Friday, December 24, 2010

HD555 foam mod

I decided to use some of my incoming holiday money on a new set of headphones, now that the ear cushioning on my HD485 has completely worn away.  I agonized for a long while on whether or not I needed to spend the money, considering the 485 still sounded great, and was simply uncomfortable to wear.  During that period, I naturally missed an Amazon lightning sale of the HD595 for $95.  So I ended up buying the HD555 (Sennheiser has earned my brand loyalty) at the same price.  According to design specs, it's basically the same headphones with marginally less frequency response, and since I'm not an audiophile this seemed acceptible.

Well, they arrived today.  I understand that most high-end headphones have a burn-in phase, but I was dissatisfied with the bass.  This is perhaps a result of having proper ear cushioning so the driver isn't sticking directly into my ear canal, but the sound seemed rather dead on the low end.  My 485 shakes my skull, and as with most forms of change, I was unhappy.

Some google searching later, seeking validation for my grievances, I discovered that somebody in the world of headphone hobbyism had devised a quick-and-easy mod to transform the 555 into a 595.  Apparently the audio drivers on both models are identical, and the cause of the 555's restricted response range is because Sennheiser glued a strip of high-density foam onto the mesh behind the driver.  Supposedly, this foam deadens the bass and inhibits incoming airflow, which fucks up the "soundstage" (the positional framing of sound, i.e. whether the origin seems like it's inside your head or positionally outside your ears) and doesn't let sound "develop" like sound waves are a fine aged French wine.

I watched a how-to on Youtube.  Thanks to the HD5-- series' modular design, every component of the headphone is removable and replaceable.  It was a simple procedure of prying off the foam cushion ring, then the inner mesh shield, unscrewing three screws, and lifting the driver assembly to reveal the interior side of the exterior mesh shell.  And sure fucking enough, a giant foam strip, 1"x2", was sitting right there covering maybe 60% of the available intake holes.  I peeled them off and reassembled both cups, and fired up some Pandora to test the difference.

NIGHT
AND
DAY

Holy shit, they sounded amazing.  The bass was hugely improved.  There's a little more leakage, since these are open headphones and you can hear from the exterior, but that's a small price to pay for performance.  I wanted to be shocked that Sennheiser is intentionally retarding their midrange model and jacking the price on the higher end of the series, but this is a standard practice for certain models of multicore CPUs too.

If my dad is to be believed, my sister is getting me the 595s for Christmas anyway, so I guess I'll be able to make a direct comparison in the near future.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

DPR: The Ranger

AKA "Archer with a gimped druid companion"


Jen'Eric Forestdweller
Ranger 6
Race: Human

25 points:
10->17 (13)
10->16 (10)
10->12 (2)

Str: 16
Dex: 22 (17 + 2 human + 1 level bonus + 2 Belt of Dex)
Con: 12
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 10

Feats:
H1 Weapon Focus: Longbow
L1 Point Blank Shot
R2 Deadly Aim
L3 Rapid Shot  
L5 Precise Shot
R6 Manyshot

Traits:
Killer (+3 damage on crit)
Heirloom Weapon (+1 hit)

Gear: (16000)
Belt of Dexterity +2 (4000)
Heirloom Composite Longbow +2 (+3 Str rating) (8700)
Mithral Brigandine +1 (2250)
1050gp

To Hit (assuming within 30ft):
+6 BAB
+6 Dex
+1 Weapon Focus
+1 point blank
+2 magical longbow
+1 heirloom longbow
-2 deadly aim
-2 rapid shot
= 13 (+1 or +2 conditionally for favored enemy)

Damage:
+3 str
+2 magical longbow
+1 point blank
+4 deadly aim
= 10 (+1 or +2 conditionally for favored enemy)

Math(normal):

+13 @ 2d8+20:  .65(29) + .05(.70(61) + .30(29)) = 21.42
+13 @ 1d8+10:  .65(14.5) + .05(.70(46.5) + .30(14.5)) = 11.27
+8 @ 1d8+10:  .40(14.5) + .05(.45(46.5) + .55(14.5)) = 7.245 == 39.935 DPR

Math(+2 favored):

+15 @ 2d8+24: .75(33) + .05(.80(69) + .20(33)) = 27.84
+15 @ 1d8+12: .75(16.5) + .05(.80(52.5) + .20(16.5)) = 14.64
+10 @ 1d8+12: .50(16.5) + .05(.55(52.5) + .45(16.5)) = 10.065 == 52.545 DPR

Pet (Badger?):

Hit = 2 BAB + 4 dex (+ 1 magic fang on bite) -1 pirahna strike == +5 (6)
Damage = 2 pirahna strike + 2 rage = 4
Feats:  Weapon Finesse, Pirahna Strike

+6 @ 1d4+5 = .3(7.5) + .05(.35(15) + .65(7.5)) = 2.75625
+5 @ 1d3+4 = .25(6) + .05(.3(12) + .7(6)) = 1.89
+5 @ 1d3+4 = .25(6) + .05(.3(12) + .7(6)) = 1.89 == 6.53625

With favored:

+8 @ 1d4+7 = .4(9.5) + .05(.45(19) + .55(9.5)) = 4.48875
+7 @ 1d3+6 = .35(8) + .05(.4(16) + .6(8)) = 3.36
+7 @ 1d3+6 = .35(8) + .05(.4(16) + .6(8)) = 3.36 == 11.20875

Total combined DPR:
Normal:  46.47125
Favored: 63.75375

Not bad overall numbers considering the class design doesn't favor 6th level very well, missing out on most buff spells and the upgraded animal companions (which they start getting at 7th, since they're perpetually at Druid -3).  It'd be interesting to see whether the ranger spells, favored enemy, and better pets overtakes fighter/archer feat and class-buff accumulation at higher levels, but I don't feel like making 10-15th level characters.  It's worthwhile to note that at 6th level, in this build, the ranger doesn't get the shoot-without-provoking-AoO feat.  Going Ranger5/Fighter1 doesn't help because you'd miss the combat style feat at Ranger 6.

Going to start thinking about viable multiclass combinations, but I'm not sure how many there are at 6th level that can beat existing single class builds.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Humble Bundle 2

Buy it now.  Hopefully they'll also eventually release a Steam activation code like they just did for the first bundle.

Cleric feats pt2

Channel feats:  If I were to head down a more offensive style of cleric play, the channel feats could be selectively useful.  I don't know how often we're going to encounter "outsiders" but demons seem to be the central bad entity of the campaign, and having a 30ft 3d6 burst at DC 19 seven times a day (that ignores allies) could come in handy.  Or it could be completely useless against every other monster in the book.

Item Creation:  This is kind of a gamble.  Sixth level is just enough to start pumping out +2 equipment and useful healing potions, but it assumes that +2 gear will be difficult to find as we head into E6 endgame.  There's a point at which equipment accumulation will become meaningless, making the gear crafting feats irrelevant after a while.  Potions/scrolls/wands will be nice, especially considering the limited spell slots and only one healer, but also kind of pidgeonholes the character as a fountain of healing, which might become tiresome.

I suspect that, given our party composition, I'll end up going with some combination of AC feats and embracing the role of front-line distraction.  I guess we'll have to see how sparing Chris is with the magic loot, or how many demonic/undead minions we fight.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Norben's progression path

Owen commented at our last D&D gathering (roughly paraphrasing): "We need to find a way to make Norben better in melee."  Thanks to a party heavy on ranged combat and light armor, my cleric has become something of a frontline defender and primary AC sponge.  I've been thinking about feat progression on the way towards the E6 endgame feat accumulation stage, whether to focus on offensive, defensive, or spellcasting options.  Here are the obvious primary choices:

Offensive:
Power Attack
Cleave + Great Cleave
Weapon Focus

Defensive:
Heavy Armor Proficiency
Toughness
Combat Expertise
Shield Focus
Saving Shield
Tower Shield Proficiency

Spellcasting:
Alignment Channel
Improved Channel
Turn Undead
Brew Potion
Craft Arms & Armor
Craft Wondrous Item
Scribe Scroll
Craft Wand

There are five major strategies here, or paths of improvement:  Melee buffing, armor/HP, shield buffing, channel buffing, and item creation.  Let's dig a little deeper into, say, a three-feat set:

Melee buffing:  By the time we get three feats we'll be well into level 6, so I think I can make the same assumptions here that I made in my other 6th level class optimizations.  This trio of feats results in a sum of -1 hit and +4 damage on all attacks, and cleaving whenever possible because cleric6 doesn't have a second base attack to worry about losing.

To hit:
+4 BAB
+4 Str (Bull's Strength from 14 to 18)
-2 power attack
+2 weapon
+1 weapon focus
+2 luck (divine favor)
+1 morale (bless)
= 12

Damage:
+4 str
+4 power attack
+2 weapon
+2 luck (divine favor)
= 12

Heavy Mace +12 @ 1d8+12 vs. AC20:  .60(16.5) + .05(.65(33) + .35(16.5)) = 11.26125 DPR
Without those feats:  +13 @ 1d8+8:  .65(12.5) + .05(.70(25) + .30(12.5)) = 9.1875 DPR

Three feats for 2 DPR doesn't seem like a great tradeoff, though it doesn't factor cleave.  If there's an adjacent enemy it becomes 11.26125*1.65 = 18.5810625

Armor/HP:  Let's go full cheese and assume Mithral Fullplate +2.

AC:
10 base
11 armor
2 dex (cat's grace)
3 deflection (shield of faith)
2 dodge (combat reflexes)
4 shield (+2 large shield)
= 32 after making an attack action, 30 otherwise.  Plus 6 bonus HP.

Without feats:
10 base
8 armor (breastplate +2, restricted to medium)
2 dex
3 deflection
4 Shield
= 27.  3-5 AC and a level's worth of HP is kinda big.

Shields:  Kind of boned from some of the more fun shield feats by only having a 10 dex.

AC:
10 base
8 armor
2 dex
3 deflection
7 shield
= 30, and can grant an adjacent ally +2 shield AC as an immediate action.

Armor/Shield hybrid?:  Heavy armor prof, tower shield proficiency, shield focus

AC:
10 base
11 armor
2 dex
3 deflection
7 shield
= 33 at all times, which is +6 AC versus going melee/spell/item routes.  Anyway, approaching 5pm, time to wrap up some work-related things.  Will investigate other feats tomorrow.

Friday, December 10, 2010

A good read:

The Worst Bathroom in New York City

Whenever I bitch to myself about absurd rent prices in Westchester, or my occasionally inconsiderate redneck landlord, I have to remind myself that it could be far, far worse.

Friday, December 3, 2010

More DPR stuff: Druid

Name: Katrina Wumaan
Class: Druid 6
Race: Human

Base Stats:
10 -> 17 (13)
10 -> 16 (10)
10 -> 12 (2)

Str: 20 (17 + 1 level + 2 race)
Dex: 12
Con: 10
Int: 10
Wis: 16
Cha: 10

Animal Form:
Str: 24 (+4)
Dex: 10 (-2)
Con: 10
Int: 10
Wis: 16
Cha: 10


Class Powers:
-Wild Shape: Dire Tiger form:
   +4 str, -2 dex, +4 natural armor
   2 claws at 2d4, 1 bite at 2d6 (you don't get rake until 8th level)
   Pounce and grab special abilities
-Large Ape companion (Tiger's a better option at 7th, but not at 6th)
-A bunch of druidic shit that has no bearing on DPR but is nice for RP

Feats:
H1 Power Attack
L1 Weapon Focus (claw)
L3 Weapon Focus (bite)
L5 Improved Natural Attack (claw to 2d6, delayed until L6)

Natural Spell is a better overall feat selection than the second WF, but for these testing purposes it wouldn't really apply.

Traits:
Killer (+ 2 damage on crit)
Anatomist (+1 to confirm criticals)

Gear:
Ring of Protection +2 (5000)
Amulet of Mighty Fists  (5000, flaming)
Armor:  Irrelevant.  Wild armor requires a total +4 enchantment, which is 16000 gp alone, which is unobtainable under level 6 wealth guidelines when you include the cost of the base armor and masterworking itself.  Even considering a post-L6 campaign, it seems unreasonable for a DM to start dropping +4 equipment.  If it were possible, he could wear hide +1, or even full plate +1 if ironwood is available (doubtful since it's a 6th level druid spell, which is theoretically impossible in E6, but you never know.)  Also, as per Transmutation school rules, bracers of armor don't work in polymorph effects.
6000 gold to blow on minor stuff...cloak of resistance, con item, etc.

Buffs:
Bull's Strength (+4 strength)
Greater Magic Fang (+1 enhancement on all natural weapons)
Barkskin (+3 natural armor)
Bristle (-2 natural armor, +2 damage)
Natural Rhythm (cumulative damage bonus)
Cat's Grace (+4 dex)
To hit:
+4 BAB
+9 strength (28 = 20 + 4 animal form +4 Bull's Strength)
+1 weapon focus
+1 Greater Magic Fang
+2 charge
-1 size
= 16

Weapon damage:
+9 strength
+1 GMF
+2 bristle
= 12

Secondary damage:
+1d6 flaming
+potential natural rhythm bonus
+4 power attack (-2 hit)

Animal Companion Ape:
Str 24
Dex 17
Con 14
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (claw), Weapon Focus (claw), Power Attack
AC:  18 = 10 + 3 dex + 6 natural -1 size
Hit: 11 = +4 BAB +7 str -1 size + 1 WF
Damage: 11 = 7 str + 4 power attack
Rough check:  .1(d/x + 1) = .1(11.5/4 + 1) = .3875, so power attack should safely be the way to go here

Math against AC 20:  The fairest calculation seems to be to include charge, which is easy, and animal companion (unbuffed), but ignore other potential situational damage sources like having a flaming sphere out, or other summoned creatures, and ignore flanking.  This kind of balances out including druid buffs, which never got factored into the barbarian or fighter mechanics.

Full round attack (charge):
+16 claw (2d6+1d6+12): .80*(22.5) + .05(.90(43.5) + .10(22.5)) = 20.07
+16 claw (2d6+1d6+12): .80*(22.5) + .05(.90(43.5) + .10(22.5)) + .85(1) = 20.92
+16 bite (2d6+1d6+12): .80*(22.5) + .05(.90(43.5) + .10(22.5)) + .7225(2) + .15(.85(1)) = 21.6425 = 62.6325

Full round attack (charge + power attack):
+14 claw (2d6+1d6+16): .70*(26.5) + .05(.80(51.5) + .20(26.5)) = 20.875
+14 claw (2d6+1d6+16): .70*(26.5) + .05(.80(51.5) + .20(26.5)) + .75(1) = 21.625
+14 bite (2d6+1d6+16): .70*(26.5) + .05(.80(51.5) + .20(26.5)) + .5625(2) + .25(.75(1)) = 22.1875 = 64.6875

Ape full round attack (power attack):
+11 claw (1d8+11): .55*(15.5) + .05(.60(31) + .40(15.5)) = 9.765
+11 claw (1d8+11): .55*(15.5) + .05(.60(31) + .40(15.5)) = 9.765
+10 bite  (1d6+11): .50*(14.5) + .05(.55(29) + .45(14.5)) = 8.37375 = 27.90375

Total normal DPR: 92.59125
 
Damn.  Let's do an AC calc to see if this is a reasonable PC:
 
10 base
2 dex (from cat's grace)
4 natural armor (wild shape)
3 natural armor enhancement (barkskin)
2 deflection
-2 bristle
-2 charge
-1 size
= 16, which is poor but can be adjusted to 20 with some minor DPR hits, which is ok because this build is already 40 DPR ahead of the barbarian and archer.
 
Keeping a flaming sphere active is very possible with this build since you can use the move action on the sphere but still get your full attacks via charge-pounce.  Buffing the companion would also be pretty easy.  And summon nature's ally 3.  Holy fuck.
 
Full round attack (power attack, no charge or bristle, AC 20)
+12 claw (2d6+1d6+14):  .60*(24.5) + .05(.70(47.5) + .30(24.5)) = 16.73
+12 claw (2d6+1d6+14): .60*(24.5) + .05(.70(47.5) + .30(24.5)) + .65(1) = 17.38
+12 claw (2d6+1d6+14): .60*(24.5) + .05(.70(47.5) + .30(24.5)) + .4225(2) + .35(.65(1)) = 17.8025 = 51.9125 ====> 79.81625

Too bad about the lack of armor, but this is still pretty good.  This build gets much better at 8th level when animal form gives you two more rake attacks on pounce (which don't forget works with grab-grapple too) and you qualify for the upgraded cat companions which can do the same charge-pounce-rake cheese.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

On Borderlands Weaponry

This post is designed to fill the 9-10:30am gap in what's usually my normal morning work and internet routine, which today was sorted through in approximately thirteen minutes.

Having reached the level cap with my hunter in Borderlands, and now having access to two mass-farming locations, I'm left with some interesting equipment decisions.  Here's my current inventory, with some mild errors since I'm doing this from memory:

1) Combustion Hellfire (smg), level 48, 162 damage, 85 accuracy, 10.5 RoF, 55 clip, x4 fire
2) Explosive Equalizer (revolver), level 67, 402 damage, 88 accuracy, 1.6 RoF, 2 clip, x2 explosive, 3.5x scope, +24 ammo regen
3) Brutal Masher (revolver), level 65, 382x7 damage, 88 accuracy, 1.3 RoF, 2 clip, 3.2x scope
4) Pestilent Defiler (revolver), level 52, 702 damage, 92 accuracy, 1.9 RoF, 6 clip, x4 corrosive

The masher is basically a 1-handed shotgun with more damage and better accuracy, and utilizes the hunter's pistol skills.  I got my first masher in Armory PT1 at level 38 and used it straight through level 60, it's that good, and I never saw another one until last night.  At first glance it's everything I could have wanted out of the first one; triple nominal damage and a scope.  However, I've learned that the gameplay during the later levels is so different that this masher just doesn't work.

In playthrough 1, enemies took their sweet time lining up shots, took 3-shot bursts, then retreated to gather their nerves.  This permitted ample time to zoom into the scope and line up perfect headshots.  In playthrough 2, and specifically at max level and in the later DLC, they shoot from the hip with perfect accuracy, fire off twenty rounds, and stop only long enough to reload before draining your shield from across the map.  Lining up a headshot is virtually impossible.  Every grazing shot you receive knocks off your aim, and by the time it settles back, you're hit again.  In the half-second window you have when you're miraculously not being shot, enemies are strafing and dodging, and you still can't scope them.

This means the only reliable headshot is to similarly shoot from the hip, unzoomed, with wild abandon.  Which is basically impossible with a 2-shot revolver.  It takes me two shots to dial in the aiming precision to get the reticule perfectly on a moving target's head.  In a 6-shooter like the Defiler this gives me four devastating criticals.  In a 2-shooter like the masher and equalizer, it means I have to reload, and when I'm ready to shoot again I have to restart the whole aiming procedure.  It just doesn't work.

This means the Defiler is my go-to weapon at virtually all times.  The 6 shots and high rate of fire means headshot spam is relatively easy, and the lack of scope is irrelevant.  The Defiler, as a special weapon, also does bonus instant damage against armored enemies (like everything in DLC3 and most things in DLC4), extra corrosive proc damage (at x4), and can spread to nearby enemies if they're close enough to each other.  It's pretty much the perfect endgame gun, except for the occasional corrosive-resistant enemy, at which point it's either painful and slow going with the other revolvers, or whipping out the SMG for fire damage.  (The Hellfire is pretty much exclusively for Badass Chemical Lancers.)

So the Defiler is locked in, but what about the other revolvers?  I have a wide assortment of non-explosive equalizers in the bank, but they're all 2-shooters.  This masher is only the second one I've seen all game.  If I could find another scopeless 6-shot masher equalizer like in PT1, that'd be perfect, but I suspect the combination of random rolls necessary to get 1) the orange weapon with 2) the equalizer tag and 3) a masher accessory on it was a once-in-a-gaming-lifetime event.

In the end, I'll settle for whatever equalizer and x2 elemental revolvers I can find with 6-shots and a preferably 1.9 RoF.  Anything less will leave me continuing to farm new guns.

Which I'll probably continue to do, despite the library of new games I've purchased during Steam's Thanksgiving sale.  I've beaten VVVVVV and And Yet It Moves, which were both fantastic puzzle platformers, but thanks to the stage-based nature of those games it was easy to pick up for only twenty minutes at a time.  The save-anywhere feature in Borderlands made it just as easily pick-up-able.  The other acquisitions I want to try (Torchlight, Jolly Roger, Recettear) strike me as requiring longer gaming sessions and more focus, and that's been difficult to get lately.