What abilities can be used from the second bar?

Heraclea · May 2014

(Yes, I asked elsewhere....)

I doubt I'm the only player out there who finds they have more active abilities they want to keep handy than they have slots. Since I've abandoned 1h/shield for the time being, I'm concentrating on 2h skill lines and abilities, trying to level them up.

I've moved most of the self buffs to the second bar. I'm also trying to level up Draconic Power; the other two class sets are maxed, but the only DP ability I have on my main toolbar is Green Dragon Blood.

So, to save space, I moved buffs and similar abilities to the second toolbar; the idea was to swap toolbars when those abilities were needed. I noticed that when I tried to toggle on Sea of Flames on the second toolbar, it disappears when swapped back.

Am I also losing the actual buffs from stuff like Obsidian Shield, Molten Weapons, and Momentum by casting them from the second bar and then swapping back to where my regular attacks are?

(FWIW, I've learned that weapon swapping is not reliable enough to keep your self heal on the second bar.)

And one more, related question. How do abilities on your second bar count towards levelling up those skills?

Orizuru · May 2014

When you gain EXP, the skills that are currently on your active toolbar gain EXP as well. The abilities on the inactive toolbar gain nothing. If you have skills on one toolbar you are trying to level up, then make sure you switch to the toolbar right before you deal the killing blow or turn in a quest.

Weapon swapping will always remove any effects caused by abilities on the toolbar. Even if you have the same buff on both toolbars. EDIT: I've updated my post per the other comments here that corrected an area I may have been mistaken about.

From what I understand, weapon swapping wasn't meant to allow you to have 10+2 buttons. It's just meant to allow you to have two different 5+1 builds and swapping from one to the other removes all active buffs/effects provided by the active build.

Heraclea · May 2014

Orizuru wrote: »

Weapon swapping will always remove any effects caused by abilities on the toolbar. Even if you have the same buff on both toolbars.

From what I understand, weapon swapping wasn't meant to allow you to have 10+2 buttons. It's just meant to allow you to have two different 5+1 builds and swapping from one to the other removes all active buffs/effects provided by the active build.

I'm not sure it actually works that way for all abilities. Activating Obsidian Shield gives me temporary hitpoints that are visible on my health bar. Swapping does not make them go away. The visual effects of Obsidian Shield and Molten Weapons also persist after the swap. As noted, Sea of Flames seems to work differently.

It could be that it's only the visual effect that's staying and not the actual buff.

Xnemesis · May 2014

Anything that is a toggle will go away if not on both bars including pets, You also will lose and buffs that you gain to stats by having an ability from a certain tree slotted. If you cast a buff you will still have the buff after swapping for the duration. hope that clarifies any confusion.

Heraclea · May 2014

That makes sense.