Update 39 Preview 2: Falconry Universal Enhancement Tree

[Sgt_Hart]

The Falconer universal tree is expected to be released with Update 39. This tree is not specific to any one class; like Harper Agent and Vistani Knife Fighter any character can spend points in this tree once they have unlocked access to it. It represents a character who is trained not only in Falconry, but is adept at using the hunting bird to make coordinated attacks on targets. The tree is mostly martial, but has a touch of Primal magic at the top end. The intense training required to bond with and fight with these birds of prey also hones the character's perception and ability to make pinpoint attacks.

The tree revolves around having a bird of prey; generally the dire version of a normal bird, to make extra attacks on opponents. It is designed to provide fewer big hits; the hunting bird swoops to attack seconds after you have made your weapon attack to provide extra damage and certain status effects. The gameplay flow is meant to be methodical and precise.

You can choose between five cosmetically distinct but mechanically identical birds of prey. You summon the hunting bird with a toggle. Once summoned, the hunting bird does not act like other pets currently available in DDO; it cannot be attacked, it cannot be killed while you live, it cannot generate hate, and, as a result, it does not benefit from effects that grant bonuses to "summoned creatures".

That is as far as I got, before my excitement about a universal summons tree died off like a girl struck by a deorbiting toilet seat. I get that the bird thing seems new and cool to write and tie into existing stuff, however DDO is literally plagued with the bones of crafting systems that came and went the same way. This legit seems like the 3rd tree ranger should have had, but lacks the other animal companions.

Perhaps this accounts for my jaded tone. Right tree, wrong place, wrong scope. Meanwhile we still have summons buffs in warlock(which fits thematically, but not the DDO incarnation) and druids who also lack a summons tree, despite their spell conversion mechanics. Druids, I hesitate to add, are also missing their most all of their animal companions. The wolf is fine, it’s proof of concept, again scope is failing.

[Jetrule]

The long awaited, much anticipated universal wisdom to hit and damage! Thanks all I will be making a max wisdom Aasmir fighter cleric monk 12/6/2 who can mass frog and call down a owl strike just for the joy of it.

[Skavenaps]

snip

I logged in the forum after 1 year just to say that. I love the concept of this prestige enhancement tree!

Now about the tree itself.

-Core 1.. seems a bit.. weak and boring. hey, get your bird and +2 to spot and listen! can we get something else? Like +1MP and RP every core? If you plan somebody go deep in this tree it need to be viable.

-Rest of cores, I understand is a universal tree, but only wis based toons will go deep into the tree.. and you can skip any core.. so can cores improve the bird somehow? Like adding a bleed (like the enh that is already in place), a chance of doblestrike with the bird? 0 delay using the falcon skills ? Cores should impact the play somehow. +1 to a stat... is just plain and boring.

-Sprint boost, why is 10% worst than the others?

-Melee special attacks should have a little less CD than the ranged counterparts. Thats because, been in melee range is always more dangerous and in my experience, I find myself laging more in melee than in ranged, wasting the CD. If you add a high CD is just too punishing.

-Can the single blind become a trip? Having 2 blinds skills in the same tree.. feels a bit weird. Even a sap (as the bird is distracting the prey) will be more fitting in my opinion. Dazed also will be great option for the bird.

Thanks for reading this.

regards

[J-mann]

10 + 30 (for a level 30 character) + 35 (for a character with 80 wisdom) + 7 enhancement + 3 insightful + 6 shadowdancer + 3 falconry =

94 DC

94 is pretty low for a fort save in end game mid/high skull content and you have to be in shadow dancer for it as well as gear assassinate on builds that wouldnt normally need it (and you still will likely want your stun gear at least, likely also your trip. gearing would be very tight on a non-rogue build). Also the pickings on assassinate gear is kinda meh.

[HuneyMunster]

94 is pretty low for a fort save in end game mid/high skull content and you have to be in shadow dancer for it as well as gear assassinate on builds that wouldnt normally need it (and you still will likely want your stun gear at least, likely also your trip. gearing would be very tight on a non-rogue build). Also the pickings on assassinate gear is kinda meh.

The 80 Wis is a low ball amount people will have at cap so around 90 Wis would bring it up to 99.

Seems Assassinate was used to boost the DC due to tree getting tactics bonus based on your Wis modifier. Rogue Assassin would only add up to 5 DC after remaining stealthed for 5 seconds, while pure rogue gets +2 more, but no I can see pure assassins going wis build over dex or int. There are much better build options in my opinion.

Maybe now with Falconer now using assassinate we should see more items with this effect.

Dread Adversary tactics could do with including Assassinate DC especially as Quivering Palm is boosted by the tactic enhancement from Dread tree. I'm not sure what kind of effect Falconer will have on QP with some monk builds getting easily over 100 DC with little effort and without the requirement to be stealthed.


From 2016
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/481118


Current 'reasonable' Quivering Palm DC (20 Monk, Any Race)
10 Base
10 Monk Level
43 Wisdom Bonus
03 PL: Fighter
06 ED: Legendary Tactics
03 ED: Grandmaster of Flowers Innates
04 Feat: Scion of the Astral Plane
02 Feat: Tactician
= 81DC Base DC
= 93DC with Know the Angles

= 102DC with Deadly Instinct instead of Know the Angles
= 106DC Reaper Tactics

[Paladin_of_Power]

Summon Falcon
Summon White Falcon
Summon Grey Owl
Summon Snow Owl
Summon Raven


Can we summon a Millenium Falcon ? That breaks down sometimes ... but always saves the day.

[edrein]

A few questions sticking out to me:

1. After testing around I noticed the bird doesn't actually attack on it's own. Per the wording I originally thought this was going to work much like the Lantern Archon. Some intangible DPS boost that roosts behind you, with active abilities to focus fire.

If I'm wrong please correct me. I'd love to see the bird actually attack a target in range like a lantern archon, even if it deals 1d4 or so base damage per character level. It'd be a nice little supplement and useful for when the bird attacks are on CD.


2. Ahem, I know there's a very avian theme to this... But could we get a Bat option?


3. As I previously brought up in the thread. Thrill of the Hunt doesn't work with undead currently. Please allow this to work with PMs. I don't know who coded Steal Lifeforce from Soul Eater; but please give them a raise and ask them to add that code to this. As an universal tree this should be universally useable by everyone. And as it stands this is the first time in a long time there's a decent T5 ability that a non-casting focused PM build could make great use of without splashing.

[AbyssalMage]

It works the same as however the Rogue Mechanic enhancement that does the same thing (but is an antirequisite to this version) stacks with that. Honestly, I would not be shocked if it generated more ammunition than you started with. Will need to check if I get a chance.

Thanks for the smile. Unintended consequences and all. Gaining ammunition would have been awesome.

[unbongwah]

Tier 2

• Killer Instinct I You can use your Wisdom modifier to hit with Melee and Missile weapons.

Tier 3

• Killer Instinct II You can use your Wisdom modifier for damage with Melee and Missile weapons.

Tier 4

• Deadly Instinct Trance You gain an Insight bonus to damage and the DC of tactical feats equal to 1/2 of your Wisdom modifier for 30/60/120 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds. 5 Charges per rest. Each attack from your avian companion has a chance to reset 1 charge. Antirequisite: This ability can not be trained if you have any other Trance ability.

What's the rationale behind putting Killer Instinct I a tier higher than Strategic Combat I; and Deadly Instinct two tiers higher than Know the Angles? Seems like it makes going the WIS-based Falconry route needlessly expensive compared to INT-based Harper builds. Is it being done deliberately to hamstring monks and monkchers?

[HuneyMunster]

What's the rationale behind putting Killer Instinct I a tier higher than Strategic Combat I; and Deadly Instinct two tiers higher than Know the Angles? Seems like it makes going the WIS-based Falconry route needlessly expensive compared to INT-based Harper builds. Is it being done deliberately to hamstring monks and monkchers?

I would think thats the reason. Monks would need to find 13-15 AP from somewhere for Deadly Instincts over Know the Angles. Shintao is still probably the highest dps melee class and would think its debatable that this would increase with a shift of 15 AP to falconer.

[Yamani]

What's the rationale behind putting Killer Instinct I a tier higher than Strategic Combat I; and Deadly Instinct two tiers higher than Know the Angles? Seems like it makes going the WIS-based Falconry route needlessly expensive compared to INT-based Harper builds. Is it being done deliberately to hamstring monks and monkchers?

Divine Presence is tier 1 (charisma based KtA) Divine Will is also tier 1 (wisdom based KtA) but both require a fvs level to get. Divine Might is just 1/2 cha to strength but it is also tier 1 in both cleric/fvs, and tier 2 in paladin. Deadly instinct is the only trance that goes above tier 2 atm.

I would think thats the reason. Monks would need to find 13-15 AP from somewhere for Deadly Instincts over Know the Angles. Shintao is still probably the highest dps melee class and would think its debatable that this would increase with a shift of 15 AP to falconer.

I think thats also a problem, not just monks could use this enhance, rangers could too. Building a tree around 1 class hurts other classes that could use it with just as much limitations.

[Niminae]

Once summoned, the hunting bird does not act like other pets currently available in DDO; it cannot be attacked, it cannot be killed while you live, it cannot generate hate, and, as a result, it does not benefit from effects that grant bonuses to "summoned creatures".

How about applying this mechanic to the Druid Wolf and the Artificer Homunculus?


And to be clear: Does this pet interfere with the Druid Wolf and the Artificer Homunculus?

[Cantor]

Lots of great effects that sometimes make a multiclass choice in there.

My only complaint is the use of assassinate DCs on the skills. Those are not going to scale well. The use of full character level is going to give them a higher floor but the lack of tactics applying will give a much lower ceiling. Assassinate is too tied to a single class and tree to be the focus of a general tree. If you are going to tie it to something class specific why not wilderness lore that makes sense? I'd use general tactics bonuses or a specific tactic for each skill based on the effect.

[Tilomere]

Huehuehue!

[Kaboom2112]

Is it being done deliberately to hamstring monks and monkchers?

We can only hope

[Nickodeamous]

Wisdom to hit and damage sounds nice for a handwrap monk, but at what price? These seem to be up the tree a few levels, so are you telling me that this is really better than taking Dex to damage from Ninja Spy and 30% helpless? My DCs are already at 100 stunning Fist, 106 Dire Charge, and 71 QP. with KTA, I add about 7-8 to each of those and have no problem jading reapers on R10. I feel like to get the wis dmage/hit is going to cost me more than it is worth. With a Dex build, you also benefit from higher reflex saves (= better chance to live).

Am I reading this right? Or am I way off base?

Thanks!
Nico

Edit: I need to read all of the tree enhancements...at tier 4, you gain helpless damage and what looks to be better than KTA in Deadly instinct. only issue is that this relies on charges. Ok, I can get on board the choo choo train and give it a whirl. I'd have to drop Ninja Spy to do this, so I lose SA damage...hmmm...

[Captain_Wizbang]

The Hunting Bird only attacks the first enemy struck by a Missile fired with Improved Precise Shot toggled on. You’ve only got one birdy friend and you have to pick and choose the targets it divebombs at any given time. =P

EDIT: This even counts for the AOE Hunting Bird Attack. It applies the same Cleave like sweeping divebomb AOE that the melee variant does but specifically centered on the first enemy struck by a missile fired with Improved Precise Shot toggled on. There’s been talk around the office reffering to it as basically a Bird Fireball. =D

.. got my answer

[axel15810]

Wow. Melee clerics just got a monkey wrench thrown at them. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. With this tree giving WIS to hit/dmg and actual good stuff in tier 1 to splash for, STR based melee clerics may be a thing of the past. Will have to reevaluate and do some more thinking/experimenting but seems like splashing this tree and reworking character build and gearset will be worth it. Depending on the AP costs of all this of course.

Summon Falcon
Summon White Falcon
Summon Grey Owl
Summon Snow Owl
Summon Raven


Can we summon a Millenium Falcon ? That breaks down sometimes ... but always saves the day.

I was hoping for an Owlbear option LOL

[Captain_Wizbang]

Can I suggest changing the name to "Falconer" instead of "Falconry"? ALL currently existing trees are named after a ROLE, not a SKILL. "Master Falconer" would be even more betterer.

I agreed, then thought about it. They are correct to name the tree Falconry, as the Prestige is Falconer as you stated.

[Rog]

this works with wraps where will i find the points for this.
i will buy this and play with it.
this does work with handwraps?