To spell aim or not to spell aim

[Mateius]

So I've been doing the warpath model and have been maxxing OHE and shield use every level. But Ive noticed a lot of empaths double in spell aiming. Can someone explain to me why or show me to a post that explains why? It seems like the only thing spell aiming would benefit would be for wands (which I dont plan on using) and fire spirit (which I dont plan on using). Did I miss something in the spell aiming description where it helps your CS number?

[Athgo]

Doesn't benefit CS at all. Usually only pures train in it for the runestaff defense and 1110 is a bolt spell for the initial damage. Fire spirit and 1110 are effective for things that don't have bones. I was a warpath for my first 55 levels and never trained in spell aiming, so I would suggest you skip it until you go to a pure.

[phantasm]

It doesn't help CS. Empaths are great with bolt spells, and bolt spells are easy kills. You forgot to mention 1110, which is a bolt spell with a huge DF, and a CS follow up round.

[Gnomad]

1110 is an awesome spell and Spell Aim is a great secondary hunting method (especially for 110 if you're in Sunfist and fight a lot of trolls), but if you're doing a swinger empath, Spell Aim is one of those skills you pretty much give up on. CM, Armor, OHE and Shield take a lot of points.

[Gibreficul]

1110 is an awesome spell and Spell Aim is a great secondary hunting method (especially for 110 if you're in Sunfist and fight a lot of trolls), but if you're doing a swinger empath, Spell Aim is one of those skills you pretty much give up on. CM, Armor, OHE and Shield take a lot of points.



>stance off
>incant 118
>stance def
You are now in an offensive stance.
>
You utter a light chant and raise your hands, beckoning the lesser spirits to aid you with the Web spell...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a triton dissembler.
You shoot strands of webbing at a triton dissembler!
AS: +459 vs DS: +350 with AvD: +41 + d100 roll: +17 = +167
... and hit for 40 points of damage!
Waves of nausea spread from stomach, incapacitating the triton dissembler.
The triton dissembler is knocked to the ground!
The triton dissembler is stunned!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>
Cast Round Time in effect: Setting stance to guarded.
>
Your disk arrives, following you dutifully.
>stance off
>incant 1110
>stance def
You are now in an offensive stance.
>
You focus your thoughts while chanting the mystical phrase for Empathic Assault...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a triton dissembler.
You hurl a radiant ball of energy at a triton dissembler!
AS: +459 vs DS: +300 with AvD: +42 + d100 roll: +93 = +294
... and hit for 146 points of damage!
The triton dissembler's leg is consumed in an intense field of plasma reducing it to ash!
Success! Establishing a connection with the triton dissembler, your awareness of her physical condition expands as your essence fuses with her own!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>
Cast Round Time in effect: Setting stance to guarded.
>
You mentally attempt to locate your implanted essence within the triton dissembler...
The dull golden nimbus surrounding a triton dissembler suddenly begins to glow brightly.
CS: +437 - TD: +375 + CvA: +25 + d100: +43 == +130
Warding failed!
You maintain a modest connection with the triton dissembler and find yourself able to briefly halt her circulatory functions.
...and cause 39 points of damage!
>
You mentally attempt to locate your implanted essence within the triton dissembler...
The dull golden nimbus surrounding a triton dissembler suddenly begins to glow brightly.
CS: +437 - TD: +371 + CvA: +25 + d100: +18 == +109
Warding failed!
You maintain a nearly perfect connection with the triton dissembler, blocking all sensory impulses to self-sustaining functions!
...and cause 52 points of damage!
The triton dissembler gurgles once and goes still, a wrathful look on her face.
The deep blue glow leaves a triton dissembler.
A triton dissembler loses its focused look.
A shadow seems to detach itself from a triton dissembler, swiftly dissipating into the air.
The dull golden nimbus fades from around a triton dissembler.
The light blue glow leaves a triton dissembler.
The empathic presence you planted within the triton dissembler exhausts itself.

>stance off
>incant 118
>stance def
You are now in an offensive stance.
>
You utter a light chant and raise your hands, beckoning the lesser spirits to aid you with the Web spell...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a triton dissembler.
You shoot strands of webbing at a triton dissembler!
AS: +459 vs DS: +339 with AvD: +41 + d100 roll: +56 = +217
... and hit for 57 points of damage!
The triton dissembler stunned by strike to hand.
The triton dissembler is knocked to the ground!
The triton dissembler is stunned!
A triton dissembler is firmly webbed in place.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>
Cast Round Time in effect: Setting stance to guarded.
>stance off
>incant 1110
>stance def
You are now in an offensive stance.
>
You focus your thoughts while chanting the mystical phrase for Empathic Assault...
Your spell is ready.
You gesture at a triton dissembler.
You hurl a radiant ball of energy at a triton dissembler!
AS: +459 vs DS: +289 with AvD: +42 + d100 roll: +74 = +286
... and hit for 136 points of damage!
Terrifying surge of plasma reduces the triton dissembler's head to burnt meat.
The triton dissembler gurgles once and goes still, a wrathful look on her face.
The deep blue glow leaves a triton dissembler.
A triton dissembler loses its focused look.
A shadow seems to detach itself from a triton dissembler, swiftly dissipating into the air.
The dull golden nimbus fades from around a triton dissembler.
The powerful look leaves a triton dissembler.
As the triton dissembler is vanquished, you refrain from infusing the effort further.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>


Yea, I don't know why anyone would train spell aiming as an empath.... FEEL the sarcasm... 1110 is a VERY deadly spell if properly trained.


Gibreficul's empath is a BEAST, 2x spell aim.

[Xaerve]

Spell aiming is something to train in post-cap, or nearly capped; before then using 1106 as your primary hunting method is the most effective. The average mana per kill will remain drastically lower, and hunting is much quicker using 1106 only.

Not to mention that 1110 and bolt web require lore training to be nice; which is expensive. Spell Aiming, too, is very expensive. Tanking spells and getting a beast CS is the #1 priority, imho.

[B2]

I'd disagree with the post-cap sentiment. I fixskilled my empath in her 40s last April to be bolt heavy and suddenly I was fried every hunt, with mana to spare. Killing something with one shot of 1110 beats 4+ casts of 1106. Plus, there are a lot of creatures that are immune to 1106, and 1115 isn't really reliable for my empath yet. Without the bolt spells I'd be severely limited to what my empath can hunt.

[Xaerve]

I'd disagree with the post-cap sentiment. I fixskilled my empath in her 40s last April to be bolt heavy and suddenly I was fried every hunt, with mana to spare. Killing something with one shot of 1110 beats 4+ casts of 1106.

I'll respectfully disagree that you one shot everything (or nearly half even) of anything using 1110. And if it was constantly taking you 4+ casts of 1106 to kill something, you were probably not training in enough spell ranks to have the proper CS to ward the creature hard enough.


Plus, there are a lot of creatures that are immune to 1106, and 1115 isn't really reliable for my empath yet. Without the bolt spells I'd be severely limited to what my empath can hunt.

There are plenty of viable hunting areas, even a majority, where 1106 and 1115 are viable to hunt with. Bolting hits damn near everything, sure; but I never had an issue 0-100 using only 1106 to level.

[Mateius]

Hmm, seems like its gonna be a preference issue. thanks for all your input guys. Much appreciated.

[Beguiler]

I won't say why I was so stupid, but I fixskilled my empath into 1x spell aim when we got Wither, using the points for lores. Didn't realize that wither doesn't work on elementals in the Bowels. It was a long and painful journey to get SA back up to 2x, but gawd was it worth it. Sure makes for more versatile hunting options. Just my 2 cents.

[Izzy]

I won't say why I was so stupid, but I fixskilled my empath into 1x spell aim when we got Wither, using the points for lores. Didn't realize that wither doesn't work on elementals in the Bowels. It was a long and painful journey to get SA back up to 2x, but gawd was it worth it. Sure makes for more versatile hunting options. Just my 2 cents.

This would be my primary reason for training spell aim on an empath. My secondary reason would be that I just think 1110 is a bomb-ass spell. But I hate being limited to one or two attack spells. Tossing in spell aim allows for 2 more (1110, 111) one of which is a "mass attack" spell which is handy for minor swarms.

[Beguiler]

And to add into the mix, the use of wizard wands (crystal ftw, but others, too). At high levels this can sure extend mana, and put the hurt on things that CS spells don't bother.

[Nilandia]

Spell aiming is definitely one of the core skills for both my empaths. Like Izzy mentioned, having options is always a good thing. Being able to choose from five different spells to toss at a critter to do damage (harm, bone shatter, empathic assault, wither and fire spirit) means I'll almost always be able to do something to whatever I come across, so long as they're not anti-magic.

Gretchen

[CrystalTears]

When I was able to fixskill my empath, I added 2x spell aiming and it makes all the difference in the world. Having more casting options is definitely more enjoyable.

[Izzy]

I have to reiterate that 1110 is plasma, which adds a sweet factor of about 27.

[BigWorm]

1110 is boss. DFs near major shock plus at least one CS round for the same cost.

[phantasm]

Does web bolt knockdown on every cast?