The Deathless Tank

[jsm123]

I introduce to you the Deathless Tank. A tank built to never (relatively speaking) die. Complete with a nice amount of PRR, MRR, HP's, AC, healing, and more. The idea is to have a lot of healing amp and a lot of persistent healing. While the devs are holding the build back a bit by keeping convalescents out of the random loot system, the build still gets a very decent amount of healing amp. Let me know what you think.

human (36pt)
15clr/5pal

//---STARTING ABILITY---//

str 14
dex 14
con 15
int 12 (need at least +1 tome for combat expertise)
wis 14
cha 14

//---SKILLS---// (by priority)

intimidate
heal
concentration
*dump into either jump or balance

//---ABILITY ADVANCEMENT---//

strength 1
constitution 2
charisma 1
wisdom 1

//---LEVEL PROGRESSION---//

pal 1 shield mastery, improved shield bash (human)
clr 2
clr 3 empower healing
clr 4
clr 5
clr 6 combat expertise
clr 7
clr 8
clr 9 improved trip
clr 10
clr 11
clr 12 improved shield mastery
clr 13
clr 14
clr 15 improved critical: slashing
clr 16
pal 17
pal 18 shield deflection
pal 19
pal 20

*after lvl 9 feats can be rearranged to suite progression

epc 21 overwhelming critical
epc 22
epc 23
epc 24 bulwark of defense
epc 25
epc 26 guardian angel
epc 27 intensify spell
epc 28 elusive target
epc 29 fount of life
epc 30 epic damage reduction, scion of limbo (legend)



//---ENHANCEMENTS---// (80)

/--Human--/ (21)

--human versatility: damage boost (1)
action surge: strength (3)
improved recovery (2)
--human adaptability: constitution (2)
action surge: constitution (3)
--human versatility: defense boost (1)
improved recovery (2)
heroism (2)
--
improved recovery (3)
greater heroism (2)

/--Radiant Servant--/ (33)

--healing domain (1)
extra turning (3)
altuism (3)
--pacifism (1)
improved turning (3)
divine healing (6)
--positive energy burst (1)
intense healing (6)
--improved empower healing (1)
endless turning (6)
--
positive energy aura (2)

/--Sacred Defender--/ (26)

--holy bastion (1)
inciting defense (3)
sacred armor mastery (3)
--sacred defence (1)
bulwark aura (3)
durable defense (3)
--
resistance aura (3)
tenacious defense (3)
--
reinforced armor (3)
hardy defense (3)



//---EPIC DESTINY---//

/--Exalted Angel--/ (24)

--celestial destiny (0)
endless faith (3)
healing power (3)
wisdom (2)
--mass cure moderate wounds (0)
embrace the light (1)
wisdom (2)
--angelic presence (0)
shadows upon you icon (2)
purity of essence (3)
--astral vibrance (0)
blood and radiance (3)
--transcendental magic (0)
leap of faith (1)
--ascendance (0)
divine wrath (2)
reborn in light (2)



//---TWISTS---//

fast healing (1)
rejuvenation cocoon (1)
healing spring (1)

[jsm123]

Someone please tell me there is something wrong with this build. Surely I am missing something. I have never played a divine caster class and I know they have changed quite dramatically since the last time I've looked at them. Maybe positive energy aura doesnt heal the caster? If my assumptions are correct about how these abilities work, then the build should be good.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Someone please tell me there is something wrong with this build. Surely I am missing something. I have never played a divine caster class and I know they have changed quite dramatically since the last time I've looked at them. Maybe positive energy aura doesnt heal the caster? If my assumptions are correct about how these abilities work, then the build should be good.

It does heal the caster.

But how do you plan on killing stuff?

[unbongwah]

I guess I'm not sure what niche you expect to fill with this build:

Your melee DPS and your healing will be worse than Axel's build (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/454776-Axel-s-THF-Melee-Cleric-Build). Your DPS suffers because you go S&B with zero investment into Vanguard or KotC; you don't even have Div Might unless I missed it. While your healing suffers due to no Radiant Aura and no lvl 8 spells.
In exchange, you gain a lot of PRR/MRR from Shield Mastery + T5 SD (...I think, it's a little hard to read Enhancements like that), as well as other survivability bonuses. Except you went EA instead of US, LD, or DC, which are the usual "tank-y" EDs. There are some nice perks in EA, like Reborn in Light and MCMW SLA, but overall it's a bad fit for a tank, IMO.

[Krelar]

While the devs are holding the build back a bit by keeping convalescents out of the random loot system, the build still gets a very decent amount of healing amp.


They're in the random loot table on armor and gloves, it's just not called convalescent anymore. (And I think they're all the same type now but I'm, not sure which type that is.)

[Dragnipurake]

I guess I'm not sure what niche you expect to fill with this build:

Your melee DPS and your healing will be worse than Axel's build (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/454776-Axel-s-THF-Melee-Cleric-Build). Your DPS suffers because you go S&B with zero investment into Vanguard or KotC; you don't even have Div Might unless I missed it. While your healing suffers due to no Radiant Aura and no lvl 8 spells.
In exchange, you gain a lot of PRR/MRR from Shield Mastery + T5 SD (...I think, it's a little hard to read Enhancements like that), as well as other survivability bonuses. Except you went EA instead of US, LD, or DC, which are the usual "tank-y" EDs. There are some nice perks in EA, like Reborn in Light and MCMW SLA, but overall it's a bad fit for a tank, IMO.


Basically, what he said.

I would go Cleric/Paladin 15/5 or 14/6, 14 points into SD for extra MRR/PRR and health, RS up until Endless Turning and all the rest into vanguard.

[axel15810]

I see what you're going for here but the DPS is going to be so bad it may not be fun to play, depending on your preference as a player. If you really want to tank, I'd recommend going mostly pally/fighter and looking into pally/fighter trees. You can have a good tank with great survivability that also has good DPS. No need to invest so much into survivability than your DPS is this low.

And as others have quoted above you can look into my build as well. Jumping into sentinel and swapping some gear can turn it into a serviceable tank when needed.

But in any case S&B is not a good fit for a melee cleric type in DDO. You need to invest in the non-cleric S&B trees to make that fighting style effective, unlike the other 3 styles that can be improved massively through feats.

[Stormraiser]

Warlock or Warlock/paladin will be a much better tank

[Jetrule]

After the fighter pass a 14 6 cleric fighter would be pretty effective. A couple of lives ago I made my main a warlock 6 fighter 14 with shining through and aura temp hp. He was designed to be a tree cleave build but the tree lag bothered me so much that i ended up switching over to L.D. and etr/tr.ing at cap. He was a much more effective killer as a tree. But as a L.d. fighter with lots of cleaves he was pretty much unkillable. He regularly tanked Legendary sorjec on hard and once on elite for example. and never got one shotted. The combination of con based fighter and warlock made for obcene hitpoints and mitigation. In L.D. He could kill a little bit. would be better after kensai pass I assume.

For a better unkillable tank that can also dish it out. Look into pure warlock. https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/463680-Gingerspyce-s-Week-in-Videos-Gingerlocks-life-1-u27-Trial-and-Defiler-Day-1

If you want the build to be more enjoyable as is in tough content I would suggest being a dwarf and investing those human points in dwarf up to throw your weight around. Also invest in the power attack and cleave lines. Big packs of monsters will overcome your passive healing if you cant wear them down. trade out expertise and trip. and improved shield blocking probably.

[ValariusK]

Here's a build I've found is extremely survivable and exports a lot of its survival ability onto the rest of the party.
Cleric-20
Build for TWF. 41 in radiant, about 25 in warpriest, rest to taste. You can go 31 warpriest if you really like having haste as a castable.
Sources of healing---very strong healing aura, also Ameliorating strike and positive energy bursts. Spec for Divine crusader and drop consecration all the time. Anyone who dies in your party with this build had it coming.

[jsm123]

Thanks for all the incite, guys. I like a lot of your suggestions. I can see how the 14clr/6ftr may be better in some aspects but paladins get better ac and way better saves. Also, I'm going to try building a 20clr on paper to compare the benefits.

My initial thought on why s&b and not twf or thf was for the extra ac. Hmmm. I really like multi-classing builds because of the uniqueness, but the capstones are so nice now a day it almost doesn't seem worth it. Also, I was thinking of two manning situations with my brother who will be doing all the dps but be a bit squishy since he is a dex based gnome 18rgr/1mnk/1rog build, not really much soloing.

I'm actually doing a 20pal dwarf atm and plan on getting throw your weight around, but the ap cost is really high just to have constitution as the damage mod. I think human would be a much better choice imo.

Thanks again all.