Low-level DR breaking

[Gargoyle69]

Ok, help please.

I'm playing a mech rogue in a static group doing exclusively mid-skull reaper, currently all around level 5-6.

I've been trying to find some combinations of x-bow & bolts that would break some of the common DR's in low-level content, and ended up crafting a ML 4 +2 Good 2d6 Light Repeater of Bludgeon 2d6 with a Ghostbane Ruby slotted.

I *thought* that this would be a good all-round useful weapon against reapers, wraiths & specters, and skeletons, and most other things too. Ok, I would still have a problem with zombies, but meh, can't see much of a way around that.

I'm mostly using +3 Sturdy Deneith Bolts and summoned Flame Arrow Bolts, but have crafted some Lawful Outsider Bane, Undead Bane and Ooze Bane bolts too which I swap in from time to time when appropriate.

BUT, it seems like I'm not breaking the Bludgeon DR on skeletons so I'm getting zero damage, or maybe 1 or 2 points only, and there are a LOT of skeletons in low level quests, and we're about to start Delera's.

I can't find anything like a Silver Slinger for low levels, there don't seem to be any equivalents to Morphic Arrows for Mechs, there are no favour vendors or anything that I can find that sell any useful ammo, there don't seem to be any Arti spells I could scroll to add Bludgeon (or Slashing) damage types. I'm not sure what else to do.

What does everyone else do ? And does anyone have any bright ideas or something that I've missed ?

I'd love it if someone could tell me I'm being a dumb-ass and that there's a simple solution for this that I've overlooked.

Thanks in advance.

[Qezuzu]

Until you get Silver Slinger your only option is Greatbow of the Scrag, and you'd need to find a way to become proficient with it.

I don't know if xbows can break Slashing DR at any point. I don't think they can on just a pure Rogue build.

[Livmo]

Ok, help please.

I'm playing a mech rogue in a static group doing exclusively mid-skull reaper, currently all around level 5-6.

I've been trying to find some combinations of x-bow & bolts that would break some of the common DR's in low-level content, and ended up crafting a ML 4 +2 Good 2d6 Light Repeater of Bludgeon 2d6 with a Ghostbane Ruby slotted.

I *thought* that this would be a good all-round useful weapon against reapers, wraiths & specters, and skeletons, and most other things too. Ok, I would still have a problem with zombies, but meh, can't see much of a way around that.

I'm mostly using +3 Sturdy Deneith Bolts and summoned Flame Arrow Bolts, but have crafted some Lawful Outsider Bane, Undead Bane and Ooze Bane bolts too which I swap in from time to time when appropriate.

BUT, it seems like I'm not breaking the Bludgeon DR on skeletons so I'm getting zero damage, or maybe 1 or 2 points only, and there are a LOT of skeletons in low level quests, and we're about to start Delera's.

I can't find anything like a Silver Slinger for low levels, there don't seem to be any equivalents to Morphic Arrows for Mechs, there are no favour vendors or anything that I can find that sell any useful ammo, there don't seem to be any Arti spells I could scroll to add Bludgeon (or Slashing) damage types. I'm not sure what else to do.

What does everyone else do ? And does anyone have any bright ideas or something that I've missed ?

I'd love it if someone could tell me I'm being a dumb-ass and that there's a simple solution for this that I've overlooked.

Thanks in advance.

Your on the right track. The best you can do is find a cool loot gen with red slot. If it doesn't have a good combo on it, then disjunct and craft. The is what I'm using ATM in low level Reapers. I tested it on Reapers specifically as of late, and it does great.

[QuantumFX]

You’re SoL on bypassing bludgeon DR with crossbows without the slinger. The next best thing is to focus on base damage. It sounds like you’re on the cusp of getting Targeting sights, which will help a lot. Also, Harper Enchantment, Know the Angles and a deadly item can push base damage up. If worse comes to worst, you can use a Great crossbow as it has much better base damage, better damage benefits from the passive enhancements. It’ll cost you the high rate of fire though.

[EllisDee37]

If worse comes to worst, you can use a Great crossbow as it has much better base damage, better damage benefits from the passive enhancements. It’ll cost you the high rate of fire though.

This sounds like good advice to me.

Maybe keep your good of bludgeon repeater (which I agree is the best crafted version to make) as your main weapon for normal trash and the DR/Good mobs you find in carnival and chronoscope. Then craft up a separate good of undead bane (or unnatural bane; whichever is cheaper for you) great crossbow w/ghostbane augment for undead. You'll still have to eat the DR, but the higher base damage will help punch through it and the crafted bane will hit 100% for both skeletons and zombies.

[Gargoyle69]

Appreciate the replies folks.

I wish I'd just been being a dumbass, but on the bright side at least I wasn't being a dumbass

Ok, sounds like a great x-bow it is. I do have targeting sights already, but still need a deadly item.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Gargoyle69]

craft up a separate good of undead bane (or unnatural bane; whichever is cheaper for you) great crossbow

Which creatures does unnatural bane work on ? I can't find any detail in the wiki or in-game....

Edit: Nvm, crafted it anyway, and then found in the description on the completed item. Works on Aberrations, Monstrous Humanoids and Undead.

[EllisDee37]

Edit: Nvm, crafted it anyway, and then found in the description on the completed item. Works on Aberrations, Monstrous Humanoids and Undead.

Actually, I should have emphasized that as decidedly preferable, though you made it anyway so it's all good. Some of those targets dominate some quests, like sahuagin in red fens and minotaurs in lordsmarch. Plus having a beholder beater never hurt anybody.

[QuantumFX]

Personally, I find Unnatural bane to be easier to craft.

Also, you'll find that as you level up, that a lot of DR bypasses becomes less of an issue. Weapon [W], Sneak Attack Dice, Ranged power, Assassin's Trick, etc. make a huge difference. The only time I've noticed bludgeon DR being a problem in epics is with the pillars in eVoN6.

[Gargoyle69]

Personally, I find Unnatural bane to be easier to craft.

Also, you'll find that as you level up, that a lot of DR bypasses becomes less of an issue. Weapon [W], Sneak Attack Dice, Ranged power, Assassin's Trick, etc. make a huge difference. The only time I've noticed bludgeon DR being a problem in epics is with the pillars in eVoN6.

I hope so. Right now it's killing me (literally).

I took the above unnatural bane great x-bow into Delera's to give it a try.

On elite, it's giving some nice big hits, 20 or 30 after 10 absorbed by bludgeon reduction (skellies) or 15 reduced by slashing DR (zombies). The good damage, bane and fire damage is cream on top of that.

But in reaper, as the level of skulls rises, and the player damage reduction ramps up, things quickly get much worse.

Reaper 1 & 2 my damage is down to only a couple of points after the 10 DR and won't do any at all vs the 15 DR. Other effects like bane don't seem to trigger if the base hit gets reduced to zero. Estimate damage is down to about 1/3? (as an aside, do we know the formula for player damage reduction by skull like we know the self healing reduction formula?)

Reaper 3 & 4 no damage at all vs the 10 DR, so estimate damage is down to about 1/4 or less?

Either way, it would seem that unfortunately this weapon is no more successful in being able to hurt them than the repeater :-(

If any Devs read this thread, any chance of getting a comment on if this is WAI please? I would think that a crafted "of Bludgeon" weapon should inherit the "Bludgeon" trait in the same way that "Good" does and therefore break the appropriate DR. Yes / No? I'm happy to bug report this if you would like me to (if it is a bug that is).

Thanks.

[EllisDee37]

If any Devs read this thread, any chance of getting a comment on if this is WAI please? I would think that a crafted "of Bludgeon" weapon should inherit the "Bludgeon" trait in the same way that "Good" does and therefore break the appropriate DR. Yes / No? I'm happy to bug report this if you would like me to (if it is a bug that is).

It's not a bug; they've have confirmed on the forums that it's WAI. It's just like shield spikes: A proc that does piercing damage, but doesn't turn your shield into a piercing weapon.

[Gargoyle69]

It's not a bug; they've have confirmed on the forums that it's WAI. It's just like shield spikes: A proc that does piercing damage, but doesn't turn your shield into a piercing weapon.

Ok. I'm thoroughly confused by that then. Why does Good do it and Bludgeoning doesn't ? Because .... magic ?

[QuantumFX]

I actually did some testing with this, the alchemical grenades that you can craft at the workstation are considered to be bludgeon damage darts. The kick in the face is that the AoE damage has a terribad DC and is reduced by a lot. But it should get all the mechanic bonuses for Int to Damage.

[Saekee]

for what it is worth, augment your repeater arsenal with a frozen tunic (ML 4) for the freezing ice and then petrify runestones for tough moments

[EllisDee37]

Ok. I'm thoroughly confused by that then. Why does Good do it and Bludgeoning doesn't ? Because .... magic ?

Think of it like the elemental procs. Flaming, for example, doesn't turn your weapon into fire. By that I mean, if you attack a frostmarrow skeleton with flaming bolts, your base damage still shows as yellow numbers. Only the flaming proc gives purple numbers. Same concept.