My buckler using rogue has gotten ranks of Deflect Elements shield skill. This is used to protect against ball/bolt spells.
She recently acquired a Veil Iron buckler. This will let her learn Spell Block which ... also protects against ball and bolt spells?
OK, what's the difference, if any, between skills, and how do they correlate?
For example, is Spell Block more effective? It requires an anti magic shield, unlike Deflect Elements, which doesn't.
Are the two skills perhaps additive? Do the stack? Or perhaps knowing both skills gives two chances to avoid damage?
This really need clarification. If they don't stack in any way, and Spell Block is the more effective, I will unlearn Deflect Elements and
get a different shield skill.
THROGG
OM1E5GA
Re: Spell block vs deflect elements
03/04/2019 12:52 PM CST
Well, it look like deflect elements only works against elemental flares and the splash damage of elemental ball spells. Going off the descriptions, it doesn't look like it protects at all against the initial hit from ball spells, just the splash damage. I'm not sure if it would work against 713 and 111, I can see arguments both ways for each of those spells (713 is technically half elemental since it's in the sorcerer circle, but plasma isn't an element and 111 is a spiritual spell, but it's fire based)
Spell block works against all types of bolt/ball spells, giving you a chance to block them outright.
I'm pretty sure they'll work together for anyone that trains in them both and carries the proper shield since they're both passive skills.... but I'm sure someone with more experience in them will chime in if that's wrong.
Starchitin, the OG
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
Spell block works against all types of bolt/ball spells, giving you a chance to block them outright.
I'm pretty sure they'll work together for anyone that trains in them both and carries the proper shield since they're both passive skills.... but I'm sure someone with more experience in them will chime in if that's wrong.
Starchitin, the OG
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
CIDHIGHWIND
Re: Spell block vs deflect elements
03/05/2019 11:53 AM CST
Spell block stops bolts, but Deflect the Elements can stop flares and such.
THROGG
Re: Spell block vs deflect elements
06/10/2019 07:51 AM CDT
Well, I'm still a little confused about how these two skills work in conjunction with one another. But I guess if they do two different things
I'll stick with both of them. As it happens, since learning these skills, no critter has tried casting a ball or bolt spell at me, so I have no idea
how effective they might be. Maybe I'll have a wizard friend toss some attack spells at me.
What I'm really hot to do is learn shield mind, where my veil iron buckler can disrupt CS based spells. Cool beans!
"So, what does that green line on the graph represent?"
"Oh, that's the projection of a hypothetical offspring from a union between Sauron and Cruella de Ville;
we use that as a baseline for determining evil character alignment."
I'll stick with both of them. As it happens, since learning these skills, no critter has tried casting a ball or bolt spell at me, so I have no idea
how effective they might be. Maybe I'll have a wizard friend toss some attack spells at me.
What I'm really hot to do is learn shield mind, where my veil iron buckler can disrupt CS based spells. Cool beans!
"So, what does that green line on the graph represent?"
"Oh, that's the projection of a hypothetical offspring from a union between Sauron and Cruella de Ville;
we use that as a baseline for determining evil character alignment."
KRAKII
Re: Spell block vs deflect elements
06/10/2019 09:16 AM CDT
Looks like three substantial differences:
- Deflect the Elements is not available to Paladins;
- it specifically mentions the ability to avoid splash damage from ball spells (spell block does not); and
- it specifically says that it works better with smaller size shields (spell block makes reference to your 'normal' Block chance... which gets better with larger size shields).
So if you're using a veil iron buckler, it sounds like Deflect the Elements would be your go-to.
Unless you're, you know. A paladin.
- Deflect the Elements is not available to Paladins;
- it specifically mentions the ability to avoid splash damage from ball spells (spell block does not); and
- it specifically says that it works better with smaller size shields (spell block makes reference to your 'normal' Block chance... which gets better with larger size shields).
So if you're using a veil iron buckler, it sounds like Deflect the Elements would be your go-to.
Unless you're, you know. A paladin.
BBRODRIGUEZ
Re: Spell block vs deflect elements
06/10/2019 09:34 AM CDT
>What I'm really hot to do is learn shield mind, where my veil iron buckler can disrupt CS based spells. Cool beans!
I made good use of shield mind when I hunted my rogue against vesperti - I think all of their spells are CS based and if I'm caught in the open and they prep a spell, just use shield mind and he'd deflect whatever CS spell they slung at him.
Kind of a long cool down for only having the first rank of it, but it worked well enough for him since it wasn't a skill I used constantly - maybe once a hunt.
I made good use of shield mind when I hunted my rogue against vesperti - I think all of their spells are CS based and if I'm caught in the open and they prep a spell, just use shield mind and he'd deflect whatever CS spell they slung at him.
Kind of a long cool down for only having the first rank of it, but it worked well enough for him since it wasn't a skill I used constantly - maybe once a hunt.
