Guardian Tank

[Samadhi]

Someone had asked for one of my builds posted. Please note this isn't my EXACT build - but this would be what I would do now.

Human Barbarian 14 / Fighter 2

Stats (pretomes):
Str 18 + 4 levels +1 human enhancement+1 ftr enhancement = 30 unraged
Dex 8
Con 14 +2 enhancements = 22 unraged
Int 12 (I like skill points)
Wis 8
Cha 14

Skills: Intimidate, Jump, Listen - maxed; Tumble, Balance - as desired

Feats: PA, Cleave, Great Cleave, Toughness, SF: Intimidate, Bullheaded, Stunning Blow, Imp. Crit <your choice-prefer piercing for rapiers and heavy picks myself>

Primary Enhancements: Barb Imp Crit, Barb Intimidate Line, Barb Extend Rage, Barb Sprint Boost, Human Imp. Recovery, Barb DR, others as desired

Gear: GS Goggles Neg-Neg (for immunities-Tier 3 Greater Good Guard), Minos Legen, Head of Good Fortune, Bracers of the Glacier, quick change Lightning/Fire/Acid Guard Outfits of Resists, Bramblecasters, Con 6 necklace, Intim 15 Ring, Levik's Defender, Madstone Boots, Str 6 Ring

The basic idea is:
a) As a Str build barbarian, you really don't need to work hard to do decent damage. Are you going to be top end of barbs? No, but you can still get stuff dead.
b) Intimidate + DR equals immunity to most melee attacks. Piles of guards while doing this = fun and useful.
c) Cleave and GC help you hold aggro - and are a great way to do a lot of damage while you are mostly blocking.

There are plenty of quests that I won't intimidate at all; but I do plenty of damage. In the ones where intimidate is useful, I have piles of fun.

[Noctus]

Good build.

[Gunga]

Nice.

[Dexxaan]

Nice build. But I hate breaking it to you although there's 100's of ways of making crappy Sorcerers, Wizards, Rogues, Paladins (especially), etc....

Barbarians? Well they aren't really that complicated as long as you have:

A) STR
B) CON
C) Cleave
D) you dont go Piercing Spec'd for Daggers.


Proof of this is the fact that a 28Pt Barbarian with litle or no raid loot (GSteel) today is still a force to be reckoned with.

[Reisz]

How high does the DR get on this build? Have you considered WF for more DR? Fireshield is very similar to the guards effect, thought about working more of that in to this build?

[Gunga]

How high does the DR get on this build? Have you considered WF for more DR?

Why's that? WF and Barb DR hasn't stacked in the past...

[Samadhi]

How high does the DR get on this build? Have you considered WF for more DR? Fireshield is very similar to the guards effect, thought about working more of that in to this build?

1) Currently my DR is 31 (no shield masteries atm) against melee attacks 18 ranged (yes DR is lower against ranged for some reason....).

2) As Gunga stated, WF DR does not stack with Barb DR. If I was going to go the WF route, I would go fighter instead of Barb probably.

3) The problem with working in UMD for fireshield is that now you have to worry about when you are raged and when you are not. With primarily passive damage types, I can be a barbarian without worrying about it. Then again, if we switch this to the WF fighter route, have at it.

[Gunga]

Hey Sam:

Have you thought about a couple of rogue levels?

Self heal would certainly be beneficial, although you'd lose your CRII until Mod 9.

[Reisz]

Why's that? WF and Barb DR hasn't stacked in the past...

Cuz I am such a n00b I have never leveled a WF. Thanks for the catch, I did not know that about the DR.

[Samadhi]

Hey Sam:

Have you thought about a couple of rogue levels?

Self heal would certainly be beneficial, although you'd lose your CRII until Mod 9.

If I did that route, I think I might try and drop the fighter levels completely. Currently, the SF Intim and Bullheaded are really only necessary for VoD and Hound - so I would drop some effectiveness there - but carrying two feats for two quests, while without them I can intimidate everywhere else, might be a reasonable decision.

[Gunga]

If I did that route, I think I might try and drop the fighter levels completely. Currently, the SF Intim and Bullheaded are really only necessary for VoD and Hound - so I would drop some effectiveness there - but carrying two feats for two quests, while without them I can intimidate everywhere else, might be a reasonable decision.

12/2/2 might be best of both, no?

[Samadhi]

12/2/2 might be best of both, no?

After taking a minute to review min levels for the other enhancements - yep probably

[maddmatt70]

The main comment somebody would make on this build is why can't you fit in the thf feats especially with it being human and having two fighter levels. Is toughness, great cleave, bullheaded, skill focus intimidate really that essential to the build? Or can you drop 3 of those and still do the build's intimidate functions with the thf feats. I would say drop toughness, great cleave, and bullheaded. Second question is what do you plan to do when the cap goes up to 20? I would hope you would find a way to fit the thf feats in.

[Gunga]

After taking a minute to review min levels for the other enhancements - yep probably

Take your rogue levels far enough apart to max your umd. I might have to try this...maybe halfling.

[Samadhi]

Take your rogue levels far enough apart to max your umd. I might have to try this...maybe halfling.

Mine's actually a halfling

For most folks, the benefits of going human would probably outweigh the fun factor of halfling.

I do recommend taking the fighter feats early - cleave and GC were my fighter feats - and they are super effective at lower level in particular. (And at lower level, this build can do fine with an AC outlook too, since you won't be raging much).

[Strykersz]

WF gets higher dr via DoD(and in bursts from Titanic Docents), especially if you're just shielding up.

[Samadhi]

Just found a new addition to this build - random AH surfing ran across "Chord of Reprisals" so I now have Fire Guard on that slot

[Thrudh]

Use a +1 Int tome, and get Combat Expertise....

Not that hard to get a decent AC as a barbarian/fighter... gives more flexibility... you can be barbarian DPS machine or AC intimitank, depending on the situation

10 base
13 MFP
9 MTS
3 Dex (+2 Dex tome and a 6 item)
5 Protection
3 Barkskin
5 Combat Expertise
2 Alchemical Rituals
4 Insight weapon

54 AC

Throw in a few raid party buffs, and you can get to mid 60s fairly easily...

You'll still have all the DPS of a fully raged barbarian when that's called for... with the option of being a pretty good intimitank if that's needed instead...

[Thrudh]

Ah, but your idea is to GET hit (for all the guard items)...

sorry for the derail into a high AC build....

[BelVic]

Are you sure need that high CHA ( 14 ) ?

My Stoli has only 8 cha base and have 56 intimidate with self buffs ( 58 with song)
Was being chew toy in hound elite few days ago DR/43 with defiance was life saver. I had reflex save in higher 20's so got no bees ( may be lucky).
I mean if you not dwarf extra con can always help with health.

p.s and I have only sf:intimidate, no bullheads