Lesser Ice Giants in Icemule

[Chaosmongler]

Okay, been hunting lesser ice giants and their friends outside of Icemule's east gate. This has been pretty uneventful until lately with the critter spells going into effect, where Drew and I have noticed some odd things. Going to post a log (edited for stuff that didn't matter) of a fight with one, is this normal?

A lesser ice giant lumbers in, followed by a hailing icestorm!


You gesture at a lesser ice giant.
A lesser ice giant seems to be distracted by something.

Okay, starts out normal with a nice cast of 607, time to pwn this thing!


A lesser ice giant spits several pieces of ice into the air.

You are struck by a large chunk of ice!
... 10 points of damage!
You're not getting cold feet now, are you?
A lesser ice giant's eyes glow with an glacial cold blue light!
A lesser ice giant swings a massive icicle at you!
AS: +374 vs DS: +351 with AvD: +35 + d100 roll: +30 = +88
A clean miss.

Egads! That AS is huge for one of these! Oh well, since it just blasted me with ice and then swung, it HAS to be in offensive, right? Right?!?


You gesture.
An invisible force guides you.

You're now aiming at the left eye of your target when using a ranged weapon, or while ambushing.

You fire a silvery white arrow at a lesser ice giant!
AS: +352 vs DS: +269 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +9 = +115
... and hit for 5 points of damage!
Attack bumps an eyebrow.
Oh! So close!
The guiding force leaves you.
The scintillating white light surrounding the arrow fades some.
The silvery white arrow ricochets away from a lesser ice giant, landing nearby.
Roundtime: 4 sec.

269? WITH sounds? Jeez, what the heck?


You gesture.
An invisible force guides you.

A lesser ice giant swings a massive icicle at you!
You evade the attack!

You are now in an offensive stance.

You fire a silvery white arrow at a lesser ice giant!
AS: +352 vs DS: +194 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +63 = +244
... and hit for 75 points of damage!
Incredible shot to the eye penetrates deep into skull!
The ice giant falls to the ground motionless.
A lesser ice giant no longer seems distracted.
The guiding force leaves you.
The silvery white arrow sticks in a lesser ice giant's left eye!
Roundtime: 4 sec.

Okay check that out, its DS was far lower than it was before. Is that 'glacial cold light' a critter form of spirit strike? Note that the monster had no spells on when I killed it (besides sounds). It seems that the only 'uber' lessers are the ones sans spells. Anyone else hunt up there have similar findings?

[StrayRogue]

It probably killed someone earlier that evening.

[Bobmuhthol]

Giving it only 1 level, yet still making it far stronger than the norm.

Whatever you say.

[Stunseed]

It's been a while since I've seriously hunted in Lessers, but....

A lesser ice giant swings a massive icicle at you!
AS: +374 vs DS: +351 with AvD: +35 + d100 roll: +30 = +88
A clean miss.

I remember < vaguely > that Lessers could outswing their big brothers. I remember getting tagged by an AS of 399, perhaps the Giant is in advanced stance? As far as DS, that does seem high unless the time after casting 117 is giving the Giant time to stance lower.

[Fallen]

A lesser ice giant's eyes glow with an glacial cold blue light! >>

This is a flare. Many creatures have them, and I think they are somewhat randomized.

[StrayRogue]

Thats not offensive stance Stun. A normal swing of theres is around the 300 mark. And as usual, Bob makes the dumbass remark. Critters don't level up like players.

[Fallen]

Critters don't level up like players. >>

They have since inacted the creature level system, though, right? A monster "Levels" or gets stronger for each person it kills. Or has that not taken effect as of yet?

[fallenSaint]

--"A lesser ice giant's eyes glow with an glacial cold blue light!"

Been several years since Ive actually hunted the Giants but best I remember thats their version of 117.

--"They have since inacted the creature level system, though, right? A monster "Levels" or gets stronger for each person it kills. Or has that not taken effect as of yet? "

And I do believe what stray was referring to is when they level its not as simple as when a character takes one level, where as their stats may get a rather noticeable boost off a single level. Now I myself dont know if its in affect or not just thought Id clarify what he ment from how I read it.

[StrayRogue]

It is in effect. It may well have been 117, but that doesn't also explain the giants unusual DS. Maybe its something in regards to Bolt DS or something, I don't know. I've never seen one in offensive stance with a DS anything like that.

There off DS is usually around 180's, their defensive being around the 280-300 mark. Maybe there was a lag and you shot after it stanced down. However, I doubt this, as giants swing very slowly.

[Drew]

Originally posted by StrayRogue


There off DS is usually around 180's, their defensive being around the 280-300 mark. Maybe there was a lag and you shot after it stanced down. However, I doubt this, as giants swing very slowly.



It's not just bolt DS, there have been several times lately after it's swung at me where it's DS has been about 320-340 in "offensive" which is higher than it's normal defensive stance.

[fallenSaint]

Maybe you guys that hunt there should start bugging it?

[Chaosmongler]

No new light to gleam on this subject, but I treked up to the greaters just to see how they were. At least for arrow-users, the greaters are far easier than lessers. Go ahead, bitch, dispell my prepped 101. Rawr!

Strange world <_<

[Drew]

Yeah, if I'm hunting alone I skip the stairs and head straight up to Oblin and the ridge, as long as you keep on your toes and keep a spell prepped around the greaters they are much easier than the lessers.