In need of some build advice for duoing pair

[razirael]

Hi,
First, I want to say that I did take time to look through probably the first 6 pages of the character builder forums to try and see if I could find my answer, but it was very hard to get a concise answer.

Basically, me and a friend, who used to play way more than I did, are planning on coming back and duo-ing most of the game(and running in parties otherwise) together so I am trying to find viable builds for both of us to run. I know for me personally it will be a near fresh account, so no higher than normal point builds, no drow, no tomes (though honestly ive forgotten how to get the tomes to begin with).

Anyways, I figured the best I could do is describe what I am looking for and like and see what the general community cooks up for us.
I know for me personally I take a shining to 1st)paladins, 2nd)clerics, and 3rd)bards. I think it's because they all encompass an ability to fight/cast spells. Preferably I enjoy the divine spell-casting but bards are still fun none the less. I basically want something that is excellent at soloing and is an all around good character to a party (he doesn't have to be the greatest in the party, but I don't want him to be a burden). As for races, i really enjoy playing a human but I can suffice with half elves, elves, and half-lings. Other than those races I'm really not interested. Also chances are I will put very little to no money towards this endeavor so I would like to best avoid the ddo store content, however if I make an account I think I can get a free 250 turbine points if that's worth anything, lol.

As for my friend, he generally enjoys the same above except he is ok with drows (and considering if he can find his old account he will have access to them).

So there you have it, the request is a duo team from the above criteria, both with excellent soloability, and a possible combination from you guys that would allow us to be even better around each other. I know it's alot but I'm hoping the resident character builder cooks can fill this order please

[JonasSimbaca]

A friend and I rolled a pure human paladin and a 1/x drow rogue/wizard. The paly keeps us healed and has unbelievable survivability. The rogue/wizard could disable any trap and still throw a mean firewall and haste the paly.

For the paladin build, focus on saves and give up a little DPS for some additional SP. The LoH's are invaluable.

For the rogue/wizard, start with 1 rogue and keep search, spot, and disable device maxed.

We're level 16 and have been unstoppable in any quest that does not absolutely require more than four people. Also have never needed a hireling except in cases where 3-4 players are required.

[Therigar]

Paladins have taken a bit of a turn for the better recently and I would not feel badly about playing one full time. They still suffer a bit because of the need to spread their stat points a bit thin but can be reasonable melees. Getting Intimidate as a class skill has helped them a bit as they now make good choices for intimitanking.

A solid sword and board paladin that pushes STR, CON and CHA is worth playing. Don't worry about WIS because you'll use a wisdom item to get enough to cast your L4 spells. Don't worry about DEX because you'll stick to heavy armor that will limit the dex bonus to AC anyways. Go sword and board when intimitanking and go THF when pushing the damage.

Your friend could be just about any complimentary class. A good choice if you go with the intimitanking would be a TWF rogue. You pull the mobs in and your friend gets lots of sneak damage. You have to manage your health but hireling clerics are pretty good for that purpose.

Problem with both would be groups as neither it top choice for lots of groups.

A good alternative would be to run paired clerics. Clerics are always in demand for groups and they solo pretty well. Duoing should be twice as easy.

[QuantumFX]

Warforged Favored Soul and a Warforged 2 Rogue/18 Wizard

[razirael]

A friend and I rolled a pure human paladin and a 1/x drow rogue/wizard. The paly keeps us healed and has unbelievable survivability. The rogue/wizard could disable any trap and still throw a mean firewall and haste the paly.

For the paladin build, focus on saves and give up a little DPS for some additional SP. The LoH's are invaluable.

For the rogue/wizard, start with 1 rogue and keep search, spot, and disable device maxed.

We're level 16 and have been unstoppable in any quest that does not absolutely require more than four people. Also have never needed a hireling except in cases where 3-4 players are required.

I love the idea of a paladin, I just wish they had slightly better divine spellcasting, lol. I'm gonna guess that LoH is a paladin path?

Paladins have taken a bit of a turn for the better recently and I would not feel badly about playing one full time. They still suffer a bit because of the need to spread their stat points a bit thin but can be reasonable melees. Getting Intimidate as a class skill has helped them a bit as they now make good choices for intimitanking.

A solid sword and board paladin that pushes STR, CON and CHA is worth playing. Don't worry about WIS because you'll use a wisdom item to get enough to cast your L4 spells. Don't worry about DEX because you'll stick to heavy armor that will limit the dex bonus to AC anyways. Go sword and board when intimitanking and go THF when pushing the damage.

Your friend could be just about any complimentary class. A good choice if you go with the intimitanking would be a TWF rogue. You pull the mobs in and your friend gets lots of sneak damage. You have to manage your health but hireling clerics are pretty good for that purpose.

Problem with both would be groups as neither it top choice for lots of groups.

A good alternative would be to run paired clerics. Clerics are always in demand for groups and they solo pretty well. Duoing should be twice as easy.

Duo clerics could be pretty powerful, now we just need to find the most viable builds for them

[wax_on_wax_off]

Possibly some variation of battle cleric for you (I would suggest monk but you won't have access to it). Either way, make sure you max your wisdom and have a decent strength along with an ok charisma. The new Radiant Servant PrE makes it awesomely easy to solo any undead heavy content if you pick up maximise and empower healing early if you have enough turn undeads/day.

For your friend I would perhaps suggest a tempest/exploiter style build with 18 ranger, 1 rogue and either 1 monk or 1 fighter. You get DPS, full traps skills and some excellent buffs. You can heal eachother and probably breeze through 99% of content until you get to level 20.

The best duo's really are WF duos with 1 being an arcane.

1 person being a primary healer and the other being a primary DPS character is the best combo I would suggest. Someone having trap skills and evasion is handy. Having diplomacy and intimidate is useful for getting bonus XP in some quests. Someone having evasion + high reflex save is handy for some quests.

[razirael]

Warforged Favored Soul and a Warforged 2 Rogue/18 Wizard

I have to ask, what makes a warforged favored soul so powerful? I can understand wizard due to self healing but I dont see how favored soul accomplishes that feat

[razirael]

Possibly some variation of battle cleric for you (I would suggest monk but you won't have access to it). Either way, make sure you max your wisdom and have a decent strength along with an ok charisma. The new Radiant Servant PrE makes it awesomely easy to solo any undead heavy content if you pick up maximise and empower healing early if you have enough turn undeads/day.

For your friend I would perhaps suggest a tempest/exploiter style build with 18 ranger, 1 rogue and either 1 monk or 1 fighter. You get DPS, full traps skills and some excellent buffs. You can heal eachother and probably breeze through 99% of content until you get to level 20.

The best duo's really are WF duos with 1 being an arcane.

1 person being a primary healer and the other being a primary DPS character is the best combo I would suggest. Someone having trap skills and evasion is handy. Having diplomacy and intimidate is useful for getting bonus XP in some quests. Someone having evasion + high reflex save is handy for some quests.

I see... however I doubt we would both play a WF. Btw, I looked on the website and apparently there are paths you can auto level up to so are any of those paths recommended to be used or is it better to go with custom builds that are made on here? lol

[QuantumFX]

I have to ask, what makes a warforged favored soul so powerful? I can understand wizard due to self healing but I dont see how favored soul accomplishes that feat

It basically plays like a paladin with more casting power.

Self healing:
traditional cure/heals.

Resistances:
DR from Adamantine Body + WFed DR enhancements + Favored Soul Capstone.
Stacking 10 energy resists (Usually Fire, then Electricity, then Cold)
Fast progression in all saving throws
Toughness enhancements

Offense:
You are considered proficent and eventually weapon focused and weapon specialized in the greatsword.
You have lasers (Searing Light)
You have Blade Barrier

Movement:
You have access to Leap of Faith.

[darkzane]

For a duo one try this:
1 rogue / 19 bard human bard with warchanter prestige, take two handed fighting and grab some nice falchions on the way up, take rogue at 1st level and keep your skills buffed. This covers traps, locks, buffs and some decent DPS.

Other person either does a pure offensive caster cleric with radiant servant prestige or pure paladin intimitank with Defender of Siberys prestige.

If it's paladin/bard then both classes can wand heal and/or use hirelings. If it's cleric/bard you can still duo pretty much any content, especially with hirelings and you will never have a problem putting together a group.

I duoed my rogue with my wife's paladin and we were doing quite well up to level 15, usually taking quests a level or two above with a healer hire.

[razirael]

It basically plays like a paladin with more casting power.

Self healing:
traditional cure/heals.

Resistances:
DR from Adamantine Body + WFed DR enhancements + Favored Soul Capstone.
Stacking 10 energy resists (Usually Fire, then Electricity, then Cold)
Fast progression in all saving throws
Toughness enhancements

Offense:
You are considered proficent and eventually weapon focused and weapon specialized in the greatsword.
You have lasers (Searing Light)
You have Blade Barrier

Movement:
You have access to Leap of Faith.

****... that sounds kind of fun, lol. Not sure if I would use a greatsword but Im assuming that there's no real point to sword and board it, lol. Got a build I could follow for it?

For a duo one try this:
1 rogue / 19 bard human bard with warchanter prestige, take two handed fighting and grab some nice falchions on the way up, take rogue at 1st level and keep your skills buffed. This covers traps, locks, buffs and some decent DPS.

Other person either does a pure offensive caster cleric with radiant servant prestige or pure paladin intimitank with Defender of Siberys prestige.

If it's paladin/bard then both classes can wand heal and/or use hirelings. If it's cleric/bard you can still duo pretty much any content, especially with hirelings and you will never have a problem putting together a group.

I duoed my rogue with my wife's paladin and we were doing quite well up to level 15, usually taking quests a level or two above with a healer hire.

Yea, the friend is already playing the beginner stages and he made an elven bard which he wants to go two weapon fighting with so I probably just need to convince him to take the rogue, lol. Is it important that he takes rogue at first level?

I am totally ok with running a paladin or offensive cleric. Do you guys have builds you can link me to how to set it up? Also does this game feature any form of a respec incase people dont invite my offensive casting cleric? thanks in advance!

[QuantumFX]

****... that sounds kind of fun, lol. Not sure if I would use a greatsword but Im assuming that there's no real point to sword and board it, lol. Got a build I could follow for it?

Better.

I got a thread that breaks down how it plays: here
And a YouTube channel that shows how one of them plays here (His Divine videos)

[darkzane]

It's important to take the rogue at 1st level to get the skill points.

Respec can be done through feat exchange or more drastically through using a heart of wood but that will cost you some points and/or cash (for points).

Offensive caster cleric is pretty easy, max out your wisdom, have a decent con, should be plenty of builds in the cleric forums.

Soundburst is your friend early in the game.

[razirael]

Better.

I got a thread that breaks down how it plays: here
And a YouTube channel that shows how one of them plays here (His Divine videos)

Nice! You sir are awesome for the linkage, lol

It's important to take the rogue at 1st level to get the skill points.

Respec can be done through feat exchange or more drastically through using a heart of wood but that will cost you some points and/or cash (for points).

Offensive caster cleric is pretty easy, max out your wisdom, have a decent con, should be plenty of builds in the cleric forums.

Soundburst is your friend early in the game.

I guess I shall go troll for the cleric offensive caster build, needless to say im excited, lol. Now I just gotta decide if I want the cleric build or the paladin build (or the favored soul warforged build for points)

[wax_on_wax_off]

I see... however I doubt we would both play a WF. Btw, I looked on the website and apparently there are paths you can auto level up to so are any of those paths recommended to be used or is it better to go with custom builds that are made on here? lol

NEVER ever ever ever never ever use a preset path. They are broken.

I have to ask, what makes a warforged favored soul so powerful? I can understand wizard due to self healing but I dont see how favored soul accomplishes that feat

A WF FvS + WF Wizard/2 rogue would have to be the best duoing pair in existence, imo. I can't imagine that this pair couldn't duo any quest in the game on elite. Could probably duo many epic quests and raids as well.

I'm playing a WF FvS atm and I'm having a blast. Good DPS coupled with self healing and good defense is an amazing combination. Check out the Soul Survivor build which is the one that I'm following (with some variations, mainly feats switching around, I wanted maximise/quicken/power attack/IC:S/toughness at level 12, not sure what ill take at 15 and 18 yet).

Just make sure you pick up a Bladesmark Docent (from Sentinels of Stormreach pack) and defense is taken care of from level 5 to 19. I've played a lot of solo characters (arcanes, monk/cleric, battle cleric) and nothing comes close in solo ability.

WF Wizard is simply a great build. For leveling the 2 rogue (take 1st rogue at 1 and second after you get Finger of Death, or at least reconstruct, imo) is amazing. Once you get to cap you will get less utility out of evasion however. Make sure you map out the feats that you want to take (GSF: enchantment and SF: conjuration for epics, SF:evo is good for levels 6-12+ say but should be swapped out by level 20 for SF:conj, all this assumes AM PrE). Possibly if you take the 2 rogue option and lose your level 20 feat and invest a feat into insightful reflexes then you'll have to give up something here.

[razirael]

So in an interesting turn of events it turns out that I found my old account which still has a lvl 7 drow cleric on it with some pretty nice gear, lol. Ill try to post the stats on it and see what you guys think on what I should do.