Some necro questions

[fischsemmel]

So I'm a reallllly big fan of knowing why things happen, how things work, etc. Especially when I'm playing a video game. But I have a hard time digging up the specific information I'm looking for re: necromancers (and some other things, too) from classic EQ or this server specifically... and the necro's I've tried to ask in game just weren't very helpful... so here I am!

1. I've noticed that when I've got dooming darkness on something, it's slow (yeah yeah). And then when I fear it, it seems to move even more slowly for the duration of the fear. Does it actually slow down more, or it is just my imagination?

2. Perhaps in connection with #1, I FEEL (gut feeling based off of the last few levels of killing the same 2 level 30 guards every 6 minutes) that NPCs die as quickly or more quickly when I 1) dooming darkness, boil blood, fear once, then aggro kite until death than when I 2) dooming darkness, boil blood, vampiric curse, then aggro kite to death. Do pets have an easier time hitting NPCs that are feared? It is the only way I can explain why it feels like an NPC who is taking 21 less damage per tick from me actually dies faster than one who IS taking the extra damage. I've seen mention of mobs not being able to move and attack at the same instant... are pets like this too? Does a slower enemy -> more pet damage because of this?

3. Where can I find more information about necro spells and pets than the p1999 wiki? The wiki is great, but it is incomplete when it comes to the necro spells (perhaps only 1/2 of the spell listed have their effects described). And the pet info there is basic stuff that anyone can figure out just by watching for 30 seconds... hit points, damage, level. Where is the info on how often pets of X level dual wield+double attack, etc?

4. How exactly do resists work? They certainly seem based on level somewhat, but what else comes into play? How many fewer resists will I have of 1000 casts if I lower X resist by Y amount? Etc.

5. How does pet taunt work? Is it extra threat, or is it a "when taunt works, the pet has aggro for a set duration" kind of thing? If it is extra threat, do we know how much? If the latter, how often does it work and how does it work?

6. This is a big one! How does specialization work?! The only thing I've been able to find above and beyond "spells cost less mana and fizzle less" is http://www.magecompendium.com/specialization-library.html, which basically says 200 spec is ~11% less mana spent on that school, 50 is ~3% less mana spent on the school. But that's not enough info for a guy like me!

7. Didn't feign death used to allow a necro (or monk) to quest and/or do business with merchants and such who were otherwise not friendly, back in the day? I swear I remember this, but I didn't actually play until Kunark so maybe it wasn't classic.

[fischsemmel]

Oh, and on a sidenote, it wasn't like the necros I asked in game weren't TRYING to be helpful.

They just seemed more interested in trying to explain the absolute basics of fear kiting to me, and refused to believe that I knew anything about how any of my spells work because I had very specific questions about relatively minor concerns in the grand scheme of things.

[Lill-Leif]

1. No, fear doesn't have a snaring effect. However, if the mob have very little life left, it moves slower.

2. I don't think feared targets are easier to hit.

3. I'm not sure if there are such info availible, it should be some old parser logs. And even if it is, pet dual wielding might not be exactly the same as in project 99?

4. They are lvl-based but some mobs also have higher resists to eg. fire than others. Someone else do the math :)

5. If pet taunt works like warrior taunt it doesn't build up threat, it merely is a skill that, if successful, puts the pet a tad higher on the mob's aggro list than the player with most aggro. Not sure about this though.

[Ralexia]

1. I've noticed this too
3. These aren't perfect but they're close.
http://web.archive.org/web/20020220080354/eq.castersrealm.com/spells/spells.asp?Class=Necromancer
http://lucy.alkabor.com/index_Necromancer.html
5. I think pet taunt works like normal taunt. If it works then the pet jumps the top of the aggro list +1 hate.
6. I think its a random chance to reduce spell cost by some amount. Its not a flat reduction in spell cost.
7. You're thinking of the skill Sneak. Sneak sets your faction to indifferent when you're behind an npc. You can't open the sell to a merchant window while FD although you can FD after the merchant window is open without it closing.

Also I have a question. When do necromancer pets dual wield without being first given weapons? The game companion link (http://strategywiki.org/wiki/EverQuest/Character_classes/Necromancer/Pet)says at lvl 34 but I know thats wrong because my 39 pet doesn't.

[Chanus]

Feared mobs may be easier to hit if you're attacking from behind as you are avoiding their chances to Dodge/Parry/Riposte/Block if they have those skills.

[fischsemmel]

1. I've noticed this too
3. These aren't perfect but they're close.
http://web.archive.org/web/20020220080354/eq.castersrealm.com/spells/spells.asp?Class=Necromancer
http://lucy.alkabor.com/index_Necromancer.html
5. I think pet taunt works like normal taunt. If it works then the pet jumps the top of the aggro list +1 hate.
6. I think its a random chance to reduce spell cost by some amount. Its not a flat reduction in spell cost.
7. You're thinking of the skill Sneak. Sneak sets your faction to indifferent when you're behind an npc. You can't open the sell to a merchant window while FD although you can FD after the merchant window is open without it closing.

Also I have a question. When do necromancer pets dual wield without being first given weapons? The game companion link (http://strategywiki.org/wiki/EverQuest/Character_classes/Necromancer/Pet)says at lvl 34 but I know thats wrong because my 39 pet doesn't.

6. Yes, I think you're right. I was just saying that it works out, over time, to those % reductions in spell cost.

7. Maybe that's it. I know you can't open a merchant window NOW, but like I said, I thought it could be done on live back in the day.


Not sure on the dualwielding without giving them weapons. Still only level 33 on p1999.

[fischsemmel]

Feared mobs may be easier to hit if you're attacking from behind as you are avoiding their chances to Dodge/Parry/Riposte/Block if they have those skills.

In my comparison in the original post, the pet was always attacking from behind whether the target(s) were feared or not. :confused:

But ya know, I have seen my pet sometimes drop a chunk of HP even when the NPC he was attacking was chasing me and my pet appeared to be attacking from behind. Hmm.

[korrowan]

7. You can use Lich or the lower level versions of that spell to buy from merchants that are unfriendly to you. I sell to a guy at the hogcaller inn in FP that way frequently.

[fischsemmel]

7. You can use Lich or the lower level versions of that spell to buy from merchants that are unfriendly to you. I sell to a guy at the hogcaller inn in FP that way frequently.

Sweet! Another thing to look forward to at 34 =D




More on pet hitting feared stuff: I just turned on pet misses and did a few fights while watching pet attacked a feared mob, and a few fights strafing in tight circles watching pet attack something aggrod on me but not feared. It looked like he was missing a lot more on the unfeared NPCs.

Guess I'll have to log it and get something more substantial.


We have no way to see when our pet's attacks get dodged/parried/blocked do we? And can only figure out riposte if the NPC takes a seemingly random swing at the pet when he isn't actually aggrod on it?

[Blackbat]

1. Imagination

2. Might be your imagination too. Fear helps with medding, but if you have low ping and can time ticks, then it's really just preference. As far as DPS goes, the pet is hitting the mob from behind in both cases, so shouldn't differ.

3. http://www.crys.org/everquest/spells.htm

4. Lvl mostly, then some mobs have higher resist.

5. Like normal taunt.

7. The only thing I've done with FD so far is bank with HHK banker. Aside from that I do not know if it helps with vendors. Someone told me they did the Mystic Cloak quest FD though, so that might work. As for Call of Bones. It worked for the Dwarf inside the hut for Den and friends, and it worked for all the merchants in misty thicket. Tested :)

[fischsemmel]

1. Imagination

2. Might be your imagination too. Fear helps with medding, but if you have low ping and can time ticks, then it's really just preference. As far as DPS goes, the pet is hitting the mob from behind in both cases, so shouldn't differ.


I went and downloaded a parser and I'm in the process of testing this.

For starters I'm going to kill these guards I'm working on 10 times by throwing darkness and boil blood, then running directly away (but slowly enough that I stay near to see all of my pet's hits and misses. Is there a way to expand the range of the combat log?). Then I'll do 10 fights where I stick darkness and fear on the guard and have he pet attack.

I know it's a small sample, but I'll see how it looks and decide if I want to do 100/100 after it.

[korrowan]

1. Imagination

2. Might be your imagination too. Fear helps with medding, but if you have low ping and can time ticks, then it's really just preference. As far as DPS goes, the pet is hitting the mob from behind in both cases, so shouldn't differ.

3. http://www.crys.org/everquest/spells.htm

4. Lvl mostly, then some mobs have higher resist.

5. Like normal taunt.

7. The only thing I've done with FD so far is bank with HHK banker. Aside from that I do not know if it helps with vendors. Someone told me they did the Mystic Cloak quest FD though, so that might work. As for Call of Bones. It worked for the Dwarf inside the hut for Den and friends, and it worked for all the merchants in misty thicket. Tested :)

You can do the Mystic Cloak quest either way..you may die but its no biggie. I died doing it but it was well worth it considering 10% exp gained from farming seafuries is easy.

[fischsemmel]

Nevermind. I'm giving up on testing this because the combat log range is so stupidsmall. Too annoying trying to stay in range of all of my pets hits and misses without getting beat up by the guards myself :(

[Blackbat]

have a non-KOS guy follow the guard then send you the log :)