U42 Preview 1: Loot

[whoolsey]

Tank set is too weak
There is no tanky melee dps set but there is a tanky caster dps set?
94%fort at lv15??? I still have full fort items at lv7
Doublestrike is wasted on a third of the melees, it simply doesn't work, is sharn comming with a fix?
+5 to all caster stats but no +5 str/dex/con item?

Sheltering should be 1 stat, not 2
Saves should be 1 stat, not 3, i shouldn't be forced to equip 5 garbage items to raise a save
49 spell ressist is useless, i know, i used to play an occult slayer with way more, before you killed melee.
Bonus to trip? For what, the mass trip is bugged.
Why no insightfull bonus to combat dc's on the melee dps set or accuracy or mrr or profane stats or bonus to str/dex/ con like the caster set?

[lyrecono]

Myself.

Lynn?

Remeber the discussion people had about tanky dps classes/builds? The one where you chimmed in?
Why the underpreforming melee set?
Why the attention to casters but no tanky melee dps set?
Why the doublestrike that doesn't work with 2hf& many of the cleave type of attacks?
Why add a bonus to trip to the str item when the LD' lay waste is still bugged?

Can you please take a look at slavelords crafting and try to understand why it is still so popular? Saves and sheltering.
Spreading stuff forces us to run with trash just because we wish to slot a will save or mrr on a melee, you know, thetype of people who get targeted first by everything, to keep it of the squishier classes, back when the game was ballanced and melees were allowed to take damage?
I'm sorry if i seem to be harping on this but several players have expressed their concern about this in this thread and you cassually seem to ignore them.

Just be upfront and tell us the devs no longer care about 2hf dps melee dps tanks so we can move on and spend our time elsewhere.
If indecide to buy sharn i'm already stuck with playing a gimp race 9 times to regain my racial completionists, if you just say upfront that this playstyle is no longer supported i can save myself the time and money because this gear scheme is so bad i have no reason to farm for it, heroic and epic.

Ps, why no light xbow and why is the tank sets raid helmet worse then the quest version?
I saw this trend with the ravenloft armors, is the item dev sleeping on the job and switching the raid and quest items?

[korgzz_bloodaxe]

If you have any constructive feedback, please feel free to post it so we can make changes. Nothing is ever set in stone, and I promise that if you ask politely with a reasonable suggestion - or even just try your best to explain why you're not a big fan of this suite, it'll go a long way. We're all in this together

I actually think your "Part of the Family" set is almost there for a melee dps. It's an okay 3 piece set which you should be able to build around.

My only recommendation would be to make a small change to the Hammerfist gloves. Threat reduction, while a nice concept, doesn't really have much point in the game currently as if you have a dedicated tank intim means he is going keep aggro regardless. I think insightful double strike would work better with the name "Hammerfist" or if you are feeling very generous how about the weapon feat like Molten Silver Gloves except make it add "Blunt" to your weapon - which fits the name "Hammerfist" even better Either would lift the set from being a okay to a good set, but not too overpowered.

I'm not sure about the raid gloves but I don't really have a recommendation to make them better.

[Strambotica]

Its very sad that the spell dps set dont have a medium armor on it.

Its another set that will never use on my casters (and i love my casters, wizard, sorcerer, warlock....), all with medium armor.
Edit: for the last 10 years (well was light armor till EK)

[noinfo]

2 Handed Caster Items:

They need to compete with 2 single handed items pure and simple and in the past they have not.

For example the quality spell focus (choosing this as I usually play a dc caster) if it is the same as you can get on a 1 hander I just won't bother, load up whatever spell power you like but people won't tend to use it due to lack of flexibility. If the quality spell focus is +3 (likely as an increase) for 1 handed or worn then a 2 handed item should be at least 1 point higher as in my off hand I could be using +2 exceptional stat from LGS with other effects.

Quarterstaff: The Eclipse Itself - Implement, Quality Potency, Quality Spell Lore, Quality Spell Focus Mastery, Arcane Augmentation - Upgrades to pick an element a la Twilight from Citw

Quarterstaff - Creeping Dust Conduit - cold/acid spell power, cold/acid spell crit, conjuration DCs, evocation DCs, Arcane Augmentation, quality spell focus mastery
Quarterstaff - Firestorm Conduit - fire/lightning spell power, fire/lightning spell crit, conjuration DCs, evocation DCs, Arcane Augmentation, quality spell focus mastery

All fall into this category
Also for The Eclipse Itself instead of adding spell power can we get an option to add other effects
+2 quality spell pen
(if no where else spell pen itself)
power reserve like abbot staff
etc

The last dc staff I found useful was TF and that was simply because it added 1 to dcs over any other item. New caster items should consider that in design as I am sick of having to orb and stick it.

[noinfo]

Not sure why we need to have items creep up in power- power level set by Ravenloft - this should be sideways items (except maybe minor artifacts as a new concept)

+19 item
+20 raid
+22 artifact

Would have been good and maintained old raids and content. This will quickly end those unless you provide an upgrade path for the older items (Threads of Fate)

[Elfishski]

Not sure why we need to have items creep up in power- power level set by Ravenloft - this should be sideways items (except maybe minor artifacts as a new concept)

+19 item
+20 raid
+22 artifact

Would have been good and maintained old raids and content. This will quickly end those unless you provide an upgrade path for the older items (Threads of Fate)

This - no good reason to increase the numbers, outside of the minor artifacts. Doesn't make anything more interesting, just the same but strictly better than previous content.

In any case, before I have any interest in acquiring anything on this list I want a new storage solution so that I can put them somewhere.

...piston boots are a pretty funny acknowledgement of our absurd playstyle, nice work there.

[LavidDynch]

Its very sad that the spell dps set dont have a medium armor on it.

Its another set that will never use on my casters (and i love my casters, wizard, sorcerer, warlock....), all with medium armor.
Edit: for the last 10 years (well was light armor till EK)

Isn´t the sad part that casters are using medium armor at all to begin with? (I see a lot of robes and very few armors when I google: 'd&d mages')

[Recared]

Sure, sounds good to me. Changed

Hello Lynnabel, thanks for the incredible fast and generous reactions to all posts in the thread, however, regarding the Aetherband: the argument of the redundancy of insightful spell mastery in bracers is not valid; it would if both goggles of the set included ins spell focus, but only the raid one does, the other ones is potency focused. The inclusion of ins spell focus mastery in the bracers is then not redundant but an interesting option to itemize another way, that is, keeping potency and using dcs effect in bracers slot. Please reconsider keeping both and if want to be really generous, add in some minor spell penetration bonus (ins or quality) somewhere in the set? Thanks.

[noinfo]

Sure, sounds good to me. Changed

The reduced cost for max and empower are really out of place on the goggles.
quality spell pen
deific bonus
profane bonus +1 or whatever the bonus is currently on shadow scale (though would not rather not see an excuse to not use that anymore)

[HuneyMunster]

Set 3 (Primal Casting) - Hruit's Influence:

Set bonus: +25/50 Fire, Cold, Lightning, Positive Spell Power, +5/10% Fire, Cold, Lightning, Positive Spell Crit Chance, +2/4 Artifact bonus to Wisdom and Charisma, +1/3 Artifact bonus to Spell Focus Mastery

Bronze Dragonplate Armor Heavy Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Sunstone Gauntlets Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Insightful Physical Sheltering +9/+26
• Positive Spell Power +94/+214
• Positive Spell Lore +14/+31
• Wizardry +154/+440

Crystalline Gloves Raid Gloves
Minimum Level: 29

• Magical Sheltering +55
• Insightful Magical Sheltering +27
• Spell Absorption +20
• Quality Potency +39

Pendant of the Azure Sky Necklace
Minimum Level: 15/29

• While in Fire Elemental Form (Either Druid or Sorcerer) gain a bonus to Fire Spell Caster Levels and Fire Spell Power ???
• Fire Spell Power +94/+214
• Fire Spell Lore +14/+31
• Efficient Spellcasting 5%/10%

Pendant of the Azure Sea Necklace
Minimum Level: 15/29

• While in Water Elemental Form (Either Druid or Sorcerer) gain a bonus to Cold Spell Caster Levels and Cold Spell Power ???
• Cold Spell Power +94/+214
• Cold Spell Lore +14/+31
• Efficient Spellcasting 5%/10%

Is this set meant to apply to both Druid Season's Herald and Sorcerer Savants? Neither Druid or Sorcerer are automatically proficient in Heavy Armor. Druid's can gain Heavy Armor Proficiency from Nature's Protector while Sorcerer's can get Medium Armor from Eldritch Knight. But, would still require purchasing 3 feats to be able to take Heavy Armor.

Why does the set ignore Acid and Lighting? Both Druid and Sorcerer have these types of spells. You can also say that Warlocks have Acid as well as a subset of Air (Sonic), but they get Light Armor unless they take Medium from Enlightened Spirit. Though Acid does have Mountainskin Set available to them, but Air seems totally excluded.

Set 4 (Tanky Spell DPS) - Arcsteel Battlemage:

Set Bonus: +25/50 Electric, Fire, Force, Repair Spell Power, +5/10% Electric, Fire, Force, Repair Spell Lore, +2/4 Artifact bonus to Intelligence, +1/3 Artifact bonus to Spell Focus Mastery

The Mark IV Medium Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Plasma Core Docent
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Arcsteel Gauntlets Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Electrical Spell Power +94/+214
• Electrical Spell Lore +14/+31
• Evocation DC's +3/+9
• Blurry +20%/+35%

Mastermaker's Fingers Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Repair Spell Power +94/+214
• Repair Spell Lore +14/+31
• Evocation DC's +3/+9
• Blurry +20%/+35%

Staggershockers Raid Gloves
Minimum Level: 29

• Blurry +35%
• Melee Alacrity +15%
• Electric Damage on Crit
• Quick Draw Feat

Arcsteel Crown Helmet
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Spell Focus Mastery+3/+7
• Will Saving Throws +6/+17
• Quality Constitution +1/+5
• Magical Resistance Sheltering +19/+54

Is this set meant only apply for Artificer? It seems it would also fit well for a Wizard Eldritch Knight, but not a Sorcerer Eldritch Knight.

Set 7 (Spell DPS) - Esoteric Influence:

Set Bonus: +2/4 Artifact to Spell Focus Mastery, +20/50 Universal Spell Power, +2/3 to INT/WIS/CHA, +10/20 MRR Cap

Order's Garb Outfit
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Exceptional Spell Power +10/+30
• Exceptional Spell Lore +3%/+10%

Enigma Core Docent
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Exceptional Spell Power +10/+20
• Exceptional Spell Lore +3%/+10%

Aetherband Bracers
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Insightful Spell Focus Mastery +2/+4
• Spell Cost Reduction +5%/+10%
• Reduced Spell Threat +25%/+62%
• Shield Bonus to Armor Class +8/+21

Dusk Lenses Goggles
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Potency +60/+154
• Insightful Potency +30/+77
• Enhanced Metamagic - Empower
• Enhanced Metamagic - Maximize

Attunement's Gaze Raid Goggles
Minimum Level: 29

• Spell Focus Mastery +7
• Insightful Spell Focus Mastery +4
• Enhanced Metamagic - Empower
• Enhanced Metamagic - Maximize

This set is also restricted to wearing Cloth where not all casters are cloth wearers. The set also has one less INT/WIS/CHA than other sets.

[Recared]

Set 4 (Tanky Spell DPS) - Arcsteel Battlemage:

Set Bonus: +25/50 Electric, Fire, Force, Repair Spell Power, +5/10% Electric, Fire, Force, Repair Spell Lore, +2/4 Artifact bonus to Intelligence, +1/3 Artifact bonus to Spell Focus Mastery

The Mark IV Medium Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Plasma Core Docent
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Arcsteel Gauntlets Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Electrical Spell Power +94/+214
• Electrical Spell Lore +14/+31
• Evocation DC's +3/+9
• Blurry +20%/+35%

Mastermaker's Fingers Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Repair Spell Power +94/+214
• Repair Spell Lore +14/+31
• Evocation DC's +3/+9
• Blurry +20%/+35%

Staggershockers Raid Gloves
Minimum Level: 29

• Blurry +35%
• Melee Alacrity +15%
• Electric Damage on Crit
• Quick Draw Feat

Arcsteel Crown Helmet
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Spell Focus Mastery+3/+7
• Will Saving Throws +6/+17
• Quality Constitution +1/+5
• Magical Resistance Sheltering +19/+54

Set bonuses are good. Set items, effects, slots and sinergies produced etc. are a bit underwhelming, from a EK perspective. Battlemage has to focus on defense, offense (I mean melee dps) and spell dc. That makes itemization truely tetris lvl infinity, as u need everything to not be noticeably bad in one area. For that reason I would recommend throwing in some form of cookie (EK already has to deal with forced touch range casting, which is very very problematic (in fact I think it should have been precisely the EK the one that could have epic defensive fighting on and no restriction on casting, but anyway)). Regarding the gloves, for a battlemage it really is redundant the melee alacrity, the blurry and the quick draw -> please substitute smtg with profane bonus +2 and smtg?. Could the helmet be changed to feet slot? For what it is intended (the set), helmet slot is already too much taken with other options.

[Recared]

Set 2 (Melee DPS) - Part of the Family:

Set Bonus: +10/15% Doublestrike, +10/25 Melee Power, +5/15% Helpless Dmg, +2/5 All Saves

Enforcer's Plate Heavy Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Underboss' Scalemail Medium Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Wildcard Light Armor
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Soldier's Outfit Outfit
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Umbral Soul Docent
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Fortification +94%/+214%
• Physical Sheltering +19/+54
• Healing Amplification +30/+85
• False Life +29/+81

Family Recruit Sigil Necklace
Minimum Level: 15/29

• True Seeing
• Armor Piercing +12/+33
• Deadly ???/???
• Relentless Fury

Family's Blessing Raid Necklace
Minimum Level: 29

• Assassinate +10
• Insightful Armor Piercing +17%
• Deception 18 (+27 dmg)
• Deadly +17

Hammerfist Gloves
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Doublestrike +9/+23
• Threat Reduction +25/+62
• Seeker +8/+21
• Insightful Deadly ???/???

Platinum Knuckles Handwraps
Minimum Level: 15/29

• Precludes Gloves Slot (while this is equipped, you can not have any Gloves equipped, and vice versa)
• Impact I/V
• Spiked (breaks piercing DR)
• Enchanted Platinum Crowd Control
• Doublestrike +9/+23

Any chance of throwing in an effect like "reinforced weapons" -> +1w to your weapons for all armors? This does not stack with reinforced fists. I said all weapons so it is good for all users, not niche. I guess this set is the improved version of the Ravenloft silent av. Everybody loves +w. Nobody punished. Keep in mind this set kills fleetfoot necklace +1.5w bonus (and other fabulous effects).

[LavidDynch]

Any chance of throwing in an effect like "reinforced weapons" -> +1w to your weapons for all armors? This does not stack with reinforced fists. I said all weapons so it is good for all users, not niche. I guess this set is the improved version of the Ravenloft silent av. Everybody loves +w. Nobody punished. Keep in mind this set kills fleetfoot necklace +1.5w bonus (and other fabulous effects).

Seems to kill off all RL-sets on melee (at least wis-based monk and perhaps even dex/int -- that now looks much stronger than a falcon-monk). Perhaps, I haven´t studied the gear too meticulously yet. feel free to PM if you´ve found a great way to gear up one... My head spins when I try to fit in all stuff I "want" also spins when I post this post...

[whoolsey]

]

Lunar Crescent sounds good to me, thanks for the help!



If you have any constructive feedback, please feel free to post it so we can make changes. Nothing is ever set in stone, and I promise that if you ask politely with a reasonable suggestion - or even just try your best to explain why you're not a big fan of this suite, it'll go a long way. We're all in this together

Tank set is too weak
There is no tanky melee dps set but there is a tanky caster dps set?
94%fort at lv15??? I still have full fort items at lv7
Doublestrike is wasted on a third of the melees, it simply doesn't work, is sharn comming with a fix?
+5 to all caster stats but no +5 str/dex/con item?

Sheltering should be 1 stat, not 2
Saves should be 1 stat, not 3, i shouldn't be forced to equip 5 garbage items to raise a save
49 spell ressist is useless, i know, i used to play an occult slayer with way more, before you killed melee.
Bonus to trip? For what, the mass trip is bugged.
Why no insightfull bonus to combat dc's on the melee dps set or accuracy or mrr or profane stats or bonus to str/dex/ con like the caster set?

Please add beter stats to the tank set by:
Changing prr into sheltering, change the fort save into ressistance bonus to saves, change the mrr to devotion. Change the healers bounty on the helmet into something like construct hate 60% or insightfull sheltering 30, 3 points more then the regular quest item. And i meant sheltering, not prr.


Fix the melee set by:
Adding stats(+2 physical, just like the caster one),
Change the meleepower into 20, double it when using a rage class ability,
Remove the +5 saves and add +9 parry to the armors (like ravenloft)
Add accuracy to the set,

Although mentioned before (but went without dev reply)
Seperate from the set but related, allow 2hf to fully benefit from doublestrike, including cleave like attacks.
Fix the dc's on lay waste.

Add +5 quality str, con and dex to the brone dragonbelt, casters get theirs too, melee should too.

Add 50 points to the spell ressistance to the croen or replace it with something functional.
I hope th 49 was a typo, otherwise i suggest playtesting it first

[tpbtoc]

Standard Issue Wristguards Bracers
Minimum Level: 15/29
Magical Sheltering +19/+54
Fortification Saves +6/+17
Spell Saves
Parrying

This item should be:

Standard Issue Wristguards Bracers
Minimum Level: 15/29
Magical Sheltering +19/+54
Resistance +5/+15
Spell Saves
Parrying

So it would be THE resistance item for tanks!

[Claver]

Unique Quest Weapons - Most of these (8/12) weapons have a Vorpal effect. It's fairly monotonous. Vorpal should be somewhat rarer than this, I believe...

Accessory items looks good, but weapons are kind of not very sophisticated.. They looks like made from same pattern: Vorpal, dmg effect 1, dmg effect 2, slot/DR bypass , end.

Where are special effects? Where is diversity? Why we don't have there paralyse, banishing, some cool stuff like Vampirism, Sirocco, Vulnerability, Improved Slowburst, Medusa Fury, Demon Fever, Wounding, Crippling etc. but with higher saves/numbers.

These comments resonate with me

If there is time, would you consider substituting different effects for vorpal on a few items for more variety and flavor

Here are some suggestions

1. Replace Vorpal on Rumbling Thunder with a chance to stun.

Great Crossbows have a knock down effect so stunning makes sense, particularly when you combine sonic damage and bludgeoning damage upside the head

2. My suggestion for Suncrusher would be to modify Crushing Wave from Calomel weapons and have it do 3 ticks of light and bludgeoning damage (instead of cold and bludgeoning damage) as a replacement for vorpal on this weapon

Solar Eclipse Large Shield
Minimum Level: 29

• Impact V
• Shield Bashing +20%
• Light Damage on Hit10d6
• Vorpal

Why are you doing light damage on a shield named "Solar Eclipse"? This should be negative energy damage instead, both for better flavor and for more variety of effects.

You already have another big shield called Rising Sun that deals light damage on hit.

Rising Sun = Light = Light Damage

Solar Eclipse = Darkness = Negative Energy Damage

[apep1412]

I actually think your "Part of the Family" set is almost there for a melee dps. It's an okay 3 piece set which you should be able to build around.

My only recommendation would be to make a small change to the Hammerfist gloves. Threat reduction, while a nice concept, doesn't really have much point in the game currently as if you have a dedicated tank intim means he is going keep aggro regardless. I think insightful double strike would work better with the name "Hammerfist" or if you are feeling very generous how about the weapon feat like Molten Silver Gloves except make it add "Blunt" to your weapon - which fits the name "Hammerfist" even better Either would lift the set from being a okay to a good set, but not too overpowered.

I'm not sure about the raid gloves but I don't really have a recommendation to make them better.

I disagree with threat reduction not having a point in the current game. We've regularly had Kor Kaza switch aggro when melee did not have threat reduction in Killing Time. While she does go back to the tank on the next intimidate, the attack she makes when flipping is quite painful. Our current solution is to have everyone slot the treachery threat reduction filigree, but these gloves give the option to use other filigrees instead or allow dps fighters/paladins to remain in defensive stance without taking aggro from the main tank.

On the other hand as someone with a dagger-user, I love the idea of giving them bludgeon bypass for skeletons, clay golems, etc. I also see the appeal of this set for threat tanks if the threat reduction weren't there. The threat reduction could be moved to the raid necklace in place of one of its attributes and the bludgeon bypass added to the gloves. This fits with the roguish theme of the raid necklace and makes the set viable for characters that want aggro.

[J1NG]

Ummm, I do hope those Raid Gloves/Gauntlets that have Spell Absorbtion (Crystalline Gauntlets) also has a way to recharge them. Because right now resting won't restore any charges...

J1NG

[Aelonwy]

This set is also restricted to wearing Cloth where not all casters are cloth wearers. The set also has one less INT/WIS/CHA than other sets.

Its very sad that the spell dps set dont have a medium armor on it.
Its another set that will never use on my casters (and i love my casters, wizard, sorcerer, warlock....), all with medium armor.
Edit: for the last 10 years (well was light armor till EK)

Without going in to detail, it was brought up elsewhere that the spell dps set needed at least a light armor option to cover Spellsinger bards that naturally get no arcane spell failure in light armor and it seems to be a Design Decision that if you want the best arcane spell DPS/DCs you have to be in robes because trade-offs. So despite the fact that there are two whole classes (bard/warlock) that get no arcane spell failure in light armor naturally, despite that there is a tree in the other two arcanes that allows them to reduce arcane spell failure in light and medium should they invest enough... it doesn't look as though it is supported in-game if you want to be the best spell DC/dps. *shrugs*

[U](2) If you are concerned about getting people into sharn via loot try more item consolidation. Bring back sheltering instead of splitting them up, try lumping stuff together like skill types, or accuracy and deadly. You could also add uncommon effects to items, like ranged/melee power. Or weapon imbue clickies.

Yep. No one I know enjoyed having the saves split up in RL. No one. All the rhetoric about tough gear decisions can be trotted out but most of us are just biting our tongues so we don't say anything rude in response. I would support not increasing the numeric cap of stats but instead increasing the number of effects per slot (by combining effects instead of constantly splitting them up.)