MA gauntlet enchanter

[Dragonslayer]

I've seen many barbs, paladins and thiefs with highly enchanted weapons, some to +9.

But MA's who have gaunts as weapon, can't get thme enchanted.

So my idea was, to have a NPC, who can only be used for MA's, who can enchant gauntlets to something like +8.

To avoid abusing it, the gauntlets should then tie to the character, and also get the tag that allows only MA's to wear them.

The NPC should either need a lots of money for a enchant, or give the martial artist a quest, maybe like getting a BNR, RD gaunts or other items.

So what do you guys think of this idea?

[Virag]

Related to this, MAs have always had trouble hitting things compared to paladins of equal skill. Even if we disregard the MA vs. MA abomination... It is because weapon using classes wear the same gauntlets we do (same base adds), then get extra adds on top of that with the weapon that they use. I've always felt that there should be some MA only gaunts that have more adds on them to balance it out a bit. Out.

-Virag/Saoling

[ozzfest]

MA's do have guants like that
it is in a heddin area in mealing that u trade a BNR for MA gounts boring thow why get rid of BNR???:) :sarc :hoho :p :zzz

[Thundar__RELM]

Ozzfest Katsumos hit like a wet noodle. Not saying ma's need another set of gaunts because I really don't have trouble with mine, but if we do Katsumos are not them.

Thundar__RELM

[Shaddai]

I think the difficulties MA's have at low to mid levels is a balancing act, from everything I have seen and heard high skill & level MA's are the most powerful class in the game. So to prevent them from being the only class played they are one of the most difficult classes to get to those levels.

I've seen a level 50 MA in action, its a sight to behold

As far as adds on weapons go, I don't really notice a need for more on gaunts. My new 16/13 MA with 2 4/4 rings, 3 BNR's, dancer's and vamp gauntlets (Gotten by my 19 paladin) is already kicking mucho butt, much more than my pansy LS paladin in FP was at the same level & skill.

Then again, never got an MA past 18 before, so I may be completely wrong

[Doro]

Yep, I agree,

MAs that have gone through the buffer zone and come out the other side are a sight to see indeed !

They are not alone in having an invisible brick wall to get through to higher levels: -

In my humble opinion, Mentalists have an even harder time !

Each class has its hard level to overcome, but that just makes the character even stronger once they have gone through it. A major achievement in my opinion is getting Psicrush on the Healer.

Doro___ASH

[ozzfest]

thair are another tpe of gunts for MA's in nork thay are called vamps

[Dragonslayer]

they are not MA only.

[purg]

The only thing I didnt see beyond the MAs is a Thief only weapon, or is there one and i just forgot all about it?

[Lago]

Bah! Thiefs dont want a thief only weapon...they want to wield two weapons like their trainer does!:D

The thing is, thieves use a variety of weapons...just getting ONE special weapon for the class would really suck if that wasnt the weapon a particular thief had chosen. We do have the thief leather in Nork, and the camo cloaks. An item that would boost thief skill a couple levels would be nice, and certainly any thief specific gear for Cob (assuming there is not something new I am uniformed about) would be a nice addition as well.

Honestly though, at this point in my theif "career" I feel pretty well treated on gear, since we have a broad range of items to select from in both Nork and Cob.

[ozzfest]

lango thats how MAs are we only have 1 spec. that is MA:D now granted we can use wepins just alot of crits are not resistent to MA thair are ex's for giants scallers in n-7 some crits in n-6

[Thundar__RELM]

What are you talking about Ozz. Why would you use a weapon in n-6 or n-7. Really with very few exceptions there is no reason for an ma to have weapon skills other than ma. Those exceptions can usually be handled with throwing skill and are so rare that I have not built throwing skill above 5 and have done fine everywhere I have ever gone.

Thundar__RELM

[funns]

hehe you ppl are funny
maybe make a pair of psi cutter vamps you trade for by trading in vamps and kats gaunts ?

i have skill 14 throwing but that only happened because i use to use fs mace to coin back on ien hehe =)

[Acaciam]

Originally posted by purg


The only thing I didnt see beyond the MAs is a Thief only weapon, or is there one and i just forgot all about it?

There's a silver glowing xbow that you trade a bolt for on KM-5. I'm pretty sure it is thief only.

I like the MA idea funns brought up. Since skill is based on killing now, and my MA has trouble hitting stuff, I can't kill as quick. Shields give me a fit.

[Lago]

Originally posted by Acaciam

Since skill is based on killing now, and my MA has trouble hitting stuff, I can't kill as quick. Shields give me a fit.

How is this different from any other melee class? We ALL have trouble hitting crits at times. It is simply a factor of your skill versus the skill of the crits you are hunting. On my thief and on my ma, I clear a zoo of the crits I KNOW can be killed quick first, then turn to the crits that are harder to hit and harder to kill.

[Acaciam]

Right, but...

since a MA may get blocked more than say a hally pally at the same skill level, the pally would get more kills. When I party up in the keep, I don't get as many of the kills as the people I am hunting with, who are roughly the same level/skill as me. It doesn't matter because I am doing my share and the skill and exp are shared in the party. This is taken care of by me, the MA, killing the skellies and ss dudes, while the barbs and pallys kill the mace dudes. When hunting by myself though, I won't skill as quick as a pally because I will just get blocked more. Do you see my point now? Keep in mind now that I am not whining, or complaining about being a MA, I think I have my advantages, and other classes have theirs. I am supporting the fact that I do believe, in my humble little opinion, that MAs could use some MA only higher enchanted gaunts. Hence, the topic of the post. The topic isn't "lemme look at Aca's post and see how much I can bash him for being a noob." kthx

[Lago]

Originally posted by Acaciam

...since a MA may get blocked more than say a hally pally at the same skill level, the pally would get more kills. ...

...I am supporting the fact that I do believe, in my humble little opinion, that MAs could use some MA only higher enchanted gaunts...

Ok I can buy into this hypothesis, but has it been tested? Do MA's really get blocked more? I kinda suspect those hally pallys get blocked just as much, but when they get through, do a ton more damage so they kill quicker. On the other hand...they dont get to use a shield, and MA's do. As you said in your post..all classes have their advantages. For a thief, the WORST thing that can happen is a block from a critter we would normally one-shot. A block could mean death since we lose hide and everything in the room pounces on us. On the other hand, we get hide, and can wander with relative impunity in most areas if we so choose.

Have you gotten a pair of the UC-5 rada gaunts yet? I hear that they hit FAR better than Cob draggie gaunts, and much much harder. I kinda wonder what the situation would be with those (if you dont have them already).

As far as the Nork segment goes, MA's who have vamps seem to do real well there. Yes, all classes can use vamps, but only MA's(with the exception of a few barbs) get to hit like trucks with them:)

I really do like these discussions, it gives everyone who participates an insight into another class that they might not have otherwise!:hoho

[Mihey]

Ok, gonna jump in here with my personal experience... I have a 15/12 MA myself, I enjoy him a lot.

I have noticed however that I could easily hit thumpers (alerian) on my 13/11 barb (eh, when I was small still :D), while I cant seem to hit them with my MA at all, not even with top gear?

I have come to conclusion that thumpers are MA crits and I have heard much about MA vs. MA combat being hard. Now I know it is not a joke.

However, I reckon it gets easier at higher skill. But it is hard to skill on thumpers, heh, so I guess I better stick to goblins and such. :sarc

[Acaciam]

That is my point Mihey

Has it been tested? Um.. YEP! I have played MAs and stick classes and sure enough my barb could hit thumpers at skill 10 and my MA couldn't even at skill 13. I'm not going to really get into combat adds because there have been debates on them and how they work, but.. I am just saying, that in general at the same skill sticks may (notice the may here, I put it up there in my other post also, just my opinion, no reliability here plz) hit more often then MAs do. I'm not sure how shields work, whether it is a random block, or they block MAs more, but man my MA has a fit with shields I believe that shields block MAs more than they would a stick at the same skill level, from my playing experience. I would consider that testing also. As for you being a thief, they are a class all their own, I have a skill 12 thief and boy he is a joy to play. A break from my MA, barb, and healer. Thiefs are a class all their own, not really a fighter, something by themselves. They do get to wear a full plate though which is a huge advantage. I may get hit less as a MA, but I miss the damage absorbtion the FP gives, much less the fire and ice protection

[Elessar]

There is also the issue of specializations.. barbs and pallys get em and MA's do not. From the pure standpoint of hitting crits at an equal skill level, that plays an important role. Even with specs factored in however, there is a significant difference. A clear example is what skill is needed for a barb to hit the SOB with vamps versus what skill an MA needs to hit the SOB with vamps.. MA needs at least 3 or 4 skills higher. Attacks per round may play a large role in this.

In the bigger picture I think this is just part of the class differences, not class imbalances.

[Thundar__RELM]

Yes it is tested. My skill 14 single spec pally can hit things that my skill 17 pally can not. There are 2 sides to that though. My ma gets hit less and takes less damage. My ma could play solo for a few minutes with HG, my pally has trouble in a group with a healer or two at HG. The fact is ma's don't hit as hard and we don't hit as well. Yes when we get vamps we hit much much better that is a later fix though. Most pally's have a +4 that will hit most things from skill 2 or 3. Ma's may get Kat's around skill 12 to 14 and vamps 14-16. That means we advance slowly. That said though Ma's develop well in the lower levels if you play them right. The biggest gripe I have is getting them developed to find out you chi's are crap and you need another year or two of work to make them decent.

Thundar__RELM

[Thundar__RELM]

Actually there are many things that fit that bill. One would be Bandit Lord for example. Pally hits him better any day. Though I must admit I have not been back to him at skill 17 but skill 16 could not touch him with ma and pally can hit him. Not sure since my pally can't go to cob but my ma using the +9 pike could kill things faster than with skill 16 juntes gaunts. I also have skill 15 pally friends that kill ma crits over there much faster than I can. Admittedly that has changed alot since I got rd gaunts instead of Juntes but even now other crits hit quicker at lower skills. Then there is the km dungeons. Some crits down there my skill 14 will not hit but the ones that 14 will hit die faster than what skill 16 ma would do. Not saying this is all a problem. There are differences in classes that get even a little more extreme than that. From what I understand but have not experienced I need 5-10 skills more than other classes to hit ma reggie. The opposite side is watching big ma's in action and knowing that even if it is going to take me the next 5 years to catch up that I will catch up and pass others.

Thundar__RELM