Can This Toon Be Saved?

[Oakianus]

Okay, so I'm a noob. So much of a noob that I don't know if this type of thread is frowned upon or what's going on. Long time 3.5 player in tabletop and I'm learning about the vast differences slowly but surely.... but I really feel like my toon is way off course, especially with those horrible, horrible skills being all over the place. See, I thought I could get away being sorta so-so with traps, and it turns out that's pretty worthless... so I already know that's one place for improvement.

I have like 60k plat thanks to a high level friend who gave me some seed money (most of which I blew on a +2 Charisma tome) but I don't feel like I know what to look for in gear. I know at least two or three of my gear slots are completely wasted, but have no idea what I ought to be looking for to put in those slots.

Anyway! Is there anything else that I need to be doing with myself? Should I just wait until I can get a lesser reincarnation and follow a good guide? I initially started the character off to be a Warchanter, not thinking about the fact that there's a strength requirement for Power Attack, so I'm a Spellsinger now. I love the vast amounts of MP and being able to rain buffs, but feel like I could be a lot more useful and at least do a little bit of DPS on the side.

tl;dr - HALP ME

Str 8
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 8
Chr 18

Balance - 5
Bluff - 5
Concentration - 5
Diplomacy - 11
Disable Device - 5
Haggle - 11
Move Silently - 5
Open Lock - 1
Perform - 11
Search - 2
Tumble - 5
UMD - 11

Feats
Mental Toughness
TWF
Weapon Finesse

Spells:
1st - CLW, Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Summon Monster I

2nd - Blur, CMW, Heroism, Invisibility

3rd - Displacement, Haste

Enhancements:

Bard Extra Song I, Bard Inspired Attack I, Bard Inspired Damage I, Bard Lingering Song I, Bard Spellsinger I, Halfling Dexterity I, Halfling Cunning I, Halfling Guile I, Improved Concentration II, Bard Lyric of Song I, Bard Song Magic II, Bard Energy of Music II, Bard Charisma II.
Gear:

Goggles - +2 Int, +3 Disable Device
Hat - Captain's Chapeau with +5 Natural Armor
Necklace - +2 Con, Burning Hands
Trinket - Prot. from Evil
Cloak - Charisma +3, Hide +3
Belt - Str +3, See Invisible 1/day.
Ring1 - Poison Immunity, Shield
Gloves - Dex +3, Open Lock +3
Boots - Feather Falling, Hypnotic Pattern 1/day
Ring2 - Resistance +1
Bracers - Axe Bane
Armor - +5 Mithral Chain Shirt.

[TheDearLeader]

Just Level 7, right?

I would suggest a re-roll at this point, before you invest any more time/XP into this Character. Read The Diva's Bard Love Guide and try again. There's some builds linked in there, as well, that may assist you. I count at least 5 Spellsinger builds linked in that thread.

Go from there, try again.

Hint : Constitution is not a dump stat.

May the Sovereign Host guide you.

[Oakianus]

Just Level 7, right?

I would suggest a re-roll at this point, before you invest any more time/XP into this Character. Read The Diva's Bard Love Guide and try again. There's some builds linked in there, as well, that may assist you. I count at least 5 Spellsinger builds linked in that thread.

Go from there, try again.

Hint : Constitution is not a dump stat.

May the Sovereign Host guide you.

Level 8, actually. Bard 7/Rogue 1. Going to take another level of Rogue next level, I think, for the purposes of Evasion.

Is the character that irredeemable, though? Seriously? I'm actually sort of emotionally invested in him and I don't think I could take the grind of getting another character this far. ><

[TheDearLeader]

Level 8, actually. Bard 7/Rogue 1. Going to take another level of Rogue next level, I think, for the purposes of Evasion.

Is the character that irredeemable, though? Seriously? I'm actually sort of emotionally invested in him and I don't think I could take the grind of getting another character this far. ><

The reason you consider the road to be level 8 "Such a grind" is probably, at least in part, due to the build you're working with.

Could you get this particular toon to 20? Yeah. You, or anyone else for that matter, can make it to level 20 as a Soul Stone. But you'd probably make it there a lot faster with a more living-friendly build.

Don't worry about it. A lot of people don't get their first toons to 20. I suppose, though, if you really wanted to get this to 20, you could LR it to reflect one of the builds listed in that forum post.

[Oakianus]

The reason you consider the road to be level 8 "Such a grind" is probably, at least in part, due to the build you're working with.

Could you get this particular toon to 20? Yeah. You, or anyone else for that matter, can make it to level 20 as a Soul Stone. But you'd probably make it there a lot faster with a more living-friendly build.

Don't worry about it. A lot of people don't get their first toons to 20. I suppose, though, if you really wanted to get this to 20, you could LR it to reflect one of the builds listed in that forum post.

Well, I'm just not much for playing MMOs. I'm actually pretty decent at soloing quests of my level and can get by without much in the way of problems. I can pull off somewhat useful DPS, especially when I manage to start up with the sneak attacks. But a week or two of playing quests on the daily sounds like a huge pain in the ass.

So, that said... how about the gear? Can anyone recommend any decent gear at all, at least?

[andbr22]

Unfortunetly without reincarnation (lesser) it can't be saved...

Problems too high Dex, too Con. (most of table top people have this problem - endgame AC is usless unless you are specially speced for it, and have apropriate gear, We are talking about game where monsters use fire balls for 300 dmg (you must be able to survive at least this on failed save))...

You came a bit too late for this for forum, you lost most of the event, and made good BTC equipment (for lower levels).
Without good equipment i would say to simply reroll character. Also event will be bvack at the end of march (keep in mind).

[Paleus]

People do not frown on these types of posts, people love giving advice, sometimes to show how awesome they themselves are and other times to help people get the most out of this game and become better players.

Here are some questions first: Are you F2P, P2P, or premium? If you are F2P/Premium you definitely do not want to be spending points on a lesser reincarnation heart (about the only way you'll see one for a looong time) and this build is in need of a stat overhaul. At best, the character you have here is suited to buff at the beginning, keep people buffed, toss some heals and throw down crowd control from a very safe distance. That is because you do not have the strength to keep up in melee and with a 10 con you aren't going to last long in melee anyway. Now, some parties are going to be fine with that, but people at higher levels will start noticing your glass jaw.

Now for your options: If you are F2P you should have a spare slot, I'd suggest rolling another character (you don't necessarily have to do delete this one just yet). See how long it takes you to level up that character. The first couple of times leveling seems like a long grind because you are still learning the ropes of the game, but after that eight levels go by fairly quickly.

If you find you would like to be hitting things and not dying as much, and dont really mind not having full on bard buffy goodness, look into the axesinger build.

Note: Being able to do traps is really a lot about how much gear you have, and that is hard on a first time player. Most first time trapsmiths don't keep up with the gear requirements for traps and start blowing them more at your level. I would suggest any future build you have to not worry about traps until you've built up a plat reserve to invest in that kind of gear, weapons and stat bonus gear taking precedence at this time.

[Emili]

What were the starting stats and race?

[Gorbadoc]

What were the starting stats and race?

I was thinking the same thing. That looks like a 26-pt drow, a 38-pt human, a 34-pt halfling... I'm drawing a blank as to what race would make it 28-pt or 32-pt.

As for playability, yeah, you are all over the place, OP. Go ahead and keep playing this build while planning possible replacements for him. If you can get your hands on some decent light armor (+4 or +5 mithral chain or mithral breastplate are things to keep an eye out for), then your armor class should help keep you alive until around level 10 or 12 (when you enter Zawabi's Refuge or Gianthold, at which time the game will become painfully frustrating if you can't get your constitution up). You can try to make up for your low strength by having good weapons, but those can be expensive, and they'll only get you but so far.

In planning a new character, try to focus your build priorities. Learn what is always useful in DDO, what is occasionally useful, and what is just a convenience. Pick one universally useful thing to do in combat, and focus on that one thing. Some abilities allow dabbling, but keep an eye on your focus.

For example:
A melee bard will have high strength and high constitution. He can also squeeze in stealth skills and some healing without detracting much from his melee ability. Also, since he's a bard, he gets amazing buffs and song-based crowd control for very little investment.

Another example:
A spell-based crowd control bard will have a maxed charisma and decent constitution (at least 14 base). He can squeeze in stealth skills, solid healing, and some light melee ability (toss any spare points into strength and carry a decent two-handed weapon). Also, same as any bard, he should make the investment in his buffs and song-based crowd control (max Inspired Attack and Inspired damage, and look into the Music of the Dead and Music of Makers abilities).

[Indoran]

Your Con 10 says: re-roll

You have had trouble getting here... but in level 14+ you will go squish squish squish...

Get at least 14 Con.

Also keep in mind that dex 18 is sooooo cool now... but after level 14 +/- you need uber AC to avoid getting hit (and being a bard that's very difficult to accomplish. that's why con 10 is a bad idea, because you will be hit no matter what)

You may love your toon... but this is a love that will bring you pain.

[augie]

Option #1: Accept the role as a party buff-bot, max out your buffs/songs and pike your way to 20.

Option #2: Reroll with the knowledge you have now into a far more superior version of your current character.

If it makes you feel any better, your situation is very common and there's no shame in rerolling. The first couple characters I first made were abysmal (to put it nicely) and sometimes ya just have to bite the bullet and say "yep, I really messed this one up, but I know a lot more now and my next character will be WAY better."

Also, if you're multi-classing rogue, I'm assuming you're starting out level 1 as a rogue to take advantage of their massive amount of skill points. If you're starting out as a level 1 bard, you'll miss out on a lot of points.

Safe travels

Aug

[Oakianus]

I was thinking the same thing. That looks like a 26-pt drow, a 38-pt human, a 34-pt halfling... I'm drawing a blank as to what race would make it 28-pt or 32-pt.

Oh! I started with a 16 Charisma - the plus 2 comes from my level 4 and level 8 stat bonuses. The term '****ing duh' comes to mind. :P

And thanks for the advice! It seems pretty good. I actually played this character in TT as mainly a buffer (I'd spend at least the first three rounds inspiring courage, since you can play forever and it lasts x rounds after you stop) and then dive in and do little sneak attacks and annoy the **** out of things. Having an AC in the mid to high 30s at higher levels (Well, up to 12th or so) worked really well.

But my group was never much for major twinkiness and optimizing, to be sure, so most of our character sheets ended up looking this bad. :P

So that's the major lesson I'm getting here and what I'll focus on. Con, con, con. Maybe squeeze in a bit of strength, too, and go with a two-handed staff so I don't have to blow a feat on TWF? I'm thinking of a spellsinger with DPS, doing a few quick combat buffs while the tanks draw the monsters' collective ire and then wading in to bust people in the head, backing out to help the cleric heal when needed. Or is that still too divided in purpose?

[Gorbadoc]

Option #1: Accept the role as a party buff-bot, max out your buffs/songs and pike your way to 20.

Option #2: Reroll with the knowledge you have now into a far more superior version of your current character.

Option #3: Design a whole new character. Knight of the Chalice paladins make great self-sufficient DPSers on a shoestring budget, for example. In designing your new character, get feedback from other players. If you're smart about it, you can easily get a solid character who is different from your bard. Playing another class may also give you additional perspective on what you want to do with your bard.

So that's the major lesson I'm getting here and what I'll focus on. Con, con, con. Maybe squeeze in a bit of strength, too, and go with a two-handed staff so I don't have to blow a feat on TWF? I'm thinking of a spellsinger with DPS, doing a few quick combat buffs while the tanks draw the monsters' collective ire and then wading in to bust people in the head, backing out to help the cleric heal when needed. Or is that still too divided in purpose?

Check out other threads on the subject. I think someone already linked The Diva's Bard Love Guide, but also be sure to check out a variety of character builds, both bard and non-bard. Notice what concerns weigh heavily on people's minds.

For DPS builds, the big concerns will be survivability and damage per second.

For caster builds, the big concerns will be survivability and spell DCs.

There's a reason for this: When the going gets tough, DPSers need to kill faster/die less, and casters need to land spells more often/die less. That is the difference between success and failure (okay, there's also healing).

You want to be a caster bard? Fine: give yourself some token melee ability for when the going is easy, but remember that, when bad stuff is going down, you want to be as good as you possibly can at landing your crowd control and healing your buddies.

And, of course, buffs are always a special case: Even if they detract a bit from your own melee or casting abilities, they help the rest of the party do their main jobs.

[Emili]

Oh! Completely forgot about this part.

Those are the starting stats, so they don't include my +2 Charisma Tome, +2 Cha from Enhancements, etc. I also didn't bother putting any of the bonuses from my gear.

I am p2p, so I think that I'll tough it out til I accumulate enough points for that lesser heart, which should only take another few weeks if the points work the way that I think they do. I read about the fact that Con is such a major factor shortly after rolling my toon, but I've actually been doing pretty well. Not that I never die, of course, but I don't notice myself going down any more often than the other toons in my PUGs. :P I just make sure not to wade in until the tank has had a chance to get a couple of swings in and keep pain off of me - it also allows me to make sure all of my attacks get that sneak attack bonus to hit and damage, which are a huge help with my Bard BAB.

I have done quite a bit of the event, so what should I be getting from it? I'm currently working toward the level 12 spyglass and hope to get enough to upgrade it fully, and I've got a +5 natural armor hat and a +6 Charisma hat out of the event.

I really feel like, as I tough it out, I could do a LOT better for equip. False life seems like it's a good idea right now with my HP total being in the high 70s/low 80s, but I'm sure there's at least one or two other things I could pick up to survive til the middle-high levels when it's finally time to get that LR. :P

Also, thanks for all the help so far!

Ok... I still no clue where you went with your level 4 and 8 ability point increases... You are indeed a little HP shy to run in the melee. I can tell is leaning towards a singer.

Singers generally take to the healing/cc route however despite what the min/max's may tell you a singer does gain ample ability to melee fairly well. Twf lines though be a stretch on the bard unless splashed ... do not care who or what weapons you use IC is very important ... even when your main weapons are min IIs. High Cha based do tend to be of the singer - healing/cc variety however.

When you get the chance to LR ... con of 14 be all. Beleive it or not a bard can get away with starting 16 cha as a singer and a 16 in the prime melee stat ... after that the other points in con and/or even out Int (to 10) just to keep skill points even (which do not have to do if human.)

I mention such as my SS melee's and is actually close in you base except for con - she has more. She's an old bard of mine, a gimp yet Rosewood despite that fact is surpisingly one of my favorite and best character's to play. Surprisingly the character turns heads and have saved more partys from DOOOOOM than any of my others. I remember Hordo once say to me - "Oh? You're one of those working bards." Course first thing in my mind be - O' course I like to play.

First elf is not a great race for a bard - first rolled in Feb of 2006 she predates drow (fact is she was 28 points and LR'd her bout a year ago to grab 4 points). I plan to TR her but cannot decide on race. She a pure Spell singer feated toughness, finesse, extend, heighten, IC Pierce, Max, and I forget the 7th? I am running her with +1 ship buffs and self buffed at 23 31 31 16 17 40 bout 3 shy of 500hp and bout 1600sp... now then that may seem a little rich to you but imagine ... level 20 running raids and epics things mount up. What people seem to not realize is outside the base the items are at least as powerful if not more in this game.

Now let's discuss a plan... your choices... LR to put some con on and/or Run to 20 and TR which probably you'd most likely do anyways or just reroll at this point... while I do know a +2 tome seems like a high loss - among the levels 20's - it is not.

BTW... while evasion is nice - is a heafty price (capstone) that a spell singer give sup for it. Often times HP and a decent reflex save make up for not having evasion ... especially with the items in game available. Is a decision to be made... when I look at rogue levels I look at the SA and enough dex to make evasion worth it.

[Oakianus]

Oakianus:

Other posters have given you excellent advice on what to do when you LR you're beloved 1st toon. Most of us have a soft spot for our firsties, so don't let the naysayers get you down. Here's some advice on how to play your fairly gimped singer for now:

1) Prep - abandon melee altogether. With your low STR and low CON, you're not helping much in damage and you're a liability if you get aggro. Ditch your melee weapons and focus on getting spell and healing buff scepters. Anything that boosts the effectiveness of your enchantments or your heals. Also, get a club/scepter/anything that boosts your SP. Wear this item into and out of every quest - after you buff, ditch it for the other item. (Use the temporary SP and then put it away.) Make sure you are wearing light armor once you get the second level of rogue. Evasion does not work in medium or heavy armor. Find gear that boosts your CON and CHA scores. STR too if possible because you will become "helpless" if you get hit with a Ray of Enfeeblement.

2) Prep more - you can reset your Enhancements for a cost in gold. Do that, retake everything you need for Spellsinger, then take enhancements that boost your healing, the length of your songs, and the song buffs (damge and to-hit). Take Hero's Companion or whatever the halfling-only buff is called. Rest into anything that improves your spells. You can reset one spell per 3 days. Do that, and take Hold Person as one of your spells. Drop invisibility. In three days, do it again, take Hypnotism, drop Summon Monster (useless level 1 spell).

3) Enter dungeon - sing you happy songs, buff everyone, but in particular buff the melees with blur. Haste is always the LAST spell you cast. Just before fights, cast Displacement on the melees. Cast Haste again if it ran out or is low on time. Then, target bad guys, cast Hold Person (some baddies are immune, read the spell description). Once you get Hypnotism, cast that, THEN Hold Person. Hypno stops them in their tracks; Hold gives everyone auto-critical hits which means very fast death to baddies. Re-sing your buff songs.

4) Panic mode - You are a capable healer (if you followed the above) but when !@#$ hits the fan, Fascinate is your BFF. When things look like they are going south, hit the magic Fascinate button, wait 3 seconds, and make sure everything is just standing around. Proceed to heal people, scoff at the dead "tank", grab his Soul Stone and Fascinate your way to or back to the nearest shrine.

5) Rinse and repeat.

6) Level - take your second rogue level asap - Evasion helps immesurably. There is a quest in the Market - Lockiana - complete that for a free swap of one Feat. Choose wisely. I would go Heighten or Extend. Heighten will help Hypnotism and Hold Person land as you level up. Extend will help your buffs and save you SP.

TL;DR

7) Have fun!! It's only a game.

This is awesome advice all around, and I REALLY appreciate that you can understand the fact that when it comes down to it, I'm a bit of a nutjob with a soft spot for a collection of pixels. I have been pumping Perform to the sky as much as possible and with that 25 Charisma that I'm about to hit to 26, I'd imagine I'm one high-level Perform item away from changing the game. I barely ever use Fascinate, which I'm starting to think means that I'm doin it rong as a Bard. :P

Ok... I still no clue where you went with your level 4 and 8 ability point increases... You are indeed a little HP shy to run in the melee. I can tell is leaning towards a singer.

Singers generally take to the healing/cc route however despite what the min/max's may tell you a singer does gain ample ability to melee fairly well. Twf lines though be a stretch on the bard unless splashed ... do not care who or what weapons you use IC is very important ... even when your main weapons are min IIs. High Cha based do tend to be of the singer - healing/cc variety however.

When you get the chance to LR ... con of 14 be all. Beleive it or not a bard can get away with starting 16 cha as a singer and a 16 in the prime melee stat ... after that the other points in con and/or even out Int (to 10) just to keep skill points even (which do not have to do if human.)

I mention such as my SS melee's and is actually close in you base except for con - she has more. She's an old bard of mine, a gimp yet Rosewood despite that fact is surpisingly one of my favorite and best character's to play. Surprisingly the character turns heads and have saved more partys from DOOOOOM than any of my others. I remember Hordo once say to me - "Oh? You're one of those working bards." Course first thing in my mind be - O' course I like to play.

First elf is not a great race for a bard - first rolled in Feb of 2006 she predates drow (fact is she was 28 points and LR'd her bout a year ago to grab 4 points). I plan to TR her but cannot decide on race. She a pure Spell singer feated toughness, finesse, extend, heighten, IC Pierce, Max, and I forget the 7th? I am running her with +1 ship buffs and self buffed at 23 31 31 16 17 40 bout 3 shy of 500hp and bout 1600sp... now then that may seem a little rich to you but imagine ... level 20 running raids and epics things mount up. What people seem to not realize is outside the base the items are at least as powerful if not more in this game.

Now let's discuss a plan... your choices... LR to put some con on and/or Run to 20 and TR which probably you'd most likely do anyways or just reroll at this point... while I do know a +2 tome seems like a high loss - among the levels 20's - it is not.

BTW... while evasion is nice - is a heafty price (capstone) that a spell singer give sup for it. Often times HP and a decent reflex save make up for not having evasion ... especially with the items in game available. Is a decision to be made... when I look at rogue levels I look at the SA and enough dex to make evasion worth it.

Sorry! I wasn't clear about my increases, which both went into the Charisma in my first post. I forgot to factor that in to the stats. :P I started off with 16 Charisma and ate a tome, put 2 enhancements into it and put both of my level-ups into it. I have a soft spot for Charisma as a stat, obviously, and I justify it by saying it's more spell points. :P

Definitely conflicting info regarding the Rogue splash in these two - any tie breakers out there? haha.

I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate all of this, by the by. Makes me feel like I can get through this game after all. :P

ETA: OH! And one last thing - with the "Abandon all Melee, ye who enter here" discussion that's going down, should I perhaps think about a repeating crossbow? They do look pretty damned cool. :P

[Oakianus]

What were the starting stats and race?

Oh! Completely forgot about this part.

Those are the starting stats, so they don't include my +2 Charisma Tome, +2 Cha from Enhancements, etc. I also didn't bother putting any of the bonuses from my gear.

I am p2p, so I think that I'll tough it out til I accumulate enough points for that lesser heart, which should only take another few weeks if the points work the way that I think they do. I read about the fact that Con is such a major factor shortly after rolling my toon, but I've actually been doing pretty well. Not that I never die, of course, but I don't notice myself going down any more often than the other toons in my PUGs. :P I just make sure not to wade in until the tank has had a chance to get a couple of swings in and keep pain off of me - it also allows me to make sure all of my attacks get that sneak attack bonus to hit and damage, which are a huge help with my Bard BAB.

I have done quite a bit of the event, so what should I be getting from it? I'm currently working toward the level 12 spyglass and hope to get enough to upgrade it fully, and I've got a +5 natural armor hat and a +6 Charisma hat out of the event.

I really feel like, as I tough it out, I could do a LOT better for equip. False life seems like it's a good idea right now with my HP total being in the high 70s/low 80s, but I'm sure there's at least one or two other things I could pick up to survive til the middle-high levels when it's finally time to get that LR. :P

Also, thanks for all the help so far!

[Stitch78]

Oakianus:

Other posters have given you excellent advice on what to do when you LR you're beloved 1st toon. Most of us have a soft spot for our firsties, so don't let the naysayers get you down. Here's some advice on how to play your fairly gimped singer for now:

1) Prep - abandon melee altogether. With your low STR and low CON, you're not helping much in damage and you're a liability if you get aggro. Ditch your melee weapons and focus on getting spell and healing buff scepters. Anything that boosts the effectiveness of your enchantments or your heals. Also, get a club/scepter/anything that boosts your SP. Wear this item into and out of every quest - after you buff, ditch it for the other item. (Use the temporary SP and then put it away.) Make sure you are wearing light armor once you get the second level of rogue. Evasion does not work in medium or heavy armor. Find gear that boosts your CON and CHA scores. STR too if possible because you will become "helpless" if you get hit with a Ray of Enfeeblement.

2) Prep more - you can reset your Enhancements for a cost in gold. Do that, retake everything you need for Spellsinger, then take enhancements that boost your healing, the length of your songs, and the song buffs (damge and to-hit). Take Hero's Companion or whatever the halfling-only buff is called. Rest into anything that improves your spells. You can reset one spell per 3 days. Do that, and take Hold Person as one of your spells. Drop invisibility. In three days, do it again, take Hypnotism, drop Summon Monster (useless level 1 spell).

3) Enter dungeon - sing you happy songs, buff everyone, but in particular buff the melees with blur. Haste is always the LAST spell you cast. Just before fights, cast Displacement on the melees. Cast Haste again if it ran out or is low on time. Then, target bad guys, cast Hold Person (some baddies are immune, read the spell description). Once you get Hypnotism, cast that, THEN Hold Person. Hypno stops them in their tracks; Hold gives everyone auto-critical hits which means very fast death to baddies. Re-sing your buff songs.

4) Panic mode - You are a capable healer (if you followed the above) but when !@#$ hits the fan, Fascinate is your BFF. When things look like they are going south, hit the magic Fascinate button, wait 3 seconds, and make sure everything is just standing around. Proceed to heal people, scoff at the dead "tank", grab his Soul Stone and Fascinate your way to or back to the nearest shrine.

5) Rinse and repeat.

6) Level - take your second rogue level asap - Evasion helps immesurably. There is a quest in the Market - Lockiana - complete that for a free swap of one Feat. Choose wisely. I would go Heighten or Extend. Heighten will help Hypnotism and Hold Person land as you level up. Extend will help your buffs and save you SP.

TL;DR

7) Have fun!! It's only a game.

[JoeyWMD]

Str 8
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 8
Chr 18

I take it you're a spellsinger?
If so, this can work don't listen to them you'll be squishy but it can work!!
you need to get a +2 con tome and a +6 con item asap! if you're on ghallanda i'll try and help ya out, just to prove these guys wrong "Luhh" is my name.
Also, hopefully all your level ups are into Cha?
Keep pumping UMD,PERFORM,HAGGLE and when you take your second level of rogue max out search/disable you can get items to boost those, also look into taking "rogue skill boost I" then your traps are a tad less gimped
but UMD/PERFORM are your main skills however with a 12 int you should be able to keep them all maxed out relatively easily!

[Oakianus]

Str 8
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 8
Chr 18

I take it you're a spellsinger?
If so, this can work don't listen to them you'll be squishy but it can work!!
you need to get a +2 con tome and a +6 con item asap! if you're on ghallanda i'll try and help ya out, just to prove these guys wrong "Luhh" is my name.
Also, hopefully all your level ups are into Cha?
Keep pumping UMD,PERFORM,HAGGLE and when you take your second level of rogue max out search/disable you can get items to boost those, also look into taking "rogue skill boost I" then your traps are a tad less gimped
but UMD/PERFORM are your main skills however with a 12 int you should be able to keep them all maxed out relatively easily!

To be more correct, I actually have a 16 Charisma before any enhancements or level ups or my tome, which combine to give me a base of 22.

As I'm only 8th, I can't find any +6 items yet obviously - though it looks like (from my trolling of the AH) I can get myself up to a +4 item pretty easy.

I'm on Khyber, sadly, or I'd love to accept your advice. I can deal with 'squishy but it can work,' quite frankly, even if I am leaning pretty heavily toward taking advantage of that LR suggestion.

My question for folks is what exactly should I do if I do LR? What stat spread would you look at? Should I just say **** it as far as my Dex goes and drop that to 12 to move over to a 14 Con in one mighty swipe? Dare I say - drop my strength to 6 and just take two from dex? Drop the Int?

Definitely not sure where I should be going with that. Obviously if I consider dropping the Strength at all, I'll have to go with repeating crossbow or something similar for my main attack. Doesn't strength damage (and resulting penalties) apply to shortbows?

[Lerl]

I had your issue. I went overboard, though, AND used the premade paths. After looking on the forums, and deciding that these alts weren't much fun to play, I rolled a couple using builds that I had found and liked. (I had a cleric that would shoot out a soul stone if someone sneezed at him. : ))

I now have a much better understanding of what is needed and am having way more fun playing. I have LR/GR'd a few of my original alts and they are so much more fun to play. I would definitely look at enchancements/feats on DDOwiki.com. Now that I have something to work towards when I hit the trainer, it is easier to do.

As for the rest of my alts, I look at them as 'veteran status' characters. I am loathe to just give up the experience points they have, so when I am ready for a new alt, I will LR/GR them. : )