05-10-2004, 07:56 PM
No, seriously.
I have not played a non-blocking character since 1.0 (save polearm druids).
Loosing 1 skill and 20% cast while gaining 35% PDR, insane block and huge resists is a good trade-off I think. Of course, you also loose life (156 str req is an ouch, and then you need dex to block as well), but my Storm sorc finds that she hardly dies at all.
Why no ES?
since 1.10, most shielding effects come before resistances (cyclone armor, bone armor and ES). While it can be beneficial in case of horrendous resistances (or when amped), it really hurts the sorceress. For example, if you had a character with Guardian Angel, and 90% lightning resist, and she got shot by a gloam, she'd first take damage to mana, then would resists apply, then damage to life.
So, for example taking your +9 to skills into consideration, you'd have a level 10 ES, absorbing 59% damage to mana. A hypotetical gloam shoots you for 200 damage, that causes 200*(0.59)*2 = 236 damage to mana, then you have 200*0.41 = 82 damage to life. You resist 90% of that, and take 8.2 damage. Instead of taking 20 points of damage to life and none to mana. Even if you spend 20 points into telekinesis, you can only reduce your damage to mana to the level of, say, 100. So in case you have a high-resistance build, ES is a skill that will get you killed (3-4 hits drain your mana supply).
Funny to see this D1 über-skill nerfed this badly.
I have not played a non-blocking character since 1.0 (save polearm druids).
Loosing 1 skill and 20% cast while gaining 35% PDR, insane block and huge resists is a good trade-off I think. Of course, you also loose life (156 str req is an ouch, and then you need dex to block as well), but my Storm sorc finds that she hardly dies at all.
Why no ES?
since 1.10, most shielding effects come before resistances (cyclone armor, bone armor and ES). While it can be beneficial in case of horrendous resistances (or when amped), it really hurts the sorceress. For example, if you had a character with Guardian Angel, and 90% lightning resist, and she got shot by a gloam, she'd first take damage to mana, then would resists apply, then damage to life.
So, for example taking your +9 to skills into consideration, you'd have a level 10 ES, absorbing 59% damage to mana. A hypotetical gloam shoots you for 200 damage, that causes 200*(0.59)*2 = 236 damage to mana, then you have 200*0.41 = 82 damage to life. You resist 90% of that, and take 8.2 damage. Instead of taking 20 points of damage to life and none to mana. Even if you spend 20 points into telekinesis, you can only reduce your damage to mana to the level of, say, 100. So in case you have a high-resistance build, ES is a skill that will get you killed (3-4 hits drain your mana supply).
Funny to see this D1 über-skill nerfed this badly.