1) Echoing other positions, this should be a free action. Comparing it to barbarian rage.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmFIGHTER
Second Wind (Fighter 2, granted for free)
- Standard action - 10 minute cooldown - self only
- Grants fighter level * con mod hp.
Example 1: 20 fighter with 14 base con - 20*8 = 160 hp
Example 2: 26 fighter with 16 base con - 26 * 9 = 234 hp
Example 3: 6 fighter dip with 14 base con - 6 * 8 = 48 hp
Epic Second Wind (Fighter 21, Str 21)
-Second wind also removes minor debuffs (as lesser restoration) and grants +2 ab, +2 damage, and regen equal to constitution modifier for 1 turn
2) Does this over heal? Raise a HP cap? Only heal up to cap? What happens to unused HP after 1 Round? This should either be Temp HP or only fill to cap. The first operates just like Barbarian rage and is a great initiation tool. The Second is more to the namesake of "second wind" and would be used as a stim heal mid combat but requires much more tactical application as it would not over heal if the heal is greater than missing HP.
DI is good, though a very slippery slope balance mechanic. I appreciate that it is all DI and not just physical as those damned dexers get so much bonus damage from other sources these days. My only question is since this is catered against the fighter/WM, where is the damage from pure fighter coming from? Are we just making another PM defensive build with a wet noodle that can be ignored in PvP?garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmArmor Mastery (Fighter 14, Con 15)
- Persistent effect
- While wearing heavy armor, a fighter gets an additional 10% to all DI.
Epic Armor Mastery (Fighter 21, Con 17)
-The bonus from armor mastery is raised to 20%
sweet.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmHoned Edge (Fighter 18, Str 17)
- When not using a temporary essence or poison, your weapon gains +3 physical damage.
I don't like that his feat, despite being really cool, doesn't actually address the nimble elephant in the room: Dexers. Touch Attack wont come close to touching dex characters, so this is a new feat to buff strength builds that is solely useful in hurting strength builds. Something like this that is a discipline check instead of a touch attack would bring discipline back and benefit strength while hurting dex? Or something that is a attack but presumes flat foot?garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmSucker punch (Fighter 20, Str 17)
- Standard action - touch attack - 2 minute cooldown
- Does 5 * Fighter level damage
- Blinds for 1 round on a failed fortitude save
- DC = Fighter level + Con Mod
The special effect of Blinds is interesting, though a mixed bag for me. I'd prefer to see a slow mechanic as stickiness is hard in pvp already for melee.
Then we have the DC issue, DC abilities are a fishing for 1s in todays meta, maybe 5s as it isn't a spell. But on a 2 min CD, that is a one in 20 or at best a 1 in 4 pvp fights that it ever triggers. So it is more cute than meaningful.
I'll be honest, blinding speed is an issue on balance in Arelith. Why not increase str req and then give it the same properties as Blinding speed currently? Helps AC, it helps stickiness in melee, it gives the 1 APR and stops making the already slower fighter stop and chug haste pots every time a dexer has a free action BS CD ongarrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmAction Surge (Fighter 20, Str 17)
- Standard action - 5 minute cooldown
- Fighter gains 1 APR for 1 turn
This is harmful to Str builds. In a world where your rogue build has 73 AC pre expertise + e-edodge, even with +5 AB the str build is fishing for 20s to hit. With this you have reduced that build from 5 APR to only 3 chances at 20s AND you have taken away -10 AC from the str build leaving the strengther with at best 55ac, meaning the dexer needs to roll a 12 to hit him with 7-10 APR and the str needs to roll a 20 to hit the dexer with only 2-3 APR.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmPrecision Strikes (Fighter 16, Str 17)
- Toggleable combat stance similar to power attack / expertise
- 2 less APR, raises AB by 5.
EDIT: Another option here would be to lower crit multiplier by 1, which is something that is now possible.
Cavalier levels will stack with fighter levels for the scaling of these abilities, but not for meeting the prereqs.
Vamp regen is nice in theory. But in the fishing for 20s pvp environment against all dex builds this will fall flat. Made worse by e-dodge. You need to be able to hit to be able to heal, and the AC disparity is the issue. Made worse still as the vanilla version only triggers 50% of the time so it isn't a 1 in 20 chance to get +10 HP it is 1 in 40 chance to get +10 HP.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmBlood Lust (Ranger 15, Str 15)
A ranger's equipped weapon(s) gain +5 vampiric regen. This is the vanilla vampiric regen which has a 50% chance of applying and stacks with blade thirst.
Improved Blood Lust (Ranger 21, Str 23)
The bonus from Blood Lust is increased to +10.
I like it, and it is very thematically in line with Ranger, it just doesn't do anything to address the dex problem.
is this a hard +2ab or a soft? Does it count towards DR and does it diminish the usefulness of True Strike Potions? (the DR doesn't really matter as you'd have bladethirst anyways, but still worth knowing)garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmDual wield mastery (Ranger 20, Str 17)
-A ranger with this feat gains +2 ab while dual wielding.
This is fantastic. But it won't change the outcome in a dual with a dexer, the AC disparities are simply too great. Though this combined with some form of effective AC balancing would be nice.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmCall of the Wild (Ranger 15, Con 15) Note: This is feasible for archers, but not for rangers with divine or monk dips.
- A ranger with this feat gains 3 regeneration
Improved Call of the wild (Ranger 21, Con 17)
- The bonus from Call of the Wild is increased to 6.
I might suggest that you add a DI component to this, perhaps 15/30% but only in natural areas. Playing on the ranger theme and it scripts the same as HIPS.
unless (and even then it is a big maybe) that you allowed all rage feats to activate and stack when rage is entered, I do not see this being worth taking. The Barbarian AC is simply too low and they are still in a fishing for 20s battle against dexers. Every barbarian encounter is an HP pool that leaks like a sieve. I could see this regen giving barbs 1, maybe 2 more rounds of life. But if they skipped it and went WM instead they would have a chance of wining and living the engagement. Basically the barb is trading a 30% increase in crit damage for 6 HP a turn. To make that worse, they are trading this feat instead of 1 APR, or a fear.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pmBarbarian / other changes:
1: Mighty rage rework:
- Duration increase remains
- Grants regen = 3 + con mod damage bonus (5 at 16 barb, 6 at 21, 7 at 23, etc.)
- The CC clearing effect repeats once per 30 seconds
- Prereq lowered to 19 con. Barb/wms are unlikely to reach 19 as its a stretch for their base stats along with being a feat tight build. Its also not the end of the world if they take it. Its a feat that benefits PCs in longer fights a lot more than burst builds.
*shrugs* Warlocks and Druids rejoice! Dex builds are not particularly starved at epic levels for feats, e-dodge, but particularly with the change to Parry, there are fewer dual wielding dexers so feat economy increased.garrbear758 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:48 pm2: Move EDR 1/2/3 to 19 con.
Divine dips and monks won't have the stats to reach this. Dex builds generally won't have the feats. It's another option which is reasonable for non-divine str builds.
I think i'd rather see EDR stay at 21 con and then give it a buff based on armor type or class. Such as +1 DR per feat per 10 fighter/barb/ranger levels so it is 3/6/9 for warlocks and druids but it could be 6/12/18 for 30 fighter/barb/ranger
alternatively
Give EDR a stacking 1/2/3 elemental resist added to it with 10/20/30 fighter/barb/ranger levels, so with 5/fire resist on gear + EDR3 a fighter has 8/ resist to counter the imbues form dex SS or archer arrows.
Notable changes to help balance:
Dex Class balance:
Fix the god damn rogue.
Lightly armored bonus? WHY!? Rogue has highest AC in the game able to walk out with 73ac pre expertise. The last thing they need is an innate ability that gives them access to more AC (and as long as we are discussing balances, this is innate verse all the above that is a feat cost for str builds).
Blinding speed (not rogue specific) but rogue gets CD reduction on it and the arelith customization makes it invaluably strong.
Rogue HP - we gave them the highest AC and then gave them a free 60 HP for fun.
Rogue weapon AB - because we want to make sure DR doesn't matter and that their 3/4 BAB is mitigated.
We built the rogue monstrosity. We should really fix it, instead of trying to fix everything else.
Div Dip:
Cap div might/shield at divine class level. If someone wants to invest 11 levels of BG for 11 divine shield AC, great, do it! but the sheer volume of divine dip builds right now show this is out of control. Mechanically this is great as AC is out of control. RP this is good as these are DIVINE abilities: you are so devote and wonderful that a god smiles down on you and shines their favor on you to cloak you in a divine shield. That is not something done for a 3 level tip of the hat that is a reward for dedication.
Monk:
Cap monk wis/AC to monk class level. No need to exclude druid, or div dips, or specific classes. Just make it a monk feature. People have wined and complained about Monk dip AC for 15 years. This fixes that (sorry healers, you have to go back to CHA sanc)
Gear:
Str builds are failing in the AC world, AC is an issue. we need to reduce AC on dex gear and boost ac on heavy armors. remove the high enhancement armor ac light armors.
Leather2/6 armor - ideal for the lightly armored rogue buff - yet another reason rouge dexers are broken
Rogue Leather: we are giving the highest AC class in the game +4 armor?
Armor of the wilds: yes, race restricted but we want to give rogues the option of +5 enhanced armor with moderate 35 UMD they are taking anyways for DMC?
Displacer Beast: again +4 armor for rogues.
Padded 1/8 armors
Armor of immolation +4 ac
Cloth:
there are four +3 AC shirts and one +4 AC shirt for our dexers
Full Plate:
+ 3 Addy. That is it.
There is not a single +4 AC heavy armor until you reach northman at 6/1 which is effectively only a +2 ac full plate from AC perspective.
Then it isn't again until +4 for elven chain or pally armor at 4/4 medium.
We have a huge AC disparity vastly favored towards dex and yet we give dexers (and rogues in particular) vastly higher AC armors. You want to balance out AC? We need to look at the gear that gives AC and the disparities there in.
Runes
We have drastically increased the gear strength on the server. Runic items, Runes that are addable, Runic Chests. The ability to get +4 stat on items favors dex and dex/wis or dex/div builds with large stat spreads. This is a "back in my day" moment, but 15 years ago you were lucky to get 2 stats and 2 skills on an item. and it was nearly impossible to +12 two stats. We always saw div dip or monk dip but it used to be only to those classes that favored CHA/Wis already. Now with stats being relatively cheap we see it on all classes.
We can't go back (any probably shouldn't) but if we have increased the over all magic level of the module, we need to consider those mono stat builds (str) that benefit less from those increases when we consider balance and add in more powerful magical items to balance them or they get left behind entirely.