Build help with newbie friendly duo. Arcane+Traps+CC+Dps

[Zoblefu]

Thanks for reading. My friend and I are going to start new level 1s tonight, and we're trying to figure out the best duo for doing so.

I have previously played up to level 14, but that was a year or two ago. I am familiar with many lower level quests but thats about it.

My friend wants to play a warforged wizard who specializes in CC type spells. He is willing to take an early level of rogue (and likely a 2nd later?) if we need him to for traps as well.

I have no idea what to play alongside it. I want it to be warforged as well, so he can heal both of us. My current thought is to try the Tukaw build I saw here (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=181901)so I can handle traps and he can just go straight wizard. Do you think that would make a good duo?

If not... any other thoughts? From what I've read, good melee dps seems to simply be proficiency in a 2h weapon, high strength, and as many melee feats as you can fit in (power attack, 2HF, Cleave, ITHF, etc)...

I've also thought about pure WF BBN (although this seems a little boring), Paladin/Rogue or pure paladin (a little less boring), one of the Juggernaut builds (artificer/monk/paladin I think it was), and... well, several more.

Note that we will not have very good gear (getting it as we go), we are on the first run through many of the quests, and my friend really wants to be "CC + Healer" type as that is the playstyle he most enjoys. I am willing to do just about anything, but I find classes with spells to be more interesting.

Also, I have 32 pt unlocked and he does not.

Thanks!

[Firepants]

Thanks for reading. My friend and I are going to start new level 1s tonight, and we're trying to figure out the best duo for doing so.

I have previously played up to level 14, but that was a year or two ago. I am familiar with many lower level quests but thats about it.

My friend wants to play a warforged wizard who specializes in CC type spells. He is willing to take an early level of rogue (and likely a 2nd later?) if we need him to for traps as well.

I have no idea what to play alongside it. I want it to be warforged as well, so he can heal both of us. My current thought is to try the Tukaw build I saw here (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=181901)so I can handle traps and he can just go straight wizard. Do you think that would make a good duo?

If not... any other thoughts? From what I've read, good melee dps seems to simply be proficiency in a 2h weapon, high strength, and as many melee feats as you can fit in (power attack, 2HF, Cleave, ITHF, etc)...

I've also thought about pure WF BBN (although this seems a little boring), Paladin/Rogue or pure paladin (a little less boring), one of the Juggernaut builds (artificer/monk/paladin I think it was), and... well, several more.

Note that we will not have very good gear (getting it as we go), we are on the first run through many of the quests, and my friend really wants to be "CC + Healer" type as that is the playstyle he most enjoys. I am willing to do just about anything, but I find classes with spells to be more interesting.

Also, I have 32 pt unlocked and he does not.

Thanks!
Try a traditional 2 Rogue/18 Wiz WF combined with a WF Juggernaut Artificer build (A16/P2/M2). Both will be very self sufficient and also able to assist one another, both will have good ranged and the Jugg has powerful THF and great saves.

Warforged Juggernaut: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=404822, use the Paladin version.

Warforged Wizard: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=333059 looks like a solid base to build from, I would drop STR and bump DEX a touch but your mileage may vary. Lots of people may suggest going Pale Master for the Wizard but I think it's a cheap mechanic that should have never been introduced to this game, so take that however you want. A pure WF Wizard (Archmage) is also an option seeing as your Jugg would have trapping. That would allow for a better CC experience on heroic leveling but a 1st lifer isn't getting any epic elites done as a Warforged CC caster. Two levels of rogue would give him trap skills and evasion, which is great padding for someone learning the game.

[Zoblefu]

I was just looking at that juggernaut build. Won't the artificer take care of the traps, so the wizard could go wiz 20? Or is the wiz/rogue better than just wizard at doing CC type things?

I was about to go try to do the juggernaut in a builder, since there isn't one that I found in that thread. What's a good start with a 32 pt buy? 16/14/16/14/6/10?

[Firepants]

I was just looking at that juggernaut build. Won't the artificer take care of the traps, so the wizard could go wiz 20? Or is the wiz/rogue better than just wizard at doing CC type things?

I was about to go try to do the juggernaut in a builder, since there isn't one that I found in that thread. What's a good start with a 32 pt buy? 16/14/16/14/6/10?
Assume you're only going to get a +2 DEX tome by 19 because you are guaranteed to get that, so with that in mind, I'd try to stick with unbongwah's stat spread but tweak the STR down to compensate for lack of 34pt and DEX up just 1 point to ensure that you meet the manyshot req.

Yer friend will like the Rogue splash as it'll add a bunch more survivability to the build, plus if it's just you two, you'll be able to split up and nobody gets stuck on a trap.

Try 16/15/18/8/6/10 for starting stat spread. On 32 pt that should work on a Jugg. Yer not gonna be uber anytime soon but you'll be solid, self healing, and versatile.

[Zoblefu]

Won't 8 int mean I can't even cast the artificer spells?

Also, his guide says to take power attack, then cleave... and to take artificer, then monk... but monk can't select cleave as bonus feat?

[Firepants]

Won't 8 int mean I can't even cast the artificer spells?

There's gear for that.


Also, his guide says to take power attack, then cleave... and to take artificer, then monk... but monk can't select cleave as bonus feat?
Model it after unbongwah's build (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=4855204&postcount=34) more or less, dig a bit more into the thread for any adjustments he may have made as well as other advice, just remember yer going Paladin and not Ranger.

[Enoach]

What you lose on a 18/2 splash is Spell Penetration and spell slots and ability to access the Capstone (Arguably one of the better ones as it is +2 Int and basically Metamagic spell point savings)

What your friend will gain however is evasion (this is dependent on how good his reflex save will be) and potentially full UMD access (may not be as useful for WF but there are some clerical buffs that are nice to have even if scrolled) and access to trapping skills of his own.

So again you are only going to lose 1 DC if you don't have access to the Capstone and 2 Spell Penetration due to the two levels of Rogue.

In a Duo team, you not only want to be able to complement each other, but it is important to be able to stay alive in hairy conditions.

[boredman]

The juggernaut requires gear and stat investment, not very newbi friendly, if you dont have gear you are better with a pure Wf Artificer max int, con and dex heavy repeater and rune arm user (or 2lvls of monk /rogue for evasion), especially for low-mid levels, and at higher levels you can be more like a kite tank/dps with blade barrier while your friend instakill everything.

You also can do a Wf Sorcerer 18/paladin 2, powerful at high levels with aoe dps spells, and for low levels can do some meele with a thf weapon to save some sp.

Or can do a lvl 20 Battle Fvs tank with good str, con and some wis/cha, THf weapon, good at low levels but need some gear at higher levels for dps and party heals.

[voodoogroves]

It's handy to have a raise. Also, there's no reason for either one of you to "have" to heal the other. I'd personally pair the following:

- WF 18 FVS / 2 fighter or monk - melee, light spells, cleaver ... not much CC except for the killing ... but comes with handy divine buffs like Freedom of Movement and Death Ward. Feats would be (not in this order) - Toughness, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell, Empower Healing, Improved Crit + one of your choice. STR build (32 point build I'd go STR 16, CON 18, CHA 12, INT 14 probably ... with all levels into STR). My preference would be Monk unless you wanted a body feat for some reason - this lets you fight with staves if you want to be centered (say you want a save bonus) or greatswords (which you should do 95% of the time)

- WF 18 wizard / 2 rogue - traps, UMD, evasion, CC plus the arcane buffs ... I'd go evocation so feats would be Toughness, Mental Toughness, Insightful Reflexes, SF Evocation, GSF Evocation, Quicken, Maximize, Empower, Heighten ... two more of your choice ... attributes I'd go with INT 18 + all levels, CON 16, STR 14 ... if he does a greater reincarnate later or gets 32 point builds first, I'd probably put those points into CON. Early STR + the spell Master's Touch means he can swing a greataxe early while you romp through the harbor, and has enough STR to not get weakened to uselessness or encumbered too easily.

[Zoblefu]

Thanks. I'm doing a Juggernaut build and he's doing a pure WF wizard I believe. It's his first character and he really didn't want to do the rogue things, and at this point its more important that he enjoy the game than be optimal at 20 :)