Solar Phoenix, updated for Mod 5.

[Asymetric_War]

I've got a lvl 17 human longsword-using paladin that I had planned to go defender and tank build with and got bored so i reincarnated to be palamonk when i heard monks would get longsword, which has put me right at the end game with a similar build.

she's currently 14/3 pala/monk and my end build will be 14/6 paladin monk. I'd recommend that folks seriously consider that as an alternative for one simple reason: Zeal. self-casting 10% stacks-with-everything attack speed boost. in wind stance II with g2wf and zeal the attack speed is amazing. being able to summon her own weapons is pretty cool too.

Also, comparing hotd II to kotc I've found that the healing bump for hotd is barely noticeable. and it's kind of a pain because it requires a bunch of non-essential enhancement points on a build that's already very short on enhancement points. as soon as my 3-day timer is up I'm respeccing back to kotc for more damage.

just my 2 cents. cheers!

[DarkFlash]

...-Longswords: Main Hand: Greensteel Min II or Lit II. Off Hand: Greensteel triple positive (Ideal would be Holy/Good Burst/30% Healing Amp)...

Better healing:
-Main hand: GS Triple positive longsword
-Off hand: Dream Edge kama (Vampirism x 400% healing amp = *drools*)

[sigtrent]

Also, comparing hotd II to kotc I've found that the healing bump for hotd is barely noticeable. and it's kind of a pain because it requires a bunch of non-essential enhancement points on a build that's already very short on enhancement points. as soon as my 3-day timer is up I'm respeccing back to kotc for more damage.

Healing amplification is only a big deal if you have a lot of it and you combine it with other effects like devotion and such. It takes a lot of investment but it pays off in the end. Once you go down that path you end up pretty committed to it.

I like that all of the paladin enhancements are pretty decent. Personally I like the HOTD for its immunities and the ghost touch thing. Being able to stand solo against an beholder and more or less ignore everything it throws at you is great stuff. Against an undead beholder its wonderful. Of course 3d6 damage is nothing to scoff at and the defender is really great as well.

Its pretty easy to take a paladin and make a pretty different character by simply re-speccing your enhancements from offence to defense to utility. I think almost more than any other class the got the enhancements on paladin spot on.

[Tobril]

I just had something occur to me. I don't think you'll have a 17 BAB with longswords. I think you'll have 19.

My reasoning is this: flurry of blows is worded that you get it while centered. It then gives examples of what would uncenter you but it seems to be coded in such a way as that it's always active when you're centered. If I'm right on how they've coded it then as long as you have the feats to stay centered with longswords you'll still benefit from flurry of blows.

This is likely true.

Presuming the equipment window stats are correct, my 16/2/2 pal/monk/thief has a 19 BAB when using handwraps, 18 otherwise.

It seems like the game takes your regular BAB and adds the extra bit that a centered monk gains. (provided you are centered)

[wolfy42]

Just curious but can't you use a kama for the extra healing when needed (when using your l/l/l finishing move) and then fight with H2H the rest of the time?

H2H is higher damage I'm pretty sure especially against 50% or higher fort enemies or crit immune enemies. The full strength bonus to both hands and faster base attack speed is hard to beat with just a slightly larger crit range.

That would also free up quite a few feats. No need for OTWF (Even when using kama's they are both small) and no need for the longsword feats.

[Tobril]

Just curious but can't you use a kama for the extra healing when needed (when using your l/l/l finishing move) and then fight with H2H the rest of the time?

H2H is higher damage I'm pretty sure especially against 50% or higher fort enemies or crit immune enemies. The full strength bonus to both hands and faster base attack speed is hard to beat with just a slightly larger crit range.

That would also free up quite a few feats. No need for OTWF (Even when using kama's they are both small) and no need for the longsword feats.

Nope.

Changing equipment messes up both the build-up to a finisher and an already prepped finisher.

[sirdanile]

What weapons would you be using while leveling? I'm thinking handwraps til level 6 at that point you switch to the longsword from threnal and a good off hand kama, vorpal/paralyzing longsword/kamas at 10 and switch to dual longswords at 12?

[Doganpc]

I got a curiosity. Since I need a break from playing rogue, what if I switched that Rogue level for a level of Fighter... 1 extra combat feat, possibly higher BAB...

Dogan
Wouldn't have to take it at level 1

[manumase]

for a 32 pointer how would this work?
15 str
15 dex
12 con
10 int
12 wis
14 char

or

16 str
15 dex
12 con
10 int
10 wis
14 char

[Zyklon]

Combat Expertise has a req of 13 INT.

I think it's kind of a poor choice in this build since it will be stripped everytime you do a heal finisher.

Finishers no longer take you out of CE (coming in U5).

-

[AylinIsAwesome]

for a 32 pointer how would this work?
15 str
15 dex
12 con
10 int
12 wis
14 char

or

16 str
15 dex
12 con
10 int
10 wis
14 char

When I did it I went 16/15/14/10/8/14. WIS just helps with SP (but you'll get less than any SP item would give you), AC (not an AC build), and more Will save (already get CHA to saves), making it the clear dumpstat to me.

I wouldn't drop the CON below 14.

[LeLoric]

Nice build solar. I drew up a similar 14pally/6monk the other day. Having access to zeal and holy sword was the kicker for me. Swapping to air stance and getting 15% double strike on all your smites/sacrifices is great for dps especially when grouped with a healer in raids.

For any of these builds on epic content you can go with earthgrab longswords once the mob is grabbed this build has exalted smite/shintao smite/divine sacrifice/fists of iron it can cycle through for awesome crit numbers taking down those big hp mobs really fast.

The worst thing about these builds though is the ap costs. It really is hard to fit in all the things you'd want.

[sigtrent]

The worst thing about these builds though is the ap costs. It really is hard to fit in all the things you'd want.

Absolutely, there are so many good choices and healing amp is really expensive.

I re-spec mine as I gear up trying to shed any stat bonuses that are giving me odd numbers so I can get a tad more of some other sort of enhancement. I could easily spend another 30AP on my Phoenix Champion build, all of it on really good benefits for the build like more Toughness, Bulwark of Good and so on.

[LeLoric]

Absolutely, there are so many good choices and healing amp is really expensive.

I re-spec mine as I gear up trying to shed any stat bonuses that are giving me odd numbers so I can get a tad more of some other sort of enhancement. I could easily spend another 30AP on my Phoenix Champion build, all of it on really good benefits for the build like more Toughness, Bulwark of Good and so on.

Yep I scrapped ac altogether on mine because of the following.

1. Build Points. I couldn't get the stat points to work out initially without a +3 int and +3 dex tome. This build is one of the most stat intensive builds I've seen. Just to qualify for everything I wanted it takes 17 base dex 16 base cha 11 base int to avoid must have +3 tomes if going with combat expertise. That and you also want as much str and con as possible and wisdom is still relevant.

2. AP costs. No way could I fit in bulwark of good. Theres still a good 15 points of stuff I'd want first before I starting spending on bulwark. It would still be nice to have even if not going ac just to help out those party members who have but it just doesn't fit.

3. Gear. Icy's are most likely out as the best way to get the 10% and 20% amp is on DT. This means for ac you'd want chaosguardes but that slot is filled by the sentinels bracers most of the time. At this point you are down too much ac for me to justifying fitiign in other stuff (chattering ring +4 insight etc.) and those spots are then better used for dps.

Besides who needs ac when you can just self heal any of the damge almost indefinitely

[Asymetric_War]

One problem with this build is that HotD healing amp DOES NOT stack with the other healing amp enhancements.

I took my 14/6 palamonk and specced her for hotd with human healing amp II and monk healing amp 1 and the leviks bracers. With that setup my cure medium healed me for an average of 49-52 a pop. I then took the exact same toon with the exact same gear and switched her to kotc II and my cure medium healed me for the exact same amount: 49-52.

This could be a bug and it could be me missing something obvious but I doubt it.

That said, at 14/6 Boudicca does very very solid dps with dual longswords and once u5 comes out she'll still be very strong in the self-healing department. self-healing from fists of light = lots and lots of divine sacrifice and zeal + wind stance will boost her already ridiculous attack speed even higher. So the build is still worthwhile, it's just not as much healing amp as we might wish for.

[thxkross11]

and zeal + wind stance will boost her already ridiculous attack speed even higher.

I am a little confused Asymetric_War (perhaps confused is not the right word, maybe puzzled would be better) due to what I read in the update notes concerning zeal adding to doublestrike chances and no longer adding attack speed. Does wind stance still increase attack speed?

Is there something I didn't comprehend that you did or did I just misunderstand what you are saying? If this post seems condescending, just know that I did not intend it to be. I am working on something similiar to this build and just want to make sure I got all my facts straight is all.

[Asymetric_War]

I am a little confused Asymetric_War (perhaps confused is not the right word, maybe puzzled would be better) due to what I read in the update notes concerning zeal adding to doublestrike chances and no longer adding attack speed. Does wind stance still increase attack speed?

Is there something I didn't comprehend that you did or did I just misunderstand what you are saying? If this post seems condescending, just know that I did not intend it to be. I am working on something similiar to this build and just want to make sure I got all my facts straight is all.

wind stance adds less attack speed then it used too but still does add speed. rank II also adds a small doublestrike chance that stacks with the much larger doublestrike chance from zeal. in any case doublestrike chances still translate to additional attacks and thus should be treated as an attack speed boost. the mechanic for how those extra attacks happens is a bit different and it's only on your main hand but it's still extra attacks.

[JackTekila]

One problem with this build is that HotD healing amp DOES NOT stack with the other healing amp enhancements.

I took my 14/6 palamonk and specced her for hotd with human healing amp II and monk healing amp 1 and the leviks bracers. With that setup my cure medium healed me for an average of 49-52 a pop. I then took the exact same toon with the exact same gear and switched her to kotc II and my cure medium healed me for the exact same amount: 49-52.

This could be a bug and it could be me missing something obvious but I doubt it.

That said, at 14/6 Boudicca does very very solid dps with dual longswords and once u5 comes out she'll still be very strong in the self-healing department. self-healing from fists of light = lots and lots of divine sacrifice and zeal + wind stance will boost her already ridiculous attack speed even higher. So the build is still worthwhile, it's just not as much healing amp as we might wish for.

Are you sure it's not stacking with the enhacements? It could be not stacking with the bracer.

As far as understood, the idea is to stay on fire stance because of the increased ki gen, a little more damage and (most important) the healing amp from Jidz-Tet'ka. And you need monk 7 to get Improved Recovery II.

[Valindria]

One problem with this build is that HotD healing amp DOES NOT stack with the other healing amp enhancements.

I took my 14/6 palamonk and specced her for hotd with human healing amp II and monk healing amp 1 and the leviks bracers. With that setup my cure medium healed me for an average of 49-52 a pop. I then took the exact same toon with the exact same gear and switched her to kotc II and my cure medium healed me for the exact same amount: 49-52.

This could be a bug and it could be me missing something obvious but I doubt it.

A better test would be Lay on Hands since you can calculate what it will heal for each time.

[Dragon-Kin]

A better test would be Lay on Hands since you can calculate what it will heal for each time.

This is a good idea - is anyone testing LoH for the healing amp stack? Would be great to know what actually will stack now we have U5 implimented...

My build is not high enough, if someone has one of proper level please post what actually stacks on this build plz.