Lance Berg
2007-09-09 10:58:47 UTC
A couple days ago, I was in a relatively remote location with some
friends... ok, we'd been trying a TIPT trial but had limited time, and
after a wipe realized we weren't going to have sufficient time to
finish. So there we were, deep in "injun country" with no porter. No
problem, naturally the melee can hammer out, and then the rest can gate.
Much to my surprise, the other two melee in the group did not have their
OT hammers. Guildmates, mind you, I wouldn't be quite so dumbfounded
with random pickup people, but then I don't group with random peeps much
anymore. We solved our problem with some gate potions, and went on our
way... but this begs to be addressed.
So, I'd heard a rumor recently, and set out to confirm it. The base
enchanter shroud, the Fairy, has no charm, but I'd heard that the
Abberation second shroud did. So I took a level 5 gargoyle wizard, got
a temp and pulled some Skinspike II potions out of the bank and went to
work. I did the kobolds in Steamfont, because they aren't social, don't
run, and are right in the 'sweet spot' as far as leveling a shroud,
levels 4 and 5. The gargoyle wizard is harder to level than the goblin
shrouds I'd done before, because his melee output sucks, and you don't
get that much more milage from his nukes than you do from the rogue's
Lession ability. DS potion, though, well thats really plenty of DS to
get the job done in reasonable time.
A couple notes:
1) Kobolds DO run... unless you pull them to next to another kobold.
Apparantly although they don't add or actually aggro, the presence of
one in aggro range prevents the other from running.
1a) If a Kobold does run and you aren't paying attention, there's no
need to chase him or worry about him coming back, he'll literally get so
far he forgets you, you get back to hourglass! But if you are paying
attention, a nuke or maybe two will take him down, no need to give chase.
2) Bugglegup roams thru the area occasionally. You're not gonna take
her out as a level 5, and she'll just cost you your temp and potion.
Try running to the book if you get aggro.
3) Steamfont Spring Water is the desirable loot here, collect it up and
let everything else rot... your local tinker will thank you, or if you
want to sell it in the bazaar, maybe you'll make enough to pay for the
DS pots.
SO about 200 kills later, Evil Eye Psion. Turns out the charm has a 24
second duration, usable every 5 minutes or so. NOT something thats
gonna let you solo like a real chanter. But it also has a neg 1000 to
resists, and works on mobs up to level 70 (assuming you've got the 70
shroud up) Unless the mob is immune to charm (and some are) this is
going to land and last the full duration.
Charming a mob puts you at Amiable faction with it, puts others at
Indifferent faction to it. If this is sufficient for your quest this
can be a handy tool for avoiding weeks of faction work. BUT note, a
charmed mob does not give faction for quests, a little catch-22 if you
were trying to get higher than amiable with some mob by charming to let
him do a quest that would then give you real faction.
This guy is good enough to get you your OT hammer, and I'm sure some
other quests as well... not being a charm class, I can't really think of
any offhand. Maybe there's a list somewhere.
friends... ok, we'd been trying a TIPT trial but had limited time, and
after a wipe realized we weren't going to have sufficient time to
finish. So there we were, deep in "injun country" with no porter. No
problem, naturally the melee can hammer out, and then the rest can gate.
Much to my surprise, the other two melee in the group did not have their
OT hammers. Guildmates, mind you, I wouldn't be quite so dumbfounded
with random pickup people, but then I don't group with random peeps much
anymore. We solved our problem with some gate potions, and went on our
way... but this begs to be addressed.
So, I'd heard a rumor recently, and set out to confirm it. The base
enchanter shroud, the Fairy, has no charm, but I'd heard that the
Abberation second shroud did. So I took a level 5 gargoyle wizard, got
a temp and pulled some Skinspike II potions out of the bank and went to
work. I did the kobolds in Steamfont, because they aren't social, don't
run, and are right in the 'sweet spot' as far as leveling a shroud,
levels 4 and 5. The gargoyle wizard is harder to level than the goblin
shrouds I'd done before, because his melee output sucks, and you don't
get that much more milage from his nukes than you do from the rogue's
Lession ability. DS potion, though, well thats really plenty of DS to
get the job done in reasonable time.
A couple notes:
1) Kobolds DO run... unless you pull them to next to another kobold.
Apparantly although they don't add or actually aggro, the presence of
one in aggro range prevents the other from running.
1a) If a Kobold does run and you aren't paying attention, there's no
need to chase him or worry about him coming back, he'll literally get so
far he forgets you, you get back to hourglass! But if you are paying
attention, a nuke or maybe two will take him down, no need to give chase.
2) Bugglegup roams thru the area occasionally. You're not gonna take
her out as a level 5, and she'll just cost you your temp and potion.
Try running to the book if you get aggro.
3) Steamfont Spring Water is the desirable loot here, collect it up and
let everything else rot... your local tinker will thank you, or if you
want to sell it in the bazaar, maybe you'll make enough to pay for the
DS pots.
SO about 200 kills later, Evil Eye Psion. Turns out the charm has a 24
second duration, usable every 5 minutes or so. NOT something thats
gonna let you solo like a real chanter. But it also has a neg 1000 to
resists, and works on mobs up to level 70 (assuming you've got the 70
shroud up) Unless the mob is immune to charm (and some are) this is
going to land and last the full duration.
Charming a mob puts you at Amiable faction with it, puts others at
Indifferent faction to it. If this is sufficient for your quest this
can be a handy tool for avoiding weeks of faction work. BUT note, a
charmed mob does not give faction for quests, a little catch-22 if you
were trying to get higher than amiable with some mob by charming to let
him do a quest that would then give you real faction.
This guy is good enough to get you your OT hammer, and I'm sure some
other quests as well... not being a charm class, I can't really think of
any offhand. Maybe there's a list somewhere.