OMG! the looks of Half Elfs ruined everything! time to reroll...

[Daerwen]

So recently i posted a AA 12 FvS/ 6 Monk/ 2 Fighter H Elf build that i needed help with. Luckily Wax_on_Wax_off already had a great build that i used. So here comes the problem, after lvling him to 5 and putting a robe on him that was better than the garbage gear from korthos, i took a closer look at him and realize that even though im very comfortable with my manhood, that little toon made me feel wierd. Hey! i can admit in real life that some guys are good-looking, its not a turn on though. What im saying is that little H-Elf looks more like a girl to me (much like the male blood elfs from wow). How is my main toon, the first toon i was going to get to 20 with, supposed to look so feminine. IM going to reroll that toon into a female but i dont play females as my main toons.

So now i need help with a new idea. I want something that can solo well and to be able to jump into pugs (even bad ones) and give as much help as I can. As my first toon to 20 i just want it to be as fun as possible and i know everyone will say pick just one class, i WILL NOT! i have more fun playing multi-class toons.

OK here goes my idea, 12 FvS/ 6 Paladin/ 2 Monk Human, this build will be for flavor. Yes its another FvS/Monk build but i think it will be fun to play. Im going to go with Paladin DoS, and earth stance/ Wind stance for solo (sun if hasted for better Dps). This will also give me the ability to save a failed pug by pulling targets away from others by using Divine Righteoudness with Divine Punishment and/or searing light with Max Spell(or atleast i hope lol), this means if there is a true tank around i can pull mobs to him. I will use whirling steel strike with TWF line +divine sacrifice, AoV will give me even more dmg output with light attacks. Stats will look like (using +2tomes and +6Items)

Str- 28= 15base+5lvl+2tome+6item
Dex- 24= 15base+1race+2tome+6item
Con- 22= 13base+1race+2tome+6item
Int- 14= 12base+2tome
Wis- 24= 14base+2class+2tome+6item
Cha- 20= 9base+3class+2tome+6item

Feats are:
H - Toughness
1 - TWF
3 - Max spell
6 - Extend spell
9 - Combat Expertise
12 - ITWF (lvl 9 if i can)
15 - Improved Crit: S
18 - GTWF
M1 - Power Attack
M2 - Whirling Steel Strike

Im hoping the build will give me high ac even with going str for lvl ups. Saves will be easily covered. What im looking for is advice or maybe some links to builds that are close to this. For advice, I dont know if i should pick up Intimidate (will help with aggro) or Diplomacy(for aggro droping back to tank), maybe both? i know concentration and UMD for sure and add enough into balance, jump and 1 point in tumble. How effective will my dps be? and do u guys think this is a good idea?

[Mubjon]

I embrace the ugliness of Helf, it is fun trying to make them even more ugly than they are randomly generated.

I have one that looks like he has a bowl cut from a 6 year old and never washed

As far as your build goes though, I have never liked FvS too limited in my opinion as I like having options for each quest on spell selection. It looks OK at glance to me and as long as you have fun with it that is all that matters.

[Daerwen]

I embrace the ugliness of Helf, it is fun trying to make them even more ugly than they are randomly generated.

I have one that looks like he has a bowl cut from a 6 year old and never washed

As far as your build goes though, I have never liked FvS too limited in my opinion as I like having options for each quest on spell selection. It looks OK at glance to me and as long as you have fun with it that is all that matters.

To be honest, I like the Helf stats, the Dilys are awesome but i dont like there looks enough for me to go with something else for my main. FvS to me look a little OP compared to a Cleric, not saying i dont like the cleric (my first D&D toon was cleric). Just saying the cleric needs some love for the Dev's (DOMAINS PLZ!) to catch up to the overall ability of the FvS. I was tempted to go with cleric with the build for the healing output while in melee and the Turn Undead regen but ended up with FvS instead. It came down to the expansion, not sure how there doing the lvl cap but if i can get more lvls in my classes than FvS 17 for wings will help the build more than 17 cleric, FvS wings will make kiting easier and getting to mobs faster. Though cleric will give me 9th lvl spells, i didnt see any need for them.

[MeatSheild]

12 fvs/6 pal/ 2 monk? I had something like this at one point in time. It was fun to play and level with, but ultimatly mostly useless at end game. Now this could have been play style/gear on my part, but I found the healng ablity pathetic (esp in raids), the dps much lower than my other toons build for dps, and I fairly sure a pure fvs could have been a much better tank. In the end I had fun with the toon for a while then into the void where deleted toons go.

As far as the look of the h-elf... everyone complains about this, but I never noticed. I guess I spend my time not looking at myself.

[Daerwen]

For healing, i only plan to self heal mostly (its more of a solo focused build anyways). For DPS, i think your right and ill probly struggle to get in raids with it but on the other hand i checked out the In Development portion of DDOWIKI and if you scroll down to Divine Avenger, this build may get a good dps boost .

[Rawrargh]

If this is gonna be your first char to cap, you wanna make sure you choose an end-game viable build... My advice is, stick to the FVS, ditch the multiclasses... the capstone for FVS's are just that powerful... Amazing DR, free CLW/Laser... I'd recommend going with an evoker build... easy to find groups as a FVS caster since you can easily fill the healer role, divine power + divine favor lets you melee well, even with a low strength and once you hit level 12 and get blade barrier, nothing can stop you... except for archers that don't want to run through it...

[Daerwen]

Hmm, is there no way to make a whirling steel strike focused FvS good for end game? Prolly not as good as the pure Dps builds and its great advice to go pure. Here is a problem with pure builds for me, i dont like playing what everyone else is playing lol. Im gonna try this out and see what happens, never been a fan of the End Game of any game i play anyways(kinda got ruined by the Elitist Jerks in wow). Well, i guess if a can atleast solo well ill have fun with it, if there is anyway can make it DPS worthy of end game plz let me know(other than going pure lol)

[Daerwen]

Just had a thought, if i drop whirling steel strike and pick up exotic weapon: khopesh and go with hunter of the dead rather than Dos, will it make the build more DPS viable? i would lose monk stances and will need to carry haste clickies or something, i believe i will keep the AC bonus though.

Edit: might be better with scimitar if im using Divine Sacrifice and smite, maybe i should drop the whirling steel strike and go with either empower or quicken spell. would need to go with FvS at first lvl but Dps wise i would stack Divine Punishment using either Divine Sacrifice, Smite evil or Searing light in between. I will need to carry some SP pots becuase i can see me burning through SP fast. Will this help?

[Arlathen]

Drop the FvS levels and go with something simpler that has more options when you do reach 20.

Paladin 18/Monk 2 is a very good choice, IMHO. People whine on about a Paladin 'lack of DPS', but to be frank they can still nail it with the right setup and gear.

Feats: (7 Standard, 2 Bonus)
1 TWF
2 ITWF
3 GTWF
4 Power Attack
5 Improved Critical
6 Toughness
7 Quicken
8 Maximise

1 Spare for either a Weapon choice (Exotic: Khopesh) or for a Prestige Requirement (Combat Expertise or Tower Shield Proficiency).

If you go Human, you can take both feats for another Bonus feat.
If you go Half-Elf, start with Cleric or FvS Dileltante and swap out to Monk or Rogue at Higher Levels.
If you go another race, opt to use a Racial Weapon type if available.

This will allow you to experiment with all three Paladin Prestiges, be multiclassed, have good self-healing through Quickened/Maximised CSW and still have access to good AC through Outfits & Monk Wisdom AC.

[Missing_Minds]

OP... half elf males are supposed to be the "pretty boys"

[Daerwen]

Im a recently returned player, I didnt notice Helfs looks before becuase i never used Helfs and never noticed it in any grps before. For building a toon to be my main though, i tend to get a little picky. Its something that has stuck with me from D&D, i put a little rp value into my main characters (even though its a MMO).

The paladin idea is a good idea, i took a good long look at the class and it has changed my opinions about it. I thought before it was a tank only class(i was way wrong). With the right set up it could be a good dps class aswell, my fault for never paying any attention to the paladin (its becuase i hated it in D&D). Ill end up with a Dwarven Paladin alt soon, so thanks for the paly info. For my main though i rly want to stick with this build (all my mains in any game are more Flavor builds anyway) mostly becuase once i get an idea for a toon in my head and put a little history into it, i cant seem to get it out. So any tips to makes this work for end game dps would help, i dont think it will but who knows? also some advice on spell selection will be welcomed