Someone please explain this ability to me

[TrueMenace]

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Disintegration

 

Tooltip is a bit outdated in the wiki (still mentions stamina instead of endurance).

 

What's the point of the enemy "disintegrating instantly" when they reach 0 endurance?

Edited March 6, 2015 by TrueMenace

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

What's the point of the enemy "disintegrating instantly" when they reach 0 endurance?

Killing them.

[TrueMenace]

 

What's the point of the enemy "disintegrating instantly" when they reach 0 endurance?

Killing them.

 

Well duh...lol

 

Is it just "flavor text" for another way of saying they die pretty much?

[illathid]

It could mean gear is destroyed... Or that if used on pc/companion that it skirts the normal maimed rules.

[Ted Striker]

Pretty cut and clear to me. It kills you if your stamina reaches zero from the ability. 

[Veevoir]

Yeah, but what is the point of taking the ability for a Cipher in player's team? 

Enemies are dead when they lose all endurance anyway.

So unless there are enemies that can stand back up from being knocked out of endurance (trolls ,perhaps?) but that just makes this ability very,very situational. And it shouldn't be, it's the strongest ability tier in the game.

[Ted Striker]

Yeah, but what is the point of taking the ability for a Cipher in player's team? 

 

Enemies are dead when they lose all endurance anyway.

 

So unless there are enemies that can stand back up from being knocked out of endurance (trolls ,perhaps?) but that just makes this ability very,very situational. And it shouldn't be, it's the strongest ability tier in the game.

Oh, I didn't realize NPC's had a different health/endurance mechanic.... So no enemy health? Unless you would just call it health to begin with like most games do. 

[Archaven]

Disintegrate is pretty bad if it destroy loot as well. Perhaps it's required against certain monsters that if you don't disintegrate them, they will regenerate or their corpse can be animated or conjured as undeads?

[TrueMenace]

This is the current issue with this game. The horrible, unclear ability/talent tooltips. What's so special about this 6th level cipher power that I'm not seeing (besides doing Raw damage)?

Edited March 10, 2015 by TrueMenace

[Odd Hermit]

 

Yeah, but what is the point of taking the ability for a Cipher in player's team? 

 

Enemies are dead when they lose all endurance anyway.

 

So unless there are enemies that can stand back up from being knocked out of endurance (trolls ,perhaps?) but that just makes this ability very,very situational. And it shouldn't be, it's the strongest ability tier in the game.

Oh, I didn't realize NPC's had a different health/endurance mechanic.... So no enemy health? Unless you would just call it health to begin with like most games do. 

 

 

 

Enemies at least seem to have the same health/endurance mechanic, it just doesn't come into play unless you're hitting and running.

 

You can deal damage and run off until the enemy gives up, and if you come back that enemy will have regenerated its stamina.

 

However I don't know if you could constantly peck away at a target's stam/health and eventually overcome the stam regen by outright killing a target.

[Veevoir]

 

Yeah, but what is the point of taking the ability for a Cipher in player's team? 

 

Enemies are dead when they lose all endurance anyway.

 

So unless there are enemies that can stand back up from being knocked out of endurance (trolls ,perhaps?) but that just makes this ability very,very situational. And it shouldn't be, it's the strongest ability tier in the game.

Oh, I didn't realize NPC's had a different health/endurance mechanic.... So no enemy health? Unless you would just call it health to begin with like most games do. 

 

They may have it (as per @Odd Hermit), but it doesn't come in the play like 99% of the time. Once a character in the game (PC or NPC) loses all endurance she/he falls down unconscious til the end of combat (except for some rare kills/abilities that can prevent that).

 

So a bunch of unconscious enemies are as good as dead, aren't they? Unless they will win the fight

[morhilane]

I find it amusing that people don't think the spell is going to be used against their party. 

 

There are class abilities in the game to "wake up" unconscious friend/foes in combat, but it work only if they still have health.  I don't see any reason as to why enemies wouldn't use them. On top of it, the game has permadeath if health reach 0 for your party members, there is a checkbox to make it that the first time the character reach 0 health they are just maimed, but reaching 0 health while maimed still result in permadeath anyhow. One disintegrate can either make perma kill or maim a party member.

Edited March 11, 2015 by morhilane

[Veevoir]

@morhilane: Sure it will get used against the party. Many abilities will be used against the party, some of them we (as player party) can't use. But that is not the point.
The point is - why do we get to pick it at all when (as a level VI ability) it is very weak for player to use on NPC enemies.

 

 

 

There are class abilities in the game to "wake up" unconscious friend/foes in combat, but it work only if they still have health.  I don't see any reason as to why enemies wouldn't use them.

Now that would be a reason. We can argue if a good reason, but a reason to desintegrate nonetheless. And I do hope AI does that.

Still - it is underwhelming ability (in fact Cipher's lvl VI abilities are all a bit underwhelming compared to IV or V)

[morhilane]

@morhilane: Sure it will get used against the party. Many abilities will be used against the party, some of them we (as player party) can't use. But that is not the point.

The point is - why do we get to pick it at all when (as a level VI ability) it is very weak for player to use on NPC enemies.

 

For the same reason Disintegrate in the IE games was available to both players and enemies (it had a chance to destroy loot).

Also, Pillars of Eternity spells power level isn't based on their spell level, in most cases first level spells deal as much damage as later spells do. Although, that is pre-release balance, who knows what the latest build will have.

[Azmodiuz]

Thats a 6th level ability too. Wouldn't that require a higher level character then the game will even allow..? thought i read somewhere we will get to like level 6 or 7 only or 8 or something. Theres a cap or something I am assuming.

[Elerond]

Thats a 6th level ability too. Wouldn't that require a higher level character then the game will even allow..? thought i read somewhere we will get to like level 6 or 7 only or 8 or something. Theres a cap or something I am assuming.

 

Character's are capped to level 12.

[Suhiir]

It's not like it's the only spell you have available to select, if you don't like it don't use it.

Easy solution.

[Voss]

It's not like it's the only spell you have available to select, if you don't like it don't use it.

Easy solution.

It isn't a solution at all.  The OP is making a request for information, not deciding the likability of the power.

[Suhiir]

Disintegrate is pretty bad if it destroy loot as well. Perhaps it's required against certain monsters that if you don't disintegrate them, they will regenerate or their corpse can be animated or conjured as undeads?

 

 

It's not like it's the only spell you have available to select, if you don't like it don't use it.

Easy solution.

It isn't a solution at all.  The OP is making a request for information, not deciding the likability of the power.

 

Sure sounds like at least one person doesn't much like it to me.

[Lephys]

What's you're solution for someone liking it, but wishing it weren't nonsensical, then?

 

"If you like it, still don't use it"?

[Azmodiuz]

Does disintegrate destroy loot in PoE ? Is this confirmed ? Like in AD&D items used to get saving throws, but mundane items you might as well have just thrown away, but magical items get bonus's depending on value or power, etc..

(Would be funny if this was in diablo3, and it destroyed loot. would be hilarious...damn I hate that game)

[trisyln]

Necro-ing this, but in a relevant way.  Disintegrate does destroy the corpse and loot if the tick of damage does the killing blow.  Confirmed I killed Bounty: Meztla today.  During the encounter I killed a wizard and Meztla with this ability.  In looting, neither a spellbook or (most importantly) the bounty bag with Meztla's head was there.  This aligns with the physical disappearance of the body when it dies.

Cool spell though, but too cool.

[PrimeJunta]

Enemies at least seem to have the same health/endurance mechanic, it just doesn't come into play unless you're hitting and running.

 

You can deal damage and run off until the enemy gives up, and if you come back that enemy will have regenerated its stamina.

 

However I don't know if you could constantly peck away at a target's stam/health and eventually overcome the stam regen by outright killing a target.

 

Enemies don't have health. If you have a really tanky fighter with really low damage wailing on an enemy fighter, both regenerate stamina faster than they damage it. Eventually your fighter will drop because his health reaches zero; the enemy fighter will just stand there indefinitely.

[Elerond]

 

Enemies at least seem to have the same health/endurance mechanic, it just doesn't come into play unless you're hitting and running.

 

You can deal damage and run off until the enemy gives up, and if you come back that enemy will have regenerated its stamina.

 

However I don't know if you could constantly peck away at a target's stam/health and eventually overcome the stam regen by outright killing a target.

 

Enemies don't have health. If you have a really tanky fighter with really low damage wailing on an enemy fighter, both regenerate stamina faster than they damage it. Eventually your fighter will drop because his health reaches zero; the enemy fighter will just stand there indefinitely.

 

 

I am not sure if that is actually true. As I tested it some patches ago. Enemies (an enemy as I tested it against just one enemy fighter) actually eventually start to lose their max endurance and eventually die, even if they heal more than you can damage them. That was result of over 10 minutes long fight where my character could only do 1-3 points damage per hit.

[PrimeJunta]

I am not sure if that is actually true. As I tested it some patches ago. Enemies (an enemy as I tested it against just one enemy fighter) actually eventually start to lose their max endurance and eventually die, even if they heal more than you can damage them. That was result of over 10 minutes long fight where my character could only do 1-3 points damage per hit.

Oh? I'm going to have to try this again then though, because when I did, my toon always ended up going down first. It could be that they just had lower health to start with. I could be mistaken on this.