Help me improve my end-game FvS

[der_kluge]

Help me optimize my 20th level FvS.

She's a 34-pt. build TR elven FvS with the undying court lines.

I want to get opinions on some build choices, and gear selection. As I *settle in* to end game, I want to make sure she's built appropriately.

To be clear, she's really quite freakishly awesome, but I know there's always room for improvement.

Feats:
toughness, TWF, ITWF, GTWF, OTWF, empowered healing, IC/slash

Gear:
Some of the gear isn't showing up correctly.
Goggles are just tier II so far...
Normally wear a necro2 deathblock necklace
hat does archmagi (+200 mana) and +15 concentration
Despite what it says, the ring is a tier III (ml 16) buccaneer's ring
armor is also tier III
boots are 25% striding +5 jump
+6 str bracers, +6 charisma cloak; vanilla stuff basically


Questions/concerns:

I currently have tier II goggles, so my first priority is to get those finished. That will be a huge boost in power right there. I also want to score a bauble and a torc. What else should I be looking to acquire?

I was pondering replacing GTWF with Power Attack. Good idea? Bad idea?

I also think my dex is too high, and I'm not really gaining anything from that. I could respec and put those points into str, or maybe wisdom. Thoughts? I think I put two points there.

I could forego the trinket, but the +3 umd lets me wield pure good weapons (otherwise, my UMD maxes at a pathetic 19). I suppose I could always re-align her to LG with the DDO store item, and drop that trinket. I have a "head of good fortune" (+2 luck bonus to saves, moderate fortification) I could wear instead, though I'm not sure it gains me a whole lot. In theory, I could wear that, and then replace the ring (which I just spent 500,000 plat on in the AH!!) with something else (ring of balance?), but I'd kind of have to pick an alignment and stick with it. I do kind of like being true neutral, since I have a Light & Darkness shield which adds +10 to my AC when I equip it, but I haven't needed to do that yet, and I know AC is kind of meaningless (wuold only put me in mid-40s).


I know when I get con/opp goggles, I might actually have too much AC (probably not). Does DR prevent con/opp goggles from proc'ing?


thanks for the advice

[az4a3l]

am not sure about the empower healing, if u have the enhancement for healing all 4 tiers and the crit % as well with at least 2 tiers of crit X u can swap it for quicken so u can cast uninterrupted, and toughness on a elf not so sure, i dont know wich cape u use, but if u need umd u can make a air cape 600 sp and 6 umd also dont understimate the sora katra set, the upgraded tiara grants u truesight, wich can release a slot if u have it on ur spellbook while the gloves and ring grants a +6 to CHA and STR( as well as some minor potency lv6 40%) for necklace i would recomend u a shintao cord ( too bad u can only use it at lv 18) keep ur db necklace in the toolbar. the ring from cristal cave is a must, wether tier 1 or 2 for the luck bonus, if u have quicken and manage to make the goggles u can self heal or mass heal without being interrupted while meleeing, for trinket i would recomend the usual bloodstone or the arrow from weapon shipment and well as the trinket for the mnemo cliky.

[Nyvn]

Swap OTWF for Quicken. Mass Heal gets a huge boost from it, and you know not having your heals interrupted is a good thing.

[aiastelmon]

Is your Str high? Do you have room to spare in the to-hit dept? If so, I'm sure someone on here has run the comparison of GTWF and PA for overall damage in a similar situation as yours. I'd think that PA would add more DPS by a bit, assuming the - to hit won't kill you. This is for pure DPS, however. If you're simply looking to apply effects like vorpal or other debuffs to mobs, then you want as much to-hit as you can get, and in this case can forego the PA and stick with your current setup, just swap OTWF for Quicken as the poster correctly mentions above. Quicken is something most FvS's put on, and leave on for everything except buffing.

Also keep in mind, your aura is going to effectively give you +2 to hit more once U9 comes out (-2 to enemy AC in aura) if you take the first tier of AoV.

Oh, and if you don't have epic cutlasses from CC, you might enjoy those. Build a couple when CC comes back, and you won't need to grind out 2 greensteel or other scims. Supplemented with some ROG items, and you're pretty well set until you can grind out something better.

[der_kluge]

Is your Str high? Do you have room to spare in the to-hit dept? If so, I'm sure someone on here has run the comparison of GTWF and PA for overall damage in a similar situation as yours. I'd think that PA would add more DPS by a bit, assuming the - to hit won't kill you. This is for pure DPS, however. If you're simply looking to apply effects like vorpal or other debuffs to mobs, then you want as much to-hit as you can get, and in this case can forego the PA and stick with your current setup, just swap OTWF for Quicken as the poster correctly mentions above. Quicken is something most FvS's put on, and leave on for everything except buffing.

Also keep in mind, your aura is going to effectively give you +2 to hit more once U9 comes out (-2 to enemy AC in aura) if you take the first tier of AoV.

Oh, and if you don't have epic cutlasses from CC, you might enjoy those. Build a couple when CC comes back, and you won't need to grind out 2 greensteel or other scims. Supplemented with some ROG items, and you're pretty well set until you can grind out something better.

Str is 24 unbuffed. My dex is actually 26, but with mithral full plate, I'm not exactly enjoying the benefits of that, so I'm not sure my dex is really gaining me a whole, whole lot. Which is why I was thinking a respec to put those 2 points into str might make more sense for me.

I have a pair of tier 2 ML 16 brigand's cutlasses. They work great.

I have a ton of scimitars, actually. Which is why I'm poo-pooing the idea of replacing OTWF with anything else. That's heresy!

GTWF for PA I might consider, but I'd need to see some kind of comparison before I do that.

Angel of Vengeance doesn't really call to me. I'll have to study it a bit more when it gets released. Though, the aura might be nice. I don't consider myself an evoker at all, so I'm not sure that PrE is really designed with someone like me in mind.

[Noctus]

* Swap OTWF for Quicken - Mass Heal get off much better + never be interrupted ,ever, when healing from the melee even against the biggest bosses.

* Keep GTWF. Its simply more damge as PA.

* As you obviously arent casting offensively Lesser TR, lower your DEX to only that what you need for the TWF chain, max out STR, high CON, dump WIS, some CHA so you can cast. Roughly like this (depending on which tomes you have):

Strength 18
Dexterity 16
Constitution 12
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 8
Charisma 14

[Noctus]

I have a ton of scimitars, actually. Which is why I'm poo-pooing the idea of replacing OTWF with anything else. That's heresy!

You can easily TWF Scimitars without OTWF! Its just a -2 to-hit.

Especially (but independent of) as you dont have the -5 tohit from PA active.

And as you should be raising your STR anyway.

[Nyvn]

Not having Quicken reduces your melee DPS as you take longer to cast spells. Meaning less time spent swinging. The -2 to hit can easily be made up for with gear.

[Matuse]

Feats:
toughness, TWF, ITWF, GTWF, OTWF, empowered healing, IC/slash

OTWF is a waste. -2 to hit is not much of a penalty. I'd put Quicken in there. For mass heal alone it's worthwhile, and then it's also worthwhile because it lets you cast every spell without being interrupted.

Goggles are just tier II so far...
Normally wear a necro2 deathblock necklace
hat does archmagi (+200 mana) and +15 concentration
Despite what it says, the ring is a tier III (ml 16) buccaneer's ring
armor is also tier III
boots are 25% striding +5 jump
+6 str bracers, +6 charisma cloak; vanilla stuff basically

I don't see Greater False Life, +6 Con in there. Both of those are pretty important.

If you have Shavarath, time to go belt hunting. Get a +6 Con GFL belt, and an archmagi belt. Wear the archmagi between quests for the SP, when you use the SP, swap to the survival belt. Along with Quicken, this frees up your head slot for a Minos Legens, which gives you another 20 HP and Heavy Fort.

I currently have tier II goggles, so my first priority is to get those finished. That will be a huge boost in power right there. I also want to score a bauble and a torc. What else should I be looking to acquire?

Bauble, Torc, Elocator's Habiliment, Skiver/Blue Dragon Armor, Minos Legens, I assume you have a Superior Potency VI weapon...if not, get that.

I was pondering replacing GTWF with Power Attack. Good idea? Bad idea?

Depends on how often you are missing. If you don't miss, then go with PA.

I also think my dex is too high, and I'm not really gaining anything from that. I could respec and put those points into str, or maybe wisdom. Thoughts? I think I put two points there.

Based on what you say below, I'd definitely consider lowering Dex a bit.

I could forego the trinket, but the +3 umd lets me wield pure good weapons (otherwise, my UMD maxes at a pathetic 19). I suppose I could always re-align her to LG with the DDO store item, and drop that trinket.

Why LG? NG is a lot better. Gives access to Axiomatic and Anarchic weapons with no negative levels.

As for Pure Good...I would not worry about this much.
1) Get weapons with "Of Righteousness" on them, the +2 hit/dam vs all evil opponents is going to work better than "Of Pure Good", whose only advantage after U9 is doing damage to neutrals. There aren't very many neutrals out there, and they tend to fall into big clumps of monsters who are either not at all scary (vermin), or you can get a bane weapon for them (elementals).

2) It's pretty easy to make a Lightning I or Mineral I weapon out of the Shroud. A +5 1d8 +2d6 Holy +1d6 Shock/Acid (and more on a crit, which will be a lot with Scims) is going to outperform whatever weapon you're using right now.

I have a "head of good fortune" (+2 luck bonus to saves, moderate fortification) I could wear instead, though I'm not sure it gains me a whole lot.

If you don't have fortification somewhere else, this does an immense amount for you.

There are other options, like a Bloodstone.

I do kind of like being true neutral, since I have a Light & Darkness shield which adds +10 to my AC when I equip it, but I haven't needed to do that yet, and I know AC is kind of meaningless (wuold only put me in mid-40s).

There are lots of reasons to be true neutral. Stability items are a small part of it, but there are much larger ones to consider. Stay neutral.

I know when I get con/opp goggles, I might actually have too much AC (probably not). Does DR prevent con/opp goggles from proc'ing?

Your AC isn't going to make any difference. DR does not prevent conc-opp from working.

Angel of Vengeance doesn't really call to me. I'll have to study it a bit more when it gets released. Though, the aura might be nice. I don't consider myself an evoker at all, so I'm not sure that PrE is really designed with someone like me in mind.

Angel of Vengeance is pretty hardcore for melee FvS.
1) It adds about 20 DPS from Tinkerball
2) All monsters in melee range will get -2 to their AC, Hitroll, Saves, and Spell Resistance
3) Monsters who hit you will periodically get the light/alignment vulnerability curse, which means Holy/Anarchic weapons will hit harder while the curse is active.
4) If you're not tanking, then crown the aura over to the person who IS tanking, and not only do they inflict the curse on stuff hitting them, but they also get a damage shield to kill stuff that much faster.
5) Even a dedicated melee soul still has a tremendous amount of use for Blade Barrier. AoVII raises BB damage by 30%.