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Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:43 am
by fading
Can someone help? I can't think of a single reason why Mummy Dust would ever be preferable to Planar Conduit.. Been playing a wizard with Planar Conduit and it's been crushing through dungeons, easily able to get the white slaad to 50 AC. The undead have abysmally low AC in comparison, less attacks per round, less regeneration, about the same DR/immunity. Sure, you summon 3, but I'd rather have 2 great summons than 3 painfully mediocre ones. So, what gives..? Am I missing something obvious, or are undead kinda weak actually?
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:11 am
by -XXX-
Yes, the conduit summons have slightly better stats, but don't look at mummy dust as a standalone feat here.
Its primary function is upgrading the animate dead line of spells - most notably create greater undead (that now summons 3 tier 6 undead).
These are all recastable/scrollable spells while Planar Conduit is a 1x/rest ability.
In other words, get rid of a conjurer's Slaadi and that threat is gone while the necromancer can just keep sending waves after waves of vampires your way.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:26 am
by Hazard
Keeping a stack of scrolls for backup mummies/vampires can be really useful.
And at low levels a wand of animate dead is just SO great for a necro.
The stats may be lower, but having three of them does seem to equal things out a bit.
The highest tier mummy used to throw Word of Faith too, which was amazing, but that was removed.
I do think in comparison to the power creep that's gone on and introduction of planar conduit, EMD could use a teeny tiny buff, or conduit could be reigned back a bit, so that both are equal. It was my understanding that conduit was meant to be an alternative to EMD and not be greater than it.
With your wizard, do you have ESF conj and ESF necro? Both feats contribute to their respective summons stats.
Also if you are a speciliased necromancer or undeath cleric you can (if lucky) get two of the highest tier mummies sometimes.
Undead summons are also sneak and crit immune, which is nice.. and the mummies get fear aura, but the DC is poop.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:38 am
by fading
Hazard wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:26 am
Keeping a stack of scrolls for backup mummies/vampires can be really useful.
And at low levels a wand of animate dead is just SO great for a necro.
The stats may be lower, but having three of them does seem to equal things out a bit.
The highest tier mummy used to throw Word of Faith too, which was amazing, but that was removed.
I do think in comparison to the power creep that's gone on and introduction of planar conduit, EMD could use a teeny tiny buff, or conduit could be reigned back a bit, so that both are equal. It was my understanding that conduit was meant to be an alternative to EMD and not be greater than it.
With your wizard, do you have ESF conj and ESF necro? Both feats contribute to their respective summons stats.
Also if you are a speciliased necromancer or undeath cleric you can (if lucky) get two of the highest tier mummies sometimes.
Undead summons are also sneak and crit immune, which is nice.. and the mummies get fear aura, but the DC is poop.
My wizard only has ESF conj, however I tested the mummies in the PGC before the post with an ESF necro character. I understand the benefits of the undead, they seem mainly related to pvp though? Summons being dispelled is very rare in pve. I simply can't imagine how sending wave after wave of unbuffed undead to be butchered is better (exaggerating a bit, but you get it).
I definitely agree, that they should be equaled a bit, I was also under the impression that they were meant to be similar in power. I think the difference between 27 AC and 38 speaks for itself..
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:48 am
by Hazard
If there was ever a buff to EMD I would want it to just summon an extra undead, because having four minions is the perfect amount of minions.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:32 pm
by -XXX-
fading wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:38 am
I understand the benefits of the undead, they seem mainly related to pvp though? Summons being dispelled is very rare in pve. I simply can't imagine how sending wave after wave of unbuffed undead to be butchered is better (exaggerating a bit, but you get it).
Not quite. While straight up dismissals are rare in PvE, the summons can still die. Furthermore, the conduit summons also tend to fold to the kind of PvE content that "butchers" tier 6 undead.
Being able to casually summon a fresh set of pets inbetween individual encounters instead of having to rest/retreat each time they get destroyed can be a huge boon especially during longer dungeon crawls.
Finally, sometimes all you need is a "speed bump" to slow powerful enemies while you blast them with other spells.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:33 pm
by Edens_Fall
While I remember EMD being more useful in PvP then it is now, in general its still a good choice if you are a necro focus mage/cleric. This is generally due to the amount you can summon as every PvP battle is a contest of WoF vs summons it seems. Whoever runs out first flees.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 1:45 am
by AstralUniverse
Mummy Dust is stronger in pvp.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:25 am
by Void
Well, now I see why there are so many zombies around. Different summoning rules with ability to call powerful summons with items.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:54 am
by Hazard
Damnit. Stop using reason to undermine my fantasies of having 4 undead minions.
Re: Planar Conduit vs Mummy Dust
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 1:28 pm
by fading
All right, thanks everyone. I almost never pvp, so I suppose things like that slip my mind.