Least Beacon

Charisma or Wisdom: Choose one: +1 Wisdom +1 Charisma
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 No requirements


Tier Four abilities

Intense Healing: Your Positive Energy Spells are cast at +1/+2/+3 caster level.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 No requirements

Incredible Healing: The maximum caster level of your Positive Energy Spells are increased by 1/2/3.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: Intense Healing

Angelic Touch: Your Positive Energy damage spells have an additional 1% chance to critically hit.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Angelic Touch (Tier 3)

Greater Beacon: Add to the list of favored soul spells that you can choose from to learn: Sunbeam as a level 6 spell.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Lesser Beacon

Charisma or Wisdom: Choose one: +1 Wisdom +1 Charisma
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 No requirements


Tier Five abilities

Awaken Elemental Weakness: Light: You are able to curse an enemy, increasing Light damage they take by 15%. (Activation Cost: 5 Spell Points. Cooldown: 20 seconds.)
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 No requirements

Cure Focus: Your Cure Wounds spells have no maximum caster level.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: Incredible Healing

Channeling the Light: Whenever you are hit with Light or Fire damage, your next spell is cast with an extra 10/20/30 Fire Spellpower and 10/20/30 Light Spellpower (This can trigger at most once every 6/5/4 seconds, and does not stack if you get hit again before casting a spell)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30 No requirements

Supreme Beacon: Add to the list of favored soul spells that you can choose from to learn: Sunburst as a level 8 spell.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: Greater Beacon

Partial Ascension: You are immune to petrification and blindness.
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 No requirements

But yes, without those light spells or those SLA, Favored Soul looks more a more like a very nice slash class...

But why would the class that must signifies Light be barred from the best light spells?

And if they are granted, what will distinguish Clerics from Favored Souls?
Almost sounds like the debate over Earthquake.


And yes you have a good point:

The level four Holy Smite, Order's Wrath, Chaos Hammer, and Unholy Blight have terrible Max Caster Levels of level 10.
While the level six Word of Balance has a max caster level of 20.

Should the former simply be dealt with in another manner (such as a mandatory +5 max caster level boost to 15ish)?
{Looking at Acid Rain (also level 4) having a 15d4 damage rating...}

[SirValentine]

So Greater Ruin is the only ML 30 feat?

[alancarp]

All of these new feats are pretty stout, but the clerics could really use a little love in one specific area: turn undead.

Something... somewhere in this large list... should help them out.

> Master of the Undead: Your turn dice are increased by 12, which stacks with all other turn dice enhancements.
> Scion of Khyber: AOE effect. All nearby undead are destroyed. 3 minute cooldown.

That would be helpful.

[SirValentine]

New ML21 General Feats: (Each of these also grants +110 Maximum Spell Points)

• Wellspring of Power
  
  • Activate to gain +150 Universal Spell Power and +20% Spell Critical Damage for 30 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.
  
  
• Arcane Insight
  
  • Activate to gain + 6 to all spell DCs and +6 to Spell Penetration for 30 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.

My general approach to boosts: use them for the big boss fights. Not for some random 1/6 of the time of trash mobs getting there.

So...for a nuking type, a nuking boost is perfect, to DPS the boss faster.

For a DC caster...well, bosses are generally immune to those DC-spell effects. Can't see using an Epic feat for such a boost; would rather just use something that helps me all the time, like your new level 24 Embolden, or Great Ability, or [Greater/Epic] Spell Focus.

Artificers

• Improved Construct Essence
  
  • Requires 12 Artificer Levels and Construct Essence. May be taken as an Artificer Bonus Feat.
  • Improves your base Repair to 70%, as well as Rust vulnerability.

• Construct Exemplar
  
  • ML21, requires Improved Construct Essence.
    
    • You are now considered a Living Construct instead of your original race
    • 100% base healing from Repair spells and 100% damage from Rust
    • Immunity to Sleep, Hold Person, Energy Drain, Nasueated, Exhausted, and Paralyzed effects except those which physically hold you in place
    • Immunity to ability score damage from natural poisons and natural diseases (but are vulnerable to those that specifically affect wood or metal)
    • +10 Racial bonus to saving throws against magical poisons, and do not fail saving throws against them on a roll of a natural 1 (this renders you immune to magical poisons with a DC of less than 11+your Fortitude save)
    • You may remain underwater indefinitely without the need to breathe.
    • When resting at a Rest Shrine, the health you regain is now based on your Repair skill instead of your Heal skill

• In Update 29, the DC for Rune Arms will benefit from all sources of Evocation Bonuses (they currently only benefit from Feat Bonuses to Evocation). This isn't really a feat, I just didn't have somewhere better to mention it!

So these increase the benefit of Construct Essence. Since they don't say so, I'm assume they do not make the penalty to regular positive energy healing any worse?

[Ligraph]

[B][*]Master of Air

• Your Shocking Grasp, Electric Loop, and Lightning Bolt spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Earth

• Your Acid Spray, Acid Arrow, and Acid Blast spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Water

• Your Cold Ray, Snowball Swarm, and Niac's Biting Cold spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Fire

• Your Burning Hands, Scorch, and Fireball spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of the Dead

• Your Chill Touch, Necrotic Ray, and Negative Energy Burst spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Light

• Your Sun Bolt, Searing Light, and Sunburst spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Artifice

• Your Static Shock, Lightning Sphere, Blast Rod, and Lightning Motes spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of the Wilds

• Your Produce Flame, Creeping Cold, Call Lightning, and Word of Balance spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

[*]Master of Music

• Your Shout, Greater Shout, Sonic Blast, and Reveberate spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

Like the idea of these feats a lot, but the spells listed seem kind of random, and some of the listed spells have no max caster level already. I would prefer, at least for the Master of the _____ Element feats, that all spells of that element are affected, or let the player choose 3 spells of that element (or spell type for the non-element feats) that will be affected (I like this idea better). For example, for a Sorc Fire Savant, once they have Scorch, why would they ever use Burning Hands? And no Wall of Fire or Scorching Ray?


Edit:.
Actually, on 2nd thought, this could, and maybe should, match up caster's element/spell type with a build/playstyle a little bit.

[Aurora999]

Master of Light

• Your Sun Bolt, Searing Light, and Sunburst spells no longer have a maximum caster level.

A little sad that Divine Punishment is not on this list. Any chance to see it added seeing as Master of Artifice has 4 spells on its list?

[Holyavatar]

So devs,whats the point of Master of Knowledge?didnt u guys know dat arcane bolt/blast scale with 50% spell power,and cant use any metamagic?...Besides,they all take like 2s+ to cast...just like the stunning blast in TS..and they have 5s/6s cd with tier3?so basically u force us to invest 9ap for 2 trash SLA does no damage?It seems like this feat can only stack up to 2 stacks..max 30 stacks?LOL TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT

[Dandonk]

This looks poor.

I wouldn't take this as a heroic feat, much less spend an epic feat slot on it.

Very much so.

In fact, metamagics such as max and empower spell are already pretty bad in epics. The cost is extremely high, and the bonus damage is, percentage-wise, lower and lower.

So before adding another extremely high cost meta, I'd love for devs to take a look at metas in epics. The value is fairly low on non-SLAs.

[MonadRebelion]

I like what you're doing with summons here and in the scion feat thread. Will have to see them in action to see if they are enough though. Anyways, it's great to see you guys really thinking about summons.

Wellspring of Power is nice. I can see that being useful.

Arcane Insight I don't see being used unless the cooldown is lowered by a minute.

Wellspring seems a lot better than Intensify Spell. Why not up the bonus to +100 add +7% spell crit and make it cost +40sp

Master of Fire doesn't seem to affect any cleric spells. Shouldn't it?

I am ambivalent about the Master of X feats over all. Why shouldn't pure casters get one for free? Without knowing how the caster pass is going to turn out, it's difficult to judge how good these feats are going to be at the end of the day. I don't even really have a grip on what taking max damage dice away from spells in the current is going to feel like. My worry about putting out these feats before the caster pass is that they will end up guiding the pass in a way that it shouldn't. If a bunch of power gets dumped into casters via these feats that will make balancing casters a mess when their pass comes.

Greater Ruin is cheese ball like its cousin Ruin. However, since Ruin exists we might as well have Greater Ruin for the folks who like it.

The artificer feats look cool.

[janave]

Greater Ruin should hit 2x500 vs 1000, to avoid further cheese potential, just sayin.

[streep101]

I'd like to see Completionist be a free past life feat. It's hard to earn it, and on builds that are feat starved, it's tough to justify selecting it.

[noinfo]

***Please make sure you have read this thread first, it contains an overview of Update 29 Feats.***

In addition to the level cap increase and its related feats, we're planning on adding some new general feats. These provide extra options in Epic, especially boosts to Spellcasting.

New ML21 General Feats: (Each of these also grants +110 Maximum Spell Points)

• Wellspring of Power
  
  • Activate to gain +150 Universal Spell Power and +20% Spell Critical Damage for 30 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.
  
  
• Arcane Insight
  
  • Activate to gain + 6 to all spell DCs and +6 to Spell Penetration for 30 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.

Can we avoid having the clickie power boost as feats? I feel particulary they are like the Magister one that no one really uses but when people talk about max DC they will be factored in as if they are useful. The DPS one may have some uses as you could unload on a boss however the DC one is useless on bosses.

Lower bonus or different style effects,
Precise Spells
What about single target spells gain a -3 to save and +3 to penetrate spell resistance
or
Clinging magic target of spell also gains a cumulative -2 to saves and spell resistance (up to +6)

[noble_pirate]

Greater Ruin should hit 2x500 vs 1000, to avoid further cheese potential, just sayin.

nope. its ok - high dmg but cost a lot of mana and require another epic feat to take