Plane-Touched Black Dragon (4 BRD/6 PAL/30 BDD)
Jan 15, 2014 7:56:37 GMT
foxicious and woqued like this
Post by Twilight Semner on Jan 15, 2014 7:56:37 GMT
Introduction:
The purpose of this build is to provide new players with a Hells-capable, STR-based immunity tank, with as many inherent bonuses to immunities as an open subrace build can hope to gain. By taking Black Dragon Disciple, the 25% Acid Vulnerability from PT - Earth Genasi is ameliorated, while the 25% bonus to Bludgeoning Immunity is retained. Paladin class levels allow for four base attacks per round, a substantial bonus to saving throws, and inherent immunity to Fear and Disease. Bard allows a Tumble dump, in order to optimize use of the Dragon Disciple's many skill points, as well as access to Use Magic Device. Dragon Disciple armor bonus allows for respectable Armor Class, while its inherent STR bonuses allow for adequate attack bonus that will be viable in almost any area of the server.
Disclaimer:
Please read this build in its entirety before you begin making this character. There are some useful tips towards the bottom that might be of some use to you. I'd hate for you to have to redo your character because you didn't notice something essential in this build. Furthermore, if you have a question, post below and either I or someone else will help answer it (private messages work too). Don't be afraid to ask. We take care of our new players here.
A Big Thank You To:
Foxicious: for helping test this build and allowing me to fine tune some of the details that I would have missed otherwise. You've been an invaluable asset and a great help to any other new players who might use this build.
Everyone else who has made suggestions below to help improve this build so that it can be used by the new guys. I'm of the firm opinion that we've got to help out our newbies as much as possible so we can keep this server thriving, and you've been a big help.
Overview:
This build has the following stats to offer at level 60:
Final Ability Scores: Strength: 74 (+32)
Dexterity: 28 (+9)
Constitution: 40 (+15)
Intelligence: 32 (+11)
Wisdom: 20 (+5)
Charisma: 32 (+11)
NB: These scores do not include any demigod bonuses, but they do assume +14 items and CON Artifact. The reason I chose CON Artifact for this build (which is still fine without it, but it does help considerably) is for the inherent Poison immunity which is incredibly useful in a variety of late game areas.
The Build:
Race: Human (Bonus Feat, +1 Skill/level)
Subrace: PT - Earth Genasi (+2 STR, +2 CON, -2 WIS, -2 CHA, 25% bludgeoning immunity, 25% acid vulnerability, Survival: Passwall, speaks Terran)
Alignment: Neutral Good (for Paladin, you will need to change to Lawful Good before level four, for which I recommend asking a higher level player to help)
Ability Scores:
Feats:
Pre-Epic Feats (in order):
Epic Feats (in order):
Dragon Disciple Epic Bonus Feats (in order):
Legendary Feats (in order):
Skills:
*Dragon Disciple requirement
Level Progression:
Build Notes:
Pre-Epic Level Progression: Dragon Disciple levels are taken early in order to optimize the number of total skill points you get, since Dragon Disciple adds +2 INT at level 9. Four Bard levels are taken in order to maximize base saving throws, allow for a tumble dump at level 20, and give more points in Use Magic Device. Paladin levels are taken when they are to allow you to take Divine Might at level 18.
Epic Skill Focus (Listen): Because this build does not have the Blind Fight feat, and it has a low base Wisdom score, I chose to take ESF (Listen) on this. The increases your potential to lower concealment, which is very important for meleers in higher level areas.
Constitution Artifact: This could prove difficult for many new players to acquire, but it doesn't hurt to ask around. Once you start Hell runs, you might end up finding one, or at least finding something that you can trade another player for one. The benefits are substantial, and I would recommend holding out for this artifact rather than opting for a different one. Strength artifact would be the only other truly viable artifact for this build, and it's far more difficult to acquire, so Constitution is your best bet.
Weapon Choice: Why halberd? Simply put, halberd is far and away the best large weapon in the game. It not only gives you a vast critical threat range, but, more importantly, it has dual-physical damage types (slashing and piercing) which will allow you to deal far more physical damage on a regular basis in Legendary Level runs.
Explanation of Subrace Choice:
In my humble opinion, PT - Earth Genasi (and please make sure to type it exactly that way in your Subrace field) is the best open subrace for tanks, and it's made even better by this build. The 25% bonus to bludgeoning immunity is incredibly strong (far more strong than the 25% acid vulnerability is a detriment), considering you're going to be taking a lot more physical damage as a tank than anything else. In most cases, +25% bludgeoning immunity will probably even be more useful than the 100% true immunity you'll get from Dragon Disciple.
Explanation of Dragon Disciple Discipline:
First of all, you need to know that the default Dragon Disciple color is Red and that if you do not change it between levels 1-3 of Dragon Disciple, you will be stuck as a Red Dragon Disciple and unable to change. The location to do so is secret, but you can feel free to ask on the !newbie channel for someone to help point you in the right direction. I'm certain that they will be happy to do so.
Speaking of Dragon Disciple, let's explain the choice of Black Dragon Disciple over Green Dragon Disciple. First, it's important to note that you must take one of these two in order to ameliorate the 25% acid vulnerability inherent in your subrace. Aside from that, however, I feel Black Dragon Disciple is superior to Green Dragon Disciple because of the damage types they receive for their breath weapons. Black Dragons receive acid and divine damage, while Green Dragons receive acid and negative. In the vast majority of instances, divine damage is a better choice than negative. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking divine is a better choice. That being said, if you feel like Black Dragons are hideous and Green is your favorite color, then go ahead and go Green. It's your dragon, and you can play him however you like.
Let's Talk DPS:
Unfortunately, Dragon Disciples aren't known for dealing a large amount of damage. This build is largely designed so that you, as a new player, can be an asset to your party by not dying, keeping some problematic enemies busy so the casters can do their job. That being said, let's talk DPS so you can see what you'll be doing:
You get 5 attacks with haste, a 32 STR modifier, 10 bonus damage from Divine Might, and an 11-20/x3 critical threat range. Let's say you're using a Dustbone Halberd that you've crafted to get rid of the extra bludgeoning damage, giving you three elemental damage types and three exotic damage types. Assuming a standard party, should be able to buff those three elements to 6d12s. If you have a cleric or warchanter in the party, you should have +16 enhancement on your weapon. Also, be sure to ask for Keen from a mage, as a Dustbone weapon doesn't have this inherently.
With the aforementioned buffs your average damage per hit will be as follows: 5.5 physical (Halberd base) + 32 physical (Strength) + 16 physical (Enhancement) + 10 physical (Divine Might) + 2 physical (Pre-LL tags) + 8 physical (Bard Song) + 39 (1st Element) + 39 (2nd Element) + 39 (3rd Element) + 13 (1st Exotic) + 13 (2nd Exotic) + 13 (3rd Exotic) = 229.5 average damage/hit.
50% of your hits will be critical hits, based on your threat range. So, to simplify things, we'll multiply 2.5 (the modified number of your 5 attacks that will be criticals) by 3 (your critical mulitiplier), resulting in 7.5. Add this to your remaining 2.5 attacks, for an effective total of 10 attacks at your average damage. Thing brings you to an average total (and bear in mind this is against critical vulnerable enemies and before resistances and immunities) of 2295 damage per round. Divide this number by 6 (the number of seconds in a round) and you have 382.5 damage per second.
Now, this is by no means extravagant, but it's not insignificant either. As a point of comparison, certain builds can get upwards of 750 DPS if that's what they're designed to do. Of course, this isn't what you're designed to do. You are designed to stay alive, get through Hells on a solid starter toon before going on to bigger and better builds and subraces.
Advice on Gear:
When you're starting out, it's important to remember that you are not going to be Large Sized until level 40. Therefore you will not be able to simultaneously use your halberd and a shield. What I recommend is (until level 40) using something one-handed, like a morningstar (which is an excellent weapon for a variety of reasons) and a tower shield. In lowbie levels, you're going to want to stay alive so you can get your tags, and some of the enemies you face to get those tags have some pretty wicked Attack Bonus. You might think you'll be losing a lot of AB by doing this, but in reality, it's only 2 AB less at level 20 and only 4 AB less from levels 21-39.
Some items you might want to farm low level areas/Legendary Level runs to get your hands on:
Preservation - Implosion Immunity Rare Shield
Immunity Rings
Band of Shaamros Gellantara - Implosion Immunity L50 Heavy Armor
Plate of Uxan Uldorath - Divine Power 3/day L50 Heavy Armor (Extra attacks are nice)
Touch of the Grave - To Cover Your Miscellaneous Immunities
Lich-King's Phylactery - Also To Cover Your Miscellaneous Immunities
Legendary Bracers of Resilience - To Cover Your Elemental Resistances
Below are some sample gear sets at various levels. Bear in mind these are only examples, if you happen to come across different items in your travels, feel free to use them. The important thing is to make sure you cover your miscellaneous immunities (the ones that aren't covered by your inherent immunities, except Poison, which you won't get for a while so you'll need from an item), your ability score bonuses, and your physical, elemental and exotic resistances.
A Typical Level 40 Gear Set:
Armor: Mageblight Scale (Random Rare Heavy Armor drop) or Humbaba's Cruel Heart (requires Ancient Kings tag)
Amulet: Elemental
Belt: Belt of Narendil
Boots: Saric's Slippers
Bracers: Touch of the Grave (Gives poison immunity, which your belt does not)
Cloak: Blackstaff's Blessing
Helmet: Crown of Empire
Ring 1: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring
Ring 2: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring/Mord or Breach Ring if necessary
Shield: Set's Guard
Weapon: Destiny, L29 Halberd/ Longreach, L35 Halberd
This should cover most of your miscellaneous immunities, give you resistances to Physical, all Elements and all exotics, and boost every ability score except Intelligence by 12.
A Typical Level 50 Gear Set:
Armor: Band of Shaamros Gellantara or Splint of Elril or Plate of Uxan Uldorath (First if you need Implosion immunity, second is for Stone to Flesh immunity, third for extra attack)
Amulet: Elemental (Still a good choice)
Belt: Belt of Narendil (This should still be fine at this level, though probably not as necessary)
Boots: Saric's Slippers
Bracers: Touch of the Grave (Still gives poison immunity) or you could use Legendary Bracers of Resilience (If you want 10% more to each elemental immunity)
Cloak: Blackstaff's Blessing (Still good)
Helmet: Crown of Empire (Still good)
Ring 1: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring
Ring 2: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring/Mord or Breach Ring if necessary
Shield: Set's Guard (Still good)
Weapon: Hork's Skull Cleaver (Eventually, you'll want to get 2 of these and use crafting gems to optimize their damage types; see the guide here)
A Typical Level 60 Gear Set:
[To be added]
General Notes:
Once you're into Legendary Levels, I would recommend going with Heavy Armor and a Tower Shield since you won't have access to +14 DEX until level 60, and will therefore not be able to maximize your DEX Bonus to AC for medium armor. This will give you some nice physical immunities, and other benefits as well. Even when you are level 60, you might still consider going this route in order to maximize your immunities. Your 14 base Dexterity isn't only intended to maximize DEX Bonus to AC, but also to allow you to withstand some Dexterity checks later on in Hell runs, so it's not a complete loss if you aren't using Medium armor.
At a later time, I will add some BUR options for gear at level 60 when I am able.
[More to be added]
Advice on Your Role in the Party:
Tank, tank, tank! It's what you're designed to do. If you're not the one spawning enemies (which you probably won't be if this is your first character) you need to jump in the fray and keep enemies off of casters as soon as you can. If you're on a Hell run and you see a Pit Fiend (they're the big red ones) go get in his face and hit him as hard as you can. Hitting weaker enemies, such as Abishais, Imps, Bezekiras, Hell Hounds, and a few others, might be tempting to try and boost your damage, but you need to focus on enemies that casters cannot deal with easily. Dexterity checks are going to be problematic for a while, particularly against Malebranches which have a 42+ DC DEX check vs. death. Levitation immunity, however, protects against this so be sure to equip your Ring of Levitation if you're facing one of these bad boys, or if you're fortunate enough to have found one, equip your Gravity Slain.
In regards to your breath weapon and when to use it: if you see a big group of enemies, and none of them are ones that you shouldn't be hitting (namely, Infernal Machines, anything that looks like a Wind, Cold Forge Constructs, etc.) then you should probably be using your breath weapon. When you should NOT use your breath weapon is when you see any of those aforementioned baddies (the casters should be able to deal with them fine), or if there is an enemy in the group that heals on acid damage. Examples of such enemies are Paragon (that is superior or elite before the name): Green or Black Abishais, Arachills, Barbazus, Cinderscales, Dogais, Hell Leeches, Imps, Lemures, Mammon's Tears (which you should not be hitting EVER anyway), Sahuagin, and Swamp Devils. Furthermore, be careful when using your breath weapon around loot, as you could break it and deprive your party members of precious valuables. Save yourself the trouble and press tab before using your breath to make sure you're not going to break anything.
Be sure as well to keep your Fear Aura up whenever possible to drop enemy saving throws, helping the casters in your party. Not sure why I left this off of here before, as it's sort of a big deal for XDDs. You might always want to use your wing buffet occasionally on the off chance that it knocks something down, though be careful of doing this around certain problem enemies (like those mentioned above) so as to not cause party KB damage.
PLEASE NOTE: This build is a work in progress, while everything necessary to make the character is already posted here, I will be updating this thread with some useful tips for a new player starting out with this build.
The purpose of this build is to provide new players with a Hells-capable, STR-based immunity tank, with as many inherent bonuses to immunities as an open subrace build can hope to gain. By taking Black Dragon Disciple, the 25% Acid Vulnerability from PT - Earth Genasi is ameliorated, while the 25% bonus to Bludgeoning Immunity is retained. Paladin class levels allow for four base attacks per round, a substantial bonus to saving throws, and inherent immunity to Fear and Disease. Bard allows a Tumble dump, in order to optimize use of the Dragon Disciple's many skill points, as well as access to Use Magic Device. Dragon Disciple armor bonus allows for respectable Armor Class, while its inherent STR bonuses allow for adequate attack bonus that will be viable in almost any area of the server.
Disclaimer:
Please read this build in its entirety before you begin making this character. There are some useful tips towards the bottom that might be of some use to you. I'd hate for you to have to redo your character because you didn't notice something essential in this build. Furthermore, if you have a question, post below and either I or someone else will help answer it (private messages work too). Don't be afraid to ask. We take care of our new players here.
A Big Thank You To:
Foxicious: for helping test this build and allowing me to fine tune some of the details that I would have missed otherwise. You've been an invaluable asset and a great help to any other new players who might use this build.
Everyone else who has made suggestions below to help improve this build so that it can be used by the new guys. I'm of the firm opinion that we've got to help out our newbies as much as possible so we can keep this server thriving, and you've been a big help.
Overview:
This build has the following stats to offer at level 60:
- Attack Progression of: +99/+94/+89/+84/+99
- Critical Range: 11-20/x3
- Saving Throws: +74F/+65R/+63W
- Armor Class: 134 AC
- Dragon Breath, Fear Aura, Wing Buffet
- Inherent immunity to Disease, Fear, Paralysis, Poison, Sleep, Sneak Attack; Darkvision, True Seeing
- True Immunity to Acid Damage
- 25% Bludgeoning Immunity
- Bonus physical damage from Divine Might (154 rounds/day of 11 bonus damage, increasing with demi and Paragon Levels)
- UMD for Scrolls
Final Ability Scores:
Dexterity: 28 (+9)
Constitution: 40 (+15)
Intelligence: 32 (+11)
Wisdom: 20 (+5)
Charisma: 32 (+11)
NB: These scores do not include any demigod bonuses, but they do assume +14 items and CON Artifact. The reason I chose CON Artifact for this build (which is still fine without it, but it does help considerably) is for the inherent Poison immunity which is incredibly useful in a variety of late game areas.
The Build:
Race: Human (Bonus Feat, +1 Skill/level)
Subrace: PT - Earth Genasi (+2 STR, +2 CON, -2 WIS, -2 CHA, 25% bludgeoning immunity, 25% acid vulnerability, Survival: Passwall, speaks Terran)
Alignment: Neutral Good (for Paladin, you will need to change to Lawful Good before level four, for which I recommend asking a higher level player to help)
Ability Scores:
- Strength: 16/18
- Dexterity: 14
- Constitution: 12/14
- Intelligence: 12
- Wisdom: 8/6
- Charisma: 14/12
- Ability Score: Creation/Subrace
Feats:
Pre-Epic Feats (in order):
- Power Attack
- Cleave
- Weapon Focus (Halberd)
- Lightning Reflexes
- Greater Weapon Focus (Halberd)
- Great Cleave
- Improved Critical (Halberd)
- Divine Might
Epic Feats (in order):
- Epic Weapon Focus (Halberd)
- Epic Toughness II
- Epic Toughness III
- Epic Toughness V
- Epic Toughness VII
- Epic Toughness IX
- Epic Toughness X
Dragon Disciple Epic Bonus Feats (in order):
- Epic Toughness I
- Epic Toughness IV
- Epic Toughness VI
- Epic Toughness VIII
- Epic Prowess
Legendary Feats (in order):
- Legendary Weapon Focus (Halberd)
- Overwhelming Critical (Halberd)
- Devastating Critical (Halberd)
- Armor Skin
- Great Strength I
- Great Strength II
- Epic Skill Focus (Listen)
Skills:
- Concentration (+20)
- Craft Armor (+50)
- Craft Weapon (+50)
- Discipline (+51)
- Listen (+63)
- Lore (+8)*
- Parry (+63)
- Tumble (+30 - +7 CC)
- Use Magic Device (+10)
*Dragon Disciple requirement
Level Progression:
| Level | Feats | Base Saves | Skills | Ability Score |
| 1 Bard | Power Attack Cleave | +0F/+2R/+2W | Discipline +4 Listen +4 Lore +4 Parry +4 Tumble +4 UMD +4 | - |
| 2 Bard | - | +0F/+3R/+3W | Discipline +1 Lore +1 Tumble +1 | - |
| 3 Bard | Lightning Reflexes | +1F/+3R/+3W | Discipline +1 Lore+1 | - |
| CHANGE ALIGNMENT TO LG | ||||
| 1 Paladin | - | +3F/+3R/+3W | Discipline +1 Lore+1 | +1 STR |
| 2 Paladin | - | +4F/+3R/+3W | Discipline +1 Lore +1 | - |
| 1 Dragon Disciple | Weapon Focus (Halberd) | +6F/+3R/+5W | Discipline +1 Listen +5 Parry +5 | - |
| CHOOSE BLACK DRAGON PATH | ||||
| 2 Dragon Disciple | - | +7F/+3R/+6W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 3 Dragon Disciple | - | +7F/+4R/+6W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 4 Dragon Disciple | Greater Weapon Focus (Halberd) | +8F/+4R/+7W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 5 Dragon Disciple | - | +8F/+4R/+7W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 6 Dragon Disciple | - | +9F/+5R/+8W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 7 Dragon Disciple | Improved Critical (Halberd) | +9F/+5R/+8W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 8 Dragon Disciple | - | +10F/+5R/+9W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 9 Dragon Disciple | - | +10F/+6R/+9W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 10 Dragon Disciple | Great Cleave | +11F/+6R/+10W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 3 Paladin | - | +11F/+7R/+11W | Discipline +1 | +1 STR |
| 4 Paladin | - | +12F/+7R/+11W | Discipline +1 | - |
| 5 Paladin | Divine Might | +12F/+7R/+11W | Discipline +1 | - |
| 6 Paladin | - | +13F/+8R/+12W | Discipline +1 | - |
| CHANGE ALIGNMENT TO NG | ||||
| 4 Bard | - | +13F/+9R/+13W | Discipline +1 Tumble +18 UMD +6 | +1 STR |
| 11 Dragon Disciple | Epic Weapon Focus (Halberd) | +13F/+9R/+13W | Discipline +1 Listen +6 Parry +6 | - |
| 12 Dragon Disciple | - | +14F/+10R/+14W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 13 Dragon Disciple | - | +14F/+10R/+14W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 14 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness I Epic Toughness II | +15F/+11R/+15W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 15 Dragon Disciple | - | +15F/+11R/+15W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 16 Dragon Disciple | - | +16F/+12R/+16W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 17 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness III | +16F/+12R/+16W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 Tumble +5 | - |
| 18 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness IV | +17F/+13R/+17W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 19 Dragon Disciple | - | +17F/+13R/+17W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 20 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness V | +18F/+14R/+18W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 21 Dragon Disciple | - | +18F/+14R/+18W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 22 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness VI | +19F/+15R/+19W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 23 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness VII | +19F/+15R/+19W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 24 Dragon Disciple | - | +20F/+16R/+20W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 25 Dragon Disciple | - | +20F/+16R/+20W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 26 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness VIII Epic Toughness IX | +21F/+17R/+21W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 27 Dragon Disciple | - | +21F/+17R/+21W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 28 Dragon Disciple | - | +22F/+18R/+22W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 29 Dragon Disciple | Epic Toughness X | +22F/+18R/+22W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | - |
| 30 Dragon Disciple | Epic Prowess | +23F/+19R/+23W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 41 Dragon Disciple | - | +23F/+19R/+23W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 42 Dragon Disciple | Legendary Weapon Focus (Halberd) | +23F/+19R/+23W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 43 Dragon Disciple | - | +23F/+19R/+23W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 44 Dragon Disciple | - | +24F/+20R/+24W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 45 Dragon Disciple | Overwhelming Critical (Halberd) | +24F/+20R/+24W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 46 Dragon Disciple | - | +24F/+20R/+24W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 47 Dragon Disciple | - | +24F/+20R/+24W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 Tumble +2 | |
| 48 Dragon Disciple | Devastating Critical (Halberd) | +25F/+21R/+25W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 49 Dragon Disciple | - | +25F/+21R/+25W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 50 Dragon Disciple | - | +25F/+21R/+25W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 51 Dragon Disciple | Armor Skin | +25F/+21R/+25W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 52 Dragon Disciple | - | +26F/+22R/+26W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 53 Dragon Disciple | - | +26F/+22R/+26W | Discipline +1 Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 54 Dragon Disciple | Great Strength I | +26F/+22R/+26W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 55 Dragon Disciple | (Use CON Arti if available) | +26F/+22R/+26W | Concentration +20 Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 56 Dragon Disciple | - | +27F/+23R/+27W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 57 Dragon Disciple | Great Strength II | +27F/+23R/+27W | Listen +1 Parry +1 Tumble +5 | |
| 58 Dragon Disciple | - | +27F/+23R/+27W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
| 59 Dragon Disciple | - | +27F/+23R/+27W | Listen +1 Parry +1 | |
| 60 Dragon Disciple | Epic Skill Focus (Listen) | +28F/+24R/+28W | Craft Armor +50 Craft Weapon +50 Listen +1 Parry +1 | +1 STR |
Build Notes:
Pre-Epic Level Progression: Dragon Disciple levels are taken early in order to optimize the number of total skill points you get, since Dragon Disciple adds +2 INT at level 9. Four Bard levels are taken in order to maximize base saving throws, allow for a tumble dump at level 20, and give more points in Use Magic Device. Paladin levels are taken when they are to allow you to take Divine Might at level 18.
Epic Skill Focus (Listen): Because this build does not have the Blind Fight feat, and it has a low base Wisdom score, I chose to take ESF (Listen) on this. The increases your potential to lower concealment, which is very important for meleers in higher level areas.
Constitution Artifact: This could prove difficult for many new players to acquire, but it doesn't hurt to ask around. Once you start Hell runs, you might end up finding one, or at least finding something that you can trade another player for one. The benefits are substantial, and I would recommend holding out for this artifact rather than opting for a different one. Strength artifact would be the only other truly viable artifact for this build, and it's far more difficult to acquire, so Constitution is your best bet.
Weapon Choice: Why halberd? Simply put, halberd is far and away the best large weapon in the game. It not only gives you a vast critical threat range, but, more importantly, it has dual-physical damage types (slashing and piercing) which will allow you to deal far more physical damage on a regular basis in Legendary Level runs.
Explanation of Subrace Choice:
In my humble opinion, PT - Earth Genasi (and please make sure to type it exactly that way in your Subrace field) is the best open subrace for tanks, and it's made even better by this build. The 25% bonus to bludgeoning immunity is incredibly strong (far more strong than the 25% acid vulnerability is a detriment), considering you're going to be taking a lot more physical damage as a tank than anything else. In most cases, +25% bludgeoning immunity will probably even be more useful than the 100% true immunity you'll get from Dragon Disciple.
Explanation of Dragon Disciple Discipline:
First of all, you need to know that the default Dragon Disciple color is Red and that if you do not change it between levels 1-3 of Dragon Disciple, you will be stuck as a Red Dragon Disciple and unable to change. The location to do so is secret, but you can feel free to ask on the !newbie channel for someone to help point you in the right direction. I'm certain that they will be happy to do so.
Speaking of Dragon Disciple, let's explain the choice of Black Dragon Disciple over Green Dragon Disciple. First, it's important to note that you must take one of these two in order to ameliorate the 25% acid vulnerability inherent in your subrace. Aside from that, however, I feel Black Dragon Disciple is superior to Green Dragon Disciple because of the damage types they receive for their breath weapons. Black Dragons receive acid and divine damage, while Green Dragons receive acid and negative. In the vast majority of instances, divine damage is a better choice than negative. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking divine is a better choice. That being said, if you feel like Black Dragons are hideous and Green is your favorite color, then go ahead and go Green. It's your dragon, and you can play him however you like.
Let's Talk DPS:
Unfortunately, Dragon Disciples aren't known for dealing a large amount of damage. This build is largely designed so that you, as a new player, can be an asset to your party by not dying, keeping some problematic enemies busy so the casters can do their job. That being said, let's talk DPS so you can see what you'll be doing:
You get 5 attacks with haste, a 32 STR modifier, 10 bonus damage from Divine Might, and an 11-20/x3 critical threat range. Let's say you're using a Dustbone Halberd that you've crafted to get rid of the extra bludgeoning damage, giving you three elemental damage types and three exotic damage types. Assuming a standard party, should be able to buff those three elements to 6d12s. If you have a cleric or warchanter in the party, you should have +16 enhancement on your weapon. Also, be sure to ask for Keen from a mage, as a Dustbone weapon doesn't have this inherently.
With the aforementioned buffs your average damage per hit will be as follows: 5.5 physical (Halberd base) + 32 physical (Strength) + 16 physical (Enhancement) + 10 physical (Divine Might) + 2 physical (Pre-LL tags) + 8 physical (Bard Song) + 39 (1st Element) + 39 (2nd Element) + 39 (3rd Element) + 13 (1st Exotic) + 13 (2nd Exotic) + 13 (3rd Exotic) = 229.5 average damage/hit.
50% of your hits will be critical hits, based on your threat range. So, to simplify things, we'll multiply 2.5 (the modified number of your 5 attacks that will be criticals) by 3 (your critical mulitiplier), resulting in 7.5. Add this to your remaining 2.5 attacks, for an effective total of 10 attacks at your average damage. Thing brings you to an average total (and bear in mind this is against critical vulnerable enemies and before resistances and immunities) of 2295 damage per round. Divide this number by 6 (the number of seconds in a round) and you have 382.5 damage per second.
Now, this is by no means extravagant, but it's not insignificant either. As a point of comparison, certain builds can get upwards of 750 DPS if that's what they're designed to do. Of course, this isn't what you're designed to do. You are designed to stay alive, get through Hells on a solid starter toon before going on to bigger and better builds and subraces.
Advice on Gear:
When you're starting out, it's important to remember that you are not going to be Large Sized until level 40. Therefore you will not be able to simultaneously use your halberd and a shield. What I recommend is (until level 40) using something one-handed, like a morningstar (which is an excellent weapon for a variety of reasons) and a tower shield. In lowbie levels, you're going to want to stay alive so you can get your tags, and some of the enemies you face to get those tags have some pretty wicked Attack Bonus. You might think you'll be losing a lot of AB by doing this, but in reality, it's only 2 AB less at level 20 and only 4 AB less from levels 21-39.
Some items you might want to farm low level areas/Legendary Level runs to get your hands on:
Preservation - Implosion Immunity Rare Shield
Immunity Rings
Band of Shaamros Gellantara - Implosion Immunity L50 Heavy Armor
Plate of Uxan Uldorath - Divine Power 3/day L50 Heavy Armor (Extra attacks are nice)
Touch of the Grave - To Cover Your Miscellaneous Immunities
Lich-King's Phylactery - Also To Cover Your Miscellaneous Immunities
Legendary Bracers of Resilience - To Cover Your Elemental Resistances
Below are some sample gear sets at various levels. Bear in mind these are only examples, if you happen to come across different items in your travels, feel free to use them. The important thing is to make sure you cover your miscellaneous immunities (the ones that aren't covered by your inherent immunities, except Poison, which you won't get for a while so you'll need from an item), your ability score bonuses, and your physical, elemental and exotic resistances.
A Typical Level 40 Gear Set:
Armor: Mageblight Scale (Random Rare Heavy Armor drop) or Humbaba's Cruel Heart (requires Ancient Kings tag)
Amulet: Elemental
Belt: Belt of Narendil
Boots: Saric's Slippers
Bracers: Touch of the Grave (Gives poison immunity, which your belt does not)
Cloak: Blackstaff's Blessing
Helmet: Crown of Empire
Ring 1: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring
Ring 2: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring/Mord or Breach Ring if necessary
Shield: Set's Guard
Weapon: Destiny, L29 Halberd/ Longreach, L35 Halberd
This should cover most of your miscellaneous immunities, give you resistances to Physical, all Elements and all exotics, and boost every ability score except Intelligence by 12.
A Typical Level 50 Gear Set:
Armor: Band of Shaamros Gellantara or Splint of Elril or Plate of Uxan Uldorath (First if you need Implosion immunity, second is for Stone to Flesh immunity, third for extra attack)
Amulet: Elemental (Still a good choice)
Belt: Belt of Narendil (This should still be fine at this level, though probably not as necessary)
Boots: Saric's Slippers
Bracers: Touch of the Grave (Still gives poison immunity) or you could use Legendary Bracers of Resilience (If you want 10% more to each elemental immunity)
Cloak: Blackstaff's Blessing (Still good)
Helmet: Crown of Empire (Still good)
Ring 1: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring
Ring 2: Run-appropriate Immunity Ring/Mord or Breach Ring if necessary
Shield: Set's Guard (Still good)
Weapon: Hork's Skull Cleaver (Eventually, you'll want to get 2 of these and use crafting gems to optimize their damage types; see the guide here)
A Typical Level 60 Gear Set:
[To be added]
General Notes:
Once you're into Legendary Levels, I would recommend going with Heavy Armor and a Tower Shield since you won't have access to +14 DEX until level 60, and will therefore not be able to maximize your DEX Bonus to AC for medium armor. This will give you some nice physical immunities, and other benefits as well. Even when you are level 60, you might still consider going this route in order to maximize your immunities. Your 14 base Dexterity isn't only intended to maximize DEX Bonus to AC, but also to allow you to withstand some Dexterity checks later on in Hell runs, so it's not a complete loss if you aren't using Medium armor.
At a later time, I will add some BUR options for gear at level 60 when I am able.
[More to be added]
Advice on Your Role in the Party:
Tank, tank, tank! It's what you're designed to do. If you're not the one spawning enemies (which you probably won't be if this is your first character) you need to jump in the fray and keep enemies off of casters as soon as you can. If you're on a Hell run and you see a Pit Fiend (they're the big red ones) go get in his face and hit him as hard as you can. Hitting weaker enemies, such as Abishais, Imps, Bezekiras, Hell Hounds, and a few others, might be tempting to try and boost your damage, but you need to focus on enemies that casters cannot deal with easily. Dexterity checks are going to be problematic for a while, particularly against Malebranches which have a 42+ DC DEX check vs. death. Levitation immunity, however, protects against this so be sure to equip your Ring of Levitation if you're facing one of these bad boys, or if you're fortunate enough to have found one, equip your Gravity Slain.
In regards to your breath weapon and when to use it: if you see a big group of enemies, and none of them are ones that you shouldn't be hitting (namely, Infernal Machines, anything that looks like a Wind, Cold Forge Constructs, etc.) then you should probably be using your breath weapon. When you should NOT use your breath weapon is when you see any of those aforementioned baddies (the casters should be able to deal with them fine), or if there is an enemy in the group that heals on acid damage. Examples of such enemies are Paragon (that is superior or elite before the name): Green or Black Abishais, Arachills, Barbazus, Cinderscales, Dogais, Hell Leeches, Imps, Lemures, Mammon's Tears (which you should not be hitting EVER anyway), Sahuagin, and Swamp Devils. Furthermore, be careful when using your breath weapon around loot, as you could break it and deprive your party members of precious valuables. Save yourself the trouble and press tab before using your breath to make sure you're not going to break anything.
Be sure as well to keep your Fear Aura up whenever possible to drop enemy saving throws, helping the casters in your party. Not sure why I left this off of here before, as it's sort of a big deal for XDDs. You might always want to use your wing buffet occasionally on the off chance that it knocks something down, though be careful of doing this around certain problem enemies (like those mentioned above) so as to not cause party KB damage.
PLEASE NOTE: This build is a work in progress, while everything necessary to make the character is already posted here, I will be updating this thread with some useful tips for a new player starting out with this build.
