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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Mar 13, 2008 2:49:32 GMT
Valkos: AC is a weakness in the Lash build with FA. So if you want to swap out divine shield, be my guest. Divine Shield is useful in emergencies in Hell though, since the dodge ac counteracts Hell AC penalties. Of course, if you have a competent bard/cleric, or the UEF Helm as a demi artifact, this is not necessary. AC is your friend, after all.
Hawkez: My Lash made from that build made 5xD. Though I will say you will have problems with erinyes domination. They'll get you a heck of a lot, so avoid them
Bort: Malavaine had about a 100ab at 60, with double demi stats and a str artifact. However, why drop 4 str for 2 int points...when you can drop 2 str, get craft armor...and keep strength instead of craft weapon? Strength would give you 1ab and +1 damage. Craft Weapon would give you 1ab, but if your skills dropped below 40, you'd lose that. Why make that trade??
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Mar 13, 2008 3:13:01 GMT
Pharlan Build Variation:
Ok, I was able to pick up some Pharlan books and I reincarnated Malavaine, my Fallen Angel Lash of Hatred. Here's what I came up with for my new dear, Sahkena'eilon'by'darshan:
Pharlan. Free feats, Divine Might, Great Str 1&2. +4 str/wis/cha. Starting Stats: base/with subrace Str: 14 (20) Dex: 12 (12) Con: 14 (14) Int: 10 (10) Wis 12 (16) Cha 15 (19)
Favored Enemies: You get 3, at 1, 5, 10. This time, I've taken Outsiders, Abberations, and Monsterous Humaniods. To abuse Hell monsters, Illithids/beholders, and Pharlans. I had undead last time...but those only really show in the Pyramid, and Uroboros. Uros is too low level for me, and Rona is larger than the Pyramid. So this time I'll try that set. Outsiders is absolutely necessary for Hell...other than that, you can experiment. Know your enemies!
Ranger levels 1-11. BG levels 12-20: Feats: pre-20, 6 feats +1 from character generation 1) Blooded! Yes, I went LSA Tumble this time. 1) Favored Enemy #1: OUTSIDERS. A must have. 3) Exotic Weapon prof (kind a necessary for whips) 5) Favored Enemy #2 6) Power Attack (Cleave prereq) 9) Cleave (BG Prereq) 10) Favored Enemy #3 12) Weapon Focus Whip (required for Lash transformation) 15) Improved Critical Whip 18) Blind Fighting (Required, you won't have Listen)
Max Discipline ever level. Max Hide on RANGER levels only. Save the rest.
All 6 stat points from 1-24 must go to CHARISMA, so that you can qualify for Great Smiting 1-10 by level 24ish (25 Cha). You need all 10 of those feats before level 41. From levels 25-40, all points into STR.
Epic Feats: 21+ Levels 20, 21, 22 should be BG levels. Level 23 MUST be the 12th Ranger level. MAX HIDE on that level. It helps your conceal later. Then levels 24-40 are all BG levels.
You have two feats before level 24, where your 6th stat point to charisma makes you qualified to take Great Smiting 1-10. With those two feats, take: Extra Smiting: Greatly reduces the Smite Timer. Epic Weapon Focus - Whip: AB is also your friend.
Since you're a Pharlan, you have received 2 Great Str feats free at level 1. Go you! Now don't take any more. Take Great Smiting 1-10 instead. Every level. At 39, you should have taken Great Smite 10. So at level 40, a BG feat level, you can take Epic Armor Skin.
Skillpoints: From 24+ you should take Disciple, and Craft Armor, both to 43 points. At level 23, you maxed hide at 26, and there it stays until LLs. Leftovers can go into Taunt, since your +charisma helps that skill, and taunt gear can be found.
Legendary Levels: 7 Feats. Take Discipline every level. At 41, you first talk to the altar and are then booted, because you get +10 str from having all 10 Great Smite feats before level 41. This is why its important to do it BEFORE 41. You will also get 41 skillpoints free for being a half elf. DO NOT spend them. Yet.
42: Take LSA Tumble. And now dump as many skillpoints are you have into it. From this point until level 57, you take a tumble point every level. At 57, you take one and stop. 60 Tumble.
From 42 on, take these feats: Epic Great Cleave Epic Overwhelming Critical - Whip Epic Devastating Critical - Whip
Epic Prowess OR Divine Shield. You can't have both. Your AB's high enough to be able to take the 2 point hit for not having epic prowess, and Divine Shield is handy at times, especially if you don't have an Asmo Helm and have nasty AC penalties. Either choice is defensible.
Legendary Weapon Focus - Whip. Which ever way you decide above, LWF Whip is the next one to get. AB is your friend.
Leg Spell Focus-Enchant: You used a Wonderous Tome - Enchant, didn't you? You should. Free Epic Enchant = +13 GMW and Bladethirst, and LSF Enchant means you cast +14 Bladethirst on yourself. This is handy. I like being self sufficient in a pinch, and Bladethirst is the basis of your class specials, so why not buff it to the max?
And thats it for the 7 feats.
Legendary Level Skillpoints: Discipline every level. Tumble, to a maximum of 60 skillpoints (Don't count that dex modifier) at 57. Extras? Well you have a few options. A little more Craft Armor, to keep that 40+ with penalties. Or some Taunt, to take advantage of gear and your CHA bonus. Or even Concentration, to help you against certain rare things down in Hell. There aren't a lot of extra skillpoints, so do what makes sense to you.
Miscellaneous: Epic Fiend: Summons upgrades still aren't out. But there's still a Minauros Pandect if you want this feat.
Ending Stats: Nekkid/Geared...Mine (Demi stats + artifact) Str 48/60...66 (Str arti) Dex 12/24...28 Con 14/28...32 Int 10/22...26 Cha 29/41...45
Final AC: 128 with pentavite/heavy plate, strongheart, 132 girding...131 with Asmo Helm at demi, 135 with girding.
But, due to double demi bonuses giving base 16 dex, medium armor becomes worthwhile at double demi, raising this to 134. And 138 in girding.
Final AB: 100ab max, with +20 from GMW/Bardsong etc. -2 for nondemis, -3 without artifact.
Final HPs: 1040 with double demi bonuses, 960 without.
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Post by wnxnierak on Mar 13, 2008 4:19:11 GMT
Ideally if your reincarnating you can use the Blindfight Pendact and get both Divine Shield and epic prowess as it saves a feat.
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Mar 13, 2008 6:23:09 GMT
Indeed I could...but if I don't use my Summoning Pandect for the Epic Fiend (Again), I would likely want to use the Improved Sneak Attack pandect, for +2d6 per attack on anything I'm sneaking, all day everyday.
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Mar 20, 2008 21:11:35 GMT
Further comments: Sahkena, my Pharlan build listed above, is now poised to visit Maladomini (Again). Has proven to be an extremely solid build so far, and can smash anything that isn't a Malebranche (absent UUU). With UUU...Malebranches are perfectly killable. Other dex attack things, like Erinyes, Advespa or Nazugons - can still immobilize, but it hasn't happened often enough to be a major issue yet. I think I may have been dominated in Malbolge a grand total of once, if that. Also, with my equipment setup, I can take a decent amount of pounding even when KDed. And I also see that with Monsterous Humanoids instead of Undead as my third enemy choice, I can inflict the Ancient Baatorian in Malbolge. Couldn't do that last round I still haven't used a pandect, though - waiting on 1.69 to release, and then dev team has to fix whatever 1.69 breaks...and THEN summons and such can come out. I'll wait to decide sneak vs summon pandect once that happens.
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Post by bort on Apr 4, 2008 10:48:28 GMT
Decided to reincarnate my Blackguard into a Fallen Angel version of this, and realised my previous post contained a few errors (such as the inability to take Power Attack without enough base STR). Thanks Delf and Acaos for the basis of the build Level progression1-12 Ranger 13-39 Blackguard 40 Ranger Abilities - creation (subrace) 60 [gear] Str 14 44 [56] Dex 8 8 [20] Con 14 14 [26] Int 10 10 [22] Wis 11 (16) 16 [28] Cha 17 (19) 29 [41] Ability PointsCha 1-20 (+5) Str 24-60 (+15) SkillsDiscipline 63 (all levels) Tumble 60 (legendary levels after LSA Tumble) Hide 43 (ranger levels) Taunt 55 (max at 60 with remaining points) Feats1 WP Exotic 1 Blooded 1 FE: Outsiders (F) 3 WF Whip 5 FE: Aberrations (F) 6 Power Attack 9 Cleave 10 FE: (free choice - I went with Monstrous Humanoids) (F) 12 IC Whip 15 Blind Fighting 18 Toughness 21 Great Charisma 1 24 Epic Weapon Focus (Whip) 25 Great Smiting 1 (B) 27 Great Smiting 2 28 Great Smiting 3 (B) 30 Great Smiting 4 31 Great Smiting 5 (B) 33 Great Smiting 6 34 Great Smiting 7 (B) 36 Great Smiting 8 37 Great Smiting 9 (B) 39 Great Smiting 10 41 Tome of Enchantment (+13 Blade Thirst/GMW) 42 LSA Tumble 45 Armor Skin 48 Legendary Weapon Focus (Whip) 51 Extra Smiting 54 Epic Prowess 57 Great Strength 1 60 Legendary Spell Focus Enchantment AB20 (BAB) + 10 (Epic) + 15 (LBAB) + 7 (feats) + 23 (Str) + 20 (buffs) ---- 95AC10 (base) + 20 (dodge) + 9 (heavy armor + dex bonus) + 18 (armor enchantment) + 3 (shield) + 16 (Pentavite enchantment) + 16 (natural) + 16 (deflection) + 12 (tumble) + 2 (armor skin) ---- ur/thid gear: 122 (126 with Girding; 131 with Strongheart and BUR deflection; 134 with Asmo deflection)
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Apr 7, 2008 16:25:11 GMT
Mmm is that last AC calculation with medium armor or heavy plate? You don't say, and I'm curious.
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Post by bort on Apr 7, 2008 17:35:00 GMT
Heavy Armor, hence 9 AC (8 base and 1 dex mod) and +18 enhancement. Edited AC section to make it a bit clearer.
Could get 2 more AC with double demi and Medium Armor (taking you up to 136 with the best gear). If you started with higher DEX (perhaps by dropping CON or using the DEX arti), you could potentially get 137 AC.
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Apr 29, 2008 15:06:19 GMT
Recently, I took my Pharlan reincarnation (Sahkena) through another Nessus run. The build completely brutalized the place. I didn't bother using my crit immunity except for the Asmo room. From what I can tell, I only even died when invisible monsters had me flatfooted (can't see it, can't hit it) and then they could crit me since my AC was way down. I think that happened twice. Other than that, the Pharlan variant has proven even more powerful than my FA original build, both on defense and also on offense with dev crit (which I didn't have originally since it didn't exist). And the Pharlan variant has conquered Nessus, so you know it can go all the way
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Post by zerragon on May 13, 2008 8:18:01 GMT
Lovely build Delf.
Heres a small variation/alternative to be able to get Listen for Pharlan.
- All half-elves can acquire Legendary Skill Affinity Spot and Listen in legendary levels.
Start with 12 int, 12 con. Drop blind fight for toughness (optional, but makes up for the HP loss, and the only place I can think of where you would need Blind fight would be in Nessus without silence immunity aura from bards, so kind of very limited use)
Somewhere in LL, get LSA listen instead of LSF Enchant and max the listen skill.
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Post by atomicsomething on May 13, 2008 18:26:38 GMT
... and the only place I can think of where you would need Listen would be in Nessus without silence immunity aura from bards, so kind of very limited use) err ... dont you mean Blind Fight instead of Listen here ?
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Post by zerragon on May 13, 2008 23:53:44 GMT
... and the only place I can think of where you would need Listen would be in Nessus without silence immunity aura from bards, so kind of very limited use) err ... dont you mean Blind Fight instead of Listen here ? Doh, lol, I certanly did, fixed
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Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on Aug 11, 2008 22:10:41 GMT
Edit:
With the chances to Medium Armor, the Pharlan variant AC caps out at 132 with hellset medium armor and asmo arti, and 136 with girding. Thats 2 less due to the med armor/tower shield change.
Heavy Plate remains unchanged, though rumors are that its dex ac will be raised slightly, and then pentavite dropped by the same amount. So preliminary reports are that it tops out at 131ac with Asmo arti, 135 girding - which is unchanged, but allows greater shield versatility for the same AC.
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Post by winny on Jul 26, 2021 0:48:35 GMT
Still viable? Cus this looks super fun to me. Got pharlan and really wanna whip it
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Post by chirality on Jul 26, 2021 5:05:27 GMT
It is not. Funnily enough, not a terrible amount has changed for lash in that time, although certain things exist now that didn't back then (such as paragon weap spec, and venom immunity for blackguards). One really big difference is that smiting is no longer viable for a lash, so that's the main thing that completely breaks this build out-of-the-box. Lash is a great choice for you, so I would highly recommend it, especially if you're already interested and don't need to be arm-twisted into it (it's definitely the best "pharlan blackguard" you can make right now). Two of the three recent builds posted here are for open or secret subraces, but as pharlan is a massive upgrade to those subraces, you would have the benefit of needing to adjust "upwards" rather than trying to replicate a BUR build with a lower-tier sub. Then there's this pharlan build which lacks any pretty pictures and obviously is a strange thread due to the deleted forum user, but does contain the numbers and words that matter. There's some older dex builds that are worth looking over, since despite their venerable age, they still give a good approximation of an up-to-date dex build's basics. Some of my advice for changes versus the builds in this thread would be to drop smiting (as mentioned above, it's simply not feasible) and shoot for legendary and paragon weap spec feats, which weren't around back at the time of this build. To take advantage of the weap spec tree, nowadays it's very popular to take 2 fighter levels (or 1, but for a x0 you'd stick with 2), which enables the paragon weap spec I mentioned in the other thread; normally, more fighter levels are required to unlock this tree, but lash gets weap spec: whip for free, so this common "current meta" build accepts a slight loss in CL and lash inflict (from -2 total rgr/blk levels) in exchange for hefty +20 dmg from PWS. There's pros and cons for both str and dex builds, but either path will be both doable and survivable for a x0 pharlan, so you can make a solid toon either way. This warrants some further discussion and deserves a proper treatment of posting some builds and numbers for comparison, probably. Lash is definitely a stellar pick to feel like you're running with the big boys and still dishing out some punches of your own. Most importantly, it has a shield . The ability to act as a passive damage lens for the heavy-hitters in the party (without worrying about any intensive microing as involved with most support classes like bard) is useful and fun.
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