What feat to drop for chestblessing?

[Bart_D]

I'd like to take the Dragonmarks of Finding for my human 16bard/2rogue/2fighter spellsinger (used to be warchanter, I think I like spellsinger better). Ideally, I think she should have these feats:

Toughness
Power Attack
EWP: Khopesh
ImpCrit: Slashing
TWF
ITWF
GTWF
Extend
Maximize
Inspire Excellence
Least Dragonmark of Finding
Lesser Dragonmark of Finding
Greater Dragonmark of Finding
(and I guess Quicken and Emp Heal, but no room for those)

That's 13 feats which is one more than the 12 she can have (7 heroic + 1 human + 2 fighter + 2 epic).
Which do you think I should go without?

[buddabopp]

it would seem like you have 3 options drop khop proficiency and use a wep bards are proficient with naturally (masters touch + scimis work nicely) drop extend and shorten your already short buffs or drop maximize

[Kmnh]

Drop inspire excellence. Of all your feats that's the smallest bonus.

The +4 stat version was cool, this new one is horrible.

[Dandonk]

Drop inspire excellence. Of all your feats that's the smallest bonus.

The +4 stat version was cool, this new one is horrible.

I second this. Especially as the OP is melee, the bonus for that is next to nothing.

[Tuney]

Well befor he even takes all 3 feats... I want to know what his CHA is. If his cha is under 26 , he shouldn't even bother taking the feats. Between 26-32 , probably still isn't a mostly sure thing.

[Bart_D]

I have actually already taken the feats but now getting second thoughts about what feat to go without. I dont remember the charisma right now, but after having tested on some easily accessible chests, it seems to work "most of the time but far from always", maybe 75%. Does anyone know how the success chance is determined?

Maximize is the feat I use to qualify for spellsinger which i have come to like quite a bit.

To me, Inspire Excellence seems like an awesome feat: +25 hp, +1 hit/damage, +1 all skills, +1 spell DCs, +1 all saves. It's like giving everyone the completionist feat.

So to me, Extend/Khopesh/ImpCrit seem like the most appealing options. Actually... I'm using lots of scimitars already and few khopeshes (really only eChaosblade and some crafted ones) so that should probably go. But EWP:Khopesh is taken with a fighter feat so will have to shuffle :(

[Wipey]

It's a tough one :-) I don't like the whole idea but If I had to pick one, I would drop extend.
Anything else, you lose power, with extend, just some convenience.
I would drop khop if displace wasn't changed, 2.5 mins on hjaste is not that bad.

[unbongwah]

it would seem like you have 3 options drop khop proficiency and use a wep bards are proficient with naturally (masters touch + scimis work nicely) drop extend and shorten your already short buffs
This would be my advice.

Drop inspire excellence. Of all your feats that's the smallest bonus.
Are you kidding? +2 to all stats for the entire party for a single song is awesome! That's +1 to all DCs, at least +1 to all ranged & melee dmg, +25 HPs @ lvl 25, +1 to all saves, etc. If anything, Excellence is the best thing about being a pure or mostly pure bard these days (IMHO).

[jakeelala]

dont drop excellence

[voodoogroves]

With the fighter dip, khopesh is gravy - not essential - do you have loads of Khopeshes laying around?

[unbongwah]

Missed that you were a Spellsinger; for some reason I thought this was a Virt. Assuming this is a heal-specced melee SS, I'd go with: Toughness, TWF x3, Power Atk (or Precision), IC:Slash (or Pierce), Quik+Max (essential combo for the front-line bard healer IMHO), Finding DM x3, Excellence - switch to scimitars or rapiers depending on which IC you took. [Rapiers would go well w/epic Elyd Edge + eRapier of Air.]

[Nahual]

Drop Khopesh proficiency and use masters touch.

[Wizzly_Bear]

Drop Khopesh proficiency and use masters touch.

2 fighter = no need for MT

Since you're already using scimitars mostly anyway, drop khopesh

[Bolo_Grubb]

Drop Khopesh proficiency and use masters touch.

Master's touch does not work on exotic weapons like Khopesh. Only the feat gives you proficiency with exotic weapons. 2 levels of fighter means no need for Master's Touch at all for any martial and simple weapons.

[bartosy]

extend a bard can live fine without extend sure its handy but you can do fine with 2 minutes haste and 3 minutes rage

[Jaid314]

you could always just use khopeshes without the proficiency. -4 to hit isn't nearly as nasty as it once was.

[Hobgoblin]

you could always just use khopeshes without the proficiency. -4 to hit isn't nearly as nasty as it once was.

i may be wrong about this - but i thought the glancing blows on a 2 or more was only if you were profiecent in the weapon.

hob

[voodoogroves]

you could always just use khopeshes without the proficiency. -4 to hit isn't nearly as nasty as it once was.

Is it -4 or is it -25%?

[Jaid314]

Is it -4 or is it -25%?

hmmm... that might be true. think my brain got halfway stuck between new mode and old mode... i believe 25% is the proficiency bonus.

i'd still say probably ditch the khopeshes and use scimitars then.

[Faent]

You could drop IC: Slashing and stick with Mineral II Khopeshes. Or ditch Power Attack. I wouldn't ditch anything else. You will miss not having Quicken. I'd probably drop both of those and pick up Quicken.

Alernatively, you don't have to rely on a Khopesh. Then you could ditch Khopesh Proficiency. Dual-wielding Epic Elyd Edges should put out "good enough" damage with the TWF chain. So should using other weapons. Why so desperate to max DPS on a chest-blesser build? Just give up the ridiculously miniscule benefit of using a Khopesh and call it a day. It's not like you're real DPS anyway.

[unbongwah]

One nice thing about epic Elyd Edge & Rapier of Air on a bard is the sonic dmg mixes well w/Fatesinger's Harmonic Resonance.

[Bart_D]

Slight necro, just want to thank for replies.

I'm in the process of getting rid of EWP:Khopesh, but having taken it with the 2nd fighter feat at level 7, i have to shuffle a few feats around (7 swaps total) to get TWF into the slot. Along the way, i'll be warchanter most of the time and also get to play with Quicken Spell... just hoping I don't get too attached to it :)

Regarding fighting without proficiency... AFAIK, the chance to hit is something like:

"function of ATT and AC" + "25% if proficient" (or 20% cant remember)

and with the "new" non-linear attack function, those +25% are much more significant than the -4 penalty was before. At least that's my experience from using a greataxe without proficiency on my (non-melee) favored soul when the attack resolution was changed.

[Inouk]

Okay, nobody else has said it so.....


Or you could not gimp your toon by wasting 3 feats for a minor boost in trash loot.

Now, someone can chime in and explain if the 3 feats are worth it with the new content because the high level random loot-gen equipment is that good.

[unbongwah]

Now, someone can chime in and explain if the 3 feats are worth it with the new content because the high level random loot-gen equipment is that good.
The recent interest in chest-blessers is not about better random loot / vendor trash; I think it's because +5 upgrade tomes are supposed to drop in lvl 27+ chests (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?&postid=4758007). And you know how we DDOers are nuts about getting the bestest tomes! :D

[voodoogroves]

The recent interest in chest-blessers is not about better random loot / vendor trash; I think it's because +5 upgrade tomes are supposed to drop in lvl 27+ chests (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?&postid=4758007). And you know how we DDOers are nuts about getting the bestest tomes! :D

I like mine ...