Questions to help tweak my build

[goliath]

Is Perfect Health actually going to be helpful? Are there mobs that actually use poisons and/or diseases at epic or legendary levels?

That's all I have for now... I'm tired.

[hiryuu]

There are late-game creatures that poison and disease, but Immunity: Level/Ability Drain includes the effects of poison, disease, crippling strike, and many other annoyances. Even if it didn't, the prerequisites of Great Fortitude and 25 CON already make the feat a dubious choice.

[goliath]

I didn't realize that immunity did that... cool.

How about Epic Damage Reduction? 21 Con is much more achievable, plus it's on the epic fighter's bonus feat list. But does that 3/6/9 DR stack with anything items will be granting, and what kind of DR will I be able to get from equipment? Or spells/buffs, for that matter?

[FunkySwerve]

EDR stacks with items, IIRC. You can currently find damage resist from physicals ranging from 10-30 in extreme cases - the highest readily available is 10 or 15. % Immunity stacks with it for sure, and you can get items totalling 75% or so if you make a lot of other gear sacrifices.
Funky

[hiryuu]

Physical damage has three types of damage modification, each stacking with the others.

First, Damage immunity/vulnerability (i.e. Damage Immunity: 10% Slashing) stacks with itself, while the others do not.

Second, Damage Resistance (i.e. Slashing 10/-) uses the highest available for that damage type.

Third, Damage Reduction (i.e. Damage Reduction: 10/+5) only works for enchantment levels below the one listed. It's available on items, but also spells (Stoneskin, Ethereal Visage, etc.) and feats. The highest applicable one is used. The Barbarian, Dwarven Defender, and Epic Damage Reduction reductions all stack with each other as n/+21 damage reduction. 30 DD levels plus EDR gives you 30 points (!) of reduction on physical damage.

So...
Suppose you have pre-Epic Premonition (30/+5), an item with good reduction (20/+10), and the EDR feats (9/+21). DR would take 30 off low-level and most unarmed creatures. Unarmed 'enchantment' can go up to +5, so you will take at least 20 off of those. High-end enemies, like Ssithrak, have +12, so only the EDR would be able to cover those.

My tank has 9 DD DR, and it is nice. I would take EDR over stuff like Epic Toughness, but you would need to be getting utterly hammered before it would be a life or death difference. I haven't played a str-based character in awhile. With the lower AC, it probably becomes far more useful.

[FunkySwerve]

Nice summary! Just one thing - the ssithraks do NOT have +12 enhance, their PC equivalents do. Everything from ssithraks on mostly uses attack bonuses instead of enhancement for exactly this reason. The hells, however, will see scaling enhancements with only the highest drs being effective at the end.
Funky

[goliath]

That was exactly what I was looking for!

[goliath]

What can I expect to get from eq/buffs for Spell Resistance? Does any of it stack (including racial SR)?

Other than the Spell Penetration feats, is there any way for a caster to increase his spell penetration? Are there any spells other than that epic druid one that decreases spell resistance?

BTW - I doubt it needs to be said, but thanks much for the help, ppl!

[FunkySwerve]

goliath said:

What can I expect to get from eq/buffs for Spell Resistance? Does any of it stack (including racial SR)?

After update 1.65, no magic resistance stacks. 32 is the highest possible from gear. Monks, some subraces, and some spells go a fair bit higher. One item gives 70 sr for a few minutes.

Other than the Spell Penetration feats, is there any way for a caster to increase his spell penetration? Are there any spells other than that epic druid one that decreases spell resistance?

Casterlevels increase it. Legendary levels will be factored into casterlevels for this purpose in some fashion. Feats can add 8. Mords drops sr, as does nature's balance, and breaches.

[goliath]

funkyswerve said:

Legendary levels will be factored into casterlevels for this purpose in some fashion.

Do you mean it might be more than 1:1, or less, or what?