True Neutral Weapon Choice

[BOgre]

So, I'm playing a Tempest Trapmonkey (unbongwah's build), but I'm True Neutral. Probably a mistake there, but too late now... Obviously, he's gearing up to khopeshi, but looking at the named khops on ddowiki, i'm not seeing one that will work for me. I can stick to unnamed ones, sure, and there are plenty of good ones on the AH from time to time. And sure, I'll be crafting GS at some later (very later) date... but I'm wondering if I shouldn't rethink things. I mean, there are some pretty nice named scimis, bastards, axes, with great threat ranges and other nice properties. I'll be leveling any day now, and I'll have to nail down my choice then, khopesh proficiency or something else? Any thoughts?

[Nysrock]

I'd look at what you have available to use. Also, what weapons would be the easiest for you to get. If you have a lot of good Khopesh's saved up then stick with that. If not then look at what you do have or would easily get in the future.

[QuantumFX]

There are a ton of named khopeshes available to you. The various versions of the Hooked Blade (Assault on Stormreach pack), and all the Greensteel khopesh combinations (Granted, you shouldn’t craft them above Supreme Commander level at the moment.) have no alignment requirements.

If you’ve been investing in the Use Magic Device skill like unbongwah’s build suggests you can chase after the Chaosblade from the Demon Queen Raid.

Also, you may be thinking: But I need True Chaos/True Law/Pure Good weapons! No, you don’t. Holy, Holy Burst, Axiomatic, Axiomatic Burst, Anarchic, and Anarchic Burst are in many situations better and don’t have a UMD requirement. You can also pick up slightly different suffixes that tend to do different effects. (ex. Righteousness, Bleed, Maiming)

Also, if this is a first life character, you can choose to hold off on the Khopesh proficiency until level 18. Ain’t nothing wrong with scimitars.

[FlyingTurtle]

So, I'm playing a Tempest Trapmonkey (unbongwah's build), but I'm True Neutral. Probably a mistake there, but too late now...

Um. The build SPECIFICALLY states True Neutral. The benefit is on less damage from unholy sources and for (greater) stability, and be able to equip true chaos / true law without taking a neg level. Your UMD will have you swinging pure good weapons by level 16 or so. It's superior in every way to any other alignment (powergaming-wise).

Weapons-wise, I found that the +5 Holy (of righteousness, if you can get one) Khopesh will do you fine as a primary damager until greensteel. As a secondary, pack a pair of elemental damage (e.g. Acid burst) khopeshes. Of course, make sure your golf bag also has the necessary banes, smiters, banishers, disrupters, skelly beaters, ooze/rusty beaters, the Silver bow, and so on.

BTW I would not recommend Maximize post U9, the reduced costs of single target heals makes the +25SP totally not worth it. Take Skill Focus: UMD instead.

[BOgre]

Um. The build SPECIFICALLY states True Neutral. The benefit is on less damage from unholy sources and for (greater) stability, and be able to equip true chaos / true law without taking a neg level. Your UMD will have you swinging pure good weapons by level 16 or so. It's superior in every way to any other alignment (powergaming-wise). See this is where I'm confused, I'll have to go read more on this, but I thought I had to chaotic to wield chaos, etc... If not, then great! No reason not to take khops.

Weapons-wise, I found that the +5 Holy (of righteousness, if you can get one) Khopesh will do you fine as a primary damager until greensteel. As a secondary, pack a pair of elemental damage (e.g. Acid burst) khopeshes. Of course, make sure your golf bag also has the necessary banes, smiters, banishers, disrupters, skelly beaters, ooze/rusty beaters, the Silver bow, and so on. Yupyup, already using an array of such, but they're various battleaxes, shorts, clubs... Dualweilding muckbanes is cool And I have a couple different khops in the bank waiting.
.

+1 Thanks, can you clarify the deal with Neutrality?

[Jaid314]

+1 Thanks, can you clarify the deal with Neutrality?

anarchic (burst), holy (burst), axiomatic (burst), and unholy (burst) do not have any alignment requirements at all, nor do <alignment> blast abilities. however, these abilities do give a negative level to a wielder of opposed alignment (eg: a lawful neutral monk using anarchic kama will take a negative level until they unequip it).

pure good, absolute chaos, and true law do require alignments to access... but can be bypassed with a UMD check.

righteousness is another option for a weapon, and does not require any alignment to use.

[BOgre]

Ooooh I see. The trait required line is an OR not an AND. I thought that one absolutely HAD to be of the specified alignment, AND meet the UMD req. Well that's good to know. I've been pumping UMD religiously by the build and now it all makes sense Thanks again.

[Carpone]

You can use Metalline of Righteousness as a DR breaker for devils and demons.

[FlyingTurtle]

You can use Metalline of Righteousness as a DR breaker for devils and demons.

Ooooh right, that's new in U9. Righteousness is almost as PG on unfortified enemies (around additional 3.2 damage factoring in khopesh crits on an unfortified opponent, vs 3.5 for PG - since most bosses you'll want to use this on have some kind of fort, it'll be anything between 2-3 usually). And it has no alignment requirements.

[BOgre]

hehe, how ironic. When I thought I couldn't weild PG (as stated above) I started looking at righteousness, and now it turns out it may be my best choice anyways.