20 Fighter Intimidate/AC Tank. Hoping to get some comments

[paan]

Hi all,

Can I get some feedback from the experienced builders out there.
I am planning out my next toon.
I want to make a intimidate/AC tank.
Bastard Sword & Board.

I am not sure about the UMD, seems like its a bit low to make a difference, should I just abandon that and maybe invest in, I dont know, haggle instead? If I change to a non UMD type, I'll probly change alignment to good, so I can use puregoods. But anyways thats minor.

I haven't crunched everything and take raid loot into account, just want to see if I got the base right. Hoping that people with more experience than me can see any thing that I miss here.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
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AC WF
Level 20 True Neutral Warforged Male
(20 Fighter) 
Hit Points: 412
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 18
Reflex: 10
Will: 9

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    18
Dexterity            14                    19
Constitution         16                    22
Intelligence         12                    14
Wisdom                6                     8
Charisma             14                    16

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 1
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 1
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 1
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 1
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 1
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 1

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               3                    13
Bluff                 3                     3
Concentration         4                     6
Diplomacy             3                     3
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                3                     4
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  3                     3
Intimidate            7                    37
Jump                  7                    22
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently         3                     3
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     4
Search                2                     2
Spot                 -1                    -1
Swim                  3                     2
Tumble                n/a                   n/a
Use Magic Device      5                    17

Level 1 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Mithral Body
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons


Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery


Level 3 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Use Magic Device


Level 4 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Combat Expertise


Level 5 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Armored Agility I
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate I


Level 6 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Tactics I


Level 7 (Fighter)


Level 8 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons


Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Force of Personality


Level 10 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons


Level 11 (Fighter)


Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Selected) Mithral Fluidity
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery II
Enhancement: Fighter Armored Agility II
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender II
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery II
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II


Level 13 (Fighter)


Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Shield Mastery


Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Mithral Fluidity


Level 16 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons


Level 17 (Fighter)


Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Shield Bash
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Intimidate


Level 19 (Fighter)


Level 20 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Trip
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost III
Enhancement: Fighter Weapon Alacrity
Enhancement: Fighter Armored Agility III
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender III
Enhancement: Fighter Strategy (Trip) I
Enhancement: Fighter Strategy (Trip) II
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery III
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting I
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction I

[Syntax42]

You really have to plan your starting stats around your gear for a build like this. Your Dex modifier cap from armor, shield, and enhancements will determine that stat, but only after you account for gear.

Do some calculations on AC to determine if your build will work. If your AC doesn't come up to 90+ after buffs, you didn't do it right.

[emptysands]

Check out the Rock Candy build.

Shield Bash is a pointless feat. If you are going TWF then you really need the TWF, ITWF, GTWF chain. Especially with the U5 rules.

Best go with 15 starting DEX and put level ups into Strength.

Figure out some AC breakdowns.

For example:

AC:
10 Base
12 Mithral body/Quorforged Docent of Battle (MDB: 5)
8  Light and Darkness (Neutral)
6  Protection +6
4  Insight +4
1  Dodge feat
3  Stalwart Defender III
7  MDB 5 + 3 (AM3) = 8 => 26 DEX [Current: 16+1(rogue)+2(tome)+5(item)=24]
= 51
Items/Standing/Self:
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
3 Bark pot +3
= 61
PUG Buffs:
2 Bark +5 spell
2 Recitation
1 Haste
= 66
Stances:
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
=70
Other(TOGET):
4 Inspire Heroics
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3/DT
2 SD TOD Set
1 +2 Exceptional DEX
= 82  +5 BLOCKING


AC TWF Mode
10 Base
12 Mithral body/Quorforged Docent of Battle (MDB: 5)
5  Protection +5
4  Insight +4
1  Dodge feat
7  MDB 5 + 3 (AM3) = 8 => 26 DEX [Current: 16+1(rogue)+2(tome)+5(item)=24]
3  Stalwart Defender III
= 42
Items/Standing/Self:
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
=49
3 Bark pot +3
4 Shield wand
= 56
PUG Buffs:
2 Bark +5 spell
2 Recitation
1 Haste
= 58
Stances:
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
= 65
Other
4 Inspire Heroics
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3/DT
2 SD TOD Set
1 +2 Exceptional DEX
= 77

The above is for light armor. adamantine body/Dragontouch Docent is AC15 and MDB1. So MDB 1 + 2 (SD3) + 3 (AM3) = gives max MDB of 6. With Epic armor you can get this to 8 or 9.

This means:

DEX 15+2(tome)+5(item)=22 (6MDB) +2(epic)+2(exceptional) = 26 (8MDB) is an easy target.

You only need 11+2 INT for CE and 11+2 CHA for FOP. But the other build points into Strength.

[unbongwah]

I second the recommendation to check out Big Rock Candy. It's pre-U5 and went khopesh, but you can switch to bastard swords if you want, though I'm not convinced yet that glancing blows w/BS is worth the hit to TWF DPS.

[MarcusCleardawn]

I think the jury is still out on the ultimate impact of the two weapon fighting changes, but if they are "working as intended" then shouldn't a simple switch to a 2 handed weapon, which uses the same feats as a bastard sword, be "roughly equivalent" to the "new and nerfed two weapon fighting?"

[emptysands]

I think the jury is still out on the ultimate impact of the two weapon fighting changes, but if they are "working as intended" then shouldn't a simple switch to a 2 handed weapon, which uses the same feats as a bastard sword, be "roughly equivalent" to the "new and nerfed two weapon fighting?"

I've read that frenzy and death frenzy component adds a total of 6d6 = 21 damage per glancing blow. So barbs see a bit drop in their dps. Since this doesn't affect fighters they wont see such a large drop in dps. The barb capstone bug seems to be "fixed" as well.

The airships have a dps combat dummy option - will be interesting to see how close calculations are vs the actual in game dps with these dummies.

[Quikster]

If going for ac/intimidate dps is a second priority, but its still a priority. You need to be able to dish out more pain then s&b will allow. This means going either twf or thf.

If you want to use bastard sword that's fine, but take the thf feat line. This will increase your dps while s&b as well as when you drop the shield and pick up a two hander for full dps mode.

[paan]

Thanks all for the response. I am going for bastard sword and shield because of the recent change to allow glancing blow for bastard sword. Not a big dps gain, but still.

I am still crunching numbers and gear loadout, but can I ask what is the high water mark for the various contents in the game?

For example what do I need to get on ac and intimidate to be use full out in gianthold? What about Vale? Or Amrath? Or tanking Harry?

I wont be going for super uber because I dont plan on doing any epics. But I do hope to be still useful in high level content on normal at least.