Stalwart Defender

[Thrudh]

Human, true neutral, 20 fighter - 34 point build

STR 17
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 12
WIS 9
CHA 12

(+2 tome for all)

Skills
Jump
Intimidate
UMD
Balance

Feats:
1 Toughness, Khopesh, Stunning Blow
2 WF: Slash
3 Barbarian Past Life Feat (+2 Intimidate +1 hp per level, 1 rage)
4 WS: Slash
6 Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
8 IC: Slash
9 Power Attack
10 THF
12 ITHF, GTHF
14 WF2: Slash
15 WS2: Slash
16 Quick Draw
18 WF3: Slash, ??
20 ?

I can switch to TWF when I get a +3 tome (or I can waste one level up and use a +2 tome), but I'm sticking with THF for now (since I already have a Min II greataxe)

Obviously he'll have great AC and great intimidate...

I'm worried his DPS will be low. Should I change his starting stats in order to get TWF with a +2 tome? I want to be to switch to Kensai later to try that out as well

Any glaring mistakes? Never rolled a fighter before...

[Quikster]

before I agree/disagree what are you looking to do with this build?

[AxeM]

Will have bad saves, and an unexciting AC.
Probably not enough intim for most elite raids either
DPS will also be mediocre

[Thrudh]

Will have bad saves, and an unexciting AC.
Probably not enough intim for most elite raids either
DPS will also be mediocre

Heh, will have awesome AC and awesome intim... Do I have to spell out a human stalwart defender's AC with a solid dex?

AC:
10 Base
15 DT armor
9 Tower Shield
2 Alchemical ritual
6 Dex
5 Protection
5 CE
3 Stalwart Defender
3 Dodge (Chattering ring or DT)
4 Insight
2 ToD set
3 Barkskin
1 Haste

= 68 AC

When in defensive stance, it's another 4 Dodge AC (200% hate too)

= 72 AC

When in blocking mode, it's another 5 AC

= 77 AC

This is all SELF-buffed (beholder AC would be 73)

Add in
4 Bard Song
2 Ranger Barkskin
2 Recitation
3 Paly Aura

and you're at

= 88 AC

And I could probably fit in another 3 with a Dodge feat and the Chaosguarde

= 91 AC

Intimidate will be in high 60s easily... Might be able to hit 70 with SF: Intimidate.



DPS is what I'm worried about... Just plain jane THF with Power Attack... I'll play around with Kensai too for fun... And yeah will saves will be bad...

This is probably just an interim build on my way to 36-point barbarian... Never played an all-out intimitank before... thought it might be interesting

[Quikster]

Heh, will have awesome AC and awesome intim... Do I have to spell out a human stalwart defender's AC with a solid dex?

AC:
10 Base
15 DT armor
9 Tower Shield
2 Alchemical ritual
6 Dex
5 Protection
5 CE
3 Stalwart Defender
3 Dodge (Chattering ring or DT)
4 Insight
2 ToD set
3 Barkskin
1 Haste

= 68 AC

When in defensive stance, it's another 4 Dodge AC (200% hate too)

= 72 AC

When in blocking mode, it's another 5 AC

= 77 AC

This is all SELF-buffed (beholder AC would be 73)

Add in
4 Bard Song
2 Ranger Barkskin
2 Recitation
3 Paly Aura

and you're at

= 88 AC

And I could probably fit in another 3 with a Dodge feat and the Chaosguarde

= 91 AC

Intimidate will be in high 60s easily... Might be able to hit 70 with SF: Intimidate.



DPS is what I'm worried about... Just plain jane THF with Power Attack... I'll play around with Kensai too for fun... And yeah will saves will be bad...

This is probably just an interim build on my way to 36-point barbarian... Never played an all-out intimitank before... thought it might be interesting

Well like i said, id wait to see what you are using it fer, but if its just a pit stop on the way to a 36 pt barb, it will be fun. Saves can be jacked up if you pump up cha and take FoP. Will help intimi as well. If you dont plan to be the main intimi on elite/epic raid bosses, your intimi will be fine.

Ac is fine as well, though if you dont already have a lot of that gear, its really not worth farming for a barb, in which case your ac will be mediocre so you might as well forget SD and go Kensai. Kensai will be much more fun on a short term build imo.

One thing, although blocking ac is higher, i really dont count it in my ac calcs. Your intim isnt going to be high enough to lock everything, so there will be sometimes when you cant get that ac as you will be trying to hate tank (or would if you stuck with the build)

[Thrudh]

Well like i said, id wait to see what you are using it fer, but if its just a pit stop on the way to a 36 pt barb, it will be fun. Saves can be jacked up if you pump up cha and take FoP. Will help intimi as well. If you dont plan to be the main intimi on elite/epic raid bosses, your intimi will be fine.

Ac is fine as well, though if you dont already have a lot of that gear, its really not worth farming for a barb, in which case your ac will be mediocre so you might as well forget SD and go Kensai. Kensai will be much more fun on a short term build imo.

One thing, although blocking ac is higher, i really dont count it in my ac calcs. Your intim isnt going to be high enough to lock everything, so there will be sometimes when you cant get that ac as you will be trying to hate tank (or would if you stuck with the build)

How much intim do you need to hold raid bosses on elite? You only need low 50s to hold Suulo on norm, and low 60s I thought to hold Horoth... 70 won't be enough?

[tahlon]

I stand corrected on both accounts im told CE and stalwart stack as well as the alcehmical and dodge feat sorry for the mixup.

[Quikster]

The rituals are now both +1 doge bonuses to your armor and shield. Theydont stack together, and they dont stack with the dodge feat anymore. Its lame.

Really? When did this start? I dont remember losing any ac due to this change.

[tahlon]

One of the last mods I beleive had a guild with the dodge feat put a ritual on his armor it lsited as a dodge bonuses and his ac didint go up.

[Quikster]

How much intim do you need to hold raid bosses on elite? You only need low 50s to hold Suulo on norm, and low 60s I thought to hold Horoth... 70 won't be enough?

Im counting ....

23 ranks
15 item
6 SD
4 enhancements
2 past life
5 cha
02 HOGF
_______________
57
4 gh
2 bard
_______________
63
06 shroud (i guess if you made and item for your barb)
_______________
69


So i think Horoth on Elite is around 70 or 71, though I could very well be mistaken. Epic DQ is 80 i believe. I guess if you have a shroud item you can hit horoth, I just assumed you didnt have one on your barb, although I can think of a couple reasons some barb builds would make one, my guess would be most wont.

I also dont understand why you would make a shroud weapon for him, or get a set of FP right for him, or get the SD ring, and chattering ring if you are simply going to reincarnate to a barb.

[Thrudh]

I also dont understand why you would make a shroud weapon for him, or get a set of FP right for him, or get the SD ring, and chattering ring if you are simply going to reincarnate to a barb.

Ah, because I'm weird...

My barbarian was really a barbarian/fighter and he actually dabbled at intimitanking.. 90% of the time he was pure raging DPS, but he did tank in VoD and Hound and even Shroud way back when holding the devil was useful.

I did actually build a +6 CHA skills Shroud item for him... (or maybe it's +5... It has disease immunity and blindness immunity and +6 wisdom).

Chattering ring I don't have yet (even though I did 20 titans in my last reincarnation). I might go for it again...

You can actually get a decent AC on a barbarian/fighter... enough to tank most raids on normal...

And when I rebuild him he'll probably be 18/2 barbarian/fighter and I'll still want to handle minor tanking roles (I PUG a lot, and you'd be surprised how often he actually had the best intimidate or AC in the group).

You are right though that the SD set might be a waste - I'll try not to roll on that against any other SD, since this character may not be permanent.

(There IS a chance that I'll keep this guy as a fighter, though)

[Quikster]

Ah, because I'm weird...

My barbarian was really a barbarian/fighter and he actually dabbled at intimitanking.. 90% of the time he was pure raging DPS, but he did tank in VoD and Hound and even Shroud way back when holding the devil was useful.

I did actually build a +6 CHA skills Shroud item for him... (or maybe it's +5... It has disease immunity and blindness immunity and +6 wisdom).

Chattering ring I don't have yet (even though I did 20 titans in my last reincarnation). I might go for it again...

You can actually get a decent AC on a barbarian/fighter... enough to tank most raids on normal...

And when I rebuild him he'll probably be 18/2 barbarian/fighter and I'll still want to handle minor tanking roles (I PUG a lot, and you'd be surprised how often he actually had the best intimidate or AC in the group).

You are right though that the SD set might be a waste - I'll try not to roll on that against any other SD, since this character may not be permanent.

(There IS a chance that I'll keep this guy as a fighter, though)

Personally I like more in cha with FoP, as it also helps boost your intimi. But If you stay fighter, you can always redo the stats later when the rest of the Reincarnations come out.