Project Big Hits, p2

So we know fighter will be the main class in my Darth Samius build. So to me the next big call is race and splash levels….

To me race and splash levels are very close things. You wouldn’t want to splash sorc on a Horc melee build would you? Not unless your trying to be very funny…. And frankly you not that funny, so stop trying.

So options:

Horc, the clear winner in 2 handed dps, when that is heavy action boosted focused.
Helf, the clear winner with the most options…. And the strongest race right now.
Human, a very solid choice not as strong as Horc but I would say in the top 3 races in the game right now.
Dwarf, Very solid if you plan to use axes and combat skills. You could do worse also cool beards…. ☺
Halfling, who doesn’t love them? And with fighter as the base finding some feats for the healing marks might be a fair way to go. But they are not the strongest melee race…
Are there other races?
Elfs would be good if you want to use race weapons they get a falcon line, very nice but down con…. ;’-(
Drow, nope.
Oh WF…. They went from a powerhouse race to meh in one update. Sorry your heals suck, you lost your immunities, armor is shitty and more. There is just no reason to play WF unless you’re an arty right now.

So in my mind it is between Horc, Helf and dwarf with Elf maybe poking its head into the race as I am leaning at using a falcon over the greataxe. But really it comes down to who can heal the easiest and that at least for now is the Helf via the dilettante feats.

The Helf has a lot of other things going for it atm, human amp and human versatility are huge, throw in human adaptability and you have the best of the human options.

As for the splash…

To me there are 4 main options.

2 rog, skills (mainly umd) which will let us lesser at 20 to adjust the stats and let umd take over for healing freeing up the dilettante feat for something else and evasion.

2 arty, same skills as above but gives most of the key xbox feats so giving a ranged option with little work. We loose evasion however. But we can go xbow and shield when needed or rune arm for a little more ranged dps.

2 monk, we decide not to worry about umd and will stay clr dilly wise but gives fists for some fights, as well as evasion. But mainly 2 more feats to play with.

Or the one I am leaning towards atm, 1 barb 1 arty. You loose rune arm use from the 2 arty splash but gain fast movement and another rage (assuming I take the past life barb feat {I totally will}) and +1 more to power attack I will be losing do to my race and main class picks.

As always let me know what you think via the comments.

What am I? Where is my DDo Happiness?

For my 400th post I wanted to go a little deeper then a weekend report so I ask myself and I hope to inspire you to ask yourself: What am I? and Where is my DDo Happiness?

I just wrote half a page rambling a long to get to the meat of my question, and I thought it boring to reread so I am editing all that fat out to ask myself this better question, “What do I want out of my “final” build?”

I am at the point that I will be starting my final tr life needed to get my feat. And having played everything I am not 100% sure what I am any more as a dnd player.

Things I do know I need:
A blue bar
Self healing
Removal spells
Combat options
Speed
Lots of Hp for wiggle room

Thing is I am not sure any more what that means for me when it comes to builds. Other then a dick being a wizard is my truest nature. But is it really? I like having every option at my fingertips; maybe that calls more to the bard/arty/druid classes then the others. If the arty had a slightly better spell list I could see going full on arty. If there were a few more scroll options from vendors I could see being a bard for a while. And after playing the druid it is a super strong class even more so then the wizard to have the right tool for the job. But are those sometime alt builds or are they me? So no real help on heroic levels. But I still have a few lives I think before I have to make that call.

Guess I don’t really have any point to this post right now. It is not like I will come to any answers right this minute and take off shouting eureka around the office. But I totally would if I had a final build pop into my head.

As always I am just trying to share my thoughts as we all can become better players. Until 401, Where is your DDo Happiness?

Topic Three, Holy Tree Hugger Batman

Today is one of those days where I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head and I am not real sure what to settle on and turn into a full on post. So I am going to try and do a few smaller posts. I also have a few (not sure how many but more then 2) winter wolf codes to give away. If you want a code leave a comment on the topic and let me know you want a code.

Topic Three, Holy Tree Hugger Batman

I have had the sudden realization that if the xp keeps moving at the same pace or even picks up with Tobril and the wife (almost ready to tag along), I will need a new build real soon. But with my new found love of the druid, I don’t think am done playing what might become one of my favorite classes just yet. And I have be wondering if 9 levels of druid is as good as 9 levels of monk to carry a build through a life……

Nine levels of druid gives us winter wolf form and 2 level 5 spells, so Cold Breath and WoF. Some fairly good Healing at the lower levels Vigor proper and lesser mass if you want to mass heal some… Fom and Sleet storm. And two of my most used Spells Ice Storm and Call Lighting. Oh and lets you take a real sleeper enchantment “Reaving Roar“. Trust me kids you will be hearing about this one again from the “build masters” later.

Wait there is a free AoE that happens when you kill a guy and it is sonic damage? Hmmmmm.

So what can we do with the other 11 levels of which at least 10 should be pally just to make life easy?

Well an Arty level gives some SP, rouge skills and a lot of Xbos feats. I don’t have any xbows on Samius. So a rouge level would be better over all. Maybe take that rouge level at 10 and dump all the points in to umd… something to think about…. That is when all the Chr skill items are about to kick in.

While we are looking at 1 level splashes we should look at Wiz and Fighter for the feat. Which may or may not be needed on whether or not you want to take a pally PRE. The only one I think would be worth it by the time you get it would be Knight of killing out siders, and doesn’t have an feat prereqs. So I don’t think I/we need to splash for feats.

Will pally levels be a help to the druid?

Your not going to get a ton of SP or any access to any really uber spells for that matter. Sure smites and lay on hands might help with the now huge pressure on your kind of small Sp pool, but I don’t think they will be enough help.

Over all I think if I will keep playing with this build because who doesn’t want to play a tree hugging holy batman? I just think it will have to go less Spell focused and more melee focused. And until the shape change melee stuff is all cleaned up I don’t see a great melee only druid in the cards just yet.

Starting FvS Build using Vet Status 2

Phlor has been thinking about branching out of Paladin as his “only” class. It took a lot of convincing but now he is splashing for evasion on some builds and seems to really like it. And now he is thinking about a “healer” class. I have talked him in to doing a test run before he Trs his main. I am afraid that he might hit a tough spot while leveling and bolt. But if it is just a throw away alt then I think that is less likely. And I think that if you don’t see the core ideas behind a class in the first 7 levels then you have deeper problems.

Anyway thinking about my own play experience and thinking back to when I was first leveling the different divine classes (play styles) the one that was the fastest/funnest to level was Javabot as the WF FvS. And while I still have 4 or 5 capped divines, Java gets pulled for many tasks. For example over the last few days my wife as decided to cap out her main so she can TR. It has fallen to Java to help her through the quests she has left to finish this life.

With all that in mind I give you (first 7 levels) my idea of a simple WF FvS. Btw it looks like almost everyone’s first life WF FvS…

Level 7 Warforged Favored Soul – alignment something good at least until standing umb is 20+
Hit Points: 160
Spell Points: 527
BAB: 5510
Fortitude: 10
Reflex: 5
Will: 4

Starting Stats, 32 Points
Strength – 17
Dexterity – 8
Constitution – 18
Intelligence – 1
Wisdom – 6
Charisma – 12

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of everything at level 7

Skills
Concentration full ranks.
And one other I like Intimidate or Use Magic Device. With a Tomes early or with a lesser after eating a +3 tome you could lose a point or 3 from Concentration to get two cross class skills maxed.

Feats
Level 1
Feat: (Diety) Favored by the Lord of Blades
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack

Level 3
Feat: (Selected) Toughness

Level 5
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Electricity

Level 6
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell

Level 7
Enhancement: Favored Soul Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Damage Boost II
Enhancement: Bladesworn Transformation
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Life I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Toughness I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Toughness II
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Healer’s Friend I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack I

If you have a Question you want me to answer, you can use the comments, send a PM in game or here, or email me @ samius@ddococktailhour.com