TLDR version - suggestions for level 20ish gear to build a set around for epic lock (GOO/ES/auralock) lives?

Long version - when I made my farmer, I really tried to cut corners and only crafted a level 8 CC set to compliment my (Rubbinns') slavers set.  I was hoping it would be enough to get me through to level 30.

It wasn't.  It worked great up until epics and then I totally got my ass handed to me through low level epics before I finally broke down and crafted some new gear.

I've got a fairly decent high level set - problem is; all the decent gear seems to be endgame gear (levels 28-29).  I want to run some epic lock lives (easy button is easy) and want a relatively decent gear set to do it (as in, I really don't want to grind forever and would prefer BtA gear that can be passed back and forth).

Right now I'm running the norm opt set (again, Rubbinns')

5 piece slavers (including orb and trinket)
Brazenband
Pansophic
Rod of Mythant
Scales of Malice (be sticking with that till level 24 or so. High dodge has been working out well for me so far while soloing pussy reaper).

I don't go in hardcore, worst case I'll be soloing R1 if groups don't fill.  Anything higher someone else can do the heavy lifting for me

So, what needs replacing to carry me through to level 28 when I get decent gear?  Stick with the slavers set and just upgrade my CC gear?  Or are there enough decent level 19-20 pieces to design a gear set around?

Low epic gear is all trash now, save for a few choice items. Largely due to cannith obsoleting every named item in those level ranges. The few good items for a warlock are hamp gloves from evestar or 3bc, and fom boots from 3bc. Ghostly is a little hard to come by at this level as most of your better options would be heroic items for it.

Skoodge wrote on Jun 12^th, 2018 at 3:56am:

better off just crafting caster sticks. if you are not having issues with your dc, then dump the slavers set. dual sticks of force/radiance/pact power + lore. heroic ravenloft caster belt for acid or fire power which stacks with your equipment for your pacts element is useful. Treads are a good item.

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 12^th, 2018 at 12:28pm:


I'm a Goo lock, do I want acid or force?

More work than I wanted to put into it so far, but have to admit - it's looking pretty choice on paper 

Technomage wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 10:44am:


That part I've got a handle on, I'm just not clear on the total path.  You start with force but then switch to acid then something gets switched to radiance but...whatever.  I usually just craft what Rubbinns tells me to craft (more or less)

Thanks for the response though, helps me on the final step (once I finish the already hour long process of deciding what goes where.  Duel wielding is freeing up a lot of slots for me though).


Technomage wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 10:44am:


Right.  I'm concentrating on fitting conj and necro focuses in...somewhere...for the spells I bother using.

Technomage wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 11:20am:


Apparently there is where my confusion was.

And speaking of my learning curve...

Does spell focus mastery stack with the other focuses?  Or should I just craft around my primary schools and not bother with SFM?

Starkjade wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 1:23pm:


So worth throwing on to cover all the bases but not a replacement for the primary attributes?  Cool, thanks.

Here's where I'm at.  I'm sure it's not up to par for high end reaper, but should make my epic lives much easier.

Boots
Treads of falling shadows

Armor
Scales of Malice to start
Shadowmail probably later if I find a set on sale

Goggles
Ins Spell Pen
Ins Conj focus
Conj focus (or probably necro because there's almost no increase from level 15 to 20 and I already have a level 15 necro pair crafted)

Bracers
Ins Spellsight
Spellsight
Resistance

Necklace
Evo Focus
Ins wiz
Ins PRR

Cloak
Ins Chr
Dodge
Chr

Belt
Ins dodge
Spell res
Ins Spell res

Ring
Ins Con
Sheltering
Con

2nd Ring
Probably continue with brazenband for some reason I forget

Helm
Wiz
Spell focus mastery or parrying (undecided)
Probably Ins Int if I don't run out of dragonshards

Gloves
Ins Rad
Healing amp
Spell Pen

Weapons
Duel sticks with Rad and acid power/lore
One with a blue augment slot which will make it easier to fit all the damn augments I'm going to need in.

I'll throw a couple of +6 Int and Wis augments in there somewhere.  Couldn't work them in without giving up something I really needed.

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 10:16pm:


It might be because I don't have a toon with a million past lives or it might be my play style (I probably don't keep the distance I should) but SR has been working really well for me.  After my initial horrible venture into epic reaper with my 1st lock, I pretty much build around SR and dodge (I was seriously failing against every spell cast at me).

As a barb I can pretty much solo everything on pussy reaper (which I'm pretty proud of, considering I don't have a million past lives or any epic lives to speak of) and as a lock my death rate has dropped down to almost never in reaper.

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 13^th, 2018 at 10:16pm:


That's the information I was looking for.  I'll see if I can cram it somewhere.  Worst case scenario - I'll throw a red augment for force into on of my sticks.  Won't be at max but that'll be better than nothing.

Thanks 

QuantumFX wrote on Jun 15^th, 2018 at 3:47pm:


If you only craft SR.  SR+ISR=32 (more if you're wearing the Drow outrunner outfit).

32>25

SR of 32 won't do anything. Mob CR becomes 30+ in even low epic quests on elite. Anything with a CR of 30 will ignore your SR 95% of the time. Wasted slot to gear and waste of mats to craft. You need to aim for a SR that is 10-20 points higher than the mobs you're trying to save against. The major benefit of SR is dodging CC effects like Disco, Hold, etc. Most of those can be blanked by simple Protection From Evil scroll, and a FoM item.

The only other thing SR is good for is ignoring stat draining spam of certain mobs and spells. But, again, a SR of 32 is doing nothing for you. Occult Slayers are the only builds that can get any leverage out of SR and they're not needed for that role anywhere.

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 16^th, 2018 at 12:11am:


Which is exactly what I'm after.

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 16^th, 2018 at 12:11am:


Which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid  

I've said it before, but let me reiterate - I have a Strake level laziness when it comes to buffs.  I'd rather build than have to deal with buffing and rebuffing everything you rest or hit something that debuffs you.

I'm not uber, I'm minor leagues at best.  My strongest toon has 9 past lives, one epic life and a +4 supreme tome from back when I still didn't mind dumping hundreds of dollars in the game (plus one +5 from 5000 favor).  Try as I might (and I'm still working on it) I can't get his UMD high enough to use most scrolls in heroic in any class that isn't CHR based (which are most of the classes I like to play).

What I can do, however, is hit SR 31 by level 15, which is pretty damn useful for a toon who can't cast most scrolls.

With my lock in epics, I'll upgrade the belt at levels 24 and 28.  What I'm giving up is roughly 4-5 points of wis or int in my build to avoid having to drag more scrolls around with me and add annoying clicking at the start of every damn quest - that's a bargain

Seriously though (and I've said it multiple times) my gear is built around how I play - which my goal at this point is to take a toon with relatively few past lives and be able to solo pussy reaper with a minimal amount of effort if I have to.

Which is exactly what I'm doing, so I'm happy 

Rubbinns wrote on Jun 16^th, 2018 at 6:51am:


I get what you're saying and also totally get where buffing is the better option.  But I'm also very serious about not having to buff anymore than possible.  Props to the people who cast 20 different scrolls and chug 40 different pots through an adventure - that bores the snot out of me  

I know it's better to slot fest wis or int, but I'd much rather just slot waterbreathing and not have to worry about it when I need it.

And I know in most cases the SR is worthless - but those aren't the ones I'm worried about.  After crafting the belt on my epic lock farmer, I saw a huge drop in being held and knocked on my ass by command.  As long as it's working in that area (and it seems to be), I'm happy.

Honestly I'm not even sure I'll be able to keep up solo reaper in epics yet - I'm still cleaning up level 19 quests for favor.  If I end up dropping to just elite, I'm totally ok with that too.

There’s some stuff in the U39 pack (and Crystal Cove loots v3.0) that may improve your layouts a bit.