Okay I have two characters over level 50 and both have tats (my Spellhowler has the usual +4 Int and +4 Wit, my Elven Elder has just one +4 Wit).
When I got the +4 Wit tatoo on my EE there was a noticable drop in her mana regen rate. I got the tattoo to help raise my experience rez rate, but it got me wondering about how many people (if any) choose to NOT get tattoos and why.
Casting speed is crucial to healers or mages of any kind. I'm not sure if it works on healers maybe it only does on offensive typ mages but if you are so intimidated with the thought of losing the mana and mana regen rate just lower your INT for WIT instead. It will only affect your peace, serenade of eva, sleep.
Not by too much you will still be able to sleep and all it will only be noticeable in PvP.
you may decide to keep higher mp regen but this means slower sleep/heals and EE need fastest heals to compensate lack of GBH (GH/Vitalize or BH spamming). So it's an option to keep no tat or even to go -WIT if it's 2box and you need the recharge. BW robes will help quite a bit w/ regen, majestic too (well if you can afford, unlikely but).
Still the best set is DC (Speed +7, better pdef), casting speed is all that matters in crusial moments.
2box WIT is not so imporant - if you play the char in groups, pvp, +5WIT is like no brainer.
I'm not intimidated by it. It just seems that tattoos might also be dependant on what primary purpose you fulfill. Casting fast IS important as a healer and the tattoo noticably increased my cast speed. But if I was primarily going to be a recharger, the decrease in my mana regen would make a difference.
But I just used the EE as an example. Are there other classes/circumstances where you would not want the tattoo usually gotten for the class?
As a damage dealing caster is there ever a time you wouldn't want the +Int/+Wit tattoos? How about for some of the Fighter classes? What times would they want to stay tattooless?
PvE wise - melee, archers are like no brainer for +str (4 or 5). Cheaper and faster.
Only one exception pops in mind - hot springs for melee, doable by destroyers in majestic. Very good and fairly easy xp, decent drops. No tats seems plausible to me.
Even tanking +str is good. I can imagine SK going w/o tats, though, fairly basic setup. But most of the time tats are benefitical since they streamline the purpose of the class (pvp, pve.. olympiad, etc).
As nuker +WIT is always good, dunno probably some weird sps but SH/Necros are totally +WIT, and sorc too.
+INT is like the 1st to get as nuker. Being able to xp on harder mobs or overhits or anythingh. Damage>Mp Regen. So I see no reason nuker not going +INT, +WIT.
Summoners are also -INT, +WIT, +MEN and free.
But I just used the EE as an example. Are there other classes/circumstances where you would not want the tattoo usually gotten for the class?
I've decided against getting tattoos for my sk, simply because it seems perfect the way it is. Everyone seems to do it, but I won't. Str is high, con is low (hp blunt), dex is high. I'm not going to drop str ever, and I'm sure as hell not gonna drop dex. As far as wit goes, I need speed, but in my eyes is not worth dropping my int. And the biggest factor of all is adena... I am not about to pay over 4 million adena for a tattoo ever!! (aa=4 adena on bartz).
I just happen to think characters are balanced the way they are now. You take away wit, your cast suffers, you take away men, your mp regen suffers, you take away str, your dmg suffers, you take away con, your hp suffers... If I ever do get tats, and I've tried many combinations when they were cheap, it will be something small just for the looks :D. Like +1-1 :p.
I play a level 59 Bishop, and find that my casting speed is more than adequate without any +WIT tats, I wear Blue Wolf Robes and dont yet have an acumen weapon. Ive been the sole healer in ToI 9 pole parties and with proper planning and seeing carefully who is about to get aggro and need healing asap, you can time the heals without needing amazing cast speed. For instance the destroyer that is waiting in the corner ready for the train having just buffed guts is going to do major damage and WILL draw aggro. So once the puller is healed and stabalised his HP thanks to VR, I turn my attention to the Destroyer who after a few swings will end up drawing aggro. The moment his HP starts to move I heal, meaning by the time it lands his HP has started to fall significantly to need healing. Obviously this is one example but the logic follows that if you have slower casting speed you just have to plan a little bit more, which is never a bad thing. And honestly, the only times the "Oh ****" moments whilst healing have ended badly is when I have run out of MP, not when I cant cast fast enough.
Also when you are controlling a hunting area like a catacomb room there are lots of factors that determine whether you can hold the room but essentially kill speed must be greater than or equal to spawn speed. BUT the key to staying in that area over several buff runs is MP regen. Not just the healers but everyones. Once the DD's or buffers MP runs low your kills speed will fall and you will get swamped. Once the healers MP falls you have to abandon the room/area. So really its all down to MP regeneration, without MP every class is virtually useless as they cant effectively fullfill their specialist roles.
In raids you have to aim to kill the boss before one key element - tank, healer, DD's run out of MP. Once thats gone your screwed. So yes you bring rechargers to spread the MP where its needed, recharging the tank, nukers etc. But when it comes to Epic Bosses those rechargers have to regen their MP back up in time for when the tanks/nukers are out of MP again. So really its simple maths, the cumulative MP regen of the party has to be greater than the HP regeneration of the Boss.
LF EE's (without - MEN tatoos) for Antharas Raid!
Anyway back to +WIT tats for healers, I havnt found the need for one yet (maybe that will change who knows). But for the moment I'd say if you cast too slow, think faster ;)
What armor does your EE use? Only a certain amount of +Wit from your base will aplly to rez. If you are allready wearring BW Robes(+3 Wit), another +2 or +3 Wit will max your rez out(cant remember the exact number if its +5 or +6 from base)
not to break it up. at higher levels (77+) +WIT is terribly good for EE (OE recharge w/ arcane agility, SM... self recharge for 35+mp). Just like b2m w/o the body part.
Also depending on the party toi9 can be done w/o any healing just purify or sleep is enough. Only one threat are bender archers (dmg wise, para is nasty but not too bad either) if they opt for daggers (w/ -9con) or some robes but since they are only 2xHP they are the 1st to die.
On raid healing/recharge speed is times more important than regen, bring one more recahrger/nuker. This is the way it works. Bts>regen anyway as well.
In the end you need all the casting speed you can get in PvP.
What armor does your EE use? Only a certain amount of +Wit from your base will aplly to rez. If you are allready wearring BW Robes(+3 Wit), another +2 or +3 Wit will max your rez out(cant remember the exact number if its +5 or +6 from base)
At the moment I've been saving for Blue Wolf (She's in Karmian because it's what I had available). So, right now her cast speed is very fast, but her regen is gimped. For me, it's not a huge issue. But it just got me to wondering about the Tat issue. As I said, I did it for the percentage increase to my Rez.
The casting speed and rez bonus to WIT far outweighs any gimp regen IMO. I first went -2 MEN then months later -4 MEN and I didn't miss it at all. That was on my bishop, I got my SE a +4 WIT straight away.
BW helps a bit with regen and majestic even more. So I wouldn't worry about it.
But I just used the EE as an example. Are there other classes/circumstances where you would not want the tattoo usually gotten for the class?
As a damage dealing caster is there ever a time you wouldn't want the +Int/+Wit tattoos? How about for some of the Fighter classes? What times would they want to stay tattooless?
For the SK, I've added and removed tats depending on what I'm hunting and my role in consistent parties. My normal setup is +4STR & DEX, -8CON. But if I'm the primary tank (as was the case last month), I forego that setup in favor of a very simple dye set of +2STR -2CON and +2DEX -2CON, and let the armor bonuses do the rest of the work. I prefer to have more CON in those instances.
For mages, my only high level experience is with an SH, and I can't think of a time when the benefits of +4 INT/WIT doesn't outweigh the negatives. Maybe in C5 when MEN effects more than just mp regen.
As for the SE, mostly a buffbot or buffing out of party, but I gave her +5 Wit tats anyway. Even in Karmian, SE cast so slow. I hate waiting for the buffs, let alone the heals, sleeps, roots. :D