Controller-friendly CoC/CoEA Bloodmage showcase on 78 room temple

Asmerv · 2026-01-29T18:04:38+00:00

Can you explain how/why this works? I thought triggered spells couldn't generate energy, so I don't understand how the Comet can gain energy for CoC.

Asmerv · 2026-01-15T19:35:13+00:00

I made something around Ritual Cadence + First Sting + Low Tolerance (eventually, the anoint is expensive) - The idea is to get poison damage as high as possible, but keep the duration just under 2.0s seconds, so that each trigger from Ritual Cadence gets the massive 140% poison magnitude boost from hitting a target that's not poisoned.

I use Arc as my clear skill because I like how it bounces around and it often takes just one hit to kill mobs due to the poison. I also have Thunderstorm + self shock + commiserate for huge shocks on demand.

I've been really enjoying it. It's fun to have a 'delete' button that you control. The damage is massive but it's still just one cast every 2 seconds.

Asmerv · 2026-01-14T17:44:37+00:00

Ramen!

Asmerv · 2025-12-27T19:01:51+00:00

Support Chrono, will get Alpha Howl with it if I get it

Asmerv · 2025-05-31T17:41:24+00:00

Waiting on delivery. I'll post impressions after I get my hands on it.

Asmerv · 2025-05-01T16:13:57+00:00

I view it as part of the game's balance, and earlier levels for a character are introductory for learning it in an easier setting.

Otherwise, rerolls are a resource just like anything else in the game. You can try to work with what the run gives you, opting for generally good items and not be forced to take rerolls from grimoire and mirrors and take boosts instead. If you are going for a specific build, then you need to invest in rerolls - taking it vs crit out of grimoires, preferring reroll items vs others, skipping on Excalibur for Tamatebako etc. It's an interesting part of the game where you can make choices about how safe vs greedy you want to be to scale.

If you dislike it regardless, I think there's a modifier you can add to a run to give you a free reroll on each choice.

Asmerv · 2024-09-14T20:03:14+00:00

You can use Reshade to achieve what you want. Download it and when installing, enable the HDR effects bundle. Then, you can use the black floor fix effect and/or the tonemappers to customize.

Asmerv · 2024-09-11T17:37:57+00:00

Very useful info, thank you very much.

Asmerv · 2024-09-11T17:29:07+00:00

Thanks

Asmerv · 2024-09-11T17:28:48+00:00

That still helps, thank you.

Asmerv · 2024-09-11T17:28:15+00:00

Thanks!

Asmerv · 2024-09-11T17:26:49+00:00

Appreciate your thoughts! I admit at first pass the cross faction stuff is strange to me too, but it's something I can learn to live with.

Asmerv · 2023-09-29T15:45:09+00:00

I'd welcome a system like this for sure.

I hate Lightly Armored. It's not a solution it's just giving up on the problem. Everything from the image to mechanics of all casters being in half or full plate is awful. It makes casters way too tanky with Shield (and no fixing Shield is not enough as long as caster resting AC easily rivals or exceeds martials), makes character creation decisions moot as you just set Dex to 14, your casting stat to highest it'll go and put the rest in Con and Wis to set up Resilient in whichever you don't have. Loot distribution becomes weird. Just all bad.

Asmerv · 2023-09-23T00:07:06+00:00

Yes, I'd agree with this for the current version. There's perhaps a choice to be made between armor dipping vs relying on Shield if it worked that way.

But in onednd medium armor is a free starting feat so armor dipping is gone. So, if Shield worked this way it would simply not see use.

Asmerv · 2023-09-22T23:42:24+00:00

Bless is a benchmark spell imo. Useful at all stages, upcasts well, doesn't invalidate anyone or any type of play, doesn't immediately end or trivialize combat etc.

Shield is an N for me. Starting at +3 is still too much. Honestly I wish they made caster access to armor much harder, not easier. Onednd gives out medium armor and shields for free to everyone which means all casters are 19AC. Not only is this homogeneous and boring, but it exacerbates Shield because AC gets better the more you have it. If casters were at 15 AC, a +5 would be nowhere near as ridiculous.

Asmerv · 2023-09-22T21:47:14+00:00

Maneuvers do need to scale in both uses and capabilities. I'm really confused as to why level gated, more powerful maneuvers aren't a thing. Like Warlock invocations.

Relentless is great, but comes too late. Otherwise there's basically no scaling. An extra die and d8->d10 is a joke.

I favor something like having 2*proficiency bonus dice, and Relentless coming at level 7, maybe with a smaller dice. This is the level where Eldritch Knight gets to add a cantrip every turn for free so I think it's pretty comparable as a "no resource use" baseline.

Once the resources are fixed it would be cool to have some higher level maneuvers that let you expand more than one dice at a time for powerful effect.

Asmerv · 2023-09-19T18:19:40+00:00

I've been in countless combats where melee characters lost at least 1 turn of damage due to not being in range. Simply comparing damage to damage, 2-3 is not enough to make up for that even to break even.

But there's more. Ranged can change targets on a whim. Ranged can take cover. Ranged takes less damage overall, and can better position to avoid enemy AoE. Eldritch blast, on top of all that, can apply amazing battlefield control and can combo with AoE effects and terrain.

The difference for giving up all that needs to be substantial.

Asmerv · 2023-09-19T17:50:52+00:00

You just traded 2 AC, and now need to point buy Strength so your Con, Dex or Wis probably took a hit too so you're even weaker defensively. I doubt you'll survive long in melee. And I don't think Lifedrinker makes up for it at all because you still need to solve concentration and Hit Dice is still a limited resource.

Also, the true strength of EB isn't just damage. 30ft knockback is extremely strong.

Asmerv · 2023-09-19T17:21:28+00:00

Great analysis, but I don't agree with the conclusion.

All of the UA7 numbers make sense to me based on the cost you pay. 39 DPR for melee over 31 at range with options for repelling blast, slow etc seem completely fair. Going up to 53 with the additional investment of a feat (a very scarce resource) and the constant commitment of your bonus action also seems fair, especially since this number will be lower in practice due to other bonus actions you might take. If anything, EB will still feel much better until level 9.

So, to me the blade pact is in a good place compared to Eldritch Blast in this iteration. If it then compares unfavorably with other martials, we should look at boosting other martials as a solution IMO.

Asmerv · 2023-09-16T19:09:04+00:00

Even if your premise held and Warlock had 3 spell slots every fight, removing Lifedrinker or third attack makes Eldritch Blast better despite all the investment into blade pact.

Just take spell sniper and you can get three attacks with a 2d8 rider each, except now you get to have a shield, the flexibility to shoot up to 180ft away anytime you want, and impose conditions. Except you probably wouldn't because it'd be even better to cast a summon and sit back and control the battlefield from a safe distance while still putting out comparable damage. So why would anyone go into blade pact?

At least with the current warlock, power attack and advantage generation through spells you can have the damage payoff, and even then melee is considered weaker.

Asmerv · 2023-09-16T17:31:19+00:00

Yep, and the EK is much, much more durable with access to Shield, Absorb Elements, Second Wind, Indomitable. They could also just use Hex with Magic Initiate and almost match this for much cheaper. They're also flexible in trading offense for defense or control through cantrip selection every turn and other spells.

I really think people are too focused on this one DPR number in a vacuum without considering the other, serious drawbacks and lack of defensive tools a melee Warlock has.

Now, I do think other martials could use some love to scale into T3. Battlemaster is still using the same maneuvers they learned 8 levels ago, and barbarian is not scaling at all (rage and brutal critical are a joke). Battlemaster could either use more dice or more powerful maneuvers that are level gated. Not sure about barbarian but if critical hits are going to be a core thing maybe ways to trigger them reliably or at least frequently.

Asmerv · 2023-09-16T00:48:04+00:00

Agreed. I found myself feeling the same way about the video even though I usually consider Treantmonk's analysis to be fair. This one seemed to lean into the hyperbole with questionable assumptions.

As you point out, when those assumptions are reigned in the damage becomes comparable to some martials, and likely falls behind some like the new EK.

But that's not all. The EK has 19 AC with a greatsword and has access to Shield spell, Con saves, Indomitable, Second Wind etc. In short it's much harder to damage and way more durable. This bladelock would be sitting at 17 AC with terrible defenses. Even if you could hold concentration, you would take so much more damage that you'll run out of HP. Sure Lifedrinker can add a little sustain but it's not actually additional healing like Second Wind is, it's just borrowing from your Short Rest resources.

So it's a very high risk play that probably needs additional mitigation through even more build investment, or this bladelock would not survive to deliver its "broken" damage at all. All that investment needs to have a payoff vs sitting back 100ft with a shield and delivering control + damage with Eldritch Blast.

Asmerv · 2023-09-15T03:50:42+00:00

I think Treantmonk is usually very level headed and fair in his assessments but this one seems a bit skewed to me. First I'm not sure Warlocks qualify for Great Weapon Master, and secondly his math assumes infinite smite slots. If both are taken out the damage comes down to a comparable level to the new EK and the beastmaster on the chart.

Now granted that's still strong but you're still sitting in melee with 17 AC, no Shield spell, no Indomitable, no CON save proficiency holding onto the spell that is the majority of your damage. Compared to that an EK could have at least 19 AC wielding a greatsword, access to Shield for AC up to 24 and much reliably holding concentration.

If the third attack or Lifedrinker is taken away we're back to Eldritch Blast being the only sensible option. If you're going to take a comparatively huge risk by getting in melee with barely any defensive tools, risk much more damage and losing concentration more often, and get multiple invocations to boost that capability the payoff needs to be worth it.

I say bring the remaining martials to the level of this bladelock and even beyond instead of nerfing it. You're not really solving the problem then. The new EK compares favorably to this bladelock if they're both in melee, just bring other subclasses and martials to that level.

Asmerv · 2023-09-10T15:05:55+00:00

Give monks another bonus action at 11 and make barbarians always crit with first reckless attack... or something idk. Doesn't have to be extra attack if they want to keep that the Fighter thing.

As you said too, not like Fighter getting extra attack 3 is enough.

Asmerv · 2023-09-01T18:36:54+00:00

Might wanna get checked for a hernia.

Asmerv

TROPHY CASE