Post by atomicsomething on May 3, 2008 15:16:12 GMT
Here is a typical Smiting COT. Playing at the moment and is pretty stable in hells, he is a main damage dealer.
Race : Half-Elf
Half-Elf grants you access to LSA Listen. The only cost against human is 1 starting feat, but besides blooded, none is required with this build.
SubRace : Shard
For a smiter COT, you need a subrace with CHA bonus. +2 is IMHO the minimum required, +4 is recomended. Other BUR subbies like Pharlan or Hound Archon are fine for this build, but i like the +4 dex and +4 con on Shard even if it's lacking STR bonus
Class Progression : 1 Rogue / 6 Paladin / 1 Rogue / 9 COT / 1 Paladin / 1 COT / 1 Rogue / 20 COT
A bit complex, but you need to start with rogue for the extra skill points, and taking your last rogue level at 20 for skillpoint dumping in UMD. Then you need to take Divine Might as a normal feat on a paladin level. On this progression, it will be at level 18.
Stats :
STR : 14
DEX : 10 -> 14
CON: 14 -> 18
WIS : 8
INT : 14
CHA : 16 -> 20
Alterntive : 2 less CON and 2 more DEX in order to use any medium armor with full AC bonus from the start in hells
Skills :
Max Craft Armor, Craft Weapon, Discipline every level.
Put 23 of Tumble at level 20 and start to raise it again at level 43 with LSA Tumble up to 60.
At level 52, you can start raising Listen. take 63 points.
At level 18, put 13 points in concentration.
Lvl 1 : Rogue -> Blooded
First level of rogue comes with 1d6 damage. Every little bit helps . Blooded allows you take LSA Tumble in legendary levels and raise your tumble to 60. Without it and its AC increase, dont even try venturing into hells.
Lvl 3 : Paladin -> Weapon Focus (martial weapon)
Lvl 4 : Paladin -> CHA +1
Lvl 6 : Paladin -> Extra smiting
Extra smiting helps your smite and nimbus timers, a must have
Lvl 8 : Rogue -> CHA +1
Second Rogue level gives you evasion. Your reflex save will be quite high and this will grant you a pseudo immunity to many annoying breaths, spells ...
Lvl 9 : COT -> {{free feat}}
Lvl 10 : COT -> Power Attack
Lvl 12 : COT -> Toughness, Cleave, CHA +1
Lvl 14 : COT -> Great Cleave
Lvl 15 : COT -> Expertise
Rarely used, only if i find myself cornered by some very big and nasty mobs. Still an appreciable help
Lvl 16 : COT -> Blind Fight, CHA +1
With LSA Listen, this build could theorically not take this one, but Listen works only if you're not blinded. It's more a back-up for "oops i got morded/breached/killed and raised" scenarii
Lvl 18 : COT -> Divine Might
Last level of paladin, used for divine might. Divine Might gives your 14 unstoppable divine damages for 14 rounds. A must have imho. Use also this last level to raise your concentration by 13.
Lvl 19 : COT -> Improved Critical
Lvl 20 : Rogue -> CHA +1
Last level of Rogue, dump UMD and Tumble for 23 points each. the third level of rogue gives you 1d6 sneak damage and uncanny dodge which is useful when smiting or buffing in the middle of the melee
Lvl 21 : COT -> Armor Skin
Lvl 24 : COT -> CHA +1, Great Smite 1, Great Smite 2
Lvl 27 : COT -> Great Smite 3
Lvl 28 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 4
Lvl 30 : COT -> Great Smite 5
Lvl 32 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 6
Lvl 33 : COT -> Great Smite 7
Lvl 36 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 8, Great Smite 9
Lvl 39 : COT -> Great Smite 10
Lvl 40 : COT -> STR +1, Epic Weapon Focus
During Legendary levels, all stat points go to STR
Lvl 42 : COT -> LSA Tumble
You can start after this level putting points in Tumble.
Lvl 45 : COT -> Epic Prowess
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 48 : COT -> Legendary Weapon Focus
Lvl 50 : COT
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 51 : COT -> LSA Listen
Appreciable help againt mobs with conceal. This will increase your damage output as well as the kickback your taking from some monsters.
Lvl 54 : COT -> ESF Listen
Wisdom is the dump stat of this build, to take full use of listen you'll need this to help. Consider taking LSF Listen instead, if you're not planning to use gear with listen bonuses.
Lvl 55 : COT
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 57 : COT -> Overwhelming Critical
Damage ! Level 57 is the last level where you increase Tumble. 60 base ranks are required to get the maximum AC bonus ; everything above 60 is wasted.
Lvl 60 : COT -> Devastating Critical
Even more Damage ! On your last level you should be be able to reach 63 ranks in Discipline, Listen, Craft Armor and Craft Weapon. +1 bonus STR
Final Stats :
42 STR
14 DEX
18 CON
8 WIS
14 INT
26 CHA
Final Skills :
13 : Concentration
63 : Craft Armor
63 : Craft Weapon
63 : Discipline
63 : Listen
63 : Tumble
23 : UMD
Final saves :
72 : Fortitude
60 : Will
69 : Reflex
AB
19 : Pre Epic
10 : Epic
15 : Legendary
07 : Weapons feats (WF, EWF, LWF, EP)
22 : STR
02 : Craft Weapon
20 : Buffs
95 : Total
Build Guidance
The main power of this build comes from Divine Wrath. At level 60, it grants you 20 irresitible positive damages, an AB and save bonus of 20 (both counting towards their respective caps). Divine Wrath grants also Critical hits immunity if your base strength is at least 40. You'll reach 40 base strength at level 58.
The duration of Divine Wrath is pretty long : Every rest you'll get 5 uses of it, each lasting 120 rounds. Unless unfortunate incidents, that's enough to go through 95 % of hell maps without needing to rest. With this build, i usually rest once at the end of each map and once before the boss.
Other advantage of Champion of Torm is mind immunity. this will protect you from most mind effects in Hells (though not all). Your paladin levels give you also fear immunity (i dont know if those two are redundant, but that's still one thing less to worry).
One of the biggest asset of COTs is Divine Restoration. Every 3 rounds, you get a free restore. This means you have not to worry too much against abilities, level or immunities decreases from monsters. You should still keep some pearls spare on you, for a couple of fights, but most of time Divine Restoration leaves you free to concentrate on your main task : Tanking.
COTs are one on heaviest damage dealer build available. With Divine Wrath and Divine Might, your damage per hit is one of the highest available. You should concentrate that power on mobs that are unlikely to disappear quickly being mortal critted, imploded, wailed or called shot. Pit Fiends for example are high on your list of favorite targets.
Same logic should be applied with your smite ability. Keep it for the biggies, if you know that one will appear soon. Your avalaible smitting damages are sonic, magic, positive and divine. The last one is certainly the most useful, but sonic and magic have their uses on some layers.
Your last asset is Nimbus of Victory, it will reduce monsters Spell resistance of 12 in a large radius. Mages will thank you when activiting it while tanking Pit Fiends. It's available once every 3 minutes, so on maps with lots of them, it will be available one spawn over two on average.
Weapon
I took Warhammer with this build, and i dont regret that choice. The DIS Warhammer is very nice damage vise. The Rona one is very useful, and now i prefer it to the DIS one most of the time. With its physical damages, it's one of the strongest weapon ingame, and its level drain effect gonna is nasty.
Another very nice choice is Bastard Sword. The level progression shows a {{free feat}} which can be used for exotic profilency.
Race : Half-Elf
Half-Elf grants you access to LSA Listen. The only cost against human is 1 starting feat, but besides blooded, none is required with this build.
SubRace : Shard
For a smiter COT, you need a subrace with CHA bonus. +2 is IMHO the minimum required, +4 is recomended. Other BUR subbies like Pharlan or Hound Archon are fine for this build, but i like the +4 dex and +4 con on Shard even if it's lacking STR bonus
Class Progression : 1 Rogue / 6 Paladin / 1 Rogue / 9 COT / 1 Paladin / 1 COT / 1 Rogue / 20 COT
A bit complex, but you need to start with rogue for the extra skill points, and taking your last rogue level at 20 for skillpoint dumping in UMD. Then you need to take Divine Might as a normal feat on a paladin level. On this progression, it will be at level 18.
Stats :
STR : 14
DEX : 10 -> 14
CON: 14 -> 18
WIS : 8
INT : 14
CHA : 16 -> 20
Alterntive : 2 less CON and 2 more DEX in order to use any medium armor with full AC bonus from the start in hells
Skills :
Max Craft Armor, Craft Weapon, Discipline every level.
Put 23 of Tumble at level 20 and start to raise it again at level 43 with LSA Tumble up to 60.
At level 52, you can start raising Listen. take 63 points.
At level 18, put 13 points in concentration.
Lvl 1 : Rogue -> Blooded
First level of rogue comes with 1d6 damage. Every little bit helps . Blooded allows you take LSA Tumble in legendary levels and raise your tumble to 60. Without it and its AC increase, dont even try venturing into hells.
Lvl 3 : Paladin -> Weapon Focus (martial weapon)
Lvl 4 : Paladin -> CHA +1
Lvl 6 : Paladin -> Extra smiting
Extra smiting helps your smite and nimbus timers, a must have
Lvl 8 : Rogue -> CHA +1
Second Rogue level gives you evasion. Your reflex save will be quite high and this will grant you a pseudo immunity to many annoying breaths, spells ...
Lvl 9 : COT -> {{free feat}}
Lvl 10 : COT -> Power Attack
Lvl 12 : COT -> Toughness, Cleave, CHA +1
Lvl 14 : COT -> Great Cleave
Lvl 15 : COT -> Expertise
Rarely used, only if i find myself cornered by some very big and nasty mobs. Still an appreciable help
Lvl 16 : COT -> Blind Fight, CHA +1
With LSA Listen, this build could theorically not take this one, but Listen works only if you're not blinded. It's more a back-up for "oops i got morded/breached/killed and raised" scenarii
Lvl 18 : COT -> Divine Might
Last level of paladin, used for divine might. Divine Might gives your 14 unstoppable divine damages for 14 rounds. A must have imho. Use also this last level to raise your concentration by 13.
Lvl 19 : COT -> Improved Critical
Lvl 20 : Rogue -> CHA +1
Last level of Rogue, dump UMD and Tumble for 23 points each. the third level of rogue gives you 1d6 sneak damage and uncanny dodge which is useful when smiting or buffing in the middle of the melee
Lvl 21 : COT -> Armor Skin
Lvl 24 : COT -> CHA +1, Great Smite 1, Great Smite 2
Lvl 27 : COT -> Great Smite 3
Lvl 28 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 4
Lvl 30 : COT -> Great Smite 5
Lvl 32 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 6
Lvl 33 : COT -> Great Smite 7
Lvl 36 : COT -> STR +1, Great Smite 8, Great Smite 9
Lvl 39 : COT -> Great Smite 10
Lvl 40 : COT -> STR +1, Epic Weapon Focus
During Legendary levels, all stat points go to STR
Lvl 42 : COT -> LSA Tumble
You can start after this level putting points in Tumble.
Lvl 45 : COT -> Epic Prowess
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 48 : COT -> Legendary Weapon Focus
Lvl 50 : COT
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 51 : COT -> LSA Listen
Appreciable help againt mobs with conceal. This will increase your damage output as well as the kickback your taking from some monsters.
Lvl 54 : COT -> ESF Listen
Wisdom is the dump stat of this build, to take full use of listen you'll need this to help. Consider taking LSF Listen instead, if you're not planning to use gear with listen bonuses.
Lvl 55 : COT
+1 bonus STR
Lvl 57 : COT -> Overwhelming Critical
Damage ! Level 57 is the last level where you increase Tumble. 60 base ranks are required to get the maximum AC bonus ; everything above 60 is wasted.
Lvl 60 : COT -> Devastating Critical
Even more Damage ! On your last level you should be be able to reach 63 ranks in Discipline, Listen, Craft Armor and Craft Weapon. +1 bonus STR
Final Stats :
42 STR
14 DEX
18 CON
8 WIS
14 INT
26 CHA
Final Skills :
13 : Concentration
63 : Craft Armor
63 : Craft Weapon
63 : Discipline
63 : Listen
63 : Tumble
23 : UMD
Final saves :
72 : Fortitude
60 : Will
69 : Reflex
AB
19 : Pre Epic
10 : Epic
15 : Legendary
07 : Weapons feats (WF, EWF, LWF, EP)
22 : STR
02 : Craft Weapon
20 : Buffs
95 : Total
Build Guidance
The main power of this build comes from Divine Wrath. At level 60, it grants you 20 irresitible positive damages, an AB and save bonus of 20 (both counting towards their respective caps). Divine Wrath grants also Critical hits immunity if your base strength is at least 40. You'll reach 40 base strength at level 58.
The duration of Divine Wrath is pretty long : Every rest you'll get 5 uses of it, each lasting 120 rounds. Unless unfortunate incidents, that's enough to go through 95 % of hell maps without needing to rest. With this build, i usually rest once at the end of each map and once before the boss.
Other advantage of Champion of Torm is mind immunity. this will protect you from most mind effects in Hells (though not all). Your paladin levels give you also fear immunity (i dont know if those two are redundant, but that's still one thing less to worry).
One of the biggest asset of COTs is Divine Restoration. Every 3 rounds, you get a free restore. This means you have not to worry too much against abilities, level or immunities decreases from monsters. You should still keep some pearls spare on you, for a couple of fights, but most of time Divine Restoration leaves you free to concentrate on your main task : Tanking.
COTs are one on heaviest damage dealer build available. With Divine Wrath and Divine Might, your damage per hit is one of the highest available. You should concentrate that power on mobs that are unlikely to disappear quickly being mortal critted, imploded, wailed or called shot. Pit Fiends for example are high on your list of favorite targets.
Same logic should be applied with your smite ability. Keep it for the biggies, if you know that one will appear soon. Your avalaible smitting damages are sonic, magic, positive and divine. The last one is certainly the most useful, but sonic and magic have their uses on some layers.
Your last asset is Nimbus of Victory, it will reduce monsters Spell resistance of 12 in a large radius. Mages will thank you when activiting it while tanking Pit Fiends. It's available once every 3 minutes, so on maps with lots of them, it will be available one spawn over two on average.
Weapon
I took Warhammer with this build, and i dont regret that choice. The DIS Warhammer is very nice damage vise. The Rona one is very useful, and now i prefer it to the DIS one most of the time. With its physical damages, it's one of the strongest weapon ingame, and its level drain effect gonna is nasty.
Another very nice choice is Bastard Sword. The level progression shows a {{free feat}} which can be used for exotic profilency.