U45 Preview 2: Named Loot

[dennisck2]

I asked earlier in the thread, but never got an answer. Is it really necessary to remove the +3 UMD from the heroic Cartouche? UMD is fantastic at lower levels, and it's doesn't seem OP to me, so why the change?

[AlmGhandi]

I asked earlier in the thread, but never got an answer.

That is probably (judging the frequency of Dev responses) an answer in and of itself.
UMD items have been associated with lag for as long as I can remember.

That UMD bonus at low level is actually negligible.
No really... try it.

[Lynnabel]

I asked earlier in the thread, but never got an answer. Is it really necessary to remove the +3 UMD from the heroic Cartouche? UMD is fantastic at lower levels, and it's doesn't seem OP to me, so why the change?

Short answer:

Out scaling effects place UMD at a much lower scalar than other skills, and the appropriate ilevel for this item calculates to +1 UMD in this system - which would be an effective nerf. Rather than drop 2 UMD off of the item, I'm swapping it to +1 Insight UMD. The other option is to leave it at +1 UMD, which I imagine will be unpopular.

[dennisck2]

Thanks for the replies!

[Nickodeamous]

I don't know if this ship has sailed, but I read a few interesting versions of the epic VoM.

I think an epic Master's Gift is actually where its at. If you have crafted one or several Master's Gifts, and have them slotted in an augment slot, you know that the other effects in the suggestions can be found/crafted elsewhere and all you really want is that 5% XP bonus.

I think you should be able to do some sort of epic crafting on the a combination of items, like VoM and Mantle, and get the following:

Epic Master's Gift
Clear Augment
7.5% XP bonus
+5 Good Luck (saves you a slot and is highest GL available)

Thoughts?
Nico

[Rauven]

Also, as far as swapping ghostbane to be undead bane instead of incorporeal, please don't do it until a working incorporeal bane modifier is added to the random loot tables. It makes sense thematically, but ghostbane's too important right now, especially at low level, when running reaper.

How many incorporeal mobs are not undead? From checking the wiki, other than Reapers and Dream Scourges, all incorp mobs are undead. Reapers and Dream Scourges are both evil outsiders, so wouldn't an evil outsider bane weapon be just as effective? Incorporeal bane doesn't currently include ghost touch, so a Cannith crafted Reaper beater is using the prefix slot for ghost touch anyhow so a ghost touch of evil outsider bane would work as well as one with incorp bane. Specifically, Reapers are lawful evil outsiders, so the best Reaper beater would be a Cannith crafted weapon with either chaotic or good damage prefix, evil outsider suffix, and a Ruby of Ghostbane slotted. If you have ghosttouch via some other means then the ruby isn't needed.

[Rauven]

Short answer:

Out scaling effects place UMD at a much lower scalar than other skills, and the appropriate ilevel for this item calculates to +1 UMD in this system - which would be an effective nerf. Rather than drop 2 UMD off of the item, I'm swapping it to +1 Insight UMD. The other option is to leave it at +1 UMD, which I imagine will be unpopular.

Considering persuasion is relatively easy to craft with Cannith crafting, and it adds the same +3 to UMD (as well as all other Cha skills) as the current Golden Cartouche, I like the +1 Ins UMD.