The black set

[Dhurke]

I have been looking around for a wiki page or forum posts that summarizes "The black" set. Couldn't find anything so here's what I found:

SP= shadow power, each item has a SP value and an SP effect, hence the more Black items you have the more powerful the set becomes. The items have regular values as well, i will only list the SP part.

- The Black Boots. 5 SP. Increases movement speed by 2.5% per SP.
- The Black Core. 5 SP. Grants spellpower equal to SP.
- The Black Crown. 5 SP. Increases all saves equal to SP.
- The Black Maul. 10 SP. Increases all damage by 1% per SP (2 hand)
- The Black Spike. 5 SP. Increases all damage penetration by 1% per SP. (1 hand)
- The Black Plate. 10 SP. Increases physical power equal to SP.
- The Black Ring. 5 SP. Grants spell-crit equal to half of your SP.
- The Black Wall. 5 SP. Increases all resist by 0.4% per SP.


So a set with the Black Spike and Wall would net you:

40 SP translating to:
- 100 % movement speed
- 40 Spellpower
- 40 to all saves
- 40% damage penetration
- 40 Physical power
- 20 % spell-crit chance
- 16% resist all.

Quite a nice set of bonuses. As an ogre using the Maul and Wall one would get 45 SP increasing the set bonus further (and 45% damage increase instead of penetration).
So, let me know if any items are missing....
And please comment on any apparent strategy where a class/race/skill combo would benefit extra from this.

/Dhurke

PS. Just beat insane for the first time (doombringer)

[Dhurke]

Reserved for comment/update.

[Sianist]

looks like it could work very nicely with Orge Sun Paladin

[Coldbringer]

I'm relatively new. Is there a class that uses Shadow Power as a resource, or is it something that goes for any class?

[Stuntofthelitter]

It's only something on those items and is sort of an amorphous set bonus kinda thing.

[zsd]

Couldn't you also wear two Black Rings for more Shadow Power and spellcrit?

[Micbran]

I'd suppose you'd have to vault it, but yes, you could wear two rings for more SP and possibly, if it works that way, around a 42% spell crit.

[twas Brillig]

Couldn't you also wear two Black Rings for more Shadow Power and spellcrit?

The Black Ring is a little suicidal in melee, though. You proc AoE attacks at guys you're right next to.

[malboro_urchin]

Couldn't you also wear two Black Rings for more Shadow Power and spellcrit?

The Black Ring is a little suicidal in melee, though. You proc AoE attacks at guys you're right next to.

At range too, Darkfire has quite the radius, and plenty of enemies like to get up in your face whether you'd like it or not

[Jahf]

Just found a light that would go well with this set if you're looking for a theme ... especially for a Cursed ... Umbraphage ... it might as well be called "The Black Light" (dance club music begins).

[Jahf]

On a whim (I'm currently running a Doombringer and ... very interested) I went ahead and added some basics to the "Item Set" page for this. Luckily all items had individual pages already I put a link back to this discussion both as credit and for attracting additional info.

FYI, I came here because I just got both Umbraphage and The Black Ring from the most well stocked Dreadfell vault I've ever seen. EDIT: Confirmed (doubly), you can wear the ring twice (pre-edit: Looking at The Black Ring it is tagged [Unique] so ... if [Unique] works how I assume (as in like in WoW), you won't be able to equip it twice even if you have one from the vault. I could be wrong about that. If someone's managed to do it, drop a note).

I added up all of the individual item bonuses, for the 1H+Shield set, and (including the full set bonus from above) you end up with this:

+100% Blindness Immunity
+35% Damage (Darkness), +10% Damage (Fire)
+50% Damage Conversion (Darkness)
+55% Resistance Penetration (Darkness), +40% all other
+10 Darkness Damage on hit
Resistances: 74% Darkness, 63% Blight, 31% Acid, 41% Fire, 36% Cold, 16% all other
Saves: +55 Phys, +72 Spell, +40 Mental
+9.5% Phys Critical, +23% Spell Crit
+40 Phys. Power
+40 Spell Power
+20 Armor Pen
+60 Armor
+39 Defense, 15 Ranged Defense
+50% Fatigue
+10 Str
+8 Mag
+10 Wil
+14 Cun
+9 Infravision
-2 Lite radius
+15 Stealth
+100% Movement Speed
Die @ -100

Masteries: .2 Corruption/Black-magic, Corruption/Demonic Pact, Corruption/Demonic Seeds, Corruption/Oppression, Corruption/Wrath, Corruption/Infernal Combat, Corruption/Doom Covenant, Corruption/Fearfire, Corruption/Doom Shield, Techn./Shield Def., Techn./Shield Off.

Talents: Link of Pain (activated, L3, 15 of 15 power), Darkfire (on spell hit, L3, 10% chance), Block (L5, 200 value)

[EDIT: leaving the following slots open for other items to fill in missing bonuses: Ring #2, Belt, Light, Tool, Gloves, Cloak]

[grobblewobble]

you won't be able to equip it twice even if you have one from the vault. I could be wrong about that. If someone's managed to do it, drop a note.

You can have and use the same artifact double when using the vault.

Whether you can do it without feeling guilty about it is another question.

[bpat]

From my experience, the Maul and Plate are easily good enough to warrant use on their own, with the Plate being arguably the best item in that slot. The Wall and Spike look good too, but I haven't used them. For the rest, there are usually far better items for those slots. For instance, even if using the full Black set, I would probably not use the Boots over Aetherwalk or Boots of the Hunter. The Core and the Ring are pretty bad too, since they are caster items on a physical class, though with Arcane Might they become pretty decent if you have high Shadow Power. The Crown is not amazing either, with the only really good thing it gives being the 15 armor; I would rather use a good damage ego hat unless I really want that armor.

[Razakai]

I found the core to be quite a decent item when you find it, considering it's T2. 100% blind immunity is handy so you don't end up wasting your wild infusion on it when you get stunned and blinded, and 100 negative life is a fairly decent chunk.
Not a fan of the crown or ring though. The ring may be good for casters but the darkfire can damage you, and for the crown saves aren't that great.

[Jahf]

I found the core to be quite a decent item when you find it, considering it's T2. 100% blind immunity is handy so you don't end up wasting your wild infusion on it when you get stunned and blinded, and 100 negative life is a fairly decent chunk.
Not a fan of the crown or ring though. The ring may be good for casters but the darkfire can damage you, and for the crown saves aren't that great.

[deleted a stupid comment about dummies, being a dummy, I wasn't thinking about it being triggered on hit]

You'll have at least 74% Darkness resistance with the full set so you're going to kind of chuckle. And in the case of Umbraphage you also end up with 20% darkness affinity.

On higher difficulties I can see forgoing it just to be precise on not self-damaging but I literally don't notice the damage on normal with it. And some folks do actually go reading up on gear for normal

There's definitely ways to optimize without the full set, but the full set is still pretty interesting on its own. I don't think I'll use the weapon/shield except maybe as an offset for some situations since DB has so much fun with fire damage ... but if I get them I'll check their output vs. the default DB scaling weapon. So far this run has decided it wants me in The Black Set as I've had ring/crown/core/boots and the synergistic Umbraphage all drop from this run.

I'm more interested in dropping this set into my packrat's fortress for a Cursed or maybe even part of it for a Doomed run. Anorithil might be interested in some of it. I don't think I'd go for the Ogre SP idea for the set simply due to preferring to use something like Elemental Fury on horrors and otherwise stacking as much Light damage as possible (maybe we need The White Set ... )