Newbie-friendly 28-pt dwarf rogue 2 / fighter 18 Stalwart Defender

[unbongwah]

With U5's changes to glancing blows w/dwarven axes, I thought I'd try to come up with a dwarf intimitank for new players. The goals were: good DPS, good AC, high HPs, high blocking DR, high Intimidate, UMD, and Evasion, all on a 28-pt build without tomes. The following is what I came up with:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Dwarf Male
(18 Fighter \ 2 Rogue) 
Hit Points: 374
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 11
Will: 6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    24
Dexterity            14                    14
Constitution         16                    18
Intelligence         14                    14
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma              6                     6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               6                    24
Bluff                -2                    -2
Concentration         3                     4
Diplomacy            -2                    -2
Disable Device        6                     6
Haggle                2                     2
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  2                     2
Intimidate            2                    34
Jump                  7                    14
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently         2                     2
Open Lock             6                     6
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     2
Search                6                     8
Spot                  3                     3
Swim                  3                     7
Tumble                6                     6
Use Magic Device      2                    24

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Intimidate (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Handed Fighting


Level 3 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Bullheaded
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 5 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons


Level 6 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Intimidate


Level 7 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender I
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate I
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 9 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Mastery


Level 10 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Combat Expertise
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack


Level 13 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender II
Enhancement: Fighter Tower Shield Mastery II
Enhancement: Fighter Dwarven Waraxe Specialization I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness III


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


Level 16 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Handed Fighting


Level 17 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 18 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Selected) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons


Level 19 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Superior Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost III
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery II
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery III
Enhancement: Fighter Stalwart Defender III
Enhancement: Fighter Dwarven Waraxe Specialization II
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength III

In combat, you switch between greataxes (+ PA) for DPS and dwarven axe & tower shield (+ CE) for tanking / turtling. Max ranks in Intimidate & UMD; 18 ranks of Balance because a prone tank is an useless tank. At low levels you wear heavy armor or mithril full plate (Adamantine Full Plate of Stability would be really swell), then switch to light armor after you take rogue 2 & Evasion. When you take rogue 2 is largely up to you; I just thought the mid-way point (i.e., pre-Gianthold) was a good idea.

At lvl 7, you have the feats to choose between Stalwart Defender or Kensai. You might find it more useful to be a greataxe Kensai at that point, then switch to SD later thru an enh reset. If you're positive you want to be SD only, you could bump back Weap Focus & Spec and bump up, say, PA & CE.

I'm not sure if this build will hit super-high AC: partly because of so-so DEX and no Dodge; partly because I didn't squeeze in more Armor Mastery enhs. But it should have "good enough" AC at low-to-mid levels and super-high blocking DR throughout its career.

If you're willing to plan around a tome, you could start with INT 12 and take a +1 or +2 to get CE; take the lost skill points out of Balance. For a slightly more defensive version, start with base stats 15 / 14 / 18 / 12 / 8 / 6 (needs +1 INT tome); drop Fighter STR III to pick up 2 more Armor Masteries or Tower Shield Mastery III. You end up with 2 pts less STR but 2 pts more CON and a pt or two more AC.

Comments, suggestions, ridicule? Thanks!