Sonic Caster Dps

[austral]

Hi! I created this thread to get some help trying to build a Sonic Caster Dps... Probably a bard, with some sorc splash ? The main spells would be sonic blast, shout, greater shout...

I know this build might not be so optimal, but I find it's a nice concept.

Thank you for helping.

[valorik]

Hi! I created this thread to get some help trying to build a Sonic Caster Dps... Probably a bard, with some sorc splash ? The main spells would be sonic blast, shout, greater shout...

I know this build might not be so optimal, but I find it's a nice concept.

Thank you for helping.

sonic spells in this game deal absolutely abysmal damage, and there's so few and no aoe dot effects (Firewall ice storm etc) that it's just a horrible spec, sorry to break the news :/

[austral]

sonic spells in this game deal absolutely abysmal damage, and there's so few and no aoe dot effects (Firewall ice storm etc) that it's just a horrible spec, sorry to break the news :/

You are right, but I really want to try it out, as I said, I know this build is not really optimal. But thank you for your comments.

[Xenus_Paradox]

Pure bard spellsinger, full Song Magic/Lyric of Song/Lyric of Incredible Song lines, Mad Lute. Done.

[austral]

Pure bard spellsinger, full Song Magic/Lyric of Song/Lyric of Incredible Song lines, Mad Lute. Done.

That's what I tought, thx alot.

[frznvimes]

Frankly, it's not just suboptimal, it's probably non-viable. The highest damage sonic spell (greater shout) does slightly less damage (5d6+30=47.5 average) than a level 10 fireball (10d3+30=50 average). You can't dps your way through the game with that.
A character that throws around sonic spells for the daze/stun effects is going to run into some problems as well. First of all, the spells have very short durations. If you're a bard you're going to have a hard time getting the sp to keep recasting the spells and getting the dc to land them (bards have somewhat poor spell dcs, except for enchantment spells when they get the capstone, because their spells only go up to level 6).

Now, I'm not saying not to make a character that uses sonic spells, but that you can't really make a viable character focused only on sonic spells. Depending on your character concept, you might want to make a bard that uses songs+sonic spells as well as melee, or maybe an arcane that uses sonic spells and other spells as well. Could you elaborate on what else you want?

[austral]

Frankly, it's not just suboptimal, it's probably non-viable. The highest damage sonic spell (greater shout) does slightly less damage (5d6+30=47.5 average) than a level 10 fireball (10d3+30=50 average). You can't dps your way through the game with that.
A character that throws around sonic spells for the daze/stun effects is going to run into some problems as well. First of all, the spells have very short durations. If you're a bard you're going to have a hard time getting the sp to keep recasting the spells and getting the dc to land them (bards have somewhat poor spell dcs, except for enchantment spells when they get the capstone, because their spells only go up to level 6).

Now, I'm not saying not to make a character that uses sonic spells, but that you can't really make a viable character focused only on sonic spells. Depending on your character concept, you might want to make a bard that uses songs+sonic spells as well as melee, or maybe an arcane that uses sonic spells and other spells as well. Could you elaborate on what else you want?

I don't really know what I absolutly want... As I said, I had an idea of a Sonic dps build, of course I will be using songs, but I don't really want to melee. It seems not to be viable, no problem, I just wont do it xD . Thx.

[silvertrit]

Highten soundburst

[austral]

Hmm, finally, I think that a melee oriented bard/song/sonic could do it. I don't know how to spread stat points tho...

[frznvimes]

Hmm, finally, I think that a melee oriented bard/song/sonic could do it. I don't know how to spread stat points tho...

If you're making a 32pt thf human something like 16/8/14/8/8/18 would be good for casting with melee viability. If you're going to make melee your primary focus, you can dump your cha (your songs will still have high dcs) and raise con/str for thf, or get enough dex for twf (although twf is very feat intensive for a bard).

[austral]

If you're making a 32pt thf human something like 16/8/14/8/8/18 would be good for casting with melee viability. If you're going to make melee your primary focus, you can dump your cha (your songs will still have high dcs) and raise con/str for thf, or get enough dex for twf (although twf is very feat intensive for a bard).

I don't know what to chose between thf and tfw xD

[Purgatory]

TWF and dual hammer of laiden clouds, go str based and take stuning blow. use sonic for kicks and giggles. 2nd thought use earth grab hvy pick and hammer in off hand.

[frznvimes]

I don't know what to chose between thf and tfw xD

twf does more dps, but takes 3 or more feats and a base dexterity score of 17 (meaning starting point+level up points+tomes, but not equipment and enhancements).
thf has feats associated with it, but they are unnecessary especially if you "twitch" (if you use a moving attack for your first swing, then a standing attack for your second, then keep switching back and forth you'll end up attacking something like 20% faster but won't get glancing blows. As a bard, you probably don't want glancing blows anyway because it will break your fascinate spell).
either way you should pick up improved critical and power attack.

I'd suggest looking around the bard forums.
this is a good read: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=275472

[wolflordnexus]

well TWF is absolutely better for a bard but if you want to cast spells its hard to fit it in without being to squishy

[Aashrym]

Hi! I created this thread to get some help trying to build a Sonic Caster Dps... Probably a bard, with some sorc splash ? The main spells would be sonic blast, shout, greater shout...

I know this build might not be so optimal, but I find it's a nice concept.

Thank you for helping.

You have to go bard to get enhancements for sonic damage and sonic crit. I have one that I play with who is healing focused and has CC feats. Good healer, good CC.


I have maximize and empower spell to go with the enhancements. Superior potency VI and 18% crit. The damage is respectable if you can optimize it in large groups and let the spellsinger SP regen refill it. Keep in mind you will be doing similar damage to a fireball with 50% bonus instead of 75% bonus so behind the direct damage curve.


The damage isn't very spectacular compared to most direct damage spells and the DC is a couple points behind the curve.


You won't be able to burn thru SP blasting either. It's not a very efficient system to deal direct damage with spells to start with, and worse with sonic.


When I do use greater shout for direct damage it's more of a novelty or flavor concept. I added it as a toy to experiment with and play around with. I enjoy it but I do not recommend focusing there.


What I do to make it work better for me is run up DA, disco ball and drag mobs thru the disco ball, then if I can afford the SP I hit them with a maximized empowered greater shout or two. Sometimes more if I can afford the SP. This does a lot of targets for a reasonable amount of damage over a short time. I mop up with melee. Often it's a better idea to stick with CC and use mass charm/suggestion.


With the regen I get the SP from each greater shout over about 90 seconds (it's actually a bit faster than this but this is close enough as a rounded number). It's important to keep that in mind because you will not have the SP to burn too many of them. Torc and conc opp can speed that up.


You can improve the DC's with a couple of sorc past lives, an evocation items, possibly a SF or GSF evocation but I think using feats would be an extremely poor decision due to the SP efficiency of the damage and limitation on your SP bar.


Don't splash. The capstone is worth 1 DC on the evocation for you from the CHA bonus.


At low levels sonic blast and sound burst are not too bad. Sonic blast is a ranged weighted 5d4 that can hit for 90ish damage later on and have the added daze effect. Sound burst is AoE and has a nice stun. You can buy superior cacophony II pots easily enough for them.


You will not have access to shout until level 10 and greater shout until level 16 and might not take them at those levels. So please understand how far behind the curve you will be comparing your bard to other direct damage casters of similar level.


I added the damage as something to play with on top of healing and CC, not as the main focus.


Don't expect to have a lot of excess SP to go thru without spellsinger II to refill you.


You will be waiting a long time for a mad lute btw. Min level 18 is far down the road. Those cacophony pots will last you until at least lvl 10 for your damage spells. You won't have much trouble finding a superior potency IV item by then or superior potency VI by level 16.


I do it and as a sideline ability and it is suboptimal. You really should keep that in mind. Hopefully that helps. Hopefully my info makes sense too. I'm tired.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Many spellsinger builds that I've seen have suggested taking maximise for better healing capacity and also for the utility of using greater shout.

I would definitely suggest that a pure spellsinger build is a very viable build and any spellsinger should be able to use sonic spells exceptionally well. Just take a regular Spellsinger build such as the one here.

Go human, and at instead of taking mental toughness, take maximise, your Greater Shout's will do decent DPS with that.

[austral]

Well, thax alot guys, that helped me alot!

[learst]

I agree with Aashrym. While it's nice do something of flavour (I use Greater shout on my bard from time to time to :P), you still have to incorporate some semblance of practicality to group with others and survive in a quest.

Others have outlined the basics - pure spellsinger, get max enhancments for song magic and critical, and preferably the mad lute as well.

Remember that your main contributions are song and other forms of CC e.g. dancing sphere, irresistible dance and fascinate. Also other buff spells and probably an occasional healing spell or two. You can cast the occasional sound damage spell, but don't spend all your SP on greater shout and soundburst until you run out of SP and songs (spellsong vigor). ;P