My alchemist seems to have taken a major hit again with U51

[LuckyCuss]

I have been soloing quests on R4 for some time now. One of the quests I solo on R4 is The Sacred Bounty. My Alchemist is a heroic competionist and a racial completionist (almost all played as an Alchemist).

Update U51 changed the DC on my multivial spell from 103 to 101 after spending my ED points.

To test the U51 changes I tried to solo "The Sacred Bounty" on R4 as I am accustom to doing. The first group you encounter are ravens and they go down about the same as before U51.

The second group of mobs are six cliff cats. I have been unable to defeat this group after three attempts. They save and take no damage now most of the time. After U50 this group gave me trouble and I had to twist in Conjuration Augmentation that gives a 15% chance to debuff targets with a -10 reflex save for 30 seconds. This solve my problem back then but now it is not available.

On my second attempt today I did the following damage to the six cats before getting killed: one cat had taken no damage, one took 32 points of damage, on took 48 points, one took 89 points, one took 272 points, and the last one took 4083 points of damage.

I retooled and made a third run, this time I did a better job of kiting the group and managed to kill two of the cats and had the other 4 under half life before I died. Unfortunately this effort cost me 2608 spell points and took some time to accomplish. Obviously I am no longer able to play my alchemist in the manner to which I have become accustom.

I am deeply saddened by the performance of the character I have played for so long.

[Rockcrusher99]

I have been soloing quests on R4 for some time now. One of the quests I solo on R4 is The Sacred Bounty. My Alchemist is a heroic competionist and a racial completionist (almost all played as an Alchemist).

Update U51 changed the DC on my multivial spell from 103 to 101 after spending my ED points.

To test the U51 changes I tried to solo "The Sacred Bounty" on R4 as I am accustom to doing. The first group you encounter are ravens and they go down about the same as before U51.

The second group of mobs are six cliff cats. I have been unable to defeat this group after three attempts. They save and take no damage now most of the time. After U50 this group gave me trouble and I had to twist in Conjuration Augmentation that gives a 15% chance to debuff targets with a -10 reflex save for 30 seconds. This solve my problem back then but now it is not available.

On my second attempt today I did the following damage to the six cats before getting killed: one cat had taken no damage, one took 32 points of damage, on took 48 points, one took 89 points, one took 272 points, and the last one took 4083 points of damage.

I retooled and made a third run, this time I did a better job of kiting the group and managed to kill two of the cats and had the other 4 under half life before I died. Unfortunately this effort cost me 2608 spell points and took some time to accomplish. Obviously I am no longer able to play my alchemist in the manner to which I have become accustom.

I am deeply saddened by the performance of the character I have played for so long.

I can't see -2 DC breaking this toon. I suspect monster updates, or lack of, is at fault.

[Tyrande]

I have been soloing quests on R4 for some time now. One of the quests I solo on R4 is The Sacred Bounty. My Alchemist is a [...]

I am deeply saddened by the performance of the character I have played for so long.

It appears completionists doesn't matter. You'd better party up or use "other" spells that do not hit reflex saves.

They are cats. They are meant to evade your bombs.

[jskinner937]

I can't see -2 DC breaking this toon. I suspect monster updates, or lack of, is at fault.

the difference of 2 DC is pretty big IMO in that range. Thats the equivalent of 4 intelligence. Considering 29-30 mobs are unchanged, I would say that is definitely a nerf. and those are damaging spells so half or no damage is kind of hurtful.

[LuckyCuss]

I can't see -2 DC breaking this toon. I suspect monster updates, or lack of, is at fault.

Well, with the lost of Conjuration Augmentation that gives a 15% chance to debuff targets with a -10 reflex save for 30 seconds, it is actually a -12 DC change.

[LuckyCuss]

It appears completionists doesn't matter. You'd better party up or use "other" spells that do not hit reflex saves.

They are cats. They are meant to evade your bombs.

The point is yesterday I had managed to beat the evasion problem, today they now beat me.

I am deeply disappointed after the hype about things getting better DC wise with U51.

[Rockcrusher99]

the difference of 2 DC is pretty big IMO in that range. Thats the equivalent of 4 intelligence. Considering 29-30 mobs are unchanged, I would say that is definitely a nerf. and those are damaging spells so half or no damage is kind of hurtful.

It depends on the monster's save. At 103 vs 91 reflex, roughly 55% will succeed. Reducing by 2, 45% will still succeed.
If those cats saves are 100 (and I suspect they are that or above), then that gets reduced to 15% and 5% respectively.
For any monsters where your spell success was suspect previously, I guess you'd better find a new tactic.

Also, I thought all mobs were being readjusted? Is that not the case?

[Rockcrusher99]

Well, with the lost of Conjuration Augmentation that gives a 15% chance to debuff targets with a -10 reflex save for 30 seconds, it is actually a -12 DC change.

True, my condolences. Have you looked for anything that can make up some of that elsewhere?

[Tyrande]

[...]

I am deeply disappointed after the hype about things getting better DC wise with U51.

DCs getting better w/ U51? You must be kidding.

Monsters only got Epic Resilience removed; and that's only -6 DC at full health; compared to us in Magister (assuming the alchemist has Spell Focus: Conjuration): You lost -14DC and got only +1 DC back at level 20, and at level 30, you only got +9 back for the primary casting school, in this case Conjuration. The other schools depending on the trees that your alchemist took, may be +6 back or +9 back. So in essence, the alchemist lost 5 additional DC not accounted for; and this is on top of U50 gear squish nerf which was another ~10dc depending on what the caster had previously.

You know why Magister is gone? Because it gave us too many DCs. That's why we cannot have fun things.

[Tarinia]

DCs getting better w/ U51? You must be kidding.

Monsters only got Epic Resilience removed; and that's only -6 DC at full health; compared to us in Magister (assuming the alchemist has Spell Focus: Conjuration): You lost -14DC and got only +1 DC back at level 20, and at level 30, you only got +9 back for the primary casting school, in this case Conjuration. The other schools depending on the trees that your alchemist took, may be +6 back or +9 back. So in essence, the alchemist lost 5 additional DC not accounted for; and this is on top of U50 gear squish nerf which was another ~10dc depending on what the caster had previously.

You know why Magister is gone? Because it gave us too many DCs. That's why we cannot have fun things.

I think the devs have not finished rebalancing DC caster classes one vs. another- you can get 2 DC more as alchemist only in using poison and earth spells- not clear why not all elements.

Thanks
TArinia