Project Grin - Community Adept Bots by Grinkles
- Thread starter Grinkles
- Start date
Another "small" community toon has entered the fray!
Grinrora is a scimitar-slinging, Sivyana-serving battle Druid ready to fight alongside Grinochah or anyone else who needs some beefy DPS or heals vs. The Beetle Queen. This means that people will no longer need to worry about moving the community Cleric between Greenmist Jungle and Centaur Hills. Special thanks to Rora for supplying a few last-minute augs and unexpectedly farming up a cool Headmaster's Visage.
Nearly done with the 32 WAR and 36 WAR for The Haunted Treant and Tarx the Stormfeather, too, so watch this space...
Grinrora is a scimitar-slinging, Sivyana-serving battle Druid ready to fight alongside Grinochah or anyone else who needs some beefy DPS or heals vs. The Beetle Queen. This means that people will no longer need to worry about moving the community Cleric between Greenmist Jungle and Centaur Hills. Special thanks to Rora for supplying a few last-minute augs and unexpectedly farming up a cool Headmaster's Visage.
Nearly done with the 32 WAR and 36 WAR for The Haunted Treant and Tarx the Stormfeather, too, so watch this space...
I've included a link to the Project Grin page at the top of the Adepts article. Thanks for the suggestion!
Better get your Pristine Gladewood Amulets, everyone.
The wiki will be updated shortly...
(By the way, I had to shop out the spear in the top pic after noticing just how phallic it looked once everything was turned black.
Certainly not befitting a handsome Troll lass!)
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Today is not a good day for The Wind Hag.
Grinwaij has come to town, and he specializes in harpy hunting. Once his items are done gaining exp, he will boast a formidable 255 STR and 255 DEX; paired with his Hunting Warscythe, which will cap at 60 DMG, this gladiator from Grobb can make very short work of The Wind Hag. Even at only 49 DMG currently, the Troll Warrior can already land Driving Strikes for up to 700 damage!
With a designated 25 tank for The Wind Hag, Grinimativ will no longer need to be moved from The Spectral Hunter. Line up to get your Harvest pants, healers and casters.
Grinwaij has come to town, and he specializes in harpy hunting. Once his items are done gaining exp, he will boast a formidable 255 STR and 255 DEX; paired with his Hunting Warscythe, which will cap at 60 DMG, this gladiator from Grobb can make very short work of The Wind Hag. Even at only 49 DMG currently, the Troll Warrior can already land Driving Strikes for up to 700 damage!
With a designated 25 tank for The Wind Hag, Grinimativ will no longer need to be moved from The Spectral Hunter. Line up to get your Harvest pants, healers and casters.
Beware, Tarx the Stormfeather. A new Warrior who goes by the name Grinaenir has set up shop in Lake Starfall, and rumor has it that his favorite pastime is plucking chickens!
Grinaenir's gear is highly lopsided. He sports 40 worn regen (though Fomelo only says 39 since it overlooks the staff) on top of his innate Troll regen. He also has over 250 MR, which makes him immune to every single spell that poor old Tarx is capable of slinging at him. His AC is abysmal, but what does that matter to a Troll with Wolverine-level regeneration?! If the player simply spams /s 6 and /s 8 as often as possible throughout the fight, this purple eagle eater is able to solo his designated Adept. Just be prepared for a long fight.
Tarx drops some nice gear, and I hope to see more melees joining the Runeshatter club in the near future. The wiki page has been updated. Enjoy!
Grinaenir's gear is highly lopsided. He sports 40 worn regen (though Fomelo only says 39 since it overlooks the staff) on top of his innate Troll regen. He also has over 250 MR, which makes him immune to every single spell that poor old Tarx is capable of slinging at him. His AC is abysmal, but what does that matter to a Troll with Wolverine-level regeneration?! If the player simply spams /s 6 and /s 8 as often as possible throughout the fight, this purple eagle eater is able to solo his designated Adept. Just be prepared for a long fight.
Tarx drops some nice gear, and I hope to see more melees joining the Runeshatter club in the near future. The wiki page has been updated. Enjoy!
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Daffie
Dalayan Pious Diety
A dude was asking for help at like 3:30 am cst to kill the lion adept to get the lantern for his main. I hopped on your paladin and cleric both of which he had already moved into position. Very cool of you to have these dudes set up, and stock them with gear and regents. The new guy's main got his gear tonight!
Announcing an unexpected newcomer to the Project Grin lineup -- Grinlolin, the fireproof Cleric with a hatred for all things haunted!
This character was created, raised, and generously donated by Rora. All I did was max the toon's alignment bonus and give a little advice early on, so give all the thanks to Rora in game.
Grinlolin boasts a formidable list of clickies. Coupled with her 20% alignment bonus, ~200 unbuffed fire resist, and an ample mana pool (which should grow by another ~100 through [EXPABLE] gear), she will make an ideal addition to any Haunted Treant raid force. Bonus points if you pair her with her prettier cousin, Grinlana!
The wiki page has been updated.
(The addition of this toon means Grinvinter, the poor, overworked level 30 Cleric, will no longer need to put in overtime for this Adept.)
This character was created, raised, and generously donated by Rora. All I did was max the toon's alignment bonus and give a little advice early on, so give all the thanks to Rora in game.
Grinlolin boasts a formidable list of clickies. Coupled with her 20% alignment bonus, ~200 unbuffed fire resist, and an ample mana pool (which should grow by another ~100 through [EXPABLE] gear), she will make an ideal addition to any Haunted Treant raid force. Bonus points if you pair her with her prettier cousin, Grinlana!
The wiki page has been updated.
(The addition of this toon means Grinvinter, the poor, overworked level 30 Cleric, will no longer need to put in overtime for this Adept.)
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I just noticed two unfamiliar level 1 characters with Grin- names online. I spoke with the player and it turned out that he had taken it upon himself not only to make two toons using the Grin- prefix, but also that he had even originally tried to name the accounts following the Project Grin community[CLASS][LEVEL] naming scheme (but was unable to do so because I already own the account names he wanted). One of the characters, an Enchanter, was apparently intended to become a ringer for the level 42 Theurgist Iztala fight in Paw, which was frustrating to hear because I am already actively working up such a toon these days.
Obviously, there's no such thing as a patent on SoD account naming conventions, and this is the kind of thing that can go with the territory when you end up opening accounts up to an entire playerbase, but PLEASE -- if you are interested in raising up your own Project Grin character, consult me first!
A number of problems can arise if people start making accounts without running it by me:
On a lighter note, keep an eye out in the next couple of days for another addition to the Project Grin roster. I can already hear a certain overgrown crocodile twitching with fear!
Obviously, there's no such thing as a patent on SoD account naming conventions, and this is the kind of thing that can go with the territory when you end up opening accounts up to an entire playerbase, but PLEASE -- if you are interested in raising up your own Project Grin character, consult me first!
A number of problems can arise if people start making accounts without running it by me:
- Characters with Grin- names that have nothing to do with me give the impression that I've had a say in creating them, which I haven't.
- Accounts created using the Project Grin account naming scheme without my authorization will be attached to emails I have no knowledge of and no access to, not to mention the fact that I will be prevented from utilizing those account names myself in the future. Under my current system, all accounts are able to be managed by me from a single, central email, which is ideal for the purposes of such a project.
- I've learned a number of things about optimization since I began the project, and I may have insight that might not occur to a player who is less experienced with Adept fights or low-level min/max strategizing; for example, the above-mentioned "imposter" (for lack of a gentler word) Enchanter spent 25 points in CHA -- an inefficient choice, given that a level 42 Enchanter geared with my methods would easily reach 255 CHA without wasting a single starting point in that stat.
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On a lighter note, keep an eye out in the next couple of days for another addition to the Project Grin roster. I can already hear a certain overgrown crocodile twitching with fear!
mechkl
Dalayan Elder
I think what grinkles is saying is if you wanna help just ask. trying to jump on a moving train is dangerous for everyone. There are just alot of ways he optimizes the grin toons that many people may not be aware of. When i started helping i was blown away by the thought he puts into each character down to what race and gender they are matters. Helping is great, and i personally applaud people who are willing to help(2 almost dedicated crafters come to mind there), but there is a system behind grinkles madness, if you want in just ask please or you are just throwing rocks in that system.
I apologize if my previous post sounded somewhat controlling or grumpy. Daffie and Tierilo are right -- this is a project for the community after all, and I don't want to make it sound like I'm turning away help. In fact, most of the community toons owe a lot of their development to the likes of Matbar, Rora & Son (whose name I don't know, sorry!), and Tierilo in one way or another. There's certainly no reason more names couldn't be added to that list. My only worry was that the project might become muddled if people begin pitching in willy-nilly.
So, if anyone does want to join in by making a character of their own or pitching any other cool ideas for Project Grin, let's put that enthusiasm to good use and plan together from square one so that the community will have the best possible open-access toons to choose from down the road.
For the record, I'm currently working on the following:
Project Grin has gained its first community toon targeted specifically at Sandjaw. The level 32 Shaman was initially raised by Rora & Son, though I was handed the reins when he was level 23. This Froglok sports a respectable 15% Pariah alignment bonus (sorry, Malath -- you're just too finicky! ), 250 Swimming skill, thirteen [EXPABLE] items eagerly waiting to be maxed out, and 14 worn regen to allow for ample use of Cannibalize to inflate his mana reserves during the fight against Sandjaw. Because this Adept is fond of rooting and summoning the tank, players often choose to do the entire fight underwater; luckily, Grinlada gets a 5% innate crit heal bonus underwater simply for being a Froglok. I estimate that he'll gain at least another 250 Mana once his gear gains some levels through use.
Looking forward to seeing more Sandjaw loot enter the playerbase, particularly that snazzy 72 AC chestplate he drops!
I'm off to update the wiki page...
EDIT: If anyone wants to donate a spare Gleaming Shell Necklace or Runed Shell Necklace from Siren's Grotto (i.e. the kind with unlimited targetable charges), this character could benefit greatly from such a a gift. Enduring Breath is essential on this fight, and I doubt his backpack full of Fish Scales will last long. Let me know if you're willing to lend a hand with this matter.
DOUBLE EDIT: Thanks for the necklace, Kerolynne!
Daffie and Tierilo are right -- this is a project for the community after all, and I don't want to make it sound like I'm turning away help. In fact, most of the community toons owe a lot of their development to the likes of Matbar, Rora & Son (whose name I don't know, sorry!), and Tierilo in one way or another. There's certainly no reason more names couldn't be added to that list. My only worry was that the project might become muddled if people begin pitching in willy-nilly.So, if anyone does want to join in by making a character of their own or pitching any other cool ideas for Project Grin, let's put that enthusiasm to good use and plan together from square one so that the community will have the best possible open-access toons to choose from down the road.
For the record, I'm currently working on the following:
- Level 25 DRU for The Wind Hag
- Grinaryth, the level 25 Cleric, currently does a lot of moving between Oasis and Obsidian Shard Mountains since there are two Adepts at this level. This Druid newcomer will allow the poor Froglok to take a break from double duty. It's mostly down to raising casting skills and filling out aug slots by this point.
- Level 35 MNK for Maggot-Infested Corpse
- This character will be the premier tank for this fight, given that Monks are the only class to gain a Charm-proof stance right at level 35. She still has much work to do. The biggest hassle is going to be finding a way to farm up a robe from Notus, though the aggro generated by this chest piece will be ideal for the Maggot-Infested Corpse encounter.
- Level 42 ENC for Theurgist Iztala
- The dreaded Theurgist of Paw may at last meet her match when this Enchanter hits the scene. Not only is she slated to be the highest level Project Grin toon available upon release, but I'm hoping her superior mez capabilities finally make this notoriously "unkillable" Adept a viable target for the playerbase. Granted, there'll still be the matter of needing a tank and heals, but at least those are easier to come by at that level range than the rare, elusive Enchanter.
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The Dawn Tribe Orcs of the Oasis have spotted blood in the water of late, and rumor has it that it's the doing of a croc-hating Taldorian by the name of Grinlada!
), 250 Swimming skill, thirteen [EXPABLE] items eagerly waiting to be maxed out, and 14 worn regen to allow for ample use of Cannibalize to inflate his mana reserves during the fight against Sandjaw. Because this Adept is fond of rooting and summoning the tank, players often choose to do the entire fight underwater; luckily, Grinlada gets a 5% innate crit heal bonus underwater simply for being a Froglok. I estimate that he'll gain at least another 250 Mana once his gear gains some levels through use.Looking forward to seeing more Sandjaw loot enter the playerbase, particularly that snazzy 72 AC chestplate he drops!
I'm off to update the wiki page...
EDIT: If anyone wants to donate a spare Gleaming Shell Necklace or Runed Shell Necklace from Siren's Grotto (i.e. the kind with unlimited targetable charges), this character could benefit greatly from such a a gift. Enduring Breath is essential on this fight, and I doubt his backpack full of Fish Scales will last long. Let me know if you're willing to lend a hand with this matter.
DOUBLE EDIT: Thanks for the necklace, Kerolynne!
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beebo1969
Dalayan Beginner
Thanks for finishing this toon Grin, my son had to drop this for awhile. He's been working his brain cells off w/ college junior year finals... Now he's off to Sweden for 3 more weeks of intense study. I'm very proud of him.
He was very happy when he learned you were getting this awesome frog ready for adept work.
BTW, he usually goes by: Dexay / Dafnee.
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Note about helping with this project. I've made one toon, just one... this was hella! time consuming.
Big Props to Grinkles for the mad time sink (***crazy amounts of plat t00) invested and to Tierilo for all his Paladin work...
This is far from easy, and makes the game very enjoyable for newer players.
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I think my favorite part is seeing what Grinkles comes up with for character art for these posts!
He was very happy when he learned you were getting this awesome frog ready for adept work.
BTW, he usually goes by: Dexay / Dafnee.
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Note about helping with this project. I've made one toon, just one... this was hella! time consuming.
Big Props to Grinkles for the mad time sink (***crazy amounts of plat t00) invested and to Tierilo for all his Paladin work...
This is far from easy, and makes the game very enjoyable for newer players.
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I think my favorite part is seeing what Grinkles comes up with for character art for these posts!
Most Adepts from 43-57 don't have toons in active development currently. Because healer+tank are the core of a raid force, these are the ones most in need. A well-geared tank with a wimpy healer is usually better than a well-geared healer with a wimpy tank, so I would say tanks are top priority for this level range. If you'd prefer to make a healer, though, that'd still be helpful. Is a Grinedrin or Grinkedrin on the horizon perhaps? Any Grin- name would be fine, as long as it references some player you want to pay tribute to.
Do Snowskin (43) and/or Icefeather (45) interest you? Here's some rough char creation info to consider:
- Tank -- Recommend WAR for best DPS:
- Barbarian would get -5% to the AEs on either fight, 1% crit bonus, and decent starting stats.
- Ogre would get a longer-lasting stamina bar for heavy-duty /s work and could easily reach 200+ STR/STA, allowing all 20 starter points to go into AGI for higher base AC/avoidance.
- Troll would get regen and slightly better starting stats than the Barbarian.
- Wood Elf would get +2% crit since the fight is outdoors; solid AGI, but low STR/STA may prove too much of a burden.
- As an added bonus, a Wood Elf would not be KoS to the animals that roam these zones.
- Healer -- Recommend DRU for utility and moderate healing or CLR for maximum healing:
- If DRU:
- Wood Elf is the best min/max option for a DRU for these two Adepts, as both fights take place outdoors and will confer +2% chance for crit heals.
- Since healers are almost always "one-trick ponies" on Adept fights, I recommend spending 25 points in WIS and the leftover 5 in STA.
- A Druid will not have a CHeal like a Cleric would; furthermore, Druids get Superior Healing and Greater Soothe at 44, so a Snowskin DRU would have to make do with Greater Healing and the (virtually negligible) level 19 HoT.
- If CLR:
- Erudite would get a flat +1% crit heal chance.
- High Elf would fizzle less often and come with +1 FT built in.
- As with the DRU, starting points could safely be spent +25 WIS and +5 STA.
- If DRU:
If you happen to focus on Icefeather, note that you'll be aiming for that magic level 45, which happens to be the recommended level for Deepmetal and Shadow Silk gear as well as several nice BOEs. This can turn very expensive very fast, but if you're feeling spendy.... Otherwise, we can easily formulate a list of simpler stuff to outfit your toon with.
Let me know, and if it you change your mind, no hard feelings.
AngryCow
Dalayan Elder
Grinagnis
Swiftur
Dalayan Elder
Uhh I completely disagree with this. Soothe (19) heals overall the same as than the lvl 29 cleric hot because it lasts longer, and it costs less mana.
In addition, greater soothe (44) is actually significantly better than the 44 cleric hot because it hits for more and lasts an additional 2 ticks.
Each have their own strengths but if it were me and I had to pick one equally geared healer of the 2, I'll take the Druid hots and greater healing over a one trick CH any day. Not to mention DS (assuming no Mage)
Clerics really start to shine after divine light (53)
You have a valid point regarding the HoTs. I have little experience with DRUs in this level range because the project thus far has mainly encompassed Clerics for healers. It doesn't help that the in-game spell description for Soothe claims that it restores 2 (TWO!) hit points per tick, and the official spell parser entry lists it at 4 per tick. A spell editor reads that it maxes at 89 base per tick, whereas Celestial Health (the 29 CLR spell) reads at a flat 115 base per tick. The two additional ticks from the DRU's Soothe would indeed put it at a greater net healing.
I guess I've always just been a little puzzled by the fact that Druids, the premier heal-over-time class, have such a huge gap between Soothe (19) and Greater Soothe (44). Clerics have a smoother progression (19, 29, 44), and I always assumed this meant that Druids lagged behind substantially until 44. Yet another case of mid-level spell inconsistencies....
Thanks for pointing it out, Swiftur.
Out of curiosity, do lowbie Clerics and Druids have identical crit heal rates? I can't even recall off the top of my head whether Druids have the chance to land crit heals prior to AAs (and apart from racial bonuses), though I suspect they can. It would make sense to me if the Cleric retained the advantage with a higher base chance to land critical heals, but maybe I'm assuming too much.
Stonewalljack
Dalayan Elder
As far as I know, only clerics get innate heal crit chance, and the amount is difficult to find.
Swiftur
Dalayan Elder
Aye. If I had to guess it's somewhere between 2-4%
taosanterior
Dalayan Elder
Druids definitely don't get innate crit heals, outside of racial bonuses.