Friday Grab Bag - 04/02/2021
Thanks, as always, to everyone for your questions! You can submit any questions relating to current development plans, to request clarification on basic game mechanic questions, or questions on community issues through the Grab Bag Submission form. For any other feedback or suggestions please use our feedback form.
Hop on for the questions!
Does spell pierce from doppel arcane mace stack with spell pierce from gear or is it all counted at cap 10%?
All spell piercing bonuses are capped at 10% regardless of their source.
Hello! There was an old grab bag that discussed how the casting cost of spells works, specifically mentioning focus and its impact. Can you provide insight into the factors that go into how much a spell costs and how much or little using a mace/shield over a staff affects different types of spells? Thank you.
Old Grab Bag details.
First, a quick reminder on what classes are set as a "focus caster" (note: a focus caster is not the same as a list caster; for example a Valewalker is a list caster, but not a focus caster):
As that old grab bag states, if you do not have a focus staff equipped and are casting a spell on a focus caster your power cost will be increased by 120% of the spell’s normal power cost value.
Albion
Midgard
Hibernia
Cabalist
Bonedancer
Animist
Necromancer
Runemaster
Bainshee
Sorcerer
Spiritmaster
Eldritch
Theurgist
Warlock
Enchanter
Wizard
Mentalist
For example, a spell that costs 70 power (in the delve) will cost 84 power when not using a focus staff on a focus caster.
When a focus staff is equipped, has a focus stat that is higher level than the spell being cast, is of the right spec. line, the staff’s condition is 100%, and your character’s composite specialization level is higher than the spell’s level then the power cost is reduced to 80% of the delved power cost.
Continuing the example, a 70 power cost spell now only costs 56 power with the (fully repaired) focus staff equipped and a higher composite spec. than the spell’s level.
These days, one doesn’t have to worry as much about having the right Focus specialization or +level stat, as almost all focus staffs have a +50 to all magic lines. So just make sure your focus staff is equipped, fully repaired, and that your composite specialization of the spell’s skill line is above the spell’s level to get that full 80% power cost reduction.
Using the same example again, if a focus caster was casting a level 45 spell that cost 70 power and that spell was in a line that the caster only had +30 composite spec in, and they had a fully repaired +50 all focus spells staff equipped they would use 65 power; so getting some reduction but not the full 80% due to the spell’s level being higher than their composite spec. in that line.
Other than +focus and some minotaur relic bonuses, there are no modifiers that reduce the cost of casted spells though Cave Shamans do have an a debuff that increases the power cost of spells cast by their enemies. There is also the arcane siphon stat on some items that will give your character a chance to not use any power when casting a spell.
Otherwise, having high power regeneration (from mythical power regen stats or class’ power regen abilities) and obviously a higher overall power pool from equipping power% and power% cap gear will allow a character to cast more spells for longer too and with enough power regen and power pool% a character can largely offset the power cost of spells even when not using a focus staff!
As for the different types of spells that use this focus power cost mechanic, it’s actually less confusing than it may seem based on that previous grab bag answer:
For focus-caster classes, *all* spells found in their base and specialization lines use the focus power cost mechanic; including heal spells!
As for non-focus caster classes, other than those other power cost modifiers mentioned above their spells will cost the exact same as the delve shows. If a spell delves for 30 power, it will cost 30 power when cast by a non-focus casting class.
For classes that can cast Mesmerize, does +skill (+Pacification, +mind, +music) assist with your chance to land said spell?
It does not and these +skills do not increase the effectiveness of crowd control either. +Pacification actually provides no benefit to any spells in its line while +Music does affect the damage of a Bard’s damage shouts and +Mind does affect the power cost of Mind spells since Sorcerers are a focus caster.
A previous grab bag stated that weaponskill isn't used in any combat equations. What benefit does envenom weaponskill debuff then have in combat? What exactly is debuffed? Does melee dmg debuff in envenom modify style proc damage in any way?
The Weaponskill debuff is technically reducing the underlying aspects of the character that contribute to their weaponskill totals – such as how much they are specialized into a weapon line, among other things. It’s just displayed through the weaponskill stat. This debuff will cause targets to land less of their melee attacks and block/evade/parry fewer melee attacks against them as well as reduce the target’s overall melee damage dealt.
The melee damage debuff only reduces damage done by the target’s melee portion of their style. Style procs are spells that are attached to a style and so they derive their damage from the proc’s spell delve amount. All spells are treated as casted/magic damage (regardless of the damage type). This is why stats like spell piercing help style proc damage and why melee damage debuffs don’t affect them.
Why can't Maulers use Polaris? It’s a staff
Maulers use the specialized staff skill ‘Mauler Staff’ which are staffs that can only be wielded by them. Polaris requires the ‘Staff’ skill (same skill that all casters and the Friar class has). It’s maybe a small distinction on paper but it’s similar to how a ‘Polearm’ is a two-handed weapon but Paladins can’t wield them even though they can specialize in “Two-Handed” weapons.
We do realize that Aura Manipulation specialized Maulers are largely caster-hybrids now and would like to have more caster staff-options. We’ll keep monitoring things but right now Maulers are performing quite well with their existing itemization options and so have no immediate plans to introduce more caster-centric gear options.
What is the buff cap on summoned pets and non-summoned pets?
Neither summoned nor non-summoned (charmed) pets have hard-caps on their buffs.
Remember, buffs don’t affect pets identically as players, here’s a link to a previous grab-bag answer on this very subject: Grab Bag 05/05/2017
Enjoy the weekend everyone - I'm off on an egg hunt!