New Stalwart Defender & Defender of Siberys PrEs

[Arlathen]

From Lammania Release Notes

NEW: Fighter Stalwart Defender and Paladin Defender of Siberys now have a passive threat boost when using a shield. This boost stacks with the defensive stance bonuses.

In addition, their benefits have been modified:

Fighter Stalwart Defender I
While the flesh may be weak, you place your trust in the strength of steel. This prestige enhancement increases your armor class by 1, grants +2 to your intimidate skill, increases your maximum dexterity bonus allowed by shields, and grants additional armor class and damage reduction when blocking with a shield. In addition, when you have a one handed melee weapon and shield equipped, you possess DR 2/- and your melee threat generation is increased by 25%. Also, you may expend a use of Fighter action boost to enter a defensive stance. You may possess only one prestige enhancement line at a time for each class.

Stalwart Defender: Defensive Stance
You may expend a Fighter armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +2 Competence bonus to Strength and Constitution, +10% maximum hit points, a +1 Competence bonus on all saves, and a +2 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 25% Competence bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

Fighter Stalwart Defender II
Your defensive mastery continues to grow. In addition to the bonuses of Stalwart Defender I, this prestige enhancement increases your armor class by 1, grants +2 to your intimidate skill, increases your maximum dexterity bonus allowed by heavy armor and shields, and grants additional armor class and damage reduction when blocking with a shield. In addition, when you have a one handed melee weapon and shield equipped, your DR is upgraded from DR 2/- to DR 4/-, and you now generate 50% additional threat with melee attacks. You may expend a use of Fighter action boost to enter a defensive stance.

Stalwart Defender II: Improved Defensive Stance
You may expend a Fighter armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +4 Competence bonus to Strength and Constitution, +15% maximum hit points, a +2 Competence bonus on all saves, and a +3 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 50% Competence bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

Fighter Stalwart Defender III
Your defensive mastery is complete. In addition to the bonuses of Stalwart Defender I and II, this prestige enhancement increases your armor class by 1, grants +2 to your intimidate skill, increases your maximum dexterity bonus allowed by medium or heavy armor and shields, and grants additional armor class and damage reduction when blocking with a shield. In addition, when you have a one handed melee weapon and shield equipped, your DR is upgraded from DR 4/- to DR 6/-, and you now generate 75% additional threat with melee attacks. You may expend a use of Fighter action boost to to enter a defensive stance.

Stalwart Defender III: Superior Defensive Stance
You may expend a Fighter armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +6 Competence bonus to Strength and Constitution, +20% maximum hit points, a +3 Competence bonus on all saves, and a +4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 75% Competence bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

And for the Paladins:

Paladin Defender of Siberys I
Protecting the weak from the depredations of the strong, you become a paragon of defense. This prestige enhancement grants you 2 additional Turn attempts, additional armor class when blocking with a shield, increases the maximum dexterity bonus allowed by tower shields by 1, and grants the ability to enter a defensive stance or to create a Magic Circle Against Evil effect. When using a shield, you generate 25% additional threat from all sources. You may possess only one prestige enhancement line at a time for each class.

Defender of Siberys: Defensive Stance
You may expend a Paladin armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +2 Sacred bonus to Strength and Constitution, +10% maximum hit points, a +1 Sacred bonus on all saves, and a +2 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 25% Sacred bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

Paladin Defender of Siberys II
Protecting the weak from the depredations of the strong, you continue your training as a paragon of defense. This prestige enhancement grants you an additional Lay on Hands use per rest, and further increases the maximum dexterity bonus allowed by tower shields and heavy armor by an additional 1. When using a shield, you now generate 50% additional threat from all sources. You also gain the ability to enter an improved defensive stance or to produce a Mass Shield of Faith effect.

Defender of Siberys II: Improved Defensive Stance
You may expend a Paladin armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +4 Sacred bonus to Strength and Constitution, +15% maximum hit points, a +2 Sacred bonus on all saves, and a +3 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 50% Sacred bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

Paladin Defender of Siberys III
Protecting the weak from the depredations of the strong, you continue your training as a paragon of defense. This prestige enhancement increases the strength of all of your defensive auras, and further increases the maximum dexterity bonus allowed by tower shields and medium or heavy armor by an additional 1. When using a shield, you now generate 75% additional threat from all sources. You also gain the ability to enter a superior defensive stance or to defy your enemies in a glorious stand against evil.

Defender of Siberys III: Superior Defensive Stance
You may expend a Paladin armor boost to become a bastion of defense, gaining a +6 Sacred bonus to Strength and Constitution, +20% maximum hit points, a +3 Sacred bonus on all saves, and a +4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. You also gain a 75% Sacred bonus to threat generated with your melee attacks. While in this stance, you move 10% slower.

The movement rate increases are much welcome, and I think will open these up for more use across the board.

Thoughts?

[BruceTheHoon]

[Enoach]

My thoughts for both the DoS and SD - at a 10% movement cost, why would you not be in defensive stance 99.9% of the time? I like what I see with these proposed changes.

[Dragaer]

They will. +3 to hit and damage helps them be a little more useful in non tanking roles as well. The boost to HP (+6 con, 2 more than before but more importantly the +20% HP) will put them just under Barb raged HP. (mine was around 830ish or so in stance)

I'd rather they went to a higher DR % when using a shield and or Heavy armor, but the boost in HP will help with the bosses hitting harder now. The reason I say that is because there is still no disadvantage to wearing PJ's over heavy armor, other than the little DR you get with a shield and the shield mastery feat.

[Alabore]

The reason I say that is because there is still no disadvantage to wearing PJ's over heavy armor, other than the little DR you get with a shield and the shield mastery feat.

^^^
This.

I was going to say the same, before you edited your post.

[Astraghal]

Good to see Turbine are listening.

[Thrudh]

The reason I say that is because there is still no disadvantage to wearing PJ's over heavy armor, other than the little DR you get with a shield and the shield mastery feat.

I like the way they handled this BECAUSE you can wear PJs OR heavy armor...

PJ monk splashes don't have a huge advantage... A shield offers almost as much AC as the wisdom bonus does, especially now that we're getting newer better shields.

[Dragaer]

PJ monk splashes don't have a huge advantage...

It's not huge, it is just weird.

Monk splashes get their evasion and do not sacrifice DPS by holding a shield; and those that use a shield get a little DR at the cost of DPS.

The weird part comes with grazing hits....PJ's protect the wearer just as much as heavy armor does? Sounds silly....but this is a game.

EDIT: ouch, neg rep?? I'm not hating on monks Its the logic that hurts my head.

[Thrudh]

EDIT: ouch, neg rep?? I'm not hating on monks Its the logic that hurts my head.

It wasn't me... I'll pos rep you later (I've given out too much rep lately)

[BruceTheHoon]

now that we're getting newer better shields.

We're getting new better shields?
URL PLZ!

[Chai]

I like the way they handled this BECAUSE you can wear PJs OR heavy armor...

PJ monk splashes don't have a huge advantage... A shield offers almost as much AC as the wisdom bonus does, especially now that we're getting newer better shields.

PJ monk splashes still use their full TWF line for alot more DPS, while making no sacrifice to AC for doing so. Not only is it odd that they can stand up better to the heavy hitters, but they do higher damage at the same time.

If AC actually worked in this game, even a kensai putting a shield on would gain some measurable defense due to making the DPS sacrifice they made by equipping S&B.

As I said in the previous updates, we shall see. S&B sure didnt hold aggro well the last few.

[elraido]

One thing a dex build needs vs a full plate armor wearer, is well Dex. A lot of paladins don't have the ability points to spread around into dex. Especially if they want Str, Dex, Con, Int (combat ex), and charisma. You just run out.

[Cyr]

One thing a dex build needs vs a full plate armor wearer, is well Dex. A lot of paladins don't have the ability points to spread around into dex. Especially if they want Str, Dex, Con, Int (combat ex), and charisma. You just run out.

And wisdom...

[Feithlin]

PJ monk splashes still use their full TWF line for alot more DPS, while making no sacrifice to AC for doing so. Not only is it odd that they can stand up better to the heavy hitters, but they do higher damage at the same time.

If AC actually worked in this game, even a kensai putting a shield on would gain some measurable defense due to making the DPS sacrifice they made by equipping S&B.

As I said in the previous updates, we shall see. S&B sure didnt hold aggro well the last few.

PJs and heavy armored have more or less the same AC. While PJs keep a higher dps (but not necessarily a better tps: threat per second), S&B get a better damage mitigation: not only the DR, but also the damage absorption from shield mastery feats (up to 25% with the 2 feats and the tower shield). These are 2 options, both with its advantages and drawbacks. Seems fine to me.

[BDog77]

My biggest question with this is will it change for those who already have the stance? Or will we have to reset our enhancements? (I'M not honestly sure if i would notice the difference, I don't play my defender much...)

[Jay203]

love the change in the speed while in stance <3

[Dragaer]

A lot of paladins don't have the ability points to spread around into dex. Especially if they want Str, Dex, Con, Int (combat ex), and charisma. You just run out.

Stalwarts need all of those as well, it isn't just pallies that sacrifice by needing to put points into all of those. Splashes need Wis as well, though not a whole lot (a little dab will do ya).

[Jerevon]

Oh wow, just wow. Look at the love Paladin DoS got. So nothing on the horizon for Knight of the Chalice huh? Because Censure Demons is just fine the way it is now...pfft, whatever. Ok, back to being a Paladin tank again. Screw KotC.

[EustaceTrevelyan]

My thoughts for both the DoS and SD - at a 10% movement cost, why would you not be in defensive stance 99.9% of the time? I like what I see with these proposed changes.

Well, if it's not needed, you'd want to just run ahead to the good part. But yeah, in any quest on a more challenging setting you would use it most of the time. But that's probably the point, since on live the stances are unusable except for fights where you're going to take awhile, since the group isn't going to wait for your fat arse you'd have to constantly be turning it off, and you only get 5 activations/rest, and considering the PrE is the only pally one that needs a feat, i think it got underutilized.

I know I'm stoked about the change, esp the whole stacking sheild threat, since I went with a weird b-sword THF sheild thing. Note: I do know when to put away the sheild and use a THF, which is of course most of the time.


Well done turbine.

[NytCrawlr]

It's not huge, it is just weird.

Monk splashes get their evasion and do not sacrifice DPS by holding a shield; and those that use a shield get a little DR at the cost of DPS.

The weird part comes with grazing hits....PJ's protect the wearer just as much as heavy armor does? Sounds silly....but this is a game.

EDIT: ouch, neg rep?? I'm not hating on monks Its the logic that hurts my head.

Yeah, will try to balance that neg rep out later (not sure why your post deserves neg rep) once my rep wand recharges.