The Arcane Knight

[Aspenor]

Yes, you could get a somewhat meaningful AC, with a large investment in equipment slots and build points.

I prefer, for this particular build, to focus on damage mitigation through DR and displacement. For the rare times that displacement doesn't work (read as: Shroud 4 and 5) he'll have the HP such that it won't matter.

Altogether with items, feats, enhacments etc. he'll be pushing the 500 hit point mark.

[Aspenor]

ZOMG!!! I have dual-wielding 24 AC, and 103 hit points at level FOUR.

[Noctus]

But I want to challenge what appears to be the assumption of useless AC.

AC is not worthless. With tedious amounts of raiding, grinding, allocating attribute points at character creation, as well as feats, and a nice bunch of expensive gear, which fills up itemslots otherwise up for other nice thngs, you can bring it up to where it works.


Its just that its plainly not worth all the effort to go the AC route on most builds. the cost/gain ratio is way off.

[Aspenor]

AC is not worthless. With tedious amounts of raiding, grinding, allocating attribute points at character creation, as well as feats, and a nice bunch of expensive gear, which fills up itemslots otherwise up for other nice thngs, you can bring it up to where it works.


Its just that its plainly not worth all the effort to go the AC route on most builds. the cost/gain ratio is way off.

Exactly. In order to achieve what would be only a respectable AC (not uber) I'd have to go through an UBER amount of grinding. I'd also have to use up important equipment slots that could be used for stat items, healing improvements, green steel or DPS increasers.

So far I'm having a blast. I'm at level 4 (I'm following the level breakdown on the first page exactly) and with mage armor and shield spells I hit 23 AC dual-wielding. At 103 hit points and a little bit of DR, it takes quite a monster to kill me. I solo'd water works at level 3 on normal and hard, and solo-killed several ogres in the process (the ones where people often get smashed).

[moorewr]

So far I'm having a blast. I'm at level 4 (I'm following the level breakdown on the first page exactly) and with mage armor and shield spells I hit 23 AC dual-wielding. At 103 hit points and a little bit of DR, it takes quite a monster to kill me. I solo'd water works at level 3 on normal and hard, and solo-killed several ogres in the process (the ones where people often get smashed).

Sounds like a blast, and your HP at this level are truly impressive. By comparison.. I have a drow warchanter I put toughness off on (to jam in my TWF feats etc etc) and he's got 53 HP at level 4.

Ogres are my favorite tester also - I like to solo the ones in sorrowdusk around level 5.. can I sneak around them? Can I bluff or CC them? Can I avoid getting hit while I kill them?

[Pfamily]

Here's my spellsword, rerolled to be more effective via DPS.

Illusionary Battletactics
Lawful Good Warforged
12 Sorcerer / 6 Paladin / 2 Rogue

*snip*

1 Monk - Two Weapon Fighting, Toughness
2 Monk - Power Attack
3 Sorcerer - Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
4 Paladin - +1 STR
5 Paladin -
6 Sorcerer - Extend Spell
7 Paladin -
8 Paladin - +1 STR
9 Paladin - Improved Two Weapon Fighting
10 Sorcerer -
11 Paladin -
12 Sorcerer - Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting; +1 STR
13 Sorcerer -
14 Sorcerer -
15 Sorcerer - Improved Critical: Slashing
16 Sorcerer - +1 STR
17 Sorcerer -
18 Sorcerer - Greater two-weapon Fighting
19 Sorcerer -
20 Sorcerer - +1 STR

Having yet to read forward perhaps you've fixed this...2 lvls of Rogue or Monk?

[Aspenor]

Having yet to read forward perhaps you've fixed this...2 lvls of Rogue or Monk?

Monk, sorry I forgot to update the top section. Thanks for the catch!

[Pfamily]

Nice build, looks fun...and I hope Mod 9 hits before you get to 16th!

[Aspenor]

Nice build, looks fun...and I hope Mod 9 hits before you get to 16th!

What I hope for is that I'm lucky enough to snag a +4 charisma tome in mod 9 When I rolled this guy up I had forgotten my reasoning for originally starting with a 12 charisma, which was to get an easy 14 for the first tier of divine might....oh well. Will still be fun, regardless. But I can always hope, right?

[Aspenor]

Interestingly enough, I can maintain a high armor class at the lower levels (albeit I'm drinking stacks upon stacks of potions, oh well). This is without investing in wisdom for the monk AC bonus. Leveling has slowed, I'm now level 6 and tearing things up. Usually between 31-33 armor class and at 125 hit points. Having a blast with this guy, he'll be a ton of fun when I can take him to 20.

I'm taking my time leveling because there's no telling how long Turbine will take to release M9.

[transtemporal]

If I really was planning on tanking suulo...i'll bring my ranger

Yeah, but its bragging rights though right? "I tanked sulu on a caster" Of course vitually any WF can tank sulu but people don't need to know that when we're going for hyperbole.

Great build btw asp, I like how you haven't fallen into the trap of trying to make him a castery-type.

Its seems like one of the challenges will be fitting all that enhancement goodness in!

[Aspenor]

Its seems like one of the challenges will be fitting all that enhancement goodness in!

It shouldn't be too incredibly difficult. I'll go heavy on the Warforged and Paladin enhancements. For sorc enhancements, I'll take the charisma, force/repair line, and spell points (maybe even concentration). Just for grins, I'll take Bladesworn Transformation (another flavor decision, although not being able to cast will be a pain, I'll survive).

It may end up being the case that, if I take WF Power Attack, I'll be using PA sparingly. Depending on how often I'm missing at end-game, I may spec out of it eventually.

[Oolung]

12 Sorcerer / 6 Paladin / 2 Monk

Ability Scores
STR 18---> 32 ---> 34 Raged (+3 Tome, +6 Item, +5 Level up bonuses)
DEX 15---> 24 (+2 tome, +6 item, Rogue Dexterity I)
CON 14---> 24 (+2 Tome, +6 item, Warforged Constitution II)
INT 8----> 8
WIS 6----> 14 (+2 Tome, +6 Item)
CHA 10---> 20 (+2 Tome, +6 Item, +2 Sorcerer Charisma II

am i the only one that sees something wrong with this?

like his dex?

[Aspenor]

am i the only one that sees something wrong with this?

like his dex?

hehehe oops, typo. originally wrote the build up to take rogue and not monk. Thanks for pointing that out, I'll go back and fix it.

Shouldn't be a major issue, and can easily recoup on the lost reflex with paladin saves enhancements.

[transtemporal]

am i the only one that sees something wrong with this?

like his dex?

Yeah, I saw it but knew he'd changed classes midstream, so I just assumed a +3 dex tome and +1 wis.

[rezo]

Here's my spellsword, rerolled to be more effective via DPS.

Illusionary Battletactics
Lawful Good Warforged
12 Sorcerer / 6 Paladin / 2 Monk

Ability Scores
STR 18---> 32 ---> 34 Raged (+3 Tome, +6 Item, +5 Level up bonuses)
DEX 15---> 23 (+2 tome, +6 item)
CON 14---> 24 (+2 Tome, +6 item, Warforged Constitution II)
INT 8----> 8
WIS 6----> 14 (+2 Tome, +6 Item)
CHA 10---> 20 (+2 Tome, +6 Item, +2 Sorcerer Charisma II)

BAB: 13 (extensive use of Divine Power)

To-hit:
(20) + 12 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 2 - 2 (- 5) = 38 First swing (33 power attack)

Saves:
Fort - 3/5/4/7/5/2/5/4 = 35
Ref - 3/2/4/6/5/2/5/4 = 31
Will - 3/2/8/2/5/2/5/4/2 = 33
Equipment/Enchanted Mods: Head of Good Fortune, +5 Resistance, Greater Heroism
Enhancements: Warforged Construct Thinking II

Hit Points:
60 - Paladin Levels
12 - Rogue Levels
48 - Sorcerer Levels
140 - Constitution Bonus
30 - Greater False Life
20 - Minos Legens
23 - Toughness
10 - Draconic Vitality
45 - Shroud Concordant Opposition Hit Point item
20 - Paladin Toughness
40 - Racial Toughness
5 - Way of the Patient Tortoise
--------------------------
453 / 473 Raged / 493 Single Madstone / 513 Double Madstone

1 Monk - Two Weapon Fighting, Toughness
2 Monk - Power Attack
3 Sorcerer - Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
4 Paladin - +1 STR
5 Paladin -
6 Sorcerer - Extend Spell
7 Paladin -
8 Paladin - +1 STR
9 Paladin - Improved Two Weapon Fighting
10 Sorcerer -
11 Paladin -
12 Sorcerer - Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting; +1 STR
13 Sorcerer -
14 Sorcerer -
15 Sorcerer - Improved Critical: Slashing
16 Sorcerer - +1 STR
17 Sorcerer -
18 Sorcerer - Greater two-weapon Fighting
19 Sorcerer -
20 Sorcerer - +1 STR

Skills of important note:
Concentration

Sorcerer spells (at 20, will be swapped as necessary while leveling):
1 - Expeditious Retreat, Nightshield, Jump, Repair Light Damage
2 - Blur, Resist Energy, Repair Moderate Damage, Invisibility
3 - Haste, Displacement, Rage, Repair Serious Damage
4 - Stoneskin, Fire Shield, Dimension Door
5 - Protection from Elements, Break Enchantment
6 - Reconstruction

Paladin spells:
1 - Divine Favor, Bless

End-Game Target Gear (not counting Mod 9 items):
Head - Minos Legens
Goggles - Tharne's Goggles
Neck - Constitution +6
Armor - Docent of Defiance
Bracers - Bracers of the Glacier
Gloves - Green Steel Concordant Opposition
Cloak - +5 Resistance
Belt - Belt of Brute Strength
Trinket - Head of Good Fortune / Bloodstone
Boots - Madstone Boots, Firestorm Greaves, Green Steel Something or Other
Ring 1 - Tumbleweed
Ring 2 - +6 Charisma

Looks like a solid build.

[Aspenor]

Looks like a solid build.

Thanks, I'm having a blast with it so far. I'll try to post enhancements sometime, once I get them all hammered out in my mind.

PS - shored up all the typos made from switching from rogue to monk midstream, I think. If anybody sees anything else please let me know.

[transtemporal]

It may end up being the case that, if I take WF Power Attack, I'll be using PA sparingly. Depending on how often I'm missing at end-game, I may spec out of it eventually.

That would be a pity as its a nifty boost to DPS that no other race gets.

You've got me intrigued now asp. Now that 20th level is closer, these builds aren't looking so gonzo. How many sp is your guy looking at?

[Aspenor]

That would be a pity as its a nifty boost to DPS that no other race gets.

You've got me intrigued now asp. Now that 20th level is closer, these builds aren't looking so gonzo. How many sp is your guy looking at?

From past experience, probably more than enough to keep myself buffed and healed between between shrines. I'll do the calcs soon and post a more concise number.

[Aspenor]

From past experience, probably more than enough to keep myself buffed and healed between between shrines. I'll do the calcs soon and post a more concise number.

Added spell points. Readjusted gear for the lifted NDA, working in the Torc for more spell points. Archmagi item optional, but helpful, and swapped out after buffs.