18 Paladin/2 Monk questions

[Lakeland]

I have looked at this and it seems to be a solid concept, but not alot of build information on it. Human vs Halfling (or other a few other races really) and str vs dex and how much cha is enough or too much. Seems like every thread I have looked at brings up more questions then answers. It seems like a very survivable build (if done right, whatever that is) with very good saves and ac/hit points and enough damage and healing ability to solo as well as help a group. So has anyone really built this that is willing to share there information and ideas?

Basically I am looking for saves and ac/hp's and enough damage to be useful. I have a full blown monk that I love but I am an alt-a-holic what can I say. Race isn't a big deal if it makes sense and I have 32 point build +1 tome can be had. I worked one up on the character builder as a halfling but didn't end up getting dragonmarks (but did work it out to get all the halfling luck saves) so not sure if Halfling is the way to go (as the one real build posted here goes with dragonmarks I don't know that it's for me, are the dragonmarks a real need with access to heals/wands already?). I had gone with kopesh but not sure if that's the best way to go.

[mountaindew]

2 rogue is a much better option.


Sneak attack
Evasion
UMD

[Lakeland]

2 rogue is a much better option.


Sneak attack
Evasion
UMD

This has been talked about (alot) too, but I don't see me being behind a mob enough to make the sneak attack worth it and I also get evasion with monk I believe. UMD is really nice, really really nice even but won't I get more saves and better AC with monk?

Seems UMD was changed with this patch back to the fact you have to keep UMD skill up to use an item. Take your "+UMD item" off that you needed to use that other item and the other item now gets sent to your backpack. No more boosting UMD with items that you really aren't going to use and then equipping a bunch of stuff then taking the UMD items off, this could have a baring on how UMD is used in builds now.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=210393

[Guder]

I have looked at this and it seems to be a solid concept, but not alot of build information on it. Human vs Halfling (or other a few other races really) and str vs dex and how much cha is enough or too much. Seems like every thread I have looked at brings up more questions then answers. It seems like a very survivable build (if done right, whatever that is) with very good saves and ac/hit points and enough damage and healing ability to solo as well as help a group. So has anyone really built this that is willing to share there information and ideas?

Basically I am looking for saves and ac/hp's and enough damage to be useful. I have a full blown monk that I love but I am an alt-a-holic what can I say. Race isn't a big deal if it makes sense and I have 32 point build +1 tome can be had. I worked one up on the character builder as a halfling but didn't end up getting dragonmarks (but did work it out to get all the halfling luck saves) so not sure if Halfling is the way to go (as the one real build posted here goes with dragonmarks I don't know that it's for me, are the dragonmarks a real need with access to heals/wands already?). I had gone with kopesh but not sure if that's the best way to go.

couple of good points about Monk splash are:
evasion at lvl 2
3 feats for 2 levels (ONLY lvl 1-3 feats but can do twf chain and springattack chain)
+3 to all saves vs. +2 reflex for rogue
+1 enhancement to Intim
+1 Wisdom Stat enhance (lets u start at 10 then add +3 tome to get lvl 4 spells w/no item or even now 9base and +4 tome)

Rogue splash gets:
Evasion at lvl2
+ 6.5 avg damage if sneak attack (not applied if tanking tho)
maximize UMD
maximize Intimidate

Really nice attributes to either build as tank splash...roll with personal preference but nutz! to losing your Pally capstone

[Lakeland]

couple of good points about Monk splash are:
evasion at lvl 2
3 feats for 2 levels (ONLY lvl 1-3 feats but can do twf chain and springattack chain)
+3 to all saves vs. +2 reflex for rogue
+1 enhancement to Intim
+1 Wisdom Stat enhance (lets u start at 10 then add +3 tome to get lvl 4 spells w/no item or even now 9base and +4 tome)

Rogue splash gets:
Evasion at lvl2
+ 6.5 avg damage if sneak attack (not applied if tanking tho)
maximize UMD
maximize Intimidate

Really nice attributes to either build as tank splash...roll with personal preference but nutz! to losing your Pally capstone

Good information and thanks! I guess for me with my highest level character being 11th I don't really look at level 20 as being real so a capstone is secondary to me. I look at survivability solo and usefulness in a group from low to mid levels more then level 20 or raiding. Is a pure pally going to be as easy to solo with and as good to a group as a pally splashed with rogue/monk? The added feats and saves seems to really bring alot to a guy that isn't really worried about level 20?

[Guder]

Good information and thanks! I guess for me with my highest level character being 11th I don't really look at level 20 as being real so a capstone is secondary to me. I look at survivability solo and usefulness in a group from low to mid levels more then level 20 or raiding. Is a pure pally going to be as easy to solo with and as good to a group as a pally splashed with rogue/monk? The added feats and saves seems to really bring alot to a guy that isn't really worried about level 20?

When considering from that pov(not building for 20-which I really think u'll miss the best parts of DDO...imo, real ddo doesn't even start till lvl 15-16)...I would go with Monk for that build...you dont need UMD until higher levels to use Heal Scrolls at 40umd anyway...so you will basically be using CSW wands and pots...and no real agro management is critical at lower levels...any Intim w/item controls trash mobs. Ur higher saves opens a slot for a DR item instead of resist item and with the evasion being a push(both get) it's the extra feat that really makes it useful for the Pally (already so **** tight on feats.) Good Luck

[Tanka]

Benefits to both:

Rogue 2
Evasion
1d6 Sneak Attack
+3 SA (1AP)
+1 to-hit while SA-ing (1AP)
Rogue Dex 1 (2AP)
Full access to all rogue skills (notably: Intimidate, UMD, Balance)
+3 Reflex save

Monk 2
Evasion
1st rank Animal path (1AP)
Wis bonus to AC
2 Feats (especially useful on a feat-starved class)
Monk Wis 1 (2AP)
Full access to all monk skills (notably: Balance)
Flurry of Blows (great for vorpal kamas; also good for anarchic burst handwraps of greater construct bane [assuming you can find them])
+3 Fort/Ref/Wil saves

I personally like Monk better, especially if you're going TWF.

[Junts]

Benefits to both:

Rogue 2
Evasion
1d6 Sneak Attack
+3 SA (1AP)
+1 to-hit while SA-ing (1AP)
Rogue Dex 1 (2AP)
Full access to all rogue skills (notably: Intimidate, UMD, Balance)
+3 Reflex save

Monk 2
Evasion
1st rank Animal path (1AP)
Wis bonus to AC
2 Feats (especially useful on a feat-starved class)
Monk Wis 1 (2AP)
Full access to all monk skills (notably: Balance)
Flurry of Blows (great for vorpal kukris; also good for anarchic burst handwraps of greater construct bane [assuming you can find them])
+3 Fort/Ref/Wil saves

I personally like Monk better, especially if you're going TWF.

flurry doesnt work with kukris. .. it would work with kamas.

[Tanka]

flurry doesnt work with kukris. .. it would work with kamas.

I totally meant to type kamas. My brain is fried.

[Vorn]

Monk splash can add tier one of air stance when using centered weapons--mostly vorps and gcb on my guy.

[Lakeland]

When considering from that pov(not building for 20-which I really think u'll miss the best parts of DDO...imo, real ddo doesn't even start till lvl 15-16)...I would go with Monk for that build...you dont need UMD until higher levels to use Heal Scrolls at 40umd anyway...so you will basically be using CSW wands and pots...and no real agro management is critical at lower levels...any Intim w/item controls trash mobs. Ur higher saves opens a slot for a DR item instead of resist item and with the evasion being a push(both get) it's the extra feat that really makes it useful for the Pally (already so **** tight on feats.) Good Luck

I'm a returning player, when I stopped playing 12 was the cap. I don't see how people level so fast, but 20 seems crazy amounts of exp to get for me when I'm playing (guess I'm a true casual player). Can you get and keep 40 UMD at all times easy enough? I know when I played before I could put on +UMD item then equip a rr item and then take the +UMD item off and the rr item stayed on, it seems that it's not that way now so it makes things a bit different now.

I think I guess I will go with monk (I like extra feats) and so with that would it be best to to 1 and 2 monk and then 3-20 Pally to get the evasion as soon as possible? Would Human (+1 feat and skill point) be good? I worked it out as a halfling on a character builder (for saves mainly for the dragon marks, but didn't even use them in the build, but liked the saves from halfling luck).

[Diplominator]

Hoo boy. First post.

I was gonna make a new thread but this one seems to have a lot of the same questions I do. So, sorry for the thread semi-hijack, but one thread is better than two.

I'm basically turbine's perfect customer, having been lured in by the free to play stuff, then enticed into buying turbine points, then finally becoming a VIP. I am a consumer *****. Moving on.

I've leveled a fighter intimitank up to level 17 and learned a lot. The main thing I have learned is that specializing in AC is almost always either boring or useless, often both against really hard stuff like Sorjek. So, after I get 1750 favor and leave the fighter behind forever, I want to play a paladin, and while I'd like to think I'm fairly competent at making builds (I was great in PnP), I'm too new to DDO to know what I need to. Therefore, I beg for your advice. I have a variety of dilemmas. First, I'd just like to mention that my goal is to make a paladin that can support the party through his aura and lay on hands while still being fairly durable and providing consistent DPS, preferably without relying on smiting too much. Or, if that's unrealistic, as close to it as I can manage.

Dilemma the first:
Warforged vs. Drow
Both have their advantages, as far as I can see. Warforged would be cool, and they have great immunities, but the wis and cha penalties are annoying. Not insurmountable, of course, but annoying. Drow can use normal armor, and get bonuses to Cha and Dex, which are very helpful, the latter in particular if I go TWF and/or pick up evasion. The racial enhancements are kinda a wash. Warforged get PA, THF, and hate improvements, Drow get limited SR (useful?) and possibly interesting weapon enhancements. Warforged get bladesworn transformation which is cool, but kinda necessitates THF, drow get vulkoor enhancements which appear somewhat subpar. Drow do get a higher base CHA for divine might IV. The other advantage to drow is that I can start this character NOW. I don't have 32 point buy yet, but I do have head start, and I am getting tired of being an AC tank with 28 point buy and kinda crappy gear.

Dilemma the second:
Paladin 20 vs. Multiclassing
I am the most torn here. A few levels of monk or rogue for evasion and saves would be nice. I'm not interested in intimidate since I'll only have a moderate AC, but UMD might be nice for repair wands as a WF or just the use of various items. I won't miss the single lost point of BAB, or the lost spells and extra smite from paladin 19 or 20. However, I will miss out on some enhancements like the capstone (pretty cool), redemption III (maybe cool), and divine might IV (VERY cool). Also, the delay in getting various enhancements resulting from multiclassing will irritate me far more than it probably should. Oh, and multiclassing would probably reduce end-game smite damage. I'm not so concerned about that but I mention it for completeness.

Dilemma the third:
THF vs. TWF
I have done sword and board, in the same way I have done Enter the Kobold. Been there, done that, never want to do it again. I think that THF would be better if I did Warforged, and TWf for drow, but I know little about the relative merits of each. I would THINK that THF would work fine, especially for a warforged, but virtually without exception I've seen TWF paladin builds. If I have correctly understood things, it's because smites get applied to both hits for TWF, along with the sheer number of attacks for divine might to apply to. I can see how that would be a big argument for TWF, but I'd like to be sure. Honestly, a THF warforged with bladesworn transformation and a hefty power attack seems COOLER, but if it's genuinely WORSE than TWF then I'll probably go that route. I haven't played the game enough to know for sure.

Dilemma the fourth:
Prestige enhancements vs. none
Of all the paladin enhancements, I like Defender of Siberys the best. Which is a shame, since I have sworn off playing AC tanks for the next always. The others seem too situational to be of any great utility. I'm sure they are amazing against their chosen foes, and undead and outsiders are indeed common, but I've never had any great difficulty with them as a fighter, and I'd think that their smitability would make them vulnerable enough that I could better use the action points on other enhancements.

Dilemma the fifth:
Weapon Choice
If I become a warforged THF paladin, I will definitely do greatswords for the racial enhancements to PA and THF, as well as the Lord of Blades stuff. If I do TWF, however, what should I do? Take OTWF and join the silver flame for longswords? Be a drow, follow vulkoor, use short swords, and get all the drow enhancements for those? Use khopeshes like EVERYONE else seems to? I don't know enough about their relative merits.


That was a longer first post than I intended to write. It'll probably all go downhill from here.

[tymora]

I'm hoping to see some answers to Diplominator's questions, as this is exactly the info I'm looking for as well. I'm new to the game, have played many MMO's, and find DDO to be quite fun. I'm upgrading my account to VIP this weekend, but don't yet enough points to do a 32 point build. I made several mistakes on my first character, and want to make sure that I make my paladin correctly.