Starlock PC Power Selection

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm playing a Starlock, still low level, but approaching 5th:

Relevant Stats
Con: 16 (+3) Int: 15 (+2) Cha: 16 (+3)

For his next Daily, I'm considering the following powers:

Fury of Gibbeth: Int +2 v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 3d10+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fear, Force, Implement, Range 10
Target must also succeed on an Acrobatics check = 10 + Cha + LVL/2 or fall prone. At the start of it's turn, must succeed again; save ends
Miss: 1/2 damage and target must make check & fall prone.)

OR

Avernian Eruption: Con v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 2d10+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fire, Implement, Area Burst1 range 10, each in Burst
Targets take ongoing 5 Fire damage (save ends)

OR

Crackling Fire: Cha v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 2d8+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fire, Implement, Lightning, Close Blast3, All in Blast
Target gains vulnerable 5 Fire & Lightning
Miss: 1/2 damage

The two fire ones feel thematically easy, with the fire being the burning of the stars. The other, more subtly, could be the grip of tendrils of pure gravity.

Since I can find a RP reason to choose any of the three, I'm trying to distinguish between them mechanically. The way I see it thus far:

FoG initially, has the best chance of hitting, does the most damage to an individual target, has an ongoing effect and an effect if it misses. Its accuracy falls behind over time, however.

AE does the second most damage, has average range and is an AoE effect plus ongoing damage, but has no effect on a miss.

CF is an AoE (functionly the same as AE's), does the least damage and has the shortest range, but it has both an ongoing effect AND an effect on a miss. Its ongoing effect, though, may not be all that strong.

(Miss anything?)

So I'm trying to figure out which one is "best.". How should I weight those continuing effects or those miss effects?

 

[Ryujin]

Thematicall, Starlocks are tied more to the concept of ancient, unknowable and insanity-causing spacial entities. Think the horror stories of HP Lovecraft, not astronomy class. As such, Fury of Gibbeth is the obvious choice.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That IS one aspect of my PC's personality, but so is the astronomy/astrology aspect. Certain shooting stars are believed to be "seeds" from the Far Realms, meant to release aberrations into the world, gleaned from the eerie structures of those that failed to hatch...

(see Imilac and Esquel)

So his clan's duty is to monitor the skies from their mountain holdfast and hunt down the aberrations that may be invading the world. Mythos horror & arcana is thus linked to science and pseudoscience.

 

[Ryujin]

That IS one aspect of my PC's personality, but so is the astronomy/astrology aspect. Certain shooting stars are believed to be "seeds" from the Far Realms, meant to release aberrations into the world, gleaned from the eerie structures of those that failed to hatch...

(see Imilac and Esquel)

So his clan's duty is to monitor the skies from their mountain holdfast and hunt down the aberrations that may be invading the world. Mythos horror & arcana is thus linked to science and pseudoscience.

Lure of Gibbeth would be a better gravity analogue.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yes & no- while LoG pulls further and has a "miss" effect, FoG pulls directly down- like gravity.

 

[Ryujin]

Yes & no- while LoG pulls further and has a "miss" effect, FoG pulls directly down- like gravity.

I suppose that depends on whether you think that the Warlock is invoking the phenomenon, or embodying it.

With that said, though, I got some really good situational use out of Fury of Gibbeth. My character was an upside-down build though, with INT higher than CHA.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tell me more.

I ask because I can see the obvious benefits of the 2 AoE attacks. They'll be better crowd control than the power the Wizard is likely to take- he's cold themed, so I'm betting he'll get Bigby's Icy Grasp*- and most of my other powers are single target, thus expanding my tactical flexibility.




* though it's possible he'd take Fireball- a historical favorite of his- if I took Crackling Fire.

 

[Saagael]

Fury of Gibbeth: Int +2 v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 3d10+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fear, Force, Implement, Range 10
Target must also succeed on an Acrobatics check = 10 + Cha + LVL/2 or fall prone. At the start of it's turn, must succeed again; save ends
Miss: 1/2 damage and target must make check & fall prone.)

To put some numbers to this, the DC for the enemy to beat will be 15. That means that enemies at the level will have around a 50% chance (on average) to fall prone. So not only do you need to hit, you need to hope they don't succeed their check. However, it does have the fear keyword which is good.

Also, you mention it losing accuracy over time. This power will be the same as the rest of yours until level 18 when your Cha/Con will hit 20, and this power would be 18 still. The damage will always be lower, since you don't get the +2 to damage like you do the attack.

Avernian Eruption: Con v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 2d10+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fire, Implement, Area Burst1 range 10, each in Burst
Targets take ongoing 5 Fire damage (save ends)

I mention this since I missed it the first few times after getting this power on my own character. The Ongoing Fire damage is an effect, so it happens regardless of hit or miss. This guarantees at least 5 damage from the ongoing damage.

This makes the average damage of this attack the same as FoG, as 1d10 averages 5.5 damage, which matches the ongoing 5 damage (not to mention the -1 to damage from a lower Int).

Crackling Fire: Cha v Ref Att = D20 +
Dam = 2d8+ ; +1d6 crit; Arcane, Fire, Implement, Lightning, Close Blast3, All in Blast
Target gains vulnerable 5 Fire & Lightning
Miss: 1/2 damage

This deals 2 types of damage which means its the least likely to be resisted. Also, while the damage is lower, if your group has lots of fire/lightning attacks (someone with a flaming weapon, or a wizard/sorcerer), then the vulnerability could quickly overcome the extra damage from the ongoing damage or the higher damage die.

Average damage for this attack's damage dice on their own is 9, while AE is 11, and FoG is 16.6 This means that if your group can take advantage of the vulnerabilities, Crackling Fire is the optimum attack, as after two applications of the vulnerability, it does the most damage.

IMHO, Fury of Gibbeth is the bottom of the pile, as being prone isn't really a good thing for you (it's a +2 to their defenses against ranged attacks), while Avernian Eruption and Crackling Fire are about the same, depending on your group's makeup. Between the two you trade greater damage on hit with AE, and more reliable, though less, damage with CF.

Then there's also the choice of taking a power that requires you to get up in the enemies' face rather than stay back at rang, but that's a playstyle choice.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hmmm...

First of all, I'm curious about that interpretation of Avernian Eruption's continuing effect damage occurring whether you hit or not. Where did you find rules that support that reading? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just never read it that way.

Edit: found my answer to this one

Second, AFAIK we have only one guy with a flaming attack...so far. Our Dwarf Fighter has a flaming axe. I'll have to see how long that vulnerability lasts, though. I have NO problem choosing thematically appropriate attacks that synergize with other PCs: I have 2 Will draining attacks, and our Rogue has at least one attack that targets Will (again, don't know about the other PCs).

Third, if the AE bonus damage occurs on a hit or miss, does the vulnerability from CF happen regardless of hitting as well?

Edit: found my answer to this one

Fourth, as for the 2 AoE effects, I regard them as roughly equal. Its nice to be able to pop something out 10 squares, but IME, I'm going to be winding up in close quarters a fair amount of time. (Thank goodness my PC is a Dwarf with a Warhammer...) So having a Close AoE power that doesn't provoke an AoO would be kind of handy.

 

[Saagael]

With regards to AE, the power says "The targets take ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends)." in the Effect line. Anything in the Effect line happens regardless of hit or miss. From the compendium

Some powers have “Effect” entries, which contain some but not necessarily all of the powers’ effects. In an attack power, the effects of such an entry are not contingent on a hit or a miss.

In contrast, anything in the "Hit" line only happens on a hit. All of Crackling Fire's damage/effects are in the "Hit" line, with a "Miss" line in case you miss.

EDIT: Crackling Fire's vulnerability is save ends, so there's a 45% chance of it continuing after 1 round.