Question on neck slot

[Gwynn]

Okay, so I just hit 65, and I also just got a Peacock Charm from a BCNM40. Selling that will give me more than enough gil to buy an Enfeebling Torque, and of course I already have an Enhancing Torque. My question is this: should I sell my Promise Badge, or will the +MND still come in handy for some situations? I've been trying to think of a situation where +MND would be better than +Enfeebling or +Enhancing, but I can't think of anything.

[kman]

I got rid of mine, the +7 enfeebling skill is so great that it's not worth carrying around your old promise badge. Granted +MND helps with Dia initial damage where as +enfeebling magic does nothing, and +MND helps with curing but again both benefits are very marginal. If your looking for advice I would sell it in your place and don't look back.

[Jei]

same here. I rarely switch my neck to anything else now in ext/merit/dynamis or HNM. except reraise gorget.

[TheGrandMom]

I still use my Promise Badge, to each their own. All my macros swap out gear and I carry LOTS of it! I use it with my rdm, whm, and blm.

[Gwynn]

Okay, thanks for the input everyone. I guess I'll just go ahead and sell it.

[Icemage]

Before you sell your Promise Badge make sure you can hit the 350 cap for Stoneskin without the +5 MND. Other than that, it's still useful for more potent Slow effects against enemies where you can reliably land the spell without extra assistance from Enfeebling Torque.


Icemage

[TheGrandMom]

Yep, I won't sell mine because it still has purpose. Not to mention that doing lvl capped missions and bcnms require lower lvl equips so....

[Gobo]

Basically if you can stick slow/para/silence without the torque toss on the Badge so that the spells are a bit stronger. Its nice to see Paralyze proc more like Ice spikes paralyze than a few times every casting...

Also, its a decent cross over item for a few jobs.

[kman]

You know what yea your right Gobo. I've recently been experiencing extreme weakness in a few of my spells especially on Exp mobs. Spells simply would not proc. often enough or not like they used to. Paralyze is the perfect example of that. This is due to my current setup looking something like this:

head: AF2
body: AF1
neck: Enfeebling Torque
legs: wise

The rest of the slots are switched into mind and int based on spell including jewlery. So I made the exchange of mahatma slops for wise broconi (legs). Result; well noticable I would say about 20% increase in proc rate. Considering how strong merited enfeebling skill can get, I can't argue with having two sets of gear. One for exp, and one for HNM. I've already started making my own differences for each and Mahatma slops are the first change I'm making, sometimes maybe it's even worth going for some mp gear but again use your own judgement every exp party every taks that we're required to do as red mages is different and unlike most jobs this versitility is what keeps things intresting :biggrin:

[Aeni]

+MND is kind of useless at these high levels for curing purposes. That's why you have a light/apollo staff (or you should) which boosts the potency by 10%, something no base stat can do for you (other than trying to cap your healing skills)

Just an FYI...

[Gobo]

To an extent yes. More MND wont bump up your cures too much. But this only applys to the first 4 cures (which are the only Cures RDM gets). Cure 5 (WHM only) on the other hand, is an entirely different story, since it has no soft cap.

[Aeni]

To an extent yes. More MND wont bump up your cures too much. But this only applys to the first 4 cures (which are the only Cures RDM gets). Cure 5 (WHM only) on the other hand, is an entirely different story, since it has no soft cap.

Yeah, I know ... but this is the RDM forum afterall :P

[Gobo]

Yeah, I know ... but this is the RDM forum afterall :P

Well..yeah..but we almost had Cure V, but they took it away from us very quickly... :<

[kman]

I did a test with a whm before regarding cure potency and mnd. Well a few mnd say 5-10 will increase cure 4 appreciatably. All others will have less than 10-20 hp differences. Cure potency as noted is an extreme jump in cure power. I'm not yet certain if obis have any effect on cures.

[Aeni]

I did a test with a whm before regarding cure potency and mnd. Well a few mnd say 5-10 will increase cure 4 appreciatably. All others will have less than 10-20 hp differences. Cure potency as noted is an extreme jump in cure power. I'm not yet certain if obis have any effect on cures.

The potency not only adds a consistent value over the "cap" of the healing amount, but adds a chance to critical on the spell. I've casted 105-108s on Cure IIs once every six to ten casts as a DRK/WHM (severely underleveled WHM mind you) using a Light Staff. Critical'd a 36 on a Cure I once before as well (I don't usually use that spell pleveling my other account after level 10...)

[Rodin]

The potency not only adds a consistent value over the "cap" of the healing amount, but adds a chance to critical on the spell. I've casted 105-108s on Cure IIs once every six to ten casts as a DRK/WHM (severely underleveled WHM mind you) using a Light Staff. Critical'd a 36 on a Cure I once before as well (I don't usually use that spell pleveling my other account after level 10...)

I don't believe that there are "criticals" on cure spells. The jump you most likely noticed was probably from casting cure on a lightsday. On lightsday you have a chance to cure a little bit extra. As well on Darksday, you have a chance to cure a little bit less. The only thing I've noticed that puts a jump up in Cure spells (Cure I - Cure IV) is a Light/Apollo's Staff, Noble's/Aristocrat's Coat, and Asklepios. Cure V is uncapped. Meaning the more MND you put into your equipment, the more HP Cure V heals. BUT, the effect is negligible, at 70-74 I was using Blessed Hands, Feet, Legs, and a Noble's Tunic. My Cure Vs did on Average about 860 a cast (with /SMN, more MND). While at 75, I'm using Rostrum Pumps, AF2 Legs, and Blessed Hands. My Cure V spells will now do about 820 a cure. I believe I have about 7 less MND than I did then. IMO, the effects are negligible to warrant going out and buying as much +MND gear.

For RDM, you should just sell your Promise Badge. Because from 65-72 RDMs level VERY fast. A buddy of mine did that in two weeks, and he has a very crappy work schedule. At 72, you'll be wearing Errant/Mahatma gear. At this point, you'll have so much MND and INT that you'll rather have Enfeebling + Gear. If you're going to merit RDM at 75, I'd say go for the Elemental Magic +, since RDMs really get shafted in that area. Most RDMs are expected to MB with Thunder III on Light MBs, and since RDMs have lower Elemental Skill +, they get resisted a lot. (It might be a good idea to buy an Elemental, and Dark Torque as well).

[Jei]

I don't have elemental toque nor elemental merit. My fire/thunder 3 MB never got resisted in any merit PT as rdm/whm. I don't think it's worth investing merit points into this skill. I don't know maybe it is if you got resisted a lot. But most Rdm I know don't put points into elemental.

I am main rdm so I put points into wind accuracy and enfeeble skills.
some of my friends only level Rdm for merit and not HNM, they prefer putting points into convert reuse time.

[kman]

I agree regarding Rodin's statement on cures. On lightsday you can get a so called HQ cure and on darksday a slightly deminished cure. Weather also plays a part in this as I've noticed during Dynamis runs most prefer Light/Appolo over Healing Staff for this very factor.

Regarding MBs, well yes it's very true that on MBs most will not see a diminished Aero III or Fire III or Thunder III. Reason being is that while MBs provide about a 25% damage boost I also believe they provide about the same in magic accuracy boost (this is theory but one that has been very apparent for since the very begging). Call it luck or not but resists even on the hardest IT++ mobs in Bibiki bay will be rare with an elemental staff on a MB, but they will happen! It will vary based on your race, your other gear, but our elemental is afterall not on par. It is especially noticeable on HNM magic bursts where dmg is just ackwardly low sometimes (full resists). So in those situations loading up on some magic accuracy or elemental skill will be far more useful than magic attack+ and some extra int. But again use your own judgement.

Regarding meriting I was originally inclined to do wind all the way. But if you have merited red mage merits you'll know that you can't take that all the way. Some break it up into wind and ice, others ice and earth or any of those combinations. I personally have decided to take the wind + thunder approach as it will merit my ability to not only magic burst with more devistation but those Dynamis Lord stuns will have a few less resists.

[Jei]

If I remember correctly, there was a patch that said skillchaining will lower elemental resistance for MB. Even as Blm I think nuking for MB gives me noticeably less resist compare to nuking without SC.