DEX Increase of Casting Speed

Had this older file sitting around and am trying to scavenge it.
  http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=162348338107165499

I think the original idea was to make a DEX/FAITH build but I dumped a lot into VIT and END at one point and the whole thing is a mess.
   I was thinking of dedicating the final points to DEX and use it to scale my weapons and increase casting speed . .  .then I read that casting speed is actually maxed at 45 rather than 40.
 
 So, is it worth those extra 5 points to max casting speed of my Miracles and Pyro while I stay in the "120ish" PvP range? (is 120 still an active area or is the big split 100 vs 150?)
 
 *or* If I'm going to bump it to 125, should I go all in and bump Faith to 50 and top off VIT to stay in the 150 arena range? Or just keep going until it's one of those level 200 monsters that hang around the forest?

Those are my questions, I usually keep to the lvl 50 range for PvP for several reasons so I'm not completely comfortable with this range.

Assuming you're using pyro as your main offense spells, you should go to 45. They get a bigger increase in speed.  

And at 30 faith, you can use most every miracle, so unless you want to be miracle focused (you mentioned pyro, so probably not,) there's not all too much reason to go all the way to 50 faith.

That Vid was very helpful. It looks like the difference it makes to Pyro could make some of the spells a little more valid in PvP.

  It's been a while since I have played above level 100 and I was just concerned about being stuck between PvP ranges as the community seems to have shifted to that 100/150 split.

IIRC, Black Flame and GC can stunlock at 45, not at 40. Am I wrong here?

At 45 dex you can for instance, break opponents guard with the first black flame (causing minor damage) and guarantee a follow up will hit (for higher than normal dmg due to guard break animation.)

To answer the honourable Reim, it depends on the opponents poise level. Sometimes I can stunlock 2 hits in a row, sometimes I can't at 45 dex. 

Tests anyone???

I see. That would be a good thing to test. That would be one of the only reasons to go to 45 Dex, IMO.

reim0027 wrote:IIRC, Black Flame and GC can stunlock at 45, not at 40.  Am I wrong here?

Yes, at 45 Dex (the last 5 points make the most difference btw) you can use pyros to stunlock people. For example you can do a BF/GC to Fire Whip with 45 Dex, but with 40, the Fire Whip can be rolled away from. If you pull it off, it does a LOT of damage.


Jump to 3:30 and give some uprep to FinPeku.

Trying to search, I see some debate on the subject. So does anyone know for sure: does dex increase the casting speed of WotG?

Yeah, it increases all offensive spells.

I thought miracles were unaffected by dex.

Only defensive miracles aren't, but wotg and the spears are affected.

TooLeet wrote:I thought Black Flame stunned regardless. That's the point of Black Flame.

It deals 60 Poise damage. Most people have 53 Poise to tank a greatsword 2H R1, so BF stuns them.

Soul of Stray Demon wrote:Only defensive miracles aren't, but wotg and the spears are affected.

It also greatly affects Gravelord miracles.

... okay, I am really fed up with how much more valuable dex is in dark than str. (on average) This is absurd.

and yet so much more weapons require high str to wield then high dex.

I noticed that.

if i am not mistaken then:
-pyro casting time gradually decreases @30-45dex
-offensive sorceries get one big decrease @45dex only
-the only miracles affected by dex are the lightning spears; NOT wotg, emit force and the gravelord dances

dex starts to increase the casting speed of spells such as css, lighting spears, gc/bf force/emit force and gravelord dance at 30-45 dex. wog and firestorms dont get an increase in casting speed.

I think xenon_nobelium has it right.

As far as i know, lightning spears are the only miracles that get the dex boost. Wog doesn't, emit force doesn't, gravelord sword dance doesn't. Only lightning spears.

Pretty much all pyros get the boost and the casting time starts to decrease at 30 dex. Even fire storm spells. The change is actually pretty significant. Fireballs, combustions, whips, storms...

Sorceries with slow casting speed get the boost from 30-45, but sorceries with fast casting speed get the boost only from 40-45. 

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.

https://soulswiki.forumotion.com/t10790-comprehensive-survey-of-dexterity-s-impact-on-sorcery-casting-speed