U42 Preview 2: Named Loot

[Wipey]

Rubbish I am more than happy to play my tempest ranger, barbarian, rogue, monk, swashbuckler in any level of reaper, my fighter is currently still not fully geared so would be hesitant and my pally got TRed.

Its always the grass is always greener etc. I have ranged toons too, and while the level of threat offered to them is less, the dps output of melee is just higher particulary in higher skulls.

I love the way people say when there is not a nanny cc bot around but do you know how a dc caster goes without dps in legendary reaper?
You might want to take a look at melee in high reaper they are doing very well.

It's utterly hilarious, isn't it ? When current "meta" is basically "healer + cc supporting 4 melees".
Shows how much experience one have.

[slarden]

Man these forums need some new blood, all you hear from is meta players about their meta builds. Monk this and DC caster that BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Welcome to 2010. You must have missed the part where high skull parties are mostly dps martial builds.

[niknight]

Here's an outside the box thought on the light armor debate:

Outside of a limited few applications, Mage Armor is an absolutely useless spell. How about we make a change to the way Mage Armor works and try to meet somewhere in the middle? Drop the duration to be in line with Displacement and Haste, increase the spell point cost, change the armor bonus to something that stacks (like Artifact), and allow the spell to increase your MRR cap by your caster level, giving a +25 to a pure class in an arcane destiny. It's not the 100 cap of light armor, but it does alleviate some of the squishiness concerns for the normally light armored casters.

Edit: A second possible would be to give each class a base MRR cap based on their starting armor proficiencies (wiz/sor 50, bard/wlk 100, etc) which can be bypassed if they're wearing heavier armor that they're proficient in. It gives the lower dps bard and warlock the benefit of their innate proficiencies, and if you want to take the feats (or spend the enhancement points) to get medium armor proficiency for the unlimited MRR, then you shouldn't expect a caster based armor.

[Vish]

We on the development team spend a lot of time thinking about the long term, and this is part of that.

Have you seen the new dps times?

Realize r10 has already been conquered

Instead of vertical, horizontal
I told you guys and gals not to go over +20

You are trivializing content before it even drops
Unless mob hp bloat is the solution
Strimtom did say that boss in too hot to handle had a lot of hp

And LGS?
Rip shroud

Do you actually play test this stuff?
Or is it all theory craft?

Seems like two expansions within two years was not a good idea

But I guess the bottom line is
Are you making money
Roll on!

[TrueMan54914]

Well its frustrating for warlocks who are dc light armor focussed we got ignored for armor associated set bonuses in Slavelords, Ravenloft, and now also ignored for forthcoming set bonus in Sharn.

Slavelords:
No light armors
Plate and Cloth .


Ravenloft:
light armors got synergized with melee... Silent avenger got both of the only light armors Mist-laden Vestment and Vestments of Ravenloft
Beacon of magic set was cloth.
Medium melee
Heavy melee

Sharn:
4 Heavy armor sets
3 Medium Armors
2 light armors both melee
2 melee outfits
1 caster outfit



Even stand alone Leather for perks for casters has been skipped since Update 29 ~Leathers of the Celestial Sage which had :Insightful Spell Focus Mastery +3


~Update 30~
No Worries - Full Plate

~Update 31~
Drow Outrunner Armor - (Light Armor) not caster helpful
Hardened Hide Armor - (Medium Armor)

~Update 32~
Executioner's Platemail
Slave Rags(outfit)

~Update 33~
Cosmetic platemail

~Update 34~
no armors

~update 35~
Emissary's Vestments (Robe) melee
Scales of Malice (Medium armor)
Scales of Avarice (Heavy armor)

~Update 36~
Deep Arcanum (Outfit)
Graz'zt's Habiliment (Leather) Melee

~Update 37 (Ravenloft)~

~update 38 Disciples of Rage~
Heavy armor

~update 39 White Plume Mountain/the 12 quests~
Brimstone Boulder Warden's Robe (outfit) - spell pen
Illicit Warding Armor (Light Armor) melee
Shadowshimmer Cladding (Outfit) melee
Coldharbor Cladding (Medium Armor)melee
Confiscated Heavy Mail (Heavy Armor) melee

~update 40 Killing Time and other scraps~
Mail of the Mroranon Medium Armor
Nullscale Armor Heavy Armor

~update 41Lost at Sea~
No armors

~update 42 Sharn~
12 armors and no light armor for casters...



2 years of updates and expansions and you have managed to skip over leather armors for casters, in particular useful leathers that blend for dc caster sets.

Sharn disproportionately favors non leather armors..
4 Heavy armor sets (2 caster)
3 Medium Armors (2 caster)
3 outfits (1 for casters)
2 light armors both melee (0 caster)

Endgame leather armor DC casters are effectively screwed over, especially when it comes to the set bonus combinations.





We asked for a leather option for DC casters in one of the sharn sets

The Flamecleansed Fury Set would work for warlocks since it does support light spell power and DC's..

.. you said No..

..so where do we go from here.? ..

Yes I agree a light armor is due.

[DrawingGuy]

I made many suggestions in the previous thread, which I hope were not missed. But in a thread that received nearly 500 replies, it could have been easily lost. Hopefully this one won't be as I do put a fair bit of time and effort into these posts as I try to consider all of the gear and classes rather than just pet items for my chosen class.

I do have a new suggestion that I believe others have made in some form, but would like to make it as well:

Make the set bonuses of armors something that you can apply. This will simplify your loot tables and allow you to close some gaps:

- Allow for light armored casting sets without further clogging loot tables nor adding any art asset work. This is a gap I know was brought up in both threads many times
- Allow for Artificers to go for DPS or Tank sets and still go for repair amp.
- Allow for Druids to go for DPS or Tank sets (though the dragonscale version you could still keep as separate loot)

Any restrictions you see as still needed with set bonus to armor type can be enforced by simply restricting the set bonus to those armor types, like how Thunderforged crafting works. This does mean you'll be using less armors, thus leaving some of the art design on the table. Some of it can be used to allow for Heavy and Light versions of Repair Amp armors. Esoteric is the only exception to the Fort/Shelter/Amp/False Life pattern of the armor, so that set could be excluded from a Nearly Finished application and a Light Armor added to the loot list. As a unique item, this can follow the lesser 20/10 Exceptional that the docent does as a trade-off of the better defenses over the outfit. The only real concern is if you decide to add both a Light Repair amp armor *and* the Light Esoteric as that would be 3 light armor sets when there are currently only 2. With the freed assets, maybe you could quickly modify one to fit light. Or if you were to pick only one, favor the Esoteric please. The remaining freed assets could be used for future loot.

Hopefully that would not be too major of a change, but would solve pretty much all of the armor concerns brought up in these threads.


Now onto loot/set bonuses:
- Guardian of the Gates: Like the changes to the loot itself, and the fact that you added another bonus to the set. The saves that you snagged from the Family set are fitting, though would prefer MRR. If 15/30 is considered too much, 10/20 could be a good split.

- Hammerfist Gloves: I still find it frustrating that you are FORCING threat reduction on this DPS set outside of the wraps option. When a dedicated tank is not around, melee almost always wants to fill this role. Chasing after a ranged/caster kiting a mob is frustrating, and having to destroy your set bonus to avoid that would suck. PLEASE either replace the threat reduction, or add an alternative. I do actually consider Threat Reduction as a good option (as DPS wants threat reduction when a tank is around), so would rather have it kept and add Molten Adamantine Gloves as the alternative. But if for some reason that is not an option, possibly Stunning or a bludgeon proc.

- Platinum Knuckles: These I see as falling below the mark needed to make the sacrifice worth it. Considering the loss of the gloves slot, and that one slot is already used by one of the least needed bypasses, I think this can afford two more procs/abilities. These suggestions I feel would make them a serious consideration without being OP or the 'only BIS option'.
-- Bone Breaking faces two critical issues: Stat damage in epics is rendered nearly useless by stupidly fast stat recovery. Reaper further scales this down, often to ZERO. Unless both Reaper scaling is fixed for stat damage to always allow at least 1 and epics are drastically changed to allow for stat damage, this is a waste of a slot. Would much rather have the Lesser Boneshatter/Bonesplitter proc
-- Add Blunt Trauma. This has gone hand-in-hand with the bonesplitter proc, and would help the balance of the sacrifice
-- Add "Platinum Dust". For the epic items this would simply be the Legendary Dust proc. If that is deemed too powerful for Heroics, it can be "Lesser Platinum Dust" with either half the value or a disintegration proc.

- Staggershockers: EKs have haste and Artificers have Armor of Speed. This makes Melee Alacrity a wasted slot outside of saving that spell slot, but most that focus on melee would not anyways. Could this have an Electric Vuln proc? Or maybe Insightful Repair Amp.

- Wallwatch Mask/Bitter Thorns: Others have brought it up, but looks like you accidentally doubled the doubleshot values of these items.

- The Cornerstone Champion: Not really a change, but a note. As a raid item, there would be no "lower" version, so it would just be the higher tier of reinforced fists.

- Piston Boots: Replace Sunder with Jump 23. Or possibly add "Piston Thrust", a version of Jet Propulsion on a 5 minute cooldown rather than 10 minutes. Giving up both Sunder and Stunning to get Jump and the leap ability would work as well.

- Solar Eclipse: While I assume that the Vorpal is Sovereign, would like to see the replaced with a "Legendary Sunburst" proc. Would fit the flash of light just before the solar eclipse and add more flavor and utility to the shield.

- Nightshade Shooter: The change from Vorpal to Con damage is a direct downgrade as vorpals are stronger in heroics and the loss of the W value on top of the uselessness of stat damage in epics is a tough hit along with the Reaper penalty concerns. If this is "planning for the future", would love to see the thread of what those plans are, though Vorpal is still better for bosses as well.

[Thrudh]

I undestand that you don't want ravenloft items with slightly higher stats and i'm fine with that, sharn should get it's own unique gear scheme. However, the ravenloft gear was realy badly done, people up to this day are still running with slavelords gear to fill in essential gaps in the gear layout, years after it got introduced.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using older gear to fill in gaps.

That's good design. Slavelords quests are still relevant.

[Thrudh]

Please don't use LGS Dust on anything. Whatever you put it on just due to Dust alone will become the end-all be-all weapon of Sharn, which will be a mistake.

It is better balanced but probably still overpowered on LGS without the expanded damage die.

This.

Maybe, just maybe, you could put Dust on the raid two-handed weapons.

But do not put it on a Sharn raid-level best-in-slot one-handed weapon.

[Snarglefrump]

Just for fun, how about tacking Cannith Combat Infusion on to some item? It'd be a pretty minor (but fun) boost on a L29 item.

[janave]

In the era of any ability to dmg mod, I could see the return of Titan's grip like clickies too. Hardly game breaking between 5MP filigrees and Prowess sets.

[Lynnabel]

Just for fun, how about tacking Cannith Combat Infusion on to some item? It'd be a pretty minor (but fun) boost on a L29 item.

Great suggestion! Any ideas on where it would go?

put Dust on the raid two-handed weapons.

I like this idea. It's on the Greatsword (and Throwing Dagger) now.

[justsomeguy999]

While you're replying to the thread Lynnabel, I posted some detailed suggestions for the light crossbow a page or two back if you get the chance to look I think would hopefully make it a more exciting option for Inquisitives, since it's the only non-generic non-raid legendary light or heavy crossbow so far.

[Lynnabel]

While you're replying to the thread Lynnabel, I posted some detailed suggestions for the light crossbow a page or two back if you get the chance to look I think would hopefully make it a more exciting option for Inquisitives, since it's the only non-generic non-raid legendary light or heavy crossbow so far.

I have whipped up a legendary Nightshade Poison (I think I named it something else) and we'll see if that helps it cross the line from "meh" to "neato."

Forgive me if I do not have a response to literally every post (seeing as we're crossing post 400 at this point) but I am definitely still listening.

[reywas]

First Impressions, mostly focused on caster gear as that is my preferred playstyle.

Where is the love for Force and Sonic? there isn't much at cap that really adds to that. They are niche, but EKs would love it, Chain Missile and Disintegration users would love it, Blade Barrier/untyped damage spell users would love it. Air sorcerors and Bards would love more resonance items. Is it possible to have some alternate items (or standalone non weapon/orb items) for some of these in spell based sets to get these types? Acid isn't really represented in these sets either. Given the singular nature of specific spell power groups, it would be nice if more of these items were like the Barovian belts, with different combinations. You have it started with those staves, but that won't help my EK. Force/Resonance, Light/Positive, Cold/Negative, Elec/Fire, Fire/Light, Cold/Acid, Acid/Repair (for the elusive rust spells), Elec/Resonance, etc. You have some of these represented in set bonuses, why not reflect that in standard bonuses? Arcsteel gauntlets can easily give bonuses akin to the set bonuses for fire/elec/force without being game-breaking. Getting multiple types is tough, especially when you are likely trying to get multiple focus items amongst schools, and then with EKs, also getting some melee gear. Non casters don't have to deal with benefits to certain weapons or damage types outside of melee/ranged, stop making it so difficult to use the spells of less represented damage types or underused spells. And as a wizard, who doesn't specialize by damage type like other casters, it would be nice to legitimately be able to use more than 2 elements in lockstep with each other (Fire/Acid,Elec/Cold) or types that seem almost nonexistent in gear (Force/Sonic, to a lesser extent Light, though clearly that is a focus in the Divine gear). The only balance change of having more of these dual typed spell power/crit abilities is being able to use a couple more viable spells to help coverage and helps close the gap of being shut out by certain mobs. The barovian belts didn't exactly break the game or make casters OP. I was hoping for more items of that format in this expansion.

Already mentioned, the bracers in the Spell DPS set and the caster oriented Minor Artifact conflict.

Neither here nor there, given how reapers work, I think it is time for Healing Amplification Unification. Negative, Positive, and Repair are all healing, making hamp just one thing that impacts all three helps those Warforged get more heals, while still having reasonable self heal on elite and low reaper. Spell power can be different, but healing is healing. If you can be healed by it, hamp should amplify it.

I posted this a while back, in the midst of the great Light Armor Caster Debate 2019. On that, I think robes are perfectly fine for DC-based Bards and Warlocks to use, but just adding in a single light armor clone to that set isn't going to break the game.


I know you have a ton of posts to sift through, and it is impractical to respond to every nerd with a rant, but I think this is also an important problem with the current gear and it has been echoed by a few others. Barovian belts are great, and I think casters were hoping for more multi spellpower/lore items of the same vein. And certainly we need some support for Sonic/Force. Single spellpower sets pigeonhole some of the items, and while they don't need to support every element, stacking them with multiple spellpower/lores makes them more widely applicable to casters of different stripes.

[Dreppo]

Stone Shoes Boots
Minimum Level: 15/29

• "Sink like a Brick" (sets you to sink a la the dwarf action boost, already implemented technically)
• Underwater Action/Swim ("Swim Like a Fish")
• Stone prison guard
• Strength of Purpose
• Parrying +3/+10
• Weighs a LOT

Please add "Anchoring" to this item. Clearly this won't overpower the item, but it would add flavor and be hilarious. Wearing this item, you ARE an anchor!

[Lynnabel]

Please add "Anchoring" to this item. Clearly this won't overpower the item, but it would add flavor and be hilarious. Wearing this item, you ARE an anchor!

Done, great idea.

[Fivetigers33]

Is there any chance melee light mace users can get some love? Gnomes are people too.

[Thrudh]

Please add "Anchoring" to this item. Clearly this won't overpower the item, but it would add flavor and be hilarious. Wearing this item, you ARE an anchor!

Doesn't anchoring keep the haste spell from being applied?

Most people at cap already have some permanent haste, but this still will be a negative change for some characters.

Now, if the devs have plans to make a Legendary version of Tower of Despair soon, then I'm fine with it!! It would make these boots really valuable that you can wear them in ToD. I used to make sure I had no super important stats on my boots when gearing my characters, because I knew I'd have to swap them out for Boots of Anchoring during ToD runs.

[Saekee]

Have you seen the new dps times?

Realize r10 has already been conquered

Instead of vertical, horizontal
I told you guys and gals not to go over +20

You are trivializing content before it even drops
Unless mob hp bloat is the solution
Strimtom did say that boss in too hot to handle had a lot of hp

And LGS?
Rip shroud

Do you actually play test this stuff?
Or is it all theory craft?

Seems like two expansions within two years was not a good idea

But I guess the bottom line is
Are you making money
Roll on!

/signed
bring some stuff down a notch

[Kilgrave]

All of the shields do 1/8th or less damage than the ravenloft shields. As a result, vanguard players can't use any of the shields in this expansion. Please update the shields to ravenloft damage numbers. Ravenloft shields aren't insane, they don't make vanguard OP. Please consider.

+2