Looking for Class Recommendation

[Gicker]

Hi there,

I am going to be starting a character to play alongside my friend. He will be playing a mage or a sorc. We will likely play these two characters together exclusively, occasionally perhaps inviting others into the group when we need it or are looking for company.

I am curious, what would be the best class to take to play alongside a wizard/sorc? Obviously something that can melee. Can we get by with henchmen clerics or should I play a FvS or Cleric? If not, which tanking class is best suited for play with a wizard/sorc?

Would a warforged be a good idea, seeing how he could heal me, and play as perhaps a melee bard build or something, so I can heal him, buff, and melee a bit?

Really, I've been around since beta, but I haven't played very much since, so I don't really know what I'm doing, though I do know the 3.5e rule set pretty well, and I also know that DDO is it's own entity in that regard.

Thanks anyone who's willing to help.

[rpasell]

If you have unlocked it or bought it from the store, I would say Warforged Favored Soul

[Gicker]

I would be willing to buy both warforged and favored soul if it was the right choice. What build do you suggest, and why this in particular?

Not trying to challenge your suggestion, I just want to understand it, especially if I'm going to spend 20 dollars to get it :)

Thanks for responding!

Gicker

[rpasell]

I would be willing to buy both warforged and favored soul if it was the right choice. What build do you suggest, and why this in particular?

Not trying to challenge your suggestion, I just want to understand it, especially if I'm going to spend 20 dollars to get it :)

Thanks for responding!

Gicker

The combo you are talking about would allow him to load up repair spells to heal you, and you can load heal spells for him. In addition Favored Soul can melee pretty well, especially with all the self buffs. At higher level you'll get Blade Barrier which will add greatly to your ability to kill large numbers of mobs quickly.

This thread may interest you.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=207057

[Therigar]

There have been a lot of duo threads lately. The one thing they have in common is that people who are replying generally make the same observation -- the most powerful duo will be either sorcerer + sorcerer (preferably warforged) or sorcerer + favored soul (still preferably warforged).

The divine spell selections dovetail nicely and favored souls are not compelled to take healing spells. On two warforged characters this means you have just about every base covered between the two characters when it comes to spells. IMO the real issue with this choice is that you have to put points into WIS to boost the DC of offensive spells and you really don't have buid points to waste with 28 point builds.

The determining factor will be whether your friend can also be warforged. If so then dual warforged sorcerers would be able to run pretty much all content -- only needing to group in raids. If your friend is going to play a fleshy character then dual fleshy characters with one sorcerer and the other favored soul or cleric would probably be a better choice.

With dual warforged you have the healing covered by going with a sorcerer duo. If one is a fleshy then you don't. Dual Drow with a sorcerer + favored soul or Drow sorcerer + Dwarf cleric would work nicely.

If you feel that rogue skills are needed (a point made in one of the duo threads) then a wizard/rogue multiclass + cleric/fighter multiclass works well. Both multiclasses would be 18/2 splits. This could be a good choice if both are fleshies. I'm assuming monk is not unlocked. If it is a cleric/monk is better IMO than fighter/monk.

If both of you can be warforged and you feel you need rogue skills then a wizard/rogue + sorcerer would be the way to go.

Now, lots of options here. Of them my personal recommendation would be to go dual warforged sorcerers.

[Gicker]

Thanks a lot for the information guys, I will talk to him and see what he is going to play for sure, point him to this thread, and we'll go from there.

Thanks again!

Gicker

[Therigar]

The combo you are talking about would allow him to load up repair spells to heal you, and you can load heal spells for him. In addition Favored Soul can melee pretty well, especially with all the self buffs. At higher level you'll get Blade Barrier which will add greatly to your ability to kill large numbers of mobs quickly.


In a lot of ways BB is inferior to firewall. At higher levels the mobs have enough reflex that they don't seem affected by it. FWIW, I'm playing a cleric ATM and I see the difference between BB and FW when I look at kills. Nothing like soloing the first level Necropolis quests and throwing up a cleric L11 max/empowered/extended BB and watching the undead walk right through it. Now try it with a sorcerer L11 max/empowered FW. You won't need extend.

For melee power in early levels being warforged is enough. The AC bonus at start carries you through the early quest lines. Toss on the shield spell and you're good to go. Charm (which you'll exchange at later levels because you won't need it) gets you an army to work for you. So meleeing isn't generally an issue.

Once you get your L3 spells you won't be meleeing anymore (although you can still charm an army to fight your fights for you). And once you get FW and the various instant kill spells you won't be meleeing at all (unless you're bored).

[Junts]

In a lot of ways BB is inferior to firewall. At higher levels the mobs have enough reflex that they don't seem affected by it. FWIW, I'm playing a cleric ATM and I see the difference between BB and FW when I look at kills. Nothing like soloing the first level Necropolis quests and throwing up a cleric L11 max/empowered/extended BB and watching the undead walk right through it. Now try it with a sorcerer L11 max/empowered FW. You won't need extend.

For melee power in early levels being warforged is enough. The AC bonus at start carries you through the early quest lines. Toss on the shield spell and you're good to go. Charm (which you'll exchange at later levels because you won't need it) gets you an army to work for you. So meleeing isn't generally an issue.

Once you get your L3 spells you won't be meleeing anymore (although you can still charm an army to fight your fights for you). And once you get FW and the various intant kill spells you won't be meleeing at all (unless you're bored).

comparing in undead content is foolishness; undead take double damage from firewall

guess what .. nothing's immune to blade barrier. Reflex save or not, that makes it tremendously efective against a wide variety of mobs (golems, devils) that are very common in ddo and immune to wall of fire.

[rpasell]

I foresee problems with with dualing casters in situations where you will want the ability to melee.

Maybe a WF FvS(18)/Ftr(2) and a Sorc(18)/Rog(2).

Those are examples, check the class ablilities for better level breakdowns.

[Therigar]

I foresee problems with with dualing casters in situations where you will want the ability to melee.

Maybe a WF FvS(18)/Ftr(2) and a Sorc(18)/Rog(2).

Those are examples, check the class ablilities for better level breakdowns.

Well, so many people are so used to the notion of meleeing -- probably because they play melee characters -- that this certainly seems like an issue. It is not.

The best possible character class for soloing is a toss up between cleric and sorcerer -- with most people favoring a warforged sorcerer. The synergy on fighter with favored soul and sorcerer with rogue is so bad that I doubt anyone would seriously consider either build.

However, because warforged sorcerers are the most often recommended solo build it is only reasonable to understand that two of them working together makes the best duo build. The only real consideration is experience and concerns regarding traps.

The experienced players will naturally ignore the trap issue and just play sorcerers. For a new player who may be uncomfortable with that it is better to tap into the synergy of wizard/rogue.

It is only just doable to build a rogue with 12 INT. Remember that you are cross classing every rogue skill and you need DD and Search. But, you need some skills as an arcane too, particularly Concentration. A 12 INT on a sorcerer only gives 3 skill points per level -- meaning you cannot keep your needed skills up to snuff. If you are going to push INT higher then you may as well be a wizard because you are taking from other key stats to make this adjustment.

There is no quest that I can think of where melee is required.

[rpasell]

Maybe I'm mis-interpreting the newness of the players. Going all squishy is going to require a steeper learner curve if they are inexperienced. I don't challenge the notion that WF Sorc is probably the best solo combo. Obviously you are right about the Sorc/Rog combo, I meant Wiz/Rog, though even then I'm not sure how much you gain if you are really careful with traps.

Anyway, if you are going pure class I would still say WF Fvs and Sorc.

[rpasell]

Oh, and the real combo I would recommend is Druid and Sorc but...

:grin:

[sigtrent]

I'd go Wiz and Sorc over double Sorc. You just get more options. And all in all the Sorc Favored is more versitile than double Sorc. There are a few divine spells like deathward which are nearly required for some mid level quests.

Now if you are hyper twinked... that's a bit different in which case it mostly doesn't matter what you are plying, there is gear that lets you be versatile.

[Bbrik]

Wf 2rog 18wiz. An if you want buy +2 con and int tome and a wisdom one to if you want. You be a
trap monkey heal your self buff your self so you could melée have high hp and evasion. Also two
nuker caster side by side will be great have him for the caster roll either drow or wf if drow invest in umd and go sorc.

For melée go wf. Here are a few to mess with.

20barb
2fighter 18barb
2fighter 2rog 16 barb
2rog 18 fighter
2rog 18 pally

for a cleric build

dwarf 2monk 18cleric
dwarf 20 cleric
drow 1sorc 19 cleric. This one will get some *** comments. But if you are 2 manning stuff alot go drowax char and wis for umd haggle arcane wand prof. 11 dv's at lvl 1 so his manna bar stays up on between shrines.

Dwarf 20fvs
wf 20 fvs

[JakLee7]

a couple of buddies of mine have built 2rog/18FvS and really like playing them; coupled with a 20 sorc (both WF) means that soloing is a cakewalk - on the other hand.....
I don't really like playing WF; so I vote

2rog/18 paly human (high str/cha)
20 sorc human (high cha/con)
both UMD anything needed
both fun & very survivable
and best of all, no toasters!
(*ps I don't hate the WF, jut not my cup of tea)