Black Blade of Disaster, is it any good.

Comments

• gorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864

  March 2020 edited March 2020

  it is super useful, but only if used in a proper way.
  it gives GM, but the extra attacks are granted only to the classes that already get extra attacks being more then proficient, still the thac0 and dmg bonuses are applied for all the users, it has a very good dmg 2d12+5+GM bonus, and some very powerful effects, it can slain, drain levels, disintegrate (so is quite risky for the loot if in the settings the loot of a disintegrated foe is lost).
  and, strange as it is it can stab, it should not imo as is something that a thief without UAI can not use, but it does.
  
  a single class mage probably should use it only in certain cases, ie during a time stop or against webbed foe as he is certain to hit, while a F/M or a F->M can use it as a powerful regular weapon. and as the multi are not allowed to get GM in other ways it is more interesting for them.
  
  but imho where it really shines is when used by clones, that can cast it from a scroll in the quick slot, no need at all for the mage to waste a spellbook slot and mainly it completely bypass the problem of the simulacrum being level drained.
  it should be the main weapon of every multi's and dual's simulacrum, as well of the simulacrum of every thief, single class or not, with UAI.
  
  aerie's simulacrum using the BBoD by the scroll and casting on himself righteous magic rolls 24 for every hit, and GM + the cleric's combat buffs make the simulacrum hit very often also against the well armored end game enemies, with the +14 dmg from 25 str and the other bonuses, probably it is more then 50 granted dmg/hit, i don't remember the exact value from when i tested it. 100 dmg/round + 1 or 2 attacks with the OH weapon (FoA), depending on the tipe of haste used is crazy good for the simulacrum of a not mlee oriented multi like the CM, that can so be effective mlee wise trough the clone, at the cost of only a lev 8 spell, while he unleashes from far the power of his arcane and divine magic combined in the sequencers.
  the simulacrum of a CT, through the helm, with the BBoD can stab for a very impressive damage, as well as the one of a kensai->T, as they roll every time 24.
  and should be obvious how the simulacrum of every FM, F->M, FMT and FMC is more effective if the mage had the scroll in a quick slot, the other 2 should probably contain the wand of resurrection and the wand that dispel defenses.
  
  for those that don't like to use scrolls from the clone's quick slot, even if in vanilla it is a completily legittimate thing, there are enough scrolls to allow those tactics with the original toons in at least few of the hardest battles, ribald, the arcana archives and karthis al-hezzar sell it, so there are at least 4, maybe 5 scrolls in the game, if one is used to learn the spell by the party FM at least 3 or 4 can be used by quick slot in the hardest battles.
  by all the class combos i mentioned before, but also from F->T and FT toons.
  and by the blades, a haer dalis that is DW BBoD and blackrazor, getting the GM bonuses for both, is something that can bring havoc on every battlefield, both the real one and the clone through the helm.
  as it is possible to have both the original and the clone fighting side by side and a mislead clone singing and boosting even more their massive damage and chance to hit, haer dalis can for few battles outdamage every fighter in the game and if there is also an aerie with her clone (here the original does not has to waste a scroll) even better. plenty of raw mlee power also in a party that can completely lack of proper fighters.
  
  The BBoD is a super powerful spell, but only if the player is able to use it properly, memorized by a single class mage in 99% of the cases is only a wasted high level spell slot.
  
  EDIT: also neera's simulacrum or every wild mage's one can make good use of the spell if the mage learns it as it has not to be memorized, the clone can cast it from a dwehomer, then he can protect himself quick with the usual mage spells and then apply haste and tensor transformation, the simulacrum has to be cast when a good OH weapon is equipped, to grant to the clone up to 4 apr. every time a little more mlee and tanking power is needed if neera is in the party and knows BBoD you can have a well protected flanker more that is really effective, and this is an other of the reasons why wild mages rule in this game.
  for many battles/day neera can have 2 clones, one mlee capable and the other that can spam high level spells trough slots and dwehomers, and it is 11 lev 9 spells, edwin go to hide because you, with your cheesy amulet, can only dream about that level of power.
  (casting dwehomers mainly only offensively and trough clones only greatly reduces the consequences of bad wild surges)

  Post edited by gorgonzola on March 2020

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• jsaving Member Posts: 1,083

  March 2020

  You are right that it is designed to help fighter/mages shine, just as transformation is designed to help non-fighter/mages shine. I take BBD right after time stop when going FM but it is still situationally useful on a pure mage, as long as you properly buff first.

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• gorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864

  March 2020

  @jsaving BBD right after time stop when going FM works perfectly, but it is really only scratching the surface of what that wonderful spell can allow

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