first WF, Machineato - lvl20 kensai

[krud]

OK, I'm thinking about making my first WF. Nothing real fancy, just a TWF khopesh wielding pure kensai fighter. I will call him Machineato - the walking blender.

I'm a total WF noob, so any advice is good advice. With plenty of feats to spare I figure I could focus on dr. I should have a passive dr9 (addy body, two dr enhancements, and 5 dr feats). Is the DR a worthwhile pursuit or just plain stupid?

here's what I had in mind:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.08
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Machineato 
Level 20 True Neutral Warforged Male
(20 Fighter) 
Hit Points: 382
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 9
Will: 4
                Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             18                    26
Dexterity            16                    17
Constitution         16                    18
Intelligence          8                     8
Wisdom                6                     6
Charisma              6                     6
Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 1
 
Level 1 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Adamantine Body
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
Level 3 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Level 4 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Level 5 (Fighter)
Level 6 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Level 7 (Fighter)
Level 8 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Level 10 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Level 11 (Fighter)
Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Level 13 (Fighter)
Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Level 16 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack
Level 17 (Fighter)
Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Level 19 (Fighter)
Level 20 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Superior Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost III
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Fighter Weapon Alacrity
Enhancement: Kensei Khopesh Mastery I
Enhancement: Kensei Khopesh Mastery II
Enhancement: Kensei Khopesh Mastery III
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy III
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei II
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei III
Enhancement: Fighter Khopesh Specialization I
Enhancement: Fighter Khopesh Specialization II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength III
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness III
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction I
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction II
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend I
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend II
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack II

[Aranticus]

your damage reduction will come in useful when you are commanded. 6 wis and nothing to boost will saves is a good way to die. this is what i recommend, reduce IDR to 3 and add iron will and bullheaded (helps with intimidate too!)

[binnsr]

your damage reduction will come in useful when you are commanded. 6 wis and nothing to boost will saves is a good way to die. this is what i recommend, reduce IDR to 3 and add iron will and bullheaded (helps with intimidate too!)

I approve of this message.

[Absolute-Omniscience]

Go with
18
15
14
8
10
6

20 less hp. +2 will save.

[Roman]

You only need enough dex to pick up GTwF. If you ever plan on making any attempt at AC, at least get int to a base 10 so you can pickup CE with a +3 int tome if you decide later on.

18 str costs a lot of build points. is that last +1 to hit, +1 damage really worth it? Even if you dont get int to a 10 base I think you would be better served with higher will saves vs. the +1 hit/dmg from 18 str.

[krud]

if I put on a wisdom item and spend a +2tome on him I may get an 8 unbuffed will save. If I follow recommendations with a 10 wis and those two feats I'll have a 13 unbuffed will save. Is that going to be high enough? Most of my other toons got 20+ will saves so I'm not so familiar with the low end of the spectrum.

No initimdate, or meaningful AC expected on this guy. plus, I don't throw pp around for tomes, so minimal tomeage is preferred.

[krud]

Str 16
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 8
Wis 12
Cha 6

and iron will, bullheaded, and 3idr (7dr total)?

[Roman]

if I put on a wisdom item and spend a +2tome on him I may get an 8 unbuffed will save. If I follow recommendations with a 10 wis and those two feats I'll have a 13 unbuffed will save. Is that going to be high enough? Most of my other toons got 20+ will saves so I'm not so familiar with the low end of the spectrum.

No initimdate, or meaningful AC expected on this guy. plus, I don't throw pp around for tomes, so minimal tomeage is preferred.

13 unbuffed
+3 Warforged enhancement
+4 GH
+3/6 Shroud item (GS Wis item and/or +2, +1 will save)
+6 Belt of Tongue
__
29/32 Will save

I personally think will saves are important and with some equipment and planning you can achieve a very good will save. Afterall, DPS is zero when your laying on your back.

[Aranticus]

You only need enough dex to pick up GTwF. If you ever plan on making any attempt at AC, at least get int to a base 10 so you can pickup CE with a +3 int tome if you decide later on.

18 str costs a lot of build points. is that last +1 to hit, +1 damage really worth it? Even if you dont get int to a 10 base I think you would be better served with higher will saves vs. the +1 hit/dmg from 18 str.

i would rather lower dex to 15 and use a +2 dex tome than to lower str to 16

[Absolute-Omniscience]

Str 16
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 8
Wis 12
Cha 6

and iron will, bullheaded, and 3idr (7dr total)?

18 strength, don't even think about lowering it.

[krud]

18 strength, don't even think about lowering it.

Are will saves for a WF that important or not, considering they are immune to many hold/paralysis effects? What's a good buffed will save to avoid lying on my back in current end game? 15? 20? 25? Aside from the shroud gnoll, where else do they throw around greater command? I hardly ever see command anywhere else (or at least I hardly ever notice it).

The main thing to consider is I can't stand builds that require grinding must-have loot in order to make them work (I'm grumpy that way). I build my toons to do what they are supposed to with minimal twinkage in mind. I don't feel so bad deleting them if I haven't spent gobs of tomes or larges on them. With that in mind the trade off doesn't seem so bad.

16 str/12 wis = +3 will save, -1tohit, -1damage

18str/10wis/14con/15dex = +2will save, -20hp, +2dex tome required

[Roman]

During each mod, you will find a handful of ideas to min/max a build for the current content. Many times these types of builds "break" at the slightest change in game mechanics. Hence the the term FoTM (Flavor of The Month). Maybe an argument can be made that will saves are a non issue today, except maybe for the gnoll in shroud. But I see that as just a foreshadow of challenges to come.

Surely future content will exploit the greatest weaknesses of each class, and for fighters that is the will save.

For example, In mod 9, we already have a new spell that may prove to be even more annoying than Dispel.

Mordenkainen’s Disjunction
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
A powerful force disrupts magical effects on the target, removing ongoing spells that have been cast on a target. You must make a caster level check of 1d20 + your caster level (no maximum) versus 11 + the spell's caster level to remove a spell effect, and your target must make a Will save for each equipped item or all magical properties on them are temporarily disabled.

I think we will see more attacks like this in future updates, aimed at a classes weakness. I have personally found min/maxing and trying to guess the future a frustrating exercise. I advocate balanced builds, and reducing rather than ignoring a classes weaknesses.