Post by tomaan on Mar 25, 2022 17:51:48 GMT
I've had a few people pm me about this build so here it is.
Baney Tank is a self-buffing, high DPS tank that foregoes traditional Bane Knight spells to focus on melee. This means no Grabbies and only one spell focus: Abjuration for the +20 armor AC. It also means taking 26 levels of BG for the extra die of Cold and Div damage. The end result is a build that can bring focused elemental damage as well as physical damage.
Slight variation to the version posted in my Crazy Un-Optimized Builds Thread: changing starting stats, reduced Str and increased Dex and Con overall. The end result is +1AC and more HP at the cost of -2AB. Seems more stable to me, but I have no numbers to back it up. The loss of AB hasn't hurt damage output, Baney Tank is generally a top-3 DPS tank....there are exceptions of course, but he really only gets beat out by some casters and COT. Either way, he more than holds his own.
The key to this build is Vampiric Touch, which is an AOE attack for Bane Knight (dox say lvl 60, but it has worked with this build without issue). Assuming there's no kb, cast 2-3 Vampiric Touches at the start of each encounter - depending on spawn size and makeup, you can get 2-300 hp per cast. Call of the Grave is a nice hp boost too, although only 1x per round (save it for junk mobs). Throw in another ~400ish from Tenser's and you'll end up with close to 3K HP before you even know it (think I maxed at/around 6500 with Miracle on a Ness). Refresh Tenser's, Death Ward and Energy Buffer regularly and you can withstand a lot of punishment.
In combat, you can self-buff 5d of Cold/Fire/Elec and 3d of Div. I use a DB Greatsword that has all my damage buffs and sonic as a general weapon, then switch to crafted Dis Greatswords when needed. Level 50 weapons with 5d of divine damage are great for targeting vulnerabilities. KB shields are great for LL runs, but get a little dicey in hells/abyss due to the mobs' KB.
Monk splash is essential to survival, but it creates the build's two biggest drawbacks: the xp pen and loss of caster level. You might be able to avoid the pen with a different subby - I tried Half-Guardinal, Undying and Hound Archon, but Pharlan worked best for me. I tried getting the caster level back with a BG ego without success - it only applied to the BG spells. I don't have a SOR ego to test but would be a nice benefit if it worked.
The only other issue with this build is that it really needs Demi x1 at least....before that, it's REALLY squishy. Might even need to go sword/board if you're leveling from scratch. I would not recommend taking the Monk level before level 21, as you lose 1 BAB. This was a reincarnation, so I saved it for level 40 but you should be able to take it anytime after level 21.
The 13th Sor level gives you an extra 6th level spell, which I used on greater stoneskin. You can take another BG level if that's not a priority or concern. Take Sor 13 anytime after you become a Bane Knight: be sure to set your spells at that point or you'll have to wait until the pedestal.
NOTE: I've tried using Dismissal without much success, despite spell foci and decent spell pen. Pretty sure it's user error (do I target the caster? the summoned creature? me?).
----------------------- START---------------------------------
Tomaan Baney Tank
Race: Half-Elf
Subrace: Pharlan
PROS: self-buff 5d of Fire, Elec, Cold and 3d of Dive; 6 attacks per round; +16 div might
CONS: buff dependent, squishy until Demix1, xp pen
AB: 105
AC: 135 (137 w/girding....138 w/Strongheart)
Saves: 78/76/84
Skills:
Concentration (25)
Craft Armor (60)
Craft Weapon (remaining)
Discipline (55)
Hide (63)
Listen (63)
Tumble (60)
Tome: Abjuration
Artifact: Con (Str, Wis or Dex works too)
Leveling: complete requirements to be a Bane Knight. Take Monk level whenever. You need to put 4 points into Dex (whether via feat or level), the rest goes into Str.
1 Sorcerer
- Blooded
2 Sorcerer
3 Sorcerer
- Metamagic (Still Spell)
4 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
5 Sorcerer
6 Sorcerer
- Power Attack
7 Sorcerer
8 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
Hide +5
9 Sorcerer
- Cleave
10 Sorcerer
11 Sorcerer
12 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
- Great Cleave
13 Blackguard
14 Blackguard
15 Blackguard
- Weapon Focus (greatsword)
16 Blackguard (Strength +1)
17 Blackguard
18 Blackguard
- Greater Weapon Focus (greatsword)
19 Blackguard
20 Blackguard (Strength +1)
21 Blackguard
- Improved Critical (greatsword)
22 Blackguard
23 Blackguard
24 Blackguard (Strength +1) - you're a Bane Knight!
- Great Strength III
25 Blackguard
- Epic Weapon Focus (greatsword)
26 Blackguard
27 Blackguard
- Great Strength IV
28 Blackguard (Strength +1)
- Overwhelming Critical (greatsword)
29 Blackguard
30 Blackguard
- Great Strength V
31 Blackguard
- Devastating Critical (greatsword)
32 Blackguard (Strength +1)
33 Blackguard
- Great Strength VI
34 Blackguard
- Armor Skin
35 Blackguard
36 Blackguard (Strength +1)
- Great Strength VII
37 Blackguard
- Epic Prowess
38 Blackguard
39 Sorcerer
- Great Strength VIII
40 Monk (Strength +1)
Concentration +25, Discipline +43, Hide +10, Listen +43, Tumble +43
Feats not associated with any level:
Epic Skill Focus (Listen)
Epic Spell Focus (Abjuration) - via spell tome
Great Dexterity I
Great Dexterity II
Legendary Skill Affinity (Listen)
Legendary Skill Affinity (Tumble)
Legendary Spell Focus (Abjuration)
Legendary Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Paragon Balance
Paragon Spell Focus (Abjuration)
Paragon Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Environmental Adaptivity 1
Environmental Adaptivity 2
Environmental Adaptivity 3
Frequently Used Spells
SOR
LEVEL 1: Mage Armor (+20 armor ac with PSF: Abj), Shield, Protection from Alignment
LEVEL 2: Death Armor, Flame Weapon, Shock Weapon
LEVEL 3: Keen Edge (take needlepoint or weapon of impact as needed), Vampiric Touch
LEVEL 4: Elemental Shield
LEVEL 5: Energy Buffer, Mestil's Acid Sheath
LEVEL 6: Tenser's Transformation, Greater Stoneskin
BG
LEVEL 1: Bless Weapon, Frost Weapon
LEVEL 4: Freedom of Movement, Death Ward
--------------------------- END ---------------------------------------
Baney Tank is a self-buffing, high DPS tank that foregoes traditional Bane Knight spells to focus on melee. This means no Grabbies and only one spell focus: Abjuration for the +20 armor AC. It also means taking 26 levels of BG for the extra die of Cold and Div damage. The end result is a build that can bring focused elemental damage as well as physical damage.
Slight variation to the version posted in my Crazy Un-Optimized Builds Thread: changing starting stats, reduced Str and increased Dex and Con overall. The end result is +1AC and more HP at the cost of -2AB. Seems more stable to me, but I have no numbers to back it up. The loss of AB hasn't hurt damage output, Baney Tank is generally a top-3 DPS tank....there are exceptions of course, but he really only gets beat out by some casters and COT. Either way, he more than holds his own.
The key to this build is Vampiric Touch, which is an AOE attack for Bane Knight (dox say lvl 60, but it has worked with this build without issue). Assuming there's no kb, cast 2-3 Vampiric Touches at the start of each encounter - depending on spawn size and makeup, you can get 2-300 hp per cast. Call of the Grave is a nice hp boost too, although only 1x per round (save it for junk mobs). Throw in another ~400ish from Tenser's and you'll end up with close to 3K HP before you even know it (think I maxed at/around 6500 with Miracle on a Ness). Refresh Tenser's, Death Ward and Energy Buffer regularly and you can withstand a lot of punishment.
In combat, you can self-buff 5d of Cold/Fire/Elec and 3d of Div. I use a DB Greatsword that has all my damage buffs and sonic as a general weapon, then switch to crafted Dis Greatswords when needed. Level 50 weapons with 5d of divine damage are great for targeting vulnerabilities. KB shields are great for LL runs, but get a little dicey in hells/abyss due to the mobs' KB.
Monk splash is essential to survival, but it creates the build's two biggest drawbacks: the xp pen and loss of caster level. You might be able to avoid the pen with a different subby - I tried Half-Guardinal, Undying and Hound Archon, but Pharlan worked best for me. I tried getting the caster level back with a BG ego without success - it only applied to the BG spells. I don't have a SOR ego to test but would be a nice benefit if it worked.
The only other issue with this build is that it really needs Demi x1 at least....before that, it's REALLY squishy. Might even need to go sword/board if you're leveling from scratch. I would not recommend taking the Monk level before level 21, as you lose 1 BAB. This was a reincarnation, so I saved it for level 40 but you should be able to take it anytime after level 21.
The 13th Sor level gives you an extra 6th level spell, which I used on greater stoneskin. You can take another BG level if that's not a priority or concern. Take Sor 13 anytime after you become a Bane Knight: be sure to set your spells at that point or you'll have to wait until the pedestal.
NOTE: I've tried using Dismissal without much success, despite spell foci and decent spell pen. Pretty sure it's user error (do I target the caster? the summoned creature? me?).
----------------------- START---------------------------------
Tomaan Baney Tank
Race: Half-Elf
Subrace: Pharlan
PROS: self-buff 5d of Fire, Elec, Cold and 3d of Dive; 6 attacks per round; +16 div might
CONS: buff dependent, squishy until Demix1, xp pen
| Stat | Docks | Level 60 (+14) | Level 80 (+16) |
| Str | 18 | 60 | 68 |
| Dex | 14 | 32 | 40 |
| Con | 12 | 28 | 36 |
| Wis | 18 | 32 | 40 |
| Int | 14 | 28 | 36 |
| Cha | 16 | 34 | 42 |
AB: 105
AC: 135 (137 w/girding....138 w/Strongheart)
Saves: 78/76/84
Skills:
Concentration (25)
Craft Armor (60)
Craft Weapon (remaining)
Discipline (55)
Hide (63)
Listen (63)
Tumble (60)
Tome: Abjuration
Artifact: Con (Str, Wis or Dex works too)
Leveling: complete requirements to be a Bane Knight. Take Monk level whenever. You need to put 4 points into Dex (whether via feat or level), the rest goes into Str.
1 Sorcerer
- Blooded
2 Sorcerer
3 Sorcerer
- Metamagic (Still Spell)
4 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
5 Sorcerer
6 Sorcerer
- Power Attack
7 Sorcerer
8 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
Hide +5
9 Sorcerer
- Cleave
10 Sorcerer
11 Sorcerer
12 Sorcerer (Strength +1)
- Great Cleave
13 Blackguard
14 Blackguard
15 Blackguard
- Weapon Focus (greatsword)
16 Blackguard (Strength +1)
17 Blackguard
18 Blackguard
- Greater Weapon Focus (greatsword)
19 Blackguard
20 Blackguard (Strength +1)
21 Blackguard
- Improved Critical (greatsword)
22 Blackguard
23 Blackguard
24 Blackguard (Strength +1) - you're a Bane Knight!
- Great Strength III
25 Blackguard
- Epic Weapon Focus (greatsword)
26 Blackguard
27 Blackguard
- Great Strength IV
28 Blackguard (Strength +1)
- Overwhelming Critical (greatsword)
29 Blackguard
30 Blackguard
- Great Strength V
31 Blackguard
- Devastating Critical (greatsword)
32 Blackguard (Strength +1)
33 Blackguard
- Great Strength VI
34 Blackguard
- Armor Skin
35 Blackguard
36 Blackguard (Strength +1)
- Great Strength VII
37 Blackguard
- Epic Prowess
38 Blackguard
39 Sorcerer
- Great Strength VIII
40 Monk (Strength +1)
Concentration +25, Discipline +43, Hide +10, Listen +43, Tumble +43
Feats not associated with any level:
Epic Skill Focus (Listen)
Epic Spell Focus (Abjuration) - via spell tome
Great Dexterity I
Great Dexterity II
Legendary Skill Affinity (Listen)
Legendary Skill Affinity (Tumble)
Legendary Spell Focus (Abjuration)
Legendary Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Paragon Balance
Paragon Spell Focus (Abjuration)
Paragon Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Environmental Adaptivity 1
Environmental Adaptivity 2
Environmental Adaptivity 3
Frequently Used Spells
SOR
LEVEL 1: Mage Armor (+20 armor ac with PSF: Abj), Shield, Protection from Alignment
LEVEL 2: Death Armor, Flame Weapon, Shock Weapon
LEVEL 3: Keen Edge (take needlepoint or weapon of impact as needed), Vampiric Touch
LEVEL 4: Elemental Shield
LEVEL 5: Energy Buffer, Mestil's Acid Sheath
LEVEL 6: Tenser's Transformation, Greater Stoneskin
BG
LEVEL 1: Bless Weapon, Frost Weapon
LEVEL 4: Freedom of Movement, Death Ward
--------------------------- END ---------------------------------------