The Leaping Crane: Ninja II/Kensei I with healing

[Dialis]

Ok, here we go again, another awesome (?) build, but this one will stick with me I think. As usual, what I want is everything: good damage, good AC, good healing and a fun build to play. So here he is: The Leaping Crane: 12 Monk / 7 Fighter / 1 Favoured soul:
- Halfling to get healing dragonmarks.
- 12 Monk to get Ninja II (using Fire stance at all time) and that cool leaping ability.
- 7 Fighter to get Kensei I (shortsword) and Haste III
- 1 Favoured Soul to unlock metamagic feats, and makes it possible to use healing wands.
- Using shortsword due to critical range and free Ninja II feat.

With this particular build I have focused a lot on building Ki, and oh boy should it raise fast:
- Normal monk: +1 on hit, +3 on critical.
- Master of Bonfires: +1 on hit, +4 on critical
- Way of the Elegant Crane II: +2 on critical hit
- Kensei I: +1 on critical (and when meditating)
Total: +2 each hit, +10 on critical

Combine this with shortsword and improved critical pierce (which Ninja II gives you), and you get a Ki bar that skyrockets as soon as you look at a kobold, and if by chance that kobold is still alive after the first few attacks, touch him lightly with your Touch of Death to give him 500 in damage.

Drawbacks: extremely tight AP, so only one +1 in stat (all Toughness though), and 1D6 damage for shortsword is a little low but I need 2 more feats to use longsword, and handwraps/kamas has to bad critical range to fit in this build.

Opinions?

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.5.1
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LeapingCrane 
Level 20 Lawful Neutral Halfling Female
(7 Fighter \ 12 Monk \ 1 Favored Soul) 
Hit Points: 326
Spell Points: 210 
BAB: 16\16\21\26\26
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 17
Will: 16

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats         Base Stats         Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)          (Level 20)           (Level 20)
Strength             14                 21                   22
Dexterity            16                 18                   18
Constitution         14                 16                   16
Intelligence         12                 14                   14
Wisdom               14                 16                   16
Charisma              8                 10                   10

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills        Base Skills        Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)          (Level 20)          (Level 20)
Balance               7                 25                   25
Bluff                -1                  0                    2
Concentration         6                 26                   27
Diplomacy            -1                  0                    3
Disable Device        n/a               n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -1                  0                    0
Heal                  2                  3                    5
Hide                  7                 13                   17
Intimidate           -1                  0                    1
Jump                  2                 29                   33
Listen                2                  3                    5
Move Silently         7                 14                   16
Open Lock             n/a               n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                n/a                   n/a
Repair                1                  2                    2
Search                1                  2                    2
Spot                  2                  3                    3
Swim                  2                  9                    9
Tumble                7                 25                   27
Use Magic Device     n/a                n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Least Dragonmark of Healing
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Toughness
Enhancement: Monk Jump I
Enhancement: Monk Tumble I


Level 2 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Diety) Favored by the Sovereign Host
Spell (1): Divine Favor
Spell (1): Cure Light Wounds
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use I
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion I


Level 3 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Halfling Guile I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Piercing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 5 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Power Attack
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane I


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Lesser Dragonmark of Healing
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Inevitable Dominion: Fists of Darkness
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I


Level 7 (Monk)
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use II
Enhancement: Static Charge
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Monk Jump II
Enhancement: Monk Tumble II


Level 8 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Enhancement: Porous Soul


Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Selected) Greater Dragonmark of Healing
Enhancement: Monk Ninja Spy I
Enhancement: Adept of Flame


Level 10 (Monk)
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use III
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane II


Level 11 (Fighter)
Enhancement: All-Consuming Flame
Enhancement: Winter's Touch


Level 12 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery II


Level 13 (Monk)
Enhancement: Touch of Death


Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II


Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Spell
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use IV


Level 16 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II


Level 17 (Fighter)


Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Monk Ninja Spy II
Enhancement: Master of Bonfires


Level 19 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Piercing Weapons
Enhancement: Kensei Shortsword Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I


Level 20 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness III

[krogyy]

i thought you had to use handwraps for using ToD...

[Dialis]

i thought you had to use handwraps for using ToD...

Oh no, that would be a show stopper, this build is made for Touch of Death!!! It does not say anything about unarmed in the description though.

Anyone know for sure?

[Dialis]

Oh no, that would be a show stopper, this build is made for Touch of Death!!! It does not say anything about unarmed in the description though.

Anyone know for sure?

Quoting myself ftw: if I need to use handwraps for ToD, can't I just switch to handwraps before activating the skill? Even with awesome Ki building, I won't be able to use ToD that often.

[Lleren]

With Fire Stance for Ki building you can use Touch of Death every time it is up, or so I find. I can use it most of the time in Wind Stance as well, but I have to be more careful of the other strikes I spam sometimes then.

[unbongwah]

if I need to use handwraps for ToD, can't I just switch to handwraps before activating the skill?

Even if you can, there is a delay in switching weapons which interrupts your DPS (and may interrupt your ki finishers), which begs the question: might you be better off just sticking with handwraps in the first place?

[Dialis]

Even if you can, there is a delay in switching weapons which interrupts your DPS (and may interrupt your ki finishers), which begs the question: might you be better off just sticking with handwraps in the first place?

Someone has to know if you can use ToD with weapons? It would be strange if you could not though, as both ToD and shortword are specific to Ninja.

If I would use handwraps, I would change this build quite a lot, for example Ninja II does not add a lot if you arent using shortswords. With handwraps, a Kensei II/Ninja I build seems much better, but then you miss the ToD and the leap ability, which would be boring. You would get more feats including greater weapon specialisation as compensation though, as well as that Kensei II ability. But then again, why go Monk at all if you don't get ToD and just a few of the special abilities, might as well roll a 18/2 Fighter/something.

[RhapsodieInBlue]

You cannot use Touch of Death with any weapon except Unarmed Strike.