New to melee builds.

[Jack's_Rage]

I want to make a dps focus build and have already started a barb. Right now he is only level 4 so I want to check some things before he has to much invested in him.

I designed him to be pure barb for the increased hps, damage and will saves. I am trying to avoid splashing. Also the crit enchancement.

Right now he is as such.
str 18
dex 14
con 18
rest at min
Weapon Focus Slash, THF
Plan to pick up, toughness at 6 and imp crit at 9, rest undecided.

I have some questions.

First is just the fact he is chaotic good enough to suggest reroll at level 4, I understand neutral good, would be a wiser choice?

Also what is best in pure damage for the average geared player, TWF or THF?
Would it be acceptable to use my last feat as twf and just do both?
What are good feats to look into?
Thanks

[Mad_Bombardier]

You will probably want to drop WF:Slashing. +1 to-hit really does not matter enough to spend a feat. Replace it with Power Attack at level 1. Then take ImpTHF at level 6, ImpCrit:Slash at level 9, and GrTHF at level 12.

Chaotic is an okay choice and does not necessitate a reroll. You can still use Axiomatic weapons with a negative level penalty (which is so minor above level 5 or so, it's inconsequential). You can use True Chaos weapons that NG characters cannot. And you can use the Iron Manacles from Delera's quest chain.

[Scalion]

Two Handed fighting is the way to go for damage with a barb, hands down. You don't have extra feats to spend on two weapon fighting and the general opinion is that two weapon fighitng is lower damage than two handed fighting anyway.

As for alignment, there are some great items (a rez clicky and Chaosguards to be exact) that require lawful good....of course as a barb that's not an option. It's becoming more and more common for monsters to do additional damage to those of good alignment, just like we have weapons that do additional damage to those of evil alignment. On my own barb, I decided to go true neutral and then spend points in UMD so I could buff myself up to get into gear with alignment restrictions.

Power attack is the other feat you definately want to get as a barb. Beyond that you can take a few options, but most people prefer improved and greater two handed fighting.


Unfortunately it's not efficient to try to spec in both twf and thf. It takes multiple feats to be a decent twf and without those feats it is absolutely not worth bothering to put that weapon in your offhand.

[ErgonomicCat]

I have some questions.

First is just the fact he is chaotic good enough to suggest reroll at level 4, I understand neutral good, would be a wiser choice?



Really, it goes in waves. Neutral Good is the current flavor of the month, but even in the 3 months I've played, I've seen the favorite shift from Lawful Good to Neutral Good, so....



Also what is best in pure damage for the average geared player, TWF or THF?

THF.

You get 2x the return on Power Attack, the highest to hit (no penalties), and the biggest damage die per weapons. If you're going with Crits, Falchions.



Would it be acceptable to use my last feat as twf and just do both?


No.

You benefit from focus. If you pick up TWF, you'll need to pick up *all* the TWF feats to keep up. THF requires 1 feat to use, really - Power Attack.



What are good feats to look into?
Thanks

Power Attack is required. There is no other choice but PA.

[Jack's_Rage]

When would it be best to pick up power attack? Also is the THF feat line handy? And so handy as to drop toughness for all of them?

Also are my stats ok, or would
18 str
15 dex
17 con be better and just plan to get some tomes?

[Scalion]

When would it be best to pick up power attack? Also is the THF feat line handy? And so handy as to drop toughness for all of them?

Also are my stats ok, or would
18 str
15 dex
17 con be better and just plan to get some tomes?

The THF feats can definately add some great damage. I would suggest you pick them up and try them out to find out for yourself. You have the luxury of switching to toughness later on and you already know what to expect from it.

As for Falchion vs. greataxe.....Falchion swings slightly slower, only has a x2 crit and has lower base damage, but extended crit range. Think of it like this...would you rather crit for triple damage on 20% of your attacks (and swing slightly faster) or crit for double damage on 40% of your attacks. I'm talking level 14 here with the extended crit range and improved crit feats.

I'm actually in the middle of rollin a new barbarian human and debating the stats myself. I can't decide between 18str 15dex 15 con or 14 dex 16 con...or maybe 14 dex and con and 12 wis. I would like to figure that out for myself.

[Casta]

I would go for more wisdom less dex. Other then that I agree with everyone, power attack two weapon fighting and improved crit for all your feats.

[Jack's_Rage]

I would go for more wisdom less dex. Other then that I agree with everyone, power attack two weapon fighting and improved crit for all your feats.

More wisdom? For will saves? How often would I miss saves with +10/15? Would +2 or 3 help all that much?

[Scalion]

More wisdom? For will saves? How often would I miss saves with +10/15? Would +2 or 3 help all that much?

I guess the point is that Dex= AC but mobs get crazy things like +40 to hit so it's kinda worthless for some people to invest in.

Will saves are not that unattainable and you can actually count on having at least some chance at making the save aside from rolling a 20. With that in mind every +1 you add to your will save is effectively a 5% better chance to make your saves while for AC you have to get up to 40+ to even bother.

Not only that but a failed will save effectively puts you completely out of the fight on some spells (like the dancing sphere) so in many ways it's much worse to fail a will save than to take a little more of a beating.

[Jack's_Rage]

I guess the point is that Dex= AC but mobs get crazy things like +40 to hit so it's kinda worthless for some people to invest in.

Will saves are not that unattainable and you can actually count on having at least some chance at making the save aside from rolling a 20. With that in mind every +1 you add to your will save is effectively a 5% better chance to make your saves while for AC you have to get up to 40+ to even bother.

Not only that but a failed will save effectively puts you completely out of the fight on some spells (like the dancing sphere) so in many ways it's much worse to fail a will save than to take a little more of a beating.

Makes sense, I started working on him and went with 13 wis. I figure short term +5 item gives me +4 will, long term +5 with tome and +6 item.

[Cruzer]

My barb started with an 8 will save. His currently self-buffed/sustained will save is 19, and thats not including the +4 from indomidable will that only appears during the roll (i think?).

I also went human for the extra feat and the human recovery enh. Clerics feel a little better healing your 500hps+ when they're getting a 30% boost to it. :) Cuz at level 14, as a barbarian, anything that swings at you usually hits you. Also, those CSW pots stretch a little longer when they're healing you for 35-39 a pop.

[Casta]

Also, those CSW pots stretch a little longer when they're healing you for 35-39 a pop.

Ya that would be nice, my dwarf barb spends more on pots then my cleric spends on scrolls and wands. Then again im a real cheap cleric, if theres a shrine i run back to it before i use a res scroll I never res somewhere like pop.