Pale Trapper choice of damage type for EE+ content

[Kirilh]

Hi old hands!

I play regularly with an established group which includes a sorcerer specialising in ice and lightning.

I am a pale-trapper (18/2). My focus is split between CC enchantments and Insta-kill necromancy. My primary damage type is negative. I also picked up the Force SLA’s from the Archmage tree, but they seem to be under performing.

What do you suggest as my secondary damage type? Acid? Fire? Something else? I would like to avoid ice and lightning because we have that covered in our group and if we come up against something immune/resistant to ice/lightning I’d like to provide damage diversity.

 

[Careall]

I go with Acid for effectiveness since it seems fewer enemies have immunity to acid. Alternatively, I go with Electricity because I like the visual and sound effects, but it is also probably the second least resisted element to Acid. Cold is next. Then, Fire seems to be the most resisted element.

There are a lot of options when it comes to elemental damage, and each will be based on your build, such as taking DCs and SR into consideration, along with spell point costs. One spell type stands out for me as generally useful for any build - the 1st Level Bolt spells.

Pick up all four level 1 elemental Bolt spells (they can be purchased).
These are challenging to use because they're easy to dodge since they're so slow. Load two quest-appropriate bolts for any given quest. If you have some decent spell power and spell crit profile, these can do ~500 a pop if they crit. I use them in combination with AOE DoTs mainly to wear down healers my PM can't kill otherwise - because they heal faster than I can kill them.

Bolt spell advice:
Sorcerers have a shared Bolt spell cooldown, but Wizards don't. If you can hit a few crits, that's ~1000 damage in 4.5 seconds alternating two bolts.
Don't use Metamagics on these spells unless you can nearly negate the extra spell point costs.
They don't have a Save and no Spell Resistance, so they are guaranteed damage - assuming you hit the target.
Cast bolts closer to the target if you can do so safely, as that makes them more challenging to dodge.
The slow bolt speeds take some getting used to, but once you do, they're decently effective for Level 1 spells.

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Similar spells to consider are DoT spells like Eladar's Electric Surge, Niac's Biting Cold, Acid Arrow, and Burning Blood. I like using Ice Storm and Cloud Kill for AoE DoTs. If you're squishy, be careful using AoE DoTs, as you might grab more agro than you want.

 

[Anurakh]

Hi old hands!

I play regularly with an established group which includes a sorcerer specialising in ice and lightning.

I am a pale-trapper (18/2). My focus is split between CC enchantments and Insta-kill necromancy. My primary damage type is negative. I also picked up the Force SLA’s from the Archmage tree, but they seem to be under performing.

What do you suggest as my secondary damage type? Acid? Fire? Something else? I would like to avoid ice and lightning because we have that covered in our group and if we come up against something immune/resistant to ice/lightning I’d like to provide damage diversity.

This is a very typical PNP thought, but in DDO things work differently. Don't look for elements other than the sorc, because the synergy with its immunity bypass is much more effective in a static group.

It also depends on the level we are talking about. In heroics you can easily equip yourself for all elements, so you can change spells (and therefore elements) depending on what is most effective for each quest. And while the wizard at low levels is basically a more diverse nuker but with less raw power than the sorc, from level 13 onwards instantkills will start to take an undoubted role in your way of playing. And instantkills can make good use of trash along with higher damage spells.

But don't forget that from level 12 onwards a sorcerer already has the immunity bypass (although still only in single-target version). That bypass also works for other spellcasters who are using the sorcerer's element against the sorcerer's chosen target, so your sorcerer friend can help you bypass those targets' immunity. That is I mean when i say that seeking synergy with his element can be more useful than seeking diversification, especially at epic and legendary levels.

At epic levels the ultra-specialization that devs are pushing with current game design really starts to rear its ugly head. Here you have to decide what element you want for your mantle. But you are lucky enough to play statically with a sorc. Choose the sorc's element for your mantle, and gear for it. If you both always play together, that means you will always have an immunity bypass thanks to him. Starting at level 20 the sorcerer gets a tremendously powerful immunity bypass, which allows him to affect entire groups at once, which allows him to remove immunity with every spell he casts from his element. By now you should be dealing with trash entirely with instantkills, leaving the damage spells for immune champions, deathward/block mobs, and bosses of all kinds.

For wizard, at legendary levels I'm a big fan of Ruin and Great Ruin with tier 5 draconic, and having high negative, force, and your element of choice for your mantle. It should work for you too, with the added bonus of having immunity bypass in the form of your sorc friend. Alternatively you might want to go for the Magus tier 5. That gives your teammates timestop, but at the cost of seriously decreasing your own potential dps (although it's a valid strategy in a static group)

 

[Kirilh]

Thanks guys!