The base damage multiplier for hitting helpless creatures is lowered from 1.5 to 1.25

[janave]

The base damage multiplier for hitting helpless creatures is lowered from a 1.5 multiplier to a 1.25 multiplier. Helplessness will provide less damage increase.

Is this change global or reaper only ? I would assume this is meant for reaper.

[Clemeit]

That's global

[janave]

O__o

Yikes, I wonder why the pitchfork crowds went silently past this. This is a colossal nerf possibly induced by reaper.

[psykopeta]

O__o

Yikes, I wonder why the pitchfork crowds went silently past this. This is a colossal nerf possibly induced by reaper.

It's not a colossal nerf, and blame tilo and his obsession with the soundburst builds, guess some dev tried one and started slapping his face trying to figure a workaround (so they added some new immunities to reapers too meanwhile)

[Clemeit]

iirc people were actually quite vocal about this nerf. Universal helpless multiplier nerf + LD helpless nerf means a considerable amount less damage. That coupled with the reduced CC times in reaper means that poor CC classes aren't quite as valuable either. People will adjust.

[Tilomere]

It's not a colossal nerf, and blame tilo and his obsession with the soundburst builds, guess some dev tried one and started slapping his face trying to figure a workaround (so they added some new immunities to reapers too meanwhile)

Back in the day in 2010, ~50 DC at level 20 was maxiumum:

Hey all. I had done a max CHA calc a week back and got a request for INT as well so here goes. I hope to keep it updated as new items/feats/etc. become available. Enjoy.

INT
--------------------
20 base for Drow (19 human, 18 WF)
5 lvls
3 Wiz INT enh
4 Tome
7 item (Epic Staff of Inner Sight - two hander )
1 exceptional INT+1 (these must be on ToD rings as your hands will have the staff)
2 exceptional INT+2 (see above)
1 Littany of the Dead
2 Wiz Capstone
---------------------
45
2 Lesser INT Shrine (mgl 57 [46 gold seal], 60 minutes)
2 yugo pot (15 minutes)
2 store pot (10 minutes)
---------------------
51 sustainable
3 house D pot (1 minute)
---------------------
54
2 Completionist (Way to go Lithic!)
---------------------
56 max theoretical INT for Wiz w/ Capstone => 23 INT mod
58 above w/ Pale Master in Lich form (+2 INT) => 24 INT mod


Spell DCs
--------------------
10 base
9 max spell lvl
24 max INT mod
1 Spell Focus feat (pick a school)
1 Greater Spell Focus feat (same school)
2 Epic Staff of Inner Sight (+2 Spell Focus Mastery w/ Update 5!)
---------------------
47
1 purchased wizard past life feat (all schools)
---------------------
48
1 lvl6+ Spellsinger Bard DC song
---------------------
49 Base Spell DC
50 Illusion spells w/ Phiarlan Inspiration buff (+1, mgl 26 [20 gold seal], 60 minutes)
50 Necromancy spells while in Lich form (extra +1 to Necro)
51 Enchantment spells w/ purchased Bard past life feat (+1) && Lore of the Twelve buff (+1, mgl 24 [20 gold seal], 60 minutes)
53 Evocation spells w/ x3 free Sorc past life feats (+1 each) && Phiarlan Inspiration buff (+1, mgl 26 [20 gold seal], 60 minutes)
53 Conjuration spells w/ x3 Cleric past life feats (+1 each) && Lore of the Twelve buff (+1, mgl 24 [20 gold seal], 60 minutes)

On live today, my pure 20 wizard has over years accumulated double the 2010 illusion DC:



10 years, 80-100% increase in DC at level 20. For those of you wondering why broad nerfs to casting just occurred, it is because DC casting became trivial over time. The risk went down, so the reward did as well in balance.

They could have put diminishing returns on DCs, like the AC formula, but chose other methods instead (reaper mode, helpless damage reductions, champions) instead.

I put soundburst in everything AND the nerfs were both due to DC casting becoming trivial.

I am merely the Harbinger of Doom, not Doom itself! When you see me abusing something, chances are it needed to be nerfed years ago.