Gnarkh
02-26-2014, 06:42 AM
Thread obsolete due to heavily changed build, please delete and find the new build here:
http://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/437204-The-Stonehenge-(efficient-dragonmarked-caster)
My starting point for this build was originally a bow using, spell point efficient caster druid.
After some discussion in this thread I changed the build considerably. It's now focused on casting, hard defense and spell point efficiency.
May I present the all new...
Stonehenge
Elven Druid 17, Favored Soul 2, Wizard 1
True Neutral
Playstyle: Spell point efficient druid caster with excellent healing and support DPS capabilities. Features PRR, a decent spell point pool and displacement while preserving most of the druid CC and debuff rich offensive arsenal. Fun zerger as well in winter wolf form for the extra run speed.
Strengths: Displacement, huge SP pool, temp SP with Just Rewards, adequate CC and self sufficiency.
Weaknesses: weak saves, no evasion, loses some DCs and caster levels for the splash, little dodge, no evasion.
The build should be quite newbie and first live friendly. With unlocked Favored Soul and Druid as prerequisites. The longest part of the heroic levels you can stay pure druid, until you specialize for more spell points, defense and spell efficiency.
Past lives, especially to push Evocation DC and tomes will make the build more powerful, it should however be fun to play without.
The level split sacrifices some sheer casting power (for most spells 2 max. levels) and spell DCs (-1 for evocation, -3 for conjuration and transmutation) for more defenses, an extra feat, a higher spell point pool and temp SP gained by spell criticals from fire and light spells. If anyone wants to math it, go ahead, I believe the potential DPS to be slightly lower than a pure build, but close enough to make splashing a valuable trade off.
By choosing elven the build aims at newer characters, that haven't made displacement clickies yet. It helps better geared characters as well, with a higher spell point pool and temp SP with Feytap. Also, elves look sexy in dragon scale armor. :)
I believe the build to be quite viable in EE in a group setting for its versatility, CC, debuffs and healing capabilities. It's not a great solo toon on harder difficulties due to the weak saves. (remains to be seen, I'm at the moment leveling the toon and will make changes to the build accordingly.)
Recommended Starting Stats:
28 pts.
32 pts.
34 pts.
Strength
8
8
8
Dexterity
8
8
8
Constituition
14
16
16
Intelligence
10
8
10
Wisdom (levels here)
18
18
18
Charisma
8
8
8
Self explanatory. Wisdom for DCs and will save. Constitution as high as you can. Spare Points in Intelligence for extra skill points.
Feats
1st Wizard
Heighten Spell
1st
Maximize
3rd
Mental Toughness (or Arcane Initiate)
6th
Empower
9th
Empower Heal
12th
Lesser Dragonmark of Shadow (feat of choice, with lotsa greensteel clickies
15th
Quicken Spell
18th
Spell Focus Evocation
21st
Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
24th
Epic Spell Focus: Evocation
26th
Guardian Angel
27th
Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflex or Epic Wisdom
28th
Mass Frog
If you feel you don't need as much metamagics, these can be replaced with more feats from the Mental Toughness line and/or Toughness (even Epic Toughness if you happen to find a spare +5 CON tome in the TR bank or DDO store).
The order of leveling has little consequences to the build, I'd recommend 15xDruid, then Wiz, then 2 FvS and take the last 2 druid levels at heroic cap.
Level Split
For 17 levels druid you get:
All SLAs except Storm Of Vengeance, all the good stuff from druid casting up to level 9 spells
For 2 levels FvS you get:
More spell points and spell power for fire/light, Just Rewards (temp SP), 10 PRR, HP, 4% Spell Crit Fire/Light
For 1 level wiz Wiz you get:
More spell points, an extra feat, 1% spell crit
By the splash you lose:
-5 caster levels, -2 caster max levels, -2 WIS, -2 DC each for Conjuration and Transmutation. The max levels will be missed, the sheer caster levels won't, for many spells will cap at 28 anyways.
For 20 levels Elven you get:
Feytap (temp SP each shrine), Displacement, more SP
Skills
Concentration, Heal, Spellcraft, UMD, spare points in Balance and Diplo (aim for 40 for Shiradi). 1 point in tumble.
Defenses (selfbuffed)
- about 20-25% physical damage reduction from PRR
- 50% avoidance from displacement
- 10% avoidance from incorporeality (by gear or fey tap)
- Empowered Heal and Regenerate
- Dodge by gear capped by the Dex bonus of your (medium, non metal) armor
- free Invisibility and Shadow Walk
- 10 DR/Adamantite from Stoneskin
- vast CC and debuffing arsenal, which should perform excellent up to EH and perform some at EE
- Freedom Of Movement, Death Ward, Fire Shield
- Elemental form: +10 saving throw against, magical poisons, immunity to natural poisons, sleep, paralysis and stun, 100% bonus to fortification
- a decent AC, which is a factor while leveling and in EH.
Enhancements
Elf Racials: 15 AP Total
1 AP - Core 1x
3 AP - Phiarlan Dragonmark Focus 3x
2 AP - Lesser Dragonmark Of Shadow
2 AP - Greater Dragonmark Of Shadow
6 AP - Arcanum 3x (SP)
1 AP - Feywild Tap (free temp SP)
Druid - Seasoned Herald: 39 AP total
4 AP - Core 4x (Spellpower and SLAs)
3 AP - Beguile 3x (debuff)
8 AP - Wax and Wane 4x (more spell crit)
4 AP - Wisdom 2x
3 AP - Autumnal Susurrus 3x (acid negative and lightning spells have 40% to cause shaken)
3 AP - SLA: Produce Flame 3x
3 AP - SLA: Creeping Cold 3x
3 AP - SLA: Call Lightning 3x
3 AP - SLA: Word Of Balance 3x
2 AP - Time and Tide (+1 caster level and max caster level for season spells)
2 AP - Strength of the Solstice (more DC)
1 AP - Spring Resurgence 1x (buff ally to AoE heal at 50%)
Favored Soul - Warpriest: 8 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x
3 AP - Toughness 3x (more HP)
1 AP - Awareness 1x (1 spot wohoo!)
3 AP - Wall Of Steel (10 PRR)
Favored Soul - Angel of Vengeance: 12 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x
4 AP - Smiting 2x (4% spell crit, fire force, light and physical)
1 AP - Just Reward (10 temp SP on crit with fire force or light spells)
6 AP - Efficient Metamagic: Quicken (uses 4 less spell points)
Wizard - Archmage: 6 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x (free Grease clicky wohoo!)
3 AP - Energy of the Scholar (90 SP)
2 AP - Spell Critical (1% spell crit)
Some action point options:
- add wand&scroll mastery from Seasoned Herald for 6 AP
- add more metamagic efficiency enhancements in Seasoned Herald for 2-12 AP.
Epic Destiny
Undecided, probably Shiradi. Or primal, when I really want evasion.
Gear
The build isn't leveled yet, feel free to suggest a good layout for endgame.
As to leveling the heroic: house cannith gear, like a frozen robe, cloak of flame or windswept bracers are a very nice addition for the ideal caster stats on your favorite elements. I'll personally also use a white Draconscale Armor from level 14 on. You could also use crafted armors with invulnerability and later on life shield.
During leveling you might want to find a nice caster weapon (or craft one) and use a shield on top for more AC and PRR. There are very nice healer shields during level up, for instance Dalorent's Seal (http://ddowiki.com/page/Dalorent%27s_Seal) or the Wall of Wood (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Wall_of_Wood).
Recommended Spells
Level 1
Faerie Fire
Entangle
Jump
Pass Without Trace
Merfolks Blessing
Level 2
Resist Energy
Creeping Cold
Gust Of Wind
Barkskin
Flameblade or Flaming Sphere
Level 3
Protection from Energy
Call Lightning
Salt Ray
Quench
Spike Growth
Level 4
Cure Serious Wound
Freedom Of Movement
Ice Storm
Dispel Magic
Enveloping Pack
Level 5
Stoneskin
Call Lightning Storm
Wall Of Fire
Death Ward
Reincarnate
Level 6
Vigor, Mass
Fire Seeds
Fire Shield
Greater Creeping Cold
Word Of Balance
Level 7
Regenerate
True Seeing
Body of the Sun
Freezing Spray
Level 8
Heal
Earthquake
Sunburst
Level 9
Regenerate Mass
Storm Of Vengeance
Please keep the thread focused on the general build idea and the druid class.
Feel free to discuss the pro / contra of going pure versus going multi class, as long as it's a pragmatic, unbiased comparison.
http://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/437204-The-Stonehenge-(efficient-dragonmarked-caster)
My starting point for this build was originally a bow using, spell point efficient caster druid.
After some discussion in this thread I changed the build considerably. It's now focused on casting, hard defense and spell point efficiency.
May I present the all new...
Stonehenge
Elven Druid 17, Favored Soul 2, Wizard 1
True Neutral
Playstyle: Spell point efficient druid caster with excellent healing and support DPS capabilities. Features PRR, a decent spell point pool and displacement while preserving most of the druid CC and debuff rich offensive arsenal. Fun zerger as well in winter wolf form for the extra run speed.
Strengths: Displacement, huge SP pool, temp SP with Just Rewards, adequate CC and self sufficiency.
Weaknesses: weak saves, no evasion, loses some DCs and caster levels for the splash, little dodge, no evasion.
The build should be quite newbie and first live friendly. With unlocked Favored Soul and Druid as prerequisites. The longest part of the heroic levels you can stay pure druid, until you specialize for more spell points, defense and spell efficiency.
Past lives, especially to push Evocation DC and tomes will make the build more powerful, it should however be fun to play without.
The level split sacrifices some sheer casting power (for most spells 2 max. levels) and spell DCs (-1 for evocation, -3 for conjuration and transmutation) for more defenses, an extra feat, a higher spell point pool and temp SP gained by spell criticals from fire and light spells. If anyone wants to math it, go ahead, I believe the potential DPS to be slightly lower than a pure build, but close enough to make splashing a valuable trade off.
By choosing elven the build aims at newer characters, that haven't made displacement clickies yet. It helps better geared characters as well, with a higher spell point pool and temp SP with Feytap. Also, elves look sexy in dragon scale armor. :)
I believe the build to be quite viable in EE in a group setting for its versatility, CC, debuffs and healing capabilities. It's not a great solo toon on harder difficulties due to the weak saves. (remains to be seen, I'm at the moment leveling the toon and will make changes to the build accordingly.)
Recommended Starting Stats:
28 pts.
32 pts.
34 pts.
Strength
8
8
8
Dexterity
8
8
8
Constituition
14
16
16
Intelligence
10
8
10
Wisdom (levels here)
18
18
18
Charisma
8
8
8
Self explanatory. Wisdom for DCs and will save. Constitution as high as you can. Spare Points in Intelligence for extra skill points.
Feats
1st Wizard
Heighten Spell
1st
Maximize
3rd
Mental Toughness (or Arcane Initiate)
6th
Empower
9th
Empower Heal
12th
Lesser Dragonmark of Shadow (feat of choice, with lotsa greensteel clickies
15th
Quicken Spell
18th
Spell Focus Evocation
21st
Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
24th
Epic Spell Focus: Evocation
26th
Guardian Angel
27th
Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflex or Epic Wisdom
28th
Mass Frog
If you feel you don't need as much metamagics, these can be replaced with more feats from the Mental Toughness line and/or Toughness (even Epic Toughness if you happen to find a spare +5 CON tome in the TR bank or DDO store).
The order of leveling has little consequences to the build, I'd recommend 15xDruid, then Wiz, then 2 FvS and take the last 2 druid levels at heroic cap.
Level Split
For 17 levels druid you get:
All SLAs except Storm Of Vengeance, all the good stuff from druid casting up to level 9 spells
For 2 levels FvS you get:
More spell points and spell power for fire/light, Just Rewards (temp SP), 10 PRR, HP, 4% Spell Crit Fire/Light
For 1 level wiz Wiz you get:
More spell points, an extra feat, 1% spell crit
By the splash you lose:
-5 caster levels, -2 caster max levels, -2 WIS, -2 DC each for Conjuration and Transmutation. The max levels will be missed, the sheer caster levels won't, for many spells will cap at 28 anyways.
For 20 levels Elven you get:
Feytap (temp SP each shrine), Displacement, more SP
Skills
Concentration, Heal, Spellcraft, UMD, spare points in Balance and Diplo (aim for 40 for Shiradi). 1 point in tumble.
Defenses (selfbuffed)
- about 20-25% physical damage reduction from PRR
- 50% avoidance from displacement
- 10% avoidance from incorporeality (by gear or fey tap)
- Empowered Heal and Regenerate
- Dodge by gear capped by the Dex bonus of your (medium, non metal) armor
- free Invisibility and Shadow Walk
- 10 DR/Adamantite from Stoneskin
- vast CC and debuffing arsenal, which should perform excellent up to EH and perform some at EE
- Freedom Of Movement, Death Ward, Fire Shield
- Elemental form: +10 saving throw against, magical poisons, immunity to natural poisons, sleep, paralysis and stun, 100% bonus to fortification
- a decent AC, which is a factor while leveling and in EH.
Enhancements
Elf Racials: 15 AP Total
1 AP - Core 1x
3 AP - Phiarlan Dragonmark Focus 3x
2 AP - Lesser Dragonmark Of Shadow
2 AP - Greater Dragonmark Of Shadow
6 AP - Arcanum 3x (SP)
1 AP - Feywild Tap (free temp SP)
Druid - Seasoned Herald: 39 AP total
4 AP - Core 4x (Spellpower and SLAs)
3 AP - Beguile 3x (debuff)
8 AP - Wax and Wane 4x (more spell crit)
4 AP - Wisdom 2x
3 AP - Autumnal Susurrus 3x (acid negative and lightning spells have 40% to cause shaken)
3 AP - SLA: Produce Flame 3x
3 AP - SLA: Creeping Cold 3x
3 AP - SLA: Call Lightning 3x
3 AP - SLA: Word Of Balance 3x
2 AP - Time and Tide (+1 caster level and max caster level for season spells)
2 AP - Strength of the Solstice (more DC)
1 AP - Spring Resurgence 1x (buff ally to AoE heal at 50%)
Favored Soul - Warpriest: 8 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x
3 AP - Toughness 3x (more HP)
1 AP - Awareness 1x (1 spot wohoo!)
3 AP - Wall Of Steel (10 PRR)
Favored Soul - Angel of Vengeance: 12 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x
4 AP - Smiting 2x (4% spell crit, fire force, light and physical)
1 AP - Just Reward (10 temp SP on crit with fire force or light spells)
6 AP - Efficient Metamagic: Quicken (uses 4 less spell points)
Wizard - Archmage: 6 AP total
1 AP - Core 1x (free Grease clicky wohoo!)
3 AP - Energy of the Scholar (90 SP)
2 AP - Spell Critical (1% spell crit)
Some action point options:
- add wand&scroll mastery from Seasoned Herald for 6 AP
- add more metamagic efficiency enhancements in Seasoned Herald for 2-12 AP.
Epic Destiny
Undecided, probably Shiradi. Or primal, when I really want evasion.
Gear
The build isn't leveled yet, feel free to suggest a good layout for endgame.
As to leveling the heroic: house cannith gear, like a frozen robe, cloak of flame or windswept bracers are a very nice addition for the ideal caster stats on your favorite elements. I'll personally also use a white Draconscale Armor from level 14 on. You could also use crafted armors with invulnerability and later on life shield.
During leveling you might want to find a nice caster weapon (or craft one) and use a shield on top for more AC and PRR. There are very nice healer shields during level up, for instance Dalorent's Seal (http://ddowiki.com/page/Dalorent%27s_Seal) or the Wall of Wood (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Wall_of_Wood).
Recommended Spells
Level 1
Faerie Fire
Entangle
Jump
Pass Without Trace
Merfolks Blessing
Level 2
Resist Energy
Creeping Cold
Gust Of Wind
Barkskin
Flameblade or Flaming Sphere
Level 3
Protection from Energy
Call Lightning
Salt Ray
Quench
Spike Growth
Level 4
Cure Serious Wound
Freedom Of Movement
Ice Storm
Dispel Magic
Enveloping Pack
Level 5
Stoneskin
Call Lightning Storm
Wall Of Fire
Death Ward
Reincarnate
Level 6
Vigor, Mass
Fire Seeds
Fire Shield
Greater Creeping Cold
Word Of Balance
Level 7
Regenerate
True Seeing
Body of the Sun
Freezing Spray
Level 8
Heal
Earthquake
Sunburst
Level 9
Regenerate Mass
Storm Of Vengeance
Please keep the thread focused on the general build idea and the druid class.
Feel free to discuss the pro / contra of going pure versus going multi class, as long as it's a pragmatic, unbiased comparison.