Mask of the Stalker recipe is wrong?

[Sukrasisx]

I just posted the recipes for Mask of the Hunter and Mask of the Stalker, but I think the recipe for the latter is wrong. Figured I'd post here and if people agree with me -- and nobody posts to say "Ngreth knows about it" -- I'll go pose the question on the Sony boards. (Tried bringing it up in the traders channel but no other researchers on.)

Anyway, Mask of the Hunter is about what you'd expect: druid 60 single buff no resists pins down all but the inks. I used Nameless for size change, Eagle for vision, and Prexus for mana, and that worked. I actually tried it first with 2x Ink of the Eagle, which I still think is a more accurate recipe since there are two vision effects (ultravision and magnification), but that's a nit.

Then for Mask of the Stalker, the only differences are: costs more mana, can be cast indoors, and is ranger 65 as well as druid 60. So it should use the druid quill (class that gets the spell first), and other than that I couldn't see any way to distinguish the spells using available ingredients, so I threw in a Sample of Highland Sludge since that's supposed to be precisely for distinguishing between otherwise identical spell recipes. Seemed like a good fit too, since the old Mask of the Stalker recipe required a rarer component to make it harder to find than the less versatile Hunter. But nope, DNC.

So I began trying other variations and stumbled across it when I swapped in the level 65 parchment and the ranger quill. It worked, but I felt mildly offended!

Can someone explain to me why this recipe is right for a druid 60 spell, or should I /bug it on the SOE forums?

[Justmenow]

There's a problem here.

Both spells can de used as a druid at level 60 and have same identical stats except the casting indoors versus outdoors.

There's only one drying powder currently knows as indicated in one of the spell research books and that's for GoD spells.

Both mask of the hunter and mask of the stalker were around before GoD came out so highland drying powder won't work here.

So unless Ngreth would come up with extra drying powders for luclin or kunark zone spells I guess this was the easiest way to get a recipe for the spells (use the druid quill/stationary for 60 and the ranger quill/stationary for 65).

[Sukrasisx]

There's only one drying powder currently knows as indicated in one of the spell research books and that's for GoD spells.

I don't remember the special powder being specifically for GoD spells, only that it comes from GoD zones. The info on the EQTC DoD Research page says:

This particular ingredient is only used in a handful of spells, usually in cases where the recipe would otherwise be identical to another.

Highland Sludge Drying Powder requires the raw ingredient Sample of Highland Sludge that drops in the higher zones of Gates of Discord.

I could see not wanting to require it just because it really is rather rare, but it still sounds like the appropriate ingredient.

[Justmenow]

spell research book 1

According to this text it can't be highland sludge.

[EloMist]

I don't remember the special powder being specifically for GoD spells, only that it comes from GoD zones. The info on the EQTC DoD Research page says...

Systematic Spell Research Volume 1: The Basics, states...

Finally, from time to time there are spells whose formula would be the same, but they became available in our world at a different time. When this happens, the newer spell will need to use a special drying powder that is specific to the region where it became available.

For some reason the qualifier fell off the EQTC guide.

Regards,
ELO

[Ngreth Thergn]

in this case, I did the ranger bit to differentiate it, despite there being nothing specific in the books about doing that.

[Sukrasisx]

Ah, I didn't realise the drying powder was that specific in its application. Yes, if it has to be spells arriving at different times, with the extra powder coming from the region specific to the later spell, then GoD powder won't do, and indeed there is no way within the "rules" to differentiate the two spells, so I guess Ngreth's solution is as good as any. (And it wasn't so odd that I failed to find it, so I guess it can't be too wrong!)

[Eanelder]

Personally I think the problem is with the Mask of the Stalker spell... it shouldnt have Druid on it and should be ranger only, considering that druids effectively already have the exact same spell at the same level with Mask of the Hunter.

Or am i missing a difference between the two?

[Bobaten]

Hunter was the original spell for druids, and can only be cast outdoors. Stalker is the Luclin upgrade that can be cast indoors as well as outdoors. The only reasons to get hunter were A) ease of acquisition, and B) complete spell book.
The research change will mostly erase A, and leave B as the only reason for this spell.