The Intimidate Tank of the Future?

[maddmatt70]

Intimidate tanks are inefficient in the current game makeup and potentially boring to play, but if I were to make one this is what he would be. The gear is the problem. It is just not realistic to get this kind of gear in the current game unless you do 20 dragon, abbot, and titan runs which is 3 months or so.... I posted this despite the fact I will not be making it because maybe somebody else will and I am due for a good flaming.. If there are errors in my calcuations let me know..

Halfling
2 rogue/ 11 fighter / 1 barb (at level 15 fighter and then level 16 ?)

Best possible AC without buffs (53)
dex + 9 (delving suit + fighter arm mastery 3)
Armor + 10 (delving suit)
Size +1
Shield + 7 (sorrel +5 large shield)
Dodge +6 (chattering ring, chaosguard, feat)
Deflect +5 (+5 protection item)
Combat expertise +5
Starting +10
56 with barkskin pots

Stats:
S 12 (6) = 12 or 18 when swapping with haste.
D 18 (10) +3 (4, 8, 12) + 2 (favor tome) + 2 (halfling enhance) + 1 (rogue enhance) + 6 (+6 dex item) = 32
I 12 (4) +1 (+1 tome) = 13
W 8 + 6 = 14 (will be only 8 in mod6)
Co 14 (6) + 6 (+6 con item) = 20
Ch 14 (6) +6 (+6 charisma item)= 20

To Hit = +13 (ba) + 11 (dex) +1 (size) +1 (weapon focus pierce) – 5 (CE)= 21 +4 for gh = 25 gh + weapon.

Enhancements:
Fighter Armor Mastery 3 (12)
Fighter Toughness 3 (6)
Fighter Intimidate 3 (6)
Barb Sprint boost 1 (1)
Fighter Item Defense (1)
Barb Damage Red (1)
Rogue dex 1 (2)
Halfling dex 2 (6)
Halfling reflex 3 (6)
Halfling will 3 (6)
Halfling fort 2 (3)
Dragonmark of healing 3 (6)

Saves: (W) +3 (base class) +1 (halfling luck) +1 (bullheaded) +3 (halfling enhancements) + 2 wisdom (will be +5 after goes to mod 6) + 4 (resistance +4) + 2 (head of good fortune) = 16. with gh = 20
(F) +9 (base class)+ 5 (con item) + 2 (halfling enhancement) + 1 (halfling luck) + 4 (resistance +4)+ 2 (head of good fortune) = 22. with gh = 26
(R) + 6 (base class) + 11 (ab score) + 4 (resistance +4) + 3 (halfling enhancement) + 1 (halfling luck) +2 (head of good fortune) = 27. with gh = 31

HP: 20 (heroes vitality) + 10 (draconic vitality) + 70 ( +5 con)+ 144 (base Hp) + 44 (toughness) = 295.

Skills:
Intimidate: 17 (ranks) + 5 (charisma) + 2 (bullheaded) + 2 (head of good fortune) + 13 (item) + 3 (fighter intimidate 3) = 42
UMD will also be very high because first level will be rogue so max ranks, etc...
Balance/ Jump/ at least 1 rank of tumble / and maybe open locks?
Feats (11):
Bullheaded
Dodge
Combat Expertise
Improved Crit Piercing
Toughness
Weapon Finesse
Weapon Focus Piercing
Weapon Specialization Piercing
Least Dragonmark of Healing
Lesser Dragonmark of Healing
Greater Dragonmark of Healing

Ideal gear: (Note I plan to take force of personality in mod6 so I will swap out my wis item then so wis not included)
Superior Devotion VI Helm (ex. Silver Flame Abbot Reward) /Intimidate +13 helm
Head of Good Fortune
Circle of Hatred/Charisma +6 ring
Cloak of Charisma + 6/greater resistance cloaks
Con belt + 6
Neck of Protection + 5
Chattering Ring
ChaosGuard
+6 Dex Gloves/ +6 str gloves
Sandstorm Goggles
Gyrscopic Boots/ +6 dex boots/ madstone boots rage for clickies
Kundark Delving Suit
Sorrel
Wounding of puncturing rapier (yeah right )

Notes on gear: until I get the Kundark Delving suit, I would go with a mithral breastplate +5, mithral tower shield +5 and change the fighter armor master enhancement to tower shield enhancement 3 and try to get the daggertooth belt…

[Impaqt]

What exactly makes this more fun than other Intimitank Builds? 2-3 points of AC makes it more fun? DUnno.. I'm missing something...

You also have 6 Non FIghter feats. This build only has 5 available at l14
Are you COunting SF: Intimidate in your Intim calc? If so that would be 7.. DUnno where the +3 is coming from.....Ypour Breakdowns (Other than AC) are way too vague

[maddmatt70]

What exactly makes this more fun than other Intimitank Builds? 2-3 points of AC makes it more fun? DUnno.. I'm missing something...

You also have 6 Non FIghter feats. This build only has 5 available at l14
Are you COunting SF: Intimidate in your Intim calc? If so that would be 7.. DUnno where the +3 is coming from.....Ypour Breakdowns (Other than AC) are way too vague

I think i have cleaned it up sufficiently. I thought that I had taken out iron will oh well. The advantage over other intimitank builds is the evasion, the barbarian speed, and the halfling dragonmarks. Evasion is becoming more and more important in this game as casters dominate and aoe spells will have more of an impact.. The speed is a great feature and ensures the intimidate is in the front instead of following the zerging barbarians. The halfling dragonmarks are a great utility feature not unlike a lay on hands..

The saves are pretty good except for will which will go up when the next mod comes out...

[Impaqt]

OK, if Evasion=Fun then you win.

Personally, I dont find evasion all that exciting. No Fail CUre Wands + other Paly benefits are better in my opinion than a +10% speed increase (Your an Intimitank.. they Goal is to draw agro to you and remain stationary.. Base land speed is academic)

[maddmatt70]

halfling dragonmarks are very nice.. no concentration check and you don't have to pull a wand out etc.. There is something like 6 cure lights, 5 cure serious, and 4 heals all of which get devotion + 40% for this build. The umd should be pretty high +17 ranks +5 charisma +2 head of good fortune +4 gh = 28 + roll.

10% land increase is very nice in getting to the battle.. Lets face it the world is full of zergers - u might as well beat them to the battle..

[Tanka]

I'd have to do a smidge of testing, but I believe using a Dragonmark takes you out of CE, as a Dragonmark counts as a spell for all intents and purposes.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

OK, if Evasion=Fun then you win.

Personally, I dont find evasion all that exciting. No Fail CUre Wands + other Paly benefits are better in my opinion than a +10% speed increase (Your an Intimitank.. they Goal is to draw agro to you and remain stationary.. Base land speed is academic)

evasion and a high ref save are awesome!

[maddmatt70]

evasion and a high ref save are awesome!

I think this build still has merit that is if intimidate tanks come back into vogue. This game is becoming more about speed and evasion is becoming more and more relevant as enemy spell casters get more powerful and for traps (it has been stated they are upping the damage put out by traps - this is not reality yet however). Dwarves have difficulty getting their reflex save up this high unless they go with pally levels and barbarian has some other really nice features at level 2 (this character would probably go 12 fighter/2 barbarian/2 rogue unless fighter gets some great enhancements options down the line). The question is figuring out what exactly is necessary for the intimidate skill/ hp needed/ ac with and without CE/ and playing around with aggro management.

[Twerpp]

I can see this working, maybe not as well as the traditional ftr/pal mix. I would go 2 barb for another rage (just for fun) and be able to extend it by 25% and another point of con, drop ftr to 10 theres no feat lost and Im not sure which enhancement you needed from 11th..
Dont bother with halfy fort save enhancement your ftr levels provide that and your con is good. Not sure I would bother maxing the reflex saves either as your dex is phenom.
Halfling dragonmarks do make the game a little more interesting, but add to your gear list super dev 6 item, you will want it for when you have time to swap out weapon to heal more effectively or if you need to cover down on healer duties temporarily.

VERY IMPORTANT
Casting a spell ends CE mode, so I would test that before you get to far into your build. Im not sure if Dragonmarks do that but I know you cant use them while in defensive fighting mode or during its cooldown.

With Pierce/finesse spec your DPS will be so low that when your 6 seconds of intimidate are up mobs will leave you for another target(they wont be dead or aggroed on you), leaving you 4 seconds of cringing hoping the sorc doesnt get one shotted. STR based slashing is better but that would gimp your evasion..

The more I look at this build the more I think you should just drop intimidate, pick up a couple more level of rogue and some rogue skills and sneak dice :/

[maddmatt70]

I can see this working, maybe not as well as the traditional ftr/pal mix. I would go 2 barb for another rage (just for fun) and be able to extend it by 25% and another point of con, drop ftr to 10 theres no feat lost and Im not sure which enhancement you needed from 11th..
Dont bother with halfy fort save enhancement your ftr levels provide that and your con is good. Not sure I would bother maxing the reflex saves either as your dex is phenom.
Halfling dragonmarks do make the game a little more interesting, but add to your gear list super dev 6 item, you will want it for when you have time to swap out weapon to heal more effectively or if you need to cover down on healer duties temporarily.

VERY IMPORTANT
Casting a spell ends CE mode, so I would test that before you get to far into your build. Im not sure if Dragonmarks do that but I know you cant use them while in defensive fighting mode or during its cooldown.

With Pierce/finesse spec your DPS will be so low that when your 6 seconds of intimidate are up mobs will leave you for another target(they wont be dead or aggroed on you), leaving you 4 seconds of cringing hoping the sorc doesnt get one shotted. STR based slashing is better but that would gimp your evasion..

The more I look at this build the more I think you should just drop intimidate, pick up a couple more level of rogue and some rogue skills and sneak dice :/

Thanks for the suggestions Twerpp. I believe dragonmarks do end CE after a little forum exploration. The rogue style would drastically change this build so I personaly would not go there, but rather draw up a whole different build for that one. This build could be modified but modifying would start to stretch it thin for instance I could take out toughness and put in skill focus intimidate so - 45 hp and then take 2 out of dex and put the charisma up to 22. You could play a more situational style with the dragonmarks or take them out completely and boost your saves/hp/intimidate with iron will/luck of heroes/ toughness/ and skill focus intimidate... I think the dragon marks are fun and intriguing and superior to loh except for regarding CE... Like so many other people I would love to see monk, but I would actually like to make a defensive character if monk ever comes even if it were not optimum which it probably wouldn't be...