[Spellweaving] Disco Mage Spellweaver

[Merlin]

Here is a new template I am working on:

100 Magery (120 with Crystalline ring)
100 Eval Intel (120 with talisman and scrapper)
120 Disco
120 Music
120 SW
110 Med (120 with scrapper)
050 Focus (70 with ring)

Basically, I wanted a template where I could nuke bosses. I intend to run the Disco masteries so I can cast the songs in conjunction with casting spells. I am intending on have a 30 MR suit, with max meditation and as much focus as I can fit on there s that I can have enough mana to keep up the songs and be able to hopefully have a deep enough pool to cast spells. I am hoping to settle around 223 total mana. Rest of suit has a bunch of eaters (17% all damage, 24% kinetic, 24% fire, 27% energy, 15% poison), 137 hit points, and some other maxed stats.

I was curious if anyone had any comments about the template or other suggetions. I was contemplating doing Inscription for a bit, but I'd have to replace with SW or Focus/Med and not sure how successful that may be or if it's worth it. Wanted to share to get any other input.

 

[Merlin]

For regen purposes - I will also have a separate macro that will put on the +10 focus obedience belt and +10 focus talisman, which would get me to 90 focus (modified). I would then switch back to the Eval talisman and Crimson Cincture after I finish regen.

EDIT:
I also have the bracelet slot currently open... so I may try to find something with Focus and mage mods to boost up even further.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

I love the thought that's gone in to it, you're clearly thinking outside the box of ways to make it more powerful/interesting to play, I wish more people would. I have a few comments. They're not all specific to this but some of the things you've said are going in to it.

RE: Endless Spellsongs. I have on my Bard, 40 LMC, 30 MR, 120 Med, probably 150ish mana. This is also on a 4x Bard. Against most things that are big/boss level, if they have a slayer and if they have a weak resist the longest I think I've ever kept the songs going is about 30 second (haven't tested this it's just from memory) usually this is about half to 1/3rd of my mana gone. I think some sort of calculation is done between Bard skills and the monsters Resist Spells though I'm not 100% on that, as there are a few fights where it ends very quickly not from damage/drain. If it's not tied up fighting something/someone else it's usually either damage or a Mana Vamp that ends it. Also, while running them I'm usually doing 2 EV's and Invis/Heal on failed Prov attempts so the mana holds up quite well like this (Though not a boss monster another example by way of measuring it against is Balrons in the Blackthorn dungeon, I can keep two EV's up and both Discord Mastery's, and Heal usually non stop, with mana always above 80%, unless one with Parragon stats spawns and kills the EV's too quickly, but usually it's dead from the Despair by then anyway - meaning the mana only running out from having to cast 4 EV's)...

...However, I don't personally think the inclusion of Focus would make much if any difference.

RE: Discord vs boss nuking. It is woefully ineffective. The devs HATE (I would underline that 10 times if I could) Bards, a huge amount of worthwhile content cannot be Discorded at all, those that can 'shrug off' most of the effects, I believe it's around 1% you actually reduce everything by. Which for 240 skill points, no other class is that neutered, it's just plain insulting. It's most useful on a dexxer for hitting more often. With Spell Damage, as there is no SDI cap and you can overload, it isn't worth the skill investment.

...However, for as little as half the skill point investment (minimum of 60/60) I would say Necro/SS IS worth the skill investment. You can boost your spell damage with both Corpse Skin and Evil Omen, and even more usefully have 3 extra mana options (Wraith/Wisp/Lich). Plus several high damage options depending on how Necro you go. There is imho no greater synergy between skills than Necro and Mage.

RE: The template. I say it on almost every post, though I know you're probably aware of it anyway, you have no melee defense. I would personally pick defensive Wrestle from 120 Eval/100 Anayomy as you're going to be holding spellbooks the majority of the time either slayers or scrappers or invasion or whatever. I recently remade my Necro/Scribe/Mage in to a Necro/Mage/Weaver with defensive Wrestle and Parry and the damage from spells is through the roof, crucially I even rebuilt the suit twice, the first one with all the latest (SDI) artys, then a better version without them that actually achieved higher SDI and a better overall suit.

Newly rebuilt suit.
The above is a link to my Bard suit, totally impractical for any SDI type build but just thought I'd show you.
PvM Boss nuking template?
The above has more on the SDI boss nuking.

 

[Merlin]

I love the thought that's gone in to it, you're clearly thinking outside the box of ways to make it more powerful/interesting to play, I wish more people would. I have a few comments. They're not all specific to this but some of the things you've said are going in to it.

RE: Endless Spellsongs. I have on my Bard, 40 LMC, 30 MR, 120 Med, probably 150ish mana. This is also on a 4x Bard. Against most things that are big/boss level, if they have a slayer and if they have a weak resist the longest I think I've ever kept the songs going is about 30 second (haven't tested this it's just from memory) usually this is about half to 1/3rd of my mana gone. I think some sort of calculation is done between Bard skills and the monsters Resist Spells though I'm not 100% on that, as there are a few fights where it ends very quickly not from damage/drain. If it's not tied up fighting something/someone else it's usually either damage or a Mana Vamp that ends it. Also, while running them I'm usually doing 2 EV's and Invis/Heal on failed Prov attempts so the mana holds up quite well like this (Though not a boss monster another example by way of measuring it against is Balrons in the Blackthorn dungeon, I can keep two EV's up and both Discord Mastery's, and Heal usually non stop, with mana always above 80%, unless one with Parragon stats spawns and kills the EV's too quickly, but usually it's dead from the Despair by then anyway - meaning the mana only running out from having to cast 4 EV's)...

...However, I don't personally think the inclusion of Focus would make much if any difference.

RE: Discord vs boss nuking. It is woefully ineffective. The devs HATE (I would underline that 10 times if I could) Bards, a huge amount of worthwhile content cannot be Discorded at all, those that can 'shrug off' most of the effects, I believe it's around 1% you actually reduce everything by. Which for 240 skill points, no other class is that neutered, it's just plain insulting. It's most useful on a dexxer for hitting more often. With Spell Damage, as there is no SDI cap and you can overload, it isn't worth the skill investment.

...However, for as little as half the skill point investment (minimum of 60/60) I would say Necro/SS IS worth the skill investment. You can boost your spell damage with both Corpse Skin and Evil Omen, and even more usefully have 3 extra mana options (Wraith/Wisp/Lich). Plus several high damage options depending on how Necro you go. There is imho no greater synergy between skills than Necro and Mage.

RE: The template. I say it on almost every post, though I know you're probably aware of it anyway, you have no melee defense. I would personally pick defensive Wrestle from 120 Eval/100 Anayomy as you're going to be holding spellbooks the majority of the time either slayers or scrappers or invasion or whatever. I recently remade my Necro/Scribe/Mage in to a Necro/Mage/Weaver with defensive Wrestle and Parry and the damage from spells is through the roof, crucially I even rebuilt the suit twice, the first one with all the latest (SDI) artys, then a better version without them that actually achieved higher SDI and a better overall suit.

Newly rebuilt suit.
The above is a link to my Bard suit, totally impractical for any SDI type build but just thought I'd show you.
PvM Boss nuking template?
The above has more on the SDI boss nuking.

Much appreciated advice. As I just finished all the skills, I am going to keep it as it for a while and test out how it works before necessarily changing skills. And at the worst, if the Music/Disco doesn't work... I could maybe replace Disco with Provo or Peace to get the songs that give stat boosts and focus the template more on being a role player rather than going for maximum nuke damage.

I know not everything can be disco'ed - but the songs work fairly well all over the place. As long as it isn't one of those bosses that can suck you in and 1-hit kill you, the songs are a good way to keep up constant damage, especially when doing in conjunction with EV's and some other spell casting. For the handful of content that can be disco'ed - the songs would go even further. Since I usually play in large groups, we typically knock out anything in a short amount of time , so boosting damage output in the short term is one of my objectives here.

I had a feeling you would push the necro/SS template - but that is going to be my NEXT mage project... something along the lines of Mage/Eval/Necro/SS and whatever else I can fit in. I will be sure to post up about it, and I will specifically look for you input as I have seen you say many times that it is one of highest DPS templates.

I will keep ya posted how template works out.

 

[Zalan]

Your next project could be Necro/SS/Myst/Foc/Mage/EI/SW.

I'll let you figure out mana management on that one.

 

[Merlin]

Your next project could be Necro/SS/Myst/Foc/Mage/EI/SW.

I'll let you figure out mana management on that one.

Yeah, I thought about it, but that's too many spells for one toon. Between Magery / Mystic / Necro / Bardic, I usually only like to do 2 from that group. That way I can have room for SW and some mana regen skill, whether it be Med or Focus, or maybe some other defensive skill like Resist or Poisoning, etc.