Force Necromancer. Viable? To bypass the awful deathward?

[Smokewolf]

My gloomspear hits mobs for 75k... that takes care of DW, champions, reapers, whatever.... DW takes care of instakill spells, but not Negative energy damage...

That great for you at cap, and not uncommon in non-reaper. However, in Heroics and early Epics, DW has always been a problem for DC casters. Especially when it can not be dispelled and the mob very likely has immunities to other damage types.

Remember, the game isn't just about you or me at cap, with our past-lifes and tailored gear, but about everyone else's experience.

 

[magnus2882]

That great for you at cap, and not uncommon in non-reaper. However, in Heroics and early Epics, DW has always been a problem for DC casters. Especially when it can not be dispelled and the mob very likely has immunities to other damage types.

Remember, the game isn't just about you or me at cap, with our past-lifes and tailored gear, but about everyone else's experience.

The OP wants to build a Pale Master, and switch from negative energy to force to bypass immunities....

But Deathward Does NOT stop negative energy damage, despite what the description says.. It stops level drain, ability damage, etc.

Did you know that in this game, there are more mobs immune to fire or cold spells then negative energy?

Unholy Avatar makes undead VULNERABLE to negative energy, which means the 2nd hit they take gives extra damage (purple numbers).
About 50% of the monsters in the game (including raid bosses) take extra damage from negative energy.

In fact, I can only recall two types of monsters that are actually immune to Neg Energy - Scarecrows and Golems... There might be a couple more types, but they are very few and unremarkable...

Linking Dranconic Incarnation mantle to neg energy is a wise move.. With the hordes of undead in the game, you can shoot say Chain lightning, hit all the mobs, wait 1 second for the first dot tick, then necrotic blast and they are all dead! If not, wait for the 2nd tick...

In heroics,
I think you can get Unholy Avatar by level 5 (required Wiz lv 4 and 20 points spent), So at that point you can kill almost anything with necrotic bolt.
From level 5-12 there is a little struggle to level a PM, but that's the level range where you use other spells like Ice Storm, Acid Blast etc.

From level 12 onwards, you're laughing with a PM.... Necrotic Blast wastes pretty much everything in 1 shot and it's a tasty AOE with huge spread (more than a fireball) and only costs 5sp to use.

Necrotic Ray and Rend the Soul = 1 shot to any reaper.

And for those pesky scarecrows you can use chain lightning, firewall to clear them, and Golems hit them with cold or acid - until you get Arcane Tempest and that will absolutely melt the 2-3 mob types in the game that are actually immune to your Neg Energy..

And if you want to be a DC Caster, then put up with the DW, or like I said, invest heavily into PM and Negative Energy spell power and you'll be fine!

 

[Aelastiar]

The OP wants to build a Pale Master, and switch from negative energy to force to bypass immunities....

But Deathward Does NOT stop negative energy damage, despite what the description says.. It stops level drain, ability damage, etc.

Did you know that in this game, there are more mobs immune to fire or cold spells then negative energy?

Unholy Avatar makes undead VULNERABLE to negative energy, which means the 2nd hit they take gives extra damage (purple numbers).
About 50% of the monsters in the game (including raid bosses) take extra damage from negative energy.

In fact, I can only recall two types of monsters that are actually immune to Neg Energy - Scarecrows and Golems... There might be a couple more types, but they are very few and unremarkable...

Linking Dranconic Incarnation mantle to neg energy is a wise move.. With the hordes of undead in the game, you can shoot say Chain lightning, hit all the mobs, wait 1 second for the first dot tick, then necrotic blast and they are all dead! If not, wait for the 2nd tick...

In heroics,
I think you can get Unholy Avatar by level 5 (required Wiz lv 4 and 20 points spent), So at that point you can kill almost anything with necrotic bolt.
From level 5-12 there is a little struggle to level a PM, but that's the level range where you use other spells like Ice Storm, Acid Blast etc.

From level 12 onwards, you're laughing with a PM.... Necrotic Blast wastes pretty much everything in 1 shot and it's a tasty AOE with huge spread (more than a fireball) and only costs 5sp to use.

Necrotic Ray and Rend the Soul = 1 shot to any reaper.

And for those pesky scarecrows you can use chain lightning, firewall to clear them, and Golems hit them with cold or acid - until you get Arcane Tempest and that will absolutely melt the 2-3 mob types in the game that are actually immune to your Neg Energy..

And if you want to be a DC Caster, then put up with the DW, or like I said, invest heavily into PM and Negative Energy spell power and you'll be fine!

This might be the most incorrect post I have ever read on these forums.

 

[magnus2882]

This might be the most incorrect post I have ever read on these forums.

maybe incorrect to the uninformed or haplessly self opinionated.
I'm not sure which of the two you are, but if you'd like to contribute anything other than your opinion on my opinion, then i'm sure the rest of us could regale and delight in your wisdom.

 

[J1NG]

maybe incorrect to the uninformed or haplessly self opinionated.
I'm not sure which of the two you are, but if you'd like to contribute anything other than your opinion on my opinion, then i'm sure the rest of us could regale and delight in your wisdom.

I think it's safe to assume that given what you have posted flies in the face of known tested results, it makes it a bit harder to accept or believe.

Testing I did less than 30 seconds ago from this post in PvP, shows Deathward blocking all Draconic Incarnation Negative (and Rider) Damage, whether it was from Dragon Breath variants, or with the DoT from the Mantle. This remains in accordance to what is known about how Deathward works and how the Negative Damage aspects from Draconic Incarnation is heavily neutered as of such when encountering such enemies protected by Deathward.

Currently, we have no reason to believe Deathward works any differently from PvP and PvE.

Perhaps if you provided more details, it might provide more insight into why you have reached this conclusion?

J1NG

 

[Br4d]

If you're a pure Wizard the elemental bombs at spell level 8 and 9 are pretty good at cutting a DW mob down to size. Disintegrate is another great resistance breaker against many mobs although certain undead have at least partial protection from the untyped damage it does.

 

[EinarMal]

I think it's safe to assume that given what you have posted flies in the face of known tested results, it makes it a bit harder to accept or believe.

Testing I did less than 30 seconds ago from this post in PvP, shows Deathward blocking all Draconic Incarnation Negative (and Rider) Damage, whether it was from Dragon Breath variants, or with the DoT from the Mantle. This remains in accordance to what is known about how Deathward works and how the Negative Damage aspects from Draconic Incarnation is heavily neutered as of such when encountering such enemies protected by Deathward.

Currently, we have no reason to believe Deathward works any differently from PvP and PvE.

Perhaps if you provided more details, it might provide more insight into why you have reached this conclusion?

J1NG

Deathward the spell definitely blocks all negative damage. Some mobs do cast this, mostly you will see it with Drow priestess, in LOD Gnommen will cast it sometimes. It's not super common but does happen where mobs will cast the spell deathward on themselves, and mass deathward. If they do it blocks all negative damage spells.

I think the confusion lies in the icon that pops up from epic deathward, it looks the same but is not the spell, but the blocking of death effects which does not block negative damage.

IMO the best Wizard nuker today if you are willing to spend +1 heart, is chaosmancer iconic with cold stripping. Works on everything including Golems makes it far better. Plus cold with Magus T5 + Draconic T4 is really good you get Iceberg plus Zero degree comet, and the Magus epic strike is the best one in my opinion now.

 

[EinarMal]

And for those pesky scarecrows you can use chain lightning, firewall to clear them, and Golems hit them with cold or acid - until you get Arcane Tempest and that will absolutely melt the 2-3 mob types in the game that are actually immune to your Neg Energy..

And if you want to be a DC Caster, then put up with the DW, or like I said, invest heavily into PM and Negative Energy spell power and you'll be fine!

I will say this doesn't scale in epics with Iron Golems, if you don't have Ruin/GRuin or immunity stripping from Tiefling or Chaosmancer Iconic the quests with named golems or a lot of Iron Golems are very difficult to solo R6+.

You just can't do enough damage in my experience.

More of just a PSA for anyone reading, that you will struggle with Iron Golems if you want to solo above R4.