FvS and Master of Light Epic Feat

[Gnominal_Aphasia]

I apologize right off; I feel dumber than a bag of rocks and need help badly!

So I am looking for confirmation about effective "caster levels" by taking the Epic Feat Master of Light as a pure AoV caster.

Master of Light: gain 10 Maximum Caster Levels [MCL] for Searing Light / Sun Bolt / Divine Punishment

Searing Light: standard MCL = 10
Sun Bolt: standard MCL = 15
Divine Punishment: standard MCL = 20

AoV provides +1 Caster Level [CL] and +2 Maximum Caster Levels for each of these 3 spells per Core; +6 CL and +12 MCL at level 20
AoV also can provide another +3 CL and +3 MCL at tiers 4 and 5 [for all Fire, Force, Light and Physical Damage spells]
10 Epic Levels provide a further +5 CL and +5 MCL

*** My assumption is that Epic Levels do not count towards an FvS's Caster Levels ***

At Level 30, AoV Cap and optional +3 CL and +3 MCL from AoV
- Searing Light: MCL = 10+12+3+5 = 30; CL = 20+6+3+5 = 34 [CL - MCL = 4 "potential DPS increase"]
- Sun Bolt: MCL = 15+12+3+5 = 35; CL = 34 [CL - MCL = -1 "no potential DPS increase"]
- Divine Punishment: MCL = 20 + 20 = 40; CL = 34 [CL - MCL = -6 "no potential DPS increase"]

With a Divine Augmentation IX item [+2 CL] then Searing Light would benefit from +6 effective CL by taking the Master of Light feat, Sun Bolt would benefit from +1 CL, but [and here comes the part where I am scratching my head] Divine Punishment's damage would remain unaltered. Without such an item [Divine Augmentation IX] then only Searing Light would gain +4 CL by taking the [Master of Light] feat.

Conclusion: taking Master of Light with an FvS/AoH build does NOT increase the damage of all three associated spells...

(1) Without a Divine Augmentation IX item:
Searing Light effectively gains +4 MCL for a +13.33% damage increase;
Sun Bolt damage remains unchanged, and
Divine Punishment damage also remains unchanged.

(2) WITH a Divine Augmentation IX item:
Searing Light effectively gains +6 MCL for a +20% damage increase;
Sun Bolt effectively gains +1 MCL for a +2.857% damage increase, and
Divine Punishment damage remains unchanged.

So by taking the Master of Light Feat, the only spell that will have it's damage noticebly increased, even with a Divine Augmentation IX item, [+1/35th isn't really worth mentioning] would be Searing Light.

NOTE: I am leaning towards opting for the Master of Alignment Feat, which includes Holy Smite; this spell also has a standard MCL of 10 but is uneffected by the AoV cores, so at level 30, it's upgraded MCL would become 10+10+3+5 = 28 and it's CL would be 20+3+5 = 28 too. BINGO! Holy Smite has a Will save for half damage and the blindness effect, so in my eyes it could be a useful AoE spell at end game [with the additional 10 MCL].

Please advise if I have missed something fundamental. Thanks!

[Matuse]

*** My assumption is that Epic Levels do not count towards an FvS's Caster Levels ***

Every 2 epic levels you get a caster level. So +5 at level 30.

[Alled78]

I apologize right off; I feel dumber than a bag of rocks and need help badly!

So I am looking for confirmation about effective "caster levels" by taking the Epic Feat Master of Light as a pure AoV caster.

Master of Light: gain 10 Maximum Caster Levels [MCL] for Searing Light / Sun Bolt / Divine Punishment

Searing Light: standard MCL = 10
Sun Bolt: standard MCL = 15
Divine Punishment: standard MCL = 20

AoV provides +1 Caster Level [CL] and +2 Maximum Caster Levels for each of these 3 spells per Core; +6 CL and +12 MCL at level 20
AoV also can provide another +3 CL and +3 MCL at tiers 4 and 5 [for all Fire, Force, Light and Physical Damage spells]
10 Epic Levels provide a further +5 CL and +5 MCL

*** My assumption is that Epic Levels do not count towards an FvS's Caster Levels ***

At Level 30, AoV Cap and optional +3 CL and +3 MCL from AoV
- Searing Light: MCL = 10+12+3+5 = 30; CL = 20+6+3+5 = 34 [CL - MCL = 4 "potential DPS increase"]
- Sun Bolt: MCL = 15+12+3+5 = 35; CL = 34 [CL - MCL = -1 "no potential DPS increase"]
- Divine Punishment: MCL = 20 + 20 = 40; CL = 34 [CL - MCL = -6 "no potential DPS increase"]

With a Divine Augmentation IX item [+2 CL] then Searing Light would benefit from +6 effective CL by taking the Master of Light feat, Sun Bolt would benefit from +1 CL, but [and here comes the part where I am scratching my head] Divine Punishment's damage would remain unaltered. Without such an item [Divine Augmentation IX] then only Searing Light would gain +4 CL by taking the [Master of Light] feat.

Conclusion: taking Master of Light with an FvS/AoH build does NOT increase the damage of all three associated spells...

(1) Without a Divine Augmentation IX item:
Searing Light effectively gains +4 MCL for a +13.33% damage increase;
Sun Bolt damage remains unchanged, and
Divine Punishment damage also remains unchanged.

(2) WITH a Divine Augmentation IX item:
Searing Light effectively gains +6 MCL for a +20% damage increase;
Sun Bolt effectively gains +1 MCL for a +2.857% damage increase, and
Divine Punishment damage remains unchanged.

So by taking the Master of Light Feat, the only spell that will have it's damage noticebly increased, even with a Divine Augmentation IX item, [+1/35th isn't really worth mentioning] would be Searing Light.

NOTE: I am leaning towards opting for the Master of Alignment Feat, which includes Holy Smite; this spell also has a standard MCL of 10 but is uneffected by the AoV cores, so at level 30, it's upgraded MCL would become 10+10+3+5 = 28 and it's CL would be 20+3+5 = 28 too. BINGO! Holy Smite has a Will save for half damage and the blindness effect, so in my eyes it could be a useful AoE spell at end game [with the additional 10 MCL].

Please advise if I have missed something fundamental. Thanks!

Master of light is meh. Avoid it.
I

[h46av8r]

Thanks for posting - very helpful. Two (probably stupid) questions... (1) how does this calculus change of I'm heightening these spells? (2) what about the FvS fire spells - is Master of Fire similarly meh?

[Matuse]

Searing Light and Divine Punishment have no save. There's no purpose in heighten.

[Axcarth]

(2) what about the FvS fire spells - is Master of Fire similarly meh?

Master of Fire does not affect Fvs fire spells. The feat explicitly includes which spells are affected, and are not Fvs ones.

[h46av8r]

Searing Light and Divine Punishment have no save. There's no purpose in heighten.

Master of Fire does not affect Fvs fire spells. The feat explicitly includes which spells are affected, and are not Fvs ones.

Thanks - that helps.

[nobodynobody1426]

As others have said MoL on FVS is kinda of a waste with the new destiny system. It had a purpose on the old system because ED levels cast +CL but no +MCL so we were able to squeeze out more damage from searing, now that we get +1CL/MCL every 2 epic/legendary levels FVS's natural +MCL takes care of the rest. Instead Master of Alignment is what you want at 24, that grants a massive boost to Holy Smite / Orders Wrath / Chaos Hammer.

@24 no MoA
Base CL: 20
Base MCL: 10
Class CL: +3
Class MCL: +3
Epic CL/MCL: +2
Total CL: 25
Total MCL: 15

That is a 66% boost at 24.

At 32 it's a 52% boost.
CL: 29
MCL: 19

[h46av8r]

With the impending nerf to FvS (AoV cores will no longer grant +1 CL and +2 ML) would taking Master of Light start to make sense again?

[J1NG]

With the impending nerf to FvS (AoV cores will no longer grant +1 CL and +2 ML) would taking Master of Light start to make sense again?

Yes. The change essentially makes Master of Light take the place of the now removed MCL increases.

Although I've always kept Master of Light anyway (for testing reasons).

J1NG

[nobodynobody1426]

With the impending nerf to FvS (AoV cores will no longer grant +1 CL and +2 ML) would taking Master of Light start to make sense again?

Yes the combination of Alignment spell nerf and core nerf means we just drop Master of Alignment entirely and take Master of Light in it's place. Alignment spells are now only useful in mid heroics and for the CC effect on Chaotic monsters.