U60 Preview 3: Machrotechnic

[Cordovan]

The Machrotechnic Epic Destiny revolves around the following themes:

• Defense (but not necessarily tanking)
• Rune Arms
• Electric, Sonic, and Repair/Rust Spellcasting

Core 1 (level 20): Maker's Touch: You gain the Magical Training feat. Each core of this tree grants +25 Maximum Spell points, +15 Maximum Hit Points, +5 Electric, Sonic, Rust, and Repair Spell Power, +5 Universal Spell Power, +5 Melee Power, and +4 Ranged Power. Each core also grants a +1 Epic bonus to all Spell DCs. This Epic bonus is a non-stacking bonus type.

Core 3 (level 23): Metamagic Capacitors: +15% Fortification and +3 to each Healing Amp. Your Rune Arms now benefit from the Maximize, Empower, and Intensify Spell Metamagics if you own those feats. This does not cost Spell Points, and you do not need the Feats toggled on to gain their effects on Rune Arms.

Core 6 (level 26): Warding Inscriptions: +15% Fortification and +3 to each Healing Amp. Your Ablative Armor spell now blocks 20 points of damage per caster level with no cap.

Core 12 (level 32): Armored Augmentation: +15% Fortification and +3 to each Healing Amp. +15% Exceptional Bonus to Armor Class. Your Rune Arm caster levels now factor in bonuses from your Epic and Legendary Knowledge feats.

Tier 1 (req level 20):

• Sprockets: +5/10/15 Repair Amp. If you have the construct exemplar feat, you gain +10 PRR
• Solid Footing: +2/4/6 AC and PRR.
• +1/2/3 Spellcraft and Use Magic Device. Your Rune Arms charge 5/10/15% faster.
• Multiselector: Discharge (Epic Strike)
  • Galvanic Blast: Deals 1d6+6 Electric damage per Character level to enemies around you (PBAoE). Cooldown 15 seconds, Costs 20 Spell Points.
  • Sonic Boom: Deals 1d6+6 Sonic damage per Character level to enemies around you (PBAoE). Cooldown 15 seconds, Costs 20 Spell Points.
  • Mending Burst: You and allies around you (PBAoE) are repaired for 3d6+6 Hit Points, plus an additional 1 per Caster Level (Max Caster Level: 35). This counts as a Repair Damage spell. Cooldown 6 seconds, costs 20 Spell Points.
• Blast Shields: +2/4/6 Reflex saves, rank 3 no longer fail reflex saves on a 1.

Tier 2 (req level 20):

• Fluidity: Your Armor and/or Body type no longer contributes to Arcane Spell Failure.
• Radiant Prison: Target non-boss foe is sealed away for 8 seconds in an Unbreakable Forcefield with no save. In this Forcefield, they cannot act, but take 95% less damage and healing from all sources (except Untyped). 20 second cooldown.
• Rune Arm Use: You gain the Rune Arm Use feat. Your Caster Level with Rune Arms is now based on your Character Level instead of your Artificer Level. If you already had the Rune Arm Use feat, +1 Stable Charge Tier.
• Multiselector: Hammer
  • Lightning Hammer: This is chaos hammer but electric. AOE.
  • Thunder Hammer: This is chaos hammer but sonic. AOE.
• Destiny Mantle: Animated Aegis: You create a small animated object that floats with you. While this Mantle is active, you gain +15 Repair Amplification, and you absorb 10% of all Force, Piercing, Bludgeoning, Slashing, Electric, Sonic, and Rust damage you take. This is increased to 15% if you are wearing a Rune Arm.

Tier 3 (req level 23):

• Machrotech Spell Focus: Multiselector: +1/2/3 Evocation, Transmutation, Conjuration, or Abjuration DCs
• Technique Drive: Multiselector:
  • Speed Drive: +2/4/6% Doublestrike and doubleshot
  • Efficiency Drive: +3/6/10% Spell Cost Reduction
  • Flash Drive: +150/300/450% Threat Generation
• Storm Core: +1/2/3 Rune Arm DCs. Rank 3: +5 Electric, Sonic, Rust, Repair, and Universal Spell Power
• Arcane Imbuement: +1/2/3 Imbue Dice (moved to Tier 3)
• Destiny Mantle Improvement: While you have Animated Aegis active, you gain +5 Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. If you are wearing a Rune Arm, gain +10 instead.

Tier 4 (req level 26):

• Galvanic Attunement: +10 Electric, Sonic, Rust, and Repair Spell Power. +10 Universal Spell Power.
• Strike Drive: Multiselector: (moved to Tier 4)
  • Ruin Drive: Your Epic Strike now disassembles enemy constructs, dealing Rust damage in a large AOE. If you are using the Repair Strike, this also applies a supercharged buff to you that decreases your metamagic costs for a short time
  • Blast Drive: Your Epic Strike now Stuns enemies struck, assuming they fail a save. If you are using the Shock strike, this also applies a supercharged buff to you that increases your movement speed for a short time
  • Dissonance Drive: Your Epic Strike now confuses enemies, assuming they fail a save. If you are using the Sonic strike, this also applies vulnerability to enemies
• Boost Drive: Multiselector:
  • Spark Drive: Once per second, an enemy hit by your Rune Arm spells take an additional 1d4 bonus Electric damage per caster level. This scales with Spell Power.
  • Echo Drive: Once per second, an enemy hit by your Rune Arm spells take an additional 1d4 bonus Sonic damage per caster level. This scales with Spell Power.
• Epic Improved Metamagic: Multiselector:
  • Maximize
  • Empower
  • Intensify
• Destiny Mantle Improvement: Magical Recoil: +5 Electric, Sonic, Rust, Repair, and Universal Spell Power. While you have your Destiny Mantle active, firing a Runearm grants you spell resistance equal to your character level for 10 seconds.

Tier 5 (req level 30):

• Enhanced Machrotech Spell Focus: +1/2/3 to all Spell DCs.
• Critical Connection: +1 Critical Multiplier on a roll of 19-20 with weapons while wearing a Rune Arm.
• Armor of Legends: the Epic Mage Armor feat's bonus is now untyped and grants you +1 AC per character level. You also gain a bonus based on your installed drives:
  • Speed Drive: +5% Action boost bonus to Attack Speed
  • Efficiency Drive: +5% Action boost bonus to Movement Speed
  • Flash Drive: +10 Action boost bonus to PRR/MRR
  • Ruin Drive: +10 Action boost bonus to Spellpower
  • Blast Drive: +3 Action boost bonus to Saves
  • Dissonance Drive: +3 Action boost bonus to Tactics
  • Spark Drive: +10 Action boost bonus to Energy Resistance
  • Echo Drive: +1 Action Boost bonus to Imbue Dice
• Epic Moment: Shift into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE. This grants you a 100% boost to Rune Arm Charge Speed and Cooldown Speed, a 50% reduction in Spell Cooldowns, a 30% Action Boost bonus to Attack Speed, and a 50% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed for 30 seconds.
• Destiny Mantle Improvement: Forcefield Generator: With your Animated Aegis Epic Destiny Mantle active, you gain +10% Insight bonus to Maximum HP. While you have a Runearm equipped, increase this bonus to 20%.

Conclusion​

Bugs Fixed since Second Preview:

• fixed healing on strike
• fixed DCs on strike
• fixed tooltip on strike for healing amounts
• strikes now factor in runearm DCs
• corrected all "runearm" to Rune Arm
• machro rune arm use is now a proper prereq for swash rune arm style
• vfx hooked up for mantle, both hammer attacks, and the drive system. Drive vfx changes depending on the drives chosen and if you are using a runearm
• added icons!

 

[Ungermax]

Howdy

I cant get access to Macrotechnic, when I speak to Edmund in Junction of the Spheres he tells me I dont own the Epic Destiny, but I cant see it in the store. Am I missing something?

 

[rabidfox]

Howdy

I cant get access to Macrotechnic, when I speak to Edmund in Junction of the Spheres he tells me I dont own the Epic Destiny, but I cant see it in the store. Am I missing something?

It was in the store last time. Talk to the key master in the dojo?

 

[SirShen Time Bandit Hero]

I talked to key master it does nothing

 

[Ungermax]

It was in the store last time. Talk to the key master in the dojo?

Thanks, I spoke to the Keymaster, asked for access to the Hand of Vecna stuff, then spoke to Edmund again and he still says I dont own the Destiny. It still doesnt show in the store.

 

[Ying]

Talk to the Keymaster to get the pack.
Then go to the Fatespinner and go to the Arcane sphere to unlock it.

 

[Ying]

Are runearm DCs only going to scale based on INT when you select Rune Arm Use from the tree? Or is the intention to have the DCs scale based on highest of INT/WIS/CHA?

 

[Ungermax]

Ok the answer was to speak to "The Captain" who is the Guild Buffs guy, he gives access to Macrotechnic, then I spoke to Edmund in the Junction.

Does seem odd, maybe the gave that to the wrong NPC.

 

[Cashery]

Core 12 (level 32): Armored Augmentation: +15% Fortification and +3 to each Healing Amp. +15% Exceptional Bonus to Armor Class. Your Rune Arm caster levels now factor in bonuses from your Epic and Legendary Knowledge feats.

4th Core is only adding +15 AC, not 15% AC...

 

[Tarrith]

I like the new ED, but I still think it doesn't make sense that Rune Arms which are Glass and Gem break the Druidic Oath. Rust and Gold Rune Arms make sense, but non-metallic Rune Arms? No.

 

[Artrea]

Still no pet support...
Literally all I want out of this tree is for my Iron Defender that has 4 tiers worth of enhancements invested into it to not die.
:(

 

[Ying]

I like the new ED, but I still think it doesn't make sense that Rune Arms which are Glass and Gem break the Druidic Oath. Rust and Gold Rune Arms make sense, but non-metallic Rune Arms? No.

Maybe core 5 or 6 will allow that, in the future.

 

[Elves United]

Still no pet support...
Literally all I want out of this tree is for my Iron Defender that has 4 tiers worth of enhancements invested into it to not die.
:(

DDO has yet to answer the question. "How does DDO make pets/summons viable in higher difficulty while not making them over-powered in lower difficulty?" Until they find an answer to that question all pet enhancements and upgrades are basically fluff space. And if they do find an answer it will be whole summons/pet upgrade in itself and not an add on to another update.

 

[Edrein]

DDO has yet to answer the question. "How does DDO make pets/summons viable in higher difficulty while not making them over-powered in lower difficulty?" Until they find an answer to that question all pet enhancements and upgrades are basically fluff space. And if they do find an answer it will be whole summons/pet upgrade in itself and not an add on to another update.

Change all pet's classes to Barbarian instead of Fighter/Ranger as it stands. The innate 9% damage reduction would fix a lot of their survability issues inherently. That would cover a lot of their issues in later heroics.

As to their viability in epics. Granting pets the Epic Power feat that players have would solve their raw damage. Though they could use some innate bonus to hit rolled in as well.

The biggest issue imo is gearing. From the fact that on hit effects are broken on Collars, to the fact that pets don't get gear sets.

 

[Kvetha Fricay]

• Mending Burst: You and allies around you (PBAoE) are repaired for 3d6+6 Hit Points, plus an additional 1 per Caster Level (Max Caster Level: 35). This counts as a Repair Damage spell. Cooldown 6 seconds, costs 20 Spell Points.

The healing explosion will not activate if you have an ally targeted as it states "invalid target" and it also will not proc if you have an enemy targeted that is blocked.
I also found that prismatic strike will never activate the daze right now as it tries to proc that first, so even if it activates, the other damage from the spell will break it

 

[Edrein]

Tier 1 (req level 20):

• Sprockets: +5/10/15 Repair Amp. If you have the construct exemplar feat, you gain +10 PRR

Tier 2 (req level 20):

• Destiny Mantle: Animated Aegis: You create a small animated object that floats with you. While this Mantle is active, you gain +15 Repair Amplification, and you absorb 10% of all Force, Piercing, Bludgeoning, Slashing, Electric, Sonic, and Rust damage you take. This is increased to 15% if you are wearing a Rune Arm.

Tier 3 (req level 23):

• Destiny Mantle Improvement: While you have Animated Aegis active, you gain +5 Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. If you are wearing a Rune Arm, gain +10 instead.

Tier 4 (req level 26):

• Destiny Mantle Improvement: Magical Recoil: +5 Electric, Sonic, Rust, Repair, and Universal Spell Power. While you have your Destiny Mantle active, firing a Runearm grants you spell resistance equal to your character level for 10 seconds.

Tier 5 (req level 30):

• Destiny Mantle Improvement: Forcefield Generator: With your Animated Aegis Epic Destiny Mantle active, you gain +10% Insight bonus to Maximum HP. While you have a Runearm equipped, increase this bonus to 20%.

I'm still begging you to increase sprockets to 10/20/30 respectively. Or change the bonus from Construct Exemplar to double the Repair Amp. Per my breakdown in the previous thread; A Pure WF Arti is 15 repair amp less than a Pure Human Arti doing the same concept while building normal Heal Amp. This would be a good spot to give any and all WF/Construct based builds a spot to get that AMP parity for their main heal source.

I'm struggling to see appeal in this mantle. The absorption on the base mantle is nice, but I'd argue maybe bumping the bonus to 20% if you're wearing a Rune Arm would increase the appeal. As it stands I could get these same resists plus a healing aura from Exalted Angel if I go T4 in that tree. Or get the same T2 Mantle from Unyielding and lose out on the physical damage absorbs and gain better tanking utility by T5.

The mantle upgrade in T3 is really meh. It's filler. I'm sure there are builds out there that could use +10 PRR/MRR, don't get me wrong. But could get some sort of pizzaz here? For example: T3 in Exalted gets the healing aura, T3 in Unyielding gets Law Damage on hit. I'm not going to ask for the Repair aura like some people want. But at least give us something more exciting than +10 PRR/MRR.

I'd suggest some sort of guard effect that procs on both Hit or Miss. Or in a similar mindset as Primal Avatar; have this T3 apply your mantle to pets/summons/hires. Hear me out here; this is a tree that helps defense but not necessarily tanking. If an arti fully commits to this tree; this would give their Flame Turret and their dog a bit more staying power, which is a form of defense as you're not the one taking hits.

The T4 improvement is a neat concept, but Spell Resistance really isn't that big of a thing. If the name is based around recoil, why not make this provide Spellpower equal to your character level for X seconds, long enough that you'd be able to maintain a series of boosted runearm shots if you maintain the buff.

T5 is actually fine. No complaints here.

 

[Edrein]

I'd also like to bring up my feedback at the end of last cycle, really after the preview was over.

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/u60-lamannia-preview-2-machrotechnic.1672/page-9#post-22029

A thought crossed my mind about this tree and comparison against Unyielding Sentinel in passing.

If one of the goals of this tree is to add a secondary tank option. Then it definitely needs it's own version of the Knight's Challenge from Unyielding. However, since this tree is also trying to appeal to non-tanks as well, I propose an ability that will fire your runearm regardless of the charge mechanic. IE: A runearm SLA if you will. A multiselector between a version that grabs aggro like Knight's Challenge and a version that dumps aggro perhaps.

I really think the tree could use something like this. It helps prop up Renegade Mastermaker as a Tank/Quasi-tank, enables other tank types to get an aggro button, and also provides a way for those wanting to do damage with their rune arms to get an addition damage source utilizing it.

I just hope multiselector version with one for tanking and one for damage can be considered.

 

[rabidfox]

I'd also like to bring up my feedback at the end of last cycle, really after the preview was over.

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/u60-lamannia-preview-2-machrotechnic.1672/page-9#post-22029

I really think the tree could use something like this. It helps prop up Renegade Mastermaker as a Tank/Quasi-tank, enables other tank types to get an aggro button, and also provides a way for those wanting to do damage with their rune arms to get an addition damage source utilizing it.

I just hope multiselector version with one for tanking and one for damage can be considered.

Intimidate on runearm hits would be interesting.

 

[Edrein]

Intimidate on runearm hits would be interesting.

Think of it as an SLA not a toggle.

Though a toggle for runearm hits intimidating or bluffing in this tree could be an interesting design. Probably would cause lag in the end though.

 

[Aeywin]

The Tier 2 "Rune Arm Use" option states that it provides +1 stable charge tier if you already had rune arm use feat. I've tested on a 20 artificer with battle engineer enhancements for +2 stable charge tiers already, but the ED one doesn't give any extra +1 stable charge tier. I expected to have stable at 4th charge level, but its still at only 3 (which I got from Battle Engineer already)