Tactic DC's

[McFlay]

I haven't been playing much lately, but previously had been focusing mainly on heroic content still so I'm a little lacking in a lot of the newer epics at the moment, but I'm at a point now where I'm going to start hitting the epic tr train, but have no clue what I need to get my dcs up to to make them decently viable for most content. Mainly I was thinking about playing a warforged 20 tempest ranger for a while, so I figured I'd be looking at...

+10 base
+17-20 str bonus
+3 wf tactic bonus
+1 fighter past life
+5 exceptional combat mastery(spare hand belt)
+10 stunning/vertigo items
+6 legendary tactics

So roughly 55 dcs unless there is something major I'm missing...maybe a little higher or lower depending on str bonus and if I bang out 2 more fighter past lives, but I'll be running mostly EH for a while so I don't really care if this build isn't optimum, was mainly wondering is this enough to be good in most EH content? What DC range is enough for doing well in most epic hard content, and what would I need for my trip/stun to be viable in EE at some point?

[Thalone]

Admantine Cloak of the Bear (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Adamantine_Cloak_of_the_Bear) from the Eveningstar Challenges gives you a +6 Exceptional bonus if you want to upgrade from your Spare Hand. My melee tactics builds typically craft the Epic Deneith Chain/Epic Bladesmark's Docent for +15 Vertigo. Lootgen weapons now also go above 10; check your friendly neighbourhood auction house.

The Tactics epic feat can be taken as early as level 26 for an additional +2. If you splash FTR2, you can take +3 DCs via the Kensai tree.

Additionally, you can debuff enemies to raise your effective DC. Waves of Exhaustion scrolls are AoE and slow affected mobs, as well as lower both STR and DEX by 6 (+3 effective trip bonus). Shaken (from fear effects) lowers saves by 2, so works for your stuns. If you're a TWF ranger, you can put your Stunning weapon in a weapon group with a Sundering item (not sure these still drop?) for an additional debuff.

DCs around 55 should be good for EH content. Before my tactics fighter got on the TR train, she had a mid-60s Stunning Blow and higher Improved Trip. It wasn't 100% on EE Gianthold stuff, but it worked enough to be noticeable.

[Nayus]

This is in the first page and will likely stay there for a while so....

DO NOT FARM FOR THE BEAR CLOAK
It's a trap!

The farm is terrible to get a ML 24, it's hours and hours running Arena challenges. It will be far easier to get a Spare Hand Belt from Cannith Challenges, it's 1 point lower though but IIRC it had some other properties.

My original intention was farming 3 Bear cloaks, one of each level, but by the time I was halfway through the first I was absolutely sure that I wouldn't ever do that, I only kept going because I had already invested far too many hours in that.

[drnknmnky]

OMG Nayus!! I TOTALLY agree with you. I started doing the same thing and was so sick of the challenges by the time I had my lvl 16 cloak I decided to stop before I didn't want to play the game anymore. I do not have a lot of time to play the game and between getting two Thunder-forged weapons to tier 2 and then starting on the cloak, I decided to change gears. No more grinding for me. I will work with the best play it as it drops equipment. It might mean I am a little less powerful than I could be, but if it preserves my sanity, I will survive. LoL

I worked on my TF weapons to the point that once I finally hit 28 for the first time I had no commendations and then started having to grind for heart seeds.