RDM End Game Gear Guide

Testing Flaming Arrow... and it looks a bit broken...



Granted, RDM/RNG is required for using the WS. So can't dual wield. Even without an offhand, this WS seems awfully strong when fully buffed. Or is something just broken here?

Thanks for the note. I looked into this a bit and think I've found the issue:

"Flaming Arrow" is not being treated as a "Physical Ranged Weaponskill". The code thinks it's a melee weapon skill and is using main+off-hand weapons to determine damage. This includes melee PDIF and multi-attacks that ranged weapon skills do not get.

We just need to add "Flaming Arrow" to the list on line 58 of wsdist.py for the physical portion of Flaming Arrow to be considered a "Ranged WS" rather than a "melee WS".

I'm not in a position to make this change and push an updated gui.exe file until tomorrow, but if you make the above change yourself and run the gui_wsdist.py version of the code like a normal python file, then it should return a reasonable set.
Also: magical and ranged weapon skills don't show interesting damage distributions since their damage is consistent. Magical damage has no randomized multiplier and ranged weapon skills only have one small one. This leads to magical damage showing a single-value (ignoring resists) and ranged weapon skills showing a narrow uniform distribution. These are not as interesting as looking at multi-peaked multi-hit crit weapon skills like Hexa Strike.


Edit: I also noticed that your "best" set isn't using Nyame at all. You may have simply unselected all Odyssey armor using the drop-down menu intentionally, but just in case: the most recent version of the code was uploaded on December 15/16 (and includes all jobs except SMN).

Edit2: Note that Hot Shot will have the same issue. Add it to the same list on line 58 to fix it.

Yes, I had disabled the Nyame in the best set as I currently don't have augments on it and wanted to see the best prior to the Odyssey augment tier.

Considering Flaming Arrow is a hybrid WS, wouldn't there be some more variance in the damage if the initial ranged physical hit lands a critical?

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Another open question I have. Does the Crocea Mors effect Flaming Arrow with bonus damage too? Considering it's a hybrid and not straight magical, I don't know the answer to this one and don't have RNG leveled to test. Will be working on that, but in the meantime, is anyone able to confirm?

If it Crocea does work, then I assume the modifiers would raise from 50% AGI / 20% STR to 100% AGI and 40% STR.

Flaming Arrow is not a critical hit weapon skill, so it should never crit. BG Wiki states that Shining One does not affect ranged weapon skills, so even Shining One would not allow Flaming Arrow to crit. Maybe Mighty Strikes would allow the physical portion to crit?

The only variance seen in Flaming Arrow comes from the Ranged PDIF value, which randomly picks a value between two limits based on your ranged attack and the enemy's defense. The magical portion does not introduce any additional variance to this. It also can't multi-attack, so you should always end up with a single-peaked narrow uniform distribution for damage. (Edit: Ignoring resists and missed physical hits of course.)


I have no idea if Crocea Mors affects Flaming Arrow. The wsdist code currently only applies the Crocea Path C "Ele. weapon skill damage +100%" to magical weapon skills. The wording on the augment implies that only pure-magical weapon skills gain the bonus.

The magical portion of Hybrid weapon skills usually accounts for around 80-90% of the total damage, so this would be very easy to test.

While this is true, the total physical damage is used as the base magic damage for the magic portion. If the physical portion does half, then the base magic damage will also be half which ends up cutting the magic damage by 40~48%.

Base Magical WS Damage = floor(((152 + floor((WeaponLevel - 99) × 2.45) + WSC) × fTP) + dSTAT + MDMG Stat)

That is the part that uses' the total physical damage. That value is usually (201 + WSC) then multiply by fTP . In the case of hybrids it's the total physical damage that gets multiplied by fTP, so if your physical component is 5000, you now have 5000 that gets multiplied by fTP then has MDMG added then multiplied by all the magic damage multipliers.

Fun fact, you can easily see what the physical component is going to be by just WSing a low level monster. Since the physical component kills it, it never calculates the magic component. Similarly you can see the magic component by WSing that special NM in Zi'Tah that only takes damage from magic, if effectively sets the physical damage to 0 but still adds the magic damage and all the other multipliers. Oh and WSD gets applied twice, once to the first hit of the physical WS, and again when the magic component is calculated. This is why Nyame is so broken for hybrids.

Crocea does not affect Flaming Arrow. Under controlled conditions against Kamihr Tigers, 3k TP Flaming Arrow did 44243 with Crocea and 44093 with Murgleis (both +217 MDMG). Just for fun I popped a red curry bun afterwards, which brought it to about 50k.

If this is the case, is this how Mistral Axe and Bora Axe are calculated?

Yup. The code is treating them both as melee axe weapon skills that happen to have a ranged animations.

Should they use "Ranged Attack" and "Ranged PDIF" for their damage calculations? This would also suggest they probably can't multi-attack, they might not get off-hand hits, and their damage would be very consistent through testing.

In practice im fairly certain mistral functions exactly like a normal melee ws, it just has a range to it, ratk does nothing, it can MA, would assume same applies for bora.

Yep, the only difference between Mistral and Savage is that you don't lose your TP if the monster runs away.

I've uploaded an updated version of the code. Flaming Arrow and Hot Shot should now use the ranged damage algorithm for their physical portions.

Unless the winter storm in the US ruins my travel plans, then I'll be on holiday starting tomorrow and unable to make any additional changes until January. Let me know if you run into any more weird issues and I'll at least make note of them to be fixed later.

While I'm already commenting about it: I've also added Bora Axe and Refulgent Arrow, fixed the jobs on Tauret, and included Ukaldi (WHM+GEO TP Bonus magian club).

For everyone that doesn't check the Ninja forum: the code supports damage simulations for all jobs except SMN, but BLU has no traits set yet. I also recently added an option to select specific Odyssey armor ranks (or ignore Odyssey armor entirely) so you don't always have to check R30. The available options are [None, R15, R20, R25, R30]. Nyame Path A is included but ignored when automatically selecting gear. You'll have to manually select Path A Nyame if you want to test it.

Just one small thing, if i deselect something like Empy Earring +2 or Sroda Ring from "Select Gear" and "Run WS" again, it still puts them in the Set.

I don't think I've seen this issue before. Unless you had them equipped in your starting gearset already, I can't imagine why it would equip those if they are not selected in either slot. It shouldn't even see them as an option without the checkbox.

The things equipped in the inputs tab "Initial gearset" are used as the starting gearset for testing. If you already have something equipped and the code can't find something better for those slots, then the code will not unequip them. I suppose I could have the code start by unequipping everything first. The code currently only unequips items that your main job can not use.

https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/52194/string-theory-a-puppetmasters-guide-new

Will you be planning to update the guide with the Augments on gear like Chironic in your Aquaveil/Phalanx set? Thanks! PUP guide handled it really well with a list of the stats for Augments/JSE capes. Thanks and this guide is great btw!

Was going to at one point then decided it was obvious what the augments would be in the given sets. There is no Chironic in the aquaveil sets. Phalanx set is a no brainer DM augments with phalanx+4 or more otherwise just use taeon. The drain/aspir set is just potency and macc.


This whole thing is incomplete and I've not the time to sit and fiddle with it at this time.

There's plenty that could be added

An Occult Accumen set with Seidr body comes in handy occasionally for perfect dodge and invincible mobs. Just keep throwing sanguine/seraph at them

You’d likely just do more damage with enspells against an invincible opponent waiting for it to wear off. And even against PD I’m not convinced it’s worth doing what you’re suggesting at all honestly. Interesting none the less though.

It's definitely use case. If Sanguine has dark weather and you're benefitting from the healing then it's nice to not slow down and have to play defensive. If you duo with a COR like I do and your bread and butter is Leaden > Seraph > Leaden then both you and the COR can get TP in either case because of quick draws to continue SCs.

Outside of those scenerios I can see why it would be less ideal.

BUT If you get a good enough roll on m.acc/mab then it can be close to your free nuke set and then you're not spending MP and getting TP for dropping nukes. Lots of chasing the dragon with Oseem that no one enjoys. Certainly something you do when you have nothing else to work on.

I can understand that; thanks for replying <3

I can understand that; thanks for replying <3

Has anyone done any testing to see if Sroda Ring and Bunzis Robe at R25/R30 with the physical dmg limit is now the best in slot for Savage Blade if your attack is capped?

Ask gpt its 2023

I can’t really see 8% pdl beating 13% wsd on savage. Maybe on chant

Which of the capes listed in the OP are used for Aeolian Edge? Copy/pasted for easy-reading:

Sucellos.ENF = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'MND+20','Mag. Acc+20 /Mag. Dmg.+20','MND+10','"Fast Cast"+10'}}
Sucellos.NUKE = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'INT+20','Mag. Acc+20 /Mag. Dmg.+20','INT+10','"Mag.Atk.Bns."+10'}}
Sucellos.DW = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'DEX+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','Accuracy+10','"Dual Wield"+10','Phys. dmg. taken-10%'}}
Sucellos.STP = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'DEX+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','"Store TP"+10','Phys. dmg. taken-10%'}}
Sucellos.DA = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'DEX+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','Accuracy+10','"Dbl.Atk."+10','Damage taken-5%'}}
Sucellos.CDC = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'DEX+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','DEX+10','Crit.hit rate+10'}}
Sucellos.SB = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'STR+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','STR+10','Weapon skill damage +10%'}}
Sucellos.REQ = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'MND+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','MND+10','"Dbl.Atk."+10'}}
Sucellos.Idle = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'MND+20','Eva.+20 /Mag. Eva.+20','Mag. Evasion+10','Enmity-10','System: 1 ID: 1158 Val: 4'}}
Sucellos.EleWS = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'INT+20','Mag. Acc+20 /Mag. Dmg.+20','INT+10','Weapon skill damage +10%'}}
Sucellos.Empyreal = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'AGI+20','Rng.Acc.+20 Rng.Atk.+20','AGI+10','Weapon skill damage +10%'}}
Sucellos.Sanguine = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'MND+20','Mag. Acc+20 /Mag. Dmg.+20','MND+10','Weapon skill damage +10%'}}
Sucellos.BlackHalo = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'MND+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','MND+10','Weapon skill damage +10%'}}
Sucellos.Enmity = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'HP+60','Eva.+20 /Mag. Eva.+20','Mag. Evasion+10','Enmity+10','Chance of successful block +5'}}
Sucellos.DNC = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'DEX+20','Accuracy+20 Attack+20','Accuracy+10','"Dual Wield"+9','Phys. dmg. taken-10%'}}
Sucellos.MidShot = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'AGI+20','Rng.Acc.+20 Rng.Atk.+20','Rng.Acc.+10','"Store TP" +10'}}
Sucellos.PreShot = {name="Sucellos's Cape", augments={'Snapshot +10'}}

It'll be EleWS.