The Totally NEW Team Corwin Thread

I was going to go squishy though and bring in my FvS. :D Then we'd be heavy on the healing, with Peter's Cleric running around. Actually, that might work. Peter could focus on buffs and CC, while I handled the healing. *shrug* My WF will be interesting, but that depends on whether you're handling the arcane duties.

I agree, much easier to organize and coordinate during a game with Skype than typing. Especially during the chaos of combat. Given how well we get scattered and confused, every little bit helps! :D
 
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You guys were a hoot to listen to! I was rolling and my tummy hurt a lot from it.

Thanks to Peter and Rach for at least TRYING to keep up with my typing since I couldn't chatty to you guys. You guys were so involved I didn't think I would be able to talk to any of you. :)

I know I said this already but after knowing you guys from the forums it wasn't THAT hard figuring your voices. Corwin I already heard but wouldn't have been too hard to figure either. The minute I heard you all chatting I knew CM and Peters voices immediately. JM I had to assume being the only other female. I was confused, however, on the other 2 male voices. I mostly heard Az's voice and assumed that was him when I heard briefly Dte's voice. I dunno, it was fun for me to listen and go I KNOW THAT VOICE! Amma weirdo that way.

Az, I'm glad you got some great progress last night! Was a lot of fun with everyone then with us at the end.

Peter and I played today and my XP was way off. We did the ENTIRE catacombs missions mostly on hard one or two on elite and I only gained about 2k in xp. Then after Peter left I went to The Cerulean Hills and did the find Lady whateverhernameis and I gained about 2k from that on normal. It was unusual but fun nonetheless!

I have to work on Friday and will most likely NOT be sent home early so I will just have to do what I did yessidy. Will see if I can get my Skype working but don't place any bets. I'm lazy. :)

Thanks for the fun gang! See ya soon!
 
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I'd say your problem doing Catacombs with peter was level differential; you only get 50% of the XP when you have a 4 level differential. TWO (2) is the maximum level differential the game allows for full XP. After that you lose 25% per level. The other issue to be aware of, is that you only get the max XP for a quest the FIRST time you do it on each level. So if you only got 50% of the HARD XP this time, you should get even less next time. I don't think it's worth doing quests with people who have too high a level.
 
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I bought T a 3 hour guest pass and we completed the entire quests series within that time without actually having to rush a lot. I guess it helped a lot time wise not having in the group a certain sorcerer / wizard who gets lost at every intersection. :p

I got more than 10k XP from the catacombs. First we met in Irestone Inlet on casual and then I got 0 XP. I guess it's a level 4 quest dropped to 3 because of casual. 5 levels on the highest character from the quest level means 0 XP. Playing on elite was challenging and I died once. We were only 2 so a full party on elite can probably do well if the average level is 5-6 or so.

I believed every character would get the same base XP from the quest so it's strange that T only got 2k. I have to investigage that.

Those are initially level 3 quests so doing them on hard means level 4 (-50%) and elite means level 5 (-25%). But you get a 25% bonus for doing it the first time on that particular level.

The loot was much better when we finished catacombs on hard. We had the option to select several ghost touch weapons and other stuff. I guess the loot on elite will be even better. Since we completed them on hard it means Khethermyl can open the quests on elite if we decide to try again. If I bring my level 7 cleric it means we will only get -25% and + 25% for playing first time. So we can get normal XP and great loot.

We both collected a ghost touch longsword. That means I have a spare ghost touch battleaxe (single handed). So please tell me if you want it and I can arrange that for our next playing session. I even got a ghost touch / pure good shortbow. That means I can give Joe my flaming shortbow.

I was a nice paladin giving all lot in chests and barrels to Khethermyl so she increased from a lousy 44 platinum to more than 600 platinum just from playing catacombs. That can help a lot when she could barely afford potions. Since she plays a bit solo it's good to have some money to repair damage after you die and potions to avoid dying.

The combo of paladin and fighter in a group worked great. I had enough healing to get us to the next healing shrine. After the quests I got an extra action point (from 1 to 2) so I could buy extra lay on hands. Now I have 3 lay on hands with 108 HP healing each time. I can cast 11 cure light wounds as well. Our biggest problem was that we couldn't deal with traps and find secret doors.
 
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I found the info we need about how we gain XP:
http://ddowiki.com/page/Experience_points

These are the most important penalties:

Level of quest vs level of highest character in quest: (party)
Compare the quest's level to the level of the highest-level character to have entered the quest (even if they later left). If that character's level is below, equal to, or one level above the quest's level, there is no adjustment. If it's +2, there's a -10% penalty. +3 = -25%, +4 = -50%, +5 = -75%, +6 = -99%, and at +7 or higher there is no XP regardless of bonuses. Casual difficulty subtracts 1 from the quest's level (if possible) for purposes of this adjustment, Hard difficulty adds 1, and Elite adds 2.

Power-leveling penalty: (individual)
If you are exactly 4 levels below the highest-level character in the party, you receive a -50% penalty. If you are 5 levels below, you receive a -75% penalty. If you are 6 levels below, you receive a -99% penalty. If you are 7 or more levels below, you receive no XP regardless of bonuses.

The powerlevel penalty explains why Khethermyl got less XP than me. I was level 8 and she level 4. That means she will get a 50% XP penalty in addition to the penalty for playing on elite first part (effective quest level 5 vs highest party member 8 = -25% and hard (effective level 4 vs highest party member level ) -50%)
Since this was first time playing at the level for both of us it meant we got 25% bonus to XP.

This means T got only 50% XP when we played on elite and 25% XP when we played on hard. I would get 100% XP when playing on elite and 75% XP when playing on hard. In addition I have a 5% XP bonus item which adds further.

Since we only did part 1-3 on elite it means that T got very little XP for the last part which had the highest absolute XP rewards. That explains why she only got 2k XP and I over 10k.
 
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This means that we need to stay within 4 levels to avoid penalties to the lowest level characters. That means the level cap for the group should be 7 when we have level 4 or higher people inside (many in the guild are that now). The level cap is 8 when we have level 5 or higher people in the group.

So that means Azraelck's and my paladins are outside the level cap as long as most of our guild players in the sessions are level 4. Soon they will become level 5 and we can use level 8 characters in guild play.

In addition to this we have to look at the quest level when playing. If we play level 3 quests we better do them on elite if we have level 8 characters in the group. We can do them on hard if the highest level is 7.

So in order to plan for the next guild quest we have to figure out if any of us have played the quest before. We can only start on normal if neither of us have played before. If one has played on normal then he / she can open the quest on hard. If anyone has played on hard before we can start on elite.

The 25% XP bonus for trying first time on a higher difficulty setting can offset having higher level characters in a group. So as a rule of thumb I would set the following "rules" for playing that would get adequate XP for everybody.

Code:
If lowest level PC = 4 => highest level PC must be <= 7
If lowest level PC = 5 => highest level PC must be <= 8
If lowest level PC = 6 => highest level PC must be <= 9
If highest level PC = 7 => quest level >=3 hard, >=4 normal
If highest level PC = 8 => quest level >=3 elite, >=4 hard, >=5 normal
If highest level PC = 9 => quest level >=4 elite, >=5 hard, >=6 normal
And so on

If we stay within these boundaries everybody will get at least 100% XP (included the 25% bonus for playing first time on a particular difficulty). What do you think?
 
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Gah! Math! Kryptonite.... lasers.... *thud*

I finished most everything in 3 Barrel Cove last night as well, save one where you have to have two people. I don't think it's very popular, since I was the only one in there it seemed. One was frustrating because it was largely under water, and it was very easy to miss where you had to go in a couple areas. Another was too easy on normal, because Resist: Fire made you immune to almost all the mobs in the second part, and you only needed two casts. The last quest series I ran was almost perfect, though I needed a Rogue on that one at the very end.

None had traps, actually, except the underwater one (which couldn't be disarmed, that one will be impossible on elite).

Then went to House D and ran some quest or another that was fun. "Storming the Beaches". Got knocked out right at the end, and sat there hoping to stabilize. I did, finally, and managed to regenerate to 1 hp, and slam my LoH for a miracle save.

I still have yet to get decent drops though. The best I've gotten is +3 Full Plate out of the level 6-7 quests. And a Elf-only +2 Dwarven Waraxe :D

Now I'm only 48,000 off from level 9. :p Gonna try to get it today or tomorrow.
 
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I'm starting to get jealous of how much fun it sounds like you guys are having. I wish I had more free time, but I don't really want to start playing an MMO on the side.

Must….resist….temptation….
 
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Hmmm...... I have a few chars who need to finish Catacombs. Currently I'm soloing Tangles though my squishy finds it tough going with so few HP's and no armor bonus.
 
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I started me up a battle cleric. Probably be a long time before that one's ready for the group, though. Not only is he starting from 0 XP, but it's a little tougher to get enthusiastic to do Korthos all over again after milking it to death with Phuury.
 
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I told you, BUY the vet status option and start him at level 4. Saves time and energy.
 
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Yeah, I love my vet status. But then, I'm liable to start a character just to start one.

I actually had some spare points, and no adventure packs below level 10, so I grabbed a few character slots. So now I don't have to switch servers to make random builds in the middle of the night.
 
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Well, vet status looks expensive, but actually in real term it's about $10. Now, when I consider trading the hours I'd spend on Korthos, etc levelling up a char to level 4 vs a quick level 4 create, and that this is for ALL chars on ALL servers, it's actually a very cheap investment!! :)
 
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Yeah, for the time involved in getting 1-4, it's probably a bargain.

Heck, I ran a new cleric up today to 5.

4-5, in a day: Run Bonebite's New Leader twice, Water Works series twice, Garrison's Pack (for Furor's Hide, but still), Durk's (for another Muckbane), and run around the Cerulean Hills, killing rares, finding explorers, and causing havoc. Cannith Crystal for Spearbane Bracers, and type /death to return to the Grotto for the Ring of Waterbreathing. This is actually how I did my FvS and Monk up to 5 as well. Except my monk ran Durks several times, and got more than 1 muckbane. And both lack the ring.

I also ran into the Necropolis with my Paladin. Thus far, I'm less than enthused. The dungeons are long and rather boring affairs. Loot is not bad, and neither is experience. But it's long, straight halls intersecting long, straight halls. Danger is low; I shrined once because my detect secret doors clickie was out. Never was in any real danger.
 
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I just have one request this week, and that is to NOT see any more brown undergarments in game. That is all I will say about that one (Peter).
 
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I will bring my level 4 paladin (KarlPeter Aspenstein) to the session. So please invite him to the guild. He's a two-weapon paladin with 8 wisdom so he won't be healing much. I guess that means Azraelck kan bring his new cleric to the session so we have a healer. My paladin will become level 5 during this weekend so he will be on par with your characters.

I chose to make a two-weapon paladin because long term this is going to be the best DPS paladin. My other paladin is a shield and longsword paladin and can do tank jobs. He will have an excellent AC. That is fine for low and mid level, but he will become inadequate for high level. The two-weapon paladin have a DPS at the same as a fighter if the correct feats are chosen.

I even made my bank so I can trade between my characters and give to you items I don't need. E. g. I have a flaming shortbow for Joe's rogue and handwraps of maiming for her monk.

Update: My paladin just turned level 5 so he will have the same level as the rest of you.
 
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Don't you think you ought to consider creating characters OTHER than Paladins and clerics??!! :) I'll bring my Wizzy as we need to finish STK.
 
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The problem with AC in DDO is that you need some 40-50 at level 10. 90-100 by 20. And getting there is very difficult, even with buffs, for anyone not so hardcore that they level from 1 to 20 in a week. We're talking running Shroud 4000 times to craft the perfect armor, knowing all the exploits for AC (stacking Dodge bonuses, Monk splash for Wis to AC) etc...

Peter should try a Druid. Wait, there aren't any... :p

I was planning on my Cleric from the get go, and was quite happy except getting knocked flat twice by Kobold Shamans. Which resulted in my main weapon needing 2200gp in repairs(!). I plan on pushing her up to 7 over the week if possible, in order to pull a +2 tome that boosts all her stats up. After that, she's sidelined save for Fridays, until the guild hits 5/6, then I'll push her to 8 (which probably won't be much at that point anyway).

Now if DDO ever gets Druids, I'll be building one of them as soon as I can. I'm keeping a slot open for goof off builds like I've a habit to do, so that'll server for my desired Druid.
 
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