Looking for battlemage builds

[Alex301]

I posted a thread a few days ago looking for a completely free build and was told that it wasn't really worth it so i stuck to my sorcerer and barbarian. However, with the 50% bonus points boost and 25% off the 32 point build i decided to buy both that and the warforged race and I'm now revisiting the battlemage idea.

I've read a few other threads on this but a quite a few are out of date and deal with previous versions of ddo and i'm not sure how they would work now. Being only a beginner i would like to hear your opinions and would appreciate links to any possible builds or other helpful threads. I realize this type of character will not be easy to play but that really doesn't bother me. A lot of places seem to refer to the Tukaw build (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=181901) so i'm wondering if this is the best way to go.

Thanks again for any replies.

[Hjarki]

"Battlemages" don't really work all that well in DDO since DDO lacks the feats and spells that would really benefit such a build. Couple this with the easy availability of consumables for the basic self buffs and it's tough to see how you'd benefit from combining the two.

What you really need to do is think about what you want to do with your Wizard/Sorcerer levels. What spells in particular do you want to cast, or what advantages do you think you'll be getting out of it?

[Lord_WC]

If you are looking for self-buffing/healing then I suggest you try a bard instead. If you want to melee make sure to pick up the warchanter PrE, its really fun, and it actually has all what the above mix could offer and much more. You already have warforged so that could make an interesting build as well.

If you really intend to do a sorc/bard build just for the fun of it, its fine, but be prepared that on higher levels it will be extremely hard to find groups for you. For solo play it could work if you can support him with really good equipment, otherwise it can be painful.

Edit: The main problem I see (lets just overlook you will not have enough hp and AB for high level content) is that a barb/sorc is oximoron: you can't cast while raged and having 6-8-12 levels of sorcerer just for buffing before a fight seems like a bit too much waste. Your short term buffs (haste, displacement, etc) will have short durations and possibly you cant keep them on all the time as well with rage. So you either do one buffing/fight waiting your rage and spells to run out, or will fight without buffs half of the time.

[voodoogroves]

A couple routes you can honestly go:

Fighter 2 / Wizard remainder - STR, CON, INT ... swing a big sword or axe ... it really is that simple.

Option 1: STR > CON > INT ... level ups into STR
Start w/ Fighter 1 / then Wiz to 7 before thinking about the 2nd fighter level.
Concentrate on spells without saves (buffs, wall of fire, etc.)

Option 2: INT > CON = STR ... level ups into INT
Same start - Fighter 1 ...
You play more like a wizard who can do all the wizardly things and still smash face


Variant - Pure wizard 20

Max INT, level ups there, CON and STR next ... use Master's Touch. Keep a pair of heavy picks handy for when you hold / paralyze monster.

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For the more-battle-less-mage route you'd be looking at a 2/6/12 split. Look at Phidius' sig for some options there.

[r3dl4nce]

17wizard/1fighter/2rogue warforged with 16 or 18 STR, 14 or 16 INT, level ups in int or str (int more caster, str more melee), insightful reflexes to get evasion working. Lot of divine power clickies

[Impaqt]

I posted a thread a few days ago looking for a completely free build and was told that it wasn't really worth it so i stuck to my sorcerer and barbarian. However, with the 50% bonus points boost and 25% off the 32 point build i decided to buy both that and the warforged race and I'm now revisiting the battlemage idea.

I've read a few other threads on this but a quite a few are out of date and deal with previous versions of ddo and i'm not sure how they would work now. Being only a beginner i would like to hear your opinions and would appreciate links to any possible builds or other helpful threads. I realize this type of character will not be easy to play but that really doesn't bother me. A lot of places seem to refer to the Tukaw build (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=181901) so i'm wondering if this is the best way to go.

Thanks again for any replies.

Unfortunatly, you'll see more responses like the first 2 in the game....

That being said, there are quite a few capable battle mages in this game. the 12/6/2 WIzard based has a lot of potential. I have one in my build index that I play and it performs well.

I do encourage people to make sure they understand whatt hey are getting into before attempting a battle mage. One of the easiest ways to wind up on lots of "Do Not Group" lists is to play a battle Caster poorly.

[gott_ist_tot]

Look up Arcane Psychoe and Texas Hold'em. The latter even claims to have somewhat working spell DCs. Impaqt has made a reportedly successful 12/6/2 build. As to Tukaw I can testify it's a build to be reckoned with. In hands of a skilled player, but which build isn't. Well, probably some bards, as long as they play songs. But let's not derail, shall we?

[K_0tiC]

These builds take alot of effort to play you need to fall into the twitch style gamer to be able to pull them off well, lots of button mashing required as youll have alot of short term buffs (2min haste/displace, 1min devine power etc)

I would highly recommend taking a wf caster be it sorc or wizard to level 20 then a melee, this will allow you to see what you want to take from each build and add together remember they need to be balanced and there are certain things you want to be able to do.

For example youll want to be able to cast reconstruct even if its just off scrolls 100% of the time this would need a minimum of 12caster levels at this point a sorc only gets 1 level 6 spell slot so its hard to choose between greater heroism and reconstruct as scroll healing is very viable in most situations where you wont have a dedicated healer thou greater heroism can be casts off scrolls also but not really long enough for raid buff purposes and you being new youll start to notice the scroll cost piling up fast, on the otherhand a wizard will have 3 level 6 spells at level 12 wizard even level 11wizard would be enough. some people are happy with quickened maximised repair critical which only needs 8 levels of wizard, wizard also buys you alot of free class feats like extend/maximise/mental toughness/quicken where as a sorc doesnt get any free class feats but a sorc will have more sp @ level and double from items. This is just a small example of things to decide on from the caster side of the build then you have to weigh in feat requirements like some feats for melees require x amount of base attack bonus (BAB) before they can be selected so you have to plan out your feats carefully as a wizard only gets +1 BAB per 2 levels and a fighter for example gets 1BAB per level. Then you need to make sure the feats will allow for viable dps (you can kill things before they kill you) space for meeting any specfics like you want to be a kensai/pale master (both have feat requirements). Then the item fitment can be just as much of a nightmare, do you want to wear things that help your spell caster or your melee, do you want to level up as a melee first caster 2nd when do you want to have access to repair/reconstruct. Also need to decide on how much casting do you want, just buffs? dmg spells? dc spells?

These are just afew of the things youll have to understand when building/playing a charcter like this or as impaqt said wind up on the DNG list.