SK Disease Cloud = Aggro? Huh?

[Barnabas]

My understanding of aggro, I thought was a bit clear (built by taunting, damage, sometimes healing, but someone mentioned today that Disease Cloud builds aggro.

I don't quite understand how. It does 1 tick of damage over time. There is nothing in the spell that seems to indicate it generates aggro, so I guess it's bothering me that I don't understand how a 1 damage DoT spell is a staple for building aggro for the SK.

If someone could please explain, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks :)

[Swish2]

Maybe it's the act of a dot being applied rather than the strength of it. Shit's classic though, it's always been the cheap go-to for a SK, particularly at low levels or with low INT.

[Barnabas]

Maybe it's the act of a dot being applied rather than the strength of it. Shit's classic though, it's always been the cheap go-to for a SK, particularly at low levels or with low INT.

Interesting.. so is it more of an unintended type of thing than a "by-design" aggro builder? When the dude mentioned that, I scoured the guides and Google and I felt kinda silly for not knowing it. Turns out, it really isn't so obvious..

And so the act of applying any old DoT is the aggro builder? Not the damage itself?

[Nibblewitz]

Spell aggro is front-loaded - you get all the hate of the spell upon casting.

65 damage aggro plus 1 disease counter for 10 mana is legit.

[pickled_heretic]

Spell aggro is front-loaded - you get all the hate of the spell upon casting.

65 damage aggro plus 1 disease counter for 10 mana is legit.
not entirely true, in the sense that you also get aggro from dot ticks. But there is an initial aggro component on disease cloud (and presumably lots of other dots) as well.

[Asteria]

not entirely true, in the sense that you also get aggro from dot ticks. But there is an initial aggro component on disease cloud (and presumably lots of other dots) as well.

Good info - has anyone figured out exact or approximate threat gains from casting stuns, slows, stat debuffs, or snare effects?

[fzzzt]

I have a feeling (no proof) that one component is based on the duration of the spell. Maybe even exponential. Snare (which does no damage) and DC both last a really long time and generate a really huge amount of hate. Other DoTs generate a lot less hate but do a lot more damage. Shadow Vortex (the other SK go-to hate builder) also generates a metric buttload of hate, does no damage, and lasts a while (half as long as DC).

Or the spells just have a specific amount set, which seems a less efficient way to do it to me. So that's probably the way it works. :)

[ScaringChildren]

The hybrids get aggro spells at level 9.

SK - desease cloud

PAL - Flash of light

RNG - Flame lick

Not sure how or why it works, just know that it does.

SKs also get Vortex.... something? It's an AC leech I think. That also draws a ton of aggro

[Barnabas]

Good stuff guys. I think I understand it much better now. Appreciate the insight.

[Pyrion]

Any stat debuff (Flash of light, Flame lick) produces lots of aggro. Not entirely sure about disease cloud though... maybe it's really because of it's long duration.

RNG can also use snare to taunt, almost as good as flame lick with added benefit.

[reevesz]

The hybrids get aggro spells at level 9.

SK - desease cloud

PAL - Flash of light

RNG - Flame lick

Not sure how or why it works, just know that it does.

SKs also get Vortex.... something? It's an AC leech I think. That also draws a ton of aggro

Shadow Vortex is legit as well. When main tanking, I cycle through Disease Cloud and Shadow Vortex. If we have a chanter in group, throw on a couple Shadow Vortex and then break mez with the DC and your chanter will love you long time.

[Legidias]

Duration does not have any correlation with aggro (besides dots where longer dots = more frontloaded damage aggro)

What matters is the poison / disease counters applied.

[Frug]

Friend of mine (and I) were leeching CoV faction on a AOW/Statue raid and at level... 20-something he drew agro with a Flame Lick not knowing. He ded.

[Frug]

> break mez with the DC and your chanter will love you long time.

He better, since that's how long DC lasts.

[Tethler]

> break mez with the DC and your chanter will love you long time.

He better, since that's how long DC lasts.

I like to DC chanter pets when charm breaks so the pet yells about it for 10 minutes.

[Brut]

Vortex costs way more manas. Spam Disease Cloud and Clinging Darkness back to back.

Although if anyone is stealing aggro after one or two DCs, then that's their bad and not the SKs. /nod

[Cen]

Oh that's funny there is someone I just told about that in Kurns who was surprised to learn it.

The way I understand it is that disease Cloud adds 3 effects where some Spells components only have 2 or 1effect. Disease Cloud has a set amount of damage which is a lot larger than you think because it counts all the damage over the long period of time. It adds to separate other affects one of which is called a disease counter effect that determines strength of curing diseases needed and the other is a type of debuff effect.
Spells like force shock or chaotic feedback have two effects for example direct damage and then a stun or push back. Spells that have more effects tend to have more aggro from what I've seen. Maybe I've got it all wrong though.

[Cen]

Also by the way you might be thinking "boy it's really convenient that the tank class ended up with a spell that can do amazing aggro and almost seems like it was by design...I actually don't believe it is. See almost every class has a handful of spells that could either compete with or completely beat out disease cloud if they were spammed. If there's classes happened to be the tanks you would be spamming them :p

[YendorLootmonkey]

Friend of mine (and I) were leeching CoV faction on a AOW/Statue raid and at level... 20-something he drew agro with a Flame Lick not knowing. He ded.

Your friend needs to turn in his fire beetle eye, he is too reckless to possess one.

[Naerron]

If you really want to understand how agro and hate work, here's the link to the rabbit hole my friends.

http://www.eqemulator.org/forums/showthread.php?t=39819

[Xealias]

Any stat debuff (Flash of light, Flame lick) produces lots of aggro. Not entirely sure about disease cloud though... maybe it's really because of it's long duration.

RNG can also use snare to taunt, almost as good as flame lick with added benefit.

Snare is nowhere near the aggro flame lick generates for RNG.

[YendorLootmonkey]

Snare is nowhere near the aggro flame lick generates for RNG.

Especially when you count the aggro from your enchanter if they're trying to crowd control. Flame Lick can piss off NPCs and PCs.

[Doctor Jeff]

Simply put, more slots = more aggro

[Pope Hat]

TLDR but this is the best info on aggro I've ever found.

http://www.eqemulator.org/forums/showthread.php?t=39819&highlight=ranged

Disease counters add to hate is the TLDR version.

[elwing]

Counter adds 350 hate if memory serve... Which is huge on a 10mana spell that's why disease cloud is so great. Vortex is really useful but at 40mana that's ruinous compared to disease cloud. It has two distinct uses, make agro on mezzed mob, disease cloud breaks mez... Or to add more hate during the long recast time of disease cloud when you want to generate huge agro quick...

[elwing]

Yep, taunt is not there to generate agro, it add like just 1hate...what it does when successful is that it place you on top of hate list... Meaning success taunt +dc followed by vortex should make you on top with some room... So no mashing taunt button on the contrary, do not touch it and keep it up and ready for agro losses... The only exception is to train taunt when you have no issue with agro in which case just spam it away to train...

[Tethler]

Yea Disease Cloud is the tits. Taunt will not work if you already have agro, it only serves to regain agro by placing you 1 hate higher on the agro list than the previous #1

I learned something new! I always assumed taunt just added a fixed hate value when used. I didn't know it had that mechanic. Guess I'll quit mashing it now. :p