First time I've been out hunting since the spell was released and I never thought I would say this but I miss Boil Earth.
First with Boil earth the critter gets one chance per cast to effect you.
So you have a chance to mitigate any wounds recover from the initial stun and survive the encounter.
There is also less chance that you will be prone when boil earth is cast.
With Earthen Fury you have several maneuvers to deal with simultaneously and it is very difficult to anticipate and react in a timely manner.
every two seconds you are defending against another attack with a fresh set of roles to determine severity.
that coupled with the troll that just cast quake you're now struggling to run away when you fall down and the earthen fury gets bonus hits because you are prone now you are stunned as well and the damage compounds over the last few waves resulting in death.
two deaths for two hunts is insane I consider myself a cautious hunter started running away from the casters stance dancing timing attacks avoiding swarms mitigating risk as much as possible but it was unavoidable even taking all that precaution. The first time I was able to herb heal back to fighting state but it just seems ridiculous to me to have to endure so much hassle to hunt like level critters.
LORD-FRORIN
KRAKII
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 12:34 PM CDT
Drumpel & I have been beating this drum pretty hard since the release.
Note for the record: no substantive change, and certainly nothing announced by GMs.
(It is my anecdotal supposition, that the stone giants have had their "how likely am I to use Earthen Fury?" percentage downgraded by a bit. Boil Earth used to be one of their primary go-to actions; after Earthen Fury was released, it seemed like every giant would always do that first... [But again, that was probably just from me being pissed about getting killed so much.] In the last month or so, it has felt like they now try a different [CS/TD] spell, or swing, or hurl their maul/pick up a rock to throw, more frequently and Earthen Fury less often.)
(But, again, that could be "me surviving more" because I've gained some more levels on them, trained up more PF & Perception ranks, and so on.
And, of course, let's not forget that--in the Stronghold, where the giants are THE lowest-level creature there--they're the #1 thing that I kill. Not even the Shamen cast Earthen Fury as often as the giants do.)
Note for the record: no substantive change, and certainly nothing announced by GMs.
(It is my anecdotal supposition, that the stone giants have had their "how likely am I to use Earthen Fury?" percentage downgraded by a bit. Boil Earth used to be one of their primary go-to actions; after Earthen Fury was released, it seemed like every giant would always do that first... [But again, that was probably just from me being pissed about getting killed so much.] In the last month or so, it has felt like they now try a different [CS/TD] spell, or swing, or hurl their maul/pick up a rock to throw, more frequently and Earthen Fury less often.)
(But, again, that could be "me surviving more" because I've gained some more levels on them, trained up more PF & Perception ranks, and so on.
And, of course, let's not forget that--in the Stronghold, where the giants are THE lowest-level creature there--they're the #1 thing that I kill. Not even the Shamen cast Earthen Fury as often as the giants do.)
DRUMPEL
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 02:37 PM CDT
The spell has been a pain in my bard's side when he attempted to quell some wood wights from the adventurer guild...it went poorly.
I got a couple of kills I needed, but then came the casts of Earthen Fury. Granted these suckers needed a high-ish roll to hit my bard (who was 5 levels over them, has decent dex/agi, fully trained for his armor, singled in dodge), the spell just kills.
The spell was cast at me three different times.
1st - dang near killed me. I was left with about 20 health, missing leg, other minor & 2nd rank wounds. I was able to ring out and heal myself (10 minutes to get healed and all fixed up and back out to the hunt)
2nd - killed me. The initial cast I dodged (yeah me!), but it was cast at me when I had 1-2 seconds of RT left from attacking. I couldn't move rooms before the 2nd crit cycle hit and it connected with an endroll of 120 that resulted in a broken leg, going prone & a 5 round stun. I may have survived this one, but the last crit had an open roll and put a hole through my chest.
3rd - killed me. Pretty much the same story as the first two casts that my bard took.
I decided that a creature 5 levels under me that casts Earthen Fury is too lethal for my bard to hunt. I shouldn't die 2 times (almost 3) from only encountering 5 different wood wights. I haven't had any other experiences with any of my other characters when it comes to having Earthen Fury cast at them. I just go out of my way to avoid these creatures...which is why I haven't taken my level 31 wizard into Foggy Valley to hunt Mezics....tree spirits cast the spell and I avoid them.
Now, I do enjoy using 917 against creatures. It's not a guaranteed killing spell and it does suck up mana for my younger wizard (even at 2x HP), but it works well enough to kill about half the creatures he casts it at (even with only having 19 Wizard spell ranks). The ones that don't die, wands come out and he bolts them to death.
If you want the best survival you can get, you want high AGI/DEX/INT and as many ranks as you can get of PF, Dodge, CM and Perception as you can get. These skills will play the most important aspect of defense against the SMRv2. Also be sure you're properly trained for the armor you're wearing and you're not encumbered or injured.
I've noticed bonuses tend to stack up in such a manner:
+20 for stunned
+20 for prone
+30-50 for first rank2/3 wound you get if you're prone/stunned and depending on the wound location (head/neck/eye is right around +40-50, legs are around +30-40, chest/ab/back/arms +25-35)
+1-10 for other wounds as they accumulate on the rest of your body
The bonuses given see a diminishing return of some sorts, but I'm not much for figuring out such things.
Highest bonus my main wizard has gotten is 120 on a creature. It was prone, stunned, missing an eye (this was the first crit it took, rank 3 eye. bonus went from +20 for being prone to +81 from the missing eye and now stunned), missing a leg, broken other leg and other various wounds before the creature finally died.
-Drumpel
I got a couple of kills I needed, but then came the casts of Earthen Fury. Granted these suckers needed a high-ish roll to hit my bard (who was 5 levels over them, has decent dex/agi, fully trained for his armor, singled in dodge), the spell just kills.
The spell was cast at me three different times.
1st - dang near killed me. I was left with about 20 health, missing leg, other minor & 2nd rank wounds. I was able to ring out and heal myself (10 minutes to get healed and all fixed up and back out to the hunt)
2nd - killed me. The initial cast I dodged (yeah me!), but it was cast at me when I had 1-2 seconds of RT left from attacking. I couldn't move rooms before the 2nd crit cycle hit and it connected with an endroll of 120 that resulted in a broken leg, going prone & a 5 round stun. I may have survived this one, but the last crit had an open roll and put a hole through my chest.
3rd - killed me. Pretty much the same story as the first two casts that my bard took.
I decided that a creature 5 levels under me that casts Earthen Fury is too lethal for my bard to hunt. I shouldn't die 2 times (almost 3) from only encountering 5 different wood wights. I haven't had any other experiences with any of my other characters when it comes to having Earthen Fury cast at them. I just go out of my way to avoid these creatures...which is why I haven't taken my level 31 wizard into Foggy Valley to hunt Mezics....tree spirits cast the spell and I avoid them.
Now, I do enjoy using 917 against creatures. It's not a guaranteed killing spell and it does suck up mana for my younger wizard (even at 2x HP), but it works well enough to kill about half the creatures he casts it at (even with only having 19 Wizard spell ranks). The ones that don't die, wands come out and he bolts them to death.
If you want the best survival you can get, you want high AGI/DEX/INT and as many ranks as you can get of PF, Dodge, CM and Perception as you can get. These skills will play the most important aspect of defense against the SMRv2. Also be sure you're properly trained for the armor you're wearing and you're not encumbered or injured.
I've noticed bonuses tend to stack up in such a manner:
+20 for stunned
+20 for prone
+30-50 for first rank2/3 wound you get if you're prone/stunned and depending on the wound location (head/neck/eye is right around +40-50, legs are around +30-40, chest/ab/back/arms +25-35)
+1-10 for other wounds as they accumulate on the rest of your body
The bonuses given see a diminishing return of some sorts, but I'm not much for figuring out such things.
Highest bonus my main wizard has gotten is 120 on a creature. It was prone, stunned, missing an eye (this was the first crit it took, rank 3 eye. bonus went from +20 for being prone to +81 from the missing eye and now stunned), missing a leg, broken other leg and other various wounds before the creature finally died.
-Drumpel
LORD-FRORIN
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 02:45 PM CDT
Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I'm singled in perception and dodge 57 ranks, doubled in PF and CM 114 ranks and over trained in armor and shield with 150 and 139 ranks have a 100+25 in dex and 100+20 agi granted my intuition is only +6... but I should be defending a lot better than near death or death every encounter. I still think that Combat movement should be taken into account even if shield training isn't standing you up before a role if no other status modifiers are in effect. Really shield training should impact it as well granted its hard to stand on your shield but it should limit the damage and crit factor even prone it should still block some of the blast. In its current state given the environment its overpowering.
LEAFIARA
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 03:38 PM CDT
I'm guessing my cleric would have been obliterated by Earthen Fury if she'd been in that level range when it was released, but my empath and paladin didn't care about it all that much from stone giants or Illoke shamans in their early 60s and still don't usually care about it from warped tree spirits now at 64. They're both 2x Physical Fitness and 1x Perception, and my pally is 1x Combat Maneuvers while my empath is 0.75x. Also, if armor penalties factor in, my paladin is 1x Dodging and wears MBP that she's overtrained for.
They're definitely not invulnerable, because open rolls are out there and even 80 rolls will be the death of them if they're in the first two hits, but I always feel like I have it pretty good compared to others since there are days when Leafi has to run out to the Stronghold ten times in three hours and every single person says "I hate Earthen Fury" as soon as she gets there.
They're definitely not invulnerable, because open rolls are out there and even 80 rolls will be the death of them if they're in the first two hits, but I always feel like I have it pretty good compared to others since there are days when Leafi has to run out to the Stronghold ten times in three hours and every single person says "I hate Earthen Fury" as soon as she gets there.
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 08:38 PM CDT
>>If you want the best survival you can get, you want high AGI/DEX/INT and as many ranks as you can get of PF, Dodge, CM and Perception as you can get. These skills will play the most important aspect of defense against the SMRv2. Also be sure you're properly trained for the armor you're wearing and you're not encumbered or injured.
And while Robert and Drumpel have been beating the drum, I'm clashing the cymbals saying 'leave it be'. There are still a few things yet that I am not seeing amongst the tally of 'been there, died that'. And, there's one that I suspect we'll really get into the weeds on, but. . .
I'll bet there's not a halfling / gnome in the group of posters presently deriding Earthen Fury. Probably not any elves, either. ;)
While we're at this - SMRv2 is supposed to be out on a few other creatures. I'm wondering if we're seeing the same 'problem' that we're seeing with EF?
Doug
And while Robert and Drumpel have been beating the drum, I'm clashing the cymbals saying 'leave it be'. There are still a few things yet that I am not seeing amongst the tally of 'been there, died that'. And, there's one that I suspect we'll really get into the weeds on, but. . .
I'll bet there's not a halfling / gnome in the group of posters presently deriding Earthen Fury. Probably not any elves, either. ;)
While we're at this - SMRv2 is supposed to be out on a few other creatures. I'm wondering if we're seeing the same 'problem' that we're seeing with EF?
Doug
DRUMPEL
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 09:04 PM CDT
>While we're at this - SMRv2 is supposed to be out on a few other creatures. I'm wondering if we're seeing the same 'problem' that we're seeing with EF?
SMRv2 isn't the issue - it's the lethality of EF, especially if you're hit with the initial crit cycle or even second crit cycle. In my experience, it just means death. I'm not sure about how others view it (we know a few see it like I do).
Initial crit hits the hardest
2nd seems to hit just about as hard
3rd & 4th are generally a medium crit (but if the bonus roll is high enough and the roll is also high, these two cycles can just as easily crit or do high hit point damage as the first 2 crit cycles)
5th & 6th - these are weak, but as the bonus against the target builds and if the endroll is high enough, they can crit kill just as easy as the first 4 crit cycles.
Having used the spell myself (a lot). I tend to think if the creature hasn't died from the first 4 cycles, then about 2/3 of the time the last two won't kill it either. The other 1/3 of the time the 5th or 6th crit cycle rocks the target and kills it.
Let's not forget if you have a decent amount of Water or Fire lore, you can get an immediate 2nd crit that follows the initial crit and it's likely to hit harder. I've had this immediate 2nd crit cycle trigger with only 3 ranks of EL:W - this gives me a .6% chance for it to trigger.
As I said, SMRv2 isn't the issue. Other skills/maneuvers use it. It's EF that sucks when it's used on players. Think Weapon Fire spell - it's kind of lame to use on like level creatures, but when it's cast on us by like level creatures....lights out!
-Drumpel
SMRv2 isn't the issue - it's the lethality of EF, especially if you're hit with the initial crit cycle or even second crit cycle. In my experience, it just means death. I'm not sure about how others view it (we know a few see it like I do).
Initial crit hits the hardest
2nd seems to hit just about as hard
3rd & 4th are generally a medium crit (but if the bonus roll is high enough and the roll is also high, these two cycles can just as easily crit or do high hit point damage as the first 2 crit cycles)
5th & 6th - these are weak, but as the bonus against the target builds and if the endroll is high enough, they can crit kill just as easy as the first 4 crit cycles.
Having used the spell myself (a lot). I tend to think if the creature hasn't died from the first 4 cycles, then about 2/3 of the time the last two won't kill it either. The other 1/3 of the time the 5th or 6th crit cycle rocks the target and kills it.
Let's not forget if you have a decent amount of Water or Fire lore, you can get an immediate 2nd crit that follows the initial crit and it's likely to hit harder. I've had this immediate 2nd crit cycle trigger with only 3 ranks of EL:W - this gives me a .6% chance for it to trigger.
As I said, SMRv2 isn't the issue. Other skills/maneuvers use it. It's EF that sucks when it's used on players. Think Weapon Fire spell - it's kind of lame to use on like level creatures, but when it's cast on us by like level creatures....lights out!
-Drumpel
VERSIN
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/07/2017 10:52 PM CDT
Yeah the bonuses get pretty lethal as they seem to be additive. One leg 2 wound and you are toast.
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 12:45 AM CDT
>>SMRv2 isn't the issue - it's the lethality of EF, especially if you're hit with the initial crit cycle or even second crit cycle.
Admittedly, I might have worded this better - I'll try again. I wonder if SMRv2 from other creature maneuvers is showing any other indications of what might help (or hinder).
Earthen Fury is lethal. Especially when cast on the unsuspecting / unprepared. Especially if there's a level difference (most especially). Especially if solo. Especially if not a graceful or agile race. Especially. . . well, I'm sure you get the picture.
My elves are unperturbed. My giantman hates the spell. My human definitely doesn't like it. My dwarf, well. . . too close to rocks to admit it hurts. My gnome? Isn't old enough to have experienced it, yet. I suspect he'll be fairly tolerant. I can tell you that my old method of up-hunting select creatures for that rapid boost has all but halted in some cases. And, of course, there're literally tons of creatures that don't cast this spell.
The one potentially accurate point that I've seen has been Grimswarm. I only have a couple of GoS types. But even there, I'd say . . . "team sport!" I'm thinking three is the magic number. One to fall victim (heh), one to drag away, and one to kill the caster as fast as possible. The Rule of Three exists for a reason!
>>Yeah the bonuses get pretty lethal as they seem to be additive. One leg 2 wound and you are toast.
They are (both lethal and additive). And yes - as humiliating as it may be, crawling (or being dragged) is the new order of the day. . . Attempting to stand is a mistake, trust me. As a brief aside, the sadistic glee for disrupting all those 'auto-stand' scripts must run deep. We'll probably see more of these.
Another option, of course - have deeds. A stubborn dwarf I know who feels close to rocks usually is left with that choice.
I guess, from my perspective, the few lethal areas / spells we do experience shouldn't shrink - risk and reward. Death is nothing but a transition state to the next hunt.
Doug
Admittedly, I might have worded this better - I'll try again. I wonder if SMRv2 from other creature maneuvers is showing any other indications of what might help (or hinder).
Earthen Fury is lethal. Especially when cast on the unsuspecting / unprepared. Especially if there's a level difference (most especially). Especially if solo. Especially if not a graceful or agile race. Especially. . . well, I'm sure you get the picture.
My elves are unperturbed. My giantman hates the spell. My human definitely doesn't like it. My dwarf, well. . . too close to rocks to admit it hurts. My gnome? Isn't old enough to have experienced it, yet. I suspect he'll be fairly tolerant. I can tell you that my old method of up-hunting select creatures for that rapid boost has all but halted in some cases. And, of course, there're literally tons of creatures that don't cast this spell.
The one potentially accurate point that I've seen has been Grimswarm. I only have a couple of GoS types. But even there, I'd say . . . "team sport!" I'm thinking three is the magic number. One to fall victim (heh), one to drag away, and one to kill the caster as fast as possible. The Rule of Three exists for a reason!
>>Yeah the bonuses get pretty lethal as they seem to be additive. One leg 2 wound and you are toast.
They are (both lethal and additive). And yes - as humiliating as it may be, crawling (or being dragged) is the new order of the day. . . Attempting to stand is a mistake, trust me. As a brief aside, the sadistic glee for disrupting all those 'auto-stand' scripts must run deep. We'll probably see more of these.
Another option, of course - have deeds. A stubborn dwarf I know who feels close to rocks usually is left with that choice.
I guess, from my perspective, the few lethal areas / spells we do experience shouldn't shrink - risk and reward. Death is nothing but a transition state to the next hunt.
Doug
KRAKII
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 09:08 AM CDT
"Probably not any elves, either. ;)" -- Doug
"Doch", as my German-speaking relatives say.
My (pure Elf) Bard was 57th level on the day of release, and made 58th--so, same-level as Stone Giants in Thanatoph--three days later on Christmas Eve. At that time, he had DEX 84/+22 & AGI 76/+28, nearly singled in PF (55 of 59 possible), no Dodge (but 45 Songs, so +33 effective Dodging ranks from Mirrors/1019), 3 CM, only 10 Perception.
Boil Earth was mainly an annoyance. "Why the hell am I laying down?!? Oh; missed a few lines of screen-scroll."
Then I bitched about the spell for three weeks, and less-so for the remaining three months.
Looks like I have not yet synched my phone to my desktop, so I don't recall when in the last week-to-10 days I made 65th, but I did. Stone giants--given that they are MUCH more likely to cast Earthen Fury than even Illoke Shamen are--remain as my go-to "Kill These First" creatures in the Stronghold... and one just tagged me this morning, in fact, at +7 levels on it.
He is currently DEX 88/+24, AGI 78/+29 (and I now hunt wearing an Enhancive that is +2 to one of those bonuses, and +4 to the other bonus, so +9 stat bonuses over what I had at release), 75 PF, 20 Dodging (and now up to 49 Songs, so +35 net from Mirrors/1019), 20 Perception, still only 3 CM.
.
I have been routinely running the -100# Encumbrance through SimuCoins since I picked up a bunch in the summer sale last year. After the spell got released, I looked around and stuffed 109 wands that I was carrying into a backpack in my Four Winds Isle locker. (Would have been 110, but you know. Backpack.) These are mana batteries for Unravel/1013.
I am always "not encumbered enough to notice" at the start, though I routinely find boxes and 100-800 silvers on quite a few of the critters down there, so easy to get weighed down a step or two even with a disk. (Since I have a MA Mage, I always have a disk; I some times burn a scroll invoke to take advantage of the Bard's EL:Air ranks for higher capacity, and I'm thinking of having the Mage imbed some rods so the Bard can share his big disks around.)
Recently I've fallen in with a shady crowd--seems like 5 out of 8 people I see down there on a regular basis are ambushing Rogues, and another is an ambushing Ranger--so I frequently have my armor adjusted and Mobility/618 running. (If it gets to be a concern, I have him wearing a MR Mobility rub-activator, too. Orb gems, for a Bard, are totally not a problem, for a Recharging session...)
I have chosen NOT to use Sonic Armor/1012 (for the lessened encumbrance) due to, you know: vulnerability to Impact crits. :(
Currently, he's getting to the point where it's hard to fry in a single medley renewal cycle (9 minutes and change); it used to be that he could routinely fry in 3 minutes or less, but he's not getting 150 experience per kill for any of the ones in the Stronghold now. Thank goodness the stone mastiffs/62 have a tendency to swarm, because three in a room dropping to a single Disruption/1030 means 210 experience for 20 mana. (Actually 26, because I renew Depression/1015, first.) When I'm trying to find/use my daily LTE Boosts, I find myself frequently having to endure an actual renewal.
I have recently been serious consideration to running Tonis/1035 full-time, just for the added Dodging ranks. (+20 base, and I have +16 more of the twenty (listed) possible from EL:Air.) In a five-minute hunt, that's only another 105 mana, and when I'm controlling 'mana pulse' (with a stack of mana recovery Enhancives & Powersong/1018 running) I get back 86 in the field, so it's not that onerous a cost... (And again, 100+ blue or crystal wands available for mana batteries, so it would be bearable.)
.
Just in the last month/3-4 levels I have more regularly started seeing SMR results that are merely 15-40 over the rolls, so if those rolls are sufficiently low I actually survive. (-Ish.) Mostly when that happens, I run.
When I get hit, first I "shout rally"/1040, then I run.
"Doch", as my German-speaking relatives say.
My (pure Elf) Bard was 57th level on the day of release, and made 58th--so, same-level as Stone Giants in Thanatoph--three days later on Christmas Eve. At that time, he had DEX 84/+22 & AGI 76/+28, nearly singled in PF (55 of 59 possible), no Dodge (but 45 Songs, so +33 effective Dodging ranks from Mirrors/1019), 3 CM, only 10 Perception.
Boil Earth was mainly an annoyance. "Why the hell am I laying down?!? Oh; missed a few lines of screen-scroll."
Then I bitched about the spell for three weeks, and less-so for the remaining three months.
Looks like I have not yet synched my phone to my desktop, so I don't recall when in the last week-to-10 days I made 65th, but I did. Stone giants--given that they are MUCH more likely to cast Earthen Fury than even Illoke Shamen are--remain as my go-to "Kill These First" creatures in the Stronghold... and one just tagged me this morning, in fact, at +7 levels on it.
He is currently DEX 88/+24, AGI 78/+29 (and I now hunt wearing an Enhancive that is +2 to one of those bonuses, and +4 to the other bonus, so +9 stat bonuses over what I had at release), 75 PF, 20 Dodging (and now up to 49 Songs, so +35 net from Mirrors/1019), 20 Perception, still only 3 CM.
.
I have been routinely running the -100# Encumbrance through SimuCoins since I picked up a bunch in the summer sale last year. After the spell got released, I looked around and stuffed 109 wands that I was carrying into a backpack in my Four Winds Isle locker. (Would have been 110, but you know. Backpack.) These are mana batteries for Unravel/1013.
I am always "not encumbered enough to notice" at the start, though I routinely find boxes and 100-800 silvers on quite a few of the critters down there, so easy to get weighed down a step or two even with a disk. (Since I have a MA Mage, I always have a disk; I some times burn a scroll invoke to take advantage of the Bard's EL:Air ranks for higher capacity, and I'm thinking of having the Mage imbed some rods so the Bard can share his big disks around.)
Recently I've fallen in with a shady crowd--seems like 5 out of 8 people I see down there on a regular basis are ambushing Rogues, and another is an ambushing Ranger--so I frequently have my armor adjusted and Mobility/618 running. (If it gets to be a concern, I have him wearing a MR Mobility rub-activator, too. Orb gems, for a Bard, are totally not a problem, for a Recharging session...)
I have chosen NOT to use Sonic Armor/1012 (for the lessened encumbrance) due to, you know: vulnerability to Impact crits. :(
Currently, he's getting to the point where it's hard to fry in a single medley renewal cycle (9 minutes and change); it used to be that he could routinely fry in 3 minutes or less, but he's not getting 150 experience per kill for any of the ones in the Stronghold now. Thank goodness the stone mastiffs/62 have a tendency to swarm, because three in a room dropping to a single Disruption/1030 means 210 experience for 20 mana. (Actually 26, because I renew Depression/1015, first.) When I'm trying to find/use my daily LTE Boosts, I find myself frequently having to endure an actual renewal.
I have recently been serious consideration to running Tonis/1035 full-time, just for the added Dodging ranks. (+20 base, and I have +16 more of the twenty (listed) possible from EL:Air.) In a five-minute hunt, that's only another 105 mana, and when I'm controlling 'mana pulse' (with a stack of mana recovery Enhancives & Powersong/1018 running) I get back 86 in the field, so it's not that onerous a cost... (And again, 100+ blue or crystal wands available for mana batteries, so it would be bearable.)
.
Just in the last month/3-4 levels I have more regularly started seeing SMR results that are merely 15-40 over the rolls, so if those rolls are sufficiently low I actually survive. (-Ish.) Mostly when that happens, I run.
When I get hit, first I "shout rally"/1040, then I run.
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 09:17 AM CDT
Wait. . . 7 levels in 3 months?
Who are you, and what have you done with Robert?
Doug
Who are you, and what have you done with Robert?
Doug
KRAKII
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 09:29 AM CDT
Heh. :)
.
1) He's a Bard, so killing is stupid easy. "renew Unravel\r, renew disruption\r, goto top"
2) With the release of off-line absorption, I don't have to be in the game to make level. I routinely get in for 15 minutes in the morning before breakfast, log out fried, get in after getting home from work for 15 minutes, log out fried, and get in right before going to bed for 15 minutes, & log out fried. Since a "boost absorb" mind-clearer is in the ~970 points for him, so rounding says "1000 per login". So that's 3k base per day, my Lumnis currently starts on Tuesday morning, and recently--it's Tax Season, so I don't really have a lot of time to be in-game most weeks--it's been expiring on Sunday evening or even Monday morning.
3) Add in LTE, two per day, and the day10 Boost/1 'absorb' & day20 Boost/3 'absorb' & day30 Boost/6 2x multiplier... Given my timing over the week, I'm net positive (by a bunch) because LTE doesn't tick down while I'm under Lumnis.
.
But even my (chronologically oldest character, the) Thief made level a few times. He & I turned 48 on the same day, matter of fact. :)
.
1) He's a Bard, so killing is stupid easy. "renew Unravel\r, renew disruption\r, goto top"
2) With the release of off-line absorption, I don't have to be in the game to make level. I routinely get in for 15 minutes in the morning before breakfast, log out fried, get in after getting home from work for 15 minutes, log out fried, and get in right before going to bed for 15 minutes, & log out fried. Since a "boost absorb" mind-clearer is in the ~970 points for him, so rounding says "1000 per login". So that's 3k base per day, my Lumnis currently starts on Tuesday morning, and recently--it's Tax Season, so I don't really have a lot of time to be in-game most weeks--it's been expiring on Sunday evening or even Monday morning.
3) Add in LTE, two per day, and the day10 Boost/1 'absorb' & day20 Boost/3 'absorb' & day30 Boost/6 2x multiplier... Given my timing over the week, I'm net positive (by a bunch) because LTE doesn't tick down while I'm under Lumnis.
.
But even my (chronologically oldest character, the) Thief made level a few times. He & I turned 48 on the same day, matter of fact. :)
KANDOR
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 10:08 AM CDT
I suppose 620 and armor fittings would offer a degree of protection from the spell. It'd be nice if it was as simple as wearing a more appropriate type of armor when hunting critters who cast it.
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 10:38 AM CDT
(very) Modest case in point. Even Liches aren't this good. And on a 101 end roll?
A human thief pulls out a tiny shard of jet black crystal and hurls it at you!
[SMR result: 101 (Open d100: 90, Bonus: 25)]
The crystal shatters against your body and releases a pulse of anti-magic!
You become solid again.
The brilliant luminescence fades from around you.
You notice that things have returned to their normal speed.
The shimmering multicolored sphere fades from around you.
You feel your extra strength departing.
Doug
A human thief pulls out a tiny shard of jet black crystal and hurls it at you!
[SMR result: 101 (Open d100: 90, Bonus: 25)]
The crystal shatters against your body and releases a pulse of anti-magic!
You become solid again.
The brilliant luminescence fades from around you.
You notice that things have returned to their normal speed.
The shimmering multicolored sphere fades from around you.
You feel your extra strength departing.
Doug
RATHBONER
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 10:38 AM CDT
>Who are you, and what have you done with Robert?
Coase brought in offline absorption. The login/fry/logout style is now only 5 years of 10 minutes play per day from turnip farm to cap. If Krakii added bounties to his repetoire, he'd probably cap those characters from stone giants before 2020.
Coase brought in offline absorption. The login/fry/logout style is now only 5 years of 10 minutes play per day from turnip farm to cap. If Krakii added bounties to his repetoire, he'd probably cap those characters from stone giants before 2020.
KRAKII
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 11:13 AM CDT
Well, being honest to Doug: around the middle of last year when I had a long run of house-sitting for various co-workers & three-day work trips with boring junk on TV, I said to myself, "Self, you pay every month for your Boards subscription and get this FREE GAME that goes with it... why don't you login every now and again?"
So I started ramping my time up a bit. I want to say going on 9 months or so now?
(Looks like, "made 49th Oct-2015, made 50th Sep 2016, and 51st later that month." So probably around August-ish is when I returned from sabbatical. :)
.
Haven't really gotten the urge to hunt with anyone other than the Bard yet, though I did do a couple of runs with the Thief just to keep my hand in. (And to trigger the 1/3 days LTE boost. Still need to kill something with Krakii & the Enchanter to trigger theirs.)
GREAT learning off the Thanatoph boxes (which were legion), but when I started getting more challenging ones from the Stronghold I got tired of going to Larton for all of them, and burnt last May's FixSkills to crank him up closer to tripled.
(So now I'm only paying Larton for about 35-45% of them, rather than all. And again, some times with a group so we might find a Service person or have one of the shady types in group with us already, depending.)
By 'profile', he (at 51st) has done as difficult a trap & lock as one of the Bard's contemporaries who has now aged up to Krag beasties, so I'm feeling pretty good about him opening things from the Stronghold.
So I started ramping my time up a bit. I want to say going on 9 months or so now?
(Looks like, "made 49th Oct-2015, made 50th Sep 2016, and 51st later that month." So probably around August-ish is when I returned from sabbatical. :)
.
Haven't really gotten the urge to hunt with anyone other than the Bard yet, though I did do a couple of runs with the Thief just to keep my hand in. (And to trigger the 1/3 days LTE boost. Still need to kill something with Krakii & the Enchanter to trigger theirs.)
GREAT learning off the Thanatoph boxes (which were legion), but when I started getting more challenging ones from the Stronghold I got tired of going to Larton for all of them, and burnt last May's FixSkills to crank him up closer to tripled.
(So now I'm only paying Larton for about 35-45% of them, rather than all. And again, some times with a group so we might find a Service person or have one of the shady types in group with us already, depending.)
By 'profile', he (at 51st) has done as difficult a trap & lock as one of the Bard's contemporaries who has now aged up to Krag beasties, so I'm feeling pretty good about him opening things from the Stronghold.
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 11:18 AM CDT
Congrats, Robert. Progress! :)
I can imagine how the EF challenge puts a crimp in that.
Doug
I can imagine how the EF challenge puts a crimp in that.
Doug
FURROWFOOT
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/08/2017 08:17 PM CDT
You're an inspiration, Robert!
I haven't been really sure what to do with Furrow as he's already gotten his level for the year...
KRAKII
ARCHIGEEK
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/09/2017 05:38 PM CDT
My experience with liches is that, when they get a cast of dispell off, it usually takes all my elemental spells, and 1-2 spiritual ones. At that point I have to go into retreat mode and get them back up. That said, as a well above cap warrior, with pretty well maxxed out skills and stats, and good gear, I seem to handle their earthen fury and major ewave pretty well these days.
The one change I am noticing though is that oblivion quartz stopped having an affect on me in the last couple of months. Not sure that's related to SMRv2 or some sort of bug.
Kerl
The one change I am noticing though is that oblivion quartz stopped having an affect on me in the last couple of months. Not sure that's related to SMRv2 or some sort of bug.
Kerl
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/09/2017 08:09 PM CDT
>>The one change I am noticing though is that oblivion quartz stopped having an affect on me in the last couple of months.
There's still affecting the Elf. Significantly. I want some of what Kerl's drinking!
Doug
There's still affecting the Elf. Significantly. I want some of what Kerl's drinking!
Doug
PEREGRINEFALCON
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/09/2017 10:58 PM CDT
>> There's still affecting the Elf. Significantly. I want some of what Kerl's drinking!
When you say significantly - what does that actually mean?
Faulkil can handle these with very little risk of issue. The same with my paladin - my observation is that as you gain levels nearing cap you seem to outgrow the effects (not entirely but to where 'most' of the time you can handle them without the ill effects).
But since the Elf is cap plus I am curious what your experience is with oblivion quartz. I have a bag of these we can experiment with if you like - I pick them up whenever they drop in the rift.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
When you say significantly - what does that actually mean?
Faulkil can handle these with very little risk of issue. The same with my paladin - my observation is that as you gain levels nearing cap you seem to outgrow the effects (not entirely but to where 'most' of the time you can handle them without the ill effects).
But since the Elf is cap plus I am curious what your experience is with oblivion quartz. I have a bag of these we can experiment with if you like - I pick them up whenever they drop in the rift.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 08:43 AM CDT
>>you seem to outgrow the effects
Or build up an immunity? He's probably handled 5 in his existence. And two, recently. Ok, I'm game - time to experiment some more.
Doug
Or build up an immunity? He's probably handled 5 in his existence. And two, recently. Ok, I'm game - time to experiment some more.
Doug
PEREGRINEFALCON
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 11:14 AM CDT
>> Or build up an immunity? He's probably handled 5 in his existence. And two, recently. Ok, I'm game - time to experiment some more.
This was a theory I started testing a couple years back then I got distracted by other things. I was taking my oblivion quartz and giving them to my much lower lever (at the time) paladin to hold to see if it got better over time. But... now he's in his 90s and picking them up on his own so I'd need to start over with someone new.
My paladin has probably handled... hmmm... 60-100 unique gems so far? More 'contacts' if you consider picking them up originally to put them in my bag, then transferring them to other containers (I sometimes make a sack of 10 to sell or give away), and or selling them.
When he was young and I was starting my testing he was pretty much caught up every time and would eventually lose it as it 'rolled away'. Now, I still take precautions, but he usually just picks them up and puts them away with no issue.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
This was a theory I started testing a couple years back then I got distracted by other things. I was taking my oblivion quartz and giving them to my much lower lever (at the time) paladin to hold to see if it got better over time. But... now he's in his 90s and picking them up on his own so I'd need to start over with someone new.
My paladin has probably handled... hmmm... 60-100 unique gems so far? More 'contacts' if you consider picking them up originally to put them in my bag, then transferring them to other containers (I sometimes make a sack of 10 to sell or give away), and or selling them.
When he was young and I was starting my testing he was pretty much caught up every time and would eventually lose it as it 'rolled away'. Now, I still take precautions, but he usually just picks them up and puts them away with no issue.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 11:51 AM CDT
>>Now, I still take precautions, but he usually just picks them up and puts them away with no issue.
I like! I'm going to start that process, although I may have misspoke as well. The Elf ignores urglaes fangs (cursed), doomstones, and oblivion quartz. The doomstones are the ones I most recently remember 'handling' (just did it again today to be sure).
I'll work on both of the latter. I gave up carrying pure potions for the fangs some time ago, though.
Doug
I like! I'm going to start that process, although I may have misspoke as well. The Elf ignores urglaes fangs (cursed), doomstones, and oblivion quartz. The doomstones are the ones I most recently remember 'handling' (just did it again today to be sure).
I'll work on both of the latter. I gave up carrying pure potions for the fangs some time ago, though.
Doug
PEREGRINEFALCON
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 12:19 PM CDT
I haven't noticed any improvement for doomstones over time / with training. I leave these on the ground but do handle the ones in boxes when I have the opportunity to sit it out after the handling.
I just leave the fangs on the ground / get a cleric friend to help when they are in boxes.
I pretty much always pick up the oblivion quartz though. Just... can't... resist...!
It's worth noting that you CAN drag oblivion quartz to a safer location before picking them up (e.g. an empty room with only one entrance/exit. Weird and quirky that this can be done but something you might want to consider if you are doing your experimenting in the field.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
I just leave the fangs on the ground / get a cleric friend to help when they are in boxes.
I pretty much always pick up the oblivion quartz though. Just... can't... resist...!
It's worth noting that you CAN drag oblivion quartz to a safer location before picking them up (e.g. an empty room with only one entrance/exit. Weird and quirky that this can be done but something you might want to consider if you are doing your experimenting in the field.
-- Robert
A powerful whirlpool is suddenly overtaken by a windy vortex!
ARCHIGEEK
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 01:16 PM CDT
It's not a matter of developing immunity. Some formula changed or there's a bug. I've handled thousands of them over a good 15 year period of not longer, and have for a long time had a small risk of being affected. A few weeks ago, that risk went to zero. My theory is that it's either related to SMRv2 and was implemented recently, or, the formula was tweaked. If the formula was made to be more directly related to fear mechanics, I have T4 voln armor that is enough to make me immune to shear fear from liches. I'm kind of guessing at this point, but something changed and it wasn't gradual. I can now pick them up with impunity, as of a few weeks, or maybe a month back.
Kerl
Kerl
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 01:40 PM CDT
>>you CAN drag
Yep, an oldie but a goodie - I use that for boxes (when encumbrance is a challenge). I also used exactly this with the recent doomstone experience - because I remember (?) itchy curse being one of the potential outcomes.
Works for us wizards (and other pures) holding an item in one hand. Becomes a bit more problematic for those who have both hands normally full, though, IIRC. I believe you need one hand empty to drag.
Pro-tip: Don't try two!
Doug
Yep, an oldie but a goodie - I use that for boxes (when encumbrance is a challenge). I also used exactly this with the recent doomstone experience - because I remember (?) itchy curse being one of the potential outcomes.
Works for us wizards (and other pures) holding an item in one hand. Becomes a bit more problematic for those who have both hands normally full, though, IIRC. I believe you need one hand empty to drag.
Pro-tip: Don't try two!
Doug
DOUG
Re: Earthen Fury and stone giants
04/10/2017 01:41 PM CDT
>>It's not a matter of developing immunity. Some formula changed or there's a bug.
Good to know! At least, right up until it's declared a bug, and resolved. ;x
Move along Estild and team - nothing to see here.
Doug
Good to know! At least, right up until it's declared a bug, and resolved. ;x
Move along Estild and team - nothing to see here.
Doug
