Is this a decent build for a new player?

[firesnakearies77]

I wanted to make a fighter/healer hybrid, mostly for solo survivability, but hopefully at least minimally useful in groups as well. Being human, fighting with a greatsword in full plate, and having strong self-healing abilities were basic design requirements that I wanted. This is what I came up with:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.10
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Valrik Hawkthorne
Level 20 Chaotic Good Human Male
(4 Fighter \ 16 Favored Soul) 
Hit Points: 208
Spell Points: 1720 
BAB: 16\16\21\26\26
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 12
Will: 13

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Stats         Base Stats         Modified Stats
Abilities        (Level 1)          (Level 20)           (Level 20)
Strength             17                 23                   25
Dexterity            11                 12                   12
Constitution         11                 12                   12
Intelligence          9                 10                   10
Wisdom               11                 12                   14
Charisma             13                 14                   18

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 3

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills        Base Skills        Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)          (Level 20)          (Level 20)
Balance               1                 10                   10
Bluff                 1                  4                    4
Concentration         0                  1                    1
Diplomacy             1                  4                    4
Disable Device       n/a                n/a                   n/a
Haggle                1                  4                    4
Heal                  0                  2                    2
Hide                  0                  1                    1
Intimidate            1                  4                    4
Jump                  7                 30                   32
Listen                0                  2                    2
Move Silently         0                  1                    1
Open Lock             n/a               n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a               n/a                   n/a
Repair               -1                  0                    0
Search               -1                  0                    0
Spot                  0                  2                    2
Swim                  3                  7                    7
Tumble                1                 12                   12
Use Magic Device      n/a               n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Cleave
Feat: (Diety) Favored by the Sovereign Host
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Spell (1): Cure Light Wounds
Spell (1): Divine Favor
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Jump I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Armored Agility I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I


Level 3 (Fighter)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Human Versatility II


Level 5 (Fighter)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons


Level 6 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Great Cleave
Spell (1): Remove Fear
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Strength I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Charisma I


Level 7 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (1): Protection From Evil
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life I


Level 8 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (2): Cure Moderate Wounds
Enhancement: Favored Soul Jump II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wisdom I


Level 9 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Fire
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Spell (2): Lesser Restoration
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Life I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion II


Level 10 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (3): Cure Serious Wounds
Enhancement: Unyielding Sovereignty
Enhancement: Favored Soul Charisma II


Level 11 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (2): Resist Energy
Spell (3): Remove Blindness
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic III


Level 12 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Spell (4): Cure Critical Wounds
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wisdom II


Level 13 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (2): Remove Paralysis
Spell (3): Remove Curse
Spell (4): Restoration
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Charisma I


Level 14 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Cold
Spell (5): Protection From Elements


Level 15 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Handed Fighting
Spell (3): Remove Disease
Spell (4): Neutralize Poison
Spell (5): Break Enchantment
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Charisma III


Level 16 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (6): Heal
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic IV


Level 17 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Spell (4): Deathward
Spell (5): Raise Dead
Spell (6): Word of Recall
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion IV


Level 18 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Mental Toughness
Spell (7): Greater Restoration
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Life II


Level 19 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+0.5)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Electricity
Spell (5): True Seeing
Spell (6): Greater Dispel Magic
Spell (7): Resurrection
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III


Level 20 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (8): Death Pact
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wand and Scroll Mastery I

No equipment is included, of course. Does this look like an acceptable character build for a new player's first character? I have no idea if I've horribly screwed something up or not.

Thanks!

[Angelus_dead]

Here's the feat list you gave:
PA, Cleave, Gr Cleave, WF, Spec, MT, IMT, THF, ITHF, Imp Crit, GTHF.

No equipment is included, of course. Does this look like an acceptable character build for a new player's first character? I have no idea if I've horribly screwed something up or not.

It's not horrible, but it's also probably not as good as you hope. The fighter levels are unlikely to be providing enough benefit to make up for the spells and DR you don't get. It's a common mistake: people assume that a character with 20% levels from a warrior class will be 20% better at fighting.

Note that from the fighter levels you gain martial weapons, tower shields, weapon spec, and 3 feat slots. But you spent two of those feats for Weapon Focus and Weapon Spec, so it's really just 1 more slot. And that's used for Mental Toughness, which provides way less spellpoints than more levels of FVS would bring.

As a rule of thumb, MT is pointless for FVS and Sorc. MT provides the same amount of spellpoints to every character, meaning it's a big boost for a paladin or ranger, but a small change to someone who already had a lot of mana.

You also have the Cleave and Great Cleave feats... in fact you have Cleave from level 1. Those are really low-value, and you're evidently overestimating their worth. Cleave has some use, especially if you use a shield, but Great Cleave is a lot worse than it, and neither is especially good.

I also see you took Fighter Item Defense, which is almost laughably needless, but not Fighter Haste Boost, which is the strongest enhancement Fighter levels grant you.

I recommend you cancel the Fighter levels, and just be a pure Favored Soul. Or instead take only 1 Fighter level. As a pure Favored Soul, you'd take feats of PA, THF, ITHF, GTHF, Imp Crit, and Falchion proficiency. Obviously take that proficiency at level 1 so you can start fighting immediately, although remember that a Quarterstaff is not that much worse until you can get a falch. There are two more feats than I gave in that list, so you could take Toughness, Extend, Quicken, Maximize, Empower, or whatever. In fact it might be good to skip GTHF to get a few more metamagics.

Extend would make your buffs last longer, especially Divine Favor and Divine Power, so it is pretty useful (and convenient) to have from the low levels.
Quicken would let you reliably cast spells while being damaged, and is more important at high level when mobs are more dangerous.
Maximize or Empower would make most of your spells do more hitpoints.

If you took 1 more Fighter level you'd lose the Favored Soul's level 20 spellpoints, spell slot, DR 10, and free unlimited Cure spell, but gain two feats. Which way you go is up to you.

[Angelus_dead]

About Enhancements:
To take an enhancement series all the way to the end is often a mistake. Each step of the series costs more AP, but basically gives the same benefit as the earlier steps, or even less. So Energy IV and Human Recovery III are probably too expensive, and you could find better uses for the points.

About Spells:
The spells you listed are CLW, DF, Rem Fear, Prot Evil, CMW, Lesser Resto, Resist Energy, Rem Blind, CSW, CCW, Rem Para, Rem Curse, Resto, Prot Ele, Rem Disease, Neut Poison, BE, Heal, DW, Raise, Recall, Gr Resto, TS, GDM, Ress, Death Pact.

The most important spell problem is missing Divine Power, which is what allows an FVS to melee. You have some spells which are obsoleted by later ones, although it's OK to start with the lower spells at first and then swap. But you have many things that few FVS would ever take: Rem Fear, Prot Evil, Rem Blind, Rem Para, Rem Disease, Neut Poison, Recall, GDM. Rem Curse and Lesser Resto are also fairly unpopular for FVS.

You can probably figure out some better spells for those slots as you go along, although of course your low wisdom means many spells would be pretty weak. You could instead look at using some of those slots for other buffs like Shield of Faith, Spell Resist, Mass Deathward, Freedom of Movement, etc. You also might drop some lower Cures and pick up a Mass Cure.

This guide might help: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=198500

[firesnakearies77]

Thanks a lot for the awesome advice, Angelus! I appreciate it.

[Vormaerin]

The thing about the debuff removing spells like Neutralize Poison and Cure Disease is that you can easily get wands to do those things. The caster level is irrelevant. So its never a good idea to actually take them as a Favored Soul, since you only need them occasionally and you don't have a lot of slots. Clerics have the slots, but the spell point cost is generally too high so they go the wand route, also.

DDO is a pretty high magic version of D&D. Wands, scrolls, and potions are there if want them. And, generally, you do.

[jddonkeykong]

AD is a wealth of info.

my 2 cents , 208 hp is pretty low if you plan on meleeing very much.

[Vormaerin]

Yes, but that is his bare naked and unbuffed total. He doesn't have his Favor awards, GFL items, Minos Legends, or any of the things experienced players take for granted. He'll have far more than 200hp when he's actually there...