Gear Plan for ml:8 Melee Character (Slave Lords)

[Lyacryma]

Gear Plan for ml:8 Melee Character (Slave Lords)

So I've spent some time planning out a full set of gear for one of my characters, and farmed up most of what I need. I've reached the point where I believe it is perfect for what I want it to do, but I figured i'd post here and see if 1) anyone sees a flaw that I have missed, and 2) perhaps someone will find the work I've done useful and save them some time/effort.

As a preface so you understand the character using this gear, I am playing a melee character that uses handwraps for a weapon and wisdom as a main stat. I see no reason why any melee character couldn't use this set except in the case that your build is intellegence based. Int characters would have to move a couple stats around to have a 100% uptime on bonuses. (I use a int stat-stick for disable device)

This set is not built for casters in any way, however I did spend a bit of time evaluating making some gear substitutions for caster builds. It should be quite easy, but I havn't worked out any of the details.

This is is designed for a character at level 8. Primarily this is because of the craftable gear from Slave Lords. Slave Lords accounts for 9 of the pieces of gear. I attempted to get a full 10 for 2 set bonuses but ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the loss of other gear. (I want my banishing fists and you can't stop me! :P) I feel the Endurance Set bonus is more valuable at 5 pieces because I value Saves over +1 deadly (remember wisdom is my primary).

Some decisions I made about the gear are due to other pieces of gear I own that someone else may not. In that case, it would be easy to modify this set because it uses Slave Lords for a high degree of customization. Though if someone's TR gear is vastly different than mine it might be easier to start from scratch than modify this set.

I've marked a few places where gear needs to be changed out as I level because I can see using this gear for quite some time; I imagine I could get to level 20 with only some minor changes here and there. Upgrading the outfit, greensteel, permanent Deathblock (@12 with a Gem?), etc. Yes Ravenmark gear is better, but its only 2 levels away and thus is a lot of inventory/bank management; nothing stopping someone from upgrading to it at 10 if it floats their boat, bound to account and enough bank alts can solve that problem.

Some Item swapping can be a pain because of the multi-slot items and hotbar clicking to equip gear. I tried to reduce the pain as much as possible, but some in inevitable.

NOTE: You can NOT replace a stat on Slaver's Gear once you set it. You must decide before crafting what you want and where, or create an entirely new piece.


Gear List:

Trinket - Needs to be replaceable with Spell Block Ioun Stone
Symbol of the Slave Lords
True Seeing (necklace replacement can regain this while using Ioun Stone)
Insightful Constitution +2
Dusk
Empty Green Augment Slot-GemSlot: +15 Sonic Resistance
Empty Blue Augment Slot-GemSlot: +15 Cold Resistance
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus-Slave's Endurance(1/5)

Custom Slave Lords Trinket (Five Rings) for Search/Disable Device !stat-stick only!
Intellegence+5
-
Disable Device+10
Quality Intellegence+1
-
-

Ring
Ring of Power
Quality Strength +1
Command
Melee Alacrity 10%
Insightful Armor-Piercing - 3%
Empty Green Augment Slot-GemSlot: +3 Resistance (replace if you use Slave Rags)
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus-Slave's Endurance(2/5)

Ring
Constitution+5
Accuracy+8
Jump+10
Quality Wisdom+1
GemSlot: Heavy Fortification
Slave's Endurance(3/5)

Waist
Strength+5
Deadly+4
Stunning+6
Quality Fortification+17%
GemSlot: +15 Fire Resistance
Slave's Endurance(4/5)

Feet (Madstone Boots @13 maybe?)
Charisma+5
Deception+3
Vertigo+6
Quality Charisma+1
GemSlot: +15 Acid Resistance
Slave Lord's Might(1/4)

Wrist - Needs to be Replaceable with
Black Opal Bracers from White Plume Mountain for Ethereal- Reaper Killing (useful tool)
Sheltering+12
Seeker+5
Concentration+10
Quality UMD+2
GemSlot: +15 Electric Resistance
Slave Lord's Might(2/4)

Neck - Needs to be Replaceable for Beholder/heavy spellcaster encounters (Optics/Deathblock)
and for UMD (Delera's Necklace)
False Life+18
Armor Piercing+8
Tendon Slice+4
Quality PRR+2 (replace with Quality Dexterity+1 if you use Slave Rags)
GemSlot: Blindness Immunity
Slave Lord's Might(3/4)

Cloak - Needs to be Replaceable at level 11 (Greensteel HP item)
Slave Master's Cloak
Insightful False Life +8
Protection +4
Spearblock II
Insightful Resistance +1
Empty Green Augment Slot-GemSlot: Feather Falling
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus-Slave Lord's Might(4/4) {1 over set allows temporary gear swap to not break set bonus for 3 items}

Helm
Hardened Hide Helm
Insightful Fortification +35%
Quality Magical Sheltering +2
Natural Armor +5
Quality Constitution +1
Empty Green Augment Slot-GemSlot: Fear Immunity
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus-Slave's Endurance(5/5)

Outfit (from The Price of Freedom) {could also use something from ToEE/Cannith}
Shadowshimmer Cladding
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Banishing Fists (I just want my banishing fists :D, you can't take my fun from me!)
Constitution +4
Dusk
Spell Resistance +9
Empty Green Augment Slot -not a lot useful here, maybe an extra masters gift? Or UWA?

Slave Rags (completes Might 5piece set if you want)
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Insightful Spell Save +1
Resistance +4
Quality Physical Sheltering +2
Diversion 8%
Empty Green Augment Slot
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus-Slave Lord's Might(5/5)

Goggles (from The Last Stand) (replaceable with Search/Open Lock/Disable Device Goggles)
Raven's Sight SET{(artifact bonus)+3 To-Hit and damage (competence)+10 Spot/Search}
Wisdom +5
Reflex Save +4

Gloves (from Into the Deep)
Raven's Talons SET{(artifact bonus)+3 To-Hit and damage (competence)+10 Spot/Search}
Dexterity +5
Bluff +10








That's all. Thanks for reading and Input or Questions are welcome.


EDIT: Typo ><
EDIT2: Decided to go with int stat-stick over cha stat-stick so UMD is battle viable. Disable Device is generaly peaceful.

[cru121]

I don't think heroic Slave Lords might set is particularly useful. You can get better artifact deadly on Red Fens sets.

Instead, consider building around heroic Silent Avenger set. Blurry, Ghostly, Profane stats, and a tasty set bonus that can serve well into epics.

[Lyacryma]

I don't think heroic Slave Lords might set is particularly useful. Instead, consider building around heroic Silent Avenger set. Blurry, Ghostly, Profane stats, and a tasty set bonus that can serve well into epics.

I went back to the wiki for a few min and did some looking around. Ill be the first to admit that blurry+ghostly is godly, profane bonuses are always nice since there are so few. After picking each piece from ravenloft I realised quickly that ravenmark gear is only more or less equal to slavelords. Blurry/Ghostly is the primary difference. The other big one being that ravenmark gear is set, the only way to modify the item is the single gem slot you get (as on slavelords). Switching to ravenmark means losing stats (harder to have 100% uptime on str/dex/con/wis and int or cha, unless you use diamonds which take slots AND have lower values), you break your ravenmark set bonus every time you gear swap for a specific fight (vs. in my case having an extra might item to maintain the set), as well you are locked into using the armor set that matchs outfits - either the caster set or the rogue set, and lose the option to change your outfit on the fly.

Ravenmark gear is ml10, and its the newest stuff. It has some fun things on it and there is no reason NOT to use it. Ive recently been updating some of my TRing gear and been looking for things that suit my playstyle. I decided that since ml4 is the breakpoint for getting 2d6 on Cannith crafted weapons (and +3 stats), that I would make a whole set of Cannith Gear for 4 (no one should have trouble getting to 4). From there I looked at the gear in the game to see when I should update anything. I was using Cannith crafted OLD style gear at ml7 (with the ml reduction on it), once took a closer look at Slave Lords I liked what I saw and decided that 4 to 8 was long enough to warrant another full gear set.

Only after I spent a long time working out what goes where and how did I come to the idea that it might be good enough to get to 20 with only minor changes. Its ml 8 gear that can, in the case of someone with NO TR gear, work all the way to 20. Sure the closer you get to 20 the less effective it gets but for value of time and effort? One gear set to last almost half the game? Thats not exactly why I wanted it but its worth mentioning. (btw, i have 20/21 TR gear, thats why "getting" to 20 is all I care about)

I don't think that ravenmark is a straight upgrade to slavelords, despite the increased ml. I think if your build is highly specific ravenmark can be arranged to support it far better than Slave Lords. But if you want dependable gear that gets multiple lives of varying stat dependancies and choices through the game, Slave Lords wins hands down. That said I'm still going to be farming up ravenmark gear (cuz why not).

Ill phrase that another way, I was watching various DDO vids out of boredom and heard something that stuck with me since I was thinking about TR gear. "You want get that's Dependable." While what someone "wants" depends on their needs I think the sentiment is valid. Gear that only helps niche builds isn't TR gear it's specific build gear. IMO Slave Lords lets you build a set that works across the board, only 1 question needs to be answered, are you using a weapon to deal damage or spells? Thus Slave Lords makes very valuable TR gear.


You can get better artifact deadly on Red Fens sets.

I already use the 'deadly' from red fens, its an artifact bonus to to-hit and damage (damage = deadly), infact 2 red fens sets give you deadly (iirc) but as they both use the glove slot you can't stack them. (also they are both artifact bonuses and wouldnt stack anyway)

As an aside, the might set uses the name deadly and types as artifact, while the red fens just names it as to-hit and damage but is still typed as artifact. I'm curious if they stack. If they don't then while using the red fens gloves/goggles the might set only grants +1 melee power.






I didn't make this post to limit anyones options or stop someone from using something other than what I listed. These are my opinions, I am frequently wrong. I posted so that I could get feed back like yours and to possibly save someone else the time and effort I spent.

[cru121]

I use 5 piece slave lords for casters. Arguably it's best in slot until level 28.

For melee I am using a combination of stuff, usually involving a Red Fens set, one of the Ravenloft sets and I fill in the blanks with Mysterious Cloak/Bracers, cannith crafting, and random loot. At 17 I fit in Ring of Prowess.


Here's what I recently used on a light armored melee:

Silent Avenger set
- armor
- cloak
- belt

Ring of Power for 10% melee alacrity
Symbol of the Slave Lords

A while ago I have crafted multiple sets of Deadly of Seeker / Ins Seeker goggles (ML7, ML13), so I'm trying to fit those in.

Claw set from Red Fens
- bracers
- gloves

I have quiver for run speed.

Fill in the blanks with whatever needed.

I tried fitting in 5 piece Adherents of the Mists set but it wasn't quite practical.

On my main, I have Ring of Lies and GS boots, so occasionally I try to add those into the mix. Some people go full ****** with cannith crafting. Lot of valid options these days imo.

[Lyacryma]

Lot of valid options these days imo.

I think thats what I love most about 'current' DDO. While I miss the days of a bygone era, today's DDO is rife with all sorts of options no matter what aspect of the game.