Hardcore V – Starthrower Dominance

I wish I’d wrote more often as I once did. I apologize; I find myself with far less time to do so. I guess I’ve actually been playing longer times. Between this and my real-life workloads (adding in my human procrastination), there hasn’t been a lot of time.

Priority is now set on the new Monk guide for a lateJanuary 2022 release. Now that the new Epic Destiny system is in place, with several new quests, gear and mechanic changes done, I feel more comfortable to get this done. Most importantly, I’ve played enough to get used to all the changes from my 2 year break. One change in the guide will be support for a few multiclass variations. More on this later.

So Hardcore Season V arrived in November and I immediately jumped in, feeling pumped up after surviving the ridiculously dangerous HC IV, which had incredibly deadly monster champions and annoying mimics. HC V, however, is a shorter season (3 months rather than 4).

HC IV taught me a lot of lessons. As a result, some HC IV vets I transferred to Ghallanda are still with a death count of zero, and a new starthrower I made there was deathless until L22.

Happily, HC V is basically a clone of HC season 1, including the same cosmetic rewards, including the really cool looking Death Walker Sash, now bearing the HC V logo on level 20 achievement. To me, it should look dazzling on Monks with a Ninja cosmetic or similar attire. No remarkable “gotchas” in HC V. Your basic skills from a non-permadeath server should work here.

That doesn’t mean that the world-announcements of obituaries haven’t been saddening or just outright humorous. Causes of death have included several preventable ones:

• The Ancient Magma Brute (Heart of the Problem). This fiery earth elemental in the L3 “Lost Gatekeepers” chain has been owning players who have gone in far too unprotected from fire (both Fire resists AND absorption are needed here), and likely have too small a party. Soloing in HC is ill-advised, and hirelings can only do so much. The Magma Brute likely earthgrabbed the players and crushed them, and players are also likely distracted by his many equally fiery mephit minions.
• “Misadventure.” That’s a kind way of saying “You found a trap using your face, removing your head from your body.” As with any DDO server, you gain a few DDO Points that you can cash in from the DDO Store. Don’t be cheap and buy a Rogue, or ask others to help. If you have bought the Saltmarsh expansion, you’ll get Froggo, an L3 Rogue that’s got skills; he’s cleared traps of L7 Elite levels. I worry less about traps as an evasive, high-reflex Monk. Others need to pay more mind.
• “Non-localized trap.” These are commonly the large ominous blue, yellow, white or red circles appearing on the ground, created by some boss monsters or superior monsters warning you of massive incoming area-of-effect damage that can be easily countered by literally stepping out of those circles!
• “Falling.” Really!? Feather falling items are all over the place now. A DDO Store visit can fix this for peanuts. And stop running! At least, stop running unnecessarily; pay attention to narrow places where you must move or jump.
• “Your Constitution points fell.” Rage or otherwise artificial hit-point boosts might wear off when your hit points were already low, where you unexpectedly commit suicide. Heal up BEFORE removing any gear that adds Rage, False Life, Vitality, or Constitution, and definitely don’t use your guild ship’s amenity buff recharger before you’re at full health.
• Spellcasters with magic missile. Far too many players have been eaten in “The Swiped Signet” and “Proof is in the Poison” quests against the hordes of Swiftfoot spellcasters there. Hjo’s learned (for the last time, I think) how pixie enchanters in the Feywild’s final quest “Immortality Lessons,” ruin your day and your hardcore character’s life. So now everyone in our party makes regular checks on whether our Shield spells are active. I’ve added points to Use Magic Device to all of my HC characters now; getting Nightshield is easier that way if I can’t find a Shield clicky. For Saracletica, her Feydark Illusionist enhancements add permanent Blur and Nightshield.
• Death by elemental damage. Low-level players were getting zapped left and right by Kobold Shamans. No reason not to buy and use Fire, Cold, Acid, and Electricity resist potions from the Marketplace early on. Wearing elemental absorption items or using potions help, too. By level 6, visit the vendor inside the Catacombs for improved 20-poiint resistance potions (you do not need to complete any Catacombs quests to use this vendor).

While I did complain about the butt-ugliness of the HC IV tentacled sash, I wear it with pride on one of my three primary characters as I level up. So far, only 1 death, and that didn’t occur from a monster, unless you want to call it the Lag Monster. A nasty lag spike happened a few days into the season, while my first Mystic stood in the Borderlands wilderness, free of nearby enemies and just minding her own business. Next thing I know, death by falling–sideways and standing stationary, apparently.

I moved on and built these four characters, which are all still living.

• Saracletica: A Ninja Spy Halfling that’s essentially identical to HC IV L20 survivor Petracletica except she’s got 1 Rogue level. Thanks to fellow guildmates I’ve learned how incredibly well you can make a single Rogue level form into an excellent trapper. Combined with the natural evasive and attack skills inherent from the other 19 Monk levels, soloing (as needed) with Sara has been wonderful. Shadowblades remain incredible weapons to clear most every enemy.
• Karacletica: My stock full-Monk Drow starthrower, also a Ninja Spy. I use “starthrower” to differentiate from the classic “Shuricannon” description. Why? Because Falconry enhancements didn’t exist for it, nor did substantial changes to the ranged attack mechanic from Update 49 to reduce server-level lag. Further: There are many new items, from named set items, augments and weapons that make prior Shuricannon types obsolete. I had a starthrower in HC4 that survived the season but time didn’t allow her to reach beyond L16.
• Cyncletica: A human L8 Henshin Mystic. I’ve been experimenting in PRR and AC boosting with this one, adding a bit of Shintao enhancements into her. Her Ki Shout intimidation is a great enemy management system. We’ll see how she works out.

I envy the players who have not only leveled to L20 rapidly but have true-reincarnated already to level up again. The small married team I run with (now guildmates over three servers) are still content on our 1st lives as we punch up through L12, running L8 Elite quests to gain maximum favor. We have a month left before the season ends on February 1.

With three active characters I’ve begun moving the more independent Sara forward to race to level 20 to get that sash unlocked. Kara the starthrower is teamed up with Hjo’s Nixiken, who is new to starthrowers but is absolutely loving it. As Hjolan, he taught me how 1 Rogue level was really practical, and he wanted to try something new. So dungeon clearing has been increasingly efficient, with my full-Monk starthrower, his Monk/Rogue starthrower minding the traps, and Paw, Hjo’s wife and capable Pale Master throwing spells and melting things along the way. Holy Smiting hirelings Nimeth (L8) and Tonya (L12) are just a joy to rid ourselves of trash.

Two starthrowers in party are really nasty. Why? Sneak attack. Both of us, Ninja Spies, are armed with Barovian shuriken, and have points in Sneak Attack. If we gang up on any enemy, that foe can focus only on one of us at a time, which negates sneak attack from one of us. But that means that enemy is always getting sneak attack damage from one of us if that monster race or type allows it. And let’s not yet count the combined Helpless damage with our No Mercy enhancements (Ninja Spy and Falconry have this both, and they stack).

Both of us are training up Falconry, tripping and blinding lots of stuff. Many mobs are dead long before they get close to us.

There’s also a cool feature of Faerie Fire, a spell-like ability from the Drow enhancements. Until now I rarely used it. But Hjo, being the experimenter, learned that it is awesome to clear breakables. It’s essentially a Fireball but costs only 1 spellpoint. In addition, it’s a good thing to throw to reveal hidden spiders or monsters, as it temporarily removes Blur, Displacement and similar obscuring effects from most enemies.

More to come, and more timely, I hope.