Distant advantage vs marksman

[thestigma]

Hey all,

 

This topic is half to inform and half to get a confirmation from someone else...

 

I've been doing some very quick&dirty tests of marksman and distant advantage to see how they interact. This is what I've tentatively concluded so far:

- Marksman applies to ranged weapons only (not spells)

- DIstant advantage applies to both spells and ranged weapons-

- If you have both, they seem to stack (ie. +10 acc on ranged weapons for distant targets, meaning more than 4 meters, which isn't very far)

 

Can anyone else confirm this for me? I'm playing POTD so finding ways to increase my accuracy (especially spell accuracy, as that is not easily modifiable by gear) seems essential. Distant advantage seems to be a very very good choice for any typical backline spellcaster since it is one of the few ways to increase spell accuracy.

 

What other good ways are there to increase spell accuracy in reliable ways? Let me know. I'm going to check that inspiring radiance works for this when I get to it (but painful interdiction is too good to not take first IMO).

 

I did read some stuff about distant advantage being bugged somehow and the effect disappearing on transitions, but I wasn't able to find evidence for that...

 

EDIT: A talent for +5 accuracy on spells would have been so nice...

 

-Stigma

Edited April 15, 2015 by thestigma

[Kaigen42]

The Paladin's Zealous Focus aura applies to spells, though you'd probably need a Paladin with high Intellect to make the aura stretch far enough to cover your spellcasters.

[MadDemiurg]

Eldrich aim spell/poitions or scroll of valor give +15 accuracy. They don't stack (and they don't stack with most of the weaker spells). There are certain things that increase your accuracy when focusing the same target as an ally, like a marking weapon or cipher's tactical meld. These stack with spells. All resist debuffs technically can be seen as spell accuracy buffs. Druid's level 3 plague debuffs all resists by 20 and can not be resisted itself. All abilities also passively get +1 accuracy per level, so +12 @ level 12.

Edited April 15, 2015 by MadDemiurg

[thestigma]

Eldrich aim spell/poitions or scroll of valor give +15 accuracy. They don't stack (and they don't stack with most of the weaker spells). There are certain things that increase your accuracy when focusing the same target as an ally, like a marking weapon or cipher's tactical meld. These stack with spells. All resist debuffs technically can be seen as spell accuracy buffs. Druid's level 3 plague debuffs all resists by 20 and can not be resisted itself. All abilities also passively get +1 accuracy per level, so +12 @ level 12.

 

Good info all around. I've heard about the druid spell too which seems like a great "start of the chain" to debuffing tough opponents down into the beatable range (talking about POTD here, as hard isn't really hard enough to warrant that level of tryharding unless you are fighting way overleveled content).

 

I think that another good good debuff starter is painful interdiction (priest talent + expanding talent). Weakness is a huge debuff on typical spell resist stats, and interdiction is huge AoE, fast, one-pr-encounter, and also has +15accuracy (with another talent,empowered interdiction, possible to buff that even further making it crazy accurate). Short of the unresistable druid spell I think this is one of the best "defense breakers" I've seen in the game that gets you a way into landing further spells - and being able to use it once pr encounter is really powerful for any party that uses spells.

 

I will have to think about carrying around a few eldritch aim scrolls... Those could be real clutch in a tough fight.

 

-Stigma

[Ruminate]

Buffs:

Eldritch Aim (+15)

Inspiring Radiance (+5)

Inspiring Liberation (+10)

Tactical Meld (+20, single enemy, self only)

Weapon with Marking (+10, single enemy)

Zealous Focus (+6, suppressed by Eldritch Aim)

Blessing (+5, suppressed by Eldritch Aim and Zealous Focus)

 

Debuffs:

Weapon with Disorientating (-5 all defense, targets deflection, or fortitude as a barbarian)

Barbs of Condemnation (-5 all defenses, targets fortitude)

Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights (-10 will, targets reflex)

Miasma of Dull-Mindedness (-10 intellect, -10 perception, -10 resolve, targets will)

Arkemyr's Wondrous Torment (-10 resolve, -10 intellect, targets will)

Nature's Mark (-10 reflex, targets will)

Stag Horn (-20 reflex, targets deflection)

Psychovampiric Shield (-10 resolve, targets will)

Borrowed Instinct (-8 perception, -8 intellect, targets will)

 

I didn't list afflictions, but the druid version of Spreading Plague targets fortitude. The item version is an automatic hit.

[hugin7]

 

Eldrich aim spell/poitions or scroll of valor give +15 accuracy. They don't stack (and they don't stack with most of the weaker spells). There are certain things that increase your accuracy when focusing the same target as an ally, like a marking weapon or cipher's tactical meld. These stack with spells. All resist debuffs technically can be seen as spell accuracy buffs. Druid's level 3 plague debuffs all resists by 20 and can not be resisted itself. All abilities also passively get +1 accuracy per level, so +12 @ level 12.

 

Good info all around. I've heard about the druid spell too which seems like a great "start of the chain" to debuffing tough opponents down into the beatable range (talking about POTD here, as hard isn't really hard enough to warrant that level of tryharding unless you are fighting way overleveled content).

 

I think that another good good debuff starter is painful interdiction (priest talent + expanding talent). Weakness is a huge debuff on typical spell resist stats, and interdiction is huge AoE, fast, one-pr-encounter, and also has +15accuracy (with another talent,empowered interdiction, possible to buff that even further making it crazy accurate). Short of the unresistable druid spell I think this is one of the best "defense breakers" I've seen in the game that gets you a way into landing further spells - and being able to use it once pr encounter is really powerful for any party that uses spells.

 

I will have to think about carrying around a few eldritch aim scrolls... Those could be real clutch in a tough fight.

 

-Stigma

 

 

Druid's Spreading Plague attacks fortitude with a +10 accuracy bonus.  Where did you get the impression that it hits automatically?

[MadDemiurg]

 

 

Eldrich aim spell/poitions or scroll of valor give +15 accuracy. They don't stack (and they don't stack with most of the weaker spells). There are certain things that increase your accuracy when focusing the same target as an ally, like a marking weapon or cipher's tactical meld. These stack with spells. All resist debuffs technically can be seen as spell accuracy buffs. Druid's level 3 plague debuffs all resists by 20 and can not be resisted itself. All abilities also passively get +1 accuracy per level, so +12 @ level 12.

 

Good info all around. I've heard about the druid spell too which seems like a great "start of the chain" to debuffing tough opponents down into the beatable range (talking about POTD here, as hard isn't really hard enough to warrant that level of tryharding unless you are fighting way overleveled content).

 

I think that another good good debuff starter is painful interdiction (priest talent + expanding talent). Weakness is a huge debuff on typical spell resist stats, and interdiction is huge AoE, fast, one-pr-encounter, and also has +15accuracy (with another talent,empowered interdiction, possible to buff that even further making it crazy accurate). Short of the unresistable druid spell I think this is one of the best "defense breakers" I've seen in the game that gets you a way into landing further spells - and being able to use it once pr encounter is really powerful for any party that uses spells.

 

I will have to think about carrying around a few eldritch aim scrolls... Those could be real clutch in a tough fight.

 

-Stigma

 

 

Druid's Spreading Plague attacks fortitude with a +10 accuracy bonus.  Where did you get the impression that it hits automatically?

 

Yeah, the spell itself indeed has a check. Rotfinger gloves though have a different version of the spell it seems, which doesn't allow a save. Probably a bug tbh.