Stick with it, Anatha. You have a supportive crew from the looks and you're clearly willing to seek and take advice--that and experience will take you far! I remember when I started raiding with the defiler back in Sentinel's Fate--I was scared for a while, then stressed, but now it's pretty routine, because I learned along the way (and am still learning!) Let the DPSers worry about their own. Concentrate on your role and you'll be fine!
Here is another question...what spells from the knowledge book do you NOT bother putting on your hotbars? The ones that really are for the most part, useless. To clarify, the ones under the spells tab. I was also talking with a fellow guildie last night. He has a defiler and says that he prefers wraithwall over phantasmal barrier as he knows using wraithwall will protect the tank instead of playing Russian Roulette with the RNG factor of phantasmal barrier. He said it is a matter of preference but I have seen suggestions on this thread to me to use it instead of wraithwall. He doesn't play his defiler as his main or main alt. However, he is very knowledgeable when it comes to the mechanics of every class he has created.
Regarding wraithwall. The first question you need to ask is whether you are in a tank group. If not, no sense even considering it. The second question is whether your single target wards are sufficient or whether your tank is getting smashed down even with your normal wards up. If you are keeping your tank up with your normal wards, no need for wraithwall. If your tank is still getting smashed you can consider it. I used to be one of those people who doubted Phantasmal Barrier b/c of the 2 lowest person thing. But the more I use it and play with in raids the more I love it. It is very good when anyone in the raid spikes suddenly. Or if you throw up soul ward. Or (and this is often overlooked) if you need to get someone really far away (it has a huge range on it I think mine is like 70+m). Maybe the coolest element is that it is instant cast and can be cast while using another ability. So if you are casting carrion warding/spirit aegis and suddenly someone spikes a bit - you can mid cast of your big ward - also apply Phantasmal barrier.
Ah interesting, Monstuhr. Since this is my main alt and I am just starting out, not sure when my GL will put me in the MT group. Technically in regular 6 person groups, I AM in the tank group. I will keep the points in Phantasmal Barrier for now and see how it goes.
I have six hotbars, so I have most of it there... Terror chant I rarely use. My various call spells for the most part too (hardly useful in combat!) and several other non-combat related items. Ancient Terror is useless against Epics, so feel free to sideline that! I'm still not sold Crystallize Soul is still useful at the current moment, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that... Aside from that, get used to running with a bunch of hotbars...
Any fear won't work on raid mobs, but will work on heroics within a raid zone. That said, you have to be really experienced at knowing how far your fear reaches and what mobs you are going to pull if you use it. Some zones have paper for walls and using a fear pulls mobs from other SERVERS through the floor and walls. (Ok, I'm exaggerating but you get what I mean). Your de-aggro spell (can't remember the name...red/blue splashy looking icon) has a fear component that won't work in a raid, but the de-aggro will so you do want that on your hotbar. If you have a good tank and get your rotation down you won't have to use it hardly ever, but you do want it available in a situation where that one mob peels off and starts beating you up. I do like Crystallize Soul because it gives a cure as well. The trouble with CS is getting everyone to find the item in their bags and put it on their hotbars and then using it. That's a lot of 'ifs' for a group not used to using them. If they WILL it's a good spell - minor but sometimes that's all you need.
Crystalize Soul is a buff you cast on the group. When they kill mobs it has a chance to proc a Crystalized Essence in group members bags. The Crystalized Essence is a self cure and small heal. It will even cure a stun or other control effect, so it is a great aniti-stun tool if you can train your group to use it. The main problem with it is getting people to place it on their hotbar and use it. If you tend to run with the same group of players they can keep it on their hot bar and know when to cast it. My group will occasionally ask me for a new one and I just tell them to kill stuff.
Sorry for the delay in reply, but I'll answer all the questions you asked here. Yes, I took 2 options in the heroics, and that "bug" is only an eq2wire bug. Trust us here. Its not just defilers, my other alts have done the same, and its always 20 points for the 2nd endline in heroics. Its simply a bug in how eq2wire calculates them. Try it in game, it will say 350 used. For my acronyms, the DT means deathtouch, as in the clicky on the deathtouch charm. You're correct on DP, that's death prevent. Why don't I have Supplication of the Fallen? It's a wasted point imo. It is a raid rez, but out of combat only and it does give revive sickness. I'm also never the only one alive left to rez a raid. That's usually a druid with rebirth or a cleric with immaculate revival, so they're usually the ones raid rezzing. If it ever so happened that I was ever the only one alive (used a tinkered FD or something) then I can simply rez the templar and let them raid rez, lol. If it were usable in combat I'd have taken it, but even though its only 1 point, its 1 point I can spend on something I'd actually use at some point. Those wards on an extremely long recast like Eidolic Ward and Purulence are your emergency wards. If you notice they're also instant cast. What you do with those is create a macro, and add in /cancel_spellcast before the spell. That way if there's an instance when you really need it, it interrupts what you're casting and casts immediately. Purulence is also useful for resetting Ancestral Channeling. There could be 2 reasons the MT sent you a tell asking you to not preward him on pull. The one that makes the most sense would be that, as you weren't in the MT group, you shouldn't ever ward him. The MT group defiler will be taking care of wards on the MT, and if you cast yours, it will overwrite theirs, which is a waste of time. Also I'd assume the MT defiler is the more experienced and better geared, which would mean their wards would be more powerful than yours. The other reason I've heard of a tank asking to not be prewarded is if they're body pulling a mob and they don't want your wards getting you instant aggro. That shouldn't be the case in a raid though, as rarely is there anything in raids that needs to be body pulled, and even so the tank should be able to get aggro before anything touches you. As for knowing when to ward and when not to, good rule of thumb is to always have wards up. Its what we do. A custom UI like DarqUI is really handy for the Spell Monitor because you can put your wards in there and see when they drop. In a raid, you'll probably want to cast them as soon as they're up, especially if you're in a group that's taking a lot of damage. As for spells that don't even make it to my hotbar, there's quite a few of them. First of all, your group buffs don't need to be on a visibile hotbar. Only time you ever have to recast them is if you change specs, so it will save you room by putting them on a non-visible hotbar and just use the spinner to swap to recast if you change specs. For spells I never use, Terror Chant, our deagro, I have hotbarred but I cant remember the last time I used it. Our direct heals, Sacrificial Restoration & Dire Balm I never use either. I can't think of a time I would ever want to heal someone rather than ward. Our wards have a heal component so if someone needs a heal, warding them is a better option. Finally, regarding Wraithwall vs Phantasmal Barrier. Keep in mind that if you're using the split spec, you don't have points left to increase the threshold of Wraithwall, which means that it will only ward on damage that brings the tank below 20%. That's like, rarely. If you want, can save a spec with each and should you find yourself in the MT group in raid and the tank keeps spiking, can keep it up on him for some added protection for that spike damage that eats through everything. Otherwise, Phantasmal Barrier is more useful since it might actually get some use.
This answers a huge question I had. Since rangers don't really have group buffs except for pathfinding, I was confused if I needed to cast buffs every time I was in a new group. I guess I don't. Do other defilers that have chimed in on this thread never use Sacrificlal Restoration and Dire Balm? Why would they be given to us if not to use? It makes sense what you said about wards containing a healing component but if the ward has not left my spell timer window and someone needed a heal, wouldn't I use one of them? I am asking this about just a 6 person group, not raid where there will be other healers to help.
You do have to cast buffs everytime you're in group, like Harbinger and Tendrils on the tank, and Invective, but anything with a purple background is a group buff and those always stay up unless you respec. As for why would they give us spells that we don't use. Every class gets spells like that. All healers (except channelers) get the large and small direct heal. For us they're useless. Our epic timeline spell, Tribal Spirit adds a heal to the wards, plus focus effect adds another small heal to Ancient Shroud. When you say "If the ward hasn't left my spell timer window" I'm assuming you mean the reuse isn't up, as a ward could still be in your spell timer window, up on one person (as it has a 30 sec duration) but still be able to cast on a different person as well. With 100% reuse, the recast is 3 seconds. Its literally always up. In the instance you just cast it on the tank and say a DPS dips down you have a few options. I'd hit group ward, Carrion Warding (since that too will heal) and while thats casting hit Phantasmal Barrier (as that can be cast during other spells and is instant cast, and kinda the reason I suggested taking it over Wraithwall) Another option is Ancestral Channeling. To be completely honest, depending on the UI you use and how quick you are switching targets if needed, either of the group options may be quicker than casting a single ward on someone to heal them.
I group frequently with a necro friend who lifeburns all the time and loses health faster than my ward cool downs refresh. She has a spec that resets the lifeburn faster than my ancestral channeling comes back up. I have a macro set up that will cast the single target ward and then the sacrificial restoration on her. If ancestral channeling isn't up I will hit the macro and then I hit my group ward to heal her and hit the macro again. That is the most use I get out of sacrificial restoration, but I find it helpful in that situation.
I know this thread is getting pretty long but I want to let everyone know that has chimed in that I appreciate your input into how a defiler works and what a defiler does. As I continue to improve my defiler with gear, etc and group more with her, if I have any more questions, I will come here for input!
Oooo this this this ^^^ Go to EQ2 Interface and find a good stand-alone spell timer with moveable window so you can put it right in your face.
I've never had a problem with lifeburning necros. Assuming you don't have reset rune, Ancestral Channeling when they lifeburn. With any luck, as often as you'll cast group ward, the prestige 6% chance to reset AC triggers and its up again. If not, hit Purulence to reset it. Usually you'll be fine. They got an AA that has a 5% chance to reset lifeburn, so a chance everything will be down, but not normal. Now if you have reset rune you'll likely never have a problem as it will always be up.
