ninja surprise

How about you have this dude who's an archaeologist. He's doing a dig and finds a sweet old ring that's just perfect for his fiancee. He proposes, she puts it on, and SURPRISE it's magical and gives her super powers.

This question is based a little on set bonus confusion and also wanting well-slotted characters. Do purple set bonuses only stay active to three levels below the power choice? i.e. if slotted in a level 30 power the bonus disappears at level 26? Or do you always keep all purple bonuses? And based on that do you prefer to put purples in your big hitters, or put them in low level powers so you keep as many bonuses as possible in Posi 1?

How about a mutant fish that swam through toxic waste and developed super powers? Super Sardine to the rescue! Or there was a nuclear scientist who was accidentally exposed to a lethal dose of radiation at work on Friday afternoon without knowing it. He took his family to the zoo after work, felt ill, and fell into the lion enclosure. He was quickly eaten by a lion who then developed super intelligence, strength and invulnerability.

Yeah, that's annoying. If the team doesn't get a TP to the end then they're left behind in a map full of aggro and could wipe. It doesn't take 8 people to stand around and watch a nearly dead Protector wait for MOG to wear off to deliver the finishing blow. Any single hero should be able to defeat any single boss. There are some builds that can't solo but those are rare (and that person should be following the tank). Most builds can take out an Elite Boss by themselves. So it doesn't require a full team of 8 to defeat every single last critter in a spawn. I think it's annoying when the tank thinks s/he needs to personally defeat every single critter then stands around for a few seconds before moving on. The tank should evaluate when the spawn's almost defeated then run ahead to the next one to trigger the alpha strike and get them clumped up while the team cleans up. After two or three spawns the tank should be able to tell how long it takes the team to clean-up and when to leave for the next spawn. You're right that bad players are bad teammates. LIke Sir Myshkin says, that's about communication. Say, "Hey Tanker, slow down we can't keep up. " Or, "This isn't a speed run, let's stick together." Or, "This isn't a kill-all, let's look for the objective." If that doesn't solve the problem you can kick the annoying person or quit and join a new team. Heck you can even start your own server and enforce your playstyle.

For a quick and easy/cheap start, begin here just replacing the dark melee with Axe attacks. It'll be a super cheap soft-cap build then you have the flexibility of adding Luck of the Gamblers +Rech and 5-slotted Red Fortunes in your Def powers to get more recharge. And then after level 50 putting in purples and stuff.

Super easy to softcap by late 20's and then you're on cruise control into Incarnateland.

Welcome to the game! Here's a sample build with which you'll have capped defense to Melee, Ranged, and AoE at level 27. That's how long it takes to get six slots in the 4 punches for set bonuses and one of the sets (Mako's Bite) can't be used until you're level 27. But after this everything you add is just more butter on the cake! ( I put full set names in the build to avoid abbreviation confusion) Shadow Maul is your AoE punch, available at level 4. It punches literally everyone in front of you. Against All Odds buffs your damage when you're surrounded by enemies. Soul Drain gives you a 30-second damage buff. And you have a bunch of open power slots you can choose for utility/whatever. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer <- If you're not familiar with Mid's give it a download, it makes planning builds much easier. Primary Power Set: Shield Defense Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Concealment Hero Profile: ------------ Level 1: Deflection (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 (3) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 (3) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 Level 1: Shadow Punch (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30 (5) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance: Level 30 (5) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (7) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30 (7) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30 (9) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 30 Level 2: Battle Agility (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 (9) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 (11) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 Level 4: Shadow Maul <- Your main AoE attack (A) Eradication - Damage: Level 30 (19) Eradication - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30 (19) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (21) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (21) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30 (23) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage: Level 30 Level 6: Active Defense <- this is your status protection, stops you from being mezzed/slept/held/knocked back, etc (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 25 (13) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 25 Level 8: Against All Odds (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 25 Level 10: Smite (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30 (13) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance: Level 30 (15) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (15) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30 (17) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30 (17) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 30 Level 12: Phalanx Fighting (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 Level 14: True Grit (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All): Level 25 (11) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%: Level 25 Level 16: Siphon Life <- Your self-heal. You can swap the Dam/End for a +Heal if wanted (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30 (23) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance: Level 30 (25) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (25) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30 (27) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30 (27) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30 Level 18: Combat Jumping <- Helps you get around in combat (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 Level 20: Touch of Fear <- Scares minions and lieutenants so they stop attacking. Debuffs their accuracy (A) Accuracy IO: Level 25 Level 22: Super Jump <- Travel power, you can also take Fly or Super Speed instead. You could take this at 8 and Against All Odds at 22. (A) Jumping IO: Level 25 Level 24: Stealth <- This makes you a little sneakier while leveling and gives some defense (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 25 Level 26: Shield Charge <- Your main AoE attack Level 28: Soul Drain <- Your big damgae buff Level 30: [Empty] Level 32: [Empty] Level 35: Dark Consumption <- This gives sucks endurance out of enemies and gives it to you Level 38: Midnight Grasp <- Your top-tier single-target attack Level 41: [Empty] Level 44: [Empty] Level 47: [Empty] Level 49: [Empty] Level 1: Brawl (A) Empty Level 2: Health (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 30 Level 2: Stamina (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 25 ------------ Set Bonuses: Mako's Bite (Shadow Punch) 1.5% Resistance(Toxic,Psionic), MezResist(Immobilized) 2.5%, MezResist(Held) 2.5%, MezResist(Stunned) 2.5%, MezResist(Sleep) 2.5%, MezResist(Terrorized) 2.5%, MezResist(Confused) 2.5% 28.11 HP (1.5%) HitPoints 3% DamageBuff(All) 3.75% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), MezResist(Immobilized) 6.25%, MezResist(Held) 6.25%, MezResist(Stunned) 6.25%, MezResist(Sleep) 6.25%, MezResist(Terrorized) 6.25%, MezResist(Confused) 6.25% 3.75% Defense(Ranged), 1.88% Defense(Energy), 1.88% Defense(Negative) Gladiator's Armor (True Grit) 3% Defense(Melee), 3% Defense(AoE), 3% Defense(Ranged), 3% Defense(Smashing), 3% Defense(Lethal), 3% Defense(Fire), 3% Defense(Cold), 3% Defense(Energy), 3% Defense(Negative), 3% Defense(Psionic), MezResist(Teleport) 100% (20% chance) Steadfast Protection (True Grit) 3% Defense(Melee), 3% Defense(AoE), 3% Defense(Ranged), 3% Defense(Smashing), 3% Defense(Lethal), 3% Defense(Fire), 3% Defense(Cold), 3% Defense(Energy), 3% Defense(Negative), 3% Defense(Psionic) Touch of Death (Smite) 1.5% Resistance(Energy,Negative), MezResist(Immobilized) 2.5%, MezResist(Held) 2.5%, MezResist(Stunned) 2.5%, MezResist(Sleep) 2.5%, MezResist(Terrorized) 2.5%, MezResist(Confused) 2.5% 28.11 HP (1.5%) HitPoints 2.5% DamageBuff(All) 3.75% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), MezResist(Immobilized) 6.25%, MezResist(Held) 6.25%, MezResist(Stunned) 6.25%, MezResist(Sleep) 6.25%, MezResist(Terrorized) 6.25%, MezResist(Confused) 6.25% 3.75% Defense(Melee), 1.88% Defense(Lethal), 1.88% Defense(Smashing) Eradication (Shadow Maul) 1.8% Max End 3.13% Defense(Energy,Negative), 1.56% Defense(Ranged) 42.17 HP (2.25%) HitPoints 12% (0.94 HP/sec) Regeneration 3.13% Defense(AoE), 1.56% Defense(Fire), 1.56% Defense(Cold) Crushing Impact (Siphon Life) 1.5% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), MezResist(Immobilized) 2.5%, MezResist(Held) 2.5%, MezResist(Stunned) 2.5%, MezResist(Sleep) 2.5%, MezResist(Terrorized) 2.5%, MezResist(Confused) 2.5% 21.08 HP (1.13%) HitPoints 7% Enhancement(Accuracy) 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime) 3.75% Resistance(Toxic,Psionic), MezResist(Immobilized) 6.25%, MezResist(Held) 6.25%, MezResist(Stunned) 6.25%, MezResist(Sleep) 6.25%, MezResist(Terrorized) 6.25%, MezResist(Confused) 6.25%

Shield Defense / Dark Melee is my suggestion to callador0630. For mostly soloing and being self-sufficient and getting an early AoE this is an excellent combo. Defense is cheaper to cap than Resist + Defense. You can get there with just your standard powers, the two +Def uniques from Gladiator's Armor and Steadfast Protection, and a few 6-slotted sets that only cost 1 or 2 million per piece. Cheaper if you buy the recipes instead of the crafted IO. With this you'll have capped defense, decent resist, a self-heal, an endurance recovery power, a big +Damage power, Shield Charge for big AoE and Shadow Maul for more AoE. Touch of Fear can debuff your tougher enemies. You'll still feel a little squishy into the 20's and early 30's until your defense and attacks are slotted with enhancements. But you can be capped by mid-30's and never have to touch your build again unless you want to.

I keep trying to like Bio, but without getting one to big Vet levels with every unique set, I just can't get used to how squishy it feels. I keep seeing other Bio toons do crazy stuff but I'd rather roll more alts than put every last bit of inf and time into a single toon that won't be much better than cheaper builds. I've tried it with Street Justice, Stone Melee, Super Strength, Dual Pistols (Sentinel) and currently have a Bio/Dark Melee Tank at 48 after catching some good Weekly TFs and Rikti Raids for lots of quick XP. I think Dark Melee is my favorite pair with it with Soul Drain buffing the damage aura and Shadow Maul with the new 120 degree arc hitting practically everything in front of me on a quick recharge. It's great when I have lots of external buffs, but then I'm caught by surprise when unbuffed and can barely last long enough for self-heal to recharge.

Ninjitsu goes great with Titan Weapons. Plenty of Defense powers to slot LotG +Rech, the +End will keep you fighting longtime, and both the +End and +Heal animate quick enough that you don't lose momentum. BUT the best part is nearly every time it takes long enough to run from one spawn to the next you'll get hidden, then your next attack is AUTOCRIT. So you run in, hit Build Momentum and Whirling Smash or Arc of Destruction and wipe out most of the spawn and yell SURPRISE IT'S A NINJA

Don't worry about the crash. Here's what you do: Build your hero to soft-cap on all positions without Elude. Take Tough for the two unique +Def IOs, etc. Take Elude, but just with the default slot put an EndMod in there. You only use it when a few Sappers or Carnies get lucky, sap you out (or you completely fail to pay attention to Endurance while fighting), and you toggle-drop. No toggles + no End = low defense and quick death, EXCEPT you whip out a double-backflip and go crazy Scrapperlock and defeat everything. Or if for some reason you got defeated and then rezzed in the middle of battle you hit Elude instead of turning on 5+ toggles and go straight back into Scrapperlock. Then just watch for the crash and go back to normal mode.

Great idea! I really wanted to make a KU patch, sort of combo Earthquake and Volcanic Gasses but couldn't figure out how to do it eco-friendly. I've never used Liquify so didn't know it was there! What would be super sweet is if it could be a bunch of Force Punches hitting foes in an targeted AoE for the same duration as Bonfire.

Problem solved: buy the Team Transporter and then go somewhere every 30 minutes... 😔 I just forgot his name but there's a recurring villain, all-natural, uses dual pistols.. not Maverik... in hero tips you have to prevent him from getting bomb triggers... and he teleports so that means it's OK. Try that?

Yep, I figured it'd be really easy off the bat to use VFX of force field bubbles with different default colors and translucency. Cloning existing graphics/animations into new powers. Powerset is based loosely on Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. Force fields and bending light. But if the powers are new it's not recycling 😅

Is it after being rezzed or buffed by a /poison? I think that's the one that gives a buff which ends in the barfs. Back on topic, it's especially annoying on a toon with a damage or control aura and you have to stand there for 1 - 2 seconds for the reactivation animation. And reeeeeally annoying on a team when a bunch of people are stacking up in the doorway, pushing each other sideways, and nobody can move.

I've been thinking the game needs a Force Control, since FF already exists, MOAR BUBBLES. This one is super easy because most powers are just FF bubbles with different default opacity, or the Time animations that look like they are crushing badguys.Force Control Your mastery of force fields allows you to contain enemies and control the battlefield - Restraining Bubble: Lightened FF animation ST immob - A weak FF holds an enemy in place while causing minor crushing/smashing damage. - Suffocating Bubble: Char's choking animation with darker bubble ST hold - A bubble around the foe's head inhibits breathing, causing psionic damage over time. - Force Punch: Telekenetic Blow from Psi Melee but ranged You extend a fist of force to deliver a shattering uppercut to a distant foe. - Pinball: Forcebolt that bounces between enemies You shoot a bolt of force that bounces from one enemy to another causing smashing damage, knocking them down and possibly stunning them. (Jolting Chain with smashing damage and chance to stun). - Restraining Field: Translucent bubbles everywhere! AoE immob with DoT. - Blinding Bubbles: You create opaque force fields around a group of enemies that prevents them from seeing but will pop when attacked. However after the bubble pops they are temporarily blinded by light and suffer a penalty to hit. (Sleep with -ToHit). - Invisibility Bubble: You redirect light around yourself and nearby allies making you harder to detect and granting a small amount of defense to melee, ranged, AoE. (Fade animation centered on caster). - Shockwave: Repulsion Bomb on caster PBAoE hold. Or transfer Mass Levitate from Psi Melee and add hold. You create a wall of force centered on yourself, that knocks down enemies with such force that they are stunned and unable to take action for quite a while afterward Couldn't decide between a pet or unique-super-sweet self-buff tier 9. I'd prefer Improved PFF to make the set really unique. - Improved PFF: You surround yourself with a force field that allows you to attack while reflecting some enemy attacks back at them. Reduces incoming damage 30% and redirects it at the attacker. - Bubble Buddy: Basically like Singularity, a bubble floats near you and alternates between the ST attacks with an occasional Pinball FTW.

I always wished origins gave different animations or skins to the powersets. Magic's animation would be based on a wand, staff, or hand-waving. Mutation would have all attacks animate from the body. Tech, Natural, and Science would all animate from some sort of device. Example: Fire blast Mutation uses all the existing animations Magic would do a quick handwave and fire shoots out of somewhere, or waving wands/staves, etc. Science, Tech and Natural would get flamethrower, but maybe origin-specific skins are available only to each origin. Example: Asssault Rifle Science, Tech and Natural again would use the default animation/rifle, but with some unique skins per origin. Magic could use a techno-mage gun, or hand-waving that summons bullets, grenades, etc. Mutation could use the existing Fire Blast animations but it's bullets flying out instead of fire. Right now many concept-builders restrict powersets by their origin to avoid obvious concept conflicts. This would facilitate role-playing and make obvious differences between characters having the same powerset but different origin.

The screen ordering is a text file in "CoH\{your global name]\playerslot.txt" Format is: Global name, Shard, Hero name, Slot # The the character select screen just paginates based on that slot numbering. So the select screen must pull more data from the game to know your powersets and AT, since that's not in the txt file. I'd guess it should be able to search on any character-specific fields like SG, etc.

Heck, I'd be happy if the window expanded to the right, or even was broken out into three separate windows, so I could look at them all at once.

Wait, so Tanker MA's Storm Kick give +10% Def to all, but the Scrapper version doesn't? Dang it now I have to re-roll a Scrapper...

Another data point for OP's question: defense is a lot cheaper to cap than resist. As a casual builder I've been preferring defense to soft cap early and cheap and then any good drops and inf are icing on top.

I've been wondering - is click mez protection stronger than toggle? or does defense get hit by less mez? I usually play Def capped melee and started trying out Bio since people say it's so great, or Invulnerability or Radiation. On Moonfire I'll run into a pack of Vamps... and get held? Or a big crowd of Carnival, they all hit Flash and Blind and my resist-based tank stands there holding his poor eyes 😞 Does clickie mez have higher protection values, or is it that my SR, Shield, and Ice tanks just don't get hit by the mez to the point of being held? (Ice is toggle mez, so maybe it's the Def against mez that helps) Terror/Fear seems to strike 'em all in the heart, sadly.

Anyone done both? Any more synergy going one way or the other? Both SS and SM start with: 3 single-target attacks with Stone having about 30% higher base damage but SS attacks recharge a few seconds quicker each 4: Stone gets Build UP, SS gets Hand Clap. 5: Fault vs Knockout Blow: Fault and Hand Clap are nearly identical but Fault recharges in 20s vs 30s for Hand Clap. Knockout Blow comparison to Seismic Smash on #7. 6: Taunt vs Taunt 7: Seismic Smash vs Rage: SM gets its version of Knockout Blow, with identical base damage, but SS recharges 5 seconds quicker than KB 8: Hurl Boulder vs Hurl, identical stats 9: Tremor vs Foot Stomp: 41 dam on 14 sec recharge, FS 59 dam on 20 sec recharge. Overall it feels like Stone's big thumpers recharge quicker but with the amount of +recharge you'd want to wind up with the end difference is +- 2 or 3 seconds, like a Tremor every 6 secs or a Foot Stomp every 8 or so. The Stuns have a bigger spread, with Fault every 8s and Hand Clap every 12s. Have to put a -KB in Hand Clap to prevent scatter though. It *seems* like Super Strength is louder than Stone Melee. Stone's sfx are deeper booms & rumbles, vs SS seems to be loud smashing noises. If you've played both which do you prefer and why? or both are good, depends on the day?

Hi Camel, I accidentally made a EM/Rad brute a few days ago and it's at level 27. Will I forever live in regret or is there still time to delete, rebuild, and find redemption and cRuNcH ? Surprisingly, Ninja Surprise

After a bank mission is completed the policeman offers contacts with caveats "This contact is tech/science, this one natural" etc. Seems you can technically force yourself to only do contacts matching your origin.