I don't understand why these items exist. Races are given vulnerabilities to balance them. Being able to negate that vuln relatively easily without replacing it with another feels like a bad idea. Isn't that why the dwarf mask was changed?
Items that add resistance to damage types
I feel comparing dwarves to ferals is not fair.
Fire is like the easiest vuln to exploit. For a race with such a low health pool and so few perks I don't think the few selected ferals being able to cover their vuln will sway balance that much.
Also, that cloak's stats are pretty lame.
Edited
I can't believe that someone coded a fire resistance for Ferals. Contrary to what some might think, Ferals are not a weak race.
They get two extremely strong perks:
-
Fury, that makes mages fail casting 50% of the time.
-
An 100% extra attack.
I won't bother explaining the OP of fury, but that extra attack is better than old Ogre damage bonus.
A normal character will get like this for attacks chances:
100% First attack
50% Second attack
25% Third attack
Total: 175% = 1.75 attacks per round on average.
A feral gets like:
100% First attack
50% + 50% Second attack
25% + 50% Third attack
Total: 275% = 2.75 attacks per round on average.
2.75/1.75 = 1.57
So that's an extra 57% damage from meele damage output.
Then consider that fire spells, like fireball, save differently and actually remove damage per afflictive save instead of just reducing it by a set percentage. So you get a race, who has a vuln, but hits like everyone had a vuln (+50% damage), has a skill that allows them to cut enemies spell offense and defense by by half, and with high saves can almost ignore the fire spells vuln.
I see no reason for them to get a way to remove the fire vuln.
I agree with you that ferals can be an extremely strong race in the correct hands, and that affl saves can help immensely with fireballs/firestorm/flame arrow ect.
However, that first time a firegiant zerker bodyslams you with the flaming badiche, you'll feel that fire vuln.
As for the ash cape, a fire resist item is much more popular than a 'drowning resist' item. Knights could want it for that fire giant nexus that seems to pop up every month or so. A warmaster may want it for an invoker savant. Ferals aren't the only people TRYING to get that cloak, compared to dwarves being the only people concerned with the mask. That, and there only being one of those capes period, is what keeps me from raging against the mechanic.
1 hour ago, mya said:
I can't believe that someone coded a fire resistance for Ferals. Contrary to what some might think, Ferals are not a weak race.
They get two extremely strong perks:
Fury, that makes mages fail casting 50% of the time.
An 100% extra attack.
I won't bother explaining the OP of fury, but that extra attack is better than old Ogre damage bonus.
A normal character will get like this for attacks chances:
100% First attack
50% Second attack
25% Third attack
Total: 175% = 1.75 attacks per round on average.
A feral gets like:
100% First attack
50% + 50% Second attack
25% + 50% Third attack
Total: 275% = 2.75 attacks per round on average.
2.75/1.75 = 1.57
So that's an extra 57% damage from meele damage output.
Then consider that fire spells, like fireball, save differently and actually remove damage per afflictive save instead of just reducing it by a set percentage. So you get a race, who has a vuln, but hits like everyone had a vuln (+50% damage), has a skill that allows them to cut enemies spell offense and defense by by half, and with high saves can almost ignore the fire spells vuln.
I see no reason for them to get a way to remove the fire vuln.
The way you put it almost made me roll one.... but then I remembered we are talking about ferals.
@the_nightmare would say here: "It looks good on paper, but roll one and own the PB."
In other words, I think you are strongly exaggerating.
Ferals are extremely powerful races. A feral ranger is an absolute MONSTER of a combo, I promise. Now that ninjas were revamped? I guarantee that a feral ninja will be able to contend against the top characters.
Isn't it funny that they were miscoded too? Celerity meant to give them a +1 to certain stats, but she misremembered human stats. :P
Is it burnproof?
It's not just that item. There are items that give bash resistance, mental resistance as well.
4 hours ago, Zoichan said:
I agree with you that ferals can be an extremely strong race in the correct hands, and that affl saves can help immensely with fireballs/firestorm/flame arrow ect.
However, that first time a firegiant zerker bodyslams you with the flaming badiche, you'll feel that fire vuln.
With respect, but everything feels their vuln when it is brought into play. Undead feel it when a paladin shows up, fire giants with invokers or anyone with a nice icy weapon, gnomes against anything with dispel or charm. Ferals already have enhanced melee defenses and fury to cut an enemy's ability to take advantage of their vuln, as well as an extra attack to increase their own output - I'd be very wary of taking an invoker up against a feral who doesn't have the fire vuln, as the fight was fairly even already. However, as you mention, the cape being unique and desired by more than just ferals keeps it from being too much, I think.
27 minutes ago, Brofessor said:
It's not just that item. There are items that give bash resistance, mental resistance as well.
That's a widely spread misconception. There is no item that gives a 'bash' resistance to the skill 'bash' or 'bodyslam.' It does give resistance to bash type damage. Not how often the actual skill lands. It was so widely misconceived that the item no longer gives that anymore, to avoid confusion. It now gives a resistance to something different.
Must create a cleric/mage to identify all these new fangled stuff and things......
Or you can do what I did and just roll an IMM. Much easier than ranking to 50 and finding a group.
5 minutes ago, Zoichan said:
Or you can do what I did and just roll an IMM. Much easier than ranking to 50 and finding a group.
I'll take the job, where do I sign up?
You can't just 'sign up.' You have to know the super secret IMM passcode on login. And the only way to find that out is through hints given in the descriptions of random rooms across the game. It's a 23 character, case sensitive code that you put in instead of your own password, and BOOM you're an IMM.
I just got lucky because I drank too much scotch, and passed out on my keyboard when trying to log in on my mortal. Somehow Benford's law came into play, and when I woke up I was level 52.
Well crap, the only law that works for me is Murphy's so I'm screwed I reckon.
1 hour ago, Zoichan said:
That's a widely spread misconception. There is no item that gives a 'bash' resistance to the skill 'bash' or 'bodyslam.' It does give resistance to bash type damage. Not how often the actual skill lands. It was so widely misconceived that the item no longer gives that anymore, to avoid confusion. It now gives a resistance to something different.
Well, I found it useful on my battlemage. Meteor call, some mobs and some ranger pets made it worth it. The lightning resistance ... I dislike. Call lightning is made to use vs super decked targets. And if you can't bother to remove AC vs an invoker why should there be a lightning resistance thing for you? And don't Crusaders get a way to access lightning resistance on their own? I have an old id of some sadder eq that granted it.
Now a DAM_SLASH resist would be nice. Because that would allow you to resist feral fury. Make it a face armor and boom, no more face +Spell level item.
@Zoichan
Monstrous slab still adds resistance to bashing damage type (which I thought was halfling vuln?)
Halflings have a 'mundane' vuln. Not a huge one mind you, but they take more damage from weapons than say, a human or elf. And, I don't think they are strong enough to use the shield. May be wrong on that.
5 hours ago, Brofessor said:
@Zoichan
Monstrous slab still adds resistance to bashing damage type (which I thought was halfling vuln?)
Not only that... But if you're a halfling and you're using a shield you're doing something wrong 90% of the time.
My halfling warrior never used a shield...