Merchant Coast Writ

[seppuku me senpai]

There's never enough spawns in either map for the Merchant coast writ. Every time I have gone, I have had to go outside the areas and wait for the enemies to respawn before going through again to finish. In worst case scenarios, this happens to the adventuring party ahead of me, and I have to wait longer for them to finish waiting for the respawns to finish their writ, so I can go and do mine.

This is an easy fix with either increasing spawn rate on the merchant coast or decreasing the amount of spawns necessary to satisfy the writ.

((Also, thank you for fixing Soulhaven to allow horses inside.))

[Waldo52]

There's never enough spawns in either map for the Merchant coast writ. Every time I have gone, I have had to go outside the areas and wait for the enemies to respawn before going through again to finish. In worst case scenarios, this happens to the adventuring party ahead of me, and I have to wait longer for them to finish waiting for the respawns to finish their writ, so I can go and do mine.

This is an easy fix with either increasing spawn rate on the merchant coast or decreasing the amount of spawns necessary to satisfy the writ.

((Also, thank you for fixing Soulhaven to allow horses inside.))

+1. Almost every single time.

[Za-Lord~s Guard]

Also worth noting, the Pureblood spellcaster spawns spam hold person, and typically come with more than one to a group.

They are also stoneskinned by a sequencer, so trying to interrupt their casts by damaging them isn't viable. Since the level range for this writ is beneath where someone would have access to mind blank, this means people doing it are reliant on clarity potions or luck to get around being held and murdered.

With clarity having a short duration and a cooldown, that leaves it as a mostly ineffective solution.

This isn't very engaging gameplay, as being held just leads to sitting there waiting to die defenselessly as it lasts quite a while.

Their spell list likely could stand to be tinkered with to be less punishing, if the area's spawns are being looked at.

[garrbear758]

Also worth noting, the Pureblood spellcaster spawns spam hold person, and typically come with more than one to a group.

They are also stoneskinned by a sequencer, so trying to interrupt their casts by damaging them isn't viable. Since the level range for this writ is beneath where someone would have access to mind blank, this means people doing it are reliant on clarity potions or luck to get around being held and murdered.

With clarity having a short duration and a cooldown, that leaves it as a mostly ineffective solution.

This isn't very engaging gameplay, as being held just leads to sitting there waiting to die defenselessly as it lasts quite a while.

Their spell list likely could stand to be tinkered with to be less punishing, if the area's spawns are being looked at.

I've done this writ numerous times on just about every character I've played, and this isn't very accurate. They have an extremely low concentration score and even in stoneskin can easily be interrupted by attacking them. Even on a dexer. The DC on their hold is also fairly low, even for the level range. The only time they spam hold person is if you ignore them. They typically cast it once then cast either prayer or buff their allies.

Prioritize attacking the casters and your pve experience will go much more smoothly.

[Za-Lord~s Guard]

Also worth noting, the Pureblood spellcaster spawns spam hold person, and typically come with more than one to a group.

They are also stoneskinned by a sequencer, so trying to interrupt their casts by damaging them isn't viable. Since the level range for this writ is beneath where someone would have access to mind blank, this means people doing it are reliant on clarity potions or luck to get around being held and murdered.

With clarity having a short duration and a cooldown, that leaves it as a mostly ineffective solution.

This isn't very engaging gameplay, as being held just leads to sitting there waiting to die defenselessly as it lasts quite a while.

Their spell list likely could stand to be tinkered with to be less punishing, if the area's spawns are being looked at.

I've done this writ numerous times on just about every character I've played, and this isn't very accurate. They have an extremely low concentration score and even in stoneskin can easily be interrupted by attacking them. Even on a dexer. The DC on their hold is also fairly low, even for the level range. The only time they spam hold person is if you ignore them. They typically cast it once then cast either prayer or buff their allies.

Prioritize attacking the casters and your pve experience will go much more smoothly.

I've also done this writ numerous times and on virtually every character I've leveled.

Even with a low concentration score, they will have a d20 roll against the damage you deal (likely less than 20) vs their stoneskin. This means they have a strong chance of not being interrupted.

This advice also doesn't work when they spawn in groups of 2 or more and have each of the casters all spamming hold person, since you can only target one of them. This being extremely common seeing as I usually find 2-3 purebloods in a given pack and have to figure out how to address them when I can only actively melee and try to interrupt one through its stoneskin. Going around them or evading them is also typically not an option, as they spawn on the path between the two areas.

The pureblood spawns need to be looked at. Limited in how many can spawn in a pack, their spell lists tweaked, or removed altogether.

[seppuku me senpai]

i would just be happy with there being enough spawns to kill please

[Kuma]

There's two maps to this one, right? The beach area sometimes has enough spawns for the writ, but the ruins NEVER have enough spawns in my experience.

[Xarge VI]

I just had my char die two times in a row to the yuan-ti. Clearly they are imbalanced for forcing my bard pass will saves. (on the third attempt I used the power of tactics and triumphed despite my low will.)

The amount of spawns in the second area is too low though. First time ever there was seven spawns in the area when I was there a couple of days ago.

[Rico_scorpion]

Yep, spawns too low in number, annoyingly so.

As for difficulty of the spelllist, I'm not sure I agree. Some writs are easier for some classes and unbearable for others. Yuan ti in particular are a big nono for anything weak on the mind, without immunity, or without summon. I personally tend to skip levelling through them on every character with trash will, and frankly I like it that way: some variation in the leveling experience really cannot hurt. There's plenty of other writs to do at that level range anyway. I would advise playing your toon to their strength rather than uphill battles.

Cheers.

[Nitro]

The ability draining pulse attacks that yuan-ti do are way more annoying than hold spell spams honestly.

[garrbear758]

I definitely think the purebloods are fine, but the areas absolutely need more spawns.

[AstralUniverse]

Yuan-ti are definitely not too hard. They also give great exp for the effort. Sure, some classes struggle more than others but honestly they are some of the better designed mobs we got. They dont spawn enough in both screens of this writ imo. It's enough that someone passes by through the portal and the next person doing the writ is likely not going to spawn enough in either screen. And for the record, for a lvl 10-15 character with Low will save, I find that potion of wisdom + protection from alignment is enough to reduce the chances to get Hold to almost only 1s. That's good enough for me, without even counting other buffs to saves and Clarity potions.

[Irongron]

I'll either up spawn rate or expand area later today.

[Ork]

I'll either up spawn rate or expand area later today.

WOO!

[seppuku me senpai]

thank you sir

UPDATE:
Ran this writ tonight. spawn rate was much better, painless to have enough spawns to satisfy the writ in both areas, didn't require any waiting at all. thank you

[Lexx]

Is there any chance the rate of which hold person is spammed by the purebloods can be lessened slightly? One bad spawn on a cliff you can't get up as a melee basically can spell doom for you even trying to attempt the writ there. Especially given the fact there's no real payoff in terms of chests/places to loot for enduring such.

[AstralUniverse]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

[Lexx]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

Dc 14 when it's constantly getting pelted at you and within relative levels for the writ on a martial is a bigger deal than you're making it out to be. Also clarity potions can be exceedingly hard to source reliably.

[Nobs]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

Dc 14 when it's constantly getting pelted at you and within relative levels for the writ on a martial is a bigger deal than you're making it out to be. Also clarity potions can be exceedingly hard to source reliably.

Bring help , you dont need to do the writs alone

[Lexx]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

Dc 14 when it's constantly getting pelted at you and within relative levels for the writ on a martial is a bigger deal than you're making it out to be. Also clarity potions can be exceedingly hard to source reliably.

Bring help , you dont need to do the writs alone

That is all well and good in spirit but I mostly do writs/ am most active during the quiet hours on the server/offpeak due to my timezone. So the prospect of waiting potentially hours to find the right level company during those hours is impractical.

[AstralUniverse]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

Dc 14 when it's constantly getting pelted at you and within relative levels for the writ on a martial is a bigger deal than you're making it out to be. Also clarity potions can be exceedingly hard to source reliably.

I dont think it's a bigger deal than I make it out to be. I have just given you the 'how' too. You have a plethora of low lvl scrolls and potions who rise your abysmal fighter will save to only-fail-on-1 territory against those 14 dc holds. On top of that, you also have clarity potions, which you dont spam every time you see one pureblood, you save them for when there's a REAL chance to roll 1 because you spot a full spawn of purebloods and you know a lot of holds are coming soon and you cant focus all of them down on time before they throw them. And, as Nobs said above, you can always bring friends but that bit aint even my argument as I too mostly solo in the 'dead' hours of the day. These are some of my most favourite mobs, along with the kids in Mourn and other deadly but manageable things who require strategy but arent a brickwall of high ac/ab.

[Lexx]

Hold Person on 14 dc is not a big deal if you prepare. Dungeons should still require some preparation and should still be threatening a little. I certainly hope no one touches these purebloods. They are great mobs as they are.

Even for a lvl 10 fighter, getting your will save to 12+ isnt much of a problem with scrolls of owl's wisdom and protection from alignment accessible to anyone. Uh oh... Looks like you've been unlucky and spawned 5 pure bloods? Clarity potions are things too.

Dc 14 when it's constantly getting pelted at you and within relative levels for the writ on a martial is a bigger deal than you're making it out to be. Also clarity potions can be exceedingly hard to source reliably.

I dont think it's a bigger deal than I make it out to be. I have just given you the 'how' too. You have a plethora of low lvl scrolls and potions who rise your abysmal fighter will save to only-fail-on-1 territory against those 14 dc holds. On top of that, you also have clarity potions, which you dont spam every time you see one pureblood, you save them for when there's a REAL chance to roll 1 because you spot a full spawn of purebloods and you know a lot of holds are coming soon and you cant focus all of them down on time before they throw them. And, as Nobs said above, you can always bring friends but that bit aint even my argument as I too mostly solo in the 'dead' hours of the day. These are some of my most favourite mobs, along with the kids in Mourn and other deadly but manageable things who require strategy but arent a brickwall of high ac/ab.

I use the 'hows' already as you stated them before you offered them. And beg to differ. The rate of hold spam is overtuned for that level of writ even using such.

[AstralUniverse]

Given the fact I still go to those mobs, either in the coast or the mound, from the second I can pick that writ, on literally any character I started on the surface, and I still prefer them over just about anything else for that level range, especially when I'm alone and cant go somewhere *harder*, then I guess we'll agree to disagree <3.

[Lexx]

Given the fact I still go to those mobs, either in the coast or the mound, from the second I can pick that writ, on literally any character I started on the surface, and I still prefer them over just about anything else for that level range, especially when I'm alone and cant go somewhere *harder*, then I guess we'll agree to disagree <3.

That's great for you but might not be the same experience for a lot of others going there. As is the new spam of hold will likely just make less people do the content there. I know it'll be off my list of writs to take and thankfully the surface being so wide a place for writ choices means it's not a huge loss. Just that if you're not playing something with good saves or summons focused you're less likely to do well there as a melee now than before.

[garrbear758]

I try to avoid just saying “git gud,” but refusal to properly prepare is not a good reason to nerf a mob.