The Dark Servant, 14/6 Drow Paladin Monk

[elg582]

Short sword ninja spy hunter of the dead; hard to hit with high AC and incorporeal, high saves, zeal + wind stance, versatile dps from monk moves and paladin abilities.

Stats

STR 12 (20)
DEX 18 (34)(36 in wind stance)
CON 12 (20)(18 in wind stance)
INT 10
WIS 14 (22-24)
CHA 14 (24)

Feats

TWF
Toughness
Weapon Finesse
Dodge
Power Attack
TWD (open to suggestions, but not much else to get at level 6)
Improved Critical: Piercing
ITWF
GTWF
Extend or Improved Critical: Slashing?

Skills

Concentration
UMD
Balance

There are 2 essential questions that this build is sets out to answer:

Will high AC in conjunction with incorporeal, blur/displacement and evasion provide sufficient damage mitigation in end game?

Will the monk, paladin, and drow abilities make up for dps on a dex-based melee? (although, really, it's only 9 points lower in STR - 5 damage per hit, maximum)

If so, this should be a fun character (currently at 6 monk/2 paladin and out-killing barbarians, but it's still early).

If not, then I'll just reincarnate.

Advice is welcome, flames are bad

[Consumer]

Will the monk, paladin, and drow abilities make up for dps on a dex-based melee? (although, really, it's only 9 points lower in STR - 5 damage per hit, maximum)

Not only are you dex based but your also using short swords and multiclassing Monk and Pally. I really wouldn't worry about DPS for a build like this because its something it will never be good at.

It won't be able to hold agro and you have made no mention of being able to intimidate so even with AC it wont be any use as a tank.


As far as I can see it will be great at carrying stones to the shrine. The high AC and ability to self heal make it great for that.

[DrNuegebauer]

See that feat you spent on weapon finesse?

Let's change that to XW: Khopesh.

Then make it 18 pally/2 monk

Then raise starting STR to 16 (16/16/12/10/8/16)

Oh wait - now you're a cookie cutter Drow pally...

If you want the 14/6 split, by all means go assasin, but use your fists rather than shortswords.

[Tazarith]

I can feel the heat from the flames......

But, I kinda like it. I'm a novice monkster myself, but the sinergy you have going is nice.

However, with incorpreal up and spaming and hopefully a stacking blur, why worry so much about A/C? That equates to a permanent Displacement :)

And not sure if Wind stance will stack with Zeal but why put lvl ups into str and stay in fire stance for the ki gen and the extra str.

My 2 cents, but nice idea!!

I meant..why NOT put lvl ups into str and use fire stance instead :)

[elg582]

See that feat you spent on weapon finesse?

Let's change that to XW: Khopesh.

Then make it 18 pally/2 monk

Then raise starting STR to 16 (16/16/12/10/8/16)

Oh wait - now you're a cookie cutter Drow pally...

Yea, I've got two of those :)



If you want the 14/6 split, by all means go assasin, but use your fists rather than shortswords.

6 monk only gives 1d8 damage with fists, as opposed to the improved crit profile of shortswords, though I use fists when I need blunt damage (oozes, skeletons, etc), as well as kamas for slashing; this was half of what I meant by versatile damage. Besides, I already have all the stuff on an alt for two of these: Epic Sting (http://ddowiki.com/page/Epic_Sting) and one of these: Epic Garos Malice (http://ddowiki.com/page/Epic_Garos%27_Malice).


I can feel the heat from the flames......

But, I kinda like it. I'm a novice monkster myself, but the sinergy you have going is nice.

However, with incorpreal up and spaming and hopefully a stacking blur, why worry so much about A/C? That equates to a permanent Displacement :)

Because the AC only comes into play after the incorporeal and blur/displacement (incorp and displacement together are evil) checks are made; basically, the incorp adds 5 to your effective AC, but against high end mobs, if your AC isn't in at least the 80s, it might as well be 0.



And not sure if Wind stance will stack with Zeal but why put lvl ups into str and stay in fire stance for the ki gen and the extra str.

Wind stance and zeal stack :)




My 2 cents, but nice idea!!

I meant..why NOT put lvl ups into str and use fire stance instead :)

Well, for one thing, if I went STR and used fire stance, I lose 7 ac (not to mention wind stance), which means that, for the most part, I shouldn't even bother with AC, and then I'm building an entirely different type of character. For another thing, I already have a DPS build, 20 pure WF dark monk, and I haven't played a good, high AC character since mod 7.

Lastly, and this is really what I was waiting to see if anyone picked up on, one of the upcoming changes will be to make intimidate a paladin class skill, at which point I will reincarnate and max it out.

Oh, and thank you both for actually being constructive; I was beginning to think that useful comments had been banned by the CoC :)

[DrNuegebauer]

6 monk only gives 1d8 damage with fists, as opposed to the improved crit profile of shortswords, though I use fists when I need blunt damage (oozes, skeletons, etc), as well as kamas for slashing; this was half of what I meant by versatile damage. Besides, I already have all the stuff on an alt for two of these: Epic Sting (http://ddowiki.com/page/Epic_Sting) and one of these: Epic Garos Malice (http://ddowiki.com/page/Epic_Garos%27_Malice).


So with those 2 particular level 20 weapons, you'd do base damage of 13 (2d6+6) - with just 30 str that's 23 main and 18 off-hand. (41 total)
With a set of +5 wraps, you'd do base damage of 9.5 (1d8+5) - with just 30 str that's 19.5 main and 19.5 off-hand. (39 total) Oh, and it's 12% faster. (43?)

The more str you get, the further the equation shifts in favour of the wraps.

And yes - there's add-on damage from effects etc - but with ToD rings these are pretty equitable - and they fall in favour of the higher attack speed?

You'll definitely do more damage with the wraps!

[elg582]

So with those 2 particular level 20 weapons, you'd do base damage of 13 (2d6+6) - with just 30 str that's 23 main and 18 off-hand. (41 total)
With a set of +5 wraps, you'd do base damage of 9.5 (1d8+5) - with just 30 str that's 19.5 main and 19.5 off-hand. (39 total) Oh, and it's 12% faster. (43?)

The more str you get, the further the equation shifts in favour of the wraps.

And yes - there's add-on damage from effects etc - but with ToD rings these are pretty equitable - and they fall in favour of the higher attack speed?

You'll definitely do more damage with the wraps!

1. The epic sting is 2d12, not 2d6, and with wounding of puncturing on it, will likely be a main weapon.

2. Your calculations disregard critical hits, and you left off the +1 from the epic enhancement, since there are no epic handwraps.

3. I did not advertise this as a dps build; obviously, a full str build will do more damage, but would look entirely different.

And, again, intimidate as a paladin class skill will change everything :)

Edit: Also, you forgot to add in drow and paladin shortsword bonuses.

[kernal42]

basically, the incorp adds 5 to your effective AC


No. Not at all. Not even the slightest bit.

[Tazarith]

Well, for one thing, if I went STR and used fire stance, I lose 7 ac (not to mention wind stance), which means that, for the most part, I shouldn't even bother with AC, and then I'm building an entirely different type of character. For another thing, I already have a DPS build, 20 pure WF dark monk, and I haven't played a good, high AC character since mod 7.


I didn't realize high AC was the main point to the build and I do appologize. However, what peaked my curiosity about the idea of ninja pally was the incorporeal aspect.

I know from min/max research its pretty hard to reach meaningful AC AND maximize DPS and the overwhelming consensus is to kill before being killed with DPS taking a back seat to AC as the optimum. That being said, having a max DPS str based twf Pally/Monk would greatly benefit from the stacking incorporeal ability that the PvE Ninja provides when AC numbers are trivial.

So THAT was the idea that your OP gave me. Thanks a bunch ;)

[elg582]

I didn't realize high AC was the main point to the build and I do appologize. However, what peaked my curiosity about the idea of ninja pally was the incorporeal aspect.

I know from min/max research its pretty hard to reach meaningful AC AND maximize DPS and the overwhelming consensus is to kill before being killed with DPS taking a back seat to AC as the optimum. That being said, having a max DPS str based twf Pally/Monk would greatly benefit from the stacking incorporeal ability that the PvE Ninja provides when AC numbers are trivial.

Except that the ninja fade ability severely limits your weapon choices, so much so that staying pure monk is the only viable solution for max dps, which then encourages str-based and fire stance, and AC goes out the window. Basically, I want to know if AC, in conjunction with blur/displacement and incorporeal, still has any value. If you want to consider this a leveling build, that's fine; the real advantage here is that, if necessary, I can TR into a str-based without too much hassle, although I still don't think that handwraps are likely to be a primary weapon; a longsword elf makes more sense.



So THAT was the idea that your OP gave me. Thanks a bunch ;)

Glad to help :)

[DrNuegebauer]

1. The epic sting is 2d12, not 2d6, and with wounding of puncturing on it, will likely be a main weapon.

2. Your calculations disregard critical hits, and you left off the +1 from the epic enhancement, since there are no epic handwraps.

3. I did not advertise this as a dps build; obviously, a full str build will do more damage, but would look entirely different.

And, again, intimidate as a paladin class skill will change everything :)

Edit: Also, you forgot to add in drow and paladin shortsword bonuses.

Obviously I didn't do all the calculations. I just wanted to show that if you were after DPS, fists were better by far. Even a pathetically simple sum showed that (even if it WAS a bit hastily done - but you get the point!)

I think you can have your AC AND some DPS too - but since your intent is an 'ac toon' I won't argue the point.

Enjoy the build - at worst it'll be some fun for ya - and it'll give you a place to send all those shortswords you keep finding!!

If anyone else wants to do something similar: CHOOSE FISTS for better DPS.