New rare enhancers that grant status protection in Karma/Steadfast Protection

[Psi-bolt]

Well, I don't actually know if anyone will like this idea.  I can see why we wouldn't necessarily want to do this, but it would allow squishy ATs to trade some slots (and a power pick) for a small amount of status effect protection.   

 

So we already have enhancers that grant KB protection of -4.  What I suggest is that the Karma and Steadfast Protection sets be expanded to provide:

 

• Karma Hold Protection -4
• Karma Confuse Protection -4
• Karma Fear Protection -4

 

• Steadfast Protection Disorient Protection -4
• Steadfast Protection Immobilize Protection -4
• Steadfast Protection Sleep Protection -4

 

Each set would get additional set bonuses consistent with them being low level Inventions.  All of these would be rare recipes and cost 50 merits.  You could even make them cost 100 merits.  They would be added to the 10-30 level drop tables. 

[MsSmart]

Would this be Uniques, or could buy several?

 

I would like the idea to expand Karma and Steadfast IOs to have other properties instead such as resistance to defense debuf, resistance to slow, and resistance to resistance debuff to have a set of 6, and then use the set bonuses at sets of 4/5/6 to provide the Immob, Confuse, and hold at +5 protection. I used 5 since rune of Protection provides 10.

 

Only a thought...

 

I am sure the purists will have a thing or two (more like a bunch) against this...

[UltraAlt]

3 hours ago, Psi-bolt said:

it would allow squishy ATs to trade some slots (and a power pick) for a small amount of status effect protection.   

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Leaping#Acrobatics - You can avoid most Knockback effects and are resistant to Hold effects.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Leaping#Combat_Jumping - adds resistance to Immobilization

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Fighting#Weave - increasing your Defense to all attacks, as well as your resistance to Immobilize

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Flight#Hover - Hover also grants pseudo-knockback protection; instead of getting knocked down and jumping back up, you just flip over in the air.

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Aegis:_Psionic/Status_Resistance - This enhancement grants a 5% psionic resistance bonus and reduces the duration of all status effects by 20%.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Impervious_Skin:_Status_Resistance/Regeneration - This enhancement grants a global 7.5% reduction in status effect duration, which may be stacked up to five times to provide a maximum reduction of 37.5%. This enhancement grants a 25% regeneration rate bonus.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Winter's_Gift - slotting 2 - Two enhancements increases Fire and Cold Resistance by 3.75%, and Mez Resistance by 6.25%.

 

I always keep at least one column of break frees in the inps tray on all of my squishies. 

[Psi-bolt]

29 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Leaping#Acrobatics - You can avoid most Knockback effects and are resistant to Hold effects.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Leaping#Combat_Jumping - adds resistance to Immobilization

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Fighting#Weave - increasing your Defense to all attacks, as well as your resistance to Immobilize

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Flight#Hover - Hover also grants pseudo-knockback protection; instead of getting knocked down and jumping back up, you just flip over in the air.

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Aegis:_Psionic/Status_Resistance - This enhancement grants a 5% psionic resistance bonus and reduces the duration of all status effects by 20%.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Impervious_Skin:_Status_Resistance/Regeneration - This enhancement grants a global 7.5% reduction in status effect duration, which may be stacked up to five times to provide a maximum reduction of 37.5%. This enhancement grants a 25% regeneration rate bonus.

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Winter's_Gift - slotting 2 - Two enhancements increases Fire and Cold Resistance by 3.75%, and Mez Resistance by 6.25%.

 

I always keep at least one column of break frees in the inps tray on all of my squishies. 

 

I'm aware of all of these.  In fact, I would expect Combat Jumping to be a sort of pseudo status protection toggle if this were implemented.  I did consider having the sleep on Karma, but that would allows you to get Immobilize, Sleep and Hold in a single power.   Not trying to be too crazy here! 😄

[UltraAlt]

1 hour ago, Psi-bolt said:

Not trying to be too crazy here!

 

Well, I will add ... https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Defiant_Barrage:_Recharge/Chance_for_%2BStatus_Protection

 

Of course, the greatest protection for squishies against mez is having a tank on the team that has taunt and uses it.

[MsSmart]

The game has evolved to provide some relief to support types over the spammed over used status effects...

 

The first thing I go for is the Arcane Pool and by level 20 pick up Rune of Protection, its sad you have to wait till 20, but it beat nothing.

The second thing is getting the Sheer Will Accolade, yes you have to do 5 r3ed side SFs, but once you have it, it is well worth it.

The third but you have to unlock your destiny clarion

The fourth is the Hybrid Melee

 

Unfortunately the last two you have to wait till 50 and then limited to likewise missions

 

But from my part, the more choices to get status effect protections to support types, the better

 

[MTeague]

I won't say I've never seen the request before. There is clearly demand out there, and if the HC devs feel it is in the best interest of the game, it would be their perogative to introduce such IO's if they see fit. 

 

Personally, I don't believe it's necessary. I have levelled plenty of characters, soloing them about 60% of the time. It's not that that bad to deal with. Either you bring the occasional Break Free, or you scan the group in front of you BEFORE you aggro, identify any sources of mez, and one-shot them with a Snipe, or you land some kind of Whammy support power on them (Freezing Rain, Sleet, Gust), or a damage patch that makes them run (Rain of Fire, Caltrops), or you use your own mez powers on them (Mass Hypnosis, Confuse, etc).  (and yes, Knockback powers, followed by 2-3 blasts in rapid fire before they recover, is a wonderful solution to the problem!)

 

Sure, it's nice to have a status protection toggle or clicky. I won't dispute that.

 

But honest, many generations of blaster, defenders, controllers, corruptors, dominators, and masterminds handled it just fine from the launch of the game down until today/now. Having to plan for it before you attack a mob, is the price of not being the melee who charges first into the fray. 

Edited Thursday at 07:49 AM by MTeague

[tidge]

Status effects on PCs is a balance issue... that some ATs need to have drivers that know how to adapt. On its face, the request reads like "can I have an enhancement that duplicates powers available to other characters?" I'm not ignorant of +global defense and KB protection, but I am comfortable with those pieces existing.

 

I don't think the entire game is supposed to be 'stand in place and swat enemies that come to you'.

[Uun]

In addition to the powers listed above, Tactics provides confuse protection and resistance as well as fear resistance.

 

Acrobatics currently provides mag -2 hold protection in addition to 48% hold resistance. In the same way that its kb protection can be increased by slotting kb enhancements, I'd like to see its hold protection increased by slotting hold enhancements.

 

Rather than expanding the Karma and/or Steadfast protection sets, I'd like to see the Impervious Skin +regen/mezz resist piece tweaked. It currently provides +25% regen and 7.5% mezz resistance. Although the mezz resistance can stack, the 7.5% value is far too low. The Aegis psi resist/mezz resist unique provides 20%. I suggest adding mag -1 mezz protection, similar to the Defiant Barrage proc.

[Ukase]

So, I certainly like the idea of it - but in practice, it's beyond the slippery slope, I'm afraid. 

Somewhere in our player base is someone that wants the combat attributes they have in Mender Remiel's first mission to unlock Alpha. That is what they feel like they're supposed to have at some time between level 1 and 50. The 400% recharge, the 400% damage, etc. The "freem package", so to speak. 

As much as I'd love it for me and my characters, I don't think it's in our best interest to make things that much easier than they already are. 

[Triumphant]

It feels a bit much to me, honestly.  I think my instinct is to shy away from this one.  I might be persuaded if the magnitude of protection were -1 or -2.  Have to think about it some more.

[Psi-bolt]

7 hours ago, MTeague said:

I won't say I've never seen the request before. There is clearly demand out there, and if the HC devs feel it is in the best interest of the game, it would be their perogative to introduce such IO's if they see fit. 

 

Personally, I don't believe it's necessary. I have levelled plenty of characters, soloing them about 60% of the time. It's not that that bad to deal with. Either you bring the occasional Break Free, or you scan the group in front of you BEFORE you aggro, identify any sources of mez, and one-shot them with a Snipe, or you land some kind of Whammy support power on them (Freezing Rain, Sleet, Gust), or a damage patch that makes them run (Rain of Fire, Caltrops), or you use your own mez powers on them (Mass Hypnosis, Confuse, etc).  (and yes, Knockback powers, followed by 2-3 blasts in rapid fire before they recover, is a wonderful solution to the problem!)

 

Sure, it's nice to have a status protection toggle or clicky. I won't dispute that.

 

But honest, many generations of blaster, defenders, controllers, corruptors, dominators, and masterminds handled it just fine from the launch of the game down until today/now. Having to plan for it before you attack a mob, is the price of not being the melee who charges first into the fray. 

 

To be honest, I don't disagree with anything you wrote here.   And I do think that my suggestion might be too much.  

 

Status effects in this game are so much more overwhelming and punishing than in other games, but there are tools to fight them.   Would your view change if instead of MAG 4 protection, these were 50% resistance to the same effects? 

[MTeague]

1 hour ago, Psi-bolt said:

 

To be honest, I don't disagree with anything you wrote here.   And I do think that my suggestion might be too much.  

 

Status effects in this game are so much more overwhelming and punishing than in other games, but there are tools to fight them.   Would your view change if instead of MAG 4 protection, these were 50% resistance to the same effects? 

 

 

Yes, that would change my opinion.  https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Aegis:_Psionic/Status_Resistance already exists.  It's only a 20% status resistence, not 50%, and it's a unique.  So I imagine that any new IO set pieces they introduced with a big chunk of resist would also be unique, and might well have a higher lvl requirement. But that's a difference in degree, not a difference in kind.

[Jacke]

On 9/24/2025 at 4:00 PM, UltraAlt said:

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Flight#Hover - Hover also grants pseudo-knockback protection; instead of getting knocked down and jumping back up, you just flip over in the air.

 

Hover doesn't provide any real protection against being Knocked, just prevents a Knock moving the Toon.  The Toon still loses the ability to act for the same amount of time.

 

 

[MsSmart]

6 hours ago, Psi-bolt said:

 

To be honest, I don't disagree with anything you wrote here.   And I do think that my suggestion might be too much.  

 

Status effects in this game are so much more overwhelming and punishing than in other games, but there are tools to fight them.   Would your view change if instead of MAG 4 protection, these were 50% resistance to the same effects? 

100% resistance, only halves the duration, which pragmatically is totally worthless, and the game caps resistances at 95%, you can't win if you are a non-melee

[Rudra]

23 minutes ago, Jacke said:

 

Hover doesn't provide any real protection against being Knocked, just prevents a Knock moving the Toon.  The Toon still loses the ability to act for the same amount of time.

 

 

I have to disagree with that sentiment. When my characters get knocked, they fly the knock distance, then have to go through the standing up animation before I can do anything. When one of my fliers gets knocked, I might get moved a little bit, but my hovering character pretty much just does the flip animation and is able to resume fighting without having to wait through the knock distance and standing animation. If they are the same duration, they sure as hell don't feel the same.

 

Edited Thursday at 10:32 PM by Rudra
Edited to correct "theya re" to "they are".

[Jacke]

9 minutes ago, Rudra said:

If they are the same duration, they sure as hell don't feel the same.

 

I was a bit more positive in my post than I actually am.  But only a bit.

 

I originally thought Hover cut down the length the Toon was out of action.  Then I read that it didn't (can't remember where or when).  I thought back remembering when I had a Toon Knocked while hovering.  And that I couldn't be certain, but thought the amount of time out of action was about the same as when on the ground.  But without the movement back.

 

I'd really like to know one way or another, for sure.  But it's rare now I take the Fly Pool.  If I have a flying Power (as opposed to a flying Prestige or Temp Power) these days, it's almost always Mystic Flight.  Adding in Teleporting is very convenient.

 

 

[Spectre7878]

I feel mez is part of COH that says all AT should not be protected from it. It’s a way for the villains to kill you and I am ok with that. We dont want the game to be so easy that every chararacter gets mez protection.
 

I struggle with characters that don’t have mez protection powers in their kits and try to work around them. RoP is awesome though I don’t like you can’t add recharge reductions to it. As well as that it magic and not all characters are magic. I for one do not like to take powers that I don’t want in my build just for a resistance and or protection. There is also indomitable Will from psychic mastery pool. Which yet again. You can use it while mezzed and players do not want to take a set for one power for mez protection. 
 

I feel maybe there could be a power pool for mez protection. Or add a power to other power pool sets for mez protection for non magic builds. Kind of how players take fighting pool to max out a characters defense and resistance. 
 

 

[MsSmart]

11 hours ago, Spectre7878 said:

I feel mez is part of COH that says all AT should not be protected from it. It’s a way for the villains to kill you and I am ok with that. We dont want the game to be so easy that every chararacter gets mez protection.
 

I struggle with characters that don’t have mez protection powers in their kits and try to work around them. RoP is awesome though I don’t like you can’t add recharge reductions to it. As well as that it magic and not all characters are magic. I for one do not like to take powers that I don’t want in my build just for a resistance and or protection. There is also indomitable Will from psychic mastery pool. Which yet again. You can use it while mezzed and players do not want to take a set for one power for mez protection. 
 

I feel maybe there could be a power pool for mez protection. Or add a power to other power pool sets for mez protection for non magic builds. Kind of how players take fighting pool to max out a characters defense and resistance. 
 

 

Perhaps remembering from beta and live the history of status effects is quite interesting and the initial assumptions that defined who and how much status effect protection were made:

 

The first assumption - Status effects were limited to melee range

Second Assumption - Since status effects were melee, and the tank was supposed to be in the middle of the baddies and getting their attention, it was natural to get the largest status effect protection as you see still today

Third Assumption - Since Scrappers were supposed to get in melee range, but not be aggro magnets like the tank, they had a need for status protection but not in the magnitude that tanks required

Fourth assumption - Since all other classes were essentially ranged, and status effects were strictly melee, there was no reason for support types to have any status protection

 

If you look at the initial assumptions were defined, the overall environment worked out

The problem, was that developers did not stick to assumption 1, and decided to give mobs ranged status effects. I in part agreed with that, because the concept of not having ranged status effects was simply dumb. The problem with making the mobs more realistic, was that the fourth assumption became false, and no initial effort to re-balance the game was made.

 

Note I said initial, the developers in time understood the unbalance that occurred, and made band-aid solutions to alleviate the issue. The created a new pool "Arcane" and made "Rune of Protection" which did much to reduce the performance gap but you had to be 20 to get it, then when incarnates was introduced they made Destiny Clarion and Hybrid - Melee; which were awesome for content 45+, rune of protection is only good for missions 15+. To correct this situation, the developers introduced the "Sheer Will" accolade, you have to be 35+ to do all the 5 SFs to earn it, but after earned it is available at any mission level.

 

So I can't say the developers have not provided a means for support characters to have some essential means to survive the spammed status effect environment of present, yet it is not nearly as effective as afforded to melee. I had argued that Tanks have 12 protection Scrappers have 8, so it would follow others should 4 protection but really do not know how to give the support types the +4 without having to do significant power set rebuilds. The closest thing I can think, that should not be to invasive from a change perspective is to take the status effect protection powers instead of being single target (usually the giver can't help themselves for some incredible reason) to turn the power to a PBAOE so they can help the entire party and themselves, for example the storm defender O2 could be made a PBAOE and give those nearby status effect protection and light healing, but this is only an excursion.

 

For those who contend that support types do not need assistance in the status effect department, I suggest to please pay more attention during a TF or mission, and look at what classes are doing the dying. In general I note the support types biting the dust much more often, and if you further observe, they were hit with a status effect and could not get over it on time. The concept of having a dozen break frees just to play the game is a no go, inspirations are supposed to be used for true emergencies and not as popcorn (unless every fight round is an emergency, since mobs spam the holds, etc.)

 

Please note the origins of status effects were set before City of Villains, but the same standards were used for the red classes.

Edited Saturday at 02:48 AM by MsSmart

[Rudra]

14 minutes ago, MsSmart said:

The first assumption - Status effects were limited to melee range

Second Assumption - Since status effects were melee, and the tank was supposed to be in the middle of the baddies and getting their attention, it was natural to get the largest status effect protection as you see still today

Third Assumption - Since Scrappers were supposed to get in melee range, but not be aggro magnets like the tank, they had a need for status protection but not in the magnitude that tanks required

Fourth assumption - Since all other classes were essentially ranged, and status effects were strictly melee, there was no reason for support types to have any status protection

Those were not the assumptions the game was designed with.

 

First assumption: Mezzes make it difficult at minimum for player characters to fight back.

Second assumption: Melee characters, having to close with their target to do damage, are at highest risk from mezzes since they are likely to aggro extra mobs.

Third assumption: Range characters, having the option to go through possible targets at a distance before combat and pick off the mezzers, are at the least risk from mezzes because they are unlikely to aggro extra mobs.

 

So melee characters get mez resists and protections which lets them ignore mezzes to a point, but their resists and protections can be overwhelmed if they draw too much aggro. While range characters are expected to deal with possible mezzers from a "safe" distance and so hopefully survive any additional mezzes thrown on them, since they are not likely to aggro more than 1 spawn at a time.

 

Edit: Oh, right. Fourth assumption: Players expecting to encounter a high ratio of mezzes are likely to stock up on break free style inspirations to counter it or join a team to get more protection/support.

 

Edited Saturday at 02:59 AM by Rudra

[Jacke]

I think the hypotheses put forward by both @MsSmart and @Rudra are both plausible.  What was actually going through the minds of the original devs...?  (For all we know, both sets of assumptions, maybe?)  We already know they didn't appreciate the quantitative features of the game design, far less than anyone steeped in one of the many existing pen+paper RPGs would have.  As they thought scaling up the hopefully balanced values of a Toon by a factor of 3 would still be balanced.  Because of the Global Defense Nerf and Enhancement Diversification, we know they were wrong in that belief.

 

I often say that when I look at a RPG game and see the PvE and PvP use similar systems, I think it well designed.  That comes from what I learned from City, seeing the way that Toon Powers' Mez durations and magnitudes get scaled down in the PvP values.  Which came from having those Mez values hit a Player is very unfun.  In PvE, the Mob Powers' Mez durations are much less.  It's still rather unfun.

 

I had a phase in which I put Rune of Protection on near every Toon build and at as low a Level as possible, making it available in as much Exemplared Content as possible.  I've moved away from that, as I realise that a variable amount of Breakfrees that I can readily supplement between missions is often good enough.  (And Rune doesn't cover all Mez effects.)  On some builds, I still take Rune.  Others, I don't.

 

Still is irritating to get Mezzed.  Whether something more needs to be done about it, not sure.

[MsSmart]

19 hours ago, Rudra said:

Those were not the assumptions the game was designed with.

 

First assumption: Mezzes make it difficult at minimum for player characters to fight back.

Second assumption: Melee characters, having to close with their target to do damage, are at highest risk from mezzes since they are likely to aggro extra mobs.

Third assumption: Range characters, having the option to go through possible targets at a distance before combat and pick off the mezzers, are at the least risk from mezzes because they are unlikely to aggro extra mobs.

 

So melee characters get mez resists and protections which lets them ignore mezzes to a point, but their resists and protections can be overwhelmed if they draw too much aggro. While range characters are expected to deal with possible mezzers from a "safe" distance and so hopefully survive any additional mezzes thrown on them, since they are not likely to aggro more than 1 spawn at a time.

 

Edit: Oh, right. Fourth assumption: Players expecting to encounter a high ratio of mezzes are likely to stock up on break free style inspirations to counter it or join a team to get more protection/support.

 

Those were the assumptions made by Emett when the concept of status effects was first introduced, with the arguments of why it was done in such a way. With regards to stock lots of break frees as a solution to spammed status effects has been a subject of argument for a long time. To you, which represents one camp of the argument, it is perfectly acceptable to force players to stock large amounts of break frees which almost never fall during the game, and the other camp of thought which I side with that inspirations should only be used for special occasions and not munched liked chips during a football game

[Glacier Peak]

Store 200 Breakfrees in your email then. 

[Rudra]

14 minutes ago, MsSmart said:

To you, which represents one camp of the argument, it is perfectly acceptable to force players to stock large amounts of break frees which almost never fall during the game, and the other camp of thought which I side with that inspirations should only be used for special occasions and not munched liked chips during a football game

Do you want to bet on that? You just made a huge assumption, and it is wrong. I don't think any players are forced to stock large amounts of any inspirations. I don't even pay attention to the inspirations I get. I put in the effort to know what I am fighting and take down targets in order of priority. I don't "munch inspirations like chips during a football game". So congratulations. You just swallowed your foot and a better part of your leg with that statement.

 

Edited Saturday at 10:24 PM by Rudra
Edited to correct "feet" to "foot".

[tidge]

48 minutes ago, MsSmart said:

... it is perfectly acceptable to force players to stock large amounts of break frees which almost never fall during the game...

 

The 'ingredients' for 'Break Free' drop all the time...

 

Using blues...

/macro_image "BA_Megalomaniac" "Blue" "inspcombine Catch_A_Breath Break_Free$$inspcombine Take_A_Breather Emerge$$inspcombine Second_Wind Escape"

 

Using yellows...

 

/macro_image "BA_Vangaurd_Medal" "Yellow" "inspcombine Insight Break_Free$$inspcombine Keen_Insight Emerge$$inspcombine Uncanny_Insight Escape"

Using reds...

/macro_image "NewPraetorians_NobleSavage_Integration" "Red" "inspcombine Enrage Break_Free$$inspcombine Focused_Rage Emerge$$inspcombine Righteous_Rage Escape"