Some advice on first GS wep(Rad II)

[Posgildenlow]

So, i'm working on crafting the famous Rad II Kopesh (well, in my case it's a rapier since i'm a dex build) for my Assassin III Dual Wielding Finesse Rogue.
It's my first time messing around with greensteel and i'd strongly appreciate some advice:

The weapon i had in the crating planner would be

A +5 GS rapier
Tier 1: Holy
Tier 2: Flaming burst
Tier 3: Fire blast ('Flame burst' +4d6 fire on vorpal)
Bonus 1: Aspect of Radiance I (sunbrust 2xday)
Bonus 2: Aspect of Radiance II (blindness + 4d6 light damage on crit)

Ok, now i don't know how this works so hopefully you guys can help me improve this by answering some questions:
1- Would Flaming Burst and Fire blast Stack ? (crafting planner pre-made recipes seem to sugguest so, but doesnt hurt to be sure) Also, i'm concerned about the viability/usefulness of having fire on my weapon end game wise (thought it would help me when TRed in the 12-16s, but even so i wonder if there are better options). The packs i mainly run are Vale/Secrets of Artificers/Canith Challenges/ Orchard to some extent and might buy Reaver's Reach soon. Then again, it seems like it's the only damage element after chosing RadII so guess i don't have much choice

2- Do i have to craft a Bonus 1 to be able to craft the bonus 2 radII? Because quite frankly sunburst seems quite useless.

3- Also, for my other hand i was planning a purely dps rapier (perhaps LitII?), any suggestions on that? (since there i no paralyzing, thou i can tell i'll probably be switching to RadII+ Epic Envenomed Blade quite often) Other great option would be instead of going for pure dps on the offhand going for Acid+Acid Burst + Acid blast + Stone Grab (35 reflex) which one do you guys reckon to be best?

Ok that's about some of the doubts i have, thanks for reading this and please share any bits of experience you might have to help a beginner :P

[SSFWEl]

Yes, they stack.
Sunburst is a by-effect, you have no choice.

Follow this link.
http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~delallea/ddo/shroud/

choose rapier. click on Go
then choose radiance.
then Holy
then flaming burst and flaming blast.

then click on:
how do I create this item?

Follow the steps!

I still use my Rad II (the II means it was made with a double shard) even though I got tons of other weapons. And even though now you can find random gen Radiance weps that were unavailable before U14.


Indeed fire weps are not fantastic in a lot of the end-game in ebberon. but in Forgotten Realms, flame rocks. (Of course there are exception on both sides...)


Regarding off hand there are tons of good weps now you can get for cheaper than another double shard GS, unless you got mats to spare. Like the http://ddowiki.com/page/Star_of_Day
Like what you have the eEnv blade (I still have not managed to epic mine).
Like epic Garos
Some random loot generated weps.
Situational stuff like smiting, disruption and banishing.
Like crafted boss beaters.

[SurlyYuri]

I made my RadII rapier for my Assassin yesterday and ran some FR content. Blinding your enemy is pretty handy. I won't say any more so hopefully they won't nerf it.

[Posgildenlow]

hum. good to know. i'm currently running with Sirocco on my Elemental Rapier of Air 16, but the dc for the blindness effect is only 20, (35 with the lvl 20 version) and then a pair of Holy bursts with festival cold burst when dps is more pressing. That and Envenomed blades are allright, but they have high level req (much like most of the paralyzing/radiance random gen weps i've seen around) and seeing how i intend to tr after crafting the gs it would be a good help for afterwards. You do have a point about the mats thou, i probably just settle for a Holy burst rapier of Vampirirsm (canith crafting) on the side for lower levels or maybe some paralizying i can find in AH.

Thank you for the help

[thouston]

i made my radII rapier about a year ago when fire damage wasn't very helpful in endgame content. most were immune to fire damage. so i went with fire absorption which was very handy from level 12 on up. as a previous poster mentioned fire damage is again useful in the FR content.

i am currently a level 8 TR rogue with the active rogue pastlife an i am looking forward to level 12 when i can grab my litII and radII from the tr bank

either way i think you'll be very happy with a radII.

[Machination]

I really prefer NOT to go holy tier I, and go Fire/Good/Fire instead which looks like this:

+5 Greensteel Rapier (1d8, 18-20/x2) With Flaming, +1d6 Fire, Good Burst, +1d6 good, +3d6/4d6/5d6 vs non-good on crit - Sunburst (2/day), Flame Blast (1d10 * (critical multiplier -1) on Critical, + 4d6 on 20) - Radiance (+4d6 light damage + blindness on crit)

Only because not everything is evil ;)




So, i'm working on crafting the famous Rad II Kopesh (well, in my case it's a rapier since i'm a dex build) for my Assassin III Dual Wielding Finesse Rogue.
It's my first time messing around with greensteel and i'd strongly appreciate some advice:

The weapon i had in the crating planner would be

A +5 GS rapier
Tier 1: Holy
Tier 2: Flaming burst
Tier 3: Fire blast ('Flame burst' +4d6 fire on vorpal)
Bonus 1: Aspect of Radiance I (sunbrust 2xday)
Bonus 2: Aspect of Radiance II (blindness + 4d6 light damage on crit)

Ok, now i don't know how this works so hopefully you guys can help me improve this by answering some questions:
1- Would Flaming Burst and Fire blast Stack ? (crafting planner pre-made recipes seem to sugguest so, but doesnt hurt to be sure) Also, i'm concerned about the viability/usefulness of having fire on my weapon end game wise (thought it would help me when TRed in the 12-16s, but even so i wonder if there are better options). The packs i mainly run are Vale/Secrets of Artificers/Canith Challenges/ Orchard to some extent and might buy Reaver's Reach soon. Then again, it seems like it's the only damage element after chosing RadII so guess i don't have much choice

2- Do i have to craft a Bonus 1 to be able to craft the bonus 2 radII? Because quite frankly sunburst seems quite useless.

3- Also, for my other hand i was planning a purely dps rapier (perhaps LitII?), any suggestions on that? (since there i no paralyzing, thou i can tell i'll probably be switching to RadII+ Epic Envenomed Blade quite often) Other great option would be instead of going for pure dps on the offhand going for Acid+Acid Burst + Acid blast + Stone Grab (35 reflex) which one do you guys reckon to be best?

Ok that's about some of the doubts i have, thanks for reading this and please share any bits of experience you might have to help a beginner :P

[Machination]

You know the Turbulent Epee is a great offhand rapier for a rogue, I think its underrated.

Then again if you feel like spending mats make a Lit II.

Regardless, unless you are crafting (lvl 90+), or making a Min II, the Turbulent Epee is a super cheap alternative DR Breaker. Very easy to get a couple (if you don't already have lying around)




So, i'm working on crafting the famous Rad II Kopesh (well, in my case it's a rapier since i'm a dex build) for my Assassin III Dual Wielding Finesse Rogue.
It's my first time messing around with greensteel and i'd strongly appreciate some advice:

The weapon i had in the crating planner would be

A +5 GS rapier
Tier 1: Holy
Tier 2: Flaming burst
Tier 3: Fire blast ('Flame burst' +4d6 fire on vorpal)
Bonus 1: Aspect of Radiance I (sunbrust 2xday)
Bonus 2: Aspect of Radiance II (blindness + 4d6 light damage on crit)

Ok, now i don't know how this works so hopefully you guys can help me improve this by answering some questions:
1- Would Flaming Burst and Fire blast Stack ? (crafting planner pre-made recipes seem to sugguest so, but doesnt hurt to be sure) Also, i'm concerned about the viability/usefulness of having fire on my weapon end game wise (thought it would help me when TRed in the 12-16s, but even so i wonder if there are better options). The packs i mainly run are Vale/Secrets of Artificers/Canith Challenges/ Orchard to some extent and might buy Reaver's Reach soon. Then again, it seems like it's the only damage element after chosing RadII so guess i don't have much choice

2- Do i have to craft a Bonus 1 to be able to craft the bonus 2 radII? Because quite frankly sunburst seems quite useless.

3- Also, for my other hand i was planning a purely dps rapier (perhaps LitII?), any suggestions on that? (since there i no paralyzing, thou i can tell i'll probably be switching to RadII+ Epic Envenomed Blade quite often) Other great option would be instead of going for pure dps on the offhand going for Acid+Acid Burst + Acid blast + Stone Grab (35 reflex) which one do you guys reckon to be best?

Ok that's about some of the doubts i have, thanks for reading this and please share any bits of experience you might have to help a beginner :P

[Chai]

Forget about the weapons, and first craft a triple earth HP item. Earthgrab at level 11 FTW. No need to double shard it, so its cheap.

[Posgildenlow]

You know the Turbulent Epee is a great offhand rapier for a rogue, I think its underrated.

Then again if you feel like spending mats make a Lit II.

Regardless, unless you are crafting (lvl 90+), or making a Min II, the Turbulent Epee is a super cheap alternative DR Breaker. Very easy to get a couple (if you don't already have lying around)

Well, the Epic Venom Blade uses dex for damage modifier as well, so i reckon i'll default to it for offhand wep. When i can get the items to epic craft it anyways, though its still nice on the non-epic version. As for dr i've got most of the stuff i need and a pair of metalines if nothing else seems to be working, and though i do agree it's a relly good rapier i don't ave the harbringer pack to actually get it, sadly. And for lower levels i'll probably just canith craft as i go till i get to 16 again. But ty for the input.

[Brennie]

Well, the Epic Venom Blade uses dex for damage modifier as well, so i reckon i'll default to it for offhand wep. (...)

Its late, so I'll be brief and only mildly relevent, but this is the best idea ever. For a dex build, or even a build where dex and strength are roughly euqual, using a dex-to-damage weapon in your offhand means instead of getting half of your strength for damage you get ALL of your dex! Booyah!

As for Radiance Rapier - I think its a great idea. Others have answered yoru questions (Bonus 1 and bonus 2 are more-or-less just side effects of the good/fire/good+fire crafting process). Do remember that you need to dual-shard the third tier to get radiance! But radiance is *awesome*. When the majority of yoru damage comes from sneak attacks, and you can no-save blind enemies on any 15+ attack roll, that's when the magic starts. Note that Radiance *does* drop on some epic weapons now, but finding it on an epic rapier with decent kickers is not terribly likely (And will also happen 8-13 levels after you coul use greensteel...)

PS - for TRing through the low levels, check out the new loot from Three Barrel Cove if you have it. Or pay someone to go grab them for you if you don't. Tiefling Assassin's Blade (http://ddowiki.com/page/Tiefling_Assassin's_Blade) is pretty freaking amazing, and the Sky Pirate's Dagger (http://ddowiki.com/page/Sky_Pirate's_Dagger) isn't particularly shabby either (And if attempting to farm the Shortsword, the dagger rare/chest is literally on the way). My super unscientific testing on the Chieftain's Spear (http://ddowiki.com/page/Chieftain's_Spear) has rares spawning about 50% of the time, and named loot dropped from their chests about 25% of the time (or 12.5% chance of getting a particular named item per run). Sample size: About 10 runs, so hardly a large sample pool. Note that all three of these weapons are Strength OR dex to attack and damage!

[Miow]

I like the kukri radII(high crit ranger for blinding) pairs nicely with the Epic midnight greetings for assassinating(at lev 20) and you can use rapiers for other stuff such as boss beaters if you like.