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Guides AE / Rune Skills for Beginners V2 [Ragnarök Guide]
« on: 17 October 2018, 16:46:49 »
POST RUNE 1/2

Titan Quest Ragnarök: Rune Skills for Beginners V2

Content

I] Intro
II] Rune Presentation
III] Rune Class Combinations
IV] Rune Skills
V] Rune Build Compendium
VI] Hall of Contributors
VII] Conclusion

I] Intro

Finally the Croc has come back to Sparta! 8)

Hello, dear Community! I felt compelled to write this guide since I couldn't find a faq on the Net giving a simple rundown of the Rune Skills. It's high time. I know I can count on the dedicated players of this friendly Community (Edit: Oh Yeah! They did answer the call^^). So when needed I will edit this thread and credit you, folks. If you smell what the Croc is cooking…

II] Rune Presentation

Rune, the new Mastery available with the Ragnarök DLC, is like no other. It is a beautiful breath of fresh air in Titan Quest. But Rune being so original, you might sometimes scratch your head trying to figure out the use of some skills. Fear not, friend! This is what this guide is all about.

What makes Rune stand out from other Masteries?

- Rune is the only class that grants you bonuses to Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity and Health. When the Mastery is maxed (32 Skill Points) you earn:

# 32 STR
# 64 INT
# 48 DEX
# 640 HEALTH

- Rune gives you NO bonus to Energy,

- Rune has no Energy Reserved Skills. This may be a choice in game design to address the fact that Rune does not increase your Energy Stat (when climbing up your Mastery),

- Despite what I said above, Rune is a surprisingly efficient Mastery as far as Energy Consumption goes, go figure,

- Runemasters have no living Familiars, but they have Summons: friggin' Stones!

Yeah! Me too I miss the good old Familiar that you could rub behind the ears. But last I checked sane people don’t speak to stones nor do they play fetch with them. ^^ Unless you:

- Croc: "Go fetch my Olive Branch, Menhir! Go!"
- Menhir: "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!"
- Croc: "Well done, Menhir! You’re a good puppy!"

Joke aside read my comment below about the 2 Stone skills. They’re quite unusual.

III] Rune Class Combinations

First there is a Titan Quest Ragnarök Calculator available at kirmiziperfect: Titan Quest AE + Ragnarök Calculator

- Runemaster (Single Class)
- Rune + Defense = Runesmith
- Rune + Earth = Stonespeaker
- Rune + Rogue = Trickster
- Rune + Storm = Thunderer
- Rune + Warfare = Berserker
- Rune + Nature = Skinchanger
- Rune + Spirit = Shaman
- Rune + Hunting = Dragon Hunter
- Rune + Dream = Seidr Worker

IV] Rune Skills

Rune Weapon > Magical Charge > Energy Drain > Transmutation

Rune Weapon: this skill tree is a charge type ability that you can assign to your LMB (left mouse Button) or RMB. It works like Onslaught from Warfare Mastery. As a whole Rune Weapon is an essential skill tree.

Magical Charge: increases your Elemental Damage and Damage Retaliation in flat numbers (not %),

Energy Drain: grants you Energy Leech (in flat) / Attack Damage converted to Health in % (Yummy!) / Reduced Offensive Ability (debuffs Monsters in % too) / Slows Monsters (in %). 

Transmutation: converts a % of your Weapon Damage into Elemental Damage. This is a one of kind new skill in Titan Quest. Transmutation is also a game-changer, on Normal just putting 1 point into this skill will increase your damage noticeably. EDIT: since Update 1.54 Transmutation is now permanently active (but still requires Rune Weapon).

Note: Rune Weapon does NOT work with Staves.

Sacred Rage > Frightening Power

Sacred Rage: % Damage Absorption / +Energy Regen / +10% Total Speed / -% Recharge / 50% Slow Resistance!
Frightening Power: % Reduction to Enemy's Health / % Reduced Damage for 3.0 Seconds / Chance of Fear

Sacred Rage is a kind of panic passive skill that triggers when your Health dips below 40%. The main skill buffs you, while Frightening Power -its synergy- debuffs Monsters.

From experience this skill can save your life, and sometimes it won’t (and will die miserably ^^).

Note that the synergy creates a visible red circle around you when it activates: this a good indication that you should drink a red potion or leave the area immediately. ^^

Runeword: Feather

This is a passive that increases your Offensive Ability (in flat numbers) and most importantly reduces the Strength Requirement for All Weapon in %. SHIELDS INCLUDED!!!

This is a very good passive. Also do not mistake this skill with Armor Handling from Defense Mastery, the latter reduces Strength Requirement for Armors and Shields! In other words "Runeword: Feather" does NOT reduce Requirement for Armors!

Rune of Life

% Bleeding Resistance / % Vitality Resistance / +% Strength / +% movement Speed

Rune of Life is an active aura that buffs you or your Allies (Familiars too) for a whopping 10 minutes (600 seconds) regardless of level. This is a solid buff because all the granted bonuses are in %:

Not only Rune of Life is awesome but it stays on like forever. Remember that “the movement Speed” is great when farming or trying to reach distant areas.

Rune of Life has no cooldown! You can cast it liberally on you and your Familiars.

Thunder Strike > Unleash

Rogues have Knives, now Runemasters have Thunder Strike and it’s natsy! You fire 5 projectiles in an arc that deal Elemental Damage and Stun. The Synergy -Unleash- adds Electrical Burn Damage, Skill Disruption and has a chance to confuse Monsters.

Here’s what Firebrand -a Titan Quest Fellow Member- said about Thunder Strike in his Runic Elemental Shotgun Guide

Quote
Thunder Strike. It is incredibly good against hordes, and just as incredibly good against bosses, who are likely to get hit by most if not all projectiles, provided you're close enough. Combine it with Seal of Fate [note: a Debuff] (and don't forget to warm up with a few Runic Weapon shots) and you'll one-shot virtually anything that's not a final boss.
 …
Now Thunder Strike shoots five projectiles, as its description says. However, if you're dual-wielding thrown weapons, it will net you five projectiles for each weapon you're holding! That's a lot of daggers or axes at the same time. And Reckless Offense [note: this skill allows Runemasters to dual wield weapons] itself pays off as well, I found.

Like many of the skills of Rune Mastery, Thunder Strike only show its worth when you unlock its synergy, Unleash.

You cannot reduce the cooldown -fixed 7 seconds- of Thunderstrike no matter how many Skill Points you pour into the Skill. So “- Recharge” from items/artifacts are your best friends.

Note: since Titan Quest Anniversary Edition, "- Recharge" is capped at 80%.

Runic Mines > Freezing Mines

Runic Mines: Cooldown: 9 seconds / Duration: 10 seconds / Effect: Elemental Damage (flat)
Freezing Mine: Frostburn Damage (flat) / chance of Freeze / Slow

Runic Mines is a curious Spell which you will learn to love or hate depending on your play-style and the Monsters you’re facing.

The base skill, Runic Mines, surrounds you with a few booby traps which stay on the spot for a few seconds. You cannot choose where to throw them, they emerge just around you.

Without investing into its synergy -Freezing Mines- this skill is underwhelming. Freezing Mines ads some welcome: Frostburn Damage, Slow and a chance of Freeze.
 
The trick to use this skill effectively is to lead your targets into your traps. Some Monsters are very likely to fall for that ruse, especially those nasty melee Monsters who hunt you down.

Ex: Automatoi (golden constructs) are easy prey for your Runic Mines, just dance them around to lead them to your minefield.

Menhir Wall > Guardian Stones

By watching at the skill tree you might think Guardian Stones is just the synergy (an enhancement) of Menhir Wall, well this is quite far from the truth. When unlocked, both skills have their own Icons and can be summoned independently. So you can have both Menhir Wall and Guardian Stones at the same time on the Battlefield!
 
So why did developers put it like it was a synergy? Maybe because both skills are Stones? Or maybe because it is more pretty on the skill tree? :P Anyways the visual aspect is anecdotal, what counts is how those Skills work and if they are any good for us:

Menhir Wall

Lifetime 10 sec / 150 Health (LV1) / 25% chance of 1 Second of Stun (regardless of Level)

This is a summon designed to distract Monsters. It deals no damage but has a chance to Stun Monsters (25% chance to Stun).

The Stun chance only triggers when Monsters try to hit the Menhir Wall! So if Monsters aim at you then the Stun won’t work, which is a bummer.

When you cast the Menhir Wall between you and Monsters (recommended), your arrows and other projectiles can go through this wall and hit enemies.

You can obstruct terrains with Menhir Wall (at choke points, doors, etc)

Note: you can also cast Menhir Wall through various terrains (for what it's worth)

Edit: an astute member noticed that the number of Menhirs varies depending on Skill Level. The more points your put into this skill the more Menhirs you can get. Thanks to Tauceti for noticing this.

Guardian Stones

Summons 3 Stones which last for 45 sec / They deal damage every 4 seconds / 4 minute cooldown (Ouch!)

LV1: 200 Elemental Damage! / they have 1000 HP! / deal Stun / deal 33% Reduction to Enemy Health!

Guardian Stones are multi-target! (2 targets)

First Guardian Stones -unlike Menhir Wall- CANNOT go through terrain. Also be watchful when you cast it in enclosed areas (doors and choke points): if badly cast you can possibly summon 2 Stones instead of the normal 3. So in order to avoid this always throw them in the middle of a room.

This is one monster of a skill that has only one drawback but a serious one: the cooldown of this skill is 4 minutes (240 sec)! Apart from that the damage output of these 3 stones is surreal, those who never tried this skill have no idea:

- The Giant Limos (Act I Side Quest "Trapped in the Ruins"): I killed that Limos in less than 10 seconds!! With just Guardian Stones and a few knives thrown into the mix. Without charms, relics nor Debuffs whatsoever.  Between you and me: that was TOO fast. ^^

The 3 Gorgons: same deal. If you lead them near the Guardian Stones, they will fall in no time,

And if you add the Runic Mines into the equation (see above) it gets even more crazy.

Conclusion: do not underestimate Guardian Stones! To give you another perspective for this Skill just remember that Guardian Stones are as powerful as the Outsider from the Spirit Mastery! Both Summons have actually a lot in common:

# both are unlocked at the highest level of their respective Mastery (LV32),
# both are temporary Summons,
# both deal Elemental Damage and Health Reduction in %. This is what makes those Summons so devastating,
# both have a very long cooldown (Outsider: 6 min / Guardian Stones: 4 min)

The only real difference is that Guardian Stones are static whereas the Outsider is a walking apocalypse.

Since Cooldown Reduction now caps at 80% you can expect to reduce the cooldown of Guardian Stones from "4 minutes" to "48 seconds" at best. Edit:

Quote
botebote77:one thing about guardian stones...flat damage bonus to pet don't apply to them.. possible explanation is because they don't use a weapon.. but % ele damage should affect them.

Runeword: Explode > Runeword: Burn

Runeword: Explode: 120° Arc of Attack / 2.5 Meter Radius / Damage (flat) / Fire Damage (flat) / Stun
Runeword: Burn: 2.5 Meter Radius / Multiple Fragments / Burn Damage over 3.0 Seconds

Note: the chance to trigger increases with Level

I don’t understand this skill...Seriously I need the opinion of the Community on this one.

EDIT: Veterans heeded my plea. ^^ Here's what Malgardian, Firebrand, Vio, botebote77 and wolpak said about "Runeword: Explode" and its synergy. My Goodness! This is actually a pretty good Skill:

Quote
Malgardian: I personally like Runeword: Explode on my Elemental Archer as it's a nice replacement for Scattershot if you're not using hunting. At least in normal its damage is quite good, so that you can kill a few enemies at once.

Firebrand:There's one thing I'd point out about Runeword: Burn, and that is that it has an area of effect whenever it triggers. All damage it and its synergy deal indeed work well together with Earth, but personally I think the real deal is that it makes your attack (and yes, that includes every property of your attack) affect multiple enemies.

And that's an incredibly useful bonus, even if the extra physical, fire, and burn damages are negligible. You have attack damage converted to health? Neat, now you heal double or triple the amount. You have energy leech? Say hello to a full energy bar! Flat elemental damage? Flat elemental explosion, more like. What's a better thing than slowing melee monsters charging at you? The answer is slowing a whole group of melee enemies charging at you! (Hint: You can have all four of those of those just from the Rune Weapon tree.)

Another little thing is its subtle synergy with Reckless Offense: the chance for Runeword: Explode to trigger applies to both projectiles shot by Reckless Offense. And I think it's a nice touch.

Vio: And yes, Runeword: Explode makes your main attack an AoE much like Ternion's Arcane Lore does.

botebote77: runeword:explode also works on melee...it's effective actually because at melee range, mobs gather around you closely and when it procs, you hit multiple monsters... there are no projectiles on melee weapons though so there are also no fragments

wolpak: Did some testing with Runeword:Explode and Burn as well as Thunderstrike. Both work with staff attacks.  That's definitely interesting and Thunderstrike looks pretty cool as it's a ternion attack with 5 projectiles.  Sadly, Runeword:Explode does not work with Ternion which would make Shaman a pretty sick, Gandalf like staff user.

Also, Runeword: Explode and Burn work nicely with scattershot.

Reckless Offense

Effects: Allows Dual Wield / % chance to hit with both weapons / +100% Total Damage

This is a passive skill that allows you to dual wield weapons. Take note that this skill is not limited to throwing knives or darts, you can dual wield swords, maces or axes too.

When the skill activates you also get the following bonus: +100% Total Damage. Vio, Bless his Soul ^^, added this:

Quote
Vio: Reckless Offense, like other Dual Wield skills, gives a chance to use a special animation (throwing three projectiles quickly or doing four hits in melee) while also granting its damage bonus. The bonus only applies when the attack triggers. As always, really.

You will need to invest a few Skill Points and have +Skills (granted by items) to really benefit from this excellent skill.

Edit: Recently wolpak discovered something new about Reckless Offense:

Quote
wolpak: I noticed that Reckless Offense appears to sometimes proc two attacks and sometimes proc three attacks.  It seems like each attack is checking to see if there is a proc.  And since procs can only happen once per attack, it seems like your first attack is proccing a second attack and then your second attack is proccing your first attack.

2
Guides AE / Rune Skills for Beginners [Ragnarök Guide]
« on: 08 February 2018, 14:52:59 »
THREAD OUTDATED NEW GUIDE: HERE

Titan Quest Ragnarök: Rune Skills for Beginners

Content

I] Intro
II] Rune Presentation
III] Rune Class Combinations
IV] Rune Skills
V] Rune Build Compendium
VI] Hall of Contributors
VII] Conclusion

I] Intro

Finally the Croc has come back to Sparta! 8)

Hello, dear Community! I felt compelled to write this guide since I couldn't find a faq on the Net giving a simple rundown of the Rune Skills. It's high time. I know I can count on the dedicated players of this friendly Community (Edit: Oh Yeah! They did answer the call^^). So when needed I will edit this thread and credit you, folks. If you smell what the Croc is cooking…

II] Rune Presentation

Rune, the new Mastery available with the Ragnarök DLC, is like no other. It is a beautiful breath of fresh air in Titan Quest. But Rune being so original, you might sometimes scratch your head trying to figure out the use of some skills. Fear not, friend! This is what this guide is all about.

What makes Rune stand out from other Masteries?

- Rune is the only class that grants you bonuses to Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity and Health. When the Mastery is maxed (32 Skill Points) you earn:

# 32 STR
# 64 INT
# 48 DEX
# 640 HEALTH

- Rune gives you NO bonus to Energy,

- Rune has no Energy Reserved Skills. This may be a choice in game design to address the fact that Rune does not increase your Energy Stat (when climbing up your Mastery),

- Despite what I said above, Rune is a surprisingly efficient Mastery as far as Energy Consumption goes, go figure,

- Runemasters have no living Familiars, but they have Summons: friggin' Stones!

Yeah! Me too I miss the good old Familiar that you could rub behind the ears. But last I checked sane people don’t speak to stones nor do they play fetch with them. ^^ Unless you:

- Croc: "Go fetch my Olive Branch, Menhir! Go!"
- Menhir: "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!"
- Croc: "Well done, Menhir! You’re a good puppy!"

Joke aside read my comment below about the 2 Stone skills. They’re quite unusual.

III] Rune Class Combinations

First there is a Titan Quest Ragnarök Calculator available at kirmiziperfect: Titan Quest AE + Ragnarök Calculator

- Runemaster (Single Class)
- Rune + Defense = Runesmith
- Rune + Earth = Stonespeaker
- Rune + Rogue = Trickster
- Rune + Storm = Thunderer
- Rune + Warfare = Berserker
- Rune + Nature = Skinchanger
- Rune + Spirit = Shaman
- Rune + Hunting = Dragon Hunter
- Rune + Dream = Seidr Worker

IV] Rune Skills

Rune Weapon > Magical Charge > Energy Drain > Transmutation

Rune Weapon: this skill tree is a charge type ability that you can assign to your LMB (left mouse Button) or RMB. It works like Onslaught from Warfare Mastery. As a whole Rune Weapon is an essential skill tree.

Magical Charge: increases your Elemental Damage and Damage Retaliation in flat numbers (not %),

Energy Drain: grants you Energy Leech (in flat) / Attack Damage converted to Health in % (Yummy!) / Reduced Offensive Ability (debuffs Monsters in % too) / Slows Monsters (in %). 

Transmutation: converts a % of your Weapon Damage into Elemental Damage. This is a one of kind new skill in Titan Quest. Transmutation is also a game-changer, on Normal just putting 1 point into this skill will increase your damage noticeably. EDIT: since Update 1.54 Transmutation is now permanently active (but still requires Rune Weapon).

Note: Rune Weapon does NOT work with Staves.

Sacred Rage > Frightening Power

Sacred Rage: % Damage Absorption / +Energy Regen / +10% Total Speed / -% Recharge / 50% Slow Resistance!
Frightening Power: % Reduction to Enemy's Health / % Reduced Damage for 3.0 Seconds / Chance of Fear

Sacred Rage is a kind of panic passive skill that triggers when your Health dips below 40%. The main skill buffs you, while Frightening Power -its synergy- debuffs Monsters.

From experience this skill can save your life, and sometimes it won’t (and will die miserably ^^).

Note that the synergy creates a visible red circle around you when it activates: this a good indication that you should drink a red potion or leave the area immediately. ^^

Runeword: Feather

This is a passive that increases your Offensive Ability (in flat numbers) and most importantly reduces the Strength Requirement for All Weapon in %. SHIELDS INCLUDED!!!

This is a very good passive. Also do not mistake this skill with Armor Handling from Defense Mastery, the latter reduces Strength Requirement for Armors and Shields! In other words "Runeword: Feather" does NOT reduce Requirement for Armors!

Rune of Life

% Bleeding Resistance / % Vitality Resistance / +% Strength / +% movement Speed

Rune of Life is an active aura that buffs you or your Allies (Familiars too) for a whopping 10 minutes (600 seconds) regardless of level. This is a solid buff because all the granted bonuses are in %:

Not only Rune of Life is awesome but it stays on like forever. Remember that “the movement Speed” is great when farming or trying to reach distant areas.

Rune of Life has no cooldown! You can cast it liberally on you and your Familiars.

Thunder Strike > Unleash

Rogues have Knives, now Runemasters have Thunder Strike and it’s natsy! You fire 5 projectiles in an arc that deal Elemental Damage and Stun. The Synergy -Unleash- adds Electrical Burn Damage, Skill Disruption and has a chance to confuse Monsters.

Here’s what Firebrand -a Titan Quest Fellow Member- said about Thunder Strike in his Runic Elemental Shotgun Guide

Quote
Thunder Strike. It is incredibly good against hordes, and just as incredibly good against bosses, who are likely to get hit by most if not all projectiles, provided you're close enough. Combine it with Seal of Fate [note: a Debuff] (and don't forget to warm up with a few Runic Weapon shots) and you'll one-shot virtually anything that's not a final boss.
 …
Now Thunder Strike shoots five projectiles, as its description says. However, if you're dual-wielding thrown weapons, it will net you five projectiles for each weapon you're holding! That's a lot of daggers or axes at the same time. And Reckless Offense [note: this skill allows Runemasters to dual wield weapons] itself pays off as well, I found.

Like many of the skills of Rune Mastery, Thunder Strike only show its worth when you unlock its synergy, Unleash.

You cannot reduce the cooldown -fixed 7 seconds- of Thunderstrike no matter how many Skill Points you pour into the Skill. So “- Recharge” from items/artifacts are your best friends.

Note: since Titan Quest Anniversary Edition, "- Recharge" is capped at 80%.

Runic Mines > Freezing Mines

Runic Mines: Cooldown: 9 seconds / Duration: 10 seconds / Effect: Elemental Damage (flat)
Freezing Mine: Frostburn Damage (flat) / chance of Freeze / Slow

Runic Mines is a curious Spell which you will learn to love or hate depending on your play-style and the Monsters you’re facing.

The base skill, Runic Mines, surrounds you with a few booby traps which stay on the spot for a few seconds. You cannot choose where to throw them, they emerge just around you.

Without investing into its synergy -Freezing Mines- this skill is underwhelming. Freezing Mines ads some welcome: Frostburn Damage, Slow and a chance of Freeze.
 
The trick to use this skill effectively is to lead your targets into your traps. Some Monsters are very likely to fall for that ruse, especially those nasty melee Monsters who hunt you down.

Ex: Automatoi (golden constructs) are easy prey for your Runic Mines, just dance them around to lead them to your minefield.

Menhir Wall > Guardian Stones

By watching at the skill tree you might think Guardian Stones is just the synergy (an enhancement) of Menhir Wall, well this is quite far from the truth. When unlocked, both skills have their own Icons and can be summoned independently. So you can have both Menhir Wall and Guardian Stones at the same time on the Battlefield!
 
So why did developers put it like it was a synergy? Maybe because both skills are Stones? Or maybe because it is more pretty on the skill tree? :P Anyways the visual aspect is anecdotal, what counts is how those Skills work and if they are any good for us:

Menhir Wall

Lifetime 10 sec / 150 Health (LV1) / 25% chance of 1 Second of Stun (regardless of Level)

This is a summon designed to distract Monsters. It deals no damage but has a chance to Stun Monsters (25% chance to Stun).

The Stun chance only triggers when Monsters try to hit the Menhir Wall! So if Monsters aim at you then the Stun won’t work, which is a bummer.

When you cast the Menhir Wall between you and Monsters (recommended), your arrows and other projectiles can go through this wall and hit enemies.

You can obstruct terrains with Menhir Wall (at choke points, doors, etc)

Note: you can also cast Menhir Wall through various terrains (for what it's worth)

Guardian Stones

Summons 3 Stones which last for 45 sec / They deal damage every 4 seconds / 4 minute cooldown (Ouch!)

LV1: 200 Elemental Damage! / they have 1000 HP! / deal Stun / deal 33% Reduction to Enemy Health!

Guardian Stones are multi-target! (2 targets)

First Guardian Stones -unlike Menhir Wall- CANNOT go through terrain. Also be watchful when you cast it in enclosed areas (doors and choke points): if badly cast you can possibly summon 2 Stones instead of the normal 3. So in order to avoid this always throw them in the middle of a room.

This is one monster of a skill that has only one drawback but a serious one: the cooldown of this skill is 4 minutes (240 sec)! Apart from that the damage output of these 3 stones is surreal, those who never tried this skill have no idea:

- The Giant Limos (Act I Side Quest "Trapped in the Ruins"): I killed that Limos in less than 10 seconds!! With just Guardian Stones and a few knives thrown into the mix. Without charms, relics nor Debuffs whatsoever.  Between you and me: that was TOO fast. ^^

The 3 Gorgons: same deal. If you lead them near the Guardian Stones, they will fall in no time,

And if you add the Runic Mines into the equation (see above) it gets even more crazy.

Conclusion: do not underestimate Guardian Stones! To give you another perspective for this Skill just remember that Guardian Stones are as powerful as the Outsider from the Spirit Mastery! Both Summons have actually a lot in common:

# both are unlocked at the highest level of their respective Mastery (LV32),
# both are temporary Summons,
# both deal Elemental Damage and Health Reduction in %. This is what makes those Summons so devastating,
# both have a very long cooldown (Outsider: 6 min / Guardian Stones: 4 min)

The only real difference is that Guardian Stones are static whereas the Outsider is a walking apocalypse.

Note: since Cooldown Reduction now caps at 80% you can expect to reduce the cooldown of Guardian Stones from "4 minutes" to "48 seconds" at best.

Runeword: Explode > Runeword: Burn

Runeword: Explode: 120° Arc of Attack / 2.5 Meter Radius / Damage (flat) / Fire Damage (flat) / Stun
Runeword: Burn: 2.5 Meter Radius / Multiple Fragments / Burn Damage over 3.0 Seconds

Note: the chance to trigger increases with Level

I don’t understand this skill...Seriously I need the opinion of the Community on this one.

EDIT: Veterans heeded my plea. ^^ Here's what Malgardian, Firebrand, Vio and botebote77 said about "Runeword: Explode" and its synergy. My Goodness! This is actually a pretty good Skill:

Quote
Malgardian: I personally like Runeword: Explode on my Elemental Archer as it's a nice replacement for Scattershot if you're not using hunting. At least in normal its damage is quite good, so that you can kill a few enemies at once.

Firebrand:There's one thing I'd point out about Runeword: Burn, and that is that it has an area of effect whenever it triggers. All damage it and its synergy deal indeed work well together with Earth, but personally I think the real deal is that it makes your attack (and yes, that includes every property of your attack) affect multiple enemies.

And that's an incredibly useful bonus, even if the extra physical, fire, and burn damages are negligible. You have attack damage converted to health? Neat, now you heal double or triple the amount. You have energy leech? Say hello to a full energy bar! Flat elemental damage? Flat elemental explosion, more like. What's a better thing than slowing melee monsters charging at you? The answer is slowing a whole group of melee enemies charging at you! (Hint: You can have all four of those of those just from the Rune Weapon tree.)

Another little thing is its subtle synergy with Reckless Offense: the chance for Runeword: Explode to trigger applies to both projectiles shot by Reckless Offense. And I think it's a nice touch.

Vio: And yes, Runeword: Explode makes your main attack an AoE much like Ternion's Arcane Lore does.

botebote77: runeword:explode also works on melee...it's effective actually because at melee range, mobs gather around you closely and when it procs, you hit multiple monsters... there are no projectiles on melee weapons though so there are also no fragments

Reckless Offense

Effects: Allows Dual Wield / % chance to hit with both weapons / +100% Total Damage

This is a passive skill that allows you to dual wield weapons. Take note that this skill is not limited to throwing knives or darts, you can dual wield swords, maces or axes too.

When the skill activates you also get the following bonus: +100% Total Damage. Vio, Bless his Soul ^^, added this:

Quote
Vio: Reckless Offense, like other Dual Wield skills, gives a chance to use a special animation (throwing three projectiles quickly or doing four hits in melee) while also granting its damage bonus. The bonus only applies when the attack triggers. As always, really.

You will need to invest a few Skill Points and have +Skills (granted by items) to really benefit from this excellent skill.

Runeword: Absorb

"Enchant a shield or a staff with the ability to absorb the energy of enemy…"

Effects: -% Shield Recovery Time / % Absorption of Spell / Energy Leech Retaliation per Second (flat damage)

Thanks to Veteran Vio the use of this Skill has been finally understood:

Quote
Vio: Runeword: Absorb is the tanky alternative to Reckless Offense. It gives you Energy when you get hit, which in turn fuels the Energy-hungry shield. So it is quite good in combination with other damage mitigation or/and -% Energy Cost.

Seal of Fate > Aftershock

Seal of Fate: 3.0 Second Duration / 4.0 Meter Radius / Elemental Damage (flat) / % Reduction to Enemy's Health / 2.0 second(s) of Stun / +100% Damage to Devices

Aftershock: 4.0 Meter Radius / 4 Second Duration / Bleeding Damage / Reduced Armor / Reduced Resistances / % Chance of Impaired Aim / 4.0 second(s) of Skill Disruption / 20% Slow

Seal of Fate: the main skill is a decent debuff against Monsters. Good but doesn’t hold a candle to its lovely synergy,

Aftershock: now we’re talking! This beauty debuffs Monsters hard, it reduces their Resistances. Also the % Chance of Impaired Aim is a boon against Archers!

The only real drawback of "Seal of Fate > Aftershock" is the relatively limited area of the debuff (4 meters). The debuff zone does NOT increase not matter how many Skills Points you put into the skills. So this is mostly single target (Bosses, Heroic Monsters, dense mobs, etc). Even so you’ll be happy to have it because Monsters go down noticeably faster when they are under the effect of “Seal of Fate > Aftershock”.

Energy Armor

An aura that buffs you and your Allies (Familiars too). 5 Meter Radius / 25 Seconds cooldown. After a certain threshold of Damage is absorbed "Energy Armor" will vanish.

Effects: Damage Absorption (flat number but very high when the skill is maxed!) / Resistance to Physical-Piercing-Bleeding-Stun!!

A worthy skill. Some might complain that you have to cast it regularly but honestly this no big deal. Because those Resists are a Godsend. Personally I always cast "Energy Armor" and "Rune of Life" at the same time. When both are up I feel safe.

Now when Energy Armor is taken down by Monsters (which will happen I can assure you) then I can narrow down what kind of Damage I’m taking. This skill, like Rune of Life, is invaluable.

The casting radius of Energy Armor is limited to 5 meters, but from the moment you've cast it on your nearby Familiars -it works on them too- the Spell will latch on to them even when they rush afar to kill stuff in Aggressive Mode. The Spell will also vanish after the listed Damage has been sustained.

No more room. Read the rest here.

V] Rune Build Compendium

- [Rune+Earth] Runic Elemental Shotgun Guide by Firebrand

- [Rune+Defense] Runesmith Build Advice started by Hal900x

- [Rune+Rogue] Tempet Tricks’ Trickster journal by MedeaFleecestealer

...

- [Rune+Nature] Skinchanger Petmaster by botebote77

VI] Hall of Contributors

- Firebrand for his sharp comment on "Thunder Strike" and his very insightful Runic Elemental Shotgun Guide,

- Malgardian for his clarification on "Runeword: Burn" and the fact that it works with bows! Thank you, wise guy!  8)

- Firebrand (again ^^) for explaining the multiple synergies available with the "Runeword: Burn" Skill,

- Vio for figuring out Reckless Offense/Runeword: Explode /Runeword: Absorb. Hats off to you, Mister Number Cruncher! ;D

- Firebrand good things always come in 3! ;D For detailing his way to counter the high cost of "Energy Armor",

- botebote77 for his info on "Transmutation" since v1.54 / the fact that "Energy Drain" has an impact on "Throwing Knives" / that the tooltip of"Rune of Life" has been corrected on Ragnarök Calculator / then his Skinchanger Petmaster Thread

- the good people at kirmiziperfect for their Titan Quest Ragnarök Calculator available at: Titan Quest AE + Ragnarök Calculator

VII] Conclusion

I sincerely hope the guide helped. I felt Beginners who might want a basic rundown of the Rune Mastery might need a faq like this one. Rune Mastery is still relatively undocumented right now. I humbly hope you enjoyed the read. 

Finally thank you Reader for taking the time to browse the whole Guide, The Croc says you deserve a little something, what about a Haïku Poem? ^-^ :

Rune Dissected
Mighty Winter Spells Ragnarök
Big Tears to The Croc

3
Guides AE / Avenger: A Hybrid Study (Updated to Anniversary Edition)
« on: 20 November 2017, 14:03:51 »
PART 1/2

Content

I] About The Anniversary Edition (Edit 2016)
II] Intro
III] Why Hunting
IV] Why Earth
V] Synergies between Earth & Hunting
VI] Problems
VII] Solutions
VIII] Secret Passage
IX] Questions for Veterans
X] Avenger vs Sage
XI] Goodies that dropped in my game
XII] Quotes concerning the Core Dweller
XIII] Personal Data
XIV] Conclusion

I] About The Anniversary Edition (Edit 2016)

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition is a remastered version of the original games: It combines the original Titan Quest, the add-on Immortal Throne, the Fanpatches, and comes with a whole slew of improvements and new features. These changes not only affect the graphics but also the gameplay: even Skills are rebalanced.

Here is a sample of the changes (taken from the THQ Nordic):

Quote
• Restored and improved multiplayer functionality, including new features like a built-in voice chat and NAT resolving for best multiplayer connectivity
• Support for more resolutions, larger camera distance and scaleable UI size
• Improved performance and general stability
• Complete balance rework with improvements to all Masteries, damage types, unique items and sets
• Countless bug fixes and other improvements, including ten years’ worth of community fixes
• Increased challenges and rewards for larger parties and on higher difficulty levels
• Dozens of new heroes and bosses to encounter
• Improved enemy and pet AI
• Quality of life features like higher stack limits, quick item pickup, a larger stash and a speed setting
• Reduced cheating with curbed exploits, removal of test items and mod comparison in multiplayer

You will notice that many many Skills have been reworked:

- Skills that were subpar have been revised to scale better with your level for instance,

- Skills that were overpowered have been nerfed,

Coming back to the lovely Avenger what has changed for him? To sum it up Earth has been nicely buffed and Hunting has been reworked (bleeding damage has been raised and wood lore has been nerfed). Examples:

 Earth Enchantment:
+ Now also increases Burn Damage
+ Radius increases by 10% per additional level
- Unified all non-trance aura cooldowns to 4 seconds

 Volativity:
+ Now also increases Burn Damage
+ Also increases Physical Damage (half as much)

- Core Dweller AI behavior now corresponds to its orders
- Core Dweller now casts Provoke in normal and aggressive stance

 Gouge:
- Increased Bleeding Damage by 50%

 Take Down ~ Eviscerate:
- Increased Bleeding Damage by 150%

Wood Lore:
- Now gives 30+32/level DA instead of % increases   

 Study Prey ~ Flush Out:
- Now also lowers Bleeding Resistance...

But Hey! You know what? I won't flood you with a mammoth post (sounds like I already did ; D) here's a link to the complete changelog:

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition - Full Log by THQ Nordic

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition - Full Log by THQ Nordic

II] Intro

(The title may sound showy but the post is not, I can assure you. This thread may be old news for Regulars but wait! There is a section entirely dedicated for Veterans: I have some questions for you. I hope you’ll answer the call).

Playing a “hybrid” (a character part Physical / part Caster) can be a blessing and a curse. It is a known fact that focusing on one type of damage is the way to go. Avengers and the likes are no classes for beginners, just so you know. So why for Heaven’s sake would you choose an Avenger? Well here’s my answer: Hunting & Earth are my favourite Masteries. And one day I decided to mix the two and see how it goes.

Note: I’m playing with the fanpatch 1.17

III] Why Hunting

Because Hunting has it all! It is one of those Masteries that you’ll have a hard time to part with (just like Defense). Let’s recap:

- a Hunter doesn’t gives a d**n about Poison Resistance because he’s got Herbal Remedy. Even on Legendary Act IV I stood in the middle of Undead Mages casting their big poison gas bombs. They didn’t scratch me,

-  a Hunter doesn’t gives a d**n about Entrapment because he’s got Trail Blaizing,

- a Hunter has always the edge in terms of Defensive Ability thanks to almighty Wood Lore (it’s percentage based),

Edit 2016: now with The Anniversary Edition Wood Lore has been nerfed, the bonus to Defensive Ability isn't percentage based anymore.

- a Hunter is always the best Bow user whatever secondary he chooses, thanks to the Marksmanship tree,

- a Hunter doesn’t fear tough armoured enemies because he’s got one of the strongest debuff in the game: Study Prey (& Synergy),

- a Hunter has a huge bonus to Piercing Damage thanks to many skill trees (Art of the Hunt, Call of the Hunt, Marksmanship mainly)

You see? All those goodies add up. It also means you’ll miss your Hunting A LOT when you’ll roll a completely new toon. Hunting is overwhelming (again just like Defense)

IV] Why Earth

Well not much to say here. First and foremost I tend to be a “sloppy” guy in every single hack’n’slash I put my hands on. I can be a real Leroy Jenkins sometimes. In this regard Earth is just the Mastery for me:

- The Core Dweller is a tough pet who tanks for me (at least from Epic and on),

- Stone Form is a life-saviour when I’m cornered. At least when used properly. 2 Rules concerning Stone Form:

# Never use it if you haven’t a good casting speed. How many times did I die when trying to cast it? Countless times! At least if you have 0 casting speed cast it in advance, never at the last second, ‘cos you’ll regret it I can assure you,

# never put a single point in its synergy (Molten Rock). Never! It can really mess up your life. Not only the damage retaliation is puny but more importantly you are somewhat blocked around a second when the animation is over. Some monster can beat you up.  And the additional 2 seconds of invincibility of Molten Rock can ruin your day. Here’s one example:

Ex: Typhon:  once I was caught offguard and noticed he had cast his Meteor Shower. Thus I cast Stone Form. Thing is: I had put a point into the synergy Molten Rock. So I was completely stopped for 8 sec (instead of 6 sec)! In the meantime that b****d had cast another Meteor Shower and I died.

With only a single point into Stone Form you can disengage faster and safely.

- Heat Shield: that 15% Damage Resistance (Physical only) becomes more and more essential the more you advance in the game. On Legendary when fire-touting enemies dismiss my Heat Shield, my survivability declines considerably,

- not counting that I love throwing things (Eruption & Volcanic Orb)


V] Synergies between Earth & Hunting

I noticed 2 synergies only, but what a bargain:

Core Dweller + Monster Lure = Double Taunt / Double Tank

On Normal you won’t notice how those two go well. Actually you may curse the day you’ve rolled an Avenger. From Act III they’ll drop like flies and constantly recasting them becomes tedious. But you’ll have to if you want to survive (at least one of them). On Epic however (Even more so on Legendary) they’ll become a force to reckon with:

First they taunt. They’ll draw the attention of countless mobs. Believe me it is a sight to see: on Legendary when facing Machae archers you’ll be astounded to see countless of arrows flying around you, and not touching you one bit! (note on Machae archers: fear them!)

Secondly they tank like mad! How many times have I experienced death because of Heroic Monsters or tough Bosses? Well with an Avenger this is a thing of the past, thanks to my double team. Just for your information:

- I NEVER died against a single Telkine with my Avenger. Be it on Normal, Epic or Legendary! (and I told you I’m kinda sloppy),

- I never died against Hades!

- Pharaoh Honor Guard? Gargantuan Yeti? Kalixenia? Charon? The Bloated One (Albinos Spider)? Cerberus? A joke!

But how does it work? Simple. First max your Core Dweller (all skills except Wildfire). Secondly max your Monster Lure (not the Synergy, the damage is puny even when Earth Enchantment is around). Third max your Marksmanship tree.

EDIT: 'Volley': you should max it also. Because firing 3 arrows at a time increases your DPS by a country mile. If you max Volley and Scatter Shot - Marksmanship tree - you'll understand why Bow builds dominate so much in this game. (Note that Volley works with spears too).

The Core Dweller is your first line of defense. He tanks like a Sherman. For your safety (against tough mobs like Melinoes) always cast a Monster Lure between you and your Core Dweller. Should your Core Dweller go down a majority of monster should cluster around the Monster Lure. Keep raining arrows & Eruption on their heads. That’s it. As simple as that. Against Bosses this is the way to go too. Now if you didn’t understand: an Avenger is mainly a Bow user!! And Holy Diablo Cow! It works!!

EDIT:

- Stick to Bows! "Spear Avengers" are just a joke on Legendary! Of course you'll do well if you find yourself a Phorkos Trident on Epic, but the same goes for all melee classes really... ; )

- The Core Dweller has 2 arch-nemesis though: Beware any  Boss with Horns. Il especially advise you to be extra cautious when facing the "Minotaur Lord" and the "Fire Bull". Those two can really take you and your familiar(s) down extremely fast!! So don't forget to dance your Core Dweller around! This advice counts for every class in the game, not just the Avenger!

Flush Out + Eruption + Volatility = Outstanding combo

Flush Out (synergy of Study Prey) reduces Elemental resistances considerably: you need it to boost your already ungodly Eruption spell. Max,

Study Prey reduces Piercing Resistance. Max (you’re a Bow user, remember),

Eruption: a volcano on demand. The more points in it, the more fragments. Always cast Study Prey before casting Eruption. It is critical! Max,

Volatility: contrary to other classes I strongly recommend to max Volatility early. Middle Epic is the good time. When I maxed it I noticed a considerable boost to Eruption & Volcanic Orb. 

VI] Problems

Of course you’ll face hurdles. Did you think you could play a Hybrid without paying the price? Obviously Not.

Energy regen: this will be your main problem. First because you have two strong Energy Reserved Skills (Art of the Hunt & Earth Enchantment) which will hijack a big chunk of your energy bar. Secondly your Spells / Summons are very taxing,

Stat Distribution: the Hybrid curse. You’ll always be torn between putting points into DEX, INT and STR.

Ladies & Gentlemen! This calls for strong measures! Follow me to the next paragraph.

VII] Solutions

Warning: the following is the way I chose to develop my Avenger. This is not a perfect set up (actually it’s far from it). But it worked for me and I could finish Legendary with it. You’ll notice the consequences of such choices. That’s what Hybrids are all about.

# Energy Regen

- On Normal I put 8 attribute points into Energy. Those 200 energy points go a long way. But we’re not out of the wood yet,

Edit 2016 A big change with The Anniversary Edition: "Attribute points now yield 40 Health or Energy per invested point" (instead of the original 25!). This new quirk is quite a blessing for a Hybrid Avenger and, as a matter of fact, for anyone else. \o/

- On Normal Avengers can afford to wear some caster gear (thanks to Earth which boost INT). Use some,

- On Act III Normal I regularly paid a visit to the guy selling caster gear in Chang Han. I was lucky to buy a Puppetmaster Talisman (+ 6 Energy Regen / sec). Problem Solved! That amulet served me throughout all my game, even on Legendary. Even when I found a good Purple I still kept that beauty in my inventory and switched when needed. I mostly drank potions in tough battles. But we need more,

# Stat Distribution & Special Gear

This my friend will be your main headache. You need:

- DEX: for Bows (& Spears marginally),
- INT: to boost your Eruption,
- STR: to wear some high end gear (trust me on this one)

So what to do? My salvation came from green rings. I shopped for them. And as the game went on I switched to stronger versions of both. In each ring slot I had:

- Plato’s Ring of intellect > Socrates Ring of Erudition

- Hale Ring of Finesse > Hale Ring of Might!!!

Note: I might add that Avengers are overall bad looters. It can't be a coincidence because it was like that throughout all levels of difficulty. But Avengers have a strange quirk: they drop an incredible amount of good rings & amulets (Green, Blue, Purple). At least it was the case for me (more of “loot things” in a minute). Just look at the Hale Ring of Might, I’d never seen one before my Avenger. (I’ll learn how to make screenshots, right now every shot is black, I don’t get it. EDIT: for the screenshots look here)

Consequence: when you wear items such as Plato & Hale rings, it means no Apollo's Will, noAdroit Loop, etc. You see the choices we have to make? Again that’s what Hybrids are all about: tough choices!

- On Normal I didn’t put a single point into INT. I waited for Epic and started pumping a bit (first from 140 to 200 without gear to benefit from the percentage bonus from Plato’s rings & such)

# Now let’s talk about Armor

What beauty are you going to wear? This is where the “Hybrid Blessing” comes into play. As an Avenger thanks to the above rings & a handful of INT points you’ll be able to wear incredible things that mere Conquerors & Slayers alike can’t afford. But this my friend shines from Epic (my character is 99% untwinked). Thus let’s see:

Act II / III Normal: Just wear whatever STR based green suits falls into your hand (Veteran / Juggernaut / Mountaineer Suit, preferably socketed with a completed Viny Growth charm),

Act IV Normal: Now this act is special. Here you have a chance to drop one of the best armor you can get. Sadly it didn’t drop for my Avenger:

Templar's Zeal

a disgusting piece armor. Just look at the bonuses of that thing and you'll agree. Heck! It's so good that once I used it all through Epic Act I & II [no joke]. Many Resists in the 40s and the "Bleeding Resist" is super handy (it's hard to come by, unless you have a nice artifact). The +2 to Trance of Convalescence and Armor Handling are just the icing on the cake if you’re a Templar.

Note: the first time it dropped from a Formicid in a cave near Rhodes, and I couldn't believe my eyes. That thing kills even if you're no Templar,

Epic & Legendary: I grouped them because I used the same armor from late Epic to Legendary! Yeah I can be crazy sometimes. But what is it? The suspense is killing you, right? Here it is:

Tunic of the Magi

For my part this is an underrated piece of armor perfectly suited for Hybrids. Look at the Resists & the Stats! The only thing this gem lacks are Vitality Resist / Stun Resist / - Recharge. Well simply get them from elsewhere. Just pump your INT (with rings,...) till you can wear it. Note the huge bonus to Defensive Ability (200 +). With Wood Lore & some other gear you won’t be critted very often. Actually my defensive ability on late Legendary was around 1200 / 1300 whereas Poinas recommends around 900 / 1000 DA in his Attribute Point Guide. Lovely!

Where to get a Tunic of the Magi?

Epic Secret Passage! I can guarantee you that if you farm Epic SP you will get it eventually (fanpatch or not). It can also drop on Legendary SP but it’s much rarer. Epic SP drops lots of Tunic of the Magi for me and even more lots of Cestus! Good armor for Hybrids also (some – Recharge and more Pierce Resist) but Tunic of the Magi is way  better overall.

Note: we're not talking about high-end gear here. The above item is very good for Hybrids and you can get it quite early (Epic Secret Passage).

Observations: If you combine the Puppetmaster amulet with the Tunic of the Magi (it also grants a good boost to Energy Regen) and you socket one of your rings with an Hecate’s Crescent Relic you have an incredible amount of Energy Regen for a Hybrid. Just so you know my Energy Regen was around 30 / sec with that setup. Amazing.

# Which Artifact ?

I used - Might of Hephaestus from Epic till the end of the game. That’s the only thing I used from an older character. I needed that thing badly because my DPS & Survivability dropped considerably on Act 4 Epic. The bonuses are great and the + 1 to All Skills for Earth is just what I needed. The extra damage to Constructs & Devices is not something to sneeze at, actually it’s invaluable (it’s percentage based). Pharaoh Honor Guard & Act IV Constructs will feel your wrath. It grants a special skill called Iron Fist, and there is a quirk about it:

Even if the description says “builds up the melee power of the player to epic proportions” it can actually proc from a mere Volcanic Orb or an Eruption. It happens often. Sometimes you’ll see Monsters, even Heroic ones, fly to the moon with a single spell. It works on a regular base and saved me countless times.

Note: the granted skill “Iron Fist” only works with the fanpatch and The Anniversary Edition.

Edit: Actually depending on your version of Titan Quest, Iron Fist actually works completely differently:

# Immortal Throne (original version): in this version Might of Hephaestus DOES NOT work at all,

# Immortal Throne + Fanpatch 1.17: the granted skill works very well. This includes Melee and even Spells. This what made this Divine Artifacts so attractive (at least for me). I mean the granted skills proces a lot and you don't need to assign the skill on LBM, it works automatically,

# Anniversary Edition: in this version you are forced to assign the granted skill to your LMB! So it cannot proc with spells anymore (like Eruption, Volcanic Orb). This is somewhat sad but I guess I do understand the idea of the developers behind this nerf: indeed the tooltip of Iron Fist says “builds up the melee power of the player to epic proportions”, so now the skill works as intended (a melee bonus that is). By the way I did not try it with the Ragnarok dlc yet, but since I fell for this awesome Nordic extension you can sure bet I’m going to play it very soon.

PART 2 coming below.

4
New Members Introduction / [New Members Introduction]
« on: 19 November 2017, 14:51:59 »
Hello Community! Here's another old fart from titanquest.net. ^^

Happy to recognize members of the good days, and it's heart-warming to see fresh gamers too.

I enjoyed Titan Quest Anniversary Edition immensly. Now with the new Ragnarok Expansion, this game is getting even more nuts.

Holy *** I totally didn't see it coming. Norse Mythology is quite popular these days -especially in videogames- and rightly so.

My free time is very short these days but - if allowed - I'll repost my "Avenger Guide (updated to Anniversary Edition)" from the old forum.

Note: Dear admins could you allow us to display "Personalised Avatars"? Pretty Please.  O0




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