Post by tomaan on Aug 5, 2009 20:10:59 GMT
NOTE: This build is a work in progress and I'm looking for suggestions![/u]
Rumpp O'Steeleskin(acknowledgements to Mr. Clinton)
Battlerager
Fighter(12)/Weapon
Master(10)/Dwarven Defender(18)
Pros - great str and con, good saves, good (not great) damage output, sick damage resistance
Cons - no aoe/ranged attacks, no extra damage/attack bonus, scary low AC
Rumpp O'Steeleskin is a tank in the purest sense. He's not flashy and will likely be at the bottom of the damage dealt rankings. Nevertheless, he can face just about ANYTHING and come out standing and has prevented more than 1 party wipe. My goal was to build a stable melee character that uses two-handed weapons and which was not a monk or a staffmaster. The obvious problem, of course, was what do about an AC that was 8-10 points below survivable. Posted some questions, got some feedback and narrowed it down to one of four control classes:
a) Paladin: gets shield AC from Divine Shield and good extra damage
b) COT: popular melee build with lots of damage and good soak
c) Barbarian: recently nerfed but still effective with attack/damage bonuses and damage soak
d) Dwarven Defender: the bastard step child of melee classes with no extra damage/attack bonuses but wicked mad damage soak
I ultimately chose Dwarven Defender, for a variety of reasons: 1) I had a 50th lvl dual weild Dwarven Defender gathering cyber dust; 2) I like dwarfs. But seriously, Dwarven Defender has, without question, the best damage soak in the mod. It's not tied to uses/rest, it soaks all weapons (regardless of damage type or enchantment bonus), it can't be morded/breached away, and includes both % and flat(stackable) soak for maximum effectiveness. You also get critical immunity (minimum 40 base str), which really comes in handy. I splashed this build with Fighter for extra feats and Weapon Master for additional AB and big crits. You also keep your Dodge AC bonus when flatfooted and can't be flanked.
The full description of Dwarven Defender class changes can be found here: highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=9518, but the features that matter most to this build are:
(the final entry describes Dwarven Defender's critical immunity, not languages)
The Natural AC Bonus is an important feature as it allows you to choose anamulet based on need and not AC. I used either Isaac's Enhancer (standard drop in many lvl 30+ areas) for across-the-board ability benefits, Amulet of Protection +10 (store bought) for maximum saves, or Elemental (UR but relatively easy to get) for it's immunities. Whichever you choose, make sure it fills a defensive gap. The physical immunity is just that...by bumping strength you are improving your attack/damage as well as your survivability. Everybody wins! Finally, crit immunity makes you nigh invulnerable. No single shot (and very few combinations) will do enough damage to overcome your combination of critical and physical immunity....
...Which brings me to my final point. This build is vulnerable to elemental damage and spells, so carry a good variety of
rings/boots/cloaks/etc. and you'll be very tough to bring down. I use a cloak with immunity to lvl 6 and under spells. There are other items which give similar immunities. At the very least grab the immo bracers for immunity to bigby spells.
Lastly, I reincarnated this build from a lvl 50 Dwarven Defender and would recommend doing the same. Without a shield, AC is really low your physical immunities won't kick in until Legendary Levels. Shouldn't be an issue if you have good gear. If not, you're going to need to wear a shield and weild a one-handed weapon. Fortunately, this build has room for an extra favored weapon should you decide to go this route.
So far, he has breezed through the Desert, Fey, Sissy, DB, and Mycos (I think he died 3-4 times total, mostly from rolling 1s against Implode). Gonna try to hit the remaining Legendary Levels before testing him in the hells.
That said, take a look and tell me what you think. All input (good, bad, and ) is appreciated.
T
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Demographics
Race: Dwarf
Subrace: Battlerager
Classes: Fighter(12), Weapon Master(10), Dwarven Defender(18)
Fighter gives you the feats necessary to qualify for Weapon Master (Expertise, Mobility, Weapon Focus, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack). It also lets you get both Weapon Specialization feats, which give an additional +9 in damage. You don't
have to take this many Fighter levels, however. You can also use the feats to get another weapon focus (see below). Weapon Master gives you +3 to hit and uber crits without having to spend Epic feats (you can, but it's not worth it IMHO as only the Crit Multiplier stacks with your Weapon Master feats). Finally, Dwarven Defender gives you your crit immunity and damage soak. I took 18 levels to get an extra epic feat...but that's about it; all you really need is for Dwarven Defender to be your control class.
Starting Stats ---> Adjusted Stats*
Strength: 16 ---> 20
Constitution: 15 ---> 18
Dexterity: 13 ---> 13
Intelligence: 16 ---> 14
Wisdom: 8 ---> 8
charisma: 6 ---> 3
* - Starting stats include Bioware's default dwarf ability adjustments (+2 Con, -2 Cha)
Strength and Constitution are obvious keys to your survival. We want them to be very high. The high Int score is a matter of choice. You need at least 13 Int to get Expertise (req'd for Weapon Master). I chose to take the extra point and max out another skill. You could just as easily put the points into Dex for more unitankability. Speaking of Dex, you need at least 13 to get Spring Attack (req'd for Weapon Master). We'll place another point in it later to make the easier Dex checks. You will not, however, every Dex check, so keep that in mind when selecting your starting stats.
You will put all your stat increases into Strength.
Skills
This build can only maximize 4 skills (yikes!), for that reason, I chose 4 essentials (IMHO at least):
1) Discipline - The primary skill of any tank, it allows you to resist disarm and knockdown attacks (and there are more than a few in this mod!)
2) Listen - Another must-have skill, particularly if you do not have the Blindfighting feat. Listen helps you hit concealed enemies (and there are more than a few in this mod!)
3) Tumble - Up to +12 to your AC. You need it. Trust me. This is not a class skill, however, so you won't be able to raise it until you reach level 43 (see below for details). You'll reach the +12 maximum by level 57. There's no reason to continue to raise it after that.
4) Craft Armor - Up to +3 to your AC. You need it. Trust me. Raise it during your Fighter and Dwarven Defender levels as it is not a class skill to Weapon Masters in pre-legendary levels.
If you have any extra points put them in Concentration. Not a high priority, but it helps with some checks in the hells.
Level Progression
you do not have to follow this progression strictly. I used it as it saves 3 Fighter feats for epic levels. Splitting your Dwarven Defender and Weapon Master levels allows you to raise both Will and Reflex saves without using a lot of feats. We're taking our Weapon Master and Fighter levels early to get combat ready quickly (not so important if reincarnating, but helpful if leveling from scratch).
1-6: Fighter
7-13: Weapon Master
14-19: Dwarven Defender
20-25: Fighter
26-28: Weapon Master
29-40: Dwarven Defender
Level Breakdown
note: class-based bonus feats are listed in their respective colors, with class/level in parentheses.
1: Fighter(1)
Feats: Blooded, Weapon Focus(F1)
Blooded qualifies you to take Legendary Skill Affinity: Tumble, which allows you to increase Tumble as a class skill in legendary levels. You will not achieve the maximum +12 AC bonus without taking this feat. I chose to focus in Great Axe, but you can pick whichever weapon you have/want. Heavy Flail used to be a popular choice because bludgeoning was the most effective damage type. This may or may not still be true, as a recent update changed a lot of immunities (perhaps a veteran can answer that question?).
2: Fighter(2)
Feats: Expertise(F2)
Expertise is a requirement for Weapon Master. I don't use it much as a matter of personal preference, however, the +5 AC bonus will help you and the -5 to AB shouldn't hurt too bad.
3: Fighter(3)
Feats: Mobility
Mobility is a requirement for Weapon Master.
4: Fighter(4)
Feats: Weapon Specialization(F4)
I've heard/seen several people clowning Weapon Specialization feats, saying they don't make a differnce. Nevertheless, they do add +9 to your strength-based damage modifier to two-handed weapons and we have the extra feats so why not? You can easily swap out these feats and focus in a one-handed weapon (so you can use a shield if needed).
5: Fighter(5)
6: Fighter(6)
Feats: Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack(F6)
Spring Attack and Whirlwind Attack are requirements for Weapon Master.
7: Weapon Master(1)
Feats: Weapon of Choice(WM1), Ki Damage(WM1)
Weapon of Choice will be your primary weapon. You can add a second later if needed. Ki Damage allows you to strike opponents for maximum damage. Unfortunately, this only applies to base weapon damage and doesn't affect the crit immune so I rarely, if ever, use it.
8: Weapon Master(2)
9: Weapon Master(3)
Feats: Improved Critical
Improved Critical increases your critical threat range by 1. This is a standard feat for all melee classes. Take it or....don't
10: Weapon Master(4)
11: Weapon Master(5)
Feats: Superior Weapon Focus(WM5), Increased Multiplier(WM5)
Superior Weapon Focus gives you +1 to your AB while Increased Multiplier raises your critical damage multiplier by 1.
12: Weapon Master(6)
Feats: Iron Will
Iron Will adds +2 to your will saves and allows you to take Legendary Will (+7 to will saves) in Legendary Levels.
13: Weapon Master(7)
Feats: Ki Critical
Ki Critical increases your threat range by 2. You will now thoroughly abuse anything lacking critical immunity. And it will be good.
14: Dwarven Defender(1)
Feats: Defensive Stance(DwD1)
Defensive Stance improves your Strength, Constitution and will saves. Once your abilities are buffed you will no need for this, but it helps through level 30 or so.
15: Dwarven Defender(2)
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Defensive Awareness I(DwD2)
Lightning Reflexes adds +2 to your Reflex saves and allows you to take Legendary Reflexes (+7 to reflex saves) in Legendary Levels. Defensive Awareness I allows you to retain your dexterity bonus to AC, even if caught flat-footed or attacked by a hidden or invisible creature.
16: Dwarven Defender(3)
17: Dwarven Defender(4)
18: Dwarven Defender(5)
Feats: Disarm, Defensive Awareness II(DwD5)
Disarm is an extra feat. I chose it because I'm using a large weapon and my AB will be high. Through level 53 I've had mixed success with it. If you have a second Weapon Focus feat, you can take aWeapon Master(8) level and select your second Weapon of Choice feat here. With Defensive awareness II enemies no longer gain a bonus from attacking your flank. Since you will spending a lot of time surrounded and since your AC is low, this feat is a huge benefit.
19: Dwarven Defender(6)
Feats: Damage Reduction I(DwD6)
Damage Reduction I gives you a stackable 3/- resistance to physical damage. Doesn't sound like much but it adds up pretty fast.
20: Fighter(7)
21: Fighter(8)
Feats: Great Dexterity I, Epic Weapon Focus(F8)
Great Dexterity I increases your Dexterity by 1 point. You now have a base 14 Dex and a reasonable chance of beating some Dex checks. Epic Weapon Focu adds +2 to your AB while using your chosen weapon
22: Fighter(9)
23: Fighter(10)
Feats: Epic Weapon Specialization(F10)
Epic Weapon Specialization adds +4 damage to the +2 you got for Weapon Specialization, for a total of +6 damage. Throw in the bonus for using a two-handed weapon and you add +9 to your damage output. If you have a second weapon focus, you can use this feat for another Epic Weapon Focus feat.
24: Fighter(11)
Feats: Great Strength I
Great Strength I increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total. You'll also get your Warrior's Whetstone which will add a whopping 7-10 points to your attacks. Unfortunately, it's not irresistable/stackable and will pretty get absorbed by everything you face after level 25(+/-) so it is little, if any, value to you.
25: Fighter(12)
Feats: Improved Disarm(F10)
Improved Disarm reduces the penalty for attempting to Disarm an opponent. If you're going this route you really need this feat. If you are going for a second weapon foci, you can use this to take Improved Critical for your second weapon.
26: Weapon Master(8)
27: Weapon Master(9)
Feats: Great Strength II
Great Strength II increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
28: Weapon Master(10)
Feats: Superior Weapon Focus
Technically, this is not a new "feat", but it does add +1 to your AB when you hit Weapon Master 10.
29: Dwarven Defender(7)
30: Dwarven Defender(8)
Feats: Great Strength III
Great Strength III increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
31: Dwarven Defender(9)
32: Dwarven Defender(10)
33: Dwarven Defender(11)
Feats: Great Strength IV
Great Strength IV increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
34: Dwarven Defender(12)
35: Dwarven Defender(13)
36: Dwarven Defender(14)
Feats: Great Strength V, Epic
Prowess(DwD14)
Epic Prowess gives you +1 to AB, and increases the Legendary Weapon Focus AB bonus to +3 (up from +2). Great Strength V increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
37: Dwarven Defender(15)
38: Dwarven Defender(16)
39: Dwarven Defender(17)
Feats: Great Strength VI
Great Strength VI increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
40: Dwarven Defender(18)
Feats: Armor Skin(DwD18)
Armor Skin gives you +2 to your AC. You need it. Trust me.
41: Dwarven Defender(19)
42: Dwarven Defender(20)
Feats: Legendary Skill Affinity: Tumble
Legendary SKill Affinity: Tumble allows you to raise Tumble as a class skill in legendary levels. Unfortunately, you have to wait until Level 43 before you can actually increase the points, but when you do, your AC will get a +9 boost. Continue to increase Tumble until you hit a base score of 60 (level 57). This will give you the maximum +12 bonus.
43: Dwarven Defender(21)
44: Dwarven Defender(22)
45: Dwarven Defender(23)
Feats: Legendary Weapon Focus
Legendary Weapon Focus gives you +2 to your AB. This increases to +3 if you have Epic Prowess.
46: Dwarven Defender(24)
47: Dwarven Defender(25)
48: Dwarven Defender(26)
Feats: Legendary Reflexes
Legendary Reflexes increases your reflex saves by +7. You could probably get by without it, but why would you?
49: Dwarven Defender(27)
50: Dwarven Defender(28)
51: Dwarven Defender(29)
Feats: Legendary Will
Legendary Will increases your will saves by +7. You could probably get by without it, but why would you?
52: Dwarven Defender(30)
53: Dwarven Defender(31)
54: Dwarven Defender(32)
Feats: Great Strength VII
Great Strength VII increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be
taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
55: Dwarven Defender(33)
56: Dwarven Defender(34)
57: Dwarven Defender(35)
Feats: Great Strength VIII
Great Strength VIII increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be
taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
58: Dwarven Defender(36)
59: Dwarven Defender(37)
60: Dwarven Defender(38)
Feats: Legendary Skill Focus: Craft Armor
Legendary Skill Focus: Craft Armor increases your Craft Armor score by 20 points. This will put your Craft Armor at or around 90, which is worth +2 to AC (+1 per 40 points). With gear and such you might be able to get another +30 points and increase your AC by 1 more (still working on it, not sure if I'll get there). If you have a secondary weapon focus, you can use this feat to take another Legendary Weapon Focus feat.
Adjusted Stats @40---> Adjusted Stats@60*
Strength: 48 ---> 60
Constitution: 30 ---> 30
Dexterity: 26 ---> 26
Intelligence: 26 ---> 26
Wisdom: 20 ---> 20
charisma: 15 ---> 15
* - includes +12 from gear/spells
AB, AC, Saves
AC - Buffed with bardsong and girding with hit 117
AB - Buffed with IOF and/or bardsong will be 98/93/88/83
Saves - Buffed saves will range from 63-68
Tips/Suggestions
You'll want at least 20% damage soak from your armor. For heavy armor, I recommend Immortal Plate Mail and for medium armor I recommend Humbaba's Cruel Heart (Ancient Kings). You can upgrade once you hit level 50.
You'll also want at least 20% from items. I currently get 30% from cloak, gloves and ring (no BURS currently). Combined with armor, I have 71%/66%/71% physical immunities. This will go up to 74%/69%/74% when I hit level 60 if I keep the same gear. Through in some nice BURs and immunity should reach 85-90%.
Since you'll be getting +20 in Natural AC, you don't have to worry about getting an uber amulet. I recommend Isaac's Enhancer (+10) as an easy to find amulet that add +5 to all your stats. You can also go with
Elemental, which will provide you with broad elemental immunities. Other options would be ones that add more physical resistance and/or feats. Of course, if you have a BUR laying around...
Your biggest weakness will be elemental damage, making immunity rings an essential part of your inventory.
In terms of battle....TANK IT!!!! Rushing into a crowd? No problem, mon! Rezzing the whole party while being riddled with arrows? No problem, mon! Blocking the unhittable enemy while your archers/casters destroy his source of power? No problem, mon! I've found myself trying to get this guy hurt without success....so just accept the fact that you're gonna get hit cuz it won't matter all that much!
Not sure how he'll fare deep into the hells, but you can easily use this build to gather the gear and/or subbies you need to build your ultimate toon. I'll post an open version of this shortly.
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That's it for now. Please rip this build apart...nitpick as much as you want.
All feedback is welcome.
Regards,
T
Rumpp O'Steeleskin(acknowledgements to Mr. Clinton)
Battlerager
Fighter(12)/Weapon
Master(10)/Dwarven Defender(18)
Pros - great str and con, good saves, good (not great) damage output, sick damage resistance
Cons - no aoe/ranged attacks, no extra damage/attack bonus, scary low AC
Rumpp O'Steeleskin is a tank in the purest sense. He's not flashy and will likely be at the bottom of the damage dealt rankings. Nevertheless, he can face just about ANYTHING and come out standing and has prevented more than 1 party wipe. My goal was to build a stable melee character that uses two-handed weapons and which was not a monk or a staffmaster. The obvious problem, of course, was what do about an AC that was 8-10 points below survivable. Posted some questions, got some feedback and narrowed it down to one of four control classes:
a) Paladin: gets shield AC from Divine Shield and good extra damage
b) COT: popular melee build with lots of damage and good soak
c) Barbarian: recently nerfed but still effective with attack/damage bonuses and damage soak
d) Dwarven Defender: the bastard step child of melee classes with no extra damage/attack bonuses but wicked mad damage soak
I ultimately chose Dwarven Defender, for a variety of reasons: 1) I had a 50th lvl dual weild Dwarven Defender gathering cyber dust; 2) I like dwarfs. But seriously, Dwarven Defender has, without question, the best damage soak in the mod. It's not tied to uses/rest, it soaks all weapons (regardless of damage type or enchantment bonus), it can't be morded/breached away, and includes both % and flat(stackable) soak for maximum effectiveness. You also get critical immunity (minimum 40 base str), which really comes in handy. I splashed this build with Fighter for extra feats and Weapon Master for additional AB and big crits. You also keep your Dodge AC bonus when flatfooted and can't be flanked.
The full description of Dwarven Defender class changes can be found here: highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=9518, but the features that matter most to this build are:
Natural AC Bonus
- On achieving legendary levels, a character with Dwarven Defender as their control class gains a natural AC bonus of +1 per STR bonus, to a maximum of +20. If the character has levels in Red Dragon Disciple, the maximum bonus is lowered by their RDD AC bonus, but no lower than +16.
Physical Immunity
- On achieving legendary levels, a character with Dwarven Defender as their control class gains 1% immunity to physical damage for every point of Strength modifier they have.
Languages
- Characters with Dwarven Defender as their control class who do not belong to a quasiclass and have at least 40 base Strength may expend a use of Defensive Stance to enter Stoneguard. As with Defensive Stance, the Dwarven Defender will be completely immobilized. The
Defender receives all the benefits of ordinary Defensive Stance, and in addition is immune to critical hits while the effect is active.
- On achieving legendary levels, a character with Dwarven Defender as their control class gains a natural AC bonus of +1 per STR bonus, to a maximum of +20. If the character has levels in Red Dragon Disciple, the maximum bonus is lowered by their RDD AC bonus, but no lower than +16.
Physical Immunity
- On achieving legendary levels, a character with Dwarven Defender as their control class gains 1% immunity to physical damage for every point of Strength modifier they have.
Languages
- Characters with Dwarven Defender as their control class who do not belong to a quasiclass and have at least 40 base Strength may expend a use of Defensive Stance to enter Stoneguard. As with Defensive Stance, the Dwarven Defender will be completely immobilized. The
Defender receives all the benefits of ordinary Defensive Stance, and in addition is immune to critical hits while the effect is active.
(the final entry describes Dwarven Defender's critical immunity, not languages)
The Natural AC Bonus is an important feature as it allows you to choose anamulet based on need and not AC. I used either Isaac's Enhancer (standard drop in many lvl 30+ areas) for across-the-board ability benefits, Amulet of Protection +10 (store bought) for maximum saves, or Elemental (UR but relatively easy to get) for it's immunities. Whichever you choose, make sure it fills a defensive gap. The physical immunity is just that...by bumping strength you are improving your attack/damage as well as your survivability. Everybody wins! Finally, crit immunity makes you nigh invulnerable. No single shot (and very few combinations) will do enough damage to overcome your combination of critical and physical immunity....
...Which brings me to my final point. This build is vulnerable to elemental damage and spells, so carry a good variety of
rings/boots/cloaks/etc. and you'll be very tough to bring down. I use a cloak with immunity to lvl 6 and under spells. There are other items which give similar immunities. At the very least grab the immo bracers for immunity to bigby spells.
Lastly, I reincarnated this build from a lvl 50 Dwarven Defender and would recommend doing the same. Without a shield, AC is really low your physical immunities won't kick in until Legendary Levels. Shouldn't be an issue if you have good gear. If not, you're going to need to wear a shield and weild a one-handed weapon. Fortunately, this build has room for an extra favored weapon should you decide to go this route.
So far, he has breezed through the Desert, Fey, Sissy, DB, and Mycos (I think he died 3-4 times total, mostly from rolling 1s against Implode). Gonna try to hit the remaining Legendary Levels before testing him in the hells.
That said, take a look and tell me what you think. All input (good, bad, and ) is appreciated.
T
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Demographics
Race: Dwarf
Dwarves (can speak Dwarven)
- All dwarves receive the Bullheaded feat for free, which allows them to acquire Legendary Skill Affinity Discipline.
- All dwarves receive the Bullheaded feat for free, which allows them to acquire Legendary Skill Affinity Discipline.
Subrace: Battlerager
"Battlerager" (secret UltraRare)
- FCs: Barbarian, Fighter
- STR +4, CON +3, INT -2, CHA -3, +5 intimidate, free feat: Dodge, free feat: Toughness
- FCs: Barbarian, Fighter
- STR +4, CON +3, INT -2, CHA -3, +5 intimidate, free feat: Dodge, free feat: Toughness
Classes: Fighter(12), Weapon Master(10), Dwarven Defender(18)
Fighter gives you the feats necessary to qualify for Weapon Master (Expertise, Mobility, Weapon Focus, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack). It also lets you get both Weapon Specialization feats, which give an additional +9 in damage. You don't
have to take this many Fighter levels, however. You can also use the feats to get another weapon focus (see below). Weapon Master gives you +3 to hit and uber crits without having to spend Epic feats (you can, but it's not worth it IMHO as only the Crit Multiplier stacks with your Weapon Master feats). Finally, Dwarven Defender gives you your crit immunity and damage soak. I took 18 levels to get an extra epic feat...but that's about it; all you really need is for Dwarven Defender to be your control class.
Starting Stats ---> Adjusted Stats*
Strength: 16 ---> 20
Constitution: 15 ---> 18
Dexterity: 13 ---> 13
Intelligence: 16 ---> 14
Wisdom: 8 ---> 8
charisma: 6 ---> 3
* - Starting stats include Bioware's default dwarf ability adjustments (+2 Con, -2 Cha)
Strength and Constitution are obvious keys to your survival. We want them to be very high. The high Int score is a matter of choice. You need at least 13 Int to get Expertise (req'd for Weapon Master). I chose to take the extra point and max out another skill. You could just as easily put the points into Dex for more unitankability. Speaking of Dex, you need at least 13 to get Spring Attack (req'd for Weapon Master). We'll place another point in it later to make the easier Dex checks. You will not, however, every Dex check, so keep that in mind when selecting your starting stats.
You will put all your stat increases into Strength.
Skills
This build can only maximize 4 skills (yikes!), for that reason, I chose 4 essentials (IMHO at least):
1) Discipline - The primary skill of any tank, it allows you to resist disarm and knockdown attacks (and there are more than a few in this mod!)
2) Listen - Another must-have skill, particularly if you do not have the Blindfighting feat. Listen helps you hit concealed enemies (and there are more than a few in this mod!)
3) Tumble - Up to +12 to your AC. You need it. Trust me. This is not a class skill, however, so you won't be able to raise it until you reach level 43 (see below for details). You'll reach the +12 maximum by level 57. There's no reason to continue to raise it after that.
4) Craft Armor - Up to +3 to your AC. You need it. Trust me. Raise it during your Fighter and Dwarven Defender levels as it is not a class skill to Weapon Masters in pre-legendary levels.
If you have any extra points put them in Concentration. Not a high priority, but it helps with some checks in the hells.
Level Progression
you do not have to follow this progression strictly. I used it as it saves 3 Fighter feats for epic levels. Splitting your Dwarven Defender and Weapon Master levels allows you to raise both Will and Reflex saves without using a lot of feats. We're taking our Weapon Master and Fighter levels early to get combat ready quickly (not so important if reincarnating, but helpful if leveling from scratch).
1-6: Fighter
7-13: Weapon Master
14-19: Dwarven Defender
20-25: Fighter
26-28: Weapon Master
29-40: Dwarven Defender
Level Breakdown
note: class-based bonus feats are listed in their respective colors, with class/level in parentheses.
1: Fighter(1)
Feats: Blooded, Weapon Focus(F1)
Blooded qualifies you to take Legendary Skill Affinity: Tumble, which allows you to increase Tumble as a class skill in legendary levels. You will not achieve the maximum +12 AC bonus without taking this feat. I chose to focus in Great Axe, but you can pick whichever weapon you have/want. Heavy Flail used to be a popular choice because bludgeoning was the most effective damage type. This may or may not still be true, as a recent update changed a lot of immunities (perhaps a veteran can answer that question?).
2: Fighter(2)
Feats: Expertise(F2)
Expertise is a requirement for Weapon Master. I don't use it much as a matter of personal preference, however, the +5 AC bonus will help you and the -5 to AB shouldn't hurt too bad.
3: Fighter(3)
Feats: Mobility
Mobility is a requirement for Weapon Master.
4: Fighter(4)
Feats: Weapon Specialization(F4)
I've heard/seen several people clowning Weapon Specialization feats, saying they don't make a differnce. Nevertheless, they do add +9 to your strength-based damage modifier to two-handed weapons and we have the extra feats so why not? You can easily swap out these feats and focus in a one-handed weapon (so you can use a shield if needed).
5: Fighter(5)
6: Fighter(6)
Feats: Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack(F6)
Spring Attack and Whirlwind Attack are requirements for Weapon Master.
7: Weapon Master(1)
Feats: Weapon of Choice(WM1), Ki Damage(WM1)
Weapon of Choice will be your primary weapon. You can add a second later if needed. Ki Damage allows you to strike opponents for maximum damage. Unfortunately, this only applies to base weapon damage and doesn't affect the crit immune so I rarely, if ever, use it.
8: Weapon Master(2)
9: Weapon Master(3)
Feats: Improved Critical
Improved Critical increases your critical threat range by 1. This is a standard feat for all melee classes. Take it or....don't
10: Weapon Master(4)
11: Weapon Master(5)
Feats: Superior Weapon Focus(WM5), Increased Multiplier(WM5)
Superior Weapon Focus gives you +1 to your AB while Increased Multiplier raises your critical damage multiplier by 1.
12: Weapon Master(6)
Feats: Iron Will
Iron Will adds +2 to your will saves and allows you to take Legendary Will (+7 to will saves) in Legendary Levels.
13: Weapon Master(7)
Feats: Ki Critical
Ki Critical increases your threat range by 2. You will now thoroughly abuse anything lacking critical immunity. And it will be good.
14: Dwarven Defender(1)
Feats: Defensive Stance(DwD1)
Defensive Stance improves your Strength, Constitution and will saves. Once your abilities are buffed you will no need for this, but it helps through level 30 or so.
15: Dwarven Defender(2)
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Defensive Awareness I(DwD2)
Lightning Reflexes adds +2 to your Reflex saves and allows you to take Legendary Reflexes (+7 to reflex saves) in Legendary Levels. Defensive Awareness I allows you to retain your dexterity bonus to AC, even if caught flat-footed or attacked by a hidden or invisible creature.
16: Dwarven Defender(3)
17: Dwarven Defender(4)
18: Dwarven Defender(5)
Feats: Disarm, Defensive Awareness II(DwD5)
Disarm is an extra feat. I chose it because I'm using a large weapon and my AB will be high. Through level 53 I've had mixed success with it. If you have a second Weapon Focus feat, you can take aWeapon Master(8) level and select your second Weapon of Choice feat here. With Defensive awareness II enemies no longer gain a bonus from attacking your flank. Since you will spending a lot of time surrounded and since your AC is low, this feat is a huge benefit.
19: Dwarven Defender(6)
Feats: Damage Reduction I(DwD6)
Damage Reduction I gives you a stackable 3/- resistance to physical damage. Doesn't sound like much but it adds up pretty fast.
20: Fighter(7)
21: Fighter(8)
Feats: Great Dexterity I, Epic Weapon Focus(F8)
Great Dexterity I increases your Dexterity by 1 point. You now have a base 14 Dex and a reasonable chance of beating some Dex checks. Epic Weapon Focu adds +2 to your AB while using your chosen weapon
22: Fighter(9)
23: Fighter(10)
Feats: Epic Weapon Specialization(F10)
Epic Weapon Specialization adds +4 damage to the +2 you got for Weapon Specialization, for a total of +6 damage. Throw in the bonus for using a two-handed weapon and you add +9 to your damage output. If you have a second weapon focus, you can use this feat for another Epic Weapon Focus feat.
24: Fighter(11)
Feats: Great Strength I
Great Strength I increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total. You'll also get your Warrior's Whetstone which will add a whopping 7-10 points to your attacks. Unfortunately, it's not irresistable/stackable and will pretty get absorbed by everything you face after level 25(+/-) so it is little, if any, value to you.
25: Fighter(12)
Feats: Improved Disarm(F10)
Improved Disarm reduces the penalty for attempting to Disarm an opponent. If you're going this route you really need this feat. If you are going for a second weapon foci, you can use this to take Improved Critical for your second weapon.
26: Weapon Master(8)
27: Weapon Master(9)
Feats: Great Strength II
Great Strength II increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
28: Weapon Master(10)
Feats: Superior Weapon Focus
Technically, this is not a new "feat", but it does add +1 to your AB when you hit Weapon Master 10.
29: Dwarven Defender(7)
30: Dwarven Defender(8)
Feats: Great Strength III
Great Strength III increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
31: Dwarven Defender(9)
32: Dwarven Defender(10)
33: Dwarven Defender(11)
Feats: Great Strength IV
Great Strength IV increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
34: Dwarven Defender(12)
35: Dwarven Defender(13)
36: Dwarven Defender(14)
Feats: Great Strength V, Epic
Prowess(DwD14)
Epic Prowess gives you +1 to AB, and increases the Legendary Weapon Focus AB bonus to +3 (up from +2). Great Strength V increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
37: Dwarven Defender(15)
38: Dwarven Defender(16)
39: Dwarven Defender(17)
Feats: Great Strength VI
Great Strength VI increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
40: Dwarven Defender(18)
Feats: Armor Skin(DwD18)
Armor Skin gives you +2 to your AC. You need it. Trust me.
41: Dwarven Defender(19)
42: Dwarven Defender(20)
Feats: Legendary Skill Affinity: Tumble
Legendary SKill Affinity: Tumble allows you to raise Tumble as a class skill in legendary levels. Unfortunately, you have to wait until Level 43 before you can actually increase the points, but when you do, your AC will get a +9 boost. Continue to increase Tumble until you hit a base score of 60 (level 57). This will give you the maximum +12 bonus.
43: Dwarven Defender(21)
44: Dwarven Defender(22)
45: Dwarven Defender(23)
Feats: Legendary Weapon Focus
Legendary Weapon Focus gives you +2 to your AB. This increases to +3 if you have Epic Prowess.
46: Dwarven Defender(24)
47: Dwarven Defender(25)
48: Dwarven Defender(26)
Feats: Legendary Reflexes
Legendary Reflexes increases your reflex saves by +7. You could probably get by without it, but why would you?
49: Dwarven Defender(27)
50: Dwarven Defender(28)
51: Dwarven Defender(29)
Feats: Legendary Will
Legendary Will increases your will saves by +7. You could probably get by without it, but why would you?
52: Dwarven Defender(30)
53: Dwarven Defender(31)
54: Dwarven Defender(32)
Feats: Great Strength VII
Great Strength VII increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be
taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
55: Dwarven Defender(33)
56: Dwarven Defender(34)
57: Dwarven Defender(35)
Feats: Great Strength VIII
Great Strength VIII increases your Strength by 1 point. Every two points of Strength equals +1 to AB, +1 to Damage, and +1% to physical immunity. We will be
taking 8 Great Strength feats in total.
58: Dwarven Defender(36)
59: Dwarven Defender(37)
60: Dwarven Defender(38)
Feats: Legendary Skill Focus: Craft Armor
Legendary Skill Focus: Craft Armor increases your Craft Armor score by 20 points. This will put your Craft Armor at or around 90, which is worth +2 to AC (+1 per 40 points). With gear and such you might be able to get another +30 points and increase your AC by 1 more (still working on it, not sure if I'll get there). If you have a secondary weapon focus, you can use this feat to take another Legendary Weapon Focus feat.
Adjusted Stats @40---> Adjusted Stats@60*
Strength: 48 ---> 60
Constitution: 30 ---> 30
Dexterity: 26 ---> 26
Intelligence: 26 ---> 26
Wisdom: 20 ---> 20
charisma: 15 ---> 15
* - includes +12 from gear/spells
AB, AC, Saves
AC - Buffed with bardsong and girding with hit 117
AB - Buffed with IOF and/or bardsong will be 98/93/88/83
Saves - Buffed saves will range from 63-68
Tips/Suggestions
You'll want at least 20% damage soak from your armor. For heavy armor, I recommend Immortal Plate Mail and for medium armor I recommend Humbaba's Cruel Heart (Ancient Kings). You can upgrade once you hit level 50.
You'll also want at least 20% from items. I currently get 30% from cloak, gloves and ring (no BURS currently). Combined with armor, I have 71%/66%/71% physical immunities. This will go up to 74%/69%/74% when I hit level 60 if I keep the same gear. Through in some nice BURs and immunity should reach 85-90%.
Since you'll be getting +20 in Natural AC, you don't have to worry about getting an uber amulet. I recommend Isaac's Enhancer (+10) as an easy to find amulet that add +5 to all your stats. You can also go with
Elemental, which will provide you with broad elemental immunities. Other options would be ones that add more physical resistance and/or feats. Of course, if you have a BUR laying around...
Your biggest weakness will be elemental damage, making immunity rings an essential part of your inventory.
In terms of battle....TANK IT!!!! Rushing into a crowd? No problem, mon! Rezzing the whole party while being riddled with arrows? No problem, mon! Blocking the unhittable enemy while your archers/casters destroy his source of power? No problem, mon! I've found myself trying to get this guy hurt without success....so just accept the fact that you're gonna get hit cuz it won't matter all that much!
Not sure how he'll fare deep into the hells, but you can easily use this build to gather the gear and/or subbies you need to build your ultimate toon. I'll post an open version of this shortly.
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That's it for now. Please rip this build apart...nitpick as much as you want.
All feedback is welcome.
Regards,
T