Hi all! Been thinking about this switch for a while now, and figured I'd ask for some advice (and possible consequences! Heh) before I go ahead and jump into a guild change. (Partly inspired by IC RP, partly by OOC interest)

Currently, I'm a Tae'dae Serenguard, and am considering a change to one of the wiccan or druid guilds (Warrior doesn't really interest me anymore and I'm not too interested in monks, though bard guilds are possible I suppose... Leaning towards a druid guild, but not too sure how often the whole "Carve these elders!" happens.). Will not be joining either of the cities, for RP reasons. I understand that the concensus is that Tae'dae *anything* = , but I'd really prefer not to reincarnate. Bashing isn't really a concern (already demi, and I typically influence anyway).

Combat-wise, I'm not overly interested in offensive raiding, but would like to be able to be at least semi-decent when needed to defend. Most of the discussions about combat tactics seem to assume at least an EQ/Bal neutral race, so I'm not sure what the lv3 eq/bal penalties mean for a lot of the more popular combat strategies. If it invalidates any of them (sleeplock, saplock?), please let me know to which guilds they apply.

Now, to the guilds I'm currently considering. Do any of Blacktalon/Shadowdancers/Hartstone/Moondancers have combat methods which are invalidated (not doable at all), or debilitated(Have to rely on serious luck, etc) by a slower eq/bal? Any guild/tertiaries which would work better/worse (or less bad, ) as tae'dae? I've been interested in demesnes, but would they work at all with a slow and low int race? Would any of those guilds work at all as tae'dae?

Other than family, I don't interact much with the Glomdoring population (And I took a long break from the realms and missed the new war starting so things probably are different now to what they were before anyway... ) - what is the general atmosphere like in those guilds I mentioned above?

Also a question regarding Stag's facepaints. What happens if the eq/bal modifying ones are applied to a race with lv3 bonus/penalties? Does it go up to lv4 equivalent, or remain unchanged?

Oh, also feel free to comment on any probable political fallout (i.e. enemy statuses) that might result from a Seren --> Glom migration. (Or even Seren-Seren! That probably won't happen though, heh)

(Theorycraft regarding a tae'dae bard is also welcome!)

Wiccans and Druids are affliction classes, so slow eq/bal is baaad. You could try, though! Plus incredibly low intelligence isn't too good.

I guess you could be one of those tanky druid types that sit there and don't get hurt.

As either of the wiccan guilds, I'd be at 12 int with Nightkiss/Drawdown, which didn't seem TOO bad. I could be wrong though. I suppose it'd be 13 with Knowledge Karma blessing?

EDIT: Actually, wouldn't the passives be beneficial to slow eq/bal? =x

The only thing I can comment on is political ramifications of going Seren -> Glom. You'd be enemied to the Serenwilde for sure-- whether or not you are enemied to the SG would depend on who is around at the time. You'd certainly be labeled an Oathbreaker though.

Moving to another Seren guild, while still sad, wouldn't have any political ramifications.

From what I've gathered, tae'dae wiccan/druid is pretty much a no-go due to both the low int and slow eq/bal that you mentioned. Granted, I've never been one, so this is all hearsay.

As for guild atmosphere, RP-wise, the Blacktalon is a family unit and though we might not interact a lot, we treat each other with a standard degree of respect and camaraderie. Carving elders is pretty important and happens... occasionally. You rarely ever get big clumps reverting, so there will usually only be one or two. We're don't really do much together guild-wise, which has always been a problem, but when we do it's usually rituals/sermons/contests. I tried to implement a regular theatre field trip but that hasn't happened in a while.

...I keep saying "we" as if I was still one of them. But as a tracker now, I have made the BT carve at my whim.

Shadowdancers are like... the total opposite, from what I gather. Titles, royalty, strict adherence to rules... That's about all I know!

P.S. Come to Glom.

As a druid, slow eq is absolutely terrible. Absolutely everything you do requires equilibrium, and nothing is gained by being slow at it.

As for going from Seren to Glom, you'll probably end up getting enemied. But unless you intend to start raiding all of a sudden, you probably won't see much of a difference.

We'll miss you, though

Edit:
Hartstone is a very small guild, smaller even then Shofangi right now, I think, and we appreciate and shower love upon everybody that joins. We don't have strict rules or regulations, and we are in the middle of an overhaul to the advancement system for full Druids. In BT in Glomdoring, you'd just be another Demi on the pile, and another BT in the group, while in HS in Serenwilde, you'd be one of the few Demigods and loved on and appreciated in the guild.

As far as elders in Serenwilde go, there are people consistantly patrolling for elder trees, and as long as somebody hasn't decided to go chopping, it's really a non-issue. In fact, I kind of like the break in the monotony when an elder is found, and it gives me a chance to RP with people that I might not normally interact with.

What. We're friendly

Anyway, yes, tae'dae's low int AND that level 3 equilibrium penalty will be hard on druid/wiccan. However, for Shadowdancers:

+ Garb for DMP (based on skill level, up to 17)
+ Drink for passive regeneration and curing
+ Penumbra for charisma and ego regeneration
+ Brumetower to nullify a druid
+ Bonds for a monolith-type effect
+ Flight for escaping tough spots
+ Choke (Yes I said it)

If you also go Healing, you would be tanky as hell, helped by the fact that Healing uses up ego.

My advice: don't join Glutdoring.

This is true, you can stay in Failenwilde if you want.




P.S. Let's not do this on this thread.

What! Lies! There are only two BT who are ≥100, so another one would be great! We really do appreciate our guild members, especially those who contribute in some way, even if it's just carving elders. We're just non-snuggly about it.

I was referring to the Glom demizerg, not the BT demizerg

We are also not snuggly. Possibly the least snuggly guild in Serenwilde.

Oh, another advice-- if you really like being Tae'dae, then don't worry if it cripples your combat. I'd rather be something I enjoyed doing than sacrifice it for an extra edge in something I don't care about as much. Sheesh, look at Ev-- he's crippled in just about every area, yet only less than half of his own people hate him! Pretty good I'd say .

I don't know about you guys, but we celebrate every demigod we get.

TO STOP THIS BEFORE IT GETS OUT OF HAND... I hear tae'dae make good bards.

I was pointing out that he would be part of a select few. I wasn't trying to make any disparaging remarks about the organization.

I try very hard to remain neutral on the forums.

I'll be quite honest and say that if you are wanting to feel useful, either go BT or don't go Glom. There are a lot of fighters in the commune right now and, combat wise, you could enjoy a more fulfilling role if you stayed in Serenwilde. A Druid would be appreciated and you'd be roped into doing stuff a lot - other guilds, you'd very much be a follower of the crew. However, if the RP is frustrating you, feel free to consider a move. Glom has a good RP crowd, and the darker stuff is always fun to play. But yes. Think carefully about what YOU want from the change.

I know, and you're cool like that, but I don't want anyone else getting ideas.

I find Tae'dae bard being good somewhat suspicious. You'd have decent damage boosted from demi + blessings + throne, but the horrid dex + balance penalty would hurt acrobatics and the eq penalty would hurt your offense incredibly I would think, since you have to reapply blanknote every 5-8 seconds AND get attacks in between. Like you said originally though, Tae'dae anything is pretty terribad these days.

Maybe I'll switch to Tae'dae for a day and play around, though. Maybe it's that HIDDEN GEM we've all been searching for...

Neutral shmeutral!

Oh, as far as what I would think would be best if you stay Tae'dae... given you're not thinking about offensive raiding... I suppose go druid, and defend, tanking massive damage as best you can while throwing out hindering to help your commune mates. But I've never been wicca or druid, so that's just from me seeing them fight/reading ab's a lot. I might be misled that that's the best option.

Agree with Sadhyra mostly. Either go Blacktalon or don't go Glomdoring. We're a fairly large population so it will be difficult to make a name for yourself here at the moment. By no means does that mean we would not appreciate you. With Serenwilde massively struggling in the fighter department, there is more oppurtunity for you to rise to prominence. The Hartstone are certainly in need of a better Champion.