I would say these are both 10's, despite furious smash being MAD.
most players, in paragon/epic levels, will wait for one of these to connect before using dailies
Grading At-Will Powers
- Thread starter keterys
- Start date
I would say these are both 10's, despite furious smash being MAD.
most players, in paragon/epic levels, will wait for one of these to connect before using dailies
Matthra
First Post
Why do so many people think righteous brand is a good cleric power? Admittedly its better than priest shield but so is just about everything. Let take a look at it from a character op point of view:
The first problem is it attacks AC, statistically the worst defense to attack. Second the buff it gives relies on the classes tertiary ability (wisdom, then charisma, and wayyyyy behind that strength). Third it requires the cleric be in melle to use. Finally, there is a perfectly good ranged version of this power that attacks reflex using the classes primary stat to hit, lance of faith.
I think the lure of the potential plus to hit causes people to miss the fact the power is really quite bad in application.
While I'm on the topic of lemons, let me give viper strike a firm 2 of 10 rating. This is like a ghetto version of hammer and anvil, except even more situational. It requires that you have an ally adjacent, that the ally can make a worthwhile attack of oppurtunity, and that the mob will shift. If you have a warrior adjacent, commanders strike is probably a better choice because hit or miss, he'll get the attack on shift anyway because he marked the target. Mabey if you had a striker set up to maximize OA's (ranger comes to mind), and knew for a fact he was going to shift, mabey then it would be better.
The first problem is it attacks AC, statistically the worst defense to attack. Second the buff it gives relies on the classes tertiary ability (wisdom, then charisma, and wayyyyy behind that strength). Third it requires the cleric be in melle to use. Finally, there is a perfectly good ranged version of this power that attacks reflex using the classes primary stat to hit, lance of faith.
I think the lure of the potential plus to hit causes people to miss the fact the power is really quite bad in application.
While I'm on the topic of lemons, let me give viper strike a firm 2 of 10 rating. This is like a ghetto version of hammer and anvil, except even more situational. It requires that you have an ally adjacent, that the ally can make a worthwhile attack of oppurtunity, and that the mob will shift. If you have a warrior adjacent, commanders strike is probably a better choice because hit or miss, he'll get the attack on shift anyway because he marked the target. Mabey if you had a striker set up to maximize OA's (ranger comes to mind), and knew for a fact he was going to shift, mabey then it would be better.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Because it multiplies the effectiveness of your primary attack stat. Not only do you attack with Strength, you then add your Strength bonus to an ally's attack. Any boost you get to Strength shows up twice in the expected damage calculation.
Also, because reliable attack bonuses are very hard to come by, and here's a bonus that could easily be +4 at 1st level and +10 at 30th level.
Cheers, -- N
I don't think we're looking at the same power. If you're a Strength-based Cleric, you don't need any Wisdom at all.
Cheers, -- N
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
Rather than having things like - and +, but your bottom score being a 6, why not reset it so the bottom score is a 1 and you have no - or + signs in there?
Matthra
First Post
Str based clerics are suboptimal, for many of the same reasons i said righteous brand is far from a ten. Almost all attacks are vs. AC, and almost all attacks require the user to be in melle. So a str based cleric has a harder time hitting compared to a wisdom based cleric, and is in the most dangerous position on the battle field, in melle with the mobs. Seems like a poor trade for abilities that are arguably worse than their wisdom based equivalents. However Str v Wis clerics is a debate for a diffrent thread.
I think its safe to say though for all the reasons I mentioned that righteous brand is undeserving of a ten, It may be single attribute dependent but it attacks vs. AC, the bonus may be greater than lance of faith but your limited in your selection of targets, The build of cleric that can best use this ability is not the strongest cleric build, and the risk it exposes you to is far greater than its ranged counterparts.
keterys
First Post
Sure Strike and Careful Strike were at the bottom before, preventing that... technically still are.
I actually started off doing 0 and higher (and negative if need be), but split out to 1-10 because I figured people would more naturally respond to it. Damn our ape fingers.
keterys
First Post
So, I figured Furious Smash was worse than Righteous Brand - Righteous Brand double uses Strength, lasts through an entire round rather than just one attack. Furious Smash doesn't deal any damage dice (so does very small damage indeed), but does add Charisma to damage on the one attack and targets Fortitude.
I'm not disinclined to increase Furious Smash, but I have to assume Righteous Brand should still be higher than it... I could increase the whole spread though, since I was thinking of reworking the scale anyways.
keterys
First Post
I can't think of any at-will power more powerful than Righteous Brand... can you give examples of those that are?
A melee cleric is a perfectly viable build, even if it potentially eats up a couple feats (but the melee feats are honestly more efficient and those feats are well spent). The hp difference between them and defenders is rather minor, and a proficiency bonus negates the difference between AC and other defenses.
Unfortunately powers like Cascade of Blades immensely magnify the effect of a power like Righteous Brand.
Last edited:
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
You are missing a point here.
Cloud of Daggers is insta-death to a minion because even if you don't hit them, on their go they take damage before they take any other actions, thus dying. The only way of avoiding this is if someone else somehow moves them out of the area before their go.
The basic dagger attack (and others) needs to hit in order to kill a minion. Cloud of Daggers will kill a minion regardless of whether you hit - it is just a matter of whether you kill it on your go or at the start of its go.
Cheers
I think Ray of Frost is okayish. It's best used with other powers and other teammates, also best used as a Readied Action. Chargers often charge from far away - like more than 2 squares away. If you ready an action to kill that movement, the guy is stuck somewhere where he can't really do anything.
My interpretation of Slow's effect tells me that you can't use the Run action to increase your Speed. Of course, that's debatable.
Still, it's best used with other powers, tactics, and such. Ray of Frost can be used to keep an enemy entangled in an Evard's Area, particularly if your Fighters ready Push actions to push them back in as soon as they get out. Good for Stinking Cloud effects, too. If you're locking down a Dragon with Hands, and you can spare the Standard Action, you might use it to put Slow. That way, even if it frees itself, it can't really move or attack very far.
If it targeted Ref, it would probably be too good.
My interpretation of Slow's effect tells me that you can't use the Run action to increase your Speed. Of course, that's debatable.
Still, it's best used with other powers, tactics, and such. Ray of Frost can be used to keep an enemy entangled in an Evard's Area, particularly if your Fighters ready Push actions to push them back in as soon as they get out. Good for Stinking Cloud effects, too. If you're locking down a Dragon with Hands, and you can spare the Standard Action, you might use it to put Slow. That way, even if it frees itself, it can't really move or attack very far.
If it targeted Ref, it would probably be too good.
