RDD Dex Tank

[dodrudon]

I was thinking of a Dex tank build with RDD as the control class, basically a dexer with good damage.

The level progression might be:
7 Bard
8 RDD
7 WM
RDD till 39
1 Bard for skill dump

You have just enough feats to get in WM, with one pre-epic feat left over. 10 Epic Toughnesses take up all your epic feats though (but not legendary). With a total of 45 RDD levels, you get +17 str total, +3 con, +2 int, and +2 cha. Not being able to take 10 Great Dexterities is made up for by RDD's innate AC bonus (+7).

Will save is crappy though, 20 at level 40, without feats that's 51 at 40. This might be viable with a good subbie that has some feats. Also, you're forced to go with simple weapons, and you can't get the dexer mainstay of epic dodge and self concealment (nor improved evasion which is required for those).

I think a better choice might be:
6 Bard
7 Paladin
RDD till 39
Bard for skill dump

(no XP penalty from pally/bard levels)

You get one extra epic feat, a LOT more flexibility with pre-epic feats and good saves (with 11 cha and 8 wis, you get a will save of 60 at level 60, 67 fort, and 75-79 reflex). You still get the +7 AC and +17 strength. Feat choices would include: Toughness, Improved Crit, (Epic) Weapon Focus, Epic Prowess, Weapon Finesse, Armor Skin, Craft Wand (though CBC won't let me choose this), Iron Will, Epic Will, Legendary Will, Great Dexterity, so on. With pally, you get immunity to fear and disease, bard gets you Tumble and UMD. RDD control class gives you discipline, and you might as well dump the rest of your skill points into Search (and get Epic Skill Focus) and Lore. Of course, you'll be carrying around a shield and some light and finessable weapon, like a rapier. Assuming you start out with 9 strength, with buffs at level 60, you end up with 38 Str, for +14 damage per hit, +14 to Disc checks, and you probably won't get KDed by anything in Hell.

As a half-elf (chosen because no stat/skill bonuses to skew results), you'd probably have a point spread of something like:
9 Str
17 Dex
15 Con (you get an odd Con bonus from RDD)
10 wis
10 int
12 cha
This lets you max Disc, Lore, Tumble, and UMD.
Final dexterity (L60 with buffs) would be 50-56 depending on how many Great Dex feats you pick up (you've got only a small amount of Epic feats to spend).

Thoughts? Comments?

[Trazik]

I was actually thinking about a dexxer RDD. I have a Dragonblooded Dusty's Pal build which I really like and was thinking about how dexxers builds (at least the ones I have made so far) tend to be sucky.

Ra9-Bd1-RDD30 gets dual weapon feats but probably weak will save
M9-Bd1-RDD30 gets imp evasion and slightly better saves that the Ranger version

I am still in the early stages of formulating my build ideas, so I have to leave my comments there for now.

Kind regards,

Trazik

[aommaster1069]

As for dexer RDDs, they would suck without the right subrace. As I have yet to get a character into hells to get a BUR subrace, most people wont be able to do this until later on in their fantastic journey through HG. So in my opinion, don't build a dexing RDD unless you have a subrace with a good dex bonus (+3 or more). That's just my two cense, although I think a dexing RDD would be wonderful, you just can't make a good one without a good dexing subrace.

- FyreChyld

[ultimabob]

I am playing a Barbarian 20 Bard 2 RDD 18 dexxer w/Lycan (1st real build so no Burs...).

Yes, WM damage would rock. But the HP, and +4 to con, str, and dex from Barb as cc is just too good to pass up IMO.

The ideal build would be with Half-Fiend or Kolyrut likely. The BuR halfling is also a possibility.

It is important to get at least 24 base str as that allows you to get the Strongheart ammy on if you double-demi. But you might want to be a bit higher just so you can get the ammy on before double-demi and give you better str checks and damage.

[uncanny]

Wouldn't you be permanantly flatfooted in a crowd though?

[bort]

uncanny said:

Wouldn't you be permanantly flatfooted in a crowd though?

A character is considered to be flat-footed when:

* They are performing a non-combat task.
* They are in ready mode (have not yet acted in a combat).
* They move outside of the combat radius.
* They are entangled.
* They are prone.
* They are sleeping.

www.nwnwiki.org/Flat_footed

[FunkySwerve]

You are thinking flanked, which is a much smaller penalty, around -2 if memory serves.
Funky

[ultimabob]

Flanked is -2. DDs are the only ones who don't get that penalty.

This is part of what leads me to my supposition that for a dexxer, esp. with demi penalties, to equal a RDD strengther in Hell you really need a good party. I mean you always need a good party or your dead - but even more so. If the dexxer isn't forcing 20s on all rolls then I just don't feel he will be as good as the srengther. That takes good crowd control, cursing, prayers, and interposings. But if you have that, then maybe you are even better. But I have yet to test this theory :-)