Untwinked Pure Soloist reaches level 6

[Ron]

This is a milestone for me. I've found that getting past level 5 is what seperates my well designed soloist builds from the bad ones (and I've had plenty of those). I've only had four or five reach 6, so I consider it an achievement

"Wait", you might say, "only level 6? I could solo to 6 with one longsword tied behind my back!" Well, maybe so, but there is soloing, and there is soloing. I run under a pretty handicapping set of guidelines. I'll paraphrase my own personal rules in case you don't already know of them:

1) No twinking
2) No grouping
3) No running a quest at a difficulty more than once. Once complete, the quest can be run again, but it must be at the NEXT difficulty level. Once elite has been completed, the quest is finished, no more running it.
4) No AH
5) All optionals done (to the best ability of the character, if they are unable to open a rune lock (for instance), then they can skip it, otherwise, the dungeon needs to be FULLY explored and all optionals completed).

Under these conditions, making level 6 is pretty good, hehe. At least for my play ability. (I think it is number 3 and 5 that are really what makes it hard).

The build is still going fairly strong. I've having more difficulty with the level 5-6 quests than I was with the 1-4s. Even so, I still expect to advance. My best attempt at this kind of soloing made it to level 8 before he stalled. The one really bad thing about the build is the low strength, which translates to combat that takes longer than what I'd like (and thus she takes more damage than someone with a higher strength). She does have a +1 strength item, and I'd like to get a +3, but I haven't been able to find one on a broker at all (and they MAY be ML 7, I'm not sure. If they are I'd have to find a RR one, and since I have no points invested in UMD, it would have to be human RR to boot, which would be a pretty unlikely find). I've got a feeling that when this build stalls, it's going to be because of that strength score.

Just a note about explorer zones. Some people claim that the explorer zones make this kind of questing much easier. And there IS something to that. Certainly Tangleroot was a big help in getting the last few thousand XP I needed to make it to 6. But it's not quite as simple as that. The limiting factor in running explorer areas is money. As in, you don't make any (or very little) when you run them, and you are using resources and having to repair equipment and all that. And since untwiniked soloists are ALWAYS broke, it can become a problem (at this point I typcially spend about 200 gold per death on repairs, which is not too bad if you are running a dungeon and can pick that up in a single chest, but in explorers, where there aren't many chests, you are eating that cost).

Anyway, the link is in my sig if you are interested in what she has completed, and it shows the full build all the way to (planned) 16.

One last thing. There are certain quests I cannot do solo (Delara's Part 2 for instance), due to mechanics. I've been giving some consideration about what to do about these quests (previously I've always just skipped them, but I find that solution to be unsatisfactory, since they are often a part of a chain of quests). If anyone on Argo wants to help out, let me know.

You'd be under a very strict rule. No helping in ANY way, other than to allow me to advance onward.

Let's take Delara's as an example. I'd run the quest all the way to the lever, which is almost to the end. Then I would call on a helper. Basically, you'd be there to pull a lever and nothing else. As a reward, I would leave all chests unopened up to that point, which, once you arrived, you would be free to loot (as would I). Then you pull the lever and I continue on. You have the option to stay where you are and wait (thus possibly getting more loot and maybe the XP for the quest) or recall out, your choice.

Anyway, just let me know if you would be willing to help out when I get into those sort of situations. It would be nice to be able to continue on in the Delara's chain with this project, heh (among the others).

[Mhykke]

Hey,

Congrats, good achievement. I personally think the no twinking is the real difficult part. If you twink , you could fairy easily accomplish all the other goals. But w/o it, makes it much more difficult.

I have a lvl 6 and a lvl 3 on argo that could pull the lever for ya. Just lemme know when.

[Premier]

Nice work! Keep it up!

-Premier

[Dirac]

Grats on the achievement and glad to see you taking up the challenge again. You probably remember my solo only challenge followed the same rules as you did with the exception of 4 (AH). For this reason, most likely, I did not find myself in money problems. I felt #5 was the biggest challenge. Sometimes because the optionals are more difficult than anything else, extra resources used, and sometimes forcing yourself to spend 45 minutes clearing out the inner splinterskull fortress for the 20th time takes an enormous amount of discipline.

I ended my challenge with my character at level 13. I wasn't having difficulty with content. There is so much xp doing everything, that I was doing level 8-10 quests at level 13. They just started taking so long I wasn't having fun anymore and could hardly find the time to do a quest.

Good luck as you continue the challenge!

[Impaqt]

I've been Trying to check up on your website.... Glad to see your enjoying your ROgue Cleric. Nice job so far!

[Dirac]

I took a look at your build and was quite surprised. I'm very interested in how you find it progressing. I agree the low strength will really cause you difficulties. I see your int is consuming your ability points because you need to keep your rogue skills as cross-class as you level up cleric.

That's mainly why I went rogue-ranger. The ranger allows you to keep up spot/search/DD/OL and UMD with only a 14 int. The elf enhancements then help on your melee with longswords.

May I ask why you went the cleric route? Was it mostly the healing capabilities?

[Ron]

May I ask why you went the cleric route? Was it mostly the healing capabilities?

Definitely. It's a monetary issue.

A CLW wand costs about 750 gp, which translates to 15gp every charge. And you can easily burn through 5-10 charges after each encounter (1D8 doesn't go very far, heh). The CMW wands cost around 4500 gp, which is 90 gp per use. Sure, you can get them for free from time to time via collectables, but it's not reliable. And of course the pots are not as cost efficient as the wands are either (though perhaps easier to get for free).

It doesn't take many uses of those wands to burn through any profit you might make from the dungeon you are running. In order to keep profits up (and thus be able to afford those broker prices for the bright and shiny +3 mace I've been eyeing [22K gold yikes!]), best to use mana, which is free. I've found of all my soloists, the cleric is actually the LEAST money strapped (although ~10K gold is the best she's had so far, and right now is sitting on around 6K).

Between the self healing and buffs and summon monster, she does fairly well, and can usually turn a profit from most dungeons, which has not always been the case with some of my other soloists.

[Dirac]

Interesting, I may have underestimated how important AH was in my own experience. I don't think I could bring myself to start again; not any time soon. However, it might be fun to see how far one could go without AH or brokers. I wouldn't take on #5 again though. That's too much for me to do more than once.

If you feel the self healing is critical, it seems like the rog/wiz is the way to go. Now you have a synergy between your classes with all those points in int. I hate soloing casters at the low levels for obvious reasons. You could probably manage it, though. Then at the higher levels, when your BAB becomes too bad, you will be using mostly spells to get through the adventures anyway.

Just speaking out loud now since you already have your character made...

...

No Ron! You aren't going to talk me into another solo adventure challenge! I won't do it!

Hmmm, maybe I'll just fire up the character planner again to see what one might do...

[BigMark]

To run WW a few times and get a couple of the 50 charge heal wands that recharge at shrines. Only 1d4 (1d3?) healing, but if money is an issue and time isn't, it sure would save some money.

[GeneralDiomedes]

Interesting, I may have underestimated how important AH was in my own experience. I don't think I could bring myself to start again; not any time soon. However, it might be fun to see how far one could go without AH or brokers. I wouldn't take on #5 again though. That's too much for me to do more than once.

Buying from the brokers or the AH doesn't make that much of a difference in my experience. The really good stuff is going to be out of your price range on the AH anyhow. I've seen paralyzing weapons, vorpals, maladroit, destruction, smiters, Superior potency I-VI on the brokers, you name it. +5's of all types are almost always available. Now not using the brokers or AH period .. that is so restrictive it probably wouldn't be any fun at all. Imagine a Dwarf melee that never pulled Dwarven Axes, or a TWF Rogue that never pulled Rapiers, or a Wizard still using his Potency I quarterstaff at mid-level .. !

BTW grats Ron on 6!

[Impaqt]

To run WW a few times and get a couple of the 50 charge heal wands that recharge at shrines. Only 1d4 (1d3?) healing, but if money is an issue and time isn't, it sure would save some money.

Cure Minor is just 1 Pt as per the SRD.. Not sure if its bumped up for DDO or not.

THey are Exclusive.

Clerics can use them without fail, they can be UMD's witha 15.

Oh, and its Catacombs.. Not Waterworks....

[wamjratl1]

I'm impressed. Some guildies and I recently discussed doing a no-twink static group along the same lines as you. One of my guildies said it best: "We can all drop 100k plat and the AH and build a character that can walk through WW elite at lvl 2...." but what you are doing is a real challenge. Have fun and keep us posted.

[miceelf88]

cure minor does 1-2 per cure. My mainly solo sorc uses it a lot still at level 6. Too annoying to other to use when grouping, but a cheap alternative to resource consumption when I'm soloing and time isn't a factor.

[winsom]

You realize that many Optional encounters are purposely more difficult than the the rest of the adventure?

It's pretty crazy for an untwinked soloist to try certain Optionals. Hats off to you!