Requesting a Halfling build

[JollySwagMan]

Posted this on the Wizard forums, but had no response :(. Rather than bumping that thread I've cut-and-pasted it over here.

It's come to my attention that I have some +5 tools, bound to account trap gear and scrolls of firewall/d-door lying neglected in my bank. I believe the natural application of this would be your standard 18/2 Wizard/Rogue. Alternate possibilities include a mostly Rogue splashed with Monk and Wizard (Humblehands (http://my.ddo.com/character/khyber/humblehands/) is a Permadeath version of this that I play), or an Exploiter-type build, or a mostly Monk splashed with Rogue and Wizard.

However, I don't have Warforged, and have become quite fond of Maximised Halfling Dragonmarks on some of my melee characters. I tend to prefer Halflings anyway and have grown used to organising my UI around their stature.

I'm not very keen on using Tomes either - DDO store ones are a definite no, and I don't play enough high level content to farm them.

Aside from these restrictions (Halfling Dragonmarks, Rogue-ish, +1 tomes at max), I have 32 point, vet status on a couple servers, most adventure packs and Monk. I mention Monk because the thought of a Monk level for extra Toughness doesn't seem totally outlandish to me.

All this in mind, I would be most grateful for build suggestions. These are the Halfling Wizard threads that I have checked so far:

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=132428
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=126726
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=121763
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=245124


Here's what I came up with with a rudimentary foray into the character builder:


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

Level 20 Lawful Neutral Halfling Male
(1 Monk \ 2 Rogue \ 17 Wizard)
Hit Points: 192
Spell Points: 1076
BAB: 9\9\14
Fortitude: 10
Reflex: 14
Will: 12

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 10 10
Dexterity 16 16
Constitution 14 14
Intelligence 18 23
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 7 7
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 4 25
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 8 29
Haggle -1 -1
Heal -1 1
Hide 7 9
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 4 6
Listen 3 5
Move Silently 7 9
Open Lock 7 7
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 4 6
Search 8 29
Spot 3 19
Swim 0 0
Tumble 7 7
Use Magic Device 3 17

Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Least Dragonmark of Healing


Level 2 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell


Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell


Level 4 (Wizard)


Level 5 (Wizard)


Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
Feat: (Selected) Lesser Dragonmark of Healing


Level 7 (Wizard)


Level 8 (Wizard)


Level 9 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Dragonmark of Healing


Level 10 (Wizard)


Level 11 (Wizard)


Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Wizard)


Level 14 (Wizard)


Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration


Level 16 (Wizard)


Level 17 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Enchantment


Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration


Level 19 (Wizard)


Level 20 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Toughness




Any advice is appreciated. Thanks for your time :)

[unbongwah]

If you boosted your DEX for the bonus to Reflex save, don't bother, just take Insightful Reflexes instead. Then you can put more pts into CON or maybe STR. I would also take Empower sooner, as it will stack with Maximize for +150% heals from your Least & Lesser DMs.

[geoffhanna]

It would help me if I knew what your vision for this guy is. For instance, I see two levels of rogue but no trapsmithery. Are you just going rogue to get evasion? If so, why not just take a second monk level? Or keep both rogue levels and drop the monk? Are you planning to melee? If not, why toughness x2?

Etcetera. Cannot really say if you are going to achieve your goals when I don't know what they are :)

If you click the builds link in my sig there are a several halfling builds that you may find interesting including a couple of casters.

Have fun!

[JollySwagMan]

It would help me if I knew what your vision for this guy is. For instance, I see two levels of rogue but no trapsmithery. Are you just going rogue to get evasion? If so, why not just take a second monk level? Or keep both rogue levels and drop the monk? Are you planning to melee? If not, why toughness x2?

Etcetera. Cannot really say if you are going to achieve your goals when I don't know what they are :)

If you click the builds link in my sig there are a several halfling builds that you may find interesting including a couple of casters.

Have fun!

Ah, I probably should have put a disclaimer in the first post - this is primarly intended as a solo build. I don't plan to run epics with it, and probably not even standard end-game raiding. Utility is what I'm after.

I would suppose the main vision for this guy is to be in a good position to solo The Crucible and Fleshmaker's Laboratory at level. Trapsmithing isn't really essential for either of those, but by level 12 a solid 35-ish Reflex (buffed) and 200+ HP (before Minos, GFL and any shroud items) is important. Having a good Charm would also make soloing easier in some quests, *especially* on Fleshmaker's.

I haven't tried soloing the Crucible yet, but the main obstacle to my farming of the Fleshmaker's Laboratory on my Clonk are the trash elementals, who post-nerf pose no danger to me, but really lay the beatdown on the hirelings I use to hit runes. My preferred method has become to whack em all with Improved Cursespewing, then lay down a Symbol of Persuasion and try to drag em through it - but one or two often get killed before they get charmed, respawning and requiring me to wait until Symbol can be cast again.

Anyway! Regarding the build I posted, I put points into Concentration/Disable/Search, then Spot/UMD - I'm not familiar with building Rogue-splashed Wizards so have put max points into Search/Disable. If I were more familiar with the specific DCs of traps I'd probably put some of those skill points elsewhere. If by trapsmithery you mean level 4 Rogue I think that's an interesting option - had not considered that.

I figured Toughness x2 would help with the lower HD of a Wizard, putting the character closer to the d8 I'm used to. To that end two Monk levels and one rogue might be a better idea. Melee isn't really the plan here, rather to be able to survive rolling a 1 when running/swimming/flying through nasty traps.

Going two Monk instead of Rogue would also free up a feat for another Metamagic, probably Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment..

Any suggested break points? Bearing in mind that I want to have a workable Charm/suggestion available around level 12-14..


If you boosted your DEX for the bonus to Reflex save, don't bother, just take Insightful Reflexes instead. Then you can put more pts into CON or maybe STR. I would also take Empower sooner, as it will stack with Maximize for +150% heals from your Least & Lesser DMs.

Hm, could put two more points into Con and Str that way. However I'm not sure that Insightful Reflexes would provide enough of a boost to take up a feat slot. It's a difference of +1 at lower levels and +3to5 at higher levels, when buffs are plentiful. Perhaps dropping the Heal Dragonmark (which may require Quicken to be of any use to me) would provide the room, but..I also wonder if Enlarge needs a place in there somewhere.

Could swap Empower and Heighten around for higher heals, especially if dropping the Greater Dragonmark. With Empower on in addition to Maximise I haven't noticed that much effect upon the Dragonmarks until higher levels on other characters, but my testing has been on Permadeath characters without access to Superior Ardor items.



Thanks for the input!

[geoffhanna]

Okay that makes more sense.

I still think you are overdoing the toughness but hey, I understand the craving for HP.

I remain confused by the double splash. Most people who take a monk level are going to use the WIS adjustment to AC but you have no WIS. Are you just looking for the free feat? The rogue levels open up trap skills and add a backstab capability that you will not be using. If you need evasion then you need two levels of one of these classes but which? This topic is really a post in and of itself.

You do have a good search and disable, I missed that. I saw no Open Lock and low Spot and assumed you had not loaded up on trap stuff. But on that note, skill points in Spot are not helpful unless you have a lot more of them.

Do not take Maximize at second level. You won't be able to afford the (quite significant) extra mana for awhile yet. Empower is a better choice at this level, but Extend is the best choice (IMHO obviously) for the first metamagic.

I understand the dragonmarks, the self-healing is probably why you chose halfling in the first place. Your UMD will be nearly enough to use Heal scrolls. If you swapped a few points into CHA you might be able to drop the marks later if you want. Or you could splash ranger or pally (or cleric or FvS) and get Cure wands. Or just drink a lot of pots - three feats is a lot! :)

Or you could ignore all this and go with your gut*. You'll probably be fine.

*except the maximize at 2nd level you will definitely regret that