Pets, Pseudopets, and Buffs questions

[Tankshock]

Do always on buffs like Leadership affect pets like Fire Imps? Do they affect Pseudopets like Carrion Creepers?
 

Is the answer different for duration buffs like Farsight or Fulcrum Shift?
 

Thanks!

[Uun]

It depends on whether the power that creates the entity has the "boosts are copied to entity" flag. For controller pets and mastermind henchmen, I believe this is always the case. For pseudo pets, it varies. Most are all flagged to inherit buffs (I'm struggling to remember which aren't). Even so, they won't be effected by defense buffs since they're untargetable. Also, both pets and pseudo pets are all flagged to ignore recharge buffs (you can't buff the recharge of the pet's powers).

[tidge]

You can use the pet window to see which powers are affecting your pets (and henchmen). Some pseudo-pets won't appear there, so you probably have to do some direct clicking and checking.

[Tankshock]

46 minutes ago, Uun said:

It depends on whether the power that creates the entity has the "boosts are copied to entity" flag. For controller pets and mastermind henchmen, I believe this is always the case. For pseudo pets, it varies. Most are all flagged to inherit buffs (I'm struggling to remember which aren't). Even so, they won't be effected by defense buffs since they're untargetable. Also, both pets and pseudo pets are all flagged to ignore recharge buffs (you can't buff the recharge of the pet's powers).

 

What's the difference between "boosts are copied to entity" and "ignores boosts and other enhancements"?

 

[Tankshock]

So it looks like Fire Imps get Fulcrum shift but none of the other Controller Pets?

 

[tidge]

I don't feel like checking all the controller pets, but IIRC the Energy Font (from the ATO) can get buffs. I'm pretty sure all the pets from Dark/Dark get buffs.

 

Generally, when planning slotting: My starting assumptions around pseudo-pet powers are:

1. Such a power is only going to get enhancement boosts from what I've slotted in the power (so no global bonuses that the player may have, and no buffs provided by the player)
2. %procs should only be considered viable "on cast"
3. If the pseduo-pet needs to self-destruct, and leaves nothing behind, take a really good look at its performance (preferably through in-game testing)

Mileage varies depending on the power. There are enough different "pseudo-pet" powers that I wouldn't try to offer general suggestions. Some of them are coded in such a way that it is straightforward to get some crazy good combinations through slotting, power choices, and tactics. Almost all pseudo-pets benefit from having enemies debuffed, for instance.

[Tankshock]

Umbral does not.  It looks like only the Imps get Fulcrum, which helps explain the popularity of that combo.

That said, doesn't seem like the best design.

[Uun]

8 minutes ago, Tankshock said:

Umbral does not.  It looks like only the Imps get Fulcrum, which helps explain the popularity of that combo.

That said, doesn't seem like the best design.

I don't currently have a /Kin controller. I had Grav/Kin and Plant/Kin back on live and recall both Singularity and Fly Trap being buffed by Fulcrum Shift. I just spot checked on some of my current characters, and Singularity, Fly Trap and all Thugs henchmen are buffed by Assault, Maneuvers and Tactics. Thugs henchmen are also buffed by Empowering Circuit (+dmg/+tohit). Umbra Beast on my Dark dominator is buffed by Incarnate Alpha, Interface, Destiny and Hybrid Support. Not sure why Fulcrum Shift would be treated differently.

[Tankshock]

City of Data has all controller main pets except Imps and Gremlins coded as "Ignores enhancements and other boosts".  But maybe that means something else.

[Maelwys]

17 minutes ago, Tankshock said:

City of Data has all controller main pets except Imps and Gremlins coded as "Ignores enhancements and other boosts".  But maybe that means something else.

That flag is usually just a holdover from the unusual Hamidon-Origin slotting exploits back in the day (e.g. +Damage Resistance Enhancement is coded the same as +Damage Enhancement under the hood; etc).

In this case it means nothing other than the PET SUMMON power itself doesn't benefit from any enhancements/boosts.
However the actual pet that this summon power creates can still get affected by enhancements/boosts just fine; as it has no impact on the powers of the pet.
AFAIK all targetable pets (Phantom Army being the obvious exception!) can be buffed just fine.



Also as mentioned upthread; most Pseudopets tend to inherit their caster's buffs as well. But the duration of the original buff effect still applies.

In practice, this means that any effects/ damage triggered by a pseudopet immediately upon summoning will benefit from all of the caster's current buffs (including short-duration effects like set bonuses and toggle or auto powers)... but for effects/damage  that reapply every few seconds (such as Bonfire or Tar Patch) then after the first few ticks a lot of those buffs will expire; therefore later ticks will only be affected by long-duration buffs (such as Inspirations, Forge or Fulcrum Shift).

[Hedgefund]

I found the notion that Umbral Beasts doesn't take Fulcrum Shift buffs so unlikely I logged in a kin from a different account from my dark/ troller to see firsthand and indeed the FS buffs do apply to the Umbral Beast.  Screenshot of its attributes:

 

Edited October 3 by Hedgefund

[Tankshock]

Awesome, thanks.  That makes sense.  So Creepers likely can get about 40 seconds of Fulcrum Shift if timed right.

[Jacke]

10 hours ago, Tankshock said:

Do always on buffs like Leadership affect pets like Fire Imps? Do they affect Pseudopets like Carrion Creepers?

 

Most aura buffs will affect Pets.  However, what most Pets don't benefit from are the Caster's Global Buffs, like ToHit and Accuracy.  They also don't get Level Shifts either (another Global Buff).

[tidge]

2 hours ago, Tankshock said:

Awesome, thanks.  That makes sense.  So Creepers likely can get about 40 seconds of Fulcrum Shift if timed right.

 

I recommend testing, because Carrion Creepers have a sort of chained-pseudo-pet mechanic where they will self-destruct and respawn, which makes them kinda-OP in a different way than via buffing I imagine.