Comprehensive survey of dexterity's impact on sorcery casting speed

Hello.

I've decided to remake my current sorcerer for aesthetic reasons, but before I delete her I will spend all of her souls to bump her dexterity up from base 11 to 45. While I do this I will also record a casting of every single available sorcery at both dex levels, which I'll then merge together so that the two dex levels are shown side by side.

I will have this done sometime this week. I just felt so excited about finally being able to answer my own many questions that I wanted to create this thread in advance.

If you have any comments or recommendations about this I'm all ears.

Edit: All right, here we go with some numbers!

Note: Different types of spells use different spell animations. I couldn't time them all against each other, so the frame numbers shown here might not show the true relationship between different types of spells (Magic Shield vs Magic Weapon, for example). The frame numbers are only intended to show the difference in cast rate for a spell in comparison with itself at different Dex levels.

Praise Master Logan!



Offensive spells

Fast cast
Dex 11: 244 frames
Dex 20: 244 frames
Dex 30: 244 frames
Dex 40: 244 frames
Dex 45: 220 frames
Spells: Soul Arrow, Great Soul Arrow, Soul Spear, Crystal Soul Spear, Homing Soulmass, Homing Crystal Soulmass, Dark Bead.
Effect: Roughly 9% faster cast rate between Dex 45 and Dex 11.

Slow cast
Dex 11: 384 frames
Dex 20: 384 frames
Dex 30: 368 frames
Dex 40: 324 frames
Dex 45: 300 frames
Spells: Heavy Soul Arrow, Great Heavy Soul Arrow, White Dragon Breath, Dark Orb, Dark Fog, Pursuers.
Effect: Roughly 22% faster cast rate between Dex 45 and Dex 11.

Buffs

Weapon
Dex 11: 400 frames
Dex 20: 400 frames
Dex 30: 400 frames
Dex 40: 400 frames
Dex 45: 400 frames
Spells: Magic Weapon, Great Magic Weapon, Crystal Magic Weapon, Hidden Weapon.
Effect: None.

Shield
Dex 11: 456 frames
Dex 20: 456 frames
Dex 30: 456 frames
Dex 40: 456 frames
Dex 45: 456 frames
Spells: Magic Shield, Strong Magic Shield.
Effect: None.

Support

Chameleon (separate due to special casting animation)
Dex 11: 132 frames
Dex 20: 132 frames
Dex 30: 132 frames
Dex 40: 132 frames
Dex 45: 132 frames
Spell: Chameleon (durr).
Effect: None.

Aural Decoy (separate due to faster cast rate than the other spells)
Dex 11: 244 frames
Dex 20: 244 frames
Dex 30: 244 frames
Dex 40: 244 frames
Dex 45: 220 frames
Spell: Aural Decoy.
Effect: A 9% increase in cast rate between Dex 45 and Dex 11. Interestingly, the only non-offensive spell that receives a benefit from dexterity.

Cast Light (separate due to slower cast rate than the other spells)
Dex 11: 360 frames
Dex 20: 360 frames
Dex 30: 360 frames
Dex 40: 360 frames
Dex 45: 360 frames
Spell: Cast Light.
Effect: None.

Standard cast (i.e. the rest)
Dex 11: 356 frames
Dex 20: 356 frames
Dex 30: 356 frames
Dex 40: 356 frames
Dex 45: 356 frames
Spells: Hush, Fall Control, Remedy, Resist Curse, Hidden Body, Repair.
Effect: None.

Dont test it every SL, you do it in 5 SL's you will have a nice idea of the cast speed increase

SL 20-25-30-35-40-45

The plan was actually to record only at dex 11 and dex 45, but something inbetween might be useful as well. A 5-level increase will take longer time to produce but it will indeed be quite comprehensive at the end of it. Thanks for the idea.

and do of just some sorceries, and if 5-5 sl's will be too much work try 15-15
15-30-45 we can have a idea

Increments of 10 sounds like a good tradeoff to me. 11 - 20 - 30 - 40 - 45

I'm determined to try every single spell there is. I don't want to risk missing anything that might be hidden somewhere in the code.

Like many others this is something I've been meaning to do but never gotten around to. I'm thinking the difference on the strong spells (HCSM, CSS) is little to nothing. Looking forward to your results. Somebody +1 the op, please. Spent mine today.

callipygias wrote:Somebody +1 the op, please. Spent mine today.

Done.

thanks op for doing this, could you check out the new sorceries as well? =] i.e. dark orb

dualcross wrote:thanks op for doing this, could you check out the new sorceries as well? =] i.e. dark orb

Yep, every single sorcery in the game will be included.

I have some preliminary results. I extracted these by counting the frames of the entire casting animation with vDub, in other words the time from when your character raises his or her catalyst to when it is lowered back down to a mobile position again.

I'm not sure how to translate from frames into seconds, or if that is actually necessary. Anyway, here's some early data. It seems to me that spells are grouped into two categories: those with faster cast and those with slower. I'm seeing a pattern emerging, but I'll hold conclusions until I've looked through more spells.

Soul Arrow & Dark Bead

Dex 11: 244 frames
Dex 20: 244 frames
Dex 30: 244 frames
Dex 40: 244 frames
Dex 45: 220 frames

Dark Orb & White Dragon Breath

Dex 11: 384 frames
Dex 20: 384 frames
Dex 30: 368 frames
Dex 40: 324 frames
Dex 45: 300 frames

If my math isn't entirely off (which it might be), the slower spells enjoy a roughly 20% decreased casting time, while the faster spells get only a smaller ~9% improvement. This was expected, really.

I'll continue like this with the rest of the spells later on. A comparison video can come later, I feel. Numbers tell their own story, and they're easier to produce.

Amazing, 5 more points into Dex actually lowered 24 frames for WDB, as much as +30 Dex points lowered 24 frames for SA. I know CSS doesn't get a good increase in casting speed, but I'm willing to hear more.

Also can you post these results on the PvP section? Could you do the same with pyros and miracles?

I have a couple of miracles for you.

Lightning Spear
Emit Force
Heal
Gravelord Sword Dance
WoG

These should cover all miracles types.

Pyros:

Fireball
Firestorm
Fire Whip
Combustion

These should cover all the pyro types, we already know Dex doesn't affect the mists.

Sorcery:

Soul Spear or CSS
Homing Soul Mass
Great Heavy Soul Arrow
Chameleon

I won't be able to do the miracles since my Faith is too low, sorry. I could do the pyromancies too, although that would have to wait until I get my new character running since my current one is at 45 dex. I'm not sure if I'll invest the points into dex on my new character, but atleast then I'll still be able to compare 11 dex on her with 45 dex on the old character for the pyromancies.

I'll post this in the PvP section too, once I'm done with extracting all of the numbers. I'll get working on it some more right now.

Awesome, I think WoG is like Soul Arrow, very low casting speed increase, while Lightning Spears get a huge boost. I have a character with 45 Dex that throws Lightning Spears super fast. I also think Heal-type miracles and Gravelord Dance doesn't get an increase in casting speed.

Since you sound so positive, just to be sure: I *won't* be able to do the miracles.

You might be right in your assumptions, though. I'll soon get to the sorcery buffs to see if they change in any way at all. That would give an idea if Heal or anything else like that will benefit.

Yeah do it when you can, no rush. I don't think buffing will be affected either, but the praying (Heal) animation amd the buff animation are different so who knows.

I've updated the first post with a comprehensive list of spells and the effect of dexterity on them. It took a while, but I'm glad I did it.

Amazing work. I always knew CSS was fast enough. There's my proof. Thank you so much!!!!!!

Are we absolutely sure that the cast bonuses end at Dex 45, by the way? I could bump myself up to Dex 50 pretty quickly and test those out, too.

Please!!!!!

This one proves it for Pyromancy at least. Dunno about Sorcery.
At 40 seconds.

I will pick one representative spell from each offensive category and document the cast rate during the Dex levels 46, 47, 48, 49 & 50. I hope to make some new discoveries.

No luck. It appears that the casting speed increase ends after 45, just like with pyromancy.

Edit: I made tests with Crystal Soul Spear, White Dragon Breath and Pursuers.

Hey I was wondering if you are ready for the pyro tests. Looking forward to it.

I'm getting ready to bump my new character up from base dex to 45, but it'll cost me a bunch of souls to get my hands on all the pyro spells.

I'm working on it, though.