Lich node "Eldritch Empowerement" is unplayable

It makes you unable to cast any spells when you run out of energy shield..

These downsides for ascensions are really getting out of hand.
When I ascend, I want to feel GOOD and my character become powerful,
but the way you made it it makes me not wanna spend my ascension points until I can counter the downsides.
It punishes you for spending ascension points.
You really need to rethink this systems.

As of now, I really regret having chosen that ascension.

There are unique gloves that can help counter downside: Demon Sticher. But using them provides another downside - life loosing, and in theory to counter this you need to invest 4 points on right side on ascendancy to get Eternal Life.

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MeisterIgel#5358 wrote:

It makes you unable to cast any spells when you run out of energy shield..

These downsides for ascensions are really getting out of hand.
When I ascend, I want to feel GOOD and my character become powerful,
but the way you made it it makes me not wanna spend my ascension points until I can counter the downsides.
It punishes you for spending ascension points.
You really need to rethink this systems.

As of now, I really regret having chosen that ascension.

I definitely see your point there and I think this is a super valid response to seeing a tough-to-surpass downside to power. That being said, I do think it is surmountable if you keep at it and Lich is actually a pretty fun experience, at least for me it is. I began using that node during leveling/campaign and while it was tough to surpass at first, making use of Convalescence or dipping into some evasion to avoid hits so your recharge isn't interrupted both can really help here.

I experienced the same realization and soent 1/2 my gold to respect to both ES nodes for now. Gave up on my Lich unfortunately ...

To be honest the whole Lich Ascendancy seems to be designed around the expectation that you will eventually get Chaos Inoculation.

I can concur with the OP. In general, not just the Lich ascendency (and I know they touched on this in the Ziz interview when it came to warriors) but there are too many "Pick this pro but get this con" sort of choices to be made in the game. While its good to have some of that, it seems any interesting choice has a con and this isnt fun.

When picking your ascendency, you dont want all of your choices to have a negative coming along with it.

Just a quick example, going along the right side of lich

Soulless Form: 10% of damage bypasses ES. I.E. At this point, your ES is 10% less effective since the damage is now hitting your HP until you get the next node Eternal Life. Until you do, however, this is a net negative aside from the *potential* manage regen buff. A pro, A con with this node.

Eternal Life: Your life cannot change while you have ES. On the surface, you think immortality until you actually play it. Your ES will go away at some point and when it does, the damage you take will be on your HP. Once you are out of danger and your ES has recharged ... your life will never, ever, ever refill aside from two exceptions: 1. You die. 2. Your ES gets depleted again and youre able to quickly use a life flask to bring it back up.

Leveling up does not refill your HP, using the Well in town will not refill your HP. Using a life flask, obviously, will not refill your HP. Logging in and out of the game will not refill your HP. You will be eternally on low life, potentially.

Even using the notable Eternal Youth in the passive tree is utterly annoying with this.

Too many cons to be fun and worth it.

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vexorian#9572 wrote:

To be honest the whole Lich Ascendancy seems to be designed around the expectation that you will eventually get Chaos Inoculation.

Correct me if I'm wrong but if your Max Life is 1, how do you regen mana with "Soulless form" (Regen mana based on Max Life) ?