Is Shadow Fade worth it?

[Sebastrd]

I ran across this build (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=260560&highlight=hammerin) and thought it looked interesting, so I'm running one for my fighter life.

The one limiting factor I've found so far is Action Points. There just aren't enough to go around for everything this guy wants to do. Between Kensai, extra dragonmark use, healing amp, and Ninja Spy, I can't possibly fit it all in.

I'm spending a feat and 9 AP to get Ninja Spy, 5 AP of which are completely wasted. Dodge, Improved Jump and Tumble, plus a useless ability will get me +2 to sneaky skills and 1 min of a stacking 25% miss chance.

So my question stands: Is Shadow Fade worth it?

[Therigar]

Yes. Shadow Fade is worth having.

The build, OTOH, might not be.

[Mastikator]

Shadow fade is amazing, but don't build an entire character around it.
If you're going for fighter life then 3 levels of monk (for fists of light) is better IMO, for the self-healing.

[Roland_D'Arabel]

Yes. Shadow Fade is worth having.

The build, OTOH, might not be.

This.

There are a lot of ninja spy builds out there. Try searching for "The Emerald" or "Monk the Metaru 2.0". Both are excellent templates to model your build after.

Dodge is actually more useful than you think. If you are taking fighter levels you will have lots of feats to spare and could go dodge (3% dodge bonus)- mobility (2% dodge bonus) - spring attack (2% dodge bonus). These bonuses stack making it very easy to max out your dodge bonus.

[Sebastrd]

The build, OTOH, might not be.

Lol, fair enough. I couldn't figure out what to play, I don't have artificer (yet) for a Juggernaut build, and this looked interesting, so I went with it. Other than farming up some tokens for a TR, I don't plan to play it for very long.

[Sebastrd]

There are a lot of ninja spy builds out there. Try searching for "The Emerald" or "Monk the Metaru 2.0". Both are excellent templates to model your build after.

The problem with both of those is that they're monk builds. I'd prefer not to repeat lives until I have completionist.

[Sonos]

Looking at your signature I see you've committed to it so I won't comment on the build. It will work for you to get to 20, not many builds can't. Since you are halfling, healing options aren't as abundant as with a half elf so in this build, it may be better to go light for the healing options.

If you happen to collect a bunch of monk gear and want to deep splash monk in future completionist bound builds, see if you can get a hold of half elf and then shadow fade makes even more sense. Shadow fade is teh awesome, great SA and dmg mitigation.

I have 2 lives left before I can take the winner winner chicken dinner feat but on most all melee I did deep monk splashes on a helf with cleric dillie(95% heal scrolls at 15), ninja spy and enjoyed it very very much.

Good luck with the build and let us know how it goes.

[Sebastrd]

Thanks. So far it does feel a little weak, but I think it'll see a huge bump once I start unlocking more enhancements like Kensai. I do have to say that I'm loving the wizard level. Having Shield and E-Retreat early in the game is awesome. So many casters become trivial threats once you shut off MM.

[thouston]

The build, OTOH, might not be.

im trying to get a fighter life on my monk, i stumbeled onto this build as well.
i have him up to level 9 and have enjoyed it so far.
i just plan on getting to 20 then TR, is this build still viable?

[Inferno346]

im trying to get a fighter life on my monk, i stumbeled onto this build as well.
i have him up to level 9 and have enjoyed it so far.
i just plan on getting to 20 then TR, is this build still viable?

Of course it's viable for getting up to 20. You really don't need much of a build to do that, especially if you have some twink gear/quest knowledge.

Is it the fastest way to get there on a fighter template? No, some LR tricks with sorc or artificer builds will get you there faster; whether you do a traditional melee or a caster, though, a ranger level for the sprint boost is useful.

[Sebastrd]

Good luck with the build and let us know how it goes.

So far, I've been pleasantly surprised. Not only is the wizard level convenient, but I think it actually strengthens the build. The dragonmarks, on the other hand, seem to be merely a convenience. They're nice for getting out of a tight spot, but soloing elites still requires a healbot much of the time. When I hit 20 I assume I'll use one of my LRs to redo feats and dump the entire line for something else. No idea what yet, but I don't think they'll be useful when I start grinding epics for my next TR.

[jillora]

Im running a build right now that's similar. i may have based it on that ne. I have druid instead of wizard for rams might and empower healing. Its level 18now and its taken awhile to get there since i have all 10 char slots full. The mtarks are a convenience, but they can save yourself and other chars in a pinch. My dps could be better but its good enough and that char rarely dies.