Warforged Two-Handed Tank

[xAlistairx]

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
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Sten of the Beresaad
Level 20 True Neutral Warforged Male
(20 Fighter) 
Hit Points: 454
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 7
Will: 5

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    20
Dexterity            12                    12
Constitution         18                    24
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom                6                     6
Charisma              8                     8

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               1.5                  -2
Bluff                -1                     1
Concentration         4                     9
Diplomacy            -1                     1
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -1                    -1
Heal                 -2                    -2
Hide                  1                    -4
Intimidate            3                    29
Jump                  3                     0
Listen               -2                    -2
Move Silently         1                    -4
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                3                    19
Search                0                     0
Spot                 -2                    -2
Swim                  3                    -5
Tumble                n/a                  n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Adamantine Body
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction I


Level 3 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II


Level 5 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend II


Level 6 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Bullheaded
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I


Level 7 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II


Level 8 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Cleave
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II


Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction II


Level 10 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II


Level 11 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend III


Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Great Cleave
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Intimidate
Enhancement: Kensei Greatsword Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Greatsword Specialization I


Level 13 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Strength III


Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei II


Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Damage Reduction
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction III


Level 16 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Kensei Greatsword Mastery II
Enhancement: Fighter Greatsword Specialization II
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting I


Level 17 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting II


Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Handed Fighting
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting III


Level 19 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting IV


Level 20 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Superior Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Weapon Alacrity
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III

I'm going for a greatsword using warforged who can tank. He would be able to deal good damage and take some too. His AC wouldn't be the highest, and I'm not going for the highest AC ever. I just want him to work well, which I think this would. I'm looking for feedback and any changes you feel I should make. Thanks!

[marshm1972]

I'd reroll.

The problem I see with your build is that you are trying to do too much. In this game, if you try to do abit of everything you'll suck at everything when you reach the higher levels. Pick ONE role, and stick to it. You want to tank do that, DPS do that, Range (not recommended)..you get the point. Do not try and do a multitude of things especially if you are a beginner. DDO is about teamwork, everybody can do something well and not so well.

A Tanks job is to keep monsters away from weaker members (like casters) by making the monsters focus on them instead. You wont do as much damage as a DPS, but you will be the last to do down. You are as tough as a tank, but you don't hit like one (though its still respectable).

Your job is to merely divert the attention of the enemy front line (the melees) so the damage dealers (like THF) can strike at the enemy backline (the casters) without being disrupted by enemy melee.

To be a good tank, you need not only to hold aggro but also be able withstand the the blows the enemy will deal to you.
You'll need alot of AC, lots of HP, and DR is handy too.

Right now you have no shield, no shield feats, no Combat Expertise and you are are not Defender (which is the core of being a Tank.)

Ill assume you still want to tank. So lets start over:

Race- DWARF is better in the Tank role. Dwarves are easier to heal (which is important because you will get hit a lot)
have spell resistances, shield bonuses, and have great bonuses to Dwarven axes which will be your weapon.

Stats-16,14,14,12,8,10. You will need a +1 INT tome to get Combat Expertise Feat (13 is prerequesit). Buy it at the DDO store. If you have a 32pt build, put 2 pts in CON and 2 in WIS

FEATS. Get rid of the THF Feats thats for DPS. Combat Expertise, Shield Mastery, Improved Trip, PA, Cleave, All Weapon focus/specialization SLASHING feats, Improved critical: slashing, as many Toughness as you can. I'd also look at Iron Will, Bullheaded, Die hard, Luck of Heroes, lighting reflexes. Iron will and Bullheaded are a must the rest if you can fit it.

SKILLS: Intimidate, Jump, Balance, and any left overs...Swim (not too many points here)

Enhancement: Full Dwarven Defender PRC, Armor+Tower Armor Masteries(as needed!! don't go overboard), Tower Shield Bonuses (as needed), CON+STR bonuses, AP:HASTE, Dwarven Axe Bonuses (hit and damage), Dwarven Spell resistances, and as much Toughness bonuses you can muster.

[BoBoDaClown]

Get rid of the THF Feats thats for DPS

DPS is good.

To the OP, it seems to me that you want to do the equivalent of Barbarian high dps/hate tanking while having a bunch of hps? Maybe that's the way to go? It might very well work on a fighter as well - I'd just focus on producing as much damage as possible to sustain agro, with intim as a back up.

I don't think Cleave is worthwhile and personally I'd probably get str to 18.

[marshm1972]

DPS is good.

To the OP, it seems to me that you want to do the equivalent of Barbarian high dps/hate tanking while having a bunch of hps? Maybe that's the way to go? It might very well work on a fighter as well - I'd just focus on producing as much damage as possible to sustain agro, with intim as a back up.

I don't think Cleave is worthwhile and personally I'd probably get str to 18.

But he isn't asking for a DPS build, hes asking for a Tank Build, and for a pure tank its survivability thats key. Holding lots of aggro is bad for a THF. I try and pull as little Aggro as possible on my WF:THF.

He wont hit as hard as a TWF or THF, but he wont slouch either. On top of it Update 5 will contain glancing blows for D.Axes that wil aid in the DPS and CC area.

Cleave is good on a S+B build because it makes up for the one area S+B is weak on which is CC. Its simply another method to gain Aggro while Intimidate is cooling down.

[BoBoDaClown]

But he isn't asking for a DPS build, hes asking for a Tank Build,

Every fighter tank should have a good dps option for all those occasions, and there are a lot of them, when you don't need a 'tank'. Fighters have enough feats to do both - build for tanking - yes - and build for a very good secondary option in dps.

Re: cleave - playing a tank I have never had a problem keeping the agro on me with intim, but in regards to that, each to their own I guess.

[marshm1972]

Every fighter tank should have a good dps option for all those occasions, and there are a lot of them, when you don't need a 'tank'. Fighters have enough feats to do both - build for tanking - yes - and build for a very good secondary option in dps.

Re: cleave - playing a tank I have never had a problem keeping the agro on me with intim, but in regards to that, each to their own I guess.

I have played a Dwarf tank build as well, I used a spin off of Borror0 tank build. Borror0 used a Human I used a Dwarf, there were a few other changes because of the race swap. I personally have never had any issues with DPS. I wasn't able to match the DPS Fighters and Barbarians but that didn't mean I couldn't kill things...far from it. What I am saying that while good DPS is important it is secondary to survivability and aggro on a Tank.

Therefore for a tank, I wouldn't waste feats on the THF because to be effective with THF he will need all 3 Feats, thats 3 of the 18 feats he could use to something else. There is no harm in carrying a Two handed weapon as a situational weapon, but he shouldn't try and incorporate both THF DPS aspects and TANK aspects into his build he will wind up sucking at both, especially at then end.

As for cleave, the thing is Dwarves and Warforged have that nasty -2 CHR, that hurts the Intimidate score. If he has a 28pt build (which is likely as he looks like a new player) I wouldn't sacrifice 2 ability points to get a CHR 10. (Its the main disadvantage of being a non-Human tank). Cleave gives a little help, and it also allows you to draw aggro while you wait for the Intimidate timer to finish.

[Quikster]

So what feats exactly can help him be a better tank? Wasting three feats on a fighting style (for a fighter) is not a waste at all.

-2 to cha? Lol thats 1 dc. In the current game a defender can get well over 80 intim, what does he need 1 dc for?


Wf'd are more versatile to heal. they can get to no penalty for divine healing fairly easy, and they can be healed by arcanes.

Tanks need a dps option, even though they may not be the highest dps, there are many times that its not worth tanking, but better to kill faster. Also dont want to be known as someone who only turtles up, what if the group already has a tank, a better tank than his is? Should he just go twiddle his thumbs in a corner till the quest or raid is done? Theres no reason not to use 5 feats for dps. Twf, itwf, gtwf (or thf line) PA, and Improved crit. There are still plenty of feats left to take other defensive feats.

[xAlistairx]

Thanks for feedback!

What I'm going for is a hate tank that can kill stuff quickly. I don't feel that the two-handed fighting feats are wasted at all, nor the fact that I would use two-handed weapons. I'd end up killing faster, along with maintaining a good amount of aggro. Is it a bad thing to do good damage and get enemies to attack you?

BTW I'm not a newbie to this game, or the concept of a tank or DPS. I just recently signed up for the forums.

[Quikster]

Thanks for feedback!

What I'm going for is a hate tank that can kill stuff quickly. I don't feel that the two-handed fighting feats are wasted at all, nor the fact that I would use two-handed weapons. I'd end up killing faster, along with maintaining a good amount of aggro. Is it a bad thing to do good damage and get enemies to attack you?

BTW I'm not a newbie to this game, or the concept of a tank or DPS. I just recently signed up for the forums.

Its not a bad thing, and there is a lot of synergy with wf'd and a thf fighter. Invest in the hate enhancements if you have issues holding agro later in the game, at least till you get geared up. Stunning blow might not be a bad option either if you can afford the tactics enhancements, that will supplement the kensai bonuses nicely.

Your join date shows sept 09, so if you joined then or before you should have a decent handle on the game if you have been playing much.

Fighters have the feats to be more versatile than some other classes. There should be no problem getting a decent offense and a good defense, or a good offense and a decent defense together in one build. You may have to play with it some, if your ac is going to be low, make sure to bump dr and hp.

[xAlistairx]

Its not a bad thing, and there is a lot of synergy with wf'd and a thf fighter. Invest in the hate enhancements if you have issues holding agro later in the game, at least till you get geared up. Stunning blow might not be a bad option either if you can afford the tactics enhancements, that will supplement the kensai bonuses nicely.

Your join date shows sept 09, so if you joined then or before you should have a decent handle on the game if you have been playing much.

Fighters have the feats to be more versatile than some other classes. There should be no problem getting a decent offense and a good defense, or a good offense and a decent defense together in one build. You may have to play with it some, if your ac is going to be low, make sure to bump dr and hp.

Yeah, that join date is right.

So all-in-all it's a good build? Thanks. I'll make sure to adapt to any unforeseen events I notice while I'm playing.