The Anvil: A Stunning Blow Build

[zed1]

Warning: this is not a DPS build

I was looking at the release notes, and thinking about how half-orc could be used to turn my favorite strategy (stunning blow) up to 11. I don't want to use terms like "highest stunning blow DC possible" or anything like that, but this build will reach foolishly high numbers. I plan on TRing my main into this build very soon, I will have past life fighter and past life barbarian available to me. Below is the 36 point build, but a 32 point version is definitely possible.

A quick note on classes and stunning blow
Fighter and barbarian are the classes of choice when making a stunning blow build. A Fighter has enhancements to boost strength & SB as well as the kensai PRE. A Barbarian has rage. This build seeks to combine the best of both: 12 levels of fighter for kensai II and kensai burst, and 6 levels of barbarian for power rage II. There is also good synergy with half orc and at least 6 levels of barbarian.

Finally, I'm planning 2 levels of rogue for UMD and evasion. This doesn't help my SB at all, but will give me some additional self-sufficiency and survivability. A 14 fighter/6 barbarian or 12 fighter/8 barbarian also have some merits.

Starting stats (36 points): 20/15/14/10/8/8

Levels and feats:
1: rog (twf)
2: ftr (wf:bludgeon)
3: ftr (toughness, stunning blow)
4: brb
5: brb
6: ftr (past life barb)
7: ftr (ws:bludgeon)
8: ftr
9: ftr (itwf, ic:bludgeon)
10: rog
11: ftr
12: ftr (gtwf, pa)
13: ftr
14: ftr (gwf: bludgeon)
15: ftr (quick draw)
16: ftr (gws: bludgeon)
17: brb
18: brb (skill focus: umd)
19: brb
20: brb

Planned Enhancements:
Half-Orc (18 AP)
Strength I-II: 6
Orc Extra Action Boost I-III: 6
Orcish Power Rage I-II: 3
Toughness I-II: 3
Power Attack I: 1

Fighter (49 AP)
Attack Boost I-II: 3
Crit Accuracy I-II: 3
Haste I-IV:10
Kensai Warhammer Mastery I-II: 2
Kensai I-II: 6
Stunning Blow I-III: 6
Warhammer Specialization: 1
Strength I-III: 12
Toughness I-III: 6

Barb: (10 AP)
Extend Rage I-II: 3
Power Rage I-II: 3
Sprint Boost: 1
Con I: 2
Power Attack I: 1

Rogue (2 AP)
Sneak Attack Training: 1
Rogue Skill Boost I: 1

Stunning Blow DC:
Standing SB DC: 10 (base) + 10 (weighted) + 2 (kensai) + 3 (enhancements) + 1 (past life fighter) = 26

Strength:
Base Strength: 20 + 2 (HO) + 3 (Fighter) +5 (level up) + 6 (item) + 3 (exceptional) +2 (tome) = 41 Strength/+15 stunning DC
Very Likely Buffs: +8 (Kensai Power Surge) + 2 (madstone proc) + 2 (rage spell) +1 (airship buff)= 54 str/+22 stunning DC
Likely buffs: +8 (Barb Rage) = 62 Strength/+26 stunning DC
Situational buffs: +2 (madstone clicky) +4 (barb past life) +6 (titan gloves) +2 (yugo pot) = 76 str/+33 stunning DC
Possible future buffs: +2 (+4 tome) +1 (level 49 airship buff) +1 (a +7 str item) = 80 str/+35 stunning DC
Wouldn't-depend-on-them-but included-to-be-comprehensive buffs: + 8 (blood rage) = 88 str/+39 stunning DC

As you can see, the standing stunning blow DC is 41, and it will be in the 48/52 range in the normal raid-ready situation. This should provide a no-fail stun in most of the content.

[Adrian99]

I really like this build, love the stun DC

If I were rolling it, I'd go for levels/feats like so:

1: rog (twf)
2: ftr (wf:bludgeon)
3: ftr (toughness, stunning blow)
4: brb
5: brb
6: ftr (past life barb)
7: ftr (ws:bludgeon)
8: ftr
9: ftr (itwf, ic:bludgeon)
10: rog
11: ftr
12: ftr (gtwf, pa)
13: ftr
14: ftr (gwf: bludgeon)
15: ftr (quick draw)
16: ftr (gws: bludgeon)
17: brb
18: brb (skill focus: umd)
19: brb
20: brb

My main justification for this path is this:

1) Getting Kensei as early as possible seems to be really helpful
2) most of what I like about 6 barb is in the 1st 2 levels, which gets you about 3-4 minutes of rage per shrine.

But obviously there are many ways of doing it

[zed1]

I really like this build, love the stun DC

If I were rolling it, I'd go for levels/feats like so:

...

Agreed, tyvm.(+1 rep)

Initially I was thinking about skill points, but most everything that I'm investing my points in is cross-class. So there is no real benefit to getting the barb levels early.

[voodoogroves]

A half-orc is going to burst higher, I think, while a 'forged and their racial adders will be more consistently good ...yes?

[kernal42]

A half-orc is going to burst higher, I think, while a 'forged and their racial adders will be more consistently good ...yes?

WF will be higher by 1 standing; horc and WF will be equal when raged.

-Kernal

[zed1]

A WF can get great numbers as well. The issue that I have with WF Tactics (and the reason I chose not to do this build as a WF) is the cost of the enhancements. Tactics 1-3 is 12 AP, where the orc extra action boosts and fury cost 9 AP. Using strength instead of tactics to boost stunning blow has the added benefit that DPS is increased. The raged Orc will do 3 more points of damage, 9 more critical damage, and have a +3 to hit; all useful in epics.

The WF with tactics is definitely better suited if you expect to throw in a trip or sunder, and will have better HP. There are lots of ways of accomplishing the goals of this build.

[Jalpa7]

Dwarf has Dwarven tactics which also aids in the SB calculations.

[stockwizard5]

I TR'ed out of this build - the clickies were impossible.

Raids were the worst as the clicky buffs (rage, surge, haste boost, madstone, possible frenzy, etc) were often off the screen.

The 18/2 Version has close to the same "practical" value and is far less annoying!

ps: close because you can fit all the the STR/Stun Enhancements on 18/2 but not 12/6/2.