New person needs help

[Darkami]

I am a total new person to this game , but I know a bit about d & d. I would like to get a build or a link to some builds for something that can solo well, but is not worthless if I decided to play at high end. I have read a lot of post ,but there seems to be so many different ways to go, and conflicting opinions.

I am good with playing about anything melee , healer , rogue . I just want to be able to solo well, have fun, but be wanted at high end.

P.S this should be noob friendly build . ( but I play a ton of MMO's and raid so I am good player )

[Galeria]

Hiya Dark-

There are a ton of good builds out there but it's hard to go wrong with a dwarf fighter to get started. They have decent stats and are hard to mess up. (Max out strength and con, go two handed fighting and get a greataxe and a cleric hireling.)

Play it for a while, see how you like it. You can definitely take it all the way to end game, but a lot of people will go through a couple of levels, see what the like/don't like and then start over with something once they have a good idea of what they really want.

GL!

[Zachski]

Actually, I'd recommend a melee pure bard :D

For one thing, everyone loves your buffs (even though Displacement is going to be removed from that list soon), for another, you are quite capable of keeping yourself sustained.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=249865&highlight=rocker

This is a good one.

[hiryuu42]

The tihocan builds are generally good for new players:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=232660

They all work on 28-point builds, no tomes, and found gear. I'll second Warchanter Bard as a pretty rugged, adaptable build.

[Darkami]

Thanks for the information , I never thought of bard , since in D &D they seem to be a bit weaker . How is their dps ? compared to lets say a warrior ?

I also was looking at a melee cleric build, but they seem to be hated .

[Auralana7214]

If a melee healer is what you're after, I would look into a Horc Fvs. Pretty good DPS and very survivable. Max strength, good con you're set! You can look into customizing it for the Prestige Enhancement as it is well worth it.

[Galeria]

H-orc and FvS are both things that require a purchase. You may want to try a halfling clonk (cleric monk) for a free-to-play healer that can do some DPSing.

Melee clerics are only despised if they let the party die. It's a know when to fight, know when to stand back and heal sort of thing.

[MacRighteous]

For good solo ability I would recommend a paladin - top tier DPS (3rd behind Barb and Fighter) - divine healing and buffs - tough - lots of clicky combat options - excellent vs undead and evil outsiders - not to gear dependent - and you can build for TWF - THF or Sword and board and be a viable end level toon - especially if you stay pure - but even splashed builds dont get too much flack - the most acceptable probably being a 18 paladin /2 rogue for trap and lock ability.

This thread has excellent new player builds - i would give it a look: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=232660

if you wanted a paladin trapper - you'll have to look around a bit - but here are some good builds on these formus - I have a THF paladin trapper here: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=369810 - but it is a 32 pt build....

The final build is at the end of the thread - Im currently level 17 with this build and I couldn't be happier with him

good luck and welcome to the game

MacR

[keveniaftw]

Why, when talking about DPS, solo-ability etc every1 forgets monk?
Paladin being third? After fighter/barbarian? I know some monks tht outDPS alot of fighters, even some barbarians.
Also ranger tempests/multiclasses have great DPS

[unbongwah]

There are a ton of good solo-able builds out there, largely because to solo you really only need to be able to do two things:


Kill monsters - with melee, ranged, and/or spells.
Stay alive - thru some combination of avoiding damage (e.g., high saves, Evasion, AC, SR, buffs like Blur & Displacement), absorbing damage (e.g., lots of HPs, DR, damage mitigation, buffs like energy resist), and recovering from damage (i.e., self-healing thru items or spells).

For a newcomer, I would say the least solo-able (pure) F2P classes are rogues, barbarians, & fighters, largely because they don't have anything in the way of useful buffs or self-healing. A good pure rogue will eventually become self-sufficient thru UMD, but that takes a long while to pay off; and in the meantime, you've got low HPs and your DPS is heavily dependent on sneak atks, which are harder to pull off solo.

A non-Warforged wizard or sorcerer has a hard time early on: low HPs & BAB, weak DPS for the first few levels, no self-heals initially. Once you make it past that initial "hump," though, arcane casters become stupid-powerful; in particular, a fleshie Pale Master has great DPS and great survivability if you play `em right. WF arcanes are even better, since they can self-repair right off the bat and have better survivability than other races (i.e., higher CON, WF immunities, etc.), so they don't even have to worry about those early levels like their meatbag counterparts. ;)

I consider bard, cleric, paladin, and ranger to be good choices for a first-time soloer; built right, they've all got a decent mix of DPS, buffs, & self-healing. In addition, a rogue-splashed bard or ranger can also be good at traps as well as have UMD (see my Tempest trapmonkey); while a rogue splash on a paladin adds UMD & Evasion, which help out with their survivability and soloability.

[I'm ignoring Artificer, Favored Soul, and monk because they're P2P, but those are all good solo-able classes too.]

[captain1z]

Saw this thread yesterday but got caught up in a bunch of stuff before i could comment.

In a nutshell i agree totally with MacRighteous on this one, Paladin is the way to go as a first solo capable character, for all the reasons stated. Very versitile class.


As for the monk, as a beginner, i wouldnt. The game play mechanics behind a monk are very difficult imo. My first 3 attempts at building one utterly failed. Ive got a better handle on it now and have several monk splash characters but no full monks yet.

Monks really are all about balance, balance in strength, dexterity, constitution and wisdom as all 4 are useful to a monk. Monks are also very limited in the weapons and armor they can use, so u may find your 1st character selling or stockpiling 90% of the items you find.

Go paladin for your main and dabble in fighter, wizard and rogue with some alts. This will give u a more complete feel for the game.

[MacRighteous]

Why, when talking about DPS, solo-ability etc every1 forgets monk?
Paladin being third? After fighter/barbarian? I know some monks tht outDPS alot of fighters, even some barbarians.
Also ranger tempests/multiclasses have great DPS

Sure - a well built monk played by a vet can out perform a train-wreck fighter or barb... but all things being equal it is generally accepted that the top melee DPS tier is: 1.) Barb 2.) Fighter and 3.) Paladin. However as you pointed out there are lots of awesome custom builds that are spec'd for DPS that will give any vet played melee a run for their money...

Even if the DPS comes at the cost of some other utility...

But the main reason Monk was excluded was the OP is a new player and generally new players are F2P and dont have access to Monks, or have a lot of in-game resources, or much knowledge of game-mechanics and game-experience that it takes to make advanced toons work.

That's why I recommend going THF if you choose a melee - you only have one weapon to upgrade and collect.

MacR

[sho-gun]

H-orc and FvS are both things that require a purchase. You may want to try a halfling clonk (cleric monk) for a free-to-play healer that can do some DPSing.

Monks are not f2p. Just say'in.

[HastyPudding]

Like others have said, a Paladin is a good first-time character. It has good dps and excellent self-survivability, as well as some small bonus to contribute to a team if you're in a party. Their builds can be a little more complicated than other melee (other than monks), but it's not difficult to find a working build that focuses on two-handed fighting. A pure level 20 paladin is quite rare, but there are a few perks to it (such as the divine vengeance sword).

If you're willing to farm some favor for turbine points (getting to 100 favor on each server should be more than enough) you can get the monk (it's also 50% off until the 21st, and is a very good buy). A light-path monk is a highly self-sufficient class, with high saves, improved evasion, and great versatility, so there is a build for everyone for every way of playing.

[Galeria]

Monks are not f2p. Just say'in.

Bah, I forgot that. Thanks.

[thouston]

it has been mentioned already but paladin with rogue splash. i just capped a first life using this build...

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=327669

[Kinerd]

Thanks for the information , I never thought of bard , since in D &D they seem to be a bit weaker . How is their dps ? compared to lets say a warrior ?

I also was looking at a melee cleric build, but they seem to be hated .Sometimes I get to a thread like this late, and the person has already decided what they want to do after one post. In this case it is unfortunate that you did not, because Galeria gave you the best advice.

The best thing for new players is the simplest build possible. Divide and conquer: learn about the game, then learn about builds.

[HastyPudding]

Sometimes I get to a thread like this late, and the person has already decided what they want to do after one post. In this case it is unfortunate that you did not, because Galeria gave you the best advice.

The best thing for new players is the simplest build possible. Divide and conquer: learn about the game, then learn about builds.

I agree. In my opinion, the best way to learn about a game is through the eyes of a healer. You see how melee react, you see how casters manage their aggro, and you see how a team functions, as well as how irritating it is when somebody is trying to heal you and you dodge behind a wall or pillar or zerg ahead (when you're not supposed to, that is). Honestly, I think clerics, FVS, and bards make an excellent first character, as long as they're built properly (not hard to mouse over the stats at character creation to understand what they do). By watching everyone else, and you can decide what class you like the most by actually watching them play.

[captain1z]

I agree. In my opinion, the best way to learn about a game is through the eyes of a healer. You see how melee react, you see how casters manage their aggro, and you see how a team functions, as well as how irritating it is when somebody is trying to heal you and you dodge behind a wall or pillar or zerg ahead (when you're not supposed to, that is). Honestly, I think clerics, FVS, and bards make an excellent first character, as long as they're built properly (not hard to mouse over the stats at character creation to understand what they do). By watching everyone else, and you can decide what class you like the most by actually watching them play.

I find healers and wizards spend less cash and are great for starting on a new server, when you already know the game. But the lower hp is frustrating if you solo or join a part that cant control aggro.
When i played everquest i was a dark paladin, kotor i played a gaurdian jedi, aion played templar and ddo i started with a ranger......then a paladin.

All chosen for the same reason, I could fight and I could heal; that was the theory anyway.

If after playing those i felt comfortable with the combat, i made a heavier melee type.
The same was true for spellcasting when i became more familiar.

Everyone learns differently but thats what worked for me, i generally watch youtube vids of ppl playing various classes to decide if the class is right for me before i create one.

[Zachski]

Bards are great in this game - The problem with 3.5 bards, I believe (and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong) is that they had to stop performing to do anything other than perform. So they were only good for their music and their buffs from spells.

In this game, however, your songs are simply "play, and then go" At low levels, you will be doing good damage, and you will be able to self-heal. You will have powerful buffs, and people will love you.

Don't worry about splashed characters for now. Those are for later, or never if that's your preference. Bards are an amazing class to start with, though, because you will be loved, you won't be blamed for wipes as often (which is actually kinda insulting because a bard's healing CAN make or break a quest), and you will be able to do a mix of spellcasting and melee.

There's also spellsinger bards, which focus more on spellcasting than melee (and sometimes, pure spellcasting) but those are more likely for more advanced players.

Give it a go. If you don't like it, that's fine, Paladin is also a great option for newbies, as is a melee Cleric.