Bullet Fist Tony

[destiny4405]

With the increase in the bosses fortification my pure rogue got proxy nerfed twofold. Sneak attack damage and khopesh, my long and trusted friend, both suffer from more fortification. Weapons with low critical profile were less affected by the fortification change. Handwraps, with the fastest attack animation and full strenght bonus to the offhand, seemed like a good alternative, so i started a little project, which finally hit level 20 on his final life.

This build doesn't push the envelopes of max DPS (well, maybe a little ), but makes a rogue more effective on more fortified enemies, making this build one of the best melee boss dps at the moment.

U14 note: nothing much changed for this build, except for starting with 16 str instead of 18, so dex could be buffed for ISA and taking precision instead of PA.


Bullet Fist Tony [Human Lawfully Neutral 19rog/1mnk]

Past lifes: Rogue, Monk, Palladin


(1) Starting and unbuffed stats at level 20:

str: 16 | 36 (+6lvl +4tome +6item +1exc +3prof)
dex: 18 | 36 (+3tome +8item +2ins +1prof +2stance +2alch)
con: 15 | 28 (+3tome +1ha +7item +1exc +2ins +1prof -2stance)
int: 10 | 14 (+3tome +1prof)
wis: 8 | 22 (+3tome +7item +1exc +2ins +1prof)
cha: 8 | 19 (+3tome +7itme +1prof)

-these are the tomes i used. build can work with +2 tomes also, except for dex one, which is needed for ISA.


(2) Skill points:

-lot's of skill points. i maxed UMD, DD, Spot, Search, Balance, Diplomacy, Bluff and Intimidate, put rest in lockpicking, hide and MS and few in tumble and jump.


(3) Feats and leveling order:

(rogue) 1st: TWF and Toughness

(monk) 3rd: Paladin PL and Precision

(rogue) 6th: Monk PL

(rogue) 9th: ITWF

(rogue) 11th: Improved Evasion

(rogue) 12th: Improved Critical: Bludgeon

(rogue) 14th: Opportunist

(rogue) 15th: Rogue PL

(rogue) 17th: Slippery Mind

(rogue) 18th: GTWF

(rogue) 20th: Skill Mastery

(epic) 21th: Improved Sneak Attack

(epic) 24th: Quick Draw


(4) Enhancements:

Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Extra Action Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Extra Action Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost IV
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing I
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Rogue Faster Sneaking I
Enhancement: Rogue Assassin I
Enhancement: Rogue Assassin II
Enhancement: Rogue Assassin III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy II
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy IV
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training II
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training IV
Enhancement: Improved Hide I
Enhancement: Improved Hide II
Enhancement: Improved Move Silently I
Enhancement: Improved Move Silently II
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery II
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery III


(5) Equipment:

Head: Epic Helm of Frost[GFL]/Cove Hats[Charisma +6, +15 Intim/Diplo/Bluff]

Goggles: Lenses of the Woodsman/Drow Smoke Goggles/Epic Goggles of Time-Sensing/+4 Attack Bonus Goggles[Large Guild Slot]

Necklace: Shintao Cord[Resistance Ritual]

Armor: Spider-spun Caparison[+8 DEX, Sun Soul]

Cloak: GS HP MinII Cloak

Gloves: Epic Carged Gauntlets[+1 exc con]

Bracers: Bracers of the Sun Soul

Belt: Belt of the Sun Soul

Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion[Good Luck, +1 exc WIS]/Madstone Boots

Ring1: Seal of House Avithoul[+2 ins DEX]

Ring2: Kyosho's Rng[Holy Burst]

Trinket: Litany of the Dead


(6) Weapons:

+7 Byeshk Earth/Air/Air Alchemical Handwraps

+7 Epic Calomel Handwraps

Epic Handwraps of Endless Light

+5 Anarchic Burst Silver Threaded Handwraps of GEOB (aml 20)

+5 True Chaos Adamantine Lined Handwraps of GCB (aml 20)

+5 Lawfull Burst Cold Iron Studded Handwraps of GCOB (aml 20)


(7) HP:

114 rogue
8 monk
50 epic
225 con
20 heroic durability
27 toughness
30 toughness enhancements
10 draconic vitality
20 toughness item
45 GS
30 GFL
________________
579 unbuffed
25 +2 con shrine
25 rage
50 madstone
________________
679 buffed
20 guild
50 earth stance
50 double madstone
45 yugo pot
________________
844 max self buffed


(8) To Hit:

18 base
13 str
1 prof
7 wep
2 shtintao set
2 sun set
3 competence
________________
46 unbuffed
3 ship
4 gh
3 pally PL
8 madstone
1 rage
1 haste
________________
66 buffed
2 greater bane
1 competence
8 attack boost
1 yugo pot
________________
78 max self buffed (+22 for sneak attacks)


(9) Saves:

6/11/6 rogue
2/2/2 monk
2/2/2 epic
9/13/6 stats
6/6/6 item
4/4/4 insight
1/1/1 competence
________________
30/39/27 base
2/2/2 ship
4/4/4 gh
1/0/0 rage
0/1/0 haste
________________
37/46/33 buffed
5/5/5 save boost V
0/6/0 uncanny dodge
2/2/3 water stance
________________
44/59/41 max self buffed


(10) Damage compare between pure STR khopesh rogue and BFT:

The main advantage of unarmed fighting is the attack speed, which gains more from haste boosts, then TWF.

BAB 20 swing animations per minute
Boost%	Unarmed	TWF
0%	93.2	86.7
15%	111.3	102.2
30%	129.4	117.8
45%	147.5	133.3

without any attack speed modifiers, on 0% fort, pure pesh rogue is ahead, but with haste boost, BFT takes the lead.

30% fort is the breaking point where BFT comes ahead, without any attack speed modifiers.

that was a short version. for long, click here (all calcs were made when cap was at 20).


here's a video of a portal beatdown so you can see how the build fares against 100% fort. think it's just under 40 seconds. missing kyosho set, but it's still a good time. video was made before u14.

http://youtu.be/WV92XkcAqMk

[destiny4405]

(11) Epic Destinies:

i see many people only focusing on one epic destiny, which for me is a mistake. they are pretty easy to switch and adjust for any situation. that's why i didn't take destinies into account when calculating HP, stats and other stuff. having said that, there are two which i use mostly.

from all the destiny that i played, Fatesinger is one of the best DPS for TWF (can't say the best, but it sure feels so for unarmed) and has some great utility to the boot. my go to destiny for non raid parties. why not for raids also? well, like a bard, if there is already one in the party, the usefulness of other drops.

destiny that i choose, when another Fatesinger is in raid, is shadowsdancer. 6d6 SA with all the fort debuffs that exist now is huge and you get +3% doublestrike and 5% vulnerability to physical damage debuff on vorpals.

(12) Twists of Fate:

like destinies, they are easy to adjust for various situations. i unlocked all 3 slots, and went for 4th tier on the first one.

Slot 1 (lvl 4): Sense Weakness/Grim precision/Piercing Clarity/Fey Spring

Slot 2 (lvl 1): Improved Martial Arts/Healing spring

Slot 3 (lvl 1): Extra Action Boost/Tunnel Vision/Brace for impact

[Kinerd]

I think you would get a lot out of Improved Sunder and Stunning Fist. The monk past life really only comes down to +1 damage, whereas SF is +50% and Improved Sunder helps you feel less gimpy against supremo bosses. If you feel like being risky and dangerous you could open the other slot by dropping IC, the conventional choice would probably be one of the other past lives. Alternatively, you could take another monk level.

For more thoughts on a similar build, see krogyy's Black Lotus.

[Adrian99]

I grant that 18 STR is better vs. red and purple name than 16 STR. But, you would be much faster at killing orange and yellow name if you start 16 STR, put the rest in Wisdom, take Stunning Fist, and use +10 stun wraps. Much faster.

[destiny4405]

I think you would get a lot out of Improved Sunder and Stunning Fist. The monk past life really only comes down to +1 damage, whereas SF is +50% and Improved Sunder helps you feel less gimpy against supremo bosses. If you feel like being risky and dangerous you could open the other slot by dropping IC, the conventional choice would probably be one of the other past lives. Alternatively, you could take another monk level.

For more thoughts on a similar build, see krogyy's Black Lotus.

i don't feel like i need SF. procs from alchemical wraps and frozen tunic do job nicely.

i might try imp sunder, but i don't think i could get dc's for it without changing build and equipment even with debuff from it. thankfully, melees that i run with mostly have it. and the whole point of making this build is to be less gimpy against the bosses

I grant that 18 STR is better vs. red and purple name than 16 STR. But, you would be much faster at killing orange and yellow name if you start 16 STR, put the rest in Wisdom, take Stunning Fist, and use +10 stun wraps. Much faster.

yes, but i made this build for red and purple names and for those mobs that SF doesn't work on, who are mostly, if not always, also immune to SA.

[destiny4405]

updated.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Presume that you've seen my similar themed rogue (in my sig). Strength ends up similar due to gear (epic cape of the roc) and half-elf (fighter strength) but include stunning fist and improved sunder (49 DC SF on live, 50 when I get LotD).

Stunning Fist really makes this build, I can't imagine playing without it. I've solo'd most of epic Lords of Dust, I can take on multiple epic mobs at a time, lock down orange named mobs, -10% fort debuff even epic lord of blades and more.

For the small % loss in DPS that Newtou has (what, 1%?) I think he makes up for it in massive leaps and bounds with stunning fist.

[destiny4405]

Presume that you've seen my similar themed rogue (in my sig). Strength ends up similar due to gear (epic cape of the roc) and half-elf (fighter strength) but include stunning fist and improved sunder (49 DC SF on live, 50 when I get LotD).

Stunning Fist really makes this build, I can't imagine playing without it. I've solo'd most of epic Lords of Dust, I can take on multiple epic mobs at a time, lock down orange named mobs, -10% fort debuff even epic lord of blades and more.

your build, while having nice utillity, has less hp, less to hit and does less damage then mine. stunning fist is nice to have, but this build isn't made for trash, it's made for bosses (while also greatly improving rogues perfomances against heavy fort enemies), so stunning fist doesn't mean anything to me. i'm not missing imp sunder either, as someone always has it.

For the small % loss in DPS that Newtou has (what, 1%?) I think he makes up for it in massive leaps and bounds with stunning fist.

well, not sure if anything changed, but your time on portal was 1 min, while mine is 40 second. that's 1/3 difference. the difference lowers as more SA is added, but 1% is just wishfull thinking.

[destiny4405]

updated for u14. might add some more things. kinda boomed that only new piece of gear i added is the updated black dragonscale robe.

[destiny4405]

just keep finding new stuff. madstone boots got proxy buffed as they now give me +8 bonus to hit. for a lvl 25 toon, they give you 25 bab, even tho a full bab class on lvl 25 has only 23 bab (20 heroic, 3 epic). even full BAB classes now have uses for divine power clickies

[destiny4405]

updated gear a bit focusing on saves (will particularly). now, slippery mind is one of my favorite rogue feats

the downside is that i won't be swaping armors like i used to, but the spider outfit is pretty good and in wind stance the set is really powerfull. fire is nice for self sufficiency, especially if paired with vampirism weapons.