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#1
Off-topic / Re: Joshexs Dreamtime
Last post by EDekar - Today at 02:23 PM
Funny thing.  I occasionally listen to a silly little podcast about aliens, cryptics, true crime, and general spooky nonsense.  While I'm a pretty serious skeptic overall, your post brought to mind an episode I listened to a few months ago that went over The Monroe Institute in detail over the course of three episodes.

Short version is that it's an actual institution out here in the real world based on the work of one guy, Robert Monroe, who found through intense study, practice, and experimentation, was able to astrally project himself.  He eventually dedicated his entire life to the study and scientific process of it, working to determine if he could work out a standardized method so that others could do the same thing.

It was a fun thing to listen to, even if I remain ever the skeptic.  Nonetheless, I can't help but see some parallels here!
#2
Blaster / Brane Storm - Fire/Devices
Last post by fizzit11 - Today at 01:05 PM
My priorities for this build were:
  1) Grouping (vs. solo)
  2) Range (vs. range/melee hybrid)
  3) Exemplar (vs. leveling)

** Important Note - [Melt Armor] slots are left blank to highlight that Mids/Rebirth does not currently allow Universal Debuff enhancements. This seems to be a bug since my Blaster is using Witchcraft in game. I've reported this bug in the Mids Discord.

If you want to prioritize solo more, obvious changes would be to remove [Vengeance] and take [Rain of Fire] to give increased Slow when used in combination with Caltrops. Also, [Melt Armor] is geared more towards grouping so you might want a different Epic pool.

I hope this gives new Blasters a good starting point. We don't seem to have many builds posted.

Thanks for Edekar for discussions about Caltrops vs. Rain of Fire.

# **Brane Storm - Hero Blaster**

### *Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.7.4 rev. 8*


----

- **Primary powerset: Fire Blast**
- **Secondary powerset: Devices**
- **Pool powerset (#1): Flight**
- **Pool powerset (#2): Leadership**
- **Pool powerset (#3): Fighting**
- **Pool powerset (#4): Speed**
- **Epic powerset: Flame Mastery**
----

# **Powers taken:**

**Level 1: Fire Blast**
- A: Superior Defiant Barrage: Accuracy/Damage
- 3: Superior Defiant Barrage: Damage/RechargeTime
- 3: Superior Defiant Barrage: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
- 5: Superior Defiant Barrage: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- 5: Superior Defiant Barrage: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
- 7: Superior Defiant Barrage: RechargeTime/+Status

**Level 1: Web Grenade**
- A: Gravitational Anchor: Chance for Hold
- 7: Gravitational Anchor: Immobilize/Recharge
- 9: Gravitational Anchor: Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
- 9: Gravitational Anchor: Accuracy/Recharge
- 11: Gravitational Anchor: Immobilize/Endurance

**Level 2: Fire Ball**
- A: Ragnarok: Damage/Recharge
- 11: Ragnarok: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 13: Ragnarok: Accuracy/Recharge
- 13: Ragnarok: Damage/Endurance
- 15: Ragnarok: Chance for Knockdown
- 15: Annihilation: Chance for Res Debuff

**Level 4: Fly**
- A: Synapse's Agility: Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
- 17: Synapse's Agility: Endurance Drain Resistance (20%)

**Level 6: Caltrops**
- A: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage
- 17: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Damage/Recharge
- 19: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 19: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- 21: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 21: Superior Blaster's Wrath: Recharge/Chance for Fire Damage

**Level 8: Maneuvers**
- A: Kismet: Accuracy +6%
- 23: Kismet: Defense/Endurance
- 23: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Defense

**Level 10: Targeting Drone**
- A: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up
- 27: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: To Hit Buff/Endurance

**Level 12: Hover**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

**Level 14: Aerobatics**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

**Level 16: Kick**
- (Empty)

**Level 18: Blaze**
- A: Apocalypse: Damage/Recharge
- 27: Apocalypse: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 29: Apocalypse: Accuracy/Recharge
- 29: Apocalypse: Damage/Endurance
- 31: Apocalypse: Chance of Damage(Negative)
- 31: Decimation: Chance of Build Up

**Level 20: Field Operative**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
- 31: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 33: Performance Shifter: EndMod
- 33: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
- 33: Preventive Medicine: Chance for +Absorb
- 34: Preventive Medicine: Heal/Endurance

**Level 22: Tough**
- A: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%
- 34: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)
- 34: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
- 36: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
- 36: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance

**Level 24: Hasten**
- A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
- 36: Invention: Recharge Reduction

**Level 26: Blazing Bolt**
- A: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage
- 37: Thunderstrike: Damage/Endurance
- 37: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 37: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- 39: Thunderstrike: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 39: Sting of the Manticore: Chance of Damage(Toxic)

**Level 28: Assault**
- A: Invention: Endurance Reduction

**Level 30: Tactics**
- A: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff/Endurance
- 39: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff
- 45: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff/Recharge
- 50: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge

**Level 32: Inferno**
- A: Scirocco's Dervish: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
- 40: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
- 40: Armageddon: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 40: Armageddon: Accuracy/Recharge
- 42: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
- 42: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage

**Level 35: Char**
- A: Unbreakable Constraint: Hold/Recharge
- 42: Unbreakable Constraint: Accuracy/Hold/Recharge
- 43: Unbreakable Constraint: Accuracy/Recharge
- 43: Unbreakable Constraint: Endurance/Hold
- 43: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage

**Level 38: Gun Drone**
- A: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
- 45: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
- 45: Expedient Reinforcement: Damage/Endurance
- 46: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 46: Expedient Reinforcement: Endurance/Damage/Recharge
- 46: Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus Aura for Pets

**Level 41: Melt Armor** (See important note above)
- (Empty)
- (Empty)
- (Empty)
- (Empty)
- (Empty)


**Level 44: Fire Shield**
- A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
- 50: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance

**Level 47: Aim**
- A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

**Level 49: Vengeance**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
----

# **Inherents:**

**Level 1: Defiance**

**Level 1: Brawl**
- (Empty)

**Level 1: Sprint**
- A: Celerity: +Stealth

**Level 2: Rest**
- A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

**Level 2: Swift**
- A: Invention: Flight Speed

**Level 2: Hurdle**
- A: Invention: Jumping

**Level 2: Health**
- A: Miracle: +Recovery
- 8: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
- 16: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance

**Level 2: Stamina**
- A: Performance Shifter: EndMod
- 12: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
- 22: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End

**Level 14: Afterburner**
----

# **Accolades:**

- **Portal Jockey**
- **Task Force Commander**
- **The Atlas Medallion**
- **Freedom Phalanx Reserve**



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#3
Off-topic / Re: Joshexs Dreamtime
Last post by Joshex - Today at 01:51 AM
Quote from: EDekar on Apr 27, 2025, 01:56 PMThat or a Shadow.  Heavens know my wife sees those on occasion.  Ends up saging the whole apartment after getting spooked.  Every once in a while she'll ask me 'Dekar, did you walk by here a minute ago?' to which I'll tell her 'No, I was in the computer room.'.  Then she'll shiver, I'll ask her if it was a Shadow again, and so the incense gets whipped out haha.

I have to admit I miss dreaming.  It was fun asserting lucidity in nightmares!  'You're in my realm now, <redacted>!' /cackle

heh, yeah, it could have been a shadow or imagination.

I've been having more experiences, some have helped me isolate some key rules.

I've been able to isolate and test differences in dream types.
legit dreams are typically based upon real life premises, questions I even so much as had as a passing thought, things I've seen, so on and so forth. such dreams likely wont have much order, characters in such dreams will not reply if I cannot think up a response. not all senses if any will work in these dreams beyond basic unclear sight, voices of people are merely imagined thoughts in my head coming to the front for processing like an internal voice during thought processes.. When having these dreams either both my palms are not touching the bed, or there is no 'energy' venting from my palms when I start to relax, or the energy output is disrupted due to waking myself up again or moving my arms or pose. entering such a dream is no more so than the difference of minimizing one window and maximizing another then focusing on it.

then theres the second type.. which is the opposite in all regards, things I see in these are not based on anything I had experienced while awake, nor on my own thoughts, characters can respond in ways I would not expect, and hold actual conversations with me. all senses work in these dreams. before having these dreams typically both my palms default to touching the bed and as I relax my mind it's like a energy begins to be released from my elbows to my palms kinda like a sensation of letting out sparkly clouds or gas of some sort. upon entering such a dream after testiing by suddenly ejecting myself, I found there was mental motion, as in my mind was moved to and from some point over a given 'random' vector, however, I also tested prematurly openning my dream eyes and trying to bring myself to focus, doing so stopped stopped the mental motion leaving me stranded at some intermediary point (I was inside some sort of wall like structure and there was not enough space for me so upon trying to engage touch senses there was pressure on me where the wall intersected my body and immersion was canceled and I was ejected out of the dream and my mind moved back to here).

that's what it's like. my mind actually feels like it's in motion speeding off somewhere. and I have no idea what the energy I release is, only that it's invisible and not anything to do with bloodpressure as there's no beating sensation, it seems to be a legit energy as when I put my fingertips of opposite hands together I can feel it cycle hand to hand.
also while in this state my real body seems to be completely out of contact, I have to reach out to it and zip back.. I rarely have been observant enough to recognise the mental movement, I noted it before but now I'm starting to understand it happens both ways (away and back) every time, away at the start (I usually am unaware of it), and back again at the end.

further more, there was something else I was going to note but can't remember; ah yes memories, or rather separate memories, some dreams like this cannot be remembered because it's like my mind has to trade memory stores in order to wake up, if I have enough time after waking I have to essentially reach out with my mind and download copies of memories from the "dream memory cache" into the "awake memory cache" sometimes this is unsuccessful, and is only possible by attempting to initiate the general feeling of the atmosphere of the dream which triggers me to fly off back to that place in mind, where I kinda have to set a subconscious recording state here in reality, go in grab the info and rush back, but if in my absence my brain stopped recording then the memories fail to return with me, it's like they hit a wall and get stripped off me like plastic wrap off of a plate of food, as my mind continues the rest of the journey back. sometimes consciously verbally asking for info on it outloud results in the memories of a record of the dream materializing in my mind. sometimes discussing that I can't remember some part causes that part to come to me. sometimes only while typing about it can the memory be retrieved.

the fact of the mental motion is starting to make me think theres something a little more to the second dream type. especially combined with my former report of my hand hitting the corner of the file cabinet but in reality did not move.

sometimes while awake now I find in certain situations where I'm lost in thought and really feel drawn to put out my hand towards someone to touch them on the shoulder in example or something, it's the same feeling, my hand goes out and touches them but my real hand doesn't move and the second I realize this fact the sensation of my mental arm touching them can't be felt, no more so than the lingering feeling of the atmosphere of the instance. I do see reactions (they suddenly shift focus and look at everyone around them), but I don't have the guts to ask "hey did you feel a hand on your shoulder a few moments ago?" because then I'd have to expain myself. talking about it here has some anonymity.

there are some other instances I am now remembering.. where while awake I was overtaken by a compulsory daydream which immediately became vivid and lucid.. I wrote about that on another forum and am now just seeing some relevance.

until I get solid confirmation I'll still be largely mentally skeptic. I mean just because I tap someone on the shoulder with a sub-conscious mental arm and they happen to look up and glance around doesn't mean they really felt it does it? it could just be chance.

oh well, just adding in some report of new info. now to see which of the 2 types of dreams I'm off to tonight.
#4
Quote from: EDekar on May 09, 2025, 01:42 PMWhy not make a Fortunata?
Think I've got another answer for you, but it relies on this:
Quote from: Redlynne on May 06, 2025, 01:43 PMCity of Data v1.0 Arachnos Widow: LINK
Widow Training (primary) = 8 power picks
Fortunata Training (primary) = 10 power picks
Teamwork (secondary) = 7 power picks
Fortunata Teamwork (secondary) = 5 power picks
8+10+7+5 = 30 power picks to take "all the Fortunata powers" but none of the Blood Widow attack powers.

Widow Training (primary) = 8 power picks
Night Widow Training (primary) = 6 power picks
Teamwork (secondary) = 7 power picks
Widow Teamwork (secondary) = 6 power picks
8+6+7+3 = 24 power picks to take "all the Night Widow powers" including all of the Blood Widow attack powers. However, there are redundancies involved, such as Follow Up vs Build Up, which are mutually exclusive. Some combinations are counterproductive, such as taking Confront and Placate in the same build.
Quote from: EDekar on May 06, 2025, 09:33 AMMoreover, Night Widow feels unfinished; they get far fewer powers unlocked than Fortunata
This is where the "pick & choose" part of the exercise starts getting a bit Too Important™ for comfort.

Even if you wanted to, there's no way to shoehorn in 25+ power picks into 24 available choices between Levels 1-50. With a Fortunata, you HAVE TO leave some of the options out of your build ... you simply don't have room to TAKE THEM ALL.

By contrast, the more limited list of choices for a Night Widow demonstrates that you CAN HAVE IT ALL as far as taking ALL the AT powers (if you wanted to) ... but you don't necessarily "have to" take them all if you don't want to. That shorter list of powers makes it "easier" to dip into Pools for supplemental powers that can do all kinds of things to round out and complete your build plan. Gets even easier if you start dropping powers out of the mix (because they don't support your build goals).

So ... for example ...

If I wanted to make a Dart Widow build ... I'd really only want 5 powers from my options in primaries:
  • Poison Dart
  • Dart Burst
  • Mental Blast
  • Build Up
  • Psychic Scream
If I then took ALL 7 powers from Teamwork ... AND ... ALL 6 powers from Widow Teamwork (to illustrate the point I'm making) ... that would still be only 18 power picks total (5+7+6=18). That would still leave another 6 power picks from pools (4 of which could come from the Leadership Pool) (plus Hasten) (plus Hover) and that would be 24 total power picks.

Try to do the same (kind of) thing on a Fortunata and you're looking at 10+7+5=22 power picks from your primary and secondary, leaving only 2 power picks from pools (or Widow Training) ... and you've got "nowhere else to go" for getting your powers. The net result is kind of a "Controller + PBAoE Auras" going on (with a few tweaks because you're a Fortunata).



My point being that if you want to go ALL IN on your primary+secondary powersets, you can't "have it all" with a Fortunata build ... you simply HAVE TO forgo picking some Fortunata accessible powers (because, there's too many of them to choose from!).

By contrast, with a Night Widow, is IS possible to "have them all" (minus the mutually exclusive Follow Up vs Build Up) and STILL have options for 1+ Pool powers to add into the mix. So in that sense, it's possible/easier to build a "complete" Widow with "all the things" ... without needing to compromise on power picks the way you HAVE TO with a Fortunata.
#5
Quote from: EDekar on May 09, 2025, 01:42 PMWhy not make a Claw Stalker?
A Claws/Super Reflexes Stalker would be broadly similar to a Night Widow in terms of power picks, but the Night Widow would have a superior "team buff" potential compared to the Stalker option.

That's the REAL "secret sauce" of the VEATs ... they "stack" better in teams (and leagues) due to their support aura powers, which makes them force multipliers (especially when you get multiples of them together).

Quote from: EDekar on May 09, 2025, 01:42 PMWhy not make a Fortunata?
This one isn't quite so clear cut, mainly because the answer is somewhat counterintuitive.

Let me give you an example from my own direct experience ... my twin Defenders that I'm still (slowly) working on getting up to Level 50 as Praetorians.
At first blush ... "just by the numbers" ... it looks like these two builds are basically "mirrors" of each other.
  • Both take all 9 primary + all 9 secondary powers.
  • Both take all 3 leadership toggles.
That's 9+9+3=21 out of 24 power picks in common between the two builds ... so how different can they be to "finish out" and build?

Turns out they're RADICALLY DIFFERENT.

The first and most obvious difference is that Kinetics is notoriously "anemic" on demand for slots due to a lack of set invention options. By contrast, Time Manipulation is very "hungry" on demand for slots due to a wealth of options for set inventions and thus set bonuses. This then creates a very noticeable ... shift ... in the distribution of slots in the entirety of the build, which then enables Kinetics to play to a very different set of "strengths" than you can with Time Manipulation (due to the enhancement slots budget).

It's something I wouldn't have noticed/found until I tried to interpolate one build into the other and found the dramatic mismatch of opportunity going on in Kinetics vis-a-vis Time Manipulation. This in turn dictates how the "22-24 out of 24 power picks" can wind up being so dramatically different between the two builds.
  • Time Manipulation ... the "remaining 3" power picks must all be 0+0+0=0 added slots One Slot Wonders™.
  • Kinetics ... the "remaining 3" power picks can have 5+6+0=11 slots added between them, making a Mastery/Patron Pool choice practical and even overall build defining.

So why am I bringing up this (tangential) example in the context of Night Widow vs Fortunata?
Because the same dynamic is at work.

The Night Widow can be done as a "tighter" build plan ... fewer attack powers, means fewer slots needed ... which in turn leaves more margin remaining for greater investment into support powers that are force multipliers. The "center of gravity" in a Widow build can be "shifted" relative to where it "wants to be" in a Fortunata build, yielding a different mix that (can) lean heavier into support powers than you can get away with on a Fortunata. In other words, the Night Widow can be built "more efficiently" in ways that aren't directly obvious if all you're doing is looking at a spreadsheet list (or a Mids' screenshot).

The ... BLEND ... isn't the same.
This gives Night Widows options to do some things that Fortunata builds might struggle to afford, due to the demand on power picks and slots for their "core" set of powers that define how a Fortunata "ought to" be built and played.

Night Widow builds CAN BE done as something of a "less is more" type of exercise, which then enables more variety and versatility in build plans than you might think you can get away with as a Fortunata. How you get there is somewhat counterintuitive, but the real key lies in the number of One Slot Wonder™ powers (such as Vengeance, slotted with the Luck of the Gambler global recharge buff) making it possible to make FULL slot investments into other power picks, while still maintaining a "decent" attack chain rotation potential with minimal downtime.

So the best answer I can give you to the question of "Why not a Fortunata?" is ... because a Fortunata doesn't always have the flexibility to build the way that a Night Widow can. The comparison doesn't always line up 1 to 1 (and if you force it to, then you're kind of "picking a side" from the start).

Quote from: EDekar on May 09, 2025, 01:42 PMGood heavens that's one way to go as 'hard mode' as possible on leveling!  I suppose with the anniversary double / triple xp coming up next week, that'd be the best time possible to try this if you really wanted to.
I've decided to go ahead and give this a try. 8)
Already launched my Soldier of Arachnos ... who I intend to raise into a Huntsman (crabbermind) build akin to what I did back on Virtue server (back in the day).

I've never played a Widow before, but I think I'll try the "eat my own dog food" approach of trying out the Dart Widow playstyle I outlined above ... mainly because it's SO DIFFERENT from anything that anyone else has done (or popularized) before. The fact that I'll be playing as a "runaway" from Arachnos in Praetoria (Nova, Imperial, Neutropolis, First Ward, Night Ward) rather than taking the "usual path" in the Rogue Isles (because my game client crashes WAY TOO RELIABLY there, still) will definitely make this something of a Road Less Never Traveled Before, so I'll certainly feel like I'm blazing a trail/pioneering with this pair of characters (even if they wind up doing nothing but street sweeping from 2-19 before getting into First Ward).

Now I just need to come up with a really cool/clever name for a Dart Widow ... ???
#6
QuoteHmmm ... I wonder ...

I could make a Widow and a Soldier ... and then instead of staying in the Rogue Isles, I could ... at Level 1-2 ... use the TUNNEL Network to "run away from Arachnos" to Praetoria and then street sweep my way to Level 50 without ever returning to the Rogue Isles.

Well, maybe come back to the Rogue Isles JUST ONCE to register a Redside Supergroup @ Level 10 before returning to Praetoria and resume street sweeping in SG Mode: ON so as to be able to build up a Villain Base (for inventory storage and decorative fun times).

Would certainly make for the weirdest possible backstory history for a couple of VEATs ...

Good heavens that's one way to go as 'hard mode' as possible on leveling!  I suppose with the anniversary double / triple xp coming up next week, that'd be the best time possible to try this if you really wanted to.

QuoteFurther commentary on the subject of Night Widow

I also asked a few folks on Discord to comment, and found that people generally had the same perspective I do: that Night Widow is 'neat', but feels out of place and incomplete.  Why not make a Claw Stalker?  Why not make a Fortunata?  Etcetera etcetera.  It feels a bit reductive, but that's essentially the responses I received there.  The fact that I almost had to beg to get anyone at all to respond is a bit frustrating, but I get the distinct impression that a significant majority of the playerbase has literally never even tried Night Widow, or for the few that did, immediately specced back out to Fortunata and never looked back.

I did go and build out a theoretical Night Widow in Mids, and sure, it's solid... until you try a SMo, and then you're  still gonna get one-shot.  Ah well.  Still, as long as you avoid SMo I don't think there's any content a Night Widow can't do otherwise.  To be fair, that's true of the vast majority of things you can try in the game (which is, in my opinion, a good thing).
#7
Quote from: Redlynne on May 06, 2025, 01:43 PMI'd do it myself, but Redside Zones are entirely too "fatal crash to desktop" RELIABLE for me to even entertain the notion right now.

Hmmm ... I wonder ...

I could make a Widow and a Soldier ... and then instead of staying in the Rogue Isles, I could ... at Level 1-2 ... use the TUNNEL Network to "run away from Arachnos" to Praetoria and then street sweep my way to Level 50 without ever returning to the Rogue Isles.

Well, maybe come back to the Rogue Isles JUST ONCE to register a Redside Supergroup @ Level 10 before returning to Praetoria and resume street sweeping in SG Mode: ON so as to be able to build up a Villain Base (for inventory storage and decorative fun times).

Would certainly make for the weirdest possible backstory history for a couple of VEATs ...
#8
While you cannot slot Recharge IOs in Mind Link (for reasons passing understanding), the Defense set IOs work just fine. With my 6-slotting of Reactive Defenses I get 73.78% recharge reduction. That combined with the +175% global recharge leaves my Fortunata an overlap of a second seconds in keeping Mind Link perma. I'm not just talking Mids here (though you can see the numbers there), but also how it works in-game on my Fort.

So, yes, you do need a hefty amount of recharge to keep Mind Link permanent, but powers like Overgrowth and Chrono  Shift are similarly priced in terms of recharge vs. duration.

Why the Fort version had to be different than the Night Widow version is beyond me.
#9
Patch Notes / Live Patch Notes - May 08, 202...
Last post by The Doctor - May 08, 2025, 01:47 PM
City of Heroes Rebirth's 6th Anniversary Event

Receive the 6th Anniversary badge Super Six for logging in during May.
Nemesis Invasions are back all throughout May for the event.


Synapse Task Forces QoL and Bug Fixes:

Mission 1: Tsoo Bosses' level has been expanded, some up and some down, making them more manageable for teams who start the Synapse task force at level 15 to defeat them, while not being underpowered for level 20 teams. Some bosses will still be challenging, so remember to pick up those Rage canisters.

Finale: The Clockwork Knights must be defeated before you can enter the door to reach Babbage. The Clockwork King's level has been expanded from 20 to 15-20, making it more manageable for teams who start the Synapse task force at level 15 to complete it successfully.
#10
Quote from: EDekar on May 06, 2025, 02:28 PMYes, with enough set bonuses and recharge you could make a Dart Widow... and immediately become nonfunctional again any time you get malefactored down too far, lose incarnate, and/or lose set bonuses.
Which then brings up the (obvious) question ... how "low" do you have to go for that condition to be true?

The answer partially depends on your plan for enhancement slotting.

I myself follow an intentional pattern of Levels 22, 27, 31 and "minimum" for enhancement slots.
22 - 3 = Level 19 ... the upper end of a collection of 15-19 flashback arcs
27 - 3 = Level 24 ... the upper end of a collection of 20-24 flashback arcs AND is also above the SO enhancement "break even" point
31 - 3 = Level 28 ... the maximum available for the Moonfire TF and falls within the range of the 25-29 flashback arcs
Procs "don't care" about enhancement levels (except for the purposes of set bonuses) so I just slot set procs at their minimum levels to they're "always working as early as possible" for any global bonuses they might grant.

Levels 19+ and 24+ comprise a supermajority of the content in the game that can be (re)played.
At Levels 18- any IOs you've slotted (aside from purples) will be getting "downgraded" when you exemplar/malefactor anyway, so you're going to FEEL "underpowered" no matter what you do, relative to any sort of Level 50 (incarnate slotted) playing experience.

As for whether or not you can form a "viable" (as opposed to "optimal") attack chain using only ranged and pool attacks at extremely low levels when playing a Widow ...
  • Level 1 (Widow Training): Poison Dart
  • Level 6 (Widow Training): Dart Burst
  • Level 1 (Night Widow Training): Mental Blast
  • Level 8 (Night Widow Training): Build Up
  • Level 12 (Night Widow Training): Smoke Grenade
  • Level 32 (Night Widow Training): Psychic Scream
  • Level 4 (Gadgetry): Nano Net
  • Level 4 (Gadgetry): Energy Gauntlet
  • Level 14 (Gadgetry): Gauntlet Barrage
  • Level 20 (Gadgetry): Force Barrier

My point being that you could EASILY dip into the Gadgetry pool as a Dart Widow (not yet a Night Widow) in order to round out a Ranged Only attack chain prior to the Level 24 Respec as a Night Widow ... if you really wanted to. That way, even if you exemplar/malefactor down below Patron Pool Levels, you've still got "most" of your attack chain available to you.

I would also point out that if you decide to take Force Barrier @ Level 20, you would be able to exemplar/malefactor down to Level 15 (Virgil Tarikoss SF, Positron: Rule of Three TF) and still have access to your Force Barrier power for self-protection.



Would your build be "diminished" by going that low when exemplared/malefactored?
Yes.

Would your build be "non-functional" by going that low when exemplared/malefactored?
No.
You'd still be able to attack and defend yourself. You'd still be able to "get around town" ... even if you have to resort to Ninja Run+Sprint to do it. But you'll want to "build carefully" such that you pick your "critical powers" as early as possible so you'll "always have them" when you exemplar/malefactor down to REALLY low levels. Anything you pick during Levels 1-6 will ALWAYS be available to you ... even if you exemplar/malefactor down to Level 1 (because 6-5=1). So whatever your Levels 1+1, 2, 4, 6 power picks are, you'll ALWAYS have those available no matter what. Set bonuses are a different matter (of course), but there are limits on "how low you can go" with the levels on enhancements before compromising your performance at the upper end (Level 50 + Incarnate content, basically).



Remember ... enhancements continue to "work" (in full) until exemplared/malefactored -3 Levels below the Level of the enhancements themselves. Powers continue to be available until exemplared/malefactored -5 Levels below the level at which the power was picked/chosen.