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Jul 28, 2011 -- 11:06AM, Mommy_was_an_Orc wrote:

Jul 28, 2011 -- 10:24AM, raleel wrote:

ongoing is hard to compare to burst damage like that. When factoring, I tend to look at how much it can potentially do, which approaches 2*ongoing_value, assuming unmodified saves.

This isn't normal ongoing damage, this is ongoing damage as a result of a critical hit. That greatly changes that assumption in three major ways:
Assuming everything else is equal, the thing that took the critical hit ought to be the party's priority focus fire target. That means it shouldn't live on average yet another 2 rounds given you already critted it and you're a blaster.

meh, doesn't necessarily happen in my experience. not that it means a lot. I don't mean to argue that AIP is better than a staff of ruin, it just doesn't need to be Red Black is just fine... it has a use, it's not even a bad use.

Jul 28, 2011 -- 11:06AM, Mommy_was_an_Orc wrote:

Yes, there's about a 20% chance that it fails 2 saves in a row. There's also roughly a 20%, given 2 rounds, that you crit him again. Note the about 6.5% chance of an intersection where it fails the saves and you crit him when he's already taking ongoing damage in those 2 rounds. And therefore lose most of the benefit of a crit.

I guess i won't cry too much about that

Jul 28, 2011 -- 11:06AM, Mommy_was_an_Orc wrote:

And of course, the 'do I try to kill the bloodied target or hope the ongoing damage finishes it off...' question which the Staff of Ruin usually has a much clearer answer to...

again, not saying that the staff of ruin isn't better, just that using a non-staff can do very well. It's not a Red/deleted option... it's just not the most optimal blaster option.

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(cut a point I'm willing to concede)

Jul 28, 2011 -- 11:06AM, Mommy_was_an_Orc wrote:

And that's still ignoring that you can pick up Light Weapons as an implement by MC'ing into Swordmage - which then opens up access to Borrowed Confidence. You've got a 10% crit chance, why not make that 19% on the opening combat round at the cost of a utility 16 and a feat... 

at the cost of the MC slot. Again, not saying that the staff is bad, or that AIP should replace it every time or even most of the time, but it does have some uses that are unique to it and not even horribly crappy

Jul 28, 2011 -- 6:28PM, zelink551 wrote:

Some disagreement came up last concerning Visions of Avarice. Every time you sustain the zone, you can the minor action pull correct? Additionally, if the target ends in the zone, are the immobolized?

I don't believe the Immobilized applies on the secondary attacks, it is only on the Hit line of the primary attack.

Jul 28, 2011 -- 6:45PM, zelink551 wrote:

Exactly what I thought

Now it was changed, the original version didn't have a secondary, you just repeated the original attack on the sustain which meant you would have gotten the immobilize too.

I've been playing around with some elemental damage themed evocation builds lately. What are your thoughts on

Lyrandar Wind-rider as a paragon path for a heavily lightning/thunder focused build?

It would require a heavy investment in Con, especially to make the ho-hum encounter and daily powers viable without reserve maneuver (I'm thinking 16 Int, 16 Con, 12 Dex, 12 Wis before racial adjustments, pump Con and Int). The key is the Con bonus to Lightning and Thunder attacks is nearly the equivelant of the genasi's Elemental Empowerment - but it opens up that extra damage do a different stat and to any race.