Advide for TWF/spiked Chain build

[Shepherd-Shuck]

After a long break from DDO, I thought I'd come back and resurrect some old characters--man the game has changed! I just finished an Iconic first life character (SK Ranger 18, Rogue 2) AA build. Lots of fun. Tweaked the Strimtom AA build to use Harper Int as the DPS base...awesome! Should have stayed pure Ranger for capstone though...always another life to try that later.
Looking for some advice for a Dex based TWF build that would maximize the use of AOE spiked chain attacks. I've been scouring DDOwiki looking at the possibility of a multiclass that would compliment the chain, while providing survivability through epic levels.

Spiked chain means that sneak attack is less viable with mobs, ranged builds are so powerful, that SCA becomes an afterthought. Right now I'm thinking about max dodge, evasion, prr; with ability to hold agro while surviving as ranged devastation comes in from other party members. Being able to incapacitate baddies with the chain, while WLK auras stack damage would be ideal. Still, don't want to water build down by doing a three-way split.

I'm sure some of our DDO addicts have some ideas that would help. Looking forward to hearing what's out there.

[mr420247]

Ez answer don't its a bad trap

U probly want scourge aasimar thats probly the new op

or dwarf tywa r10 barb mass pk

[Shepherd-Shuck]

Sad to say, but I think you're right. Shame that this can't be more than just a wasted flavor enhancement. Having the SCA ramp with elemental damage, debuff/cc mobs, or proc dc with modified atk/dam stat (i.e. Harper Int or TYWA) would be great. Otherwise, you're forced to waste points on Dex to make it relevant.

I love builds that make a party work around the strengths of the team. Having a semi-squishy SCA wielding character hold aggro with cc effect would be awesome. You'd have a bunch of paralyzed/tripped/vulnerable mobs; waiting for the rest of the team to wreak havoc.

thx for the response.

[Saekee]

it is an odd attack that does not do significant damage by itself. If you have high melee power & high sneak damage, that could proc AFAIK from the chain, assuming no aggro.

Also note that using the chain does not break stealth. So if you are an assassin with full MtF MP stacks and are swinging the chain—assuming no aggro breaking your stealth etc—it might do ok damage against massed mobs. The tier 4 enhancement gloom stalker has confused everyone in that it refers to melee attacks while sneaking. There are only two that can be done while sneaking that are WAI—assassinate & the chain. Sweeping strikes from TA tree does not break stealth too but it is not WAI.

So in large group settings with massed mobs an assassin in stealth with high MP & no aggro might make it occassionally useful—maybe take sweeping strikes too...perhaps things like Frozen tunic freezing ice might proc too.

But yes, there are much better trees to spend AP & better racials for assassin

[SocratesBastardSon]

The last time I played a chain swinger I was actually pretty happy with it. He used TWF, Khopesh, and Cleaves, so I jumped in and when the chain ran out cleaved and used Shadow Phase to get the h311 out. Then firing off Cannith Boots of Propulsion usually would get me clear of the mob beat down. With all of the new quests relying on masses of mobs, I usually had several opportunities to use it. But I always prepped for a SCA by casting Displacement (GS clicky), Invis., Shadow Walk (50% concealment), Blur (if I didn't already have permablur), Camouflage (+10 stacking Hide), and I had a high dodge. Recall that assassinate and SCA do not break invisibility or Shadow Walk.

I was able to reliably do this until around level 25 or 26 on EE content and some low R1 or 2. After that it stopped working.

Even though the damage on epic wasn't great (don't we all wish we had access to the NPC's SDK chain damage?), what made it worthwhile was the fact that since I was invis, mobs would then go into search mode, which meant the SCA was basically acting as a kind of mass paralysis.

As of the last patch, those days are over. Now mobs no longer search for you, they just run after the next person in the party who has aggro. So they scatter, and the SCA is pointless. Pretty, but pointless. Kind of like a big propeller hat.

Worse, as an assassin you're locked out of mid to higher reaper content. Assassinate (and SCA) just stops working entirely, even if stealth holds, which it doesn't.

[SocratesBastardSon]

Then again, I suppose you could still use it for creating kill pits. But you would need to do it in conjunction with a tank who could hold aggro for you. But this is way too specialized a skill considering the cost, I'm sure everyone would agree. I might consider it if I was in a static group that was used to working together and they weren't interested in high reaper levels. Because, after all, who doesn't love having a propeller hat wearer in a group that they can make fun of? Think of the morale benefits! The laughter, the ready availability of easy put downs! You can't put a price on that.

[Shepherd-Shuck]

This is a bit after the fact...I've just completed my 3rd Iconic PL with Shadar-Kai...none of them have used the SCA. All have been ranger/monkcher builds. I'd still like to see the SCA get some time in epic content, but I don't think that will happen until after completing all the racial past lives. At this rate, that should be sometime before I turn 50 :).
Either way, I'm getting ready to shift from a ranged to melee build now.

Thanks for the comments.

[skorpeon]

This is a bit after the fact...I've just completed my 3rd IconicK PL with Shadar-Kai...none of them have used the SCA. All have been ranger/monkcher builds. I'd still like to see the SCA get some time in epic content, but I don't think that will happen until after completing all the racial past lives. At this rate, that should be sometime before I turn 50 :).
Either way, I'm getting ready to shift from a ranged to melee build now.

Thanks for the comments.

I am about to do a couple of S-K lives, I am just searching though to see what builds to use, I may go pure rogue maybe with arti with x-bows as I have a few.

What do you think worked the best for you?

[Shepherd-Shuck]

Skorpeon,

Like I mentioned before, you can't go wrong with any number of Ranger builds...just depends on what your goal is for the build. You could comfortably, and quickly, knock out all three SK lives with Ranger mods, then hit all of your EPLs with a single build.

I enjoy having 1-2 levels of rogue splashed in for the trapping bonus to xp. This really helps with the grind through lives while making you more versatile in parties heavy with min/max characters. High Wisdom and paralyzing arrows is a must if you want to bring anything to the table in reaper content.

My first SK build was 18/2 (ranger/rogue) with Int as primary stat using the Harper tree...fun, but definitely suffered with DPS later game.
Second SK build was 12/6/2 (ranger/monk/rogue) with a balance between Dex (hit/damage) and Wis (DC for arrows)...awesome build with TTS, but the Mark of Hunted at lvl 18 was missed--that has been the allure of Elf builds when doing ranged builds
Third SK build was 12/6/2 (monk/ranger/rogue). Heavier on Wisdom for monk bonuses, but the +1 CTR was missed from the DWS tree...

...overall, I enjoy playing variations of Strimtom's AA build, but there are tons of options out there. Spend some time on DDO wiki comparing the feat/enhancement bonuses for different options and I'm sure you will find something enjoyable.

cheers,

[SocratesBastardSon]

I did three SDK iconic lives on a couple of toons, basically running it as a human that is missing the extra feat and skill points. The trade-off is you gain some very nice racial enhancements: Ghostly Essence, Shadow Phase and Shadow Jaunt (I would add Gloom Stalker but it's too expensive IMO). Once you get to epic if you twist in Unearthly Reactions from t1 Magister you have the core of a play style that is very effective for a stealth build. One time I used that with a monk multi-class that went to core 3 in Ninja for Shadow Veil, and then Shadow Stalker in epic and he was effectively incorporeal on demand. SDK begs to be used this way, but it is a unique play style where you have to tumble and jump around a lot, cutting into time dedicated to DPS.

Much easier, as people have recommended, is to just do a ranged build. There's a number of viable options, but my current favorite is Rogue 6/Arti 6/Fighter 6 (the other two put into whichever class you want a past life in). That toon used a Great Xbow + rune arm and t5 Mechanic, t4 Battle Engineer, and core 3 in Kensai. I personally prefer LE for my destiny with this build, although Fury of the Wild and Divine Crusader are almost as good. That was how I knocked out those three destinies, three iconic SDK lives, Arti and Fighter heroic past lives (I did Assassin for the Rogue PL). It was a lot of fun. Once I had everything set up when I was in LE and activated Endless Fusilade it felt like a heavy machine gun: it would cut down massed mobs like a WWII machine gunner in Call of Duty.

The downside for this build in SDK, if you could call it that, is it is very Action Point intensive. There are no leftover APs for anything in SDK (or anything else). There are other races that are better; the only thing to recommend SDK is it starts out as a Rogue, which this build uses.

If you don't have or want to collect a decent set of GXbows, then 18 Arti/2 Rogue for the evasion and a repeater build is an excellent choice. I've currently got a toon doing this, and it's an INT build with 12 APs in Harper for Know the Angles III and Versatile Adept II, plus Insightful Reflexes for one of his feats.

Anyway, lots of good options.