U58 Preview 2: Blightcaster

[Torc]

Brief Summary on changes from preview 1 to 2

This push is mostly a bug fix pass with only a few minor changes to the design. Art is still pending (but should be in for preview 3).

Design Changes: - see details below

• Death Eater's stack size has been distributed along the cores (level 6 starts at stack size 3, then it goes to 4 at the level 12 core, 5 at the level 18 core)
• Blighted Breath Updated. (no longer an animal form only spell or a dot, but a CC/damage combo.)
• Blighted Charge Updated Design (and it works in this build)
• Jaws of Doom Updated Design (and it works in this build)
• Howl of Winter in Nature's Warrior Updated

Bugs Fixed

• Bunch of issues with thorn spells that would've made them not hit their targets
• Fixed errors in thorn spell tool tips
• Ravenloft bracers now work with new wild shapes
• Elemental Body works with new forms (for now)
• Splinterbolt will no longer be resisted by DR like a melee hit
• melf's acid sla and enveloping swarm sla no longer share a cooldown
• murder of crows rebranded around ravens
• thorn knights don't breath underwater anymore
• meta magics have their antireqs now
• removed some cure spells that weren't supposed to be in the book.
• Fixed issue with some imbues not working in their correct wildshapes
  

Blightcaster

New Archtype for Druid

New Tree: Blightcaster
Replaces: Nature's Protector.

Themes: Death, Famine, Decay, Plague, Poison, Insects, Moss, Fungus. Bleached Bones. Scavengers.

Summary:

Thesis statement: Death is a necessary part of life.

A dark take on druid that celebrates the cycle of death & decay. This druid's power still comes from the "cycle" of nature, it just focuses at the end of that cycle.

BASE CLASS PROGRESSION:

LEVEL 1: Disease Immunity - (applies to natural diseases like other immunities)

LEVEL 2: Wild Shape - Plague Wolf (note All wildshapes are using PLACE HOLDER ART in this build)

Basic Wolf Form replaced by Plague Wolf: Transform into a magically diseased wolf.

• 10% Combat Style bonus to attack speed, a +3 bonus to attack while flanking
• +10% enhancement bonus to movement speed.
• While in wolf form, you gain access to a number of spells and enhancements that require Wolf form, but the cooldowns on your non-animal form spells are increased to 2.5 times their normal length.

Bonus Feat: Imbue Toggle that only functions when in any animal form, pick 1 of 2.

• Biting Acid: 1d6 acid damage with all melee attacks. Scales with spell power. This can only be used in Wolf or Hive forms.
• Biting Poison: 1d8 poison damage with all melee attacks. Scales with spell power. This can only be used in Wolf or Hive forms.

LEVEL 4:

Minor Elemental Kin Form Pick (1 of 2)

WildShape - Thorn-Kin:

You create a suit of living thorny wood around your body armoring you from harm. Note: Note this will be gearset over-ride instead of an animal form so the player will fight with their regular weapons. Basically you become a knight in plate mail made of wood and thorns.

• +1 bonus to caster level and max caster level of Physical and Poison spells
• 10% exceptional bonus to armor class and 50% fortification.
• You gain access to the thorn imbue.
• 10% vulnerability to fire damage

WildShape - Hive Keeper:

You give part of yourself to the hive, gaining insect like reflexes and senses. Your bodily fluids become poisonous to others, and the swarm is always close.

• +1 bonus to caster level and max caster level of Poison and Acid Spells
• You gain 25% concealment and Evasion.
• Your reflex saves are increased by 1 for every 3 druid levels.
• 10% vulnerability to cold. Your diplomacy checks are reduced by 5 (Jeff Goldblum early in The Fly)

BONUS FEAT - Thorn Imbue: Your weapons sprout sharp thorns adding 1d6 piercing damage to all your weapon attacks. Scales with spell power.

LEVEL 5: Venom Immunity

LEVEL 8: Minor Elemental Kin Form Pick (1 of 2) - lets you pick the other form from level 4

LEVEL 11:

Wild Shape - Blighted Wolf

Plague wolf upgrades into Greater Plague Wolf:

• you gain a 15% Combat Style bonus to attack speed, +5 bonus to attack while flanking
• Grants +1 imbue dice while in this form.
• +1 per druid level (max 30%) bonus to movement speed.
• If unarmed, your natural attacks do 1d10 damage, do both piercing and slashing damage, and critically hit for triple damage on a roll of 19 or 20.
• You are considered a magical beast
• Wolf spell access as above.

BONUS FEAT: Imbue Toggle pick the other one from level 2.

LEVEL 13:

You gain access to full Elemental forms

WildShape - Thorn Knight: - (upgrade to thorn kin)

A more advanced version of Thorn Kin where you actually become a plant under the armor.

• You are considered a plant for purposes of most immunities, poison, sleep, paralysis, stun, mind effects. You can no longer drown in water.
• +3 bonus to caster level and max caster level of Physical and Poison spells
• You gain 10% absorption against piercing damage and 5% absorb against blunt damage.
• You gain +2 imbue dice
• 10% exceptional bonus to armor class and 100% fortification.
• 15% vulnerability to fire damage

WildShape - Hive Master:

You have become one with the swarm. Your body shifts between yourself and a cloud of insects, as you merge in and out of the swarm.

• You are considered vermin for the purposes of immunities and are immune to mind effects and knock down.
• +3 bonus to caster level and max caster level of Poison and Acid Spells
• You are ethereal to monsters while tumbling.
• You gain 50% concealment as displacement and Improved Evasion.
• You gain +2 Imbue Dice and +1 to Reflex saves for every 2 druid levels (Max 10)
• 15% vulnerability to cold and -15 on diplomacy checks (Yeah Jeff is just pretty creepy now).

LEVEL 15:

Timeless Body (as druid)

LEVEL 17:

2nd Wildshape Elemental Form Pick (Thorn Knight, HiveMaster)

....

DRUID FEATURES REMOVED FROM SUBCLASS

• No Wild Empathy (Or empathy in general...)
• No Goodberry
• No Wolf Companion
• No Bear Form
• No Fire or Water Elemental Forms
• No Auto Memorized Spells

SPELL BOOK ADJUSTMENTS:

New Spells:

These appear in BOTH base druid and Blightcaster books.

Thorn Strike- Level 1: Conjuration - Cost: 2 Sp, Cooldown 2.0 seconds. You hurl a magical thorn at your target dealing 5 to 7 points of Piercing damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 50 to 70 damage at caster level 10).

Thorn Bloom- Level 3: Conjuration, Cost: 15 SP, Cooldown 3.5. Point Blank AOE - Thorns blast out from your body inflicting 5 to 10 points of Piercing damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 50 to 100 damage at caster level 10) to all nearby foes. Reflex save for half.

Plant Growth- Level 4: copy of Animal Growth for Plants (Not in this build)

Thorn Wave- Level 6: Conjuration, Cost: 25 SP, Cooldown 4.5. Cone - You hurl a wave of magical thorns in front of you dealing to all targets in front of you for 6 to 11 points of Piercing damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 90 to 165 damage at caster level 15). Reflex save for half.

Grasping Roots- Level 6: Conjuration, Cost: 30 SP, Cooldown 20 seconds. Duration 10 seconds. Powerful thorny vines rip out of the ground seizing all enemies in the area. Enemies save vs Reflex or become entangled, with a re-occuring Strength save to break free. Targets also take 1d6 in piercing damage every 2 seconds. All enemy movement through the area is slowed by 30%, no save. Area of effect fire spells will destroy these vines and free any entangled creatures. Incorporeal creatures and oozes are naturally immune. Fire elementals and other fire creatures are immune because they burn through the plants.

Thorn Lance-Level 8- Conjuration, Cost: 20 SP, Cooldown 5.5. Bolt - You hurl a great thorn lance at your target dealing 9 to 14 points of Piercing damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 180 to 280 damage at caster level 20). The lance will damage all enemies in front or behind the target.

Blight Caster Only Spells:

Blighted Breath - Sends out a breath of poisonous gas in a frontal cone dealing 1d8+2 points of Poison damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 45 to 150 damage at caster level 15) with a Reflex save for half damage. They must also make a Fortitude save or be Blinded for 10 seconds. If you are using the Biting Acid Imbue this damage is converted into 1d6+2 Acid damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 45 to 120 damage at caster level 15).

New Animal Spells: - Blight Caster Only

Blighted Charge- Requires Any Wolf - Cost: 25 sp Cooldown: 15. You leap forward with the speed and ferocity spewing blight around you as you pass. You attack enemies in your path, dealing an extra 5(W), with a +1 bonus to critical threat & multiplier, and targets caught in your wake are Blinded and Helpless for 8 seconds. A successful reflex save negates this effect. For 10 seconds after the charge you gain +3 Imbue Dice. Stun vs Reflex DC: 10 + Druid Level + Highest of Wisdom, Dexterity or Strength + Necromancy Bonuses."

Jaws of Doom- Any Wolf - Cost: 20 Cooldown: 30 seconds. As your jaws close over your enemies, they feel their life end. This attack deals an extra 10(W), +1 bonus to critical threat and multiplier, and your foe must save vs Fortitude or dies as if slayed by a vorpal weapon (Does not affect Oozes, Undead, Constructs or Elementals). Death vs Fortitude DC: 10 + Druid Level + Highest of Wisdom, Dexterity or Strength + Necromancy Bonuses.

Blighted Bite- Valid Forms: School: Evocation Cost: 10 sp. Any Plague Wolf. You gain +2 Imbue dice while in any wolf form for 20 minutes.

Revamped Spells: - applies to all class versions of these spells.

Contagion - focused down to 3 versions instead of 7.

• Blinding Sickness: Target goes blind and they take 1d4 ability damage to strength and dexterity
• Cackling Fever - Target is stunned for 6 seconds and takes 1d4 ability damage to wisdom and intelligence
• Slimy Doom - Target takes 4d6 acid damage +1 per caster level every 3 seconds

Melf's Acid Arrow - Now does 1d6 acid damage per caster level (Max caster level 10 for 10d6). Applies damage and ticks twice again over 4 seconds (Damage occurs 3 times in total)

Black Dragon Bolt - is being updated to do 1d10 acid damage per caster level (Max caster level 25, caps at 25 to 250 damage). Applies damage and ticks twice again over 4 seconds (Damage occurs 3 times in total)

Spells Added to the Druid spell book for Blightcaster

• 1st level - Night Shield, Thorn Strike, Chill Touch, Acid Spray
• 2nd level - Gets Contagion at level 2 instead of 3, Melf's Acid Arrow, Web
• 3rd level - Acid Blast, Thorn Bloom, Stinking Cloud
• 4th level - Fear, Acid Rain, Plant Growth, Wave of Fatigue
• 5th level - Negative Energy Burst, Blighted Breath, Cloud Kill
• 6th level - Negative energy ray, Jaws of Doom, Blighted Bite, Thorn Wave
• 7th Level - Acid Fog, Wave of Exhaustion, Horrid Wilting
• 8th level - Black Dragon Bolt, Thorn Lance
• 9th level - Acid Well, Wail of the Banshee, Rend the Soul, Blighted Charge

Spells Removed from Druid Book for Blightcaster

• No Animal Summons
• No Basic Cure Wound Spells or the Heal Spell (you keep Vigor but get them 1 level later, no mass regeneration)
• No Fire Spells
• No Sun Spells
• No Fire Shield
• No Bear Spells
• No Elemental Fire/Water Elemental Form Spells

Skills: as Druid

Past Life

Blightcaster:

Past Life: x3 (stacks)

+5 Acid and Poison Spell Power

BLIGHT CASTER TREE:

Core 1:

The Cycle of Decay - You gain 5 Force, Poison, Negative, and Acid Spell Power per core in this tree.

Core 3:

Spread the Blight - Your offensive spells now apply a 10 second debuff called Blight: reduces saves by 1 and incoming positive healing by 20%.

Core 6:

Death Eater - You gain 1 temporary hit point equal to your wisdom score whenever you kill an enemy (Creatures 2 levels below you do not count). These hit points remain until damage removes them or the quest ends. This can stack 5 times and is refreshed on each kill.

Core 12:

Know the End - You gain Know the End which acts as a permanent Death Block. Blight effect is improved to reduces saves by 2 and incoming positive healing by 40% for 10 seconds.

Core 18:

Vile Eruption - Earth Quake now deals 2d6 + 1 per caster level in acid damage every 3 seconds in addition to it's regular effects.

Core 20:

Master of Decay:

• +2 Wisdom & Con
• SLA Creeping Doom Cost: 20 spell points Cooldown: 15 seconds
• Blight now reduces saves by 4 and positive healing by 60%

TIER 1:

Prickly: 1/2/3 PRR, rank 3: +1 to damage with weapon attacks.

Kiss of the Blight: You gain 5/10/15% Absorption against Poison and Acid Damage.

Pick Your Poison I Multi Selector

SLA: Thorn Strike 3 ranks, cooldown 7/5/3 Spell Cost 3,2,1
SLA Acid Spray 3 ranks Cooldown 12/8/4 seconds , 4/3/2 SP cost

Sharp Edges 1: Spell Crit +1 to Force/Neg/Poison/Acid Spell Crit Chance. (costs 1 AP, instead of the usual 2)

Lore of the Great Plagues: You gain a +1/2/3 saving throw bonus against poison and disease. Rank 3: Gain 5 Poison and Negative Spell Power.

TIER 2:

Defiled Growth - Your Entangle and Spike growth spells now cause 1d4 negative energy damage per spell level every 2 seconds.

Meta Selector, Empower, Max, Quicken

Pick your Poison II Mutli Selector

SLA Splinter Bolt 3 ranks, Cooldown 8/6/4, Spell Cost, 6,4,2

SLA Melf's Acid Arrow 3 ranks, Cooldown 8/6/4, Spell Cost, 6,4,2

Sharp Edges II: Spell Crit +1 to Force/Neg/Poison/Acid Spell Crit Chance. (costs 1 AP, instead of the usual 2)

Every Rose Has it's Thorn - Spike Growth damage is increased by 100%.

TIER 3:

Out Break - upgrades the contagion and insidious spores spells to also hit enemies near the primary target.

Meta Selector - Empower, Max, Quicken

SLA Enveloping Swarm - 3 ranks, Cooldown 16,12,8, Cost 8,6,4

Sharp Edges III: Spell Crit +1 to Force/Neg/Poison/Acid Spell Crit Chance. (costs 1 AP, instead of the usual 2)

Stat Boost - Wis/Con

TIER 4:


Fast Acting Poison - The Poison spell now does 1d6 per druid level poison damage every 3 seconds for 15 seconds in addition to its original effect. A successful Fort save applies this dot at half strength.

Unkindness of Ravens - 120/90/60 second cool down, A swarm of ravens blasts through you and a narrow path ahead. Enemies in the way take 1d3 piercing damage per druid level and must save vs confusing and blind separately DC: 20+ druid level + Conjuration DC. If you have a raven summon active from the falconry tree when you used this ability you gain the More Unkindness to Come effect for 10 seconds; All your spells and attacks apply 1d6 piercing damage to blind targets for every druid level. This damage can only apply once every two seconds.

Pick your Poison III Multi Selector

SLA Thorn Bloom - 3 ranks, Cooldown 16, 12, 8, Cost: 20,15, 10

SLA Acid Rain - 10 SP cost, Cooldown 20/16/12 seconds

Sharp Edges IV: Spell Crit +1 to Force/Neg/Poison/Acid Spell Crit Chance. (costs 1 AP, instead of the usual 2)

Stat Boost, Wis/Con

Tier 5:

Thorns in your side - Multi Selector -

Poisoned Thorns - Your Splinter Bolt and Thorn Spells now also cause additional 2 points of Poison damage for every spell level. This scales with spell power.

Vile Thorns - Your Splinter Bolt and Thorn Spells now also cause additional 1 point of Acid damage for every spell level. This scales with spell power.

SLA Grasping Thorns - Spell Like Ability: Powerful thorny vines rip out of the ground seizing all enemies in the area. Enemies save vs Reflex or become entangled, with a re-occuring Strength save to break free. Targets also take 1d6 in piercing damage every 2 seconds. All enemy movement through the area is slowed by 30%, no save. Area of effect fire spells will destroy these vines and free any entangled creatures. Incorporeal creatures and oozes are naturally immune. Fire elementals and other fire creatures are immune because they burn through the plants.

Everything Decays - Gain 5/10/15 Acid & Poison Spell Power Rank 3: Your spells remove Acid and Poison Immunity for 30 seconds.

Doomsayer - Gain a +1 Bonus to Conjuration, Evocation and Necromancy DCs


ADDITIONAL CHANGES....


Changes to Seasons Herald

Core 3 (level 6) updated to : +1 to max caster level of your season. Your Shillelagh does one extra W of damage. Your plant spells like entangle, spike growth and grasping thorns will no longer be dispelled by fire effects.

Changes to Nature's Warrior: -

• Howl of Winter renamed and changed to Howl of the Hunter: Casting Howl of Terror now grants you the effect Howl of the Hunter for 10 seconds which grants a +10 exceptional bonus to Double Strike, 5% bonus to spell crit and 15% to spell crit damage to all spells. This will only occur once every 30 seconds. Passive: You gain a +5% primal bonus to Max Hit Points
• Great White Wolf Gets a multi selector with the alternate called Bad Wolf - 10/20/30 acid spell power, 10/20/30% Acid Resistance
• Jaws of Winter get's renamed "Feasting Jaws" - Gain 10 times your character level in temporary HPs for 30 seconds after using Jaws of Winter or Jaws of Doom
• Cold Breath damage will be updated to match current spell damage formulas

Notes on things coming down the line:

• Will be adding a Flame Blade equivalent to the Blightcaster (scimitars yes but probably also a staff, it didn't quite make it in this build).
• Elemental Body was fixed to work with the new forms is probably gonna get replaced by a new spell or enhancement in Blightcaster (We've thinking Thorn and Hive are not going to be considered elementals but they are wildshapes so elemental bonuses will not apply to them but wildshape bonuses will for things like gear and feats will)
• We are looking at making the wolf forms traits, or at least Blighted wolf a bit more distinctive from their standard druid counterparts.
• An additional Thorn Kin perks or two in the works through enhancements or spells
  
  

KNOW ISSUES

• NO ART IS IN YET (it's all place holder on the wildshapes. Only a few spells have a basic vfx pass)
• Contagion still has some issues where it's not doing multiple stat damage types on two of it's types.
• Nature's Warrior T4 Great White Wolf doesn't have it's Blight Wolf option in yet
• Immunities on Hivemaster aren't in yet
• Blight debuff sometimes applies to the player for things like entangle
• Haven't updated standard druid Cold Breath yet.
• Plant Growth not done yet

[Zeklijan]

Currently, druid elemental forms and their imbues drop on death. You also have to enable both separately. This is true for both the Blight and Base Druids.

Since some spells and effects will have different functionalities depending on which imbue you have enabled, it would be a really nice QoL of these imbues and forms were not removed on death.

[newmart]

I asked for a debilitator plague spreader!!!

https://forums.ddo.com/forums/showth...86#post6561086

[Zeklijan]

I like the change to blighted breath. I think it'll make a very good spell to cast alongside Acid Well.

I wonder though, why is the damage lower than the other level 5 spells? 1d6+2/CL instead of 1d6+5/CL like the others, such as lightning ball and cone of cold.

[Pretty_Good_Old_One]

I like the change to blighted breath. I think it'll make a very good spell to cast alongside Acid Well.

I wonder though, why is the damage lower than the other level 5 spells? 1d6+2/CL instead of 1d6+5/CL like the others, such as lightning ball and cone of cold.

I’d guess that it is because of the added functionality: 10s of blind and choice between 2 damage types, 1 at 1d8+2/CL

[Zeklijan]

I’d guess that it is because of the added functionality: 10s of blind and choice between 2 damage types, 1 at 1d8+2/CL

That is true, however other spells such as cometfall and tsunami do not have lower damage despite having a CC component as well.

The formula the devs seem to have adopted with the spell pass for most instant damage spells is 1d6+level of the spell/Caster level. So most 5th level spells are 1d6+5, and 6th levels 1d6+6, etc.

I wonder why this spell detracts from that formula with 1d6+2/1d8+2 instead of 1d6+5.

For reference, 1d8+2 is also lower damage than 1d6+5. Per dice you get:
1d8+2 - minimum 3 maximum 10, average 6.5
1d6+5 - minimum 6 maximum 11, average 8.5

[droid327]

You gain 50% concealment as displacement

Does that mean its negated by True Sight enemies?

This would seem to be a case where the concealment is not magical or illusory, but you're actually being obscured by the cloud of bugs around you - so it should work more like the Cloud conceal effects that arent negatable. Maybe that means it has to become "when you hit or are hit by enemies, they suffer 50% concealment chance as blinded" instead, but that'd make it far more universally useful...both against True Sight enemies, and in higher Reaper where a 50% concealment "buff" would get reduced to 20% (but not the "debuff" version)

[Scrag]

Can we get the changes blue'd like DH? I am having trouble seeing what actually was changed.

Thank you!

[Xezom]

Wise choice to spread out the death Eater point along the core. It feels more progressive that way. Still strong at level 6 but not obscene. Getting ready to start my testing again, I will update this post as I get going.

An oops I've noticed already. Casting Buff Spells/Vigor line on yourself or allies applies your Spread the Blight Healing debuff when it's supposed to only be your offensive spells that trigger it.

One Hour Feedback:

Thorn Spells are WAY WAY WAY better! Thank you! The targeting and tracking are miles better and seem to be functioning properly.

Thorn Spells are properly triggering the Primal Avatar mantle now, so also bravo. (I still think Darconic Poison Dragon is better, but thorn PA works well too now).

I personally like that Death Eater Scales up with level. Feels more appropriate in power.

Fixes Needed: (Apart from the one's already listed in the known issues list)

Blight is applying on all Buffs. Even when you use Shard Storm in Epics. Shouldn't be applying to your self.

The only issue I noticed with thorn spells was that if you use Quicken on Thorn Bloom, it always misses.

**Edit 2: After further testing, the Poison strip is not working. Tested on Water elemental in Isle of dread Legendary Elite. Thorn strike with added poison damage from Poison thorns shows immune on elementals even after being hit with another spell. Poison DoT from Draconic also fails to bypass. So immunity strip still needs fixed.


That's really all the feedback I have. I think this is a great tree and with the pass on the thorn spells feels way better to play. Slap some polish on it and it's ready to ship imo. I'd play it tomorrow if it was released live even as is. Excellent work on this one. Excited to get it live and make it my new main.

[Abilbo]

Neither the feat nor the ability granted by way of Draconic.

[Xezom]

I've run the iterations of the Blightcaster that appeal to me: DoT-Hive Master and Thorn Knight using both level 7 starts and an ungeared level 32 reincarnation Druid. I've tested everything that I can think to test, although I'm sure there is more, so this will be my final thoughts on the Archtype for this iteration on Lamannia.

Positive Changes since Preview 1:

-The thorn spells are miles better and actually function properly. A lot have no saves making them very cheap and reliable damage even without much DC speccing. I personally like that, and they feel good to use.
-Progression with Death Eater in the cores. Death Eater at level 6 was obscene in the first preview. It feels more appropriate to scale up with the cores as you go, and gives more incentive to go further up the cores and dis-incentivizes Blightcaster splash to just get Death Eater.
-Primal Avatar Thorn mantle now properly triggers on Thorn spell hits. Opens up that option to use on top of the potential for Draconic.

Bugs that still need squashed:

-Poison immunity stripping from the Everything Decays point does not work. Needs to be adjusted as it heavily gimps the poison options both DoT wise and Thorn Caster (since their spell level benefits apply to physical and poison)
-Spread the Blight and it's progressions apply to friendly targets and self when casting buffs. Definitely needs to be fixed as applying a 60% healing penalty to your teammates or self is REALLY bad. I know Blightcasters like death, but lets not make it our party's.
-Thorn Bloom when using quicken, always misses. Obviously this can be worked around by not using quicken, but it definitely shouldn't have to be that way.


In regards to things coming down the line:

-It's noted that there is a perk or two for the thorn kin coming either in enhancements or spells. I'm curious what the idea is behind it. From my testing thorn casters are pretty good. I will grant you that they don't feel very "Thorn Knight"-ish, but if you are taking them as a caster, they're really not that bad. Personally, I really enjoy the play of them. Low SP cost, Low CD SLAs, reliable damage via few saves needed, durable with the Death Eater points. I don't really feel like the AC boost is all that impactful unless we can get some good caster Heavy Armor that is made of wood to not break Druidic Oath, so you're not really much of a tank/knight as you are a physical caster. Even Stacking things like Barkskin with it doesn't really make you very tanky. Personally, I don't mind that since it is still, at it's core, a caster tree. I wish I could give some better feedback as to what the perks coming could or should look like, but I like it how it is. All I would ask is that whatever the perk is, that it not be a double edged sword or poach from another unique playstyle (ie. Old Knights transformation where spells became touch range). I use Knight's transformaiton because it specifically says Knight and the Thorn kin becomes a Thorn Knight. Please don't do that, that'd create some pretty prickly feels.


Preview 2 ratings for the two builds I tried:

Thorn Caster
Theme: 9/10
Unique Playstyle: 5/10 (pretty standard cast and run, see what happens with the thorn Kin Perks come around later)
Durability/Solo-ability: 9/10
Party Friendly: 8/10
Functionality: 9/10 (greatly improved, only thing keeping it from a 10 is the immunity strip and quicken on thorn bloom issues noted above)
Look/Aesthetic: 3/10 (I know that the FX's are not finished, so this is once that I know will improve. As is it's very bland looking)
Epic Destiny Synergy: 9/10 (Works decently well with Primal Avatar, Draconic Incarnation, and even magus depending what DC you stack up and spell power you focus.)
Late Game Gearing: 8/10 (Surprisingly there is a good amount of gear that works well for physical/poison casters. Morgrave Staves are great)

DoT Caster
Theme: 9/10
Unique Playstyle: 8/10 (Very very active on keeping DoTs going on bosses. A bit of a tag along in the clear speed but to be expected)
Durability/Solo-ability: 7/10 (surprisingly not as bad as you'd think for a DoT character. Death Eater and displacement are a strgon combo. Easy leveling, but not the fastest thing in the world thanks to the nature of DoTs)
Party Friendly: Both 9/10 and 3/10. (9/10 on bosses for the DoT power that rips through their HP pools safely and consistently, 3/10 for the clear speed and because you cause A LOT of screen noise. When I say a lot, I mean A LOOOOOOOT. Acid Rain, Storm of Vengeance, Earthquake, Grasping Vines, Web, Spike Growth, etc.).
Functionality: 9/10 (fix the immunity strip and we'll be in good shape here, otherwise most everything else functions great with the DoTs)
Look/Aesthetic: 3/10 (I know that the FX's are not finished, so this is once that i know will improve. As is it's very bland looking)
Epic Destiny Synergy: 9/10 (Works decently well with Primal Avatar or Draconic Incarnation. I took Draconic for the poison/Acid DoT from the Mantle to add more DoT power, worked amazing)
Late Game Gearing: 8/10 (Still a good amount of gear for DoT since its basically just regular caster gear. Conjuration and negative/poison spell power is an odd mix tho, so it's easier to focus more on Acid.)


That's all I've got, I'll be hanging around the thread to see what others think and contribute, but for feedback this is all I can think of. Well done guys! I thoroughly enjoyed testing this one on lamannia and look forward to it's polished and finished look on live.

[Ultinoob]

I tried to lesser reincarnate a druid 17 monk 2 wizard 1 i copied from live servers into a blightcaster and could not do it.

When taking the monk levels my crossclass skills was the same as for the druid. so somehow it did not see me as monk with regards to skills but druid.

When i tried taking the wizard level i had to select 5 spells. only one spell was selectable and that was fire shield. That is kind of odd as i was only level 1 wizard and it was a higher level spell.

When i selected the spell and could press finish with that level it gave me a bug and i was not able to take that level.

Please fix this before live.

[Arkat]

Can we get the changes blue'd like DH? I am having trouble seeing what actually was changed.

Thank you!

Ditto.

[neain2008]

Can we get the changes blue'd like DH? I am having trouble seeing what actually was changed.

Thank you!

I will also get behind this, I can't tell if I found everything that changed or if I'm missing something that looks minor/unchanged but can end up being significant.

I can tell that I'm looking forward to the archetype for my favorite class though. Thanks for the content and keep up the good work!

[Lotoc]

• An additional Thorn Kin perks or two in the works through enhancements or spells

Personally would love to see some tanky multiselectors in tree for it, the shape bonuses kind of imply tank but there's a kind of lacking support for playing in such a way.

[Xezom]

It's been asked so I compiled a list of changes made since preview one according to Patch note differences and in game references. I think I got them all, but if I missed one, feel free to add it or let me know and i'll add it for cleanliness.

• Death Eater's stack size has been distributed along the cores (level 6 starts at stack size 3, then it goes to 4 at the level 12 core, 5 at the level 18 core)
• Thorn Strike increased from 1d6+2 up to 1d3+4
• Thorn Wave reduced from 1d6+6 down to 1d6+5
• Thorn Wave Max caster level reduced from 20 to 15
• Grasping Vines no longer does double damage against entangled enemies
• Grasping Vines base damage increased from 1d4 to 1d6
• Grasping Vines Slow reduced from 35% to 30%
• Murder of Crows Changed names to Unkindness of ravens (same effects)
• +2 Imbue dice removed from Thorn Knight (there in the patch notes, not in game)

• Blighted Charge Changes:
o Increased from 2(w) to 5(w), added crit threat and multiplier.
o Added Helplessness to Blighted Charge
o Added 3 Imbue dice for 10 seconds after use.

• Jaws of Doom Changes:
o Increased from 6(w) to 10(w)
o No longer a sneak attack or stuns. Now has a death check that functions on target vulnerable to vorpal

• Blighted Breath Changes: (Works in all forms not just wolf)
o Sends out a breath of poisonous gas in a frontal cone dealing 1d8+2 points of Poison damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 45 to 150 damage at caster level 15) with a Reflex save for half damage. They must also make a Fortitude save or be Blinded for 10 seconds. If you are using the Biting Acid Imbue this damage is converted into 1d6+2 Acid damage per caster level (up to a maximum of 45 to 120 damage at caster level 15).

• Howl of Winter changed to Howl of the Hunter:
o Casting Howl of Terror now grants you the effect Howl of the Hunter for 10 seconds which grants a +10 exceptional bonus to Double Strike, 5% bonus to spell crit and 15% to spell crit damage to all spells. This will only occur once every 30 seconds. Passive: You gain a +5% primal bonus to Max Hit


Edit/Bug: While doing this I noticed a few inconsistencies:

Thorn Strike: The spell book version lists: 5-7 per caster level (1d3+4), but the SLA version lists 2-7 (1d6+1)
Grasping Vines: The Spell book version lists 1d6 in damage, and a 30% slow, with no doubling. The SLA version lists 1d4 in damage, 35% slow, and still says it's doubled on entangle.

The patch notes seem to support the spell book version of these spells not the SLA's. Guessing the SLA tool-tips just need to be updated and fixed for the adjustments.

[Torc]

I tried to lesser reincarnate a druid 17 monk 2 wizard 1 i copied from live servers into a blightcaster and could not do it.

When taking the monk levels my crossclass skills was the same as for the druid. so somehow it did not see me as monk with regards to skills but druid.

When i tried taking the wizard level i had to select 5 spells. only one spell was selectable and that was fire shield. That is kind of odd as i was only level 1 wizard and it was a higher level spell.

When i selected the spell and could press finish with that level it gave me a bug and i was not able to take that level.

Please fix this before live.

We have repro'd this internally and think we know where the problem is.

-T

[Arkat]

• Murder of Crows Changed names to Unkindness of Ravens (same effects)

I was wondering whether they'd get that right.

They did.

[Scrag]

splash 2 ES sorc for +2 caster level to earth/acid spells, double boost to 18 core earthquake?

[Xezom]

Sorry for littering this thread with posts but found another bug/weird interaction.

I was doing some more testing and figured out what is going on with the immunity stripping. The Immunity strip is working on your natural spells (creeping doom, insidious spores, contagion, Enveloping swarm, all the spells you naturally get as a druid.) It does NOT work on any of the new Thorn spells. So the issue is actually that the stripping immunities is not working on the thorn spells, not just in general.

Secondly, the immunity stripping lasts for 10 seconds not the 30 seconds that is listed in the tooltip and patch notes when it does get applied from one of your "natural" druid spells.