How to improve your Rogue's HP

[jurzey]

I am new to DDO and made the typical rogue mistake. Now i have to fix it.

First off, for new players... CON is VERY important. 12-14 min when you roll a new toon.

Get the highest +CON item you can get at your level every level. Its just like trapsmithing gear, it is absolutely required.

Also, make sure you get false life gear. Every little bit counts.

Take your toughness feat and the enhancements. Some people say take multiple but i don't think my rogue has enough feats to do that.

Now this is where i don't know more...

Gear.

I hear a lot about the GS health cloak. Could someone explain a little more about that? +50hp sounds great! But how does it work?

Minos Legens - As soon as i can afford necro 4 i will buy it and go for that. I believe it is heavy fort and a stacking 20 hp through a granted toughness feat.

What can i or should i get with exceptional con bonus? This can be crafted into armor and such right?

GFL +30 hp ... i know this, but i also hear about superior false life which i have never seen. What level is a superior false life item? Is it +40 hp? Where does this drop? Can it be crafted?

All these things will not get me to 400 HP on my pure assassin rogue, what else is there?

I will TR to fix my busted CON but i need to hit 20 to do that and i am only 16. I also want to have a lot of this gear ready as i level instead of having to get it once i have a high enough level to qualify for it.

[Draccus]

Greensteel accessories can be made with hit point bonuses at each tier. You can add 10 hit points at tier 1, 15 at tier 2, and 20 at tier 3. They stack for a total of 45. The cool thing is that this isn't all your item will do. In addition to the hit points, you'll loads of other effects. I made a Smoke II cloak for my hit point item and it has:

+45 hit points
+6 to all dex skills
Displacement 2/day
Permanent Blur

There are loads of other combinations you can do. Mineral II accessories are very popular as well.

As for clearing that 400 hp mark, it's usually done with a combination of constitution-increasing items. Dresek, my assassin, has 447 unbuffed hit points. He's usually in the 507-527 range during raids. Here's how I got there:

120 Base
20 Heroic feat (automatically granted at level 1)
40 Base Con (14)
40 Enhanced Con (+3 Tome and +1 exceptional on DT armor)
22 Toughness Feat
20 Toughness Enhancements
10 Agents favor
30 GFL (ToD belt)
80 +8 Con item (ToD belt + Ring)
20 Minos Legen helm
45 Smoke II cloak
-----------------
447

But there are a lot of specific item combinations (mainly around fully utilzing stacking exceptional Cons and a =3 tome) to get to that number. But if you look at the list, most of it is easy to achieve. Assuming you can't get the exceptional con and +3 tome combo, drop that Con from +4 to +2 and you're still at 427. Even if you assume NO exceptional con at all, you're at 407 with only one item that you have to grind for (the greensteel).

A +45 hp item should be a rogue's second crafted item, imo.

[Samwiser77]

I found an item with a small guild slot. You can buy a 10 hitpoint gem to put into that slot.

[Gol]

I found an item with a small guild slot. You can buy a 10 hitpoint gem to put into that slot.

The guild augment slots are only temporary and have to be recrafted every few hours of ingame play. As a result, the vast majority of people don't bother.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

OP, nice summary of the non gear stuff and nice to see the insight you have found.

Drac has given a good breakdown of the path to rogue hit points. Hitting that 447 he lists isn't easy, but as he indicates 400 is quite attainable. (And depending on race, you might have access to more than 20 HP from toughness)

The only thing that might not be totally obvious is "agent favor" which is "Agent of Argo" favor. They give you a free feet that gives you 10hp when you reach 150 Argo favor.

If you have UMD, grab some stoneskin wands in the 12 or create a stoneskin clickie in the shroud. While it doesn't give you HP, DR saves the hitpoints you have. Same goes for blur.

[Draccus]

If you have UMD, grab some stoneskin wands in the 12 or create a stoneskin clickie in the shroud. While it doesn't give you HP, DR saves the hitpoints you have. Same goes for blur.

That's why my favorite Shroud item is my Smoke II cloak. Permanent blur is a wonderful thing. Sure, you can blur yourself or get blur from a caster but when you need it most (like after a death or when solo), it's nice to know it's always there.

With no appreciable AC and relatively low hit points, I survive by stoneskin, blur, displacement, and blindness!

[Samwiser77]

The guild augment slots are only temporary and have to be recrafted every few hours of ingame play. As a result, the vast majority of people don't bother.

Fair enough. But, it lasts six hours, which amounts to about two gaming sessions for me. So it is worth my time, especially since I don't have all the sources of hp available to me yet.

[Hokonoso]

if you want hp on a rogue go dorf or wf else breaking 500 sustainable (non-raged) will be very hard. but you are a rogue! you dont need much more than 300hp with imp evasion and competent healers...

[Missing_Minds]

You asked about superior false life. Didn't see any one answer that yet.

It currently exists in only 2 manners.
A. select epic items. Epic Jerky Pouch is what I remember off the top of my head.
B. The Docent out of Inspired Quarters that has to be unlocked in Dreaming Darkness.

[.Revenga.]

you dont need to buy necro 4 pack to get a minos legens, buy 20 tapestries in the AH, or ask a friend to farm them
for you - much cheaper - and then post an lfm stating that you want to purchase a guest pass to necro 4. Minimum duration is enough.
My experience is people wont ask unreasonable prices for it.

Oh, and +10hp for 6 hours is worth the effort, provided you have the guild level. ( con shrines are an intresting novelty aswell)

[jurzey]

As for clearing that 400 hp mark, it's usually done with a combination of constitution-increasing items. Dresek, my assassin, has 447 unbuffed hit points. He's usually in the 507-527 range during raids. Here's how I got there:

120 Base
20 Heroic feat (automatically granted at level 1)
40 Base Con (14)
40 Enhanced Con (+3 Tome and +1 exceptional on DT armor)
22 Toughness Feat
20 Toughness Enhancements
10 Agents favor
30 GFL (ToD belt)
80 +8 Con item (ToD belt + Ring)
20 Minos Legen helm
45 Smoke II cloak
-----------------
447

I dont remember seeing the heroic feat, is this for HL as well?

my base con was fail when i started. i started with 12 when i really should have started with 14. 28 build points made me tighten the belt on con.

I used a +2 tome already so now i have 14. i would love to make some DT armor as well.

i'll have to look into agents favor, i dont know if i have any of their quest series available to me right now.

i am looking for a GFL item, right now i only have the dusk heart +20

the +8 con item looks great but for now i have to find a +6 con item. that alone would be my biggest bump for +60.

the smoke cloak sounds great. i was thinking of going radiance but i also plan on crafting radiance rapiers so really it wouldn't help that much. smoke sounds like it would cover more ground. The +6 to dex skills, thats not just a +6 dex item is it? It really is to dex skills? does that include my dex modifier to hit?

i really need to get into some shroud raids, unfortunately the problem i would like to correct by running them is preventing me from getting in to start with.

[jurzey]

you dont need to buy necro 4 pack to get a minos legens, buy 20 tapestries in the AH, or ask a friend to farm them
for you - much cheaper - and then post an lfm stating that you want to purchase a guest pass to necro 4. Minimum duration is enough.
My experience is people wont ask unreasonable prices for it.

Oh, and +10hp for 6 hours is worth the effort, provided you have the guild level. ( con shrines are an intresting novelty aswell)

what is the going price for tapestries?

[Lorien_the_First_One]

- and then post an lfm stating that you want to purchase a guest pass to necro 4.

That can get you suspended... Here's the "final word" Turbine post on the subject:

Hello Folks,

Purchasing Guest Passes with in-game gold is a violation of the Code of Conduct. Please refrain from making such purchases in the future.

~SDM

[Draccus]

I dont remember seeing the heroic feat, is this for HL as well?

my base con was fail when i started. i started with 12 when i really should have started with 14. 28 build points made me tighten the belt on con.

I used a +2 tome already so now i have 14. i would love to make some DT armor as well.

i'll have to look into agents favor, i dont know if i have any of their quest series available to me right now.

i am looking for a GFL item, right now i only have the dusk heart +20

the +8 con item looks great but for now i have to find a +6 con item. that alone would be my biggest bump for +60.

the smoke cloak sounds great. i was thinking of going radiance but i also plan on crafting radiance rapiers so really it wouldn't help that much. smoke sounds like it would cover more ground. The +6 to dex skills, thats not just a +6 dex item is it? It really is to dex skills? does that include my dex modifier to hit?

i really need to get into some shroud raids, unfortunately the problem i would like to correct by running them is preventing me from getting in to start with.

It's called Heroic Durability, I believe, and it's awarded to all characters at level 1. It grants +20 hit points. That's why your rogue started with, probably 27 hp and not 7.

12 con isn't disasterous. Dresek was built with 10 con and I played him like that for over a year and a half before I TR'd and fixed it. You can LR at any time and correct it if it's bothering you that much. Epic Fail would have been starting with 6

Agents of Argonesse favor is mainly gained in the Gianthold area. You won't need to grind it, you'll get enough just by running those quests (most of which are great quests and great XP).

What server are you on? If you're on Ghallanda, I can hook you up with any number of GFL items.

The +8 Con item isn't really one item, it's two. It's a standard +6 and another item with +2 Exceptional (stacking) con. Again, those aren't options for newer, lower level players, but you asked about how to get above 400 and that's one way.

It sounds like you're on the right track. The first step is to recognize the importance of hit points and to design your gear to maximize them. You're doing that now. There isn't some magical number that turns a character from unplayable to playable. Like Lorien said, as long as you've got the basics (+6 con, GFL, starting Con 12-14, Toughness feat, toughness enhancements, Minos Legen), you'll be fine.

Beyond that, working on damage avoidance (stoneskin, blur, displacement, blindness) will increase your survivability.

[.Revenga.]

That can get you suspended... Here's the "final word" Turbine post on the subject:

thanks for sharing this.

Looks like the options narrow down to buying it yourself or having a friend that gets you the guestpass.

[jurzey]

Anyone want to be my friend?

Draccus, you have been immensely helpful here and Lorien i appreciate your help as well.

Drac i am on Ghallanda and will definately look you up. Maybe i can be one of those non-guildies you watch die and laugh at on one of your runs.

Add my toon snikie and throw me a tell if you can ever fit me in for shroud or VoD.

And if anyone wants to be my friend enough to hook me up with tapestries and a guest pass i will love you forever.

[Draccus]

Send a tell to Dresek and remind me what we talked about. I'll have to dig around on some bank characters to find the GFL items but I'm sure I have a few.

[Alabore]

Fair enough. But, it lasts six hours, which amounts to about two gaming sessions for me. So it is worth my time, especially since I don't have all the sources of hp available to me yet.

I would suggest checking known issue lists: I noticed something about tiny and small crystal reducing slots by one notch when they burn out.
You might want to try it on a non critical piece of equipment, just in case they haven't fixed that particular bug yet.

[jurzey]

Send a tell to Dresek and remind me what we talked about. I'll have to dig around on some bank characters to find the GFL items but I'm sure I have a few.

how did your run go last night? Sorry i didn't catch you when it finished.

[Draccus]

My fault. We were going to run an Epic Dragon until someone got the great idea to run VoN5 Epic as well. That increased the time it took to complete the raid (but was a blast...my first time in Epic VoN5 and I loved it). When we finished, I realized I was off timer for Epic Claw so I ran that too. By the time I was done, it was late and I logged off...forgetting I had promised you some gear.

I'll make it a priority tonight. I've got your rogue on my friends list and will contact you once I dig through my mules and find some good gear. You still need taps?