U51 Preview 2: Magus of the Eclipse

[Steelstar]

Disclaimer

Everything seen on the preview server, Lamannia, is not final and is subject to change or removal before live release.

Overview:
Magus of the Eclipse is a new Epic Destiny that replaces Magister in this new Epic Destiny system. The old Magister had a lot of different things in it, some better than others. One of the biggest components of old-Magister was Spell DCs - However, in the new system one of our major goals was to give far broader options for DC casting, so we distributed that role among a large number of trees. We also wanted to find a tree for two particular casting types not covered well in the existing Destinies: Cold and Negative damage. Ultimately, this led to us sunsetting Magister and creating Magus of the Eclipse, a tree with a focus on Cold Damage, Negative Damage, and some DC and Spell Penetration aspects. We do know that there were features of Magister that were well liked; some (like Grand Summoner and the unique Summons) remain in Magus! Others (like Arcane Tempest) may appear in other places in the future, such as spells or potential future Destinies.

Finally, there is a new Epic Past Life thematically connected to this tree! See the main Preview thread for details, and please leave any feedback about it there. (Like all Epic Past Lives starting in U51, you are not required to play any specific Destiny to be able to take that Epic Past Life.)

Core Abilities:

• Core 1 (level 20!): Touched by the Moon: You gain the Magical Training feat. Each core of this tree grants +50 Spell Points, +5 Cold and Negative spell power, +5 universal spell power. Each core also grants a +1 Epic bonus to all Spell DCs.
• Core 3 (level 23): Deepening Arcana: Spell Point Pool increased by 10%, Echoes of Power now restores up to 30 SP. Does not stack with Deepening Faith (from Exalted Angel).
• Core 6 (level 26): Nullmagic Aura: Your comprehension of the arcane allows you to unravel spells at the base level, before they do any harm. When activated, for 20 seconds, you and allies near you are immune to harmful spells. Cooldown: 2 minutes

Tier 1 (req level 20):

• Imperceptible Casting: -10/20/30% spell threat. Rank 3: if you have the Discipline feat, double these bonuses.
• Moonbeams: Multiselector:
  
  • Moon Lance: Epic Strike: Single-target SLA, 1d6+6 Cold Damage per caster level and applies 3 stacks of Shattermantle. Cooldown 6 seconds, cost 5 SP
  • Gloomspear: Epic Strike: Single-target SLA, 1d6+6 Negative Damage per caster level and applies 3 stacks of Shattermantle. Cooldown 6 seconds, cost 5 SP
  
  
• Great Summoner: Your summons, pets, and hirelings gain +4 to all ability scores, increased health, 100% Fortification, and a 40% increase to movement speed. Stack with augment summoning and similar effects.
• Frostlight: Magus of the Eclipse Destiny Mantle: You take half damage from Cold and, if you are not Undead, take half from Negative. If you are Undead, you take half damage from Light instead. This does not stack with Fire Shield: Cold or Cold Energy Sheathe.
• Impregnable Mind: +2/4/6 Will saves and concentration. Rank 3: you no longer fail Will saves on a 1

Tier 2 (req level 20):

• Moontouched: +1/2/3 to the DCs of Fear-based spells.
• Call Upon: Multiselector: Active Ability: (Cooldown 60 seconds) Summon an epic (CR20) creature to aid you.
  
  • Animated Armor
  • Golem
  • Succubus
  • Living Meteor Swarm
  • Dream Reaver
  • Lich
  • Gargoyle
  
  
• Moonlight: Multiselector:
  
  • Cold Light of the Moon: Creates a lingering AOE of moonlight. Deals 3d6 Cold Damage plus 2 per Caster Level to enemies inside the zone every 2 seconds. The zone lasts for 10 seconds. 25 second cooldown.
  • Dark Light of the Moon: Creates a lingering AOE of moonlight. Deals 3d6 Negative Damage plus 2 per Caster Level. to non-undead enemies inside the zone every 2 seconds The zone lasts for 10 seconds. 25 second cooldown.
  
  
• Chill Aura: While in your Frostlight Mantle, enemies within melee range take 2d4 Cold damage per caster level and 2d4 Negative damage per caster level every 6 seconds. If an enemy would heal from either of these effects, they do not take the damage.
• Lunar Insight: Multiselector:
  
  • When using Arcane Insight Gain 200% of your Intelligence in Temp Spell points that last 60 seconds and the cool downs of all Words of Power Reset.
  • When using Arcane Insight Gain 200% of your Wisdom in Temp Spell points that last 60 seconds and the cool downs of all Words of Power Reset.
  • When using Arcane Insight Gain 200% of your Charisma in Temp Spell points that last 60 seconds and the cool downs of all Words of Power Reset.

Tier 3 (req level 23):

• Partial Eclipse: Multiselector:
  
  • +1/2/3 Evocation DC
  • +1/2/3 Necromancy DC
  • +1/2/3 Illusion DC
  
  
• Lunar Imbuement: When you hit an enemy with Moon Lance, you gain +10 Cold Spell Power for 12 seconds. When you hit an enemy with Gloomspear, you gain +10 Negative Spell Power for 12 seconds. When you hit an enemy with either, they take 5 stacks of Vulnerable.
• Starlight: Your Cold or Dark Light zone now has the following attributes:
  
  • Rank 1: Slows the movement of non-boss enemies that enter it by 20%
  • Rank 2: Adds 5% incorporeality to all allies inside the zone
  • Rank 3: On expiration, the zone explodes, dealing 3d20 + 6 per Caster Level of the relevant kind of damage to enemies within
  
  
• Share the Light: While your Frostlight Mantle is active, your summons now also benefit from it. For the purpose of this skill, these summons have your Cold and Negative Spell Power.
• Piercing Spellcraft: +1/2/3 spell penetration.

Tier 4 (req level 26):

• Nullmagic Protection: When you are hit or missed by an enemy, there is a 6% chance that a burst of antimagic energy expands from your body. Nearby enemies are subject to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will be rendered unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.
• Greater Beams: When you use Moon Lance, the target must make a save (DC 20 + highest of INT, WIS, CHA modifier + the highest of your Evocation and Conjuration bonuses) or be Frozen for 12 seconds. When you use Gloomspear, the target must make a save (DC 20 + highest of INT, WIS, CHA modifier + Necromancy bonuses) or be Paralyzed for 12 seconds.
• Revel in the Night: You are immune to Fear and Blindness.
• Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.
• Reduced Metas: Multiselector:
  
  • Enhanced Metamagics: Maximize: Using the Maximize Spell Metamagic costs you 3/6/9 fewer Spell Points.
  • Enhanced Metamagics: Empower: Using the Empower Spell Metamagic costs you 2/4/6 fewer Spell Points.

Tier 5 (req level 30):

• Total Eclipse: +1/2/3 spell DCs.
• Cosmos: Multiselector:
  
  • Zero Degree Comet: Evocation SLA. Hit target enemy with a falling chunk of ice for 1d6+28 cold damage per caster level. A successful Reflex save reduces the damage by half. Cooldown 18 seconds, cost 40 SP
  • Moon's Shadow: Evocation SLA. Hit target enemy with a miniature black hole for 1d6+28 negative damage per caster level. A successful Reflex save reduces the damage by half. Cooldown 18 seconds, cost 40 SP
  
  
• Time Stop: Epic Moment: Enemies in a small area are Paralyzed and Helpless with no save for 6 seconds. They cannot die in this state, but if they are below 0 HP when they leave this state, they die instantly. Bosses and Raid Bosses are not Paralyzed, but are considered Helpless for the purpose of damage. 5 minute cooldown.
• Lunar Power: +10 Negative and Cold spell power, +20 Universal spellpower, If you are in your Frostlight Mantle, you also gain +20 MRR Cap.
• Epic Metamagics: Intensify: Using the Intensify metamagic no longer costs spell points.

[NemesisAlien]

Golem - Did you fix the bug that makes them become enemy?

Animated Armor
Dream Reaver - Did you update their builts so they become at least useful?
Gargoyle

Succubus - These need updating, for a level 20 they keep using low level spells only.
Lich - Will these still get killed when healed by positive healing?

Living Meteor Swarm - Their script jams after firing a few shots, then they hang around doing nothing.

For caster summons (The last 3) they need faster SP renewal, at epic level you dont expect us to stand around for 10mins waiting for the summon SP to fill up.

[Syldra]

cores and lunar imbuement really ought to boost force spellpower too, so it'd boost horrid wilting too (which prolly needs to be buffed anyway) and fit better with abyss/carceri warlocks.

I'm surprised there's nothing to make heighten or embolden more affordable to use, especially in a tree with heavy necro themes. heighten in the reduced metas multiselector and free embolden at t5 would be a good way to make this appeal more to players who're going to miss the high magister dcs. even if it's just a multiselector between intensify and embolden.

[Wanker]

Love this approach. Overall I feel like cold has strong representation between Draconic and Shiradi and now this. Force seems to be under-represented. For force-based casters it looks like you can piece together bonuses, but nothing like specific bonuses that other spell types have. I'm currently running a force-based caster with the Archmage SLAs and illusionist SLAs and Arcane Tempest in addition to Ruin and Greater Ruin. The new trees would seem to steer away from this type of approach to something more element or negative-based.

[Vish]

nice
black holes
maybe have to do a PM build
got the eclipse staff
have some nullification items
alien
alien to me so alien build

[PublicEnemy]

Looks promising so far, the epic moment will have great uses, seeing the effects.

-Any intention on adding spell resistance points to help put that stat into something of higher use? You're supposed to allow or block magic spells (more or less) at will, kinda.

-Maybe put some MRR points along with the higher MRR cap? Feels a bit of a less if you ain't using Light or Cloth armors.

-Okay, hear me out on this one :
I don't know if it would be a nightmare to code (or if even anything exists specifically in the code about this) but maybe having different small buffs depending on what time of the day the quest you're in is set at.
Maybe even have them lower or higher depending on if you can actually draw your power from the moon (lower in caverns and bright daylight, higher in places like Ravenloft and night quests), sounds pretty fun but probably too much of a hassle to implement, will just let this here, just in case.

And as always, thanks for listening!

[Michele]

do you know that summons are useless and arcane tempest was useful?
still you decided to keep the useless summons and remove the useful arcane tempest.

[Seph1roth5]

Core 3 - for a very magic-heavy ED I think echoes should be a bit higher than 30. Maybe 50?

Core 6 - Sounds cool, but I have to wonder if all the stuff monsters throw at us count as "Spells"

Imperceptible Casting - Well, discipline still blows but this effect is nice. I'd still like the feat raised from utter garbage at least.

Great Summoner - even for 2 DP summons/pet/hirelings are so weak. That's a well-known problem that needs a big overhaul though. So not sure what I'd like to see here lol. Even if you tripled all the stuff in here they'd still die like a tissue in a hurricane.

Frostlight mantle - don't have room on my laptop to check lam. I'm hoping you took into account warlock "undead"ness.

Call Upon - as mentioned above, summons blow. No way to get the new 15 sec much stronger versions like in primal avatar? No clue how CR and stuff works, but if possible it'd be awesome if the summons' CR scaled with your level (and applied appropriate stats and such). CR 20 stuff is what you fight at like...lv 13 elite quests.

Moonlight - would love to see a little extra effect rather than just an aoe damage (plus it reads as 3d6, and then +2/level).

Lunar Insight - Good synergy, but power words are a bit esoteric too. Wouldn't be overpowered to just clear all spell cooldowns. If it's normal spells the longest is what, earthquake?

Lunar Imbuement - 10 spell power super weak, either bump it up, make it a stacking buff, or just add in a chunk more power for that specific SLA.

Starlight - Hey here's the effects I was looking for. I think they should have effects by default though, and then this can boost those effects or add something else.

Nullmagic Protection/Strike - Does this do an actual dispel check or is it just a chance to auto-dispel something? If it's an actual dispel check, monster HD is so much higher than we can hope to dispel.

Greater Beams - I like

Revel In the Night - Nice name, but both immunities are super weak. Any way to check/trigger something if you WOULD be hit by fear or blindness? Then, if you're immune from (any of 50 options) it would do something?

Zero Degree Comet - Please add trip, it's what comets do!
Moon's Shadow - needs a special effect too, especially single target. HOw about....blind that ignores blind immunity? Wait why are these single target....I guess they're pretty strong, still, especially at tier 5 I want something cool not just single target damage.

Time Stop - cool idea, but doesn't really seem Magus-y. 5 min cooldowns blow still though. Not sure if you guys are balancing these all around raid bosses or what. That's the only time where these ridiculous duration vs cooldowns would make sense.

Epic Intensify - Much better than nickel and diming meta costs, and fits the ED.

[red_kain]

The only suggestion I might add, would be to give spellsword cold damage the ability to bypass cold immunity in this somewhere. Wizardly Eldritch knights lack it, and it is very inconvenient for sorc EKs to get. Combined with the bonus dice available in draconic, this should make EKs elemental damage more viable, and reliable, in epics and legendary content.

Lunar imbuement would be my choice, as it already does vulnerability.

[EinarMal]

Disclaimer

Everything seen on the preview server, Lamannia, is not final and is subject to change or removal before live release.

Overview:
Magus of the Eclipse is a new Epic Destiny that replaces Magister in this new Epic Destiny system. The old Magister had a lot of different things in it, some better than others. One of the biggest components of old-Magister was Spell DCs - However, in the new system one of our major goals was to give far broader options for DC casting, so we distributed that role among a large number of trees. We also wanted to find a tree for two particular casting types not covered well in the existing Destinies: Cold and Negative damage. Ultimately, this led to us sunsetting Magister and creating Magus of the Eclipse, a tree with a focus on Cold Damage, Negative Damage, and some DC and Spell Penetration aspects. We do know that there were features of Magister that were well liked; some (like Grand Summoner and the unique Summons) remain in Magus! Others (like Arcane Tempest) may appear in other places in the future, such as spells or potential future Destinies.

Finally, there is a new Epic Past Life thematically connected to this tree! See the main Preview thread for details, and please leave any feedback about it there. (Like all Epic Past Lives starting in U51, you are not required to play any specific Destiny to be able to take that Epic Past Life.)

Without some way of bypassing deathward negative damage just doesn't work all that well. Any chance that the number of mobs with deathward will be reduced or some way of bypassing that available? Pretty much anyone casts deathward or are immune to negative and this tree does nothing.

How about nullmagic strike stripping deathward from all non-boss? Or removing negative immunity for short period of time added to the PM tree along with undead?

• Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.

Even if the 15% *may* strip protections like deathward this would be mostly useless and not dependable against deathward.

[Ebonta]

Without some way of bypassing deathward negative damage just doesn't work all that well. Any chance that the number of mobs with deathward will be reduced or some way of bypassing that available? Pretty much anyone casts deathward or are immune to negative and this tree does nothing.

How about nullmagic strike stripping deathward from all non-boss? Or removing negative immunity for short period of time added to the PM tree along with undead?

• Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.

Even if the 15% *may* strip protections like deathward this would be mostly useless and not dependable against deathward.

Agreed! PMs being unable to bypass negative energy immunity in a manner similar to other enhancement trees has been a problem for a while, and updating an ability either in the PM tree or Magus would be a welcome change.

[Rosze]

I might have missed it but feel there should be a way to strip immunity for the damage type. This would open negative every damage to abyss warlocks too. I’d say addI got both as option is probably most flexible for most builds even though I think all warlock should be able to strip immunity at a certain lvl as well as be healed my their negative energy aura, but that’s probably dreaming too big.
A way to strip immunity from the epic tree should help any builds that don’t get it anywhere else.

[Callpso]

The Core 3 is not giving +1 to spell DC. After taking all 3 cores, plus all 3 tier 5 Total Eclipse, and hitting accept, my dance ball DC only goes up 5. When I then go in and take all 3 Shadowdancer cores then the +3 enchantment multi-selector, THAT step raises my DC by 4, so for some reason, it's not registering the core bonus in Magus, but it does in the other one.

[Varr]

do you know that summons are useless and arcane tempest was useful?
still you decided to keep the useless summons and remove the useful arcane tempest.

Seconded and thriced........

[Varr]

Without some way of bypassing deathward negative damage just doesn't work all that well. Any chance that the number of mobs with deathward will be reduced or some way of bypassing that available? Pretty much anyone casts deathward or are immune to negative and this tree does nothing.

How about nullmagic strike stripping deathward from all non-boss? Or removing negative immunity for short period of time added to the PM tree along with undead?

• Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.

Even if the 15% *may* strip protections like deathward this would be mostly useless and not dependable against deathward.

And again seconded and thriced........I get two votes. Reputation shared with both posts

[SpardaX]

I like the majority of what Im seeing.

But based on Lam testing, at least for my character using Negative Gloomspear, the add on effects Lunar Imbuement and Greater Beams both seemed non functional at the moment.

And Chill Aura appears to have a bug with Undead form. I tested it in the dojo, Sharn Cogs, and Kings Forest, and while NOT in undead form, it appeared to work completely as advertised. But enabling Undead form removed the negative damage portion. I can only assume that the code that turns it off so it doesnt heal the undead player also currently accidentally turns it off completely?

[Amastris]

I like this tree and want to use it until the [NAME REDACTED] warlock tree comes out. however i have some reservations about it which i will bring to light.


so Phantasmal Killer is the new meta with a total of +15 added to its DC from this tree? 6 from the core, 3 from fear based DC boost, 3 from illusion boost and 3 from T5. im pretty sure that outdoes DC for Finger of death and circle of death. Makes GOO pact warlock somewhat appealing even if it does look like they are flicking snot on mobs.

Imperceptible Casting: -10/20/30% spell threat. Rank 3: if you have the Discipline feat, double these bonuses. Bolded aspect seems soo way out of place for this. it seems like it would fit better with impregnable mind (which so needs a rename because it screams "My mind is now protected by a Brain Chastity belt and you cant get mind F%^* me!" How about "Citadel of the Mind" as something off the top of my head?)

T3 partial eclipse multiselector. Evocation, Illusion and Necromancy. nice choices. I have to question the T4 reduced metas empower and maximize. Yes its great to have for evo spells but 90% of illusion and necro spells dont use any of these metas. i think like burning blood, horrid wilting and NEB might be exceptions w/o looking at the wiki. Illusion and Necro spells would benefit more from Enlarge, heighten, extend, and quicken. can you please consider adding these, like what was done for the DI tree as this would better benefit players. you would now have to go T4 in DI tree to get this. How i see it is the multi selectors could be set up exactly like DI tree but not stack from multiple trees. if you want to blast you have the choice to evo blast junk and if you want to DC cast you have that choice too. T5 intensify could be changed to Embolden.

Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.

Is this inclusive of Eldritch blasts and Aura blasts as they are technically considered offensive spells?

T4 Nullmagic strike and Nullmagic Protector seems like it should be a Multiselctor. looks very overpowered to have a 21% chance to dispel a single target. both should be set to 15% and you choose protector or strike. This also allows for a new meta magic reduction costs for quicken / enlarge to be added in the tree.

[Paladin_of_Power]

Without some way of bypassing deathward negative damage just doesn't work all that well. Any chance that the number of mobs with deathward will be reduced or some way of bypassing that available? Pretty much anyone casts deathward or are immune to negative and this tree does nothing.

How about nullmagic strike stripping deathward from all non-boss? Or removing negative immunity for short period of time added to the PM tree along with undead?

• Nullmagic Strike: While in your Frostlight Mantle, attacks you make and offensive spells you cast have a 15% chance to subject the target to a Dispel Magic effect, which may strip them of their magical protections, and will render them unable to cast spells and lose 4 Spell Resistance for 30 seconds.

Even if the 15% *may* strip protections like deathward this would be mostly useless and not dependable against deathward.

Increase the % and make it a limited dispel that only dispels Deathblock and Death Ward and you’re onto something useful and focused on this tree.

[mauriciodg]

Time Stop is a joke.

F ability DC.

F unearthly reactions.

If you want to make phantasmal killer the main reliable instakill at least give us weird at lvl 9 circle.

[FuzzyDuck81]

Time stop seems potentially very powerful as a boss killer - and I can see calling it out so everyone hits all their moments at once to burn a boss down fast being a thing, but that short duration combined with small AoE means it'll not have much practical use for when things get hairy in a large battle... maybe make it a large AoE instead (think the kind of radius of the cloudburst proc, possibly bigger) so outside of that boss boost it can be an effective "lock down the room" kind of power to also give a bit of emergency breathing space.

Adding knockdown to the comets would be nice, even if it means balancing it out by bumping the damage down a little, eg. 1d6+24 per level.