Dungeons & Dragons Online

[WaterMage]

I can't judge the alchemist's high and epic level (yet), but my guess is that it has a bit less CC than an enchanter wizard, a bit less self-healing than a pale master, and a bit less DPS than a sorcerer and the lowest survivability of all casters. One advantage of alchemists over sorcerers is that you can use poison, which requires FORT saves and bypasses immunity at lv 12. Only epic sorcs can bypass immunity. Not a problem for an air sorcerer who has sonic and electricity spells. But at lv 12, you can with the studies feat (+1), liquid power (+3), augmentation (+2), and IE—caster level 18. With multivial SLA, you can get cheap empowered, maximized quicken 18 (CL) 4 (projectiles) 1d4+3 or 72d4+216 damage (396 average damage) with maximized (150 sp) and empowered (75), which would be 891 damage with ZERO spellpower. If you just pop out of the Pyrite state before the boss fight for a couple of seconds, you will have 58 (temp) + 24 spell power, or 1223 damage, assuming ZERO spell power outside of your alchemist stuff.

That probably can delete most reapers with a button press.

[Xenich]

This is one of those games I wish private servers would have took off with. I think a lot of the problems they have are with pushing the game to be too actiony. I think I mentioned it already in the past here, but I think if they slowed down combat, increased HP on the mobs/player and turned the game more into a EQ like battle in terms of time and progression, a lot of the "lag" aspect would go away. When repeater xbows are shooting out a ton of bolts per round, it just gets silly.

I actually thought it was a very good real-time adaptation of the 3.5e (homebrew) ruleset

My issue is more with how they changed the game over the years in terms of making the game play as a fast paced arcade game rather than the slower progression of play they had in the early years of the game. Dungeons used to be about the crawl, strategic play (ie leveraging shrines, utility, etc...) and not simply modern WoW like AoE spamming. Aside from that, I agree, they did a good job of translating 3.5e to a game, honestly better than any game out there I have experienced that isn't simply turn based.

[Xenich]

I actually thought it was a very good real-time adaptation of the 3.5e (homebrew) ruleset

Their homebrew stuff is great. For eg, warlocks having part of their Eldritich Blast damage affected by their pact, I loved it. It made leveling a Carceri WLK and a Celestial different experiences and quests which I struggled as one, I had a breeze with the other. Or the elemental apotheosis for savants, it is great. Or how they implemented stop time in ED, vastly different than P&P.

Alchemist, I honestly didn't tried earlier because I only used a bit in Pathfinder Kingmaker on my companions, this DDO alchemist is much better than Paizo alchemist at least so far. Got to lv 9 today and my xp potion ran off

y. I think I mentioned it already in the past here, but I think if they slowed down combat, increased HP on the mobs/player and turned the game more into a EQ like battle in terms of time and progression

What wouldn't work. Look how many enemies you fight in DDO. Every quest will take forever or... Basically everyone will be either triple phantasmal killer illusionist with greater color spray or sneaky assassinate builds.

This is how the game used to be though. Dungeon runs weren't 5 min speed runs. Also, dungeons had more thought to the encounters where the number of mobs were designed around different approaches. Parties used to have to CC, pull, or use other utilities to break up encounters. They have revamped a lot of the dungeons over the years to match this mass mob AoE style of play. The game was way different in the early years when the concept of the game while cyclical wasn't about speed runs (well, the extreme vets figured out ways, but it wasn't the drive).

Boss encounters used to take way longer to fight (Delera's tomb was a MUCH longer fight, 15-20 mins depending on group) and were about maximizing the range of spells and abilities, not simply burning down things.

Instant kill spells were limited and not as powerful as they are now. The game has been completely revamped over the years to attend to this, so I guess I get your point that it wouldn't be as easy as I said (HP increase and the like), but... if you play high reapers, you get more of a feel as to how it was (depending on if you are capped out in certain things) because spells get resisted more and do less damage, mobs mitigate more and you take more damage.

There is a sweet spot in reapers where you can get the feel of how the game used to be, but it is short lived and comes with a lot of problems due to the way the game has been changed over the years.

[rusty_shackleford]

the only issue is caused by stat bloat

[Xenich]

the only issue is caused by stat bloat

Yeah, I guess most issues could be resolved by attending to that specifically. Regardless, while entertaining, the game after a while feels like I am back in the 80's running through levels on an arcade game.

Last I played I had a build where I would either run through ignoring the mobs until the alert would happen, then AoE mow them down depending, or just plow through to the boss, kill it, loot the chest and move on. I was running entire expansions of dungeons a day just farming things. It was worse than doing WoW dailies. Less of a game, more of a just a task for widgets which was sad because this style of play completely misses the point of many of the types of older dungeons and how they were designed to be played.

Granted this is more of an issue for people who have PLs. The game on a first life is still difficult providing you don't have a lot of meta knowledge of the game, but once you understand builds and how to work things, even a first lifer can tear the place up.

[WaterMage]

Play on reaper. Enemies are much nastier on reaper. Most of my hardcore deaths where in reaper, mainly to traps.

[WaterMage]

How much range does Alchemist vials have?

Seems like if I can see the enemy, I can hit. Eg :



_________________

About enemies quickly dying in DDO. IMO DDO has a problem with Zimbabwe tier number inflation, the same spell went from d6/cl to (d3+3)/cl to (d3+3+6)/cl in few years. And you can easily put attributes above 100. I agree, but this doesn't mean that the game should be like everquest, where you need minutes to kill any mod on high levels. Just should tone down the numbers with diminishing returns. Eg - After +20 ATB, each 2 points give +1. After 30, 3 points to get + 1, making spell values in line with P&P and deflate enemy hp.

[Xenich]

Play on reaper. Enemies are much nastier on reaper. Most of my hardcore deaths where in reaper, mainly to traps.

I can handle Reaper 4-5's pretty easily and anything more than that comes down to various issues of resists and the like (you start getting instant killed a lot). On average I tend to run reaper 3-5 mostly, sometimes 6 and 7 depending on the dungeon. Doing reaper 8-10 is a whole different ball game and requires you to gear/build for them specifically.

[Xenich]

How much range does Alchemist vials have?

Seems like if I can see the enemy, I can hit. Eg :



_________________

About enemies quickly dying in DDO. IMO DDO has a problem with Zimbabwe tier number inflation, the same spell went from d6/cl to (d3+3)/cl to (d3+3+6)/cl in few years. And you can easily put attributes above 100. I agree, but this doesn't mean that the game should be like everquest, where you need minutes to kill any mod on high levels. Just should tone down the numbers with diminishing returns. Eg - After +20 ATB, each 2 points give +1. After 30, 3 points to get + 1, making spell values in line with P&P and deflate enemy hp.

What I mean by "like EQ" is that combat should be slower, more even paced and strategic. As I said, DDO was this before the major revisions (ie adding the trees, destiny, etc...). If you play some of the old dungeons, you can see some hints of this focus of play (though as I said most have been revamped, adjusted, etc... and are nothing like they were originally). The game used to be about old school AD&D party crawls, using lots of utilities, moving slow, etc... this is when concepts like sneaking being a component of both "visual" checks AND "sound" checks. Mobs used to hear sounds and split off from the groups to go investigate. This is how you would often single pull. There is still "some" of these mechanics visible in the game (well, last time I checked), but there really isn't a need for them due to power balancing and length of battles.

It used to be that getting adds meant... death. With the current design, adds are how the game is played which is why most of the revamped dungeons and a lot of the newer ones are setup as packs of AoE group mob targets. They are designed to be fought as a group and mowed down with AoE abilities (ala WoW).

This was not how the game was originally designed.

Edit:

As for the "range", it has been a while, but this was all controlled by weapon range ability and class/character ability. Also, the bad thing about such an approach in the early days was that it put the mobs on alert so sneaking and splitting became impossible (some abilities will not work with a mob in alert status) which made the dungeons EXTREMELY difficult and why you didn't want runners getting away essentially alerting the whole dungeon. Though since the game now is more about speed running, AoE, fast killing, those things aren't really an issue and that is why they started putting in the Dungeon Alerts which specifically boost mobs and debuff you. This stop gap mechanic (which was rarely an issue early on) is also a big problem with the lag they have and a lot of this is due to the change in how the dungeons are now played.

As I said, the game plays more like WoW than DDO and they are dealing with consequences of this approach on numerous levels.

[WaterMage]

I tried to log into my char. "Your character could not be saved". WTF is this error?

the game plays more like WoW than DDO and they are dealing with consequences of this approach on numerous levels.

False. Mobs takes much more time to die in wow than in DDO. Even in earlier versions of DDO. Phantasmal killer for eg, exists since its first version.

[Xenich]

I tried to log into my char. "Your character could not be saved". WTF is this error?

the game plays more like WoW than DDO and they are dealing with consequences of this approach on numerous levels.

False. Mobs takes much more time to die in wow than in DDO. Even in earlier versions of DDO. Phantasmal killer for eg, exists since its first version.

Have you been keeping up with the server migration?

Go to the main site, they moved to 64 bit servers, the cut off to move your character was Aug 31st when the 32 bit servers will be brought down for a bit. They will eventually be brought back up to allow server transfers again, they are calling them "ghost servers" (lotro is going through the same thing). Those ghost servers will still allow for a transfer to the 64 bit (but there is a process you need to follow), but only for 2 years and then if you haven't done it by then, you lose your character. I assume the message you see is because the ghost servers are back up, which does not allow character saving (ie no point in playing, just transfers)

https://www.ddo.com/news/ddo-64-bit-tra ... structions


DDO took longer in the past (I have played the game since Family Alpha and seen the changes over the years), and yes.. there have always been "instant kill" spells in the game, but... they were limited by obvious mechanics (spell limits, shrine limits, resists, etc..), so while you could do this, it wasn't a consistent viable strategy in the earlier years and resists made this still an issue, even for those with multiple past lives.

The game shifted over time to be a different cycle of play which changes made where the game played faster and the goal became the "end chest" cycle. The early game used to have different items dropping from certain chests, quest rewards having a number completion to open up (like some of the early raids still allow), etc... New classes were added to follow this concept, spells/abilities were designed around it, etc... The game changed obviously to follow a more modern concept of play. Shrines used to be a huge part of play where the spell based classes had to be extremely careful to manage their spells between shrines and when they added later difficulties, shrines became more and more scarce to reflect that strategy. Now, shrines are all opened up and numerous through the dungeon. This form of play doesn't exist anymore.

DDO was not as popular in the past because it played different and was much more punishing to the modern player (outside of the veterans who mastered tricks/PLs from playing the game for years). The fact is, it is a different game and focus now and there have been a slew of changes over the years driving this. Their monetization model is centered around it.

[WaterMage]

I want to get Cleric PL without playing as an Cleric. Using lesser reincarnation, could I lets say lv 20 Alchemist, use a +5 Lesser Heart of Wood, become 15 ALC/5 CLE, use another +5 to become 10 ALC/10 CLE and a +1 to become 9 ALC/11 CLE and after it, true reincarnate? Would I get CLE PL?

[Xenich]

I want to get Cleric PL without playing as an Cleric. Using lesser reincarnation, could I lets say lv 20 Alchemist, use a +5 Lesser Heart of Wood, become 15 ALC/5 CLE, use another +5 to become 10 ALC/10 CLE and a +1 to become 9 ALC/11 CLE and after it, true reincarnate? Would I get CLE PL?

Honestly, I am not a 100% sure. On its face it looks sound, but there may be an order in the process that negates the outcome you are looking for. I have never gone to those extremes to work a class in, but it may work.

Check DDOwiki on it, should be something mentioned along those lines discussed in the descriptions as to what is possible with the woods, but if nothing is there... just ask in the forums, someone will know.

[WaterMage]

I'm loving Alchemist a lot. The unique aspect that makes it very hard to play as one is that I have very low SP. And contrary to the Wizard with an amazing SLA that costs 6 SP (necro/arcane blast) or an endless amount of SP for Sorcerers, I as an Alchemist at lv 18 have only 2k SP. Every single one of my CCs or spells eats a lot of SP.

In earlier levels, due to SLA, it was easy. But now, on high heroic, I'm running out of SP a lot on elite quests.

About Artificer, I think that I will run as one in the next hardcore league.

But seriously. Playing Palce of Stone right now. Despite using hireling divine vitality. Despite using a lot of SLA. Despite having 13 reaper points boosting myspell points, I'm almost always out of SP. It is annoying. I'm while typing this message on entrance waiting my hireling cooldown go to spend some minutes spamming divine vitality.

[WaterMage]

Reached epic levels. SP is just no longer an issue. Honestly, I found Alchemist a great class but in early heroic is painful slow and in late heroic, you ran out of SP too fast, is a pure Arcane caster class that has as much SP as half caster classes like Artificer. And none of its SLA. I liked Alchemist. More 6 levels and I will reincarnate into Artificer.

[WaterMage]

Got to level 20 as an Artificer. Cool, but I still prefer Alchemist.

I didn't like the Alchemist much in PF1e games, aka Kingmaker and WotR.. Partly because in Kingmaker/WotR, a lot of cool, flavorful spells don't exist in Pathfinder. While in DDO, you can transform enemies into gold statues like Gelt in Warhammer, breathe molten gold or poison, turn enemies into frogs, and fight by poisoning your weapon, by casting spells, or even by being a healer. Another huge difference is that in PF:KM + WoTR, the Alchemist's main attack, the bomb/vial, is a weapon. In DDO, it is a spell line. Can be seen as a mere "semantic" difference, but DDO alchemists don't need to worry about BAB and can apply metamagic in their vials.

[WaterMage]

Another question. About Dhampirs. Many years since I played Pale Master. I think so, but I am not sure. Does undead form make you immune to spells like hold person? I died a lot to it in Reaper recently to hold a person in my level 9 alchemist.

[Xenich]

Another question. About Dhampirs. Many years since I played Pale Master. I think so, but I am not sure. Does undead form make you immune to spells like hold person? I died a lot to it in Reaper recently to hold a person in my level 9 alchemist.

It should unless it specifically states otherwise by the spell or transformation. Hold person, monster, etc... don't work on undead, so technically if you can put yourself in an undead form, you should be able to avoid some things, though be careful of some dungeons as being undead in them can be a real pain.

[WaterMage]

If someone is in doubt between trying DDO, this is the best moment in a long time.

Use the cupon GATHERYOURPARTY2025 and unlock a lot of stuff > https://www.ddo.com/news/ddo-free-thankyou-2025

[Xenich]

My characters are still on the old server and they have been taking forever to bring up the ghost worlds for transfer. If I didn't have all that already, I would be a little annoyed.

[Xenich]

Ok, looks like the Ghost servers were brought back up, so... I did the pack and well... the transfer command errored. LOL Seems like a "thing" after reading the forums. Not surprised, everything to deal with this company is a disaster on this front. lol

I will keep checking back from time to time I guess. Hopefully they get this ironed out before the "2 year" deadline is met. *chuckle*

I should probably wander over and do LoTRO as well, but FFS, I can't bring myself to want to play that game at all since I stopped. Oh well, I guess losing all I have earned would be wasteful, so might as well... though... if I were to ever play it again, I would have to start from a new character. I really hate coming back to a game after years of absence and trying to get back into my old character. It is too much to absorb and pick up on as I prefer to gradually evolve as I did originally.

[WaterMage]

TL;dr of the look ahead: https://www.ddo.com/news/ddo-producer-letter-feb-2026

• some changes to the Anniversary Event
• Arcane Trickster archetype
• new quest pack
• new expansion
• Duergar race
• level cap to 36
• another hardcore-like event next fall

My takes: I don't want an LV cap increase. The game is already bloated enough. In fact, it would be better to squash levels and reduce the level cap gradually till it reaches 25. Duergar, another manlet race. Yet nothing about the most iconic Eberron race, the Kalashtar. Arcane Trickster I didn't like; it could be a shadowcaster, warmage, wu jen, or blood magus, anything but the wizard/rogue in a single class. Sadly, I will skip this class.

Finally playing as an Dhampir Alchemist. Having immunity to negative energy is a GODSEND. As an Alchemist, you already have very low SP. Negative levels destroy your SP even if you can heal them quickly.



Epic Level Alchemists/Bombardiers become like a autocannon of alchemical grenades/vials, with multivial SLA + multivial. Hell, at 12th level with feats and talents to buff CL, it is possible to get elemental bypass, which sorcerers only get at epic level, and cast a spell as powerful as meteor swarm (1d3+1 fire*C + 1d2+1 bludgeoning*caster level VS 1d4+3*CL elemental damage) with a caster level of 18.

And contrary to meteor swarm, it is a single damage type. You don't need to max fire and force damage from gear.

[Finarfin]

A reminder that currently they give out about 100 bucks worth of DLC if you redeem the code NATURAL20

[LemonDemonGirl]

https://www.ddo.com/news/ddo-gather-your-party-2026
**** guess I'll be buying Dhampir

[Finarfin]

Have fun playing as a dhampir then! @LemonDemonGirl

[Xenich]

I popped on an picked another raid item from the free raid loot chest they give for this event. Finally picked up a "Sword of Shadows" so I can finish off some of my melee runs and do a Paladin 2h build with it. It really is hands down the best heroic level weapon. Wish I could do raids though, I have most of the gear from the Feywild expansion, just need the key raid items for the season sets, but raiding randomly with people was always "annoying", so I never did it much.