Revisiting paths: Builds for new players

[bbenson07]

Hello folks,

If anyone is up to the challenge - i'm after a build from the people who know for a very specific race/class combo.

My plan is to either LR+3 a Drow,Wiz12/Rogue2 or a Human Fighter12/Pally 2 - i'm after the build that offers me the most potent DPS with soloing power.

Your working with a 32 build;

- the human fighter/pally has already nice pair of Kopesh weapons.

-the drow, for some kind of reason i like the idea of monk/wiz with even a lvl of rogue - are monk/wiz mellee decent?


Thanks in advance! A finely put together lvling sheet would be awesome.


Kind regards,

BB

[hiryuu42]

That's really better suited to making a new thread instead of adding to a very long existing one.

I can't say I've ever booted someone for their build choice, but a drow wiz/monk melee build would certainly press the issue. Both the wiz/rogue and Fighter/Pal are decent damage dishing soloing combos. To offer advice, it would help to know what you find lacking in your current path.

[twidenbar]

when making a new build (and this is my first time and i do not have alot of experience ) for a fighter/vanguard you mention for skills to get 1 rank in tumble then the rest into balance and have it like that till L20

just wondering why those 2 skills and not any others during the process of leveling or do the other skills not apply when you are a fighter class

[hiryuu42]

Fighters get two skill points per level, plus their Intelligence bonus. 8 Intelligence gives you a -1 bonus, for 1 point per level total. So, other skills might be useful to a Fighter, but not useful enough to justify getting more Int. Humans get +1 skill point per level, and Drow start with more Int, so they get 2 points each level.

As for why those two skills specifically, Tumble only works if you take at least one rank either at first level or when leveling up. You can use item bonuses to boost it some later. Balance lets you recover from Trip and other knockdown effects, making it quite useful for anyone in close combat.

With a few exceptions (like Tumble and Jump), skills should either be maxed out or dumped entirely.

[boltok]

I am using this build (for new players) which I happen to be and very lost at this point...

I followed everything and distributed my enhancement points, that's where I'm sire I need help... My build after quote.

Stalwart Soldier (L20 Fighter)

Concept: Intimi-tank focusing on defense, but still able to switch to a more offensive role if needed
Original path's flaws: Many wasted feats (in particular multiple Toughness, Improved Sunder, Improved Shield Bash)
Main fixes: Revised stats and feats to get in particular better Will saves, Intimidate, UMD, Damage Reduction while shield-blocking and damage output with Two-Handed weapons

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good, Neutral, Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good

Stats and Race (28/32 pt):
........Drow.....Dwarf......Elf.....Halfling...Human...Warforged.
.Str.....15......14/15.....14/15.....13/14.....14/15.......14....
.Dex.....14......15/16.......14........14........14........14....
.Con.....14........14......13/14.....14/15.....14/15.....14/16...
.Int.....13........13........13........13........13........13....
.Wis.....8.........9.........8.........8.........8........9/10...
.Cha.....13........10........13........13........13......10/11...

Ability increase every 4 levels: All in Str.

Skills, except Human: At character creation, get one rank (two skill points) into Tumble, max out Intimidate and UMD, and spend your remaining skill points into Balance. On further levels, keep Intimidate and UMD maxed out, and spend extra skill points into Balance.
Skills, Human: Same, but Balance can be maxed out at all levels, while extra skill points should go into Jump.

Feats (by level), Drow, Elf and Halfling: Toughness (1), Dodge (1), Combat Expertise (2), Improved Trip (3), Shield Mastery (4), Weapon Focus: Slash (6), Weapon Specialization: Slash (6), Improved Critical: Slash (8), Force of Personality (9), Power Attack (10), Skill Focus: Intimidate (12), Improved Shield Mastery (12), Greater Weapon Specialization: Slash (14), Bullheaded (15), Two-Handed Fighting (16), Skill Focus: UMD (18), Improved Two-Handed Fighting (18), Greater Two-Handed Fighting (20)
Feats (by level), Human: (Updated on 2010/10/07, click here if you started this build earlier): Toughness (1), Dodge (1), Force of Personality (1), Combat Expertise (2), Improved Trip (3), Shield Mastery (4), Weapon Focus: Slash (6), Weapon Specialization: Slash (6), Improved Critical: Slash (8), Least Dragonmark of Sentinel [requires unlocking dragonmarks] (9), Power Attack (10), Skill Focus: Intimidate (12), Improved Shield Mastery (12), Greater Weapon Specialization: Slash (14), Bullheaded (15), Two-Handed Fighting (16), Skill Focus: UMD (18), Improved Two-Handed Fighting (18), Greater Two-Handed Fighting (20)
Feats (by level), Dwarf: Toughness (1), Dodge (1), Combat Expertise (2), Improved Trip (3), Shield Mastery (4), Weapon Focus: Slash (6), Weapon Specialization: Slash (6), Improved Critical: Slash (8), Skill Focus: Intimidate (9), Power Attack (10), Bullheaded (12), Improved Shield Mastery (12), Greater Weapon Specialization: Slash (14), Skill Focus: UMD (15), Two-Handed Fighting (16), Lightning Reflexes (18), Improved Two-Handed Fighting (18), Greater Two-Handed Fighting (20)
Feats (by level), Warforged: Adamantine Body (1), Dodge (1), Combat Expertise (2), Toughness (3), Improved Trip (4), Weapon Focus: Slash (6), Shield Mastery (6), Improved Critical: Slash (8), Weapon Specialization: Slash (9), Power Attack (10), Skill Focus: Intimidate (12), Improved Shield Mastery (12), Greater Weapon Specialization: Slash (14), Bullheaded (15), Two-Handed Fighting (16), Skill Focus: UMD (18), Improved Two-Handed Fighting (18), Greater Two-Handed Fighting (20)

Special note: Enhancements below marked with a (*) should be taken so as to maximize your Dexterity bonus to AC. The exact amount you need will depend on your gear, and this is why no specific tier is provided. Make sure you read the AC page on DDOWiki to understand AC in general and maximum Dexterity bonus to AC in particular. Ideally the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC of your Armor and Tower Shield would be equal (after bonuses from enhancements), and your Dexterity modifier would be high enough to reach this same number.

For more information about picking enhancements please read this post.
Enhancements (Fighter): Armor Class Boost III, Armor Mastery III, Haste Boost III, Intimidate II, Item Defense II, Stalwart Defender III, Strategy (Trip) II, Strength II, Tower Shield Mastery (*), Weapon Alacrity (capstone)
Enhancements (Drow): Dexterity (*), Enchantment Resistance I, Racial Toughness II
Enhancements (Dwarf): Armor Mastery (*), Axe Attack I, Axe Damage I, Constitution I, Racial Toughness II, Spell Defense II, Tactics I
Enhancements (Elf): Dexterity (*), Enchantment Resistance I, Racial Toughness II, Valenar Elf Melee Attack I, Valenar Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancements (Halfling): Dexterity (*), Guile I, Hero's Companion III, Luck (Reflex) I, Luck (Will) I, Racial Toughness II
Enhancements (Human): Adaptability Strength I, Improved Recovery II, Racial Toughness II, Versatility III
Enhancements (Warforged): Constitution I, Construct Thinking I, Great Weapon Aptitude I, Healer's Friend II, Racial Toughness II, Tactics I

Soloability by level:
No hireling..: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
With hireling: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tips:
- This build is meant to be able to switch between defense and offense. In defensive mode, you would be using a one-handed weapon with a Tower Shield (use whichever slashing weapon works best for you, it does not matter much since you will deal low damage). Gather monsters around you with the Intimidate skill, and get into the Combat Expertise and Stalwart Defender defensive stances while shield-blocking to mitigate as much damage as possible. Switch to offensive mode when there is no point in mitigating damage, wielding a Two-Handed Weapon (Greataxe on Dwarf, Falchion on Elf, and either Greataxe, Falchion or Greatsword for other races), and turning on Power Attack.
- Remember blocking angle is important: you will not benefit from increased Damage Reduction if attacks come from behind you, so avoid being surrounded (corners and doors are your friends).
- Your best armor will be Mithral Full Plate until you can obtain Dragontouched Armor. Shield-wise, try to find a Mithral Tower Shield, and at L15+ run the Hound of Xoriat raid to obtain Levik's Defender (in the meantime you can also try to get the Madstone Shield from the Reaver's Fate raid).
- Other common ways to increase your AC include Protection items, Barkskin potions, weapons of Parrying (and later on, crafted items with Insight bonus to AC), the Chaosgarde bracers, crafting recipes to increase the AC provided by your armor and shield, and more high level items found mostly in raids or Epic content. Overall, you will need some minimum amount of grinding to acquire the gear required for good AC at highest levels (although you can reach a decent AC without too much grind).
- Try to regularly use your Trip ability, it can be very effective, especially against casters.
- At low and mid-levels you should be able to solo rather easily, thanks to your good AC. At higher levels you will have to be in your strongest defensive mode for your AC to be really effective, which will take down your damage output, and you will better be grouping with damage-oriented melees.
- The investment in the UMD skill will not pay off until the later levels, but then you will be able to reach a useful score in this skill if you focus on it.
- Once you get the Force of Personality feat (Warforged and Dwarf do not get it), you do not need to wear a +Wis item anymore: focus on Cha instead, which will also boost your Intimidate and UMD.

Variants:
- Such a build can benefit from splashing two levels of Paladin: this gives in particular a significant bonus to saves (equal to your Cha modifier), early access to healing wands, and +1 AC through the Paladin Aura (assuming no other Paladin is near you). The drawback is the loss of the Fighter capstone (+10% double strike) and one feat (for instance Lightning Reflexes on a Human, or Greater Two-Handed Fighting otherwise). Overall it is well worth it on such a defensive build, and it was not done here mostly because it would not work well with all races without 32 pt builds and/or tomes (you would want to start with a bit more Cha to gain more benefit from the bonus to saves). If you go this route, remember to start with the Lawful Good alignment (required for Paladins), and run your character through the character planner to make sure your feat plan works (some feats are Fighter bonus feats that must be chosen among a subset of all feats, which can make planning tricky).
- Another popular variant that was not done here mostly because it is more stat and tome-dependent is to go for Two-Weapon Fighting instead of Two-Handed Fighting. Since a decent starting Dex is required for AC, it makes sense to take the opportunity to dual wield weapons at the same time (which requires 17+ Dex, counting only base score and tomes). This is especially powerful combined with Improved Trip, since your target needs to make two saves to avoid being tripped. In order to achieve this, ideally you would start with 15 Dex and use a +2 Dex tome later on (a Dwarf may start with higher Dex for AC purpose). This can be combined with the above Paladin variant.
- If you can get a Cha tome on a Dwarf or Warforged, you may tweak your stats and feats so as to pick Force of Personality (that requires 13+ Cha with base score and tomes). For instance Dwarf could follow the same feat progression as Drow, Elf and Halfling, while Warforged may drop Greater Two-Handed Fighting (be careful to re-do the feat progression with the character planner as it may require a significantly different feat order, since Force of Personality is not a Fighter bonus feat).
- If you can get an Int tome, you can take down Int by the same amount: the goal is to be able to reach 13 so as to pick Combat Expertise. You will need to switch some feats around (or respec them after using the tome) since you will not be able to pick Combat Expertise at L2. You will also lose a few skill points: just make sure you keep Intimidate and UMD maxed out.
- You may pick Cleave / Great Cleave instead of Improved / Greater Two-Handed Fighting. The purpose of Cleave would be to grab aggro from a group of monsters by hitting them all at once at the beginning of a fight. However, you can usually achieve the same result using Intimidate or swinging a Two-Handed Weapon (that deals Glancing Blows around you), so it is not necessarily better. I would mostly recommend Cleave instead of Improved Two-Handed Fighting if you do not have room for Greater Two-Handed Fighting (e.g. because you would be splashing Paladin and need to drop a feat).
- If you are debating Human vs Dwarf, consider the following: Humans get better Cha and thus benefit more from a Paladin splash and can reach higher Intimidate / UMD (in particular with the Human Versatility enhancement and the Least Dragonmark of Sentinel), they are also healed more easily with Improved Recovery. The main reason to go Dwarf, besides the Con enhancements, is access to the racial Armor Mastery enhancements, which can allow you to reach higher AC (assuming you can get the gear to boost your Dex high enough).
- This build is close in spirit to the Mighty Protector Paladin path. Roughly speaking, the Paladin may not reach as high Armor Class nor sustained damage output as the Fighter when in a group, but is more self-sufficient, and has better saves. The Paladin class also requires more "active" gameplay, due to short-term buffs and special abilitites.

Color code: best to worst = green, yellow, orange, red

Here is plan, I was wondering if you guys could help me distribute these enhancements points better, I'm pretty sure I made tons of mistakes: and if it wouldn't be too much a pain in the butt, could you use the format that I am using? I spent like 3 hours reading from the post I quoted to input it into my character planner. Thanks guys!

Meg

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.14.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Azrielle 
Level 20 Neutral Good Dwarf Female
(20 Fighter) 
Hit Points: 302
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 11
Will: 6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             15                    22
Dexterity            16                    16
Constitution         14                    15
Intelligence         13                    13
Wisdom                9                     9
Charisma             10                    10

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               4                    17.5
Bluff                 0                     0
Concentration         2                     2
Diplomacy             0                     0
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                0                     0
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  3                     3
Intimidate            4                    36
Jump                  2                     6
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently         3                     3
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                1                     1
Search                1                     3
Spot                 -1                    -1
Swim                  2                     6
Tumble                4                     4
Use Magic Device      2                    14.5

Level 1 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+2)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Combat Expertise
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics I


Level 3 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Trip
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I


Level 5 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery II


Level 6 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery I


Level 7 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost III
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 9 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Intimidate
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Fighter Strategy (Trip) I


Level 10 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery I


Level 11 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Fighter Strategy (Trip) II
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense II


Level 12 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Bullheaded
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Shield Mastery
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery II


Level 13 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Improved Intimidate I
Enhancement: Improved Intimidate II


Level 14 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery III


Level 15 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Use Magic Device
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II


Level 16 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery II


Level 17 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender I


Level 18 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Feat: (Selected) Lightning Reflexes
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender II


Level 19 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery III


Level 20 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Weapon Alacrity
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender III

[ishtara]

i was looking over your builds and i would actually like to see an artificer build.

[Belgarath22]

I know this is an old post and it is has been long since last update, still it is a very nice and usefull post where you can find a lot of good builds to start playing (I dont like most pre-builds)

I have build several toons from this guide, all very fun to play, thank for all the help and good work.

It would be very nice if someone could fix the links in the first page.

IMPORTANT: I am not playing anymore and thus this thread is not going to be updated further (at least by me). This means some builds are most likely outdated. If someone else wants to take over this thread it's ok with me, you are welcome to copy / edit / replace my own builds (just ask moderators to help with the transition).

In DDO, paths are pre-made builds that make it easy for a new player to jump into the game without having to understand the complex D&D character build mechanics. When following a path, you do not need to make your own choices at character creation nor when leveling-up, everything is done automatically. This is a great idea, but unfortunately many such paths have flaws that can make them at best sub-optimal, and at worst totally non viable in the long term, forcing the player to either reroll or buy some expensive respec tokens from the DDO store.

The purpose of this thread is to revisit each path and propose a new version (sometimes almost the same, sometimes quite different) that you can follow in order to keep a viable character from level 1 to the level cap (20). Note that to do so you must choose the "Customize" option during character creation (and follow this thread for how to spend stat points, skills, which feats to take when leveling up, etc.).

Update 9 remark: I am aware some builds would benefit from some slight revisions due to changes in U9. I will work on them as I find time to (which may take a while). Let me know if you think something should be fixed fast.

THIS IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS: I will be adding paths regularly over the next weeks. If you are interested in a specific path, send me a message, I will keep a log of the requests, and will adjust my planning accordingly.
You are more than welcome to post feedback, not just on builds themselves, but also on how the presentation is laid out, what should be better clarified, what information may be missing, etc.

PATH INDEX

• Barbarian: Bastion of the Outlands, Savage of the Wild, Storm of Kargon
• Bard: Spellsinger, Virtuoso of the Sword, Warchanter
• Cleric: Scourge of the Undead, The Font of Healing, Warpriest of Siberys
• Favored Soul: Angel of Vengeance, Beacon of Hope, Divine Avenger
• Fighter: Stalwart Soldier, Vanguard Warrior, Whirlwind Fighter
• Monk: Henshin Mystic, Ninja Spy, Shintao Monk, The Path of Light, The Path of Shadow, Two-headed Heron
• Paladin: The Flame of Justice, The Mighty Protector, The Truthbringer
• Ranger: Arcane Archer, Deepwood Sniper, Tempest
• Rogue: Master Mechanic, The Dark Blade, Thief Acrobat
• Sorcerer: Arcane Cannon, The Dynamic Hand, The Voice of Power
• Wizard: Elementalist, Necromancer, The Ingenious Sage

README FIRST

• Official build description
  The description you can read my hovering your mouse on the build name in each build is the one from Turbine. Keep in mind the revised version may be somewhat different from this description (although I tried to stay true to the original spirit of each build).
  
• Alignment
  For most builds, alignment is not that important (in the color code I am using, only red should absolutely be avoided). A few general rules to pick your alignment (the first rules supersede those that follow):
  - Make sure it is compatible with alignment restrictions from any class you may want to multiclass with.
  - If you are planning to have a high enough UMD, it is best to be Neutral.
  - Being Neutral is a bit better than other alignments in the long term, to avoid unholy damage and be able to use some specific items.
  - Being good-aligned makes it easier on non casters, since you can use Pure Good weapons, which are among the most useful randomly generated weapons you can find at lower levels. For this reason I chose to favor good alignment in some of the builds, as it is more "new-player-friendly", but keep in mind the previous rule.
  
• Tumble
  The ability to tumble can be handy in a varietey of situations. Even if some builds listed here do not spend points into Tumble, it is almost never a bad idea to spend 1 rank in it (you should be able to catch up on whatever skills you sacrificed after you acquire a +2 Int tome). This is especially useful for a Warforged melee who may be using a Docent of Defiance (which dramatically slows you down when its special effect triggers, so that tumbling around is key to be able to keep moving).
  
• Dragonmarks
  Most builds do not use dragonmark feats. The first reason is that dragonmarks need to be unlocked (even if this is very easy). The second reason is that dragonmarks are typically not worth a feat slot, except sometimes on a fighter. Use dragonmarks at your own risk!
  
• Warforged body feat
  Many original paths took a body feat for Warforged. However, many builds do not benefit much from it, especially past the lower levels. The paths proposed here do not take a body feat unless there is a long term benefit in doing so, but it can be viable to take one early, then respec out of it later once it does not help anymore (but be aware of potential side-effects of body feats, for instance taking Adamantine body on a rogue is a bad idea because being considered as heavy armor, it will disable Evasion).
  
• Feat respec
  For builds or variants that suggest feat respec while leveling up, it is best not to use the single free respec given to all characters. This free respec should be saved for a potential high level feat respec, which can be extremely expensive.
  
• Enhancements
  The enhancements listed in the builds are not a full list. There is a lot of freedom in how one can set up enhancements for each build, and a lot is a matter of personal preference. Those listed here are the most important ones to consider (the ranks given in the builds are the minimum ranks you should invest into, it is ok - and often a good idea - to get them to even higher ranks). For more information on enhancements, please read this post.
  
• Skill points vs. Ranks
  If a build says to increase a skill by one rank, it means getting +1 to the skill. This may require spending 2 skill points as cross-class skills augment only by 0.5 for every skill point spent.

COMING NEXT
Here is the order in which I am planning to go through paths. Feel free to send me requests if you want one to be done sooner

Half-Elf and Half-Orc variants of all current paths (will start working on this once I'm done catching up on some other notes I took in the past months)
Virtuoso of the Sword (Bard)
Divine Avenger (Favored Soul)
Shintao Monk (Monk)
Angel of Vengeance (Favored Soul)
Scourge of the Undead (Cleric)
Henshin Mystic (Monk)
The Voice of Power (Sorcerer)
Deepwood Sniper (Ranger)
Bastion of the Outlands (Barbarian)
The Path of Light (Monk)
The Path of Shadow (Monk)
Two-headed Heron (Monk)

[Michelai]

Oh! I do it this, Maybe This can help. Be patient with the links. The "postcount" in the link show the number of the post in this thread. All the builds are in this thread.

• Barbarian: Bastion of the Outlands, Savage of the Wild, Storm of Kargon.

• Bard: Spellsinger, Virtuoso of the Sword, Warchanter.

• Cleric: Scourge of the Undead, The Font of Healing, Warpriest of Siberys.

• Favored Soul: Angel of Vengeance, Beacon of Hope, Divine Avenger

• Fighter: Stalwart Soldier, Vanguard Warrior, Whirlwind Fighter.

• Monk: Henshin Mystic, Ninja Spy, Shintao Monk, The Path of Light, The Path of Shadow, Two-headed Heron

• Paladin: The Flame of Justice, The Mighty Protector, The Truthbringer

• Ranger: Arcane Archer, Deepwood Sniper, Tempest.

• Rogue: Master Mechanic, The Dark Blade, Thief Acrobat.

• Sorcerer: Arcane Cannon, The Dynamic Hand, The Voice of Power.

• Wizard: Elementalist, Necromancer, The Ingenious Sage.

[MartinusWyllt]

This guide will be completely and utterly obsolete in about 2 weeks hence.

[unbongwah]

This guide will be completely and utterly obsolete in about 2 weeks hence.

I think you mean, "Every build on the forums will be completely and utterly obsolete in about 2 weeks hence if the Enhancement overhaul isn't delayed (again)."

[Chaimberland]

It's a pity all this hard work is now wasted. You helped me with a lot of my builds over the years, thank you very much Tihocan.

[sixofrock]

I'm pretty new to the game and after learning and slowly realizing my first character was a disaster, u was thinking of going bard and using the warchanter build here. I looked through the thread and have seen how updates have affected some of the builds. Can anyone tell me if the warchanter listed here still works as written? Thanks!

[sixofrock]

I'm pretty new to the game and after learning and slowly realizing my first character was a disaster, u was thinking of going bard and using the warchanter build here. I looked through the thread and have seen how updates have affected some of the builds. Can anyone tell me if the warchanter listed here still works as written? Thanks!

Nevermind.

[Emizand]

This guide will be completely and utterly obsolete in about 2 weeks hence.

I think you mean, "Every build on the forums will be completely and utterly obsolete in about 2 weeks hence if the Enhancement overhaul isn't delayed (again)."

That makes me a sad panda. This was a very goode thread and I know there are new 28 points out there *nods umongwah's way*. We need someone to step up and start collating the new user friendly 'just off the boat builds' either in this thread or a new thread. I would do it but i cant organise a certain event in a brewery.

Any offers from a good soul or two?

Emi

[unbongwah]

I recommend starting with Battlehawke's thread. It's the biggest compilation of post-U19 builds I've found.

[Gabrielmuller]

Dear all,

This build looks like a very good build, but it is from 2010, and the game changed a LOT since that time.
I would like to know if is viable to create a build dex based, for example:

10 STR
18 DEX
14 CON
14 INT
10 WIS
10 CHA

So the idea is to take the tempest enhancements to use DEX to to-hit and to damage. It will work?
If it will work, is better to 10STR/14INT or 12STR/12INT?

Another question, what about the idea of take L19 Ranger/ L1 Rogue? What will be the difference? In the end, the better will be FIG/ROG/RAN or just ROG/RAN?

Thank you guys!!

Tempest (L18 Ranger/L1 Rogue/L1 Fighter)

Concept: High damage dealer with decent survivability and self-sufficiency, focused on dual wielding weapons, but able to pull out a bow when needed.
Original path's flaws: Some weapon feats are messed up (e.g. Elves are given Improved Crit: Slash and Weapon Focus: Pierce, Humans are given Khopesh proficiency but Improved Critial and Weapon Focus in Piercing weapons).
Main fixes: Revised combat feats, also splashed Rogue and Figther for UMD and an extra feat.

Multi-class progression <- click for more info: Create your character as Rogue, then take levels 2 to 5 as Ranger, level 6 as Fighter, and 7 to 20 as Ranger.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good, Neutral, Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good

Stats and Race (28/32 pt):
........Drow.....Dwarf......Elf.....Halfling...Human...Warforged.
.Str.....16......16/17.....16/17.....15/16.....16/17.....16/17...
.Dex.....16........14........16........16........14........14....
.Con.....14........18........14........14........16........17....
.Int.....10........8.........8.........8.........8.........8.....
.Wis.....10......10/11.....10/11.......11......10/11.....10/11...
.Cha.....10........6.........8........8/9........8.........6.....

Ability increase every 4 levels: All in Str.

Skills (except Human and Drow): At L1, max out Balance, UMD, Concentration, Spot, Tumble, Jump, Open Locks. On next levels max out UMD, Open Locks and Spot (make Open Locks absorb the skill points lost by the Fighter level, so that eventually Open Locks should be -2 compared to the max score you could reach).
Skills (Human and Drow): Same, but at L1 you can dump extra points into Haggle, and on next levels spend your extra skill point into Balance (except at the Fighter level and the three levels after, where you should use this skill point to catch up on UMD, Open Locks and Spot to max them out).

Feats (by level), except Human: Toughness (1), Favored Enemy: Undead (2), Dodge (3), Mobility (6), Spring Attack (6), Favored Enemy: Construct (7), Improved Crit: Slash (9), Power Attack (12), Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider (12), Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh (15), Favored Enemy: Elemental (17), Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (18)
Feats (by level), Human: Dodge (1), Toughness (1), Favored Enemy: Undead (2), Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh (3), Mobility (6), Spring Attack (6), Favored Enemy: Construct (7), Improved Crit: Slash (9), Power Attack (12), Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider (12), Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (15), Favored Enemy: Elemental (17), Skill Focus: UMD (18)

For more information about picking enhancements please read this post.
Enhancements (Fighter): Attack Boost I (except on Human), Toughness I
Enhancements (Ranger): Devotion II, Dexterity II, Energy Resistance Boost I, Favored Attack I, Favored Damage II, Favored Resistance I, Skill Boost III (except on Human), Sprint Boost I, Tempest III
Enhancements (Rogue): Haste Boost I, Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancements (Drow): Enchantment Resistance I, Racial Toughness II
Enhancements (Dwarf): Constitution I, Racial Toughness II, Spell Defense II
Enhancements (Elf): Enchantment Resistance I, Racial Toughness II, Ranged Attack I, Ranged Damage I
Enhancements (Halfling): Cunning I, Guile II, Hero's Companion III, Luck (Fortitude) I, Luck (Reflex) II, Luck (Will) I, Racial Toughness II
Enhancements (Human): Adaptability Strength I, Improved Recovery I, Racial Toughness II, Versatility III
Enhancements (Warforged): Constitution I, Construct Thinking I, Hardiness I, Healer's Friend II, Racial Toughness II

Soloability by level:
No hireling..: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
With hireling: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tips:
- You may start dual-wielding weapons at L3. Before you obtain Khopesh proficiency (i.e. before L3 for Human and before L15 for others), your ideal main-hand weapon will be a scimitar (or a Dwarven Axe on a Dwarf if you invest on the axe enhancements - remember to get rid of them once you start using Khopeshes). In the off-hand, start by using a light weapon (ideally a kukri, or possibly a race-favored weapon if you pick enhancements for it). Once you see you are almost never missing anymore (or once you take the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat), switch to a weapon similar to your main hand for better damage output (ultimately, you should be dual-wielding Khopeshes).
- Good khopeshes can be difficult to find (this is a reason why except on the Human version, the proficiency feat is taken rather late). But once you reach L15 you can start looking into crafting to make your own.
- Remember that you need a Wis of at least (10 + spell level) to cast a spell. You can use items, enhancements, tomes and the Owl's Wisdom spell to meet this requirement.
- You may start casting spells at L5, but will receive very few base spell points to do so. Use items giving bonus spell points ('of Power', 'of Wizardry') and increase your Wis (for bonus spell points) so as to get a larger spell point pool. You can also temporarily pick the Energy of the Wild Ranger enhancement to boost your spell points at early levels.
- Once you get Evasion at L11, make sure you are using light (or no) armor as otherwise Evasion will not work.
- This build has the potential to reach useful UMD, but it will take a while (and some gear) before it really makes a difference.
- Rangers get archery feats for free. Even without being a bow specialist, starting at L8 you will be able to deal meaningful damage from range while Manyshot is active (drag it somewhere on a hotbar!).
- Remember you can open locks, so carry thieves tools and try to get your hands on an item boosting this skill.
- You may start using healing wands at L2, even if you are not able to cast any spell yet.

Variants:
- It is possible to go Dex-based instead of Str-based, in which case dual-wielding rapiers would be your best weapon choice. It requires Weapon Finesse (taken at L3, so that a non Human would delay Toughness to L15, taking Dodge at L1), and gives better AC/reflex saves/ranged to-hit, at the cost of reduced damage output.
- With slight modifications, this build can be able to handle traps as well. Increase Int to 14 (12 on a human), so as to be able to max out Disable Device, Search, Open Locks, UMD and Spot (give up a few points in Open Locks to compensate for the loss of skill points on the Fighter level). 32 pt build, Drow and/or going Dex-based will make this easier to achieve. On a Human, you may want to keep the Ranger Skill Boost, in order to avoid running out of boosts when facing difficult traps.
- Instead of going for traps, +4 to Int (obtained by 32 pt build or by taking down Con/Wis slightly) can let you max out the Hide and Move Silently skills, if you enjoy sneaking (which can mostly be useful in solo play).
- The so-called "exploiter" build consists in replacing the Fighter level with a Monk level, the goal being to reach higher AC. For such a build it makes most sense to be Dex-based, and ideally to add Combat Expertise in order to be able to reach really high AC. Wisdom should be increased to at least 14, at the expense of Str, and Int should also be boosted so you can qualify for the 13 Int requirement for Combat Expertise (access to 32 pt build and Int tome will help with that). Also, remember than Monk requires being Lawful.
- Even if you do not care about AC, replacing Fighter with Monk can be a reasonable choice: you gain +2 Reflex and Will saves, at the cost of 1 BAB and 10 HPs.
- Races who get bonuses with specific weapons through enhancements (Dwarf, Elf and Drow) may use these weapons instead of Khopeshes without incurring too much of a DPS loss. Khopesh may then be replaced by Skill Focus: UMD, or one may choose to go for either a pure Ranger or a Ranger 19/Rogue 1 build instead (both are also very good options). Remember to swap feats for Slashing weapons by similar feats for Piercing weapons when using Rapiers.
- If you already have good Khopeshes to use at L12 on a non Human, feel free to swap Power Attack and Khopesh proficiency.
- Other potentially useful Favored Enemies include Aberration (useful from mid to high level), Giant (low-mid to high level), and Goblinoid (low to mid level). In the current state of the game, the most important Favored Enemy to get in the long term is Evil Outsider.

Color code: best to worst = green, yellow, orange, red

[Grailhawk]

Dear all,

This build looks like a very good build, but it is from 2010, and the game changed a LOT since that time.
I would like to know if is viable to create a build dex based, for example:

10 STR
18 DEX
14 CON
14 INT
10 WIS
10 CHA

So the idea is to take the tempest enhancements to use DEX to to-hit and to damage. It will work?
If it will work, is better to 10STR/14INT or 12STR/12INT?

Another question, what about the idea of take L19 Ranger/ L1 Rogue? What will be the difference? In the end, the better will be FIG/ROG/RAN or just ROG/RAN?

Thank you guys!!

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/423116

[Kermon]

I currently have a level 6 ranger level 5 wiz and 5 druid mainly going on the deep wood sniper enhancement tree but i seem to have too low hit points can anyone help?

[UurlockYgmeov]

I currently have a level 6 ranger level 5 wiz and 5 druid mainly going on the deep wood sniper enhancement tree but i seem to have too low hit points can anyone help?

Kermon, try posting in General Discussion or in the Ranger or Druid forums - here you will probably not get much help. Also post character stats (ability scores) and key facts to ensure the best possible aid.

Good Luck! and have fun storming the castle!

[unbongwah]

I currently have a level 6 ranger level 5 wiz and 5 druid mainly going on the deep wood sniper enhancement tree but i seem to have too low hit points can anyone help?

That is certainly an...unusual split. What were you trying to accomplish? What do you want to be able to do going forward.

Also, this is basically a dead thread, so try your luck in the Request a Build thread instead. Not everyone combs the forums as thoroughly as I do.