Voodoo in 2.40

[Three Stars 0]

Any of you Voodoo Priestesses and/or Tree Huggers had a chance to play around with your characters in 2.40?

 

The patch notes tell us:

 

* The Dryads' shrunken heads now work as intended, boosting the

effectiveness of the combat arts Malicious Totem, Black Curse and

Viperish Disease.

 

* The Dryad's combat art Malicious Totem will now have a stronger effect

when the proper shrunken head is being used.

 

Has a non-Viperish Voodoo/Nature caster Dryad become a practical build in the post 2.40 world?

 

I've started one, although she's only level 12 and I'm still feeling my way somewhat. Malicious Totem is unmodded as of yet but seems promising. Viperish is a little weak, but I'm not strong enough to gather up the kind of crowds that would make the skill really shine. I haven't used Black Curse (don't have room for it yet) or Twisted Torment (since at last report it was painfully weak, instead of just being painfully painful). I'm noticing that I'm not getting shrunken heads really at all, so I'm wondering if a shrunken head mod will be become a necessity for at least one skill.

 

All of the nature skills have their uses, and with a nice sprinkling of Voodoo I think this can be a pretty versatile caster once she gets leveled enough. I'd like to hear from some Dryad veterans on this.

[D-molisher 9]

Any of you Voodoo Priestesses and/or Tree Huggers had a chance to play around with your characters in 2.40?

 

The patch notes tell us:

 

* The Dryads' shrunken heads now work as intended, boosting the

effectiveness of the combat arts Malicious Totem, Black Curse and

Viperish Disease.

 

* The Dryad's combat art Malicious Totem will now have a stronger effect

when the proper shrunken head is being used.

 

Has a non-Viperish Voodoo/Nature caster Dryad become a practical build in the post 2.40 world?

 

Lets see .....

The right head will add 8 extra dmg every hit, like 108 dmg then 116 dmg , 124 etc.

 

Totem work quite good, especially with acute and ancient magic.

 

Black curse is the best wicked CA of all. DEBUFF THE BOSS, last mod steal the bosses permanent buff or CA.

Thats so awesome....

 

VD is nerfed way too much, they might as well remove it. But just my oppinion, it work not good.

I hoped they would fix the range not handicap it, but ancaron didnt see it that way.

 

I am killing test series like always, and uhm they are funn.

[Three Stars 0]

Lets see .....

The right head will add 8 extra dmg every hit, like 108 dmg then 116 dmg , 124 etc.

 

Totem work quite good, especially with acute and ancient magic.

 

Black curse is the best wicked CA of all. DEBUFF THE BOSS, last mod steal the bosses permanent buff or CA.

Thats so awesome....

 

How do you have your Totem modded? The only mod that appears useless is the bronze level fear mod, which doesn't help you kill things at all.

 

This may be a dumb question, but is Totem modified by Cabalistic Voodoo Lore, damagewise? How about weapon based skills like Tactics Lore?

 

Has Twisted Torment improved at all with the new patch?

 

I'm planning and considering a build that uses the Nature skills to take out strong single monsters and Voodoo skills to clear out trash mobs. Skills would be something like:

 

Nature Lore and Focus. (Pretty much have to do both to maximize the usefulness of Ancient Bark, have Lances/Vine be effective, and have enough points to mod Acute Mind and Goldenglade.)

Voodoo Lore and Focus. (For Totem, basically, with a touch of Black Curse. I'm not a fan of Viperish Disease. If Twisted Torment has become useful, that's a bonus.)

Ancient Magic (Damage and eventually -resists.)

Combat Reflexes (Evade and -crit, and to unlock...)

Armor Lore (Gotta have it)

Enhanced Perception (I already have a Bargainer)

 

For the last two, I'm considering...

Constitution (more health never hurts, but with Bark and Goldenglade, I may not need it.)

Riding (since Dryads don't have Grand Invigoration to lower CA timers, and I do plan on buying a special mount)

Shield Lore (more protection)

Concentration (Amazing how I've gotten this far without it, but Ancient Bark is the only buff I really planned on using. A Moribund Animus pet might yet be useful.)

 

I would use Vine and Lances in a combo, but otherwise I don't use a lot of combos.

[D-molisher 9]

You dont need both nature lore and focus.

Then you got like 5 skills to keep maxed, thats so impossible.

Pick woodoo or nature for main, not both.

Acute modd 2-2-2 pwn for boss combo. If you use it for killing Spec it like my nature build :

http://clan-da.com/showthread.php?t=8269

 

Oh right totem specs:

2 - Longer duration = time 2 kill more mobs. 1 - arrows do more dmg = ofcource we need that. Last mod both good 1 = shorter regen / 2 = more shots.

 

The Moribound specs :

1 - more dmg. 1 - higher monster level. 1 - more head drops, a woodoo always needs heads.

This spec makes my helper level 38, at ca level 14 - I am level 25.

 

BLACK CURSE ( boss debuffer )

2 - more heads. 1 - longer duration - I use this to debuff bosses so long duration. 2 - dispell permanent CA ( buffs ).

It works so wicked after 2.40, poor bosses.

 

And thats what I use for now, viperish is so handicapped. Or maybe ancaron wanted it to work this way.

TT hmm dont use that at all, so cannot say if good or bad.

 

I also use GGT, Acute.

Buffs are sinister, first mod crit rest no use at all after 2.40 & ofcource moribound. After level 75 I also get bark, until that I have 2 run alot away when too many mobs.

 

Oh ya totem and all other woodoo is OFCOURCE modded by LORE.

AND NO tactics dont do any for CA´s unless weapon based - thats hunter line. I got tactics 15 points used to spec DA full and sinister first mod - I am dual staffer.

Edited April 8, 2009 by D-molisher

[Three Stars 0]

You dont need both nature lore and focus.

Then you got like 5 skills to keep maxed, thats so impossible.

Pick woodoo or nature for main, not both.

 

I agree that it's hard to do both, but each aspect has a big flaw that the other aspect makes up for.

 

Nature is great on single powerful large monsters with Vine/Lances, but there's nothing in there to work on mob killing. Ancient Bark's healing is significantly improved by Lore.

 

Voodoo works well on groups with Totem and (until recently) Viperish, but there's nothing in there that works well on bosses. If they've improved Twisted Torment then that might do it. Black Curse is a nice debuff but it doesn't kill anything on its own.

 

I guess if I want to do damage to as many monsters as possible, going Voodoo major/Nature minor is the way to go, since Edaphic Lances is so specialized. The problem is, the other 4 skills all deserve to be modded, and that's a lot of points to stuff into Nature Weaver Focus alone.

[Three Stars 0]

I wish I spoke German. My answers are probably in this thread: http://forum.sacred-game.com/showthread.php?t=62169

 

Looks like he's testing the build for 2.40 and will repost about it.