Guide to Pulling

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Updated Fri, Feb 13, 2009 by Shayalyn

Pulling It On

A Guide to Pulling Part I

Introduction

Pulling is a common term in DDO. It is a combat tactic that involves choosing and setting up a battlefield and sending one person to get the attention of a few monsters, “pulling” them back to the group and the prepared staging area. When used effectively, this tactic can help a party overcome challenges far above their level. Almost every quest in DDO incorporates at least a few places where pulling can turn a difficult challenge into something quite easy, as long as it's done right.

This series of guides will tell you everything you need to know about pulling from preparing the battlefield, preparing the party, executing an expert pull, and recovering from mistakes. This first installment will cover preparation for pulling. I will discuss how to choose a party member to do the pulling, how to prepare the battlefield, how to get the party ready, and finally discuss communication and some common terms used in pulling.

You'll Go Blind!

First things first, you have to decide who will do the pulling. A good puller will have a few requirements, not the least of which being a bit of a death wish. When pulling, you will be out on your own risking ambush; assaults of arrow, sword and spell alike and run the risk of becoming trapped without assistance. Simply failing a save against a blindness or hold spell could mean disaster for a puller. You must be prepared to risk death, recall, and equipment damage. As an afterthought, it helps for the puller to be able to communicate on voice chat.

Another important trait for a puller is experience. The best pullers know their art like second nature. They understand the visual range of monsters, as well as certain monsters with special detection abilities, and how to defend against their offensive abilities. You know you have an expert puller on your hands when even in normal dungeon crawling, he prefers to be a few steps in front, and often calls out “Hold up!” then backpedals a few feet, bringing one or two mobs in an improvised pull. We'll cover more on how to get that good in next week's installment.

Some classes can be better suited for pulling than others. I will cover some of the better choices here:

Paladin: Paladins have incredible saving throws and armor class, as well as the ability to heal themselves in a pinch making them quite able to stand up to assault while pulling. Although not the most nimble or sneaky pullers, it's not often that a Paladin will die on you during a pull.

Rangers: Rangers aren't as hardy as Paladins or as stealthy as most Rogues but they have some tricks up their sleeves that can increase their pulling abilities. Longstrider (Level 1 Ranger Spell) can make them move quicker, Ranger Action Boost can make them even faster. Camouflage (Level 1 Ranger Spell) can help them to ensure they are only seen by the monsters they want to pull. Barkskin (Level 2 Ranger Spell) and Energy Resistance (Level 1 Ranger Spell) can boost their defenses. Jump (Level 1 Ranger Spell) can help get them out of sticky situations, or lead monsters through obstacles that will slow them down. Rangers also have the use of cure wands making them more self sufficient. Archers will love being able to run pulls backwards and fill them full of arrows during the whole trip.

Rogues/Bards: While they are not as hardy as most Paladins or Rangers; stealth skills, crowd control (from spells or wands using UMD), and general nimbleness can make both Bards and Rogues superior pullers. “Stealth Pulling” takes exceptional patience and observation, but it can be the safest way to pull.

From the above criteria and suggestions, pick the best candidate for the job. Make sure you only designate one person to do the pulling, and be sure everyone knows who they are. Too many people out in front can complicate how aggro is determined (something I will cover in a later installment) and change a controlled situation into chaos, carnage, and confusion.

Laying Down The Gauntlet

Now that you've got someone to do the dirty work, it's time to get the killing ground set up.

Step 1: Select a place that somehow offers and advantage to the party, and/or a disadvantage to the enemy. Places that have available Choke Points (see Glossary) can be the most advantageous, or places with terrain that is advantageous to the group. Always be sure to pick a spot that is well out of sight of any mobs, or any places where mobs may respawn. There is nothing worse than struggling with a not-so-great pull, and having another mob storm in unexpectedly from behind.

Step two: define the borders of the battlefield. The puller should show the rest of the group a point where it is safe to begin firing missile weapons, or other actions that may draw aggro from his pull. Taking these actions while a monster is too far out can unintentionally get the attention of monsters that the puller did not mean to pull. I find it best to stand at the desired point and move side to side, defining a line, and instructing the party not to do anything to the mobs until they cross that line.

Step three: prepare the casters. Since it is determined that the melee's and archers will engage the pulls at the aforementioned “line”, this is a good place for the casters to lay down some crowd control. Have them lay area of effect spells so that they furthest edge lies right on the line of engagement. Web, Solid Fog, Cloudkill, Acid Fog, and Hypnotic pattern all work great to slow down incoming mobs, and weaken them for the melee's without drawing too much aggro to the casters. Unless the casters are extending the duration of their spells, it is most efficient for the puller to cue the casters to begin laying their spells while he is an appropriate distance from the battlefield with a mob following him. Have the casters let the puller know when the spells are soon to run out so that the party can decide whether to recast them, or move the battlefield up to a new location closer to where the monsters are.

If you are using a Choke Point, and have access to big, area of effect, damage over time spells such as Cloudkill, Acid Fog, or Firewall, the strategy is only slightly different. Simply have the melee's stand in the Choke Point causing a wall that the mobs will be unable to pass. The caster sets up his spells centered on the melee wall so that the monsters will be inside the area of effect when trying to penetrate the Choke Point. While the party sits safely behind the melee's, the puller goes to get some mobs (feel free to get plenty for this strategy), brings them to the wall, and jumps over. Then everyone sits back and relaxes while the caster racks up his kill count from safety. If the party has access to cursespewing ranged weapons, it can help to get a few shots in on the roasting mobs to lower their saves against the spells they are stewing in.

Communication Is Key

Hypnotic Pattern is good for choke points.

When you are pulling, remember that your party likely can't see what you can. Keep them appraised of the situation whenever you can. Let them know what is happening, whether or not you need help, what you are bringing back, and what is still left in the path ahead. Always let your party know if you pull a Named, or if you pull more monsters than you intended. Try and let them know immediately so that they have time to adjust spells or strategies accordingly.

Keeping your party informed of what sort of mobs are coming their way also allows them to adjust as needed for maximum efficiency in the fight. It can also help to remind the party not to engage until the mob chasing you passes the appropriate point. Sometimes those archers can get a little trigger happy. You know who you are!
To make communication easier, I have included a glossary of terms commonly used in pulling at the end of this guide. Make sure your party knows what they mean before you start using them however to prevent confusion.

In Closing

Now that you know how to get ready for pulling, I am sure you are anxious to move on to learning how to actually do the pulling itself. In next weeks guide I will be addressing mob perception ranges, how the game engine determines aggro, monster walk pathing, and general behavior of monsters. I have a homework assignment for you faithful readers: Get out there and observe.

Play with monsters visual perceptions. Sneak around near them and watch how they behave when they think they see or hear you. Get some practice using rocks, trees, walls and other terrain to avoid being seen by more than one monster at once. Darkgolem's guide Dungeon Discretion has some very useful information on these topics as well. Next week we will use what you learn to turn you into a pulling expert.

Glossary

Below I have compiled a list of terms that are commonly used in pulling. I will try to keep this guide updated as terms change through the community, or as new terms come to light. Feel free to send me any suggestions for inclusion.

Battlefield – The area to which the mobs will be pulled, and where they will be fought.

Bottleneck – When many mobs get stuck outside of a Choke Point. Think of a four lane highway that is suddenly reduced to one lane.

Choke Point – A narrow part of a hallway or doorway where mobs will only fit through a few at a time, or that is easy to stop up with a shield wall, creating a Bottleneck.

Clear to Me – This means that the path is clear for the party to move forward to the point where the puller currently stands. Mark his position on your map, and advance to that point. Pullers tend to move up again soon after calling this out, so be sure to advance to where he was when he said it, and prepare a new battlefield.

Clear to [Landmark] – Where [landmark] is any landmark mentioned in the statement. (i.e. Clear to the door.) The path is clear for the party to move up to said landmark and set up a new battlefield.

Hold Here – This tells the party to stop moving immediately, usually so the puller can go and get a pull, or scout the path ahead. It is usually implied to be ready to set a battlefield for a pull.

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