The Dark Knight - end game Paladin tank

[Dark-Star]

Onto the battle field walks a brutal visage of pure hate. Enemies stop their slaughter, and for a full second, all eyes turn to the Dark Knight, a massive and imposing figure to its foes, and a beacon of hope for its allies. Capable of causing fear and rage in its enemies, able to absord the most visious strikes and spells from even the deadliest of creatures, able mend its own wounds in the heat of the melee, the tide of the battle has turned.

U11 has brought huge changes to the end game, and with it has come a demand for the ever greater need for character specialization. Gone are the days when a 600 hp DPS character could get away with tankning end game content if the healers were good enough, we now need true and dedicated tanks in order to beat the hardest of the hard. Also gone are the "back into a corner and hit auto attack" tanking styles. The new end game content will demand best of the best in not only gear and character design, but also player skill and reaction timing. This build will take care of the former, the latter is up to you.

The write up is based on Darkstaar, my forum namesake and one of my earliest characters. Dark started as a melee bard and then became a Knight of the Chalice DPS Paladin - a statement that has almost become an oxymoron. There was a time when KotC Paladins were fun for me to play, but as the game evolved, the character was out classed in DPS by many other builds. Hit points weren't great, feats were stretched thin, as were enhancement points and stats. While I had put a tremendous amount of work into gearing Dark, it was time to make a very tough decision and retire her two Epic Chaos Blades and progress to a viable U11 contributor.

What I will present below is not the ultimate DPS build, there are plenty of those posted. What the Dark Knight will give you is a frame work for building a character capable of tanking anything in the game, up to and including Epic Lord of the Blades - the hardest boss to tank by far. As a by-product, you will also have a character that will be an incredible soloer, and a solid contributor to most any group in the form of DPS, tanking and back up healing.

As a note, I always build my concepts with the current end game in mind. As such, I will present the gear lay out with many epic items. For those still working to acquire these, it gives a path to follow and something to work for while you enjoy the character. Will the build work with lesser gear. Yes. Will the build work as a 28 or 32 point build. Yes.

Character Highlights Summary:

• 908-932 self buffed hit points.
• 84 intimidate.
• 350+ quickened self-cast Cure Serious Wounds spell.
• 4x 518 hit point instant heals from Lay On Hands.
• 20% incoming damage mitigation in tank mode.
• 24 blocking DR.
• Off the charts saves: 56/43/43 or higher.
• 200%+ healing amp.
• Top hate amp: 10%+15%+20%+75%+75%+100% = very hated.
• Solid to hit score with both Epic Chimeras Fang and either two hander listed.
• Two chances for Life Shield to proc (10% each), for 15 temporary hit points/dr.
• Respectable damage in DPS mode.

The Dark Knight (Human Lawful Good 18 Paladin/2 Fighter)

Stats (as 34 point build)
Str: 16 +3 tome +6 item +5 level ups +2 ship +2 Yugo +3 exceptional +6 sacred +1 fighter str = 44
Dex: 8 +2 tome +6 item +2 ship = 18
Con: 18 +2 tome +6 item +2 ship +2 Yugo +6 sacred +3 exceptional +1 human adapability = 40
Int: 9 +3 tome -1 Brawn = 11
Wis: 9 +2 tome +6 item +2 ship -1 Brawn = 18
Cha: 14 +2 tome +7 item +2 ship +2 yugo +1 pal enh = 28

For 28 point characters drop con to 16, 32 point characters drop con to 17 and increase wisdom to 10. 36 point character increase cha to 15.

Feats and Leveling
1 Toughness
1H Power Attack
3 Dragon Mark of the Sentinel I
6 Dragon Mark of the Sentinel II
9 Maximize
9F Improved Crit: Slash
12 Empower Healing
15 Dragon Mark of the Sentinel III
18 Quicken
20F Shield Mastery

Final Gearing
Trinket: Epic Brawn's Spirit slotted with Good Luck/ Bloodstone
Head: Epic Chimera's Crown slotted with +6 dex and +4 resists
Cloak: Epic Cloak of the Silver Concord with +1 cha/ Crafted +6 cha cloak with large guild augment slotted with +20 hit points
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Bracers: Epic Bracers of the Claw
Boots: Green Steel Con-Op spell points with +5 cha skills
Neck: Shintao/Torc
Ring1: Shintao with +2 strength
Ring2: Gnawed/Ravager with +20% healing amp
Belt: Gnawed/Ravager
Goggles: Greensteel triple air hit points/Tharnes
Armor: Epic Denith Heavy Chain slotted with Toughness
Weapon: Epic Chimera's Fang/ Epic Antique Great Axe/ Epic Sword of Shadows
Shield: Crafted +5 Tower Shield of Life Shield, large guild augment slotted with +4 intimidate

Enhancements
pal AC boost I
ftr haste boost I
unyeilding sov
follower of the sov host
human con I
human recovery II
denith intim IV
human versatility II
courage of good I
bulwark of good III
focus of good I
resistance of good III
divine righteousness I
divine sac I
exhaulted smite I
extra LoH II
extra smite evil II
defender of siberys III
racial toughness III
pal toughness III
improved intim IV
divine might I
ftr str I
pal devotion III


Healing Amp
20% ring
30% gloves
20% human enh
10% ship
206%

Spell Points
630 + Con-Op + Torc = virtually unlimited

Hit Points
200 base
300 con
112 feat
145 enhanced
151 negative level penalty (assume this is DoS)
908
24 large guild augment
932

Intim
23 base
2 Mark of the Sentinel I
4 improved intimidate
4 Denith intimidate
20 item
5 enhanced item
9 cha
5 cha skills
2 good luck
4 greater heroism
2 favor
4 large guild slot
84

The intim number for no fail on the Epic Lord of Blades is estimated somewhere around 82-83. Everything else seems to be below this.

Combined, all of this creates is a beastly tank, with surpising self-sufficiency. There is no question going the fighter route and Stalwart Defender can create a great tank as well with similar hit points and intim, the differences for the Dark Knight is that it has higher saves and very reliable self healing. If using a two tank strategy for the ELoB, the Dark Knight can also patch heal the second tank as needed.

Building for AC was a consideration, but it comes at a great sacrifice. And at end game (ELoB) AC is not currently relevant. That said, one can still get very viable AC for leveling and non-epics, which can be really useful.

DPS mode is done with very few gear swaps, which is important in tanking as you will need to be able to switch from one mode to the other in a split second. Epic Antique Great Axe and Epic Sword of Shadows both seem to perform well with 44 strength, Zeal for 10% Double Strike, +3/+3 from Divine Favor, Divine Sacrifice, Exhaulted Smite, Divine Might, Fighter Haste Boost and the new and improved Human Versatility Damage Boost.

I waited to post the build until I had a chance to test it successfully in a few Epic Lord of Blade runs and Elite Tower of Despair. Despite the player behind the keyboard, the build stood up very well to the the best DDO can throw at us.

I hope those of you that want to make tanks enjoy the write up, as always comments and feedback are welcome. I can also expand more on certain aspects of the build as desired.

[dakkon75]

Nice build Clean. +1 to you sir.

Draz

[stainer]

I have a Barbarian I am considering TR'g. This build looks like a lot of fun. How would you move feats around to take the Barb PL feat instead of toughness? Or would you even consider that?

[Dark-Star]

I have a Barbarian I am considering TR'g. This build looks like a lot of fun. How would you move feats around to take the Barb PL feat instead of toughness? Or would you even consider that?

Take DM I at 1st and PL: Barb at 3rd.

[maddmatt70]

I have some questions on the intimidate cleen. What do you think is the LOB's threshold on epic? Edit I guess I should read the first line of your OP description haha..

[Dark-Star]

I have some questions on the intimidate cleen. What do you think is the LOB's threshold on epic?

I do not have an exact answer yet, but based on my experience on epic, and a few others, it seems to be about 82-83 for no fail. Perhaps someone else has come up with an exact figure somewhere, if not, I'll continue testing. It's just tough to really pay attention to every intim roll while tanking that beast.

[Xyfiel]

Great build. For those of us who don't already have the epic items, if I make one I would go 2 monk until I got the intimidate/hp items for tanking.

[CaptGrim]

I love it. +1. Max hate, heal amp, hp, self healing and mitigation while throwing out AC(at least for boss tanking).

I run a AC hate tank myself built awhile back, but with the Devs insisting on ignoring any possible ways to AC tank in any quest starting with the word epic, I found myself just being a mass of hp that can hold aggro.

Again great build, and if I didn't love my tank build so much I would prolly go in the same direction. Perhaps I could rework a few feats and pick up Shield mastery and bastard swd...hmmm....

FIX AC DEVS!

[Tobril]

Looks like you're indicating that body and shield lifeshield effects stack, is this accurate?

[Dark-Star]

Looks like you're indicating that body and shield lifeshield effects stack, is this accurate?

Not stack, as you can only have one source of +15 Life Shield HPs active. But so far it seems to increase the chance of a proc, similar to how con op items and weapons can both proc, but not two weapons or two items. I still need to test more to verify, but that's how it is feeling so far.

[Tobril]

Not stack, as you can only have one source of +15 Life Shield HPs active. But so far it seems to increase the chance of a proc, similar to how con op items and weapons can both proc, but not two weapons or two items. I still need to test more to verify, but that's how it is feeling so far.

Makes sense, especially since that matches the CCopp behavior.

Interesting.

[Emili]

Not stack, as you can only have one source of +15 Life Shield HPs active. But so far it seems to increase the chance of a proc, similar to how con op items and weapons can both proc, but not two weapons or two items. I still need to test more to verify, but that's how it is feeling so far.

I kind of be expecting that... would figure that each item you have active gets a roll for proc. Even those not stacking effects overwrite the previous proc in many cases. Make's sense from an design aspect.

[stainer]

I kind of be expecting that... would figure that each item you have active gets a roll for proc. Even those not stacking effects overwrite the previous proc in many cases. Make's sense from an design aspect.

Just like overwriting files on your hard drive.

[sephiroth1084]

Can't seem to find any images of the new Fang and Crown; what are their new/current stats?

[Emili]

Can't seem to find any images of the new Fang and Crown; what are their new/current stats?

Only as I noted as I do not have them... but was reported to be.

◦Epic Chimera's Crown: This weapon now grants stacking hit points depending on the number of Dragonmarks a charact has: 1 Dragonmark grants 10 HP, 2 grants 15, and 3 grants 20. 3 Dragonmarks will also grant Spell Resistance 30.


◦Epic Chimera's Fang: This weapon now has a +6 enhancement bonus, 2d10 base damage, Silver, Keen, Shocking Burst, Disintegration, Destruction, Shatter +10, and a Red Augment Slot. The weapon also grants additional abilities based on the number of Dragonmarks a wielding character has:
■1 or more Dragonmarks: Bastard Sword proficiency, +7 enhancement bonus
■2 or more Dragonmarks: Greater Parrying, +8, Incite 10%
■3 Dragonmarks (non-Sentinel): Sup. Parrying, +8, Incite 15%
■3 Dragonmarks (all Sentinel): +10, Fortified Defenses 50%, Incite 20%.

[Dark-Star]

Can't seem to find any images of the new Fang and Crown; what are their new/current stats?

Epic Chimera's Fang:

2d10 base damage
silver
keen
shocking burst
disintegration proc
destruction
shatter +10
red slot
If you have all three Sentinel Dragon marks it also adds:
bastard sword proficiency
incite +10%, +15%, +20%
superior parrying (+4 resists and AC)
+50% stacking fortification
+10 to hit and damage

Epic Chimera's Crown:

+5 natural AC
increased uses of your dragon marks
yellow slot
colorless slot
If you have three dragon marks it also gives:
20 stacking hit points
30 spell resistance

[Nahual]

Like the build might twink it for Tr purposes and horc

[Emili]

Like the build might twink it for Tr purposes and horc

That is a 34 pointer in the OP, very nice DoS, 2 points in another TR I'd expect in cha or str somehow to flavour? Not quite sure on the Horc side of it ... seems rely on sentinal and some stacking amp quite highly. So's here what we do ... place the toon in a planner as is, remove the racial feats and enhancements, then go to lvl 1 switch it to Horc and adjust the statpoints to get it close to the original, then need figure out what racials replace those feats and enhancements we removed. Something tells me a helf would fair more closely in relationship... but the race as is in the OP seems perfect for the role.

[BlackSteel]

I know fighters can show off a more impressive HP, but what blows that out of the water is the self sufficiency offered by this build.

excellent, just excellent

[MrPilgrim]

Top hate amp: 10%+15%+20%+75%+75%+100% = very hated.

I hate this build!

but srsly, I wanna roll up a 32pt version of this, looks freaking sexy.

much accolades to you sir!