Looking for self-sufficient DPS

[Lansirill]

I'd like to try out a DPS toon. Two things are stopping me. The first, I'm a sucker for being relatively self-sufficient. I don't need to be able to solo bosses, but I want to be able to run off and handle trash and orange mobs without sucking down pots. The second is I have absolutely no head for DPS. For whatever reason I've never been able to put together a good DPS toon. So I'm going to come and plead for assistance.

I'd like to use a toon that I've already started. I have a level 20 dwarf clr17/rog2/ftr1 toon, a halfling 11rog/5mnk/ftr1 (planned 12/6/2), a level 13 helf monk, and a level 13 helf favored soul. I'd love to use my dwarf, but I probably can't fit it in without giving up healing or traps. The others are probably workable, I'm just not sure how. The halfling mutt was built with self-sufficient DPS in mind but it's not very self-sufficient and the DPS is awful if I don't have someone to take the aggro from me. Without tons of healing amp, the light path stuff just doesn't do enough to keep me up. (Although maybe with enough healing amp and AC gear, I'll be fine, I just need to grind it out.)

If none of what I have is really going to work though, I'm open to suggestions.

[k1ngp1n]

Self sufficiency + DPS =

1. Paladin (If ridiculous self sufficiency is desired, splash /2 rogue for UMD and never, ever die again)

2. Ranger (exploiter for UMD or set feats towards maximize and self heal with amp)

3. Monk (depends how you set that one up, some aren't at all lately).

[Kriogen]

...
I'd like to use a toon that I've already started. I have a level 20 dwarf clr17/rog2/ftr1 toon, ...

War priest. STR based, Cleric17/Monk2/Fighter1, dual DA (Dwarf). Key is to build it like you'd build a TWF fighter or barbarian with just enough WIZ to cast spells and a couple of metamagic feats for heals/buffs (extend, emp heal, maximize, quicken). Thats why "monk", for bonus feats.

That dwarven cleric would be good candidate for what you want. But pick: traps or melee DPS. You keep healing, but trap skills must go. For anyone but Rogue and Ranger hybrid, trap skill are expensive.

[Lithic]

20 rogue + maxed UMD + heal scrolls + radience 2 rapiers + gtwf = self sufficient DPS. Everything else is just a pale imitation

[BlackSteel]

a monk is a good out of the box very cheap self suff. DPS character.

a battlemage or cleric or even a FvS, while they can melee arent exactly in the same tier as a true melee

another thing to keep in mind, is that after acquiring the right gear, any character can be self suff. My main has gone thru several fighter and barbarian lives on zero potions while primarily being a solo or BYOH journey. No potions, no UMD, no innate healing, no AC, and no evasion. A nice collection of clickies and the right gear can get you to 20 with hardly np.

[Anneliese]

A pure WF FVS can be nice for this.

Maxed Strength, Divine Favor, Divine Power, Power Attack, WF-PA enhancements, deity GS feats/enhancements combined with improved crit and a Lit II Greatsword can do decent damage. (if you care to grind for a Epic Sword of Shadows, even better!)

Of course not comparable to a Kensai/Barbarian, but not that far away either.


For groups you can even throw a maximized quickened bladebarrier for good damage.



Also, you can cast nearly all buffs you want (beside the precious haste) - which can save some equipment grinding.


Furthermore at level 20 you have a permanent DR of 13, can fly around with wings, have a ton of HP (+2 racial con, +2 con enhancements, 4x toughness enhancements from race AND class) and have no problem throwing like 50 empowered quickened Heals on yourself between shrines.


-----------------------------------------


If you dont want to start a new char, I would choose your Helf monk. He can reach excellent saves, very nice healing amp, has improved evasion and has the ability for excellent DPS (also abundant step).

If you have the cleric dilly, you can even throw heal scolls on yourself with a 95% chance of success.

[tampaglen]

Well, not sure where to go with your existing guys, but if you decide to start fresh...

I get a lot of compliments (and carry quite a few groups) with my Bard/Ftr/Rog - currently 7bard/2ftr/2rog, plan is 15bard/3rog/2ftr. I can easily lead kills, get traps and even heal others at level - pretty good at one above level, start missing at two levels without boosts but not useless.

Strength built
Rogue levels give me evasion too

THF (Carnifax still doing the job)
Maxed UMD
Maxed Spot/Search/Disable

With Bard buffs of Blur, Good Hope, Displacement, Rage
Human skill boosts

Plus I am a TR'd ranger, so I have Barkskin feat.

[sephiroth1084]

a monk is a good out of the box very cheap self suff. DPS character.

a battlemage or cleric or even a FvS, while they can melee arent exactly in the same tier as a true melee

another thing to keep in mind, is that after acquiring the right gear, any character can be self suff. My main has gone thru several fighter and barbarian lives on zero potions while primarily being a solo or BYOH journey. No potions, no UMD, no innate healing, no AC, and no evasion. A nice collection of clickies and the right gear can get you to 20 with hardly np.

Steel, did you ever breakdown somewhere what methods and items you used for that? I'd recalled you mentioning the no-pots life, but can't imagine doing it on a barbarian, though I'll admit that I am not a great barbarian player. I'd be curious to see your methodology, tactics and gear for this.

[PurpleTimb]

Steel, did you ever breakdown somewhere what methods and items you used for that? I'd recalled you mentioning the no-pots life, but can't imagine doing it on a barbarian, though I'll admit that I am not a great barbarian player. I'd be curious to see your methodology, tactics and gear for this.

OP, please pardon the thread derailment, but I concur. My barbarian is a pot drinking fool, even in my static party with a dedicated healer. I'd love to hear how you can do that.

[Dartwick]

Have you met Derron Giles?

18barb/2rogue

[Soleran]

I'd like to try out a DPS toon. Two things are stopping me. The first, I'm a sucker for being relatively self-sufficient. I don't need to be able to solo bosses, but I want to be able to run off and handle trash and orange mobs without sucking down pots. The second is I have absolutely no head for DPS. For whatever reason I've never been able to put together a good DPS toon. So I'm going to come and plead for assistance.

I'd like to use a toon that I've already started. I have a level 20 dwarf clr17/rog2/ftr1 toon, a halfling 11rog/5mnk/ftr1 (planned 12/6/2), a level 13 helf monk, and a level 13 helf favored soul. I'd love to use my dwarf, but I probably can't fit it in without giving up healing or traps. The others are probably workable, I'm just not sure how. The halfling mutt was built with self-sufficient DPS in mind but it's not very self-sufficient and the DPS is awful if I don't have someone to take the aggro from me. Without tons of healing amp, the light path stuff just doesn't do enough to keep me up. (Although maybe with enough healing amp and AC gear, I'll be fine, I just need to grind it out.)

If none of what I have is really going to work though, I'm open to suggestions.

With your half elf monk use the cleric dill for your scrolls, that should do it.

[BlackSteel]

Steel, did you ever breakdown somewhere what methods and items you used for that? I'd recalled you mentioning the no-pots life, but can't imagine doing it on a barbarian, though I'll admit that I am not a great barbarian player. I'd be curious to see your methodology, tactics and gear for this.

Use a two hander to keep most things moving or on their toes and at range. With the right race selection and gear you can have a 30% chance of 1 shotting most monsters on your way up to 20. (regular SoS is a very powerful weapon in the hands of a lvl 10 half orc)

other than that:

con OP
DQ bracers
Lifeshield armor (heavy denieth chain or docent, or a low lvl cavalry plate)

these items can get you up to +90 temp HP whenever you're hit. Tack on a jerky buff to refill any other damage you might take and you're pretty much golden.

It'll lose some effectiveness in the late teens on hard and elite. But still very much effective even on lvl 18-20 quests if 1 or 2 people

[Xenus_Paradox]

Warchanter is also decent (not top-tier) DPS with self-healing/buffing/debuff removal.

[Dartwick]

Use a two hander to keep most things moving or on their toes and at range. With the right race selection and gear you can have a 30% chance of 1 shotting most monsters on your way up to 20. (regular SoS is a very powerful weapon in the hands of a lvl 10 half orc)

other than that:

con OP
DQ bracers
Lifeshield armor (heavy denieth chain or docent, or a low lvl cavalry plate)

these items can get you up to +90 temp HP whenever you're hit. Tack on a jerky buff to refill any other damage you might take and you're pretty much golden.

It'll lose some effectiveness in the late teens on hard and elite. But still very much effective even on lvl 18-20 quests if 1 or 2 people

It sounds like you would be better off as a fighter with that sort of play style maybe? Im guessing you dont frenzy much?

[sephiroth1084]

Use a two hander to keep most things moving or on their toes and at range. With the right race selection and gear you can have a 30% chance of 1 shotting most monsters on your way up to 20. (regular SoS is a very powerful weapon in the hands of a lvl 10 half orc)

other than that:

con OP
DQ bracers
Lifeshield armor (heavy denieth chain or docent, or a low lvl cavalry plate)

these items can get you up to +90 temp HP whenever you're hit. Tack on a jerky buff to refill any other damage you might take and you're pretty much golden.

It'll lose some effectiveness in the late teens on hard and elite. But still very much effective even on lvl 18-20 quests if 1 or 2 people

That's some of what I suspected. You don't find the neg level from the bracers to be an issue?

I think I'll definitely push through to my 20th DQ before TRing my barbarian and will see if I can scrounge up the ingredients to make a Conc-Opp item. I'd been debating it, but this is pretty compelling. Still doubt I'd have the same kind of success, as I'm just not as mobile on my melees as you, and Axer, are.

[BlackSteel]

It sounds like you would be better off as a fighter with that sort of play style maybe? Im guessing you dont frenzy much?

all the time when I play as a barb. But that gear setup works for pretty much any melee to kill the need for potions. I've done solo refuge or IQ w/o taking a point of damage that actually went past the temp HP before. only potions I've bought in the past two years has been yugo pots and guild curse/blindness potions.

[sephiroth1084]

all the time when I play as a barb. But that gear setup works for pretty much any melee to kill the need for potions. I've done solo refuge or IQ w/o taking a point of damage that actually went past the temp HP before. only potions I've bought in the past two years has been yugo pots and guild curse/blindness potions.

[BlackSteel]

no need for that I'm still broke anyway. I always take the renown, dont use the AH, and those yugo pots are expensive.

(jorg's collar saves on haste pots too, I used to rely just on madstone, but up to 18 I dont have much else to use in the necklace slot anyway) of course there's always hirelings or other players, but if you're solo I'll definetly trade just wearing the collar during the mid lvls to not have to drink a potion every 30s

[locus]

I get a lot of compliments (and carry quite a few groups) with my Bard/Ftr/Rog - currently 7bard/2ftr/2rog, plan is 15bard/3rog/2ftr. I can easily lead kills, get traps and even heal others at level - pretty good at one above level, start missing at two levels without boosts but not useless.

Yep, I like this level split too, and think bards tend to be more self sufficient (what? who is bard buffing those other builds? and scroll healing can work but it really cuts into the dps part or occasionally you find yourself swinging a scroll at things (I do ).

[sephiroth1084]

no need for that

Yeah, but it was funny.

I'm still broke anyway.

GIMP! REROLL!

I always take the renown, dont use the AH, and those yugo pots are expensive.

My order of preference is: item I would use > 1000/500 renown >200k plat item > 250 renown > 128k item >50 renown > anything but a ****ing Deathblock outfit > 5 renown >Deathblock outfit

(jorg's collar saves on haste pots too, I used to rely just on madstone, but up to 18 I dont have much else to use in the necklace slot anyway) of course there's always hirelings or other players, but if you're solo I'll definetly trade just wearing the collar during the mid lvls to not have to drink a potion every 30s

I still need one of those.