[Magician] trapper/caster build info.

[Jade]

OK, i have seen a lot of questions regarding magicians so i decided to put up a detailed desciption of my build. I find it a very fun and versatile build to play. I am putting this up after i saw Blaze's post about his magician build but his is totally different than mine. I'd also like to point out that i am a forum n00b and "linkys" or "clickys" or whatever you guys call them are unknown to me:P. So here goes:

Earth
So i will start off with the earth mastery skills just because as we all know core dweller is pretty much the centre of any build involving earth.

Earth Enchantment - this skill will be maxed at lvl 12 it gives 5-8 burn dmg and +100% fire dmg, (this line is key to improving the traps from the rogue mastery).

Brimstone - also maxed this skill gives an extra 10-12 dmg and 15% of 58 burn dmg. (if you have +4 to skills i think it actually gives 15-21 extra dmg and when using traps that is for each projectile :))

Stone Form - Only need one point in this because no matter how many you put in it still only lasts for 6 sec. and the health regen is minimal.

Summon Core Dweller - Maxed, he is your main man. You love him and want to hug him. Since you die in one hit you use him to aggro mobs while your traps eat away at them.

Inner Fire / Wildfire - Only one point in each will be required.

Metamorphosis - Max this, health, armour absorbtion + protection, and elemental resist is essential for your man.

Volatility - Max this also. more fire dmg = good.

Eruption - This skill works extremely well for me. I don't find the cooldown too long and it does mega dmg. I like using it on stairs especially because all the little fireballs run down the stairs. It looks pretty :) I have it maxed. (it is best to use this after you have all your traps out and your core dweller is surrounded. then use stone form if you aggro.)


Rogue
Okay, main thing in this mastery is the traps. I have been told multiple times on this forum blade honing does not work on traps. Just wanted to clarify that before i started here.

Lay Trap / Rapid Construction / Improved Firing Mechanism - All maxed. I found that Traps end up being more of a damge over time skill, and at one point in the game i was going to drop them for either Volcanic Orb or flame surge lines. Very, very bad idea. Much easier using traps.

Flash Powder - I have this skill maxed. I mainly use this when i see my core dweller running low on health or die. Flash and run or maybe my traps will finish them.

Throwing Knife / Flurry of Knives - I have left these skills for last in my build. But by lvl 65 they will both be maxed.

Envenom Weapon / Toxin Distillation - 1 point in each. Only because you have to.

Nightshade / Mandrake - Both of these are maxed. For use with your throwing knives. Slows enemies while they get pinned by your traps.
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Gear - right now I wear Overlords Vestment, Hesione's Veil, Eye of Flame, Eye of Horus, Seal of Haephastus, Senbi's Clasp, Archmage legs and i have Eye of Osiris for a staff. +x% fire dmg is good as well as -x% recharge equipment.

Stats - Mostly Int. I put just enough str (150 total) and dex (291 total) to wear rogue equip, just for looks though :)

Survivability is key with this build. I have found that I very rarely ever draw aggro even with Eruption. I am currently on lvl 51 and havn't picked up the throwing knife line or poison line as I left these for last. Having both Stone Form and Flash Powder is excellent. I have about 10 deaths total mostly from the cyclops and elder minotaurs after my core dweller has died. At lvl 65 you should have 3 points left. The Draconian Death Lancers are a big pain as well, I hope the throwing knife / nightshade will help with that. And always remember, love your core dweller.:rockon:

[Felexitus]

you dont have to have a point in toxin distillation. also with caster equipment especially if you have lots of -recharge you might want to test dropping a point or 2 from rapid construction it might have no influence except for the cost wich isnt very high anyway.

this does look like a really solid caster build anyway.

[raduneo]

I made the exact same build, only focused mostly on Strenth/Dexterity. But I'm not entirely sure that was the right thing I did.

[Jade]

I like your suggetion felex about dropping some points out of rapid construction, although I can't really think of anywhere else they would be needed. And I always wondered why, when looking at builds involving the rogue mastery, there were 0 points in toxin distillation. Good to know.

[BloodAndRoses]

Does +% fire damage from your equipment apply to your traps as well? Because I was under the impression that they didn't.

In any case, my magician is hybrid caster/melee and has Peleus's Ashen Spear, Hermes's Winged Helm, Hermes's Talaria, Odysseus's Armor, Deimos, and Phobos. Myrmidon Pendent, Star Stone, and Eye of Horus for jewelry. That gives +2 earth and +4 rogue skills, fast cast speed and no recharge for the traps. Kydoimos and the shield with +% stun damage on swap for more crowd control (I use it instead of flash powder, since it's range is so large even at level 1 and it saves me the eight points).

And I didn't see any blade honing, which adds damage to traps (31 piercing at level 12, I think) although the +% pierce doesn't do anything. I also maxed Inner Fire, as it helps the Core Dweller's survivability over time.

Also, Rapid Contruction stops improving at level 10 (it's an 8-point skill, right?). In any case, it stops improving at -85% recharge and -50% mana cost (not completely sure about the mana cost, but definitely sure on the recharge), which is two points over max.

[Jade]

i am assuming the +x% fire dmg equipment will add a bonus to your earth enchantment that is appiled to your traps as well as adding bonus to your eruption which is used quite frequently.

[Felexitus]

yes but seriously: traps dont get that much better with earth enchantment

[BloodAndRoses]

Earth Enchantment is marginally useful for traps, although its main downfall is its short range.

Although the base 5-8 fire damage never increases and maxing Earth Enchantment only gets you to 10-16 fire damage (hence why the 11 points are better spent elsewhere), its upgrade increases physical damage. Not by that much (I think 16 at maximum level), but I found it to be pretty worthwhile. In the end, Earth Enchantment gives your traps another 20-30 damage depending on how many points you spend in it, which can be almost as much as blade honing.

And anyway, the only other mastery I can think of that can boost damage more than Earth is Hunter, so I say take what little damage increase you can and be thankful for it.

[Felexitus]

people love to forget that you dont have to boost damage: from the rogue faq

Nature

Heart of Oak (Health, Attack Speed)

Strength of the Pack(Attack Speed, Armor)

Defense

Rally(Health Restored, Armor)
-Inspiration(Attack Speed)

Spirit

Dark Covenant (Attack Speed)

and since trap damage scales with difficulty but nothing earth enchantment doesnt, only warfare and spirit loses to earth in terms of trap buffs :(

[BloodAndRoses]

Does trap damage scale with difficulty? Because that would be nice.

And as for the nature buffs, I don't find them as useful for traps because the nominal attack speed increase isn't nearly as useful when things are dying from both the traps and my weapon (I'm hybrid) and the speed increase doesn't have the chance to play itself out over time.

[Felexitus]

and since trap damage scales with difficultylike every pet the base damage scales

nature gives +25% attack speed meaning 5 arrows when the others shot 4 i think 4 shots are done pretty fast(2s? maybe less) and in epic/legendary from that moment onwards they dealt more damage than magicians traps

when your weapon completely overshadows trap damage then trap use is reduced to being a defensive means anyway(nothing an illusionist or magician needs because both have superior pets)

[BloodAndRoses]

Eh, I'm only playing my Magician for enjoyment, and I feel like I'd prefer it to whatever the rogue/nature combination character is called. And there's no reason that your weapon has to beat out your traps' damage in order to use it; I probably do about the same or a little more damage over time than my traps yet I continue to stab away regardless because it provides something to do and hybrid melee/caster is simply a blast to play, although a bit difficult by mid-legendary (my god the Chimera was nearly impossible).

[Jade]

what about the +x% fire equip and the burn dmg from earth enchantment?

[Felexitus]

14. Can you list all the skills that work with traps?
...
Earth

Earth Enchantment(+%Fire Damage, Burn Damage)
-Brimstone(+damage, chance to proc Burn Damage)
-Stone Skin(+Armor, +Fire Resistance)

...

15. Does anything else support traps?

Targeted Spells: Regrowth, Herbal remedy
search rules

[Cameron Kyre]

Question:

He mentioned flurry of knives so this isn't actually off topic... its how I got here in the first place via search...

Anyway... Knives have decent bleeding damage by nature... but will open wound have a chance to stack ontop of its original damage?

I noticed this in the hunter mastery as well... Evascerate has bleeding damage, then above it you can get a chance for seperate bleeding damage from gouge... Will the bleeding damage stack onto one another like that?

Also: Earth echantment's +100% fire damage does only amp the 5-8 fire damage it offers itself right? Well, assuming what's being enchanted has no base fire damage of its own... such as knives or traps.

I'm trying to make a fun to use knives and/or trapper build. I don't care if it pwns lol. Suggestions?

EDIT: Anyone think storm nimbus + knives is a good idea?

[Felexitus]

flurry of knives can trigger open wound/gouge
eviscerate cant