Chanters....attributes do what?

[Keithustus]

I'm trying to better understand how Chanters work.  There have already been some tidbits in the Chanter Assistance thread but that thread doesn't outline what the base attributes do for a Chanter.

 

Might...clearly this affects weapon damage but does it affect summons?  Does it affect damaging chants and invocations?

 

Dexterity...says "affects the character's Action Speed with all attacks, spells, and abilities" so I assume this works for everything except chants?

 

Perception...I assume this stacks with the Concentration-attacking chant?

 

Intellect...for chants and invocations, what does "influences Duration and Areas of Effect for all Abilities and Talents" mean?  The size of the area? Does it affect summoned creatures at all?

 

Resolve...this stat is recommended...why?  To prevent being disrupted while casting an invocation?

 

FYI, I am building my main as a Diablo II-esque summonmancer.  Since--my surprise--Chanters can engage in regular combat while chanting, I am focusing on melee attacks between summons.

[Zarkhes]

Might dont affect strengh of summons

Dex wont affect chants, since they are not spells and not require time to cast

Per/resolve i would pick because of deflection, since chanters make decent tank

And INT is great since it affects durration of invocation (summons) and linger of chants

Also be aware that you can summon only one unit.So its Phantom or skeletons.Skeletons got problem reaching target like in hallway etc.Phantom are better i would say

[DragonDai]

Not sure if Might affects the damage summons do, but it affects all damage the character possessing it does (unless specifically stated otherwise, like some Wizard spells). So Might affects a sword swing, an arrow from a bow, a fireball from a Wizard, and an invocation from a Chanter all equally.

I do not believe Dex makes Chanters chant faster, no.

 

Perception does stack with any attack that can interrupt, including chants or spells that do that thing, but the bonus is extremely tiny. 

Int will increase the duration of anything, excepting chants, I think (can you tell I haven't done too much with Chanters yet? lol). So it will increase the duration of a buff from an Invocation and it will increase the total time a summon is allowed to stick around. Obviously, if the summon dies, Int doesn't help, but Int will keep your summon from poofing out quite as quickly. As for AoE increase, it does exactly as advertised. More Int means bigger AoE circles. And this is clearly displayed in the ground targeting reticule for the AoE. You'll see and inner circle of one color and an outer ring of another. That outer ring is the increased AoE size from Int. As a side note, that outer ring is ALWAYS Foe AoE only, even on spells that can friendly fire (not relevant to Chanters, I don't think, but still, good info).

As to why Resolve is recommended, I think you got the right of it. That being said, the bonus is very small, and it's probably a better is to just make sure the Chanter isn't getting hit, either thru proper positioning if the Chanter isn't tanking or thru high Deflection (via armor, Perception, and Resolve) if they are taking, than by worrying about a tiny bonus to Concentration from Resolve.

Anyway, sorry I couldn't be of more help, but hopefully that will set you on the right track.

[Iguana-on-a-stick]

INT is crucial for chanters. The way chants work, each phrase takes a fixed amount of time to speak and the effect will then linger on for a time after that while the chanter starts on the next. INT increases that time.

So a high-INT chanter can have the passive buffs of several chants overlap. This obviously makes them -much- better.

 

INT also boosts the area of effect of your invocations, which is also extremely good. Maybe not for summons, but you have plenty powerful invocations that do have one. Like the one that charms all enemies. (Level 2 invocation.) Best of all, the increased AOE from INT is party friendly! If you position right, you can avoid hitting your tank while still hitting everyone he's fighting. Convinced yet?

 

For the rest of your stats it depends on what you want to do. Tanking works, which'd mean high PER and RES. Might would help with dealing damage.

 

Finally, because it takes time for the invocations to become active, I've found it useful to give my chanter some items that let him cast spells. Armour that can cast Sunbeam, for example, gives him a great opening move. Gloves that cast healing lets you use your priest spells for more useful actions. Etc, etc.

[Ceranai]

Im currently running a four chanter build so i can answer some of these questions. 

Might is useful for chants and invocations that heal or damage so is a good stat to at least put some points in, i maxed it for all 4 chanters

 

Constitution pretty self explanatory, max it if you are gonna be near the action for the tankiness, i maxed it for all 4 characters

 

Dexterity is good for reflexes and attack speed, so less aoe dmg and more dps, I left it at 10 for all 4 characters

 

Perception makes it mroe likely you interupt and avoid dmg through deflection and reflexes, I left it at 10

 

Intellect is a good stat, bigger cones and range of auras and more overlap between chants (at max intellect one chanter can run two auras with one second of one aura ) but due to my playstyle i reduced this to 4 for all of my chanters (melee tanks so range not an issue and because i have 4 chanters overlapping chants is pretty pointless as they dont stack) I can confirm that buffs do not stack, but i am unsure if debuffs stack or if the healing you get from chanting stacks. Summons last till the end of combat and are my main source of dps/

Resolve is very important as you really do not want to be interupted while chanting so i maxed this out.

 

[Ceranai]

Im currently running a four chanter build so i can answer some of these questions. 

 

Might is useful for chants and invocations that heal or damage so is a good stat to at least put some points in, i maxed it for all 4 chanters

 

Constitution pretty self explanatory, max it if you are gonna be near the action for the tankiness, i maxed it for all 4 characters

 

Dexterity is good for reflexes and attack speed, so less aoe dmg and more dps, I left it at 10 for all 4 characters

 

Perception makes it mroe likely you interupt and avoid dmg through deflection and reflexes, I left it at 10

 

Intellect is a good stat, bigger cones and range of auras and more overlap between chants (at max intellect one chanter can run two auras with one second of one aura ) but due to my playstyle i reduced this to 4 for all of my chanters (melee tanks so range not an issue and because i have 4 chanters overlapping chants is pretty pointless as they dont stack) I can confirm that buffs do not stack, but i am unsure if debuffs stack or if the healing you get from chanting stacks. Summons last till the end of combat and are my main source of dps/

 

Resolve is very important as you really do not want to be interupted while chanting so i maxed this out.

 

 

Having said this I am still playing around with it and think that maybe intelligence 10 might be best to allow some chant overlap and large enough cones to hit a few people, i think its dexterity that you can get away with tanking as chants are instant, you can then use the points to buff damage mitigating stats and get a super tank, the way Im playing the key to my build is surviving 12 seconds into the fight

[Arctic]

If i was doing a chant i first will ask a cuestion to miself tank (yes or no)

 

if you are going to stay back you need dex and a big gun, if you are going tank 3 to dex ...

 

Since chanters have such great hp, and good saves, i will go tank with him ... but i still want damage (probably not main tank with a chanter, i would use a warrior for that but still )

 

Ill probably go with 21 16 3 10 10 18 with a tank chanter ... yes i know that the 21 damage is .. weird .. but well .. i have 1 reason for it .. and it is the fire damage chant ... that does so much damage ... really ... kana does like 90 damage after dr  to all foes ...

 

still thats a lvl 3 chant so ... waiting to lvl 8-9 (dont remember ... ) and you will not use the might for anithing else ... so if you are not going to use that chant .. just put a 3 in there, and go with

 

2 18 3 21 15 19 (orlan)

 

 

Note: Right now, after reading the chants, im not sure that  might affect that chant ... it sais 40 burn 40 slash and nothing like ... 50 burn .. 40 base ... so ... not sure, I will test it.

 

The log shows not attack or damage roll, juts "kana chants ...." ... killed killed killed ... so thats all .. .alwais hit, fixed amount of damage but still dont know if affected by might or talents ..

 

It seams is .. 10+10 damage per tic with .. probably 6 tics ... 4 duration 2 lingering .. so it should be 60 60 total damage ..

Edited March 31, 2015 by Arctic

[Phyriel]

 

Im currently running a four chanter build so i can answer some of these questions. 

 

Might is useful for chants and invocations that heal or damage so is a good stat to at least put some points in, i maxed it for all 4 chanters

 

Constitution pretty self explanatory, max it if you are gonna be near the action for the tankiness, i maxed it for all 4 characters

 

Dexterity is good for reflexes and attack speed, so less aoe dmg and more dps, I left it at 10 for all 4 characters

 

Perception makes it mroe likely you interupt and avoid dmg through deflection and reflexes, I left it at 10

 

Intellect is a good stat, bigger cones and range of auras and more overlap between chants (at max intellect one chanter can run two auras with one second of one aura ) but due to my playstyle i reduced this to 4 for all of my chanters (melee tanks so range not an issue and because i have 4 chanters overlapping chants is pretty pointless as they dont stack) I can confirm that buffs do not stack, but i am unsure if debuffs stack or if the healing you get from chanting stacks. Summons last till the end of combat and are my main source of dps/

 

Resolve is very important as you really do not want to be interupted while chanting so i maxed this out.

 

 

Having said this I am still playing around with it and think that maybe intelligence 10 might be best to allow some chant overlap and large enough cones to hit a few people, i think its dexterity that you can get away with tanking as chants are instant, you can then use the points to buff damage mitigating stats and get a super tank, the way Im playing the key to my build is surviving 12 seconds into the fight

 

Well surviving 12 seconds shouldn't be hard with moon godlikes right? Currently wondering if there's a way to regen health (not endurance) somehow as right now my only way of healing up is by resting, gets quite annoying if you get that 1 guy jumped and maimed in otherwise easy fight and then being forced to rest because next fight he will perma die if you don't. Any ideas?

[Dongom]

My favorite Chanter build is a ranged buffer/gunner,

 

17 Mig (Hit for more)

17 Dex (Hit Faster)

17 Int (Longer/Bigger chants and incantations)

Spread the rest as you want. Hell, even dump them for more M/D/I.

 

I only use the "Arrow" Chant.  This lets my resource build faster with only having 1 set up, and it's his most overpowered buff.  Very high dmg, insane buffs, and awesome summons.  Literally a much better version of Ranger.  Four of my total party also use gun/crossbows making me MVP by far.  (I hooked Mother, Aloth, Durance up with blunder/arbelasts).  

Edited March 31, 2015 by Dongom

[Keithustus]

Thank you all!  That is much to think about and play with.

[Lasci]

Er-

 

I thought we determined that intelligence didn't increase chant length, only the duration of invocation effects?

Edited April 3, 2015 by Lasci

[Daemonjax]

Intelligence does increase the linger of the chant (so 2 seconds times int bonus).

 

I'd not pump intelligence on a chanter, though.  By the time you can use an invocation, you've already won the battle (either actually or you're just cleaning up).  It starts at 12 seconds for the low level ones and just gets worse from there... 6 seconds would have been early enough to feel the effect of the invocation.

 

Edit: I was wrong -- int doesn't seem to increase linger.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Daemonjax

[Keithustus]

I'd not pump intelligence on a chanter, though.

Hmmm.....so my main is a Chanter with Int of 18. Is it not advantageous to have about +50% to AoE?  That makes my chant area much larger and their effects last longer?  Btw I have and will continue to only take summon invocations because Diablo II summonmancer.