Aetheric Death Ray needs a slight buff.

Death ray takes a big commitment to utilize properly, and nearly all people who tell me that they've used it found the result to be underwhelming.

I believe the problem is with the mana cost and the failure rate proc effect.

suggestion:
change this line

Code:

<requirements mp="35" savvyBonus="0.25" mincost="15" /> 

to this

Code:

<requirements mp="30" savvyBonus="0.25" mincost="10" /> 

and change this

Code:

<effect type="trigger" amount="1" spell="Aetheric Discharge" percent="5" />

to this

Code:

 <effect type="trigger" amount="1" spell="Aetheric Discharge" percent="2" /> 

 

Sounds like a good plan.

 

The correct thing to take from this is that high commitment + large reward may not be a viable design plan for anything in this game.

 

I'm totally not decided on whether death ray needs a buff, I tend to vacillate between "It's fine, you just suck" and "it needs a slight buff". I'm just saying that if you were to buff it, It would only need a slight tweak to the failure proc rate and maybe a slight discount.

I think the best thing to do would be just to lower to failure proc rate.

 

I have to say, having maxed Rogue Scientist and all the Crafting levels (except smithing) ADR was underwhelming, but looking at the stats it doesn't seem like it should have been at all.
Have you checked to make sure the damage is being done properly?
Honestly, with RS possibly the most powerful tree there is (and potentially much more so now with magical law). You could just move ADR earlier into the tree so it's not the capstone...

 

Yeah, the biggest problem with the death ray is that Baromatic Vortex Upgrade comes before it, and after that the death ray looks pathetic.

The vortex does a ton of damage in a line three squares wide and stuns. For no mana. The only thing Aetheric Death Ray has over it is the lack of a cool down, which is largely spoiled by it's mana cost.

Swapping the two might be a good balance decision.

 

Gotta agree with eskr and TheKirkUnited. That the capstone may be under-performing a little doesn't strike me as a big deal since the earlier levels are so strong.

I don't really like crafting, but I still love Rogue Scientist.