popejubal wrote on Apr 1
st, 2012 at 8:35pm:
eLoB. I've only kited it once, but I was glad to be in toaster-mode for that because of the occasional trips that a dog would land. I took no damage for most of it, but then I took more than I could handle when I did take damage. Maybe that would change with practice.
I also stay in toaster-mode for shadow tanking in ToD, but that's because it's high pressure, so I want belt and suspenders and not because it's too much damage to keep up with bursts.
I know that there is a tremendous amount of work to squeeze out that last 1 DC (and it is only 1 DC), so giving up 1 DC to start sounds like a major sacrifice, but I still like it because it gives me much more flexibility in the way that I approach quests. I can be a toaster or I can be a Lich. Most of the time, Lich works better. Sometimes toaster works better.
I don't run eLOB, but AFAIK DCs are damn important in eLOB - I would not want to go in with -1 DC. Arcanes (other than WF air savants maybe) are less than ideal kiters. A WF PM is basically worse at the stuff he should be doing in exchange for being better at the stuff he shouldn't be doing. The groups that speedrun eLOB bring in fleshie DC sorcs for arcanes and have a favored soul kiting.
Shadow tanking is dead simple and I'm pretty certain shadow damage doesn't even scale. You absolutely do not need to be reconstructing for that.
popejubal wrote on Apr 1
st, 2012 at 8:37pm:
He's counting the 2 Int that you get from being in Lich form even though he shouldn't because I spend most of my time in Lich form just like every other PM. The only times when I'm out of form are when the DC doesn't matter or when there is a specific reason to be out of form. I'm happy to have the extra 60 HP and extra flexibility that WF gives me over the 1 DC that Drow get.
You also lose half a DC from no human adaptability or a full DC from not being drow, so at least a DC.
The whole reason to be PM is DCs. If you don't care about maximizing your necro DC, play a necro sorc or an AM.