Dex based Bard/Fighter 18/2. Viable?

[pemain]

I'm planning to roll a dex based bard but I found a few posts by people saying Weapon Finesse is a waste of feats and end game critters have low to-hit requirements. My build is below:


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 Neutral Good Drow Female
(2 Fighter \ 18 Bard)
Hit Points: 240
Spell Points: 661
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 11
Reflex: 18
Will: 11

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 13 14
Dexterity 18 24
Constitution 13 14
Intelligence 10 10
Wisdom 10 10
Charisma 13 16

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 8 30
Bluff 1 3
Concentration 5 25
Diplomacy 1 3
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle 5 26
Heal 0 0
Hide 4 7
Intimidate 1 3
Jump 4 16
Listen 0 2
Move Silently 4 7
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform 5 26
Repair 0 0
Search 0 2
Spot 0 2
Swim 1 2
Tumble 5 8
Use Magic Device 5 26

Level 1 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song I
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Finesse
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I


Level 3 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Piercing Weapons
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage I
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song I
Enhancement: Bard Charisma I


Level 4 (Bard)
Ability Raise: CON
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack I


Level 5 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song II


Level 6 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery II


Level 7 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Warchanter I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage II


Level 8 (Bard)
Ability Raise: DEX
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I


Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song III
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 10 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack II


Level 11 (Bard)


Level 12 (Bard)
Ability Raise: DEX
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Bard Charisma II


Level 13 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Charisma III


Level 14 (Bard)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 15 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack III


Level 16 (Bard)
Ability Raise: DEX
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage III


Level 17 (Bard)
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack II


Level 18 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 19 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song IV
Enhancement: Bard Music of the Dead


Level 20 (Bard)
Ability Raise: DEX
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song II
Enhancement: Bard Music of Makers





My game time is very limited so I'll be going solo a lot. I'm hoping the high dex + damage mitigation spells/songs will help me survive quests while the TWF * Song/spell/weapon effects will help me kill critters quickly.

My questions:

What's the normal AC range for Str based toons going solo at levels 5, 10, 15 & 20? A rough estimate will do :)
With the build above, what sort of AC can I expect when soloing at the same level ranges?
Str based builds can get up to +6 extra damage compared to Dex builds, and I believe Dex based builds can get up to +6 extra AC with the right armor type. In your opinion, which is the better option?
Is this build viable and more importantly, fun to play?

I should mention that I don't plan on spending too much at the DDO Store. Maybe drop a few bucks now and then for adventure packs during sales.

[tihocan]

Looks like you're missing Improved Crit, which is a must have.
Your build should work well at low/mid levels but you should be aware that later on, you won't be able to maintain a high enough AC, your DPS may start being a bit low due to being Dex-based, and you won't be able to land your CC spells due to the low Cha and the lack of spellcasting feats. Being solo, you'll probably have a rough time.
I would recommend going Str-based instead, to at least be able to kill stuff faster (lack of AC and offensive spellcasting is ok on such a build).

[pemain]

Thanks for your response. It prompted to me to dig deeper and I found a solo Cleric build focused on AC. According to the post, you need at least 60+ AC in the higher levels!

I think I'll go and look at Str builds now. I don't want to invest all my time and effort and one day find out that my build isn't solo-able after level 12.

[tihocan]

Thanks for your response. It prompted to me to dig deeper and I found a solo Cleric build focused on AC. According to the post, you need at least 60+ AC in the higher levels!
Yep, and you're unlikely to reach this on a cleric without some serious gear grind which may not be easy to accomplish solo.


I think I'll go and look at Str builds now. I don't want to invest all my time and effort and one day find out that my build isn't solo-able after level 12.
The Warchanter build I posted in that stickied thread actually isn't very far from yours, except it's Str-based THF instead of Dex-based TWF. You could make a Str-based TWF version of it, and it should work better than Dex-based at higher level.