Riddle of Steel - High AC and Survivability, with DPS

[Dark-Star]

"Crom is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me." ~Conan the Barbarian



The Riddle of Steel: How is it possible to make an extremely high AC character that can still DPS? What about having evasion with a very high reflex save? How about improved evasion? Some DR? And DPS you say? Can this Riddle of Steel really be solved?

I have always loved very high AC characters; being virtually unkillable in most quests opens up doors for sating my zerging addiction. My first real AC tank dates back to the days when VoD was introduced and my AC ranger Cleen was the go-to elite Suulo tank for our group of friends. I could still do well in quests, as a pair of wounding of puncturing rapiers laid waste to the land. Alas the game has changed and evolved, for the better, and when I dust off my tank for questing, his normal hits now struggle to keep up with the glancing blows of my barbarian. If only one could keep the AC and somehow also have great melee output...


Riddle of Steel
12monk/7rogue/1fighter
36 point Lawful Neutral Halfling

The base idea of the build is that the new Epic Midnight Greetings allows for dex to be used as AC, to hit stat, damage stat, and reflex save stat. It also allows one to be centered, thereby using monk stances and strikes for increased DPS.

S: 11 +2 tome +6 item +2 ship +1 exceptional = 22 +4 Fab = 26
D: 18 +3 tome +5 level ups +2 class +2 race +6 item +3 exceptional +2 ship +2 Yugo +3 stance = 46 + 4 Fab = 50 (+20)
C: 14 +2 tome +2 ship +7 item +1 exceptional +2 yugo = 28 +4 Fab = 32 (+11)
I: 11 +3 tome +2 ship = 16 +7 item +3 exceptional = 26 (situationally only)
W: 15 +3 tome +2 ship +3 exceptional +6 item +2 yugo = 34 (+12)
Ch: 8 +2 tome +7 item +2 ship +1 exceptional = 18

Feats
1 Toughness
1m TWF
2m Power Attack
3 Dodge
6 Ranger Past Life Feat
6m Combat Expertise
9 ITWF
12 ICrit: Slash
15 Hamstring
18 GTWF
1f Two Weapon Defense

There is a lot of flexibility for level progression. One suggestion is:
1 R
2-3 M
4 F
Then alternate between monk and rogue to max skill points.

Enhancements
6 Rogue Dex II
6 Rogue Haste Boost III
6 Sneak Attack Training III
6 Air Stance III
6 Earth Stance III
12 Wisdom III
6 Ninja Spy II
3 Jump II
3 Tumble II
1 Fists of Darkness
1 Static Charge
3 Way of the Tortoise II
8 Halfling Cunning III
8 Halfling Guile III
6 Halfling Dex II
3 Racial Toughness II
1 Fighter Toughness I
80

AC
10 base
1 racial
5 protection
5 barkskin
4 insight
20 dex
12 wisdom
1 dodge feat
1 alchemical
4 Icy Raiments
3 Chattering Ring
1 Two Weapon Defense
8 armor
3 Greater Abishai
3 monk
2 ship buffs
1 haste
4 shield wand
88 in power attack mode
2 Fabricator's Bracers AC proc
1 Air Guard proc
91 while in combat
5 Combat Expertise
96 self buffed sustained
4 inspire heroism
2 recitaion
102 raid buffed sustained

6 DoS pali aura
3 heros companion
2 fighter AC boost (if you fit it in)
4 uncanny dodge
117 stars aligned unsustained

Damage (two Epic Midnight Greetings)
6 base
2d4 weapon damage
20 dex
2 ship
9 bard
42 average first number damage
5 epic charged gauntlets
11 disintegration proc
58 average damage per hit while tanking, before monk strikes (about 4 damage per hit)

5 power attack
2 from 26 dex making the EMGs +8
2 shintao
7 ravager
8 tharnes goggles
6 halfling cunning
4d6 rogue
9 rogue training
3d6 ninja spy
122 average damage per hit in DPS mode, before monk strikes (about 4 damae per hit)

Add in 25% haste boosts.

Crits: 15-18 = 56x2 = 110 + 71 non-base damage = 181
Crits: 19-20 = 57x3 = 168 + 71 non-base damage = 242 in Greater Earth Stance

To Hit
18 base attack bonus
6 weapon
4 GH
20 dex
1 haste
8 bard
4 epic ravens
-2 twf
-5 CE/PA
55 first swing tanking mode

5 tharnes
2 int
3 cunning
2 Shintao
-4 epic ravens
63 first swing in DPS mode

HPs
96 monk
10 fighter
42 rogue
30 Heroic/Draconic
220 con
30 GFL
23 toughness feat
20 racial toughness
10 fighter toughness
10 tortoise
20 toughness item
45 shroud item
556

40 +2 exceptional con +3 from Greater Earth Stance
20 rage
40 madstone
656 situational HP, depending on how high AC needs to be

DR 6/- when in Greater Earth Stance

Saves:
Reflex: 49/43
class: 13
stat: 20
item: 5
GH: 4
haste: 1
recitation: 2
holy aura: 4

Fort: 38/32
class: 12
stat: 11
item: 5
GH: 4
recitation: 2
holy aura: 4

Will: 40/34
class: 10
stat: 12
item: 5
GH: 4
exceptional: 3
recitation: 2
holy aura: 4


Gear
Trinket: Epic Gem of Many Facets/ Bloodstone/ crafted +2 dodge trinket
Head: Epic Helm of Frost
Cloak: Epic Cloak of Venom
Bracers: Fabricator's Bracers
Gloves: Epic Charged Gauntlets
Boots: Shroud HP Air Guard/ Anchoring/ Kundarak
Armor: Icy Raiment/ Infused Chaos Robe with Obession proc/ Epic Diabolits Rone with +1 exceptional int
Neck: Epic Sirens/ Shintao/
Belt: Epic Sirens/ Ravager
Ring1: Chattering Ring/ Shintao with +2 int
Ring2: Ravager with +2 dex/other ToD with +2 con
Goggles: VoD/ Epic Ravens Sight/ Shroud HP Air Guard

Gear can be adjusted between full on AC, more hit points, or more DPS as the situation calls for.

Obviously the gear is end game, and the build at its optimum will take a good deal questing to attain. Outside of the two Epic Midnight's Greetings, the Riddle of Steel can still work with place holder gear. I plan to slot my kukris with Devil Ruin augments for tanking lawful outsider bosses (Devil's Assault on Epic is one of my favorite quests).

So has the Riddle of Steel been solved?

• off the charts self-buffed sustained AC of 92-97
• raid buffed AC of 103+
• 100% hate procs from Obession
• dex used for to hit and for damage with Epic Midnight Greetings (EMG)
• monk stances maintained using EMG
• EMG's improved deception proc synergises perfectly all of the sneak attack damage the build has
• improved evasion and a 44-50 reflex score
• 59/121 average non-crit damage per swing, before monk strikes
• 183/239 average crits before monk strikes
• crit threat and multiplier of 15-18 x 2, 19-20 x 3 (in Greater Earth Stance)
• or 10% double strike chance when in Greater Wind Stance
• rogue haste boost III (stacking 25% attack speed)
• 25% stacking concealment from Shadow Fade
• hamstring feat for slowing many creatures to a crawl
• DR6/- when in Greater Earth Stance
• decent intimidate score
• decent bluff score (more sneak attacks)
• can be specced for rogue skills
• UMD (can buff to no fail heal scrolls)
• high tumble means front, side and back flips
• and he can fly! (Abundant Step)

As always, comments and improvements are welcome.

I hope you enjoy the build should you choose to solve the Riddle of Steel.

[karhon]

Love the idea of the build, looks great on paper hope it feels fun playing it too.

I just have one question though: have you thought about using Epic boots of Corrosion? That way you can swap epic charged gauntlets for Epic Gloves of the Claw? You'll keep your Abishai set bonus, get +4 Dmg\Swing, healing amp and incite to help out with tanking roles you'll be most likely in charge of.

[rytiux]

seems you've fixed the build problems looks pretty nice

[voxson5]

Is the wiki wrong? says EMG arn't ki weapons & uses INT modifyer for damage.

And... I dont want to nitpick, but 8 starting INT & you pick up combat expertise?



But looks like a formidable build once you iron out the kinks

[Tinco]

I wonder how you maintain all the monk goodies like stances and strikes with kukris as the weapons of choice. I also think the character will be a major pain leveling with no damage, no stun, etc. Why are you taking Hamstring over Stunning Fist?

It's a fallacy to think that you can get extra synergy from throwing loads of epic gear onto a (damage/hate wise) weak finesse toon that a dps build doesn't get. If you are running with people on your equip level you will not hold any aggro without dedicated investment in hategen like claw set, slotted DT, etc.

[N-0cturn]

Hm yeah like the people before me said the stats need to be adjusted for taking CE and PA.
This will most likely lower the AC a little bit, but wont break the build.

The fact that Kukris are no Monk Weapons is more important. Since the build is Dex fokused it would not make much sence to user other weapons and 12 level of monk seem like a waste if you won't be centered.

Would be nice if this worked but it doesn't seem like it. Maybe an exploiter with Midnight Greetings? or anotzer 12/7/1 split... probably the 1 level beeing mnk

[Ravoc-DDO]

I wonder how you maintain all the monk goodies like stances and strikes with kukris as the weapons of choice. I also think the character will be a major pain leveling with no damage, no stun, etc. Why are you taking Hamstring over Stunning Fist?

It's obviously built towards tanking, in which case hamstring is more useful.

About the eMNG - as an exception to the rule for kukri's - they should allow monks to remain centered, though never tried these myself yet. And the fighter level gives him the proficieny for em.

I agree that eClawGloves would suit this build more. The added threat & HA is perfect for tanking, and the extra intim should be very valuable too.

It might also be a bit early to work in the fabricated bracers. I'm quite confident they won't make it live in their current state.

[jakeelala]

I've been saying for months that shadow fade would be / is amazeballs for any tanking character, glad to see this in this build. Looks like fun. Don't forget, new epic trims bracelet has +3 dodge for the 99% of people playing this game without a chattering ring.

Do any bosses have GT attacks? They all have TS or will will u11 right? Shadow fade might be the only game in town

[Tinco]

I've been saying for months that shadow fade would be / is amazeballs for any tanking character, glad to see this in this build.

Shadow Fade has a horrible synergy with ac tanks sadly.

[krisz93]

You do not have the stat requirements for neither Power Attack, nor Combat Expertise. EMG really are ki weapons, including its lower level counterparts, tested that myself.

[flaggson]

6 str means no power attack...... 8 intell means no combat expertise....
Looks like it promises to be fun once you get that squared away....
I like what your doing there with the midnights greetings, Id be kinda nervous making every thing depend on one set of weapons but I can definitly see the virtue of going that way

[red_cardinal]

Daydreamer....

[jakeelala]

Shadow Fade has a horrible synergy with ac tanks sadly.

lol.

Everyone should make bold statements like this without backing them up. Who needs discourse?

[Seikojin]

Since you are thinking end game for this, why not +4 tomes to min max the error in the stats for s/d/i? IIRC PA and CE want a 13, so drop dex by 1, use the 4 points to raise s and i to 9 each, then use +4 tomes on those three stats.

Just more farming.

[DragonTroy]

Since you are thinking end game for this, why not +4 tomes to min max the error in the stats for s/d/i? IIRC PA and CE want a 13, so drop dex by 1, use the 4 points to raise s and i to 9 each, then use +4 tomes on those three stats.

Just more farming.

i agree, this would the easiest and most effective way to go. and highly doubt that 1 point of AC is going to kill this build.

about the build itself, i love it personally. im kinda tempted to TR my rogue into this, but i know that it wouldnt be the same. that said, i have been wanting an AC character, and this looks amazing.might make a new character.

i also enjoy how you've already built in one of the new items from house cannith. i hope we find more excellent things in there that boost different builds all around.

great build all round, will be better when you fix the power attack/combat expertise . have fun, make that new crazy strong horoth run home crying!

[grodon9999]

I do not believe for one second this will hold aggro over high-DPS melees. It's 'has-aggro' DPS is going to be pretty horrible and those HP are very light for a Horoth tank.

Your plan is to have a perpetual supply of devils ruin crystals? That's lunacy, I've had more +4 tomes drop for me that I've even seen of those.

However, for a non-tank indestructible DPS build this looks fun.

[grodon9999]

Shadow Fade has a horrible synergy with ac tanks sadly.

That makes no sense, the effects stack. Explain.

[maddmatt70]

Nice build cleen looks like fun. As some of the other posters pointed out you will have to tweak your stats a little bit and probably drop power attack. You might want to consider swapping out the fighter level when you drop power attack you could choose ranger because then you could get favored enemy defense one enhancement (assumes favored either EO or maybe construct with new boss) and sprint boost which would be cool for kiting purposes because I see this build as a very good kiter.

One question I have is about the infused chaos robe. How often does that proc and for how long? I was not aware of the 100% hate proc. Very interesting.

Edit: I should comment on gear. You can craft a trinket that has +2 dodge armor on it I think so perhaps make one of those for this guy.

[maddmatt70]

I do not believe for one second this will hold aggro over high-DPS melees. It's 'has-aggro' DPS is going to be pretty horrible and those HP are very light for a Horoth tank.

Your plan is to have a perpetual supply of devils ruin crystals? That's lunacy, I've had more +4 tomes drop for me that I've even seen of those.

However, for a non-tank indestructible DPS build this looks fun.

He probably already has 4 or so Gordon. He runs it all the time. He probably just plans to play this in tanking quests.

[Isolani]

Nice intro in the OP, I was getting excited, but then I saw it was a Halfling and you lost me.