Feat Selection

kgb · Post by **kgb** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:03 am

I'm interested in whether there are any suggestions as to what feats are not worth taking by specific toons relative to NS or otherwise.

For example:

1. Is knockdown and improved knockdown (both or either) not worth taking by a halfling or gnome - given their puny str and size differential?

2. I recall a discussion in the mirky past about the various rages for barbarians and the str cap are these a waste as well?

The focus is to assist build makers to not have to scrap established builds and start again. What may work in one persistent world under certain conditions may not work here in NS (overwhelming crit being redundant etc.)

Some do have the time to scrap an epic build and start again, yet the majority do not. So please if you have pearls of wisdom for players - I would appreciate your input and perhaps others would too.

If there is another similar thread I am sure an avid forum member would direct me to that thread and no harm would have been done!

Sure some feats have been commented in the Wiki like the changes to Blinding Speed, Disarm etc. so you can see where some are a result of playtesting and customisation in the specific mod of NS and may escape players who are not familiar with how things work here. Others like the knockdown question are for players like me with limited knowledge of small-statured folk having not played them (dwarves are not small)

cheers
kgb

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:57 am

Useless feats:
O-Crit
Dev Crit
Brew Potion -- Overridden by NS4 crafting system DO NOT TAKE
Scribe Scroll -- Overridden by NS4 crafting system DO NOT TAKE
Lingering Song (it's only 5 rounds, if you take your bard epic get Lasting Inspiration instead)
Great Cleave (too many HP in high level monsters for this to be effective beyond level 5)
Improved Ki Strike (AB on monk gloves has the same effect, and goes as high as +7)
Improved Power Attack (duh)
Planar Turning (never seen it done?)

Not so sure on the Barb feats--Mighty Rage does remove the -2 AC penalty to raging.

I think there may be a problem with Combat Casting/ICC but I don't recall what it is.

JesterOI · Post by **JesterOI** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:14 pm

KD and IKD can work for gnomes and halflings.

A gnome/halfling using IKD is the equivalent of a human/elf/dwarf using KD.

KD and IKD are based off of AB.
So, just be sure to have a high AB and your KD attempts should work fine.

MLoki · Post by **MLoki** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:22 pm

Actually I believe the AB on Monk gloves may not count as an Enhancement bonus so won't cut through DR like weapons do.

But another couple feats to add to that useless list would be;

Circle Kick
Mighty Rage

Circle Kick makes you change targets everytime it goes off and Mighty Rage doesn't stack with the enhancement bonuses you get from belts/gloves so Rage can max out with just a +4/+4.

MLoki

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:07 pm

Mighty Rage removes the -2 ac penalty when raging, though.

mgrjebbo · Post by **mgrjebbo** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:02 pm

lol mighty rage is worth taking, i have tested it and let me tell you its worth the epic feat. i love people who dont test things saying they are worthless. and no i wont post the changes to it, trial and error my friends.

Post by **Amoenotep** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:25 pm

its been changed for a few months...Yay for knowing your build!

P. Fricebottle · Post by **P. Fricebottle** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:26 pm

Hm.

Improved and normal Expertise. People take it for the WM, its not often used. Very rarely do people take Improved unless they just plan on tanking.

Archers seem to have a problem, and I was thinking that perhaps Improved Expertise and Expertise could help them. Perhaps an archer in Expertise mode receives the +5 AC but does not receive the -5 AB. And an archer in Improved Expertise Mode receives the +10 AC and only a -5 AB. Might be interesting, to make up for the loss of a shield.

mgrjebbo · Post by **mgrjebbo** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:36 pm

dont archers have a higher ab to make up for the no sheild?

thought thats why arcane archers had the highest ab on the server.

P. Fricebottle · Post by **P. Fricebottle** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:41 pm

Archers are well behind the pack, I thought it would be nice to give them something.

mgrjebbo · Post by **mgrjebbo** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:41 pm

that is an archers position, to be behind the pack.

if you want to tank build a fighter.....

common sense here people i mean come on

P. Fricebottle · Post by **P. Fricebottle** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:53 pm

Blast it all, you know what I meant. Not literally.

kgb · Post by **kgb** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:39 pm

@ Jester - Thanks for the info on KD and IKD.

What are player's opinions on bard song. Is it better to get Lasting Inspiration or to have a bard song (with or without Lingering Song) that you can use over and over with a shorter duration? I guess the damage aspect would be useful in short repetitions.

@ MLoki - I was under the impression that the AB on gloves were treated as enhancement bonuses. Do any of the devs/dms have a definitive answer on this?

@Crazy J - Am I correct in assuming the Guardians and higher ups on the planar areas are treated as Outsiders for purposes of Planar Turning (yeah I know good luck with that!) and lesser mobs are usually of the elemental category?

Thanks so far for the feedback.

Post by **Sparky** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:39 pm

Tep and Mgrjebbo are both correct about Mighty Rage. We've been experimenting with that and other Rage feats as compliments to Pure Class and even non-Pure Class bonuses. We won't announce any of their finalized changes until the Pure Class Barb goes lives, which could be very soon, or not, depending on the Dev at hand.

MLoki · Post by **MLoki** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:25 am

mgrjebbo wrote:lol mighty rage is worth taking, i have tested it and let me tell you its worth the epic feat. i love people who dont test things saying they are worthless. and no i wont post the changes to it, trial and error my friends.

Sorry I tested it before the first wipe, back when we were still using a cluster. It didn't fully work for me then since I was a Half Ogre, so sorry if I haven't dedicated more time into retesting it. Nothing had been posted about it so I figured nothing had been changed.

MLoki