My DRG/BRD journal

[Ellipses]

I've migrated my DRG/BRD solo journal over here from Alla & rewritten it (hopefully a bit more coherently). The guide I read on the job combo (on Alla's DRG board) suggested that it wasn't really viable til later levels, and I wanted to see how true that is.

I started the journal since I get a lot of questions, /checks, and (Do you need any help?)s from people with Cure, so I wanted to have somewhere to point anybody who's interested.

There's probably something under my name or something (edit: Dur, let me add it to my sig) you can click on since it's a Journal here, but if not, here it is.

[Balodoth]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

DRG actually gets pretty good around level 35. You have a few threnodies to fall back on for heals. You actually have more ATK with Minuet than from WAR sub (not counting Berserk). Not to mention you can focus with the sub. If you need DEF more, then get more DEF; need more ACC, get more ACC. And let's not forget the Orphic Egg. Not exactly huge, but every little bit helps. With good gear, food, and drink, it's actually a very potent combination.

[Ellipses]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

The Orphic Egg was actually one of the things that got me thinking about this, since this is the only job I've ever heard of subbing BRD that could actually use ATK, ACC, or EVA. But with HP/DEF/VIT playing such a big role for DRG/BRD solo, I find myself preferring the Happy Egg (+1 VIT, +1% HP) a little more for that slot. The difference is probably all psychological, though.

[Balodoth]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

Well, VIT can enhance your jump abilities. Usually this is dependant on your situation for which is better. If the enemy misses you fairly regularly, then 1 EVA will help that, and one extra missed hit is more damage avoided than 1 VIT applied to all hits. If the enemy has excellent accuracy, then 1 VIT will likely do more than 1 EVA. 1% HP doesn't actually do that much, perhaps allow the breath to trigger a tad sooner. Overall, I find the 1 EVA is usually on par with 1 VIT, so the ATK and ACC is what I opt for over 1% HP.

In party play (should you *gasp* sub BRD) the ATK & ACC is going to be of more benefit than HP & VIT. Ideally you won't be getting hit. In addition the Singing skill gives you ever so slightly a higher chance of hitting that one higher ATK or DEF with your song.

[Ellipses]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

I didn't know VIT factored into Jump. Neat!

Hmm. All good points. I'll probably start giving the Orphic another try. The Happy Egg is only adding 5 HP right now, so that's a 1-point difference in HB threshold. The main reason I switched from Orphic to Happy is that I tend to try and stack stats up, and I don't have any other EVA gear at the moment, while I do have a bit of VIT (+6 without the egg I think).

[Skoal]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

Ellipses, what song do you buff yourself with before a battle?

[Ellipses]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

My highest Paeon, which is II at the moment. I also pop Selbina Milk on tougher enemies to make give it a little more oomph. I really haven't tried the other buffs since level 25 or so. At the time they didn't really seem to help very much compared to Paeon.

Paeon isn't exactly a heavenly choir of awesome, either, but half-level Bard buffs with no instrument kind of suck regardless. It seems to me to be the most helpful of some not-amazingly-helpful choices. It's nice for counteracting DoT. Maybe in later levels the Minnes or Minuet or March would start making more sense, but I'm not there yet to find out.

[LadyKiKi]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

Stick with Happy Egg. I never saw a reason to stack any evasion up, you'll never evade much anyway. The +1 Eva is too little to make that much difference. Unless you're going to have +15 or more, I found it was a waste of my effort to pack that much evasion in compared to other possible stats.

I read your journal, and like me, you've died many times. I concluded that unless you want to skill up, DC-EM-T is a waste of effort to fight compared to EP. If you're purely soloing, you'll realise this fact. The added risk to it and the result of dying (at higher levels especially) isn't worth the risk.

The decreased DEF and elemental stats from the Wolf Mantle +1 are the major concern.

^ (from your journal). I found that a decrease in those 2 stats, don't really matter unless it's a really big decrease (i.e it's not noticable unless I put on a Bomb Queen Ring and actually suffer huge fire damage, it gives you -75 Fire). It's just one of those things that after soloing 75 levels, I seriously do not notice a difference. Like I can solo with my Optical Hat on or off, but yet I seemingly take the same damage (that's -20 or so DEF because Optical Hat doesn't have a DEF value) and just evade that little bit more. I don't understand how this game seems to work as the damage I take is way too random.

You're level 33? (according to your journal). I suggest you solo to 35 in Korroloka then to 37 around the Jueno. Pop to the entrance of Sea Serpent Grotto and head North from there to the Goblin Furriers camp, with the Soldier Crawlers there. No overcrowding there. The crawler's don't aggro and even if the goblins aggro/link, they'll only shoot you with their crossbow. They go down quite easy, but barfire might be recommended here. But a DRG subbing BRD will never have access to any of the elemental resistance spells, and as you know, Bomb Tosses can get very dangerous (I can't stress the amount of times I've got blown up). Although what I suggested is what I did personally, I was subbing Red Mage all along. I might have to research some alternative places and add them to my guide.

[Ellipses]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

Stick with Happy Egg. I never saw a reason to stack any evasion up, you'll never evade much anyway. The +1 Eva is too little to make that much difference. Unless you're going to have +15 or more, I found it was a waste of my effort to pack that much evasion in compared to other possible stats.

I read your journal, and like me, you've died many times. I concluded that unless you want to skill up, DC-EM-T is a waste of effort to fight compared to EP. If you're purely soloing, you'll realise this fact. The added risk to it and the result of dying (at higher levels especially) isn't worth the risk.

I probably ought to make note of that in the journal. I do stick with the Happy Egg now. The stat differences on their own aren't really anything to write home about, and since I'm not stacking EVA to make it noticeable, I'd rather just have the (slightly) higher HB threshold.

Most of my deaths happen when I'm either getting back into the swing of it after playing another job for a long time (my "oh crap Carbonara's gone, lower threshold" sense gets rusty) or when I'm learning a new area/target. Most deaths in a row award goes to "WTF is a skink doing here?" I'll admit my wanting to target EM-T isn't really a matter of XP efficiency. I just like pulling it off. Like I say in the journal, though, I think from here on out it'll be EP-DC for a buffer, then EM-T to cap polearm, then whatever's around until I level.

(on Wolf Mantle +1 vs. Breath Mantle)
That's pretty much what I've been thinking, too. The other hesitation is that I don't know if I want to buy a Breath Mantle for three levels when I know I'm going to get a High Breath Mantle at 36. If I'd known about them when I started DRG/BRD, hell yeah. But at this point... eh. I suppose I could save it for when I eventually level PLD.

You're level 33? (according to your journal). I suggest you solo to 35 in Korroloka then to 37 around the Jueno. Pop to the entrance of Sea Serpent Grotto and head North from there to the Goblin Furriers camp, with the Soldier Crawlers there. No overcrowding there. The crawler's don't aggro and even if the goblins aggro/link, they'll only shoot you with their crossbow. They go down quite easy, but barfire might be recommended here. But a DRG subbing BRD will never have access to any of the elemental resistance spells, and as you know, Bomb Tosses can get very dangerous (I can't stress the amount of times I've got blown up). Although what I suggested is what I did personally, I was subbing Red Mage all along. I might have to research some alternative places and add them to my guide.

Yep, still 33 (Everything is on hold while I craft a bunch). This is probably sound advice on leveling locations, so I'm going to ignore it. I'm going to go for Rolanberry, to finish my tour of the areas around Jeuno. Not because I think it'll be all that great as hunting ground (not enough EM-T worth fighting to cap polearm). Mostly because I don't want to travel too far from Jeuno at the moment, and I do want to see what all three zones are like.

From there... Beadeaux, Yuhtunga, Jugner (Knight Crabs), Outer Horutoto, Davoi, Eastern Altepa, and Castle Oztroja all look like they have possibilities. I mostly just look mobs up on Somepage and decide what I feel like killing for a level or two. I don't want to get stuck in a rut of Crabs, Birds, and Bats, or anything like that, if I can avoid it.

[Balodoth]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

You may want to spend some extra time in yuhtunga. With MNK-type mobs, damage is slow enough for easy HB. . . as long as you can avoid/minimize sleep. But also, with all the hits sent your way, you have plenty of chances to skill parry and evasion if they're lacking for any reason.

At level 40, I'm checking out Delkfutt as an interesting alternative. Parties seldom go very deep.

If only there were lower level gear or food to increase pet HP. . .

[Slip]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

I've been working Drg/Brd again lately as well. Only 28 atm but Korroloka's proving to be an interesting place.

For foes there are Combats, Leeches and Clippers in roughly the right level range.

Leeches are annyoing because their tp move can eat either a fair chunk of your hp or your tp. Both are bad since the hp drain can put you too close to death and the tp drain can slow down weapon skills to the point where your wyvren gets hate. It might be my imagination but I seem to get beastmen seal drops more from them. Even so they've fallen off my preferred prey list.

Combats are a step up in terms of prey choice. Their annoyance factors are the occasional double attack and the possibility of linking. In general I think they're the weakest of the 3 choices but it's tricky to get them solo sometimes.

Clippers are the mobs I've been working with. They're all T's to me still but I've found if I'm careful to only fight the ones that are Tough Low Evasion (low eva with Rice Dumpling but without Madrigal on that is) that I can do ok. Their strength down move and defense up are their worst effects. They don't make the fights directly harder to survive, they just make it more likely that the wyvren will get hate. The moment the wyvren dies, all is basically lost.

I'm tempted to return to Qufim for a while and see what kind of xp/hr I can crank out on the easier crabs there. Qufim's an awesome zone during the day, it's just from 20:00 - 4:00 that it sucks badly for soloing Drgs. I've tried heading into Delk's during those hours but there's not a heck of a lot in there that's worth taking on. The Giants hit too hard to mess with and the bats are difficult to get as singles.

For yucks it can be fun to farm pet bats the Giants keep. They're eps so not great xps but there's the thrill of pulling them off without getting the giant as well.

[Armando]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

Well, VIT can enhance your jump abilities.

I've never heard about this. Can you state your source? As far as I know, Jump is just a normal attack with a damage multiplier.

^ (from your journal). I found that a decrease in those 2 stats, don't really matter unless it's a really big decrease (i.e it's not noticable unless I put on a Bomb Queen Ring and actually suffer huge fire damage, it gives you -75 Fire). It's just one of those things that after soloing 75 levels, I seriously do not notice a difference. Like I can solo with my Optical Hat on or off, but yet I seemingly take the same damage (that's -20 or so DEF because Optical Hat doesn't have a DEF value) and just evade that little bit more. I don't understand how this game seems to work as the damage I take is way too random.

Stats sometimes scale in weird ways. For example, when your Attack is low (in relation to the mob,) piling on more Attack will only increase your minimum damage, creating the illusion it's not helping (one tends to focus on the higher numbers.) Anyways, what I'm getting at is that often you don't notice a difference, but when you stop and watch/write down the numbers, then you see it.

Either way, a decrease of 2 Defense isn't meaningful as long as it stops there (i.e. you don't start dropping off 2 Defense off of every other slot XD). As for elemental resistance, it's not something you should be concerned about if you're fighting mainly EMs and Ts. Elemental resistance is only useful in larger ammounts and when you're targetting a specific element (like piling on lots of +Ice resistance to help prevent Paralyze.) If you're hardly resisting any magic/effects now, 3 resistance won't make a difference in either direction.

[LadyKiKi]

Re: My DRG/BRD journal

I've never heard about this. Can you state your source? As far as I know, Jump is just a normal attack with a damage multiplier.
Stats sometimes scale in weird ways. For example, when your Attack is low (in relation to the mob,) piling on more Attack will only increase your minimum damage, creating the illusion it's not helping (one tends to focus on the higher numbers.) Anyways, what I'm getting at is that often you don't notice a difference, but when you stop and watch/write down the numbers, then you see it.

Either way, a decrease of 2 Defense isn't meaningful as long as it stops there (i.e. you don't start dropping off 2 Defense off of every other slot XD). As for elemental resistance, it's not something you should be concerned about if you're fighting mainly EMs and Ts. Elemental resistance is only useful in larger ammounts and when you're targetting a specific element (like piling on lots of +Ice resistance to help prevent Paralyze.) If you're hardly resisting any magic/effects now, 3 resistance won't make a difference in either direction.

That's a new one, piling on a certain element to resist debuffs, I never thought of it that way. It just always occured to me that it'll help resist the elemental damage spells, but not debuff spells. I shall remember that.

But then again, at 50+ I've always avoided BLM monsters/beastmen because of their magic, they can hit as hard as a WAR type monster at times but without the double attacks. I often find that no matter what job the beastmen is it'll always be that powerful in offense, even THF beastmen can be tricky with their triple attacks (and evasion) and RNG type beastmen using Ranged Attack per 1 or 2 melee rounds and somehow are allowed to get an extra shot in at 0 HP.

So back to the point, the Wolf Mantle isn't that much of a loss then. Thinking about it, several other bits of gear only provides 2~8 or so bonus to a certain element. Are they really that worthless then? Unless you pile lots on, I don't think I know anyone that actually goes for a "elemental" build of their gear.

I have no party or end game experience myself, but common sense tells me that it is a waste of time to do so, seeing how people go for massive offense at Level 75 parties with Attack/STR/ACC/Haste (and whatever else) build to kill the monster as quick as possible.

Slip:

The Seeker Bats aren't that much of a worry there. But then again, with only 1/4 HP that is a lot riskier due to the Jet Stream attack. I died many times in there due to linking of bats. The giants there are OK, but the MNK type Giant seems to have a semi Hundred Fists activated.

I popped Morion Worm once at Level 30 but had to invite this WAR that was watching me there who was Lvl 65 or so to kill it for me, since I had no juice I couldn't outlast it while it had about 10% HP left. No drop anyways, but I only popped it to challenge myself and because I had 1 Iron Ore spare from the worms I've been killing, but I didn't want to die so I just invited him and he just killed it. Dropped 3 Copper Ores. (Yes yes, when one has died so many times already, I don't want to die again )

Ellipses:

Buy the mantle . You'll be swimming in seals if you solo all 75 levels, I have 1600+ seals and 400+ Kindred Seals. That possibly equates to ... xx million?

Don't forget, soloing also gets you all the drops. I made a fortune on Bat Wings in Korroloka Tunnel. So spending a bit of money isn't a big matter. And if you're like me, spending money = feels good.

Although you can call me stupid now, at Level 68 I went and done the BCNM50 Treasures and Tribulations on and off over a week, where you pick a chest out of the 3 there and you might get the loot, or a mimic spawns you it eats you alive. I spent 850 seals there to get myself 3 Astral Rings (failed a few, where I proceed to Mijin Gakure, got lucky on 3 and got junk on the rest) to buy a Barone Corraza. I simply wanted to treat myself to some unique looking gear, where as I could've brought a Scorpion Harness +1, I didn't (both were 13 million. I had 1 Astral Ring from before, and 5 million in savings, so I sold 4 astral rings at 2 million to afford it). But I'll state it again, I don't party/have time to party so I didn't really need the ACC, plus it's a bit ugly for my tastes. I'll buy it in the future, but not right now.

Beadeaux, Yuhtunga, Jugner (Knight Crabs), Outer Horutoto, Davoi, Eastern Altepa, and Castle Oztroja

Just a word of advice, I noticed you mentioned Jugner for Knight Crabs. I actually went with my linkshell to camp King Arthro, a HNM Crab Monster that spawns at the North of the map. The Knight Crabs do not spawn until King Arthro is due to spawn. King Arthro spawns every 21-24 hours, but a bunch of Knight Crabs will spawn first in the 21-24 hour period, then after all the crabs are killed, King Arthro will spawn. You'll likely face HNM linkshells there, as well as gilsellers and other people wanting to make money, who would kill all Knight Crabs as they spawn in a few hits. You won't get a chance to lay your lance on them, plus as mentioned above, they'll only spawn every 21-24 hours.

In Beadeaux everything links by sound (except the sheep/slime). I pulled a Mythril Quadav only to pull 3 other Quadavs and died promptly. Davoi is a bit crushed and the types of beastmen there aren't too suitable (WAR, PLD, DRK, on the higher levels). Castle Oztroja is actually kind of good, behind the door where you have to pull 4 switches. Only WHM, BRD and MNK type Yagudos there, plus the WHM drops a White Cloak, which netted me 120k hehe.

Never tried Outer Horutoto (I'm Bastokan). The desert, beetles are good, but I was too scared of the Sickle Slashes from spiders. Yuhtunga is actually good, as mentioned before. It's a shame that it seems limited.

And to finish it off (sorry it's a long post, but I like solo discussion), yes killing an EM, or T, feels good! It's the digits which you see at the end of it which drugs you to do it more! Like smoking, it will kill!!!