Hello everyone.

After sad and horrible Haelior's death to the spectral adept edge, I think we need to review spectral adept and spectral master edges. I've seen other necromancers deleting because they have wasted precious edge points for... Nothing.

Those edges were introduced long long ago, while EPs were flourishing and you could waste them on one or two useless edges. Now, things have changed dramatically.

Spectral adept is extremely expensive and it does absolutely nothing, except for extending wraithform timer to +2 hours (+3 on 51, I think). It does not make wraithform better in any other way, and most important - wraithform still may be dispelled by any kitten or level 1 dispel magic spell/item.

I also had them both, experimented with them and deleted, because it was a complete, absolute waste.

I suggest this edge to increase wraithform spell by it's level, and fix wraithform itself (so picking this edge would make any sense). Same should be done with the spectral master edges - it must increase wraithform kernel further, making it nearly non-dispellable, similar to invoker shields with a proper edge. Price for both edges must be decreased significantly, too, or even with those fixes nobody will take them.

Let's make them useful, please, not something that makes a good characters delete.

So non edged it lasts what 5-6 hrs which means the edge is extending the duration by possibly 50%. That is significant. Downtime on preps opens a whole heap of other options particularly around staying in the fight longer. You are also grossly overstating how effective level 1 dispel is.

Basically I come away reading this with you stating "Its to weak and costs to much" at the start "To make it grossly overpowered and cost nothing at the end". The only real improvement I can make on this is taking the edge should give you edge points so you can pick 20 more edges and 5 legacies.

It lasts 8 hours with the edge (7 + 0hr) and 6 hours without it for a 33% gain. Considering the length of most protections, 6 is fine to deal with for a low lag/low mana spell. It added no change to dispel I could tell and gave nothing to resistances despite it saying "find they are able to remain in the form of a wraith for longer periods of time, and supposedly to greater effect."

Here's the order of edges at the top. It completely wiped out edges for me for the next 100 hours. A ton of the other options would have been incredibly more valuable. I could have easily taken at least two if not three other edges to benefit.

You can choose the following edges:
Spectral Adept : You may study the lore of Wraiths, to better mimic their insubstantial form.
Master of Decay : You may further study the processes of disease and decay.
Twitchy : Your paranoia and perceptiveness could keep you safe from harm.
Overcome Distortion : You can learn to be resistant to the effects of sensory distortion.
Strong Wrists : Your wrists could be harder than normal to break.
Defensive Withdrawal: You can learn to flee from battle in a more controlled manner, diminishing
opportunities for parting blows.
Hex Augur : You may learn a Hex Augur's awareness of malediction.
Ehren Soul : You can call forth your Ehren Soul and its love of honorable combat.

If you want to keep the insanely high cost for 2 hours, fine, but at least fix the helpfile to point that out. I was expecting a bonus to resistances or at least dispel.

Either way, no one should ever take it imho unless they've got 10+ edges and a god that just hands out immexp like candy.

You're wrong about what exactly the edge does, so the helpfile is actually pretty accurate.

It's not exactly a small buff either.

-Ish

But a totally wrong. I have experimented with it before deleting the character early. As a serial necro player, I guarantee you next things:

1. Edge does nothing except +2 hours, which is useless - you don't get out of wraithform in teamfights, because 6 hours is a lot, and +2 hours is meaningless;
2. I have tested PVE damage reduction and PVP damage reduction, and it did NOTHING (and I have tested it VERY thoughtful and in A LOT of fights);
3. It does NOTHING in regards of dispelling. Wraithform can be dispelled by anything, anyone and I'm really surprised it's not being dispelled just by a bad weather, given how much it SUCKS in a way of resisting dispels;
4. Maybe that edge is supposed to buff wraithform, but it does NOT. Seriously, check not just the code, but test how it actually works. Because it DOES NOT workign properly/as designed;
5. Because of the said above, description of this edge sucks big deal and does NOT describe how the edge exactly (NOT) works;
6. You might be right and spectral adept opens you a way to spectral master edge - if so, and if it is this only purpose, please fix the helpfile and mention it;
7. There might be a hidden properties that no one eve disovered, but given how many years have passed since this edge was released, I do not think there are such properties, or they worth anything at all.

I hope you will not shrug those arguments off and take a look into that damned necromancer-killing edge.

It seems like the complaint is only about the adept edge, not the master. I have no clue about any of this of course, but I assume you need to take Adept to take Master though, and master looks really nice, so I would see it as probably worth taking adept just to take master.

Spectral Adept says in the form of a wraith to greater effect. Does it grant any additional neg, poison, disease or cold resistance, as opposed to general DR? These do not always show in the damage screen, but testing should bear it out, and I do think Torak is usually pretty thorough in his testing of things, so this is probably not it. More like a wraith would be more like an undead, though I am probably missing some other beneficial wraith aspect that Ish was hinting at. Less hunger, thirst, better mana or health regen, spellcraft bonus, who knows.

Master looks pretty sweet to me though, giving dodges, stronger damage and mana draining to translucent foes, which are most mages.

In light of some new information I shall change my statement:

"The only real improvement I can make on this is taking the edge should give you edge points so you can pick 20 more edges and 4 legacies."

Given "It's not exactly a small buff either." I have reviewed the number of available legacies and reduced it to 4. :P

gr

It's specifically hinted at to do more and it doesn't. The fact that it's the most expensive edge on the list (I'm talking above Twitchy/Ehren/etc) you would think it would be decent but it is far from it.

Don't try to be a smartass. I took it once and deleted as soon as I've realized that it was a total waste. Same happened to Torak, same happened to two more necromancers I've seen in a few years. It's a trap, it's a piss-off and a f*k-off edge that most be either removed completely, or fixed. I of course will not take it ever (unless fixed, and if so, I will), but it sucks to see an interested characters deleting because of this piece of ####. So don't try to talk about things that are too far beyond your limit of understanding and experience.