Can a Helf Barbarian take the Monk Dilletante?

[grodon9999]

First I want to point out that this will NOT be an end-game character. It's a whacky idea for a monk-spashed ranger to get through a barb life as painlessly as possible. The toon would TR again immediately as soon as it gets to 20.

So could a Barb 12/Ranger 6/Rogue 2 Helf take the Monk dilly and get enough AC to work through the first 19 levels of the game?

[Cernunan]

Yes , but you have to have a starting wis 13, then the wis to get the bonus you are looking for (20 for the +5)

[spitfirek]

Yes , but you have to have a starting wis 13, then the wis to get the bonus you are looking for (20 for the +5)

I think they added the +1 wis from the monk dilly(and other ones also) specifically for this. You start with 13 +1 from the enhancement then +6 from gear = 20. Nothing too hard to get.

[thegreatneil]

Bard or barb?

You have 12 bard listed, but to answer your question yes you can,but why?
If your 12 barb you get DR
If 12 bard go WC and get a DR song
I don't think the 2 AC (up to 5 via update 8?) is really going to be all that useful
(if anything perhaps paladin for more saves?)

[grodon9999]

Bard or barb?

You have 12 bard listed, but to answer your question yes you can,but why?
If your 12 barb you get DR
If 12 bard go WC and get a DR song
I don't think the 2 AC (up to 5 via update 8?) is really going to be all that useful
(if anything perhaps paladin for more saves?)

2 AC isn't worth ****, but 5 is. Again, this is NOT and end-game toon.

[Kintro]

Instead of trying to make a barbarian exploiter just embrace the Barb, you might enjoy it! Take Power Rage IV, throw AC out the window and explore some alternative ways to mitigate damage:

If your 12 barb you get DR

That helps a bit. Trip and Stunning Blow work fantastically especially with WF/Dwarf Tactics. Consider splashing 2 Fighter for +1 str, 2 feats and another +1 tactics DCs.

You could also carry a Fearsome robe to slip on if things are getting messy (works well against trolls/ogres/etc).

2 AC isn't worth ****, but 5 is. Again, this is NOT and end-game toon.

At the levels your AC will be high enough to count you should be killing things before they even touch you.

[grodon9999]

Instead of trying to make a barbarian exploiter just embrace the Barb, you might enjoy it! Take Power Rage IV, throw AC out the window and explore some alternative ways to mitigate damage:

I have a pure one I'm working on already who's going to be a full-****** mana-sponge. This is just an idea for a TR-life.

[Kintro]

I have a pure one I'm working on already who's going to be a full-****** mana-sponge. This is just an idea for a TR-life.

Have you considered 10 Barb, 9 ranger, 1 rogue ? You'd get evasion later but you wouldn't have to even take a barb level until 11 and could safely ignore most of their abilities well into end game.

It'd be pure gimp in the end but you'd get your barb icon.

[grodon9999]

Have you considered 10 Barb, 9 ranger, 1 rogue ? You'd get evasion later but you wouldn't have to even take a barb level until 11 and could safely ignore most of their abilities well into end game.

It'd be pure gimp in the end but you'd get your barb icon.

Not a horrible idea . . .

[Kza]

Have you considered 10 Barb, 9 ranger, 1 rogue ? You'd get evasion later but you wouldn't have to even take a barb level until 11 and could safely ignore most of their abilities well into end game.

It'd be pure gimp in the end but you'd get your barb icon.

Hey! Thats MINE tr barb life ,-)

[Alexandryte]

Im going to venture a no. Rage lowers AC, you cant get armor bonus from an armor and monk wis bonus to AC (you can wear a robe though), and that bonus also disappears if you attempt to use a shield.

Not to mention you wont have high enough wisdom to actually take full use of the monk dilletante without gimping your damage.

Barbs are STR users not Dex. You are attempting to spread yourself too thin for minimal gain. A pure barb could maintain a higher standing AC (without monk dilletante) than the stat split you would need to try and make it competitive.

EDIT: just noticed it says both bard and barb. With a Bard it might be possible as they can be Dex characters (which works a lot better in conjunction to monk WIS AC since you cant wear armors)

[grodon9999]

Im going to venture a no. Rage lowers AC, you cant get armor bonus from an armor and monk wis bonus to AC (you can wear a robe though), and that bonus disappears if you attempt to use a shield.

Why on God's green Earth would you wear armor or a shield?

Have I mentioned this toon already has Icy Raiments and a Chattering ring?

I
Not to mention you wont have high enough wisdom to actually take full use of the monk dilletante without gimping your damage.

Utter-nonsense. You can start with 16 STR and 14 WISDOM no problem (14 WIS might be much . . .). This is a 36 point build. I'm sorry, starting at 16 STR instead of 18 STR doesn't gimp anything.

Barbs are STR users not Dex. You are attempting to spread yourself too thin for minimal gain. A pure barb could maintain a higher standing AC (without monk dilletante) than the stat split you would need to try and make it competitive.

Please spell this out in details because my BS detector is ringing.

By no means is this an idea build, I would not recommend it to anyone. But if you're TRing anyway and want a Barb life and you already have the gear it could work.

[Alexandryte]

So much vitriol...

Why on God's green Earth would you wear armor or a shield?

Have I mentioned this toon already has Icy Raiments and a Chattering ring?

You did not

Utter-nonsense. You can start with 16 STR and 14 WISDOM no problem (14 WIS might be much . . .). This is a 36 point build. I'm sorry, starting at 16 STR instead of 18 STR doesn't gimp anything.

You did not mention this was a 36 point build. Nor did you mention how exactly you intended to build the stats thus I assume the standard of max STR CON and dash of something else if theres room. One of the Barbs strengths is the fact they get d12 hp per barb lvl. But this also ties into....

Please spell this out in details because my BS detector is ringing.

By no means is this an idea build, I would not recommend it to anyone. But if you're TRing anyway and want a Barb life and you already have the gear it could work.

...when you talk about AC from Wis, DEX goes hand in hand because in order to get the Wis bonus you have to be unarmored. Robes have the distinct advantage of not having a Max Dex, leading to both an increase in +hit and +AC at the cost of +dmg. You are capped at 5 Wis bonus but uncapped on DEX bonus....leading to a finesseable being the choice for a dex/wis AC build.


Which brings me back to my initial point....how many dex barbs do you know?


Personally I enjoy odd builds any my main (and alts) often take on forms that defy the norm [to get the past life]. That is why I said "Id venture a no" rather than a blatant no +math. Go for it if you wish to make the barb life bearable, just keep in mind theory on the forums seldom translates well with the general populace in any quick period of time.

Then again....maybe I'm the only nut who runs with pugs from time to time ^_^

[thegreatneil]

So your trying to build a barb (ish) with good AC for lvl's 15-20 so you can TR him at 20 right?

[grodon9999]

So your trying to build a barb (ish) with good AC for lvl's 15-20 so you can TR him at 20 right?

I'm trying to get a TR life without actually having to play a barb. She's just not geared for normaly barbiness.

[grodon9999]

So much vitriol...

Nah, just sarcasm. I'm generally a jerk but I might have come off too strong.

You did not mention this was a 36 point build. Nor did you mention how exactly you intended to build the stats thus I assume the standard of max STR CON and dash of something else if theres room. One of the Barbs strengths is the fact they get d12 hp per barb lvl. But this also ties into....

I said TR but I should have said 36-points, there are plenty of points to go around.

S 16
D 16
C 14
I 12 (like me rouge skills)
W 14
C 8

...when you talk about AC from Wis, DEX goes hand in hand because in order to get the Wis bonus you have to be unarmored. Robes have the distinct advantage of not having a Max Dex, leading to both an increase in +hit and +AC at the cost of +dmg. You are capped at 5 Wis bonus but uncapped on DEX bonus....leading to a finesseable being the choice for a dex/wis AC build.


Which brings me back to my initial point....how many dex barbs do you know?

This would NOT be a DEX-based toon. Starting 16 STR with all level-ups in STR. With here current gear she'll be able to hit a 34 STR before raging. DEX will still be able to hit 28.

Personally I enjoy odd builds any my main (and alts) often take on forms that defy the norm [to get the past life]. That is why I said "Id venture a no" rather than a blatant no +math. Go for it if you wish to make the barb life bearable, just keep in mind theory on the forums seldom translates well with the general populace in any quick period of time.

Then again....maybe I'm the only nut who runs with pugs from time to time ^_^

This would be an odd-ball toon, as I mentioned several times it'll NOT be used in epics or anything else strange. My guildies will tolerate it for a life

[Angelus_dead]

So could a Barb 12/Ranger 6/Rogue 2 Helf take the Monk dilly and get enough AC to work through the first 19 levels of the game?

It'd be fine, but look at the benefit less as AC and more as gigantic amplification on CSW and Heal scrolls.

[LordPiglet]

First I want to point out that this will NOT be an end-game character. It's a whacky idea for a monk-spashed ranger to get through a barb life as painlessly as possible. The toon would TR again immediately as soon as it gets to 20.

So could a Barb 12/Ranger 6/Rogue 2 Helf take the Monk dilly and get enough AC to work through the first 19 levels of the game?

I just ran through 12/6/2 on an elf. It's not even worth worrying about on the ac even for the 5 point version. I was in the mid 40's with my insight 4 green steel, icy and ac bracers. Granted, I only had a 12 base wisdom anyways. I dropped tempest one as it's not worth the feats, picked up cleave and went to town with fb 1.

If I had known or thought about what I do know, I would have done the same thing I'm doing on life 3, take power attack at level 1 and run around with a big ****in axe (maul or gc when appropriate).

[grodon9999]

I just ran through 12/6/2 on an elf. It's not even worth worrying about on the ac even for the 5 point version. I was in the mid 40's with my insight 4 green steel, icy and ac bracers. Granted, I only had a 12 base wisdom anyways. I dropped tempest one as it's not worth the feats, picked up cleave and went to town with fb 1.

If I had known or thought about what I do know, I would have done the same thing I'm doing on life 3, take power attack at level 1 and run around with a big ****in axe (maul or gc when appropriate).

I always use a 2-hander until level 7ish.

10 Base
1 Dodge
4 Icy Raiments Dodge
1 Alchemical Dodge
5 Wisdom
9 Dexterity
4 Insight (Shroud Crafted)
5 Protection
5 Barkskin
8 Armor Bracers
4 Tempest III
1 Haste
4 Airship

61 power-attack AC before raging, 64 if she has the Chattering Equipped and not another ring. I'm thinking Rage when i got somebody looking after me, don't when soloing.

This ain't happening for a while anyway, the Helfs will be changed (nerfed) 4 or 5 times by the time I get around to this.

[QuantumFX]

I always use a 2-hander until level 7ish.

10 Base
1 Dodge
4 Icy Raiments Dodge
1 Alchemical Dodge
5 Wisdom
9 Dexterity
4 Insight (Shroud Crafted)
5 Protection
5 Barkskin
8 Armor Bracers
4 Shield Wands
1 Haste
4 Airship

61 power-attack AC before raging, 64 if she has the Chattering Equipped and not another ring. I'm thinking Rage when i got somebody looking after me, don't when soloing.

This ain't happening for a while anyway, the Helfs will be changed (nerfed) 4 or 5 times by the time I get around to this.

Fixed.

And FYI: You can rage while soloing. You should carry guild potions and know when to hit the dismiss rage button though. And if you’re really interested in not-raging… Why not go 7 Barbarian/7 Rogue/6 Ranger? (Since barbarian is first alphabetically and isn’t an add on class you will get the PL feat you’re seeking.)