Post by Retribution on Aug 29, 2010 13:43:23 GMT
Highlights
Overview
This is a STR Assassin build designed for high DC mortal strikes as well as to fulfill the STR tank/disarm role in a party and lock picking/search duties. Note that unfortunately as reaching 16 BAB requires 7/3 or 6/4 Blackguard/Rogue levels an Assassin level must be taken at level 5 by the latest, which means the only way to get this build to work is with the +6 Hide/Move Silently bonus from Half-Molydeus.
The build shown is relatively sturdy with a maximum AC of 140. With ESF: Hide from the subrace it's also quite simple to reach 120 Hide for 60% conceal as well. Saves are all above 70 with one feat (Epic Will) used to boost will. Note that this could be changed for a different Legendary feat (or Paragon feat if Disarm Pandect is read before level 60).
The build is capable of picking all locks and detecting/disarming all traps. To do this however Dexterity of 32 and Intelligence of 38 is required. This is achieved at Double-Demi with +14 gear.
I chose to go with Light Flails as bludgeoning tends to be a good damage type for STR tank targets. Scimitar and Rapier are also good choices (all have large threat range for mortal strikes). In all cases weapons should be crafted according to Raj's crafting guide in the general build section.
You will note that the final STR of 76 has a modifier of 33, which gives the same Mortal strike DC as a STR of 74. However, it means the build can reach max DC before level 80, or can swap the STR artifact for another one, such as constitution for poison immunity.
This build is very skill tight, so UMD has not been taken. This is not an issue once you have access to the hellstore for rods, however if this is not an option then some more points in UMD at the expense of Craft Weapon might be a good idea.
Basic Information
Base race: Human
Subrace: Half-Molydeus
Base Stats/Racially Adjusted Stats
STR: 16/22
DEX: 14/14
CON: 12/14
INT: 16/20
WIS: 8/6
CHA: 8/8
Level Progression: 2 Rogue, 7 Assassin, 1 Blackguard (For Martial Weapon Proficiency), 1 Rogue, 3 Assassin, 6 Blackguard (For Concentration dump), 20 Assassin
Feats
Free Feats
Snakeblood (LSA Parry Qualifier)
ESF: Hide
7 Pre Level 20 Feats
Bullheaded (LSA Discipline Qualifier)
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Skill Focus: Open Lock
Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Greater Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Improved Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
7 Epic Feats
Great Strength I
Armour Skin
Epic Prowess
Epic Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Epic Will
Overwhelming Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Devastating Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
5 Epic Assassin Bonus Feats
Great Strength II
Great Strength III
Great Strength IV
Great Strength V
Great Strength VI
3 Spell Tome Bonus Feats
Spell Focus: Illusion
Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
Epic Spell Focus: Illusion
7 Legendary Level Feats
LSA: Discipline
LSA: Parry
Legendary Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Great Strength VII
Great Strength VIII
Great Strength IX
Great Strength X
2 Pandect Bonus Feats
Disarm
Improved Disarm
6 Paragon Level Feats
Paragon Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Paragon Levitation
Paragon Water Breathing
Paragon Balance
Legendary Disarm
Paragon Disarm
Stat Increases
All Strength
Level 80 Stats/With +16 Item Bonuses/Double Demigod
STR: 54/70/76 (76 with artifact)
DEX: 16/32/36
CON: 16/32/36
INT: 22/38/42
WIS: 8/24/28
CHA: 10/26/30
Saves
Base + Epic Level Increase + Legendary Level Increase + Paragon Level Increase + Ability Bonus + Items + Dark Blessing + Feats + Double Demigod
Reflex: (3 + 2 + 7) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 11 + 20 + 8 + 1 + 4 = 76
Fortitude: (1 + 5 + 3) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 11 + 20 + 8 + 0 + 4 = 72
Will: (1 + 2 + 3) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 20 + 8 + 5 + 4 = 70
Skill Points
With 20 starting intelligence you should have adequate points to max the skills as follows.
Discipline: 63 (After LSA Discipline)
Parry: 63 (After LSA Parry)
Listen: 63
Craft Weapon: 63
Craft Armour: 63
Tumble: 60
Hide: 57 (Take 2 at Creation, 6 bonus from Sub Race)
Search: 63
Disable Trap: 63
Open Lock: 63
Concentration: Approx 30 (Cross-class, take 23 ranks at last Blackguard level)
Use Magic Device: 1
Move Silently: 2 (At Creation)
Pick pocket: 1
Spellcraft: 1
Extras
Epic Book: Illusion
Pandect: Disarm
Artifact: Strength/Constitution
Mortal Strike DC Calculation at Double Demigod
35 (Base)
7 (50 Assassin Levels)
16 (Half Str Modifier)
= 58 (59 PoM Gloves, 60 DC Ego)
Note that the server max is 61, or 62 with RDD levels
AC Calculation at Double Demigod
10 (Base)
5 + 18 (Medium Armour)
17 (Deflection)
20 (Natural Armour - Strongheart)
20 (Dodge)
9 (Dexterity Bonus)
2 + 15 (Medium Shield)
12 (Tumble)
2 (Craft Armour)
2 (Armour Skin)
= 132 AC Total (136 With Girding, 139 with Artifact, 140 with +18 Deflection Vestige/BUR)
AB Calculation at Double Demigod
16 (Base)
1 (Weapon Focus)
1 (Greater Weapon Focus)
2 (Epic Weapon Focus)
1 (Epic Prowess)
20 (Enchantment)
33 (Strength Modifier)
10 (Epic Levels)
12 (Tier 2 LBAB)
3 (Legendary Weapon Focus and Epic Prowess)
5 (Paragon Levels)
2 (Paragon Weapon Focus)
2 (Craft Weapon)
= 108 when buffed (5 attacks at 108/103/98/93/108 progression).
Note that this can be buffed further
5 (Spell - True Strike)
3 (Item - Divine Power LBAB Increase)
= 116 max for disarm (6 attacks at 116/111/106/101/116/111 progression)
Gear
There are many gear setups, however I have chosen to go with:
Solar Forged Plate
Strongheart
Rampart of the Pact Primeval
Crown of Corruption
Gauntlets of Transposed Energy
Mordenkainen's Mockery
Wrap of The Dark Prince
Legendary Belt of Resilience
Solar Mote (Dex/Con)
2 BUR Immunity Rings/BUR Mord Ring if Required (No need for PW with WB/Lev feats)
Light Flails
T Scott
- High Mortal Strike DC
- Full Search and Lockpicking Abilities
- Disarm Capabilities
- Decent Damage Output
- Decent Defenses
- Quite Gear/Demigod Dependent
Overview
This is a STR Assassin build designed for high DC mortal strikes as well as to fulfill the STR tank/disarm role in a party and lock picking/search duties. Note that unfortunately as reaching 16 BAB requires 7/3 or 6/4 Blackguard/Rogue levels an Assassin level must be taken at level 5 by the latest, which means the only way to get this build to work is with the +6 Hide/Move Silently bonus from Half-Molydeus.
The build shown is relatively sturdy with a maximum AC of 140. With ESF: Hide from the subrace it's also quite simple to reach 120 Hide for 60% conceal as well. Saves are all above 70 with one feat (Epic Will) used to boost will. Note that this could be changed for a different Legendary feat (or Paragon feat if Disarm Pandect is read before level 60).
The build is capable of picking all locks and detecting/disarming all traps. To do this however Dexterity of 32 and Intelligence of 38 is required. This is achieved at Double-Demi with +14 gear.
I chose to go with Light Flails as bludgeoning tends to be a good damage type for STR tank targets. Scimitar and Rapier are also good choices (all have large threat range for mortal strikes). In all cases weapons should be crafted according to Raj's crafting guide in the general build section.
You will note that the final STR of 76 has a modifier of 33, which gives the same Mortal strike DC as a STR of 74. However, it means the build can reach max DC before level 80, or can swap the STR artifact for another one, such as constitution for poison immunity.
This build is very skill tight, so UMD has not been taken. This is not an issue once you have access to the hellstore for rods, however if this is not an option then some more points in UMD at the expense of Craft Weapon might be a good idea.
Basic Information
Base race: Human
Subrace: Half-Molydeus
Base Stats/Racially Adjusted Stats
STR: 16/22
DEX: 14/14
CON: 12/14
INT: 16/20
WIS: 8/6
CHA: 8/8
Level Progression: 2 Rogue, 7 Assassin, 1 Blackguard (For Martial Weapon Proficiency), 1 Rogue, 3 Assassin, 6 Blackguard (For Concentration dump), 20 Assassin
Feats
Free Feats
Snakeblood (LSA Parry Qualifier)
ESF: Hide
7 Pre Level 20 Feats
Bullheaded (LSA Discipline Qualifier)
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Skill Focus: Open Lock
Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Greater Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Improved Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
7 Epic Feats
Great Strength I
Armour Skin
Epic Prowess
Epic Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Epic Will
Overwhelming Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Devastating Critical (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
5 Epic Assassin Bonus Feats
Great Strength II
Great Strength III
Great Strength IV
Great Strength V
Great Strength VI
3 Spell Tome Bonus Feats
Spell Focus: Illusion
Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
Epic Spell Focus: Illusion
7 Legendary Level Feats
LSA: Discipline
LSA: Parry
Legendary Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Great Strength VII
Great Strength VIII
Great Strength IX
Great Strength X
2 Pandect Bonus Feats
Disarm
Improved Disarm
6 Paragon Level Feats
Paragon Weapon Focus (Scimitar/Light Flail/Rapier)
Paragon Levitation
Paragon Water Breathing
Paragon Balance
Legendary Disarm
Paragon Disarm
Stat Increases
All Strength
Level 80 Stats/With +16 Item Bonuses/Double Demigod
STR: 54/70/76 (76 with artifact)
DEX: 16/32/36
CON: 16/32/36
INT: 22/38/42
WIS: 8/24/28
CHA: 10/26/30
Saves
Base + Epic Level Increase + Legendary Level Increase + Paragon Level Increase + Ability Bonus + Items + Dark Blessing + Feats + Double Demigod
Reflex: (3 + 2 + 7) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 11 + 20 + 8 + 1 + 4 = 76
Fortitude: (1 + 5 + 3) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 11 + 20 + 8 + 0 + 4 = 72
Will: (1 + 2 + 3) + 10 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 20 + 8 + 5 + 4 = 70
Skill Points
With 20 starting intelligence you should have adequate points to max the skills as follows.
Discipline: 63 (After LSA Discipline)
Parry: 63 (After LSA Parry)
Listen: 63
Craft Weapon: 63
Craft Armour: 63
Tumble: 60
Hide: 57 (Take 2 at Creation, 6 bonus from Sub Race)
Search: 63
Disable Trap: 63
Open Lock: 63
Concentration: Approx 30 (Cross-class, take 23 ranks at last Blackguard level)
Use Magic Device: 1
Move Silently: 2 (At Creation)
Pick pocket: 1
Spellcraft: 1
Extras
Epic Book: Illusion
Pandect: Disarm
Artifact: Strength/Constitution
Mortal Strike DC Calculation at Double Demigod
35 (Base)
7 (50 Assassin Levels)
16 (Half Str Modifier)
= 58 (59 PoM Gloves, 60 DC Ego)
Note that the server max is 61, or 62 with RDD levels
AC Calculation at Double Demigod
10 (Base)
5 + 18 (Medium Armour)
17 (Deflection)
20 (Natural Armour - Strongheart)
20 (Dodge)
9 (Dexterity Bonus)
2 + 15 (Medium Shield)
12 (Tumble)
2 (Craft Armour)
2 (Armour Skin)
= 132 AC Total (136 With Girding, 139 with Artifact, 140 with +18 Deflection Vestige/BUR)
AB Calculation at Double Demigod
16 (Base)
1 (Weapon Focus)
1 (Greater Weapon Focus)
2 (Epic Weapon Focus)
1 (Epic Prowess)
20 (Enchantment)
33 (Strength Modifier)
10 (Epic Levels)
12 (Tier 2 LBAB)
3 (Legendary Weapon Focus and Epic Prowess)
5 (Paragon Levels)
2 (Paragon Weapon Focus)
2 (Craft Weapon)
= 108 when buffed (5 attacks at 108/103/98/93/108 progression).
Note that this can be buffed further
5 (Spell - True Strike)
3 (Item - Divine Power LBAB Increase)
= 116 max for disarm (6 attacks at 116/111/106/101/116/111 progression)
Gear
There are many gear setups, however I have chosen to go with:
Solar Forged Plate
Strongheart
Rampart of the Pact Primeval
Crown of Corruption
Gauntlets of Transposed Energy
Mordenkainen's Mockery
Wrap of The Dark Prince
Legendary Belt of Resilience
Solar Mote (Dex/Con)
2 BUR Immunity Rings/BUR Mord Ring if Required (No need for PW with WB/Lev feats)
Light Flails
T Scott