Varr: 18/1/1 Lich/Monk/Rogue Shadowdancer

[Varr]

Total reset to this build. Many of the next 9 comments have helped. I could take a Competionist Varr blank and build an unkillable machine in a 20 pure FS or Monk.........but I am trying to do something else. Here is the current version and pretty pleased as a whole. I'll list with details the build, feel free to make any suggestions that make sense to you. As always there is more gear to grind, I'll note what I have and what I intend to aquire.

Varr: Halfling 18/1/1 LN Lich/Monk/Rogue

STR: 30
DEX: 30 (28 with Belt/Gloves change)
CON: 32 (34 with Cloak and Neck change)
INT: 50
WIS: 28
CHA: 24

(This is in Lesser Sun stance, wish I could do Ocean, but encumberance becomes a factor. This is with 5:36 self casts of Rage. This is with +1 Con, Int, and Wis Ship buffs. This is with +2 Yugo Int pot. I can keep all running unless killed then con, int and wis get odd.)

Saves: Fort 32, Reflex 52 (With Evasion), Will 36.............(+2 more for all 3 with +5 resist cloakl eventually)

BAB +13 Which always is enough strangly. I was worried I would be missing alot, but unless EE solo, back attack bonus and handwrap sunders seem to make to hit not an issue at all. Pierce the Gloom loaded but never really need to use.
Stunning fist DC: 54. (59 is target with +5 CE ring once aquired.)
Sneak attack damage is 7d6+8 (+8 more from cloak)

Hit Points: 593 (raged, but without taking Yugo pot. Dont find myself doing so but guess 45 more hp available if desired.)

53 AC with 8% Dodge 31% Defensive chance at level. (57 with Belt change, 12% Dodge is target once 4% ring aquired.)

Spell points 2010, Spell Pen is +33 (36 with Neck change. Biggest change in toon, trading spell pen in wholesale for greater two weapon fighting and other investments. Really notice in EE of new content, dont notice at all in anything else.)
Necro DC: 46. (49 when I equipt Staff of Necromancer)
Ench DC: 41. (43 with Dreamspitter equipt)
Spell power: Cold and Elec are 205, Neg is 207.....only 3 I focused on for dots and self healing (7/6/1 for Cold/Ele enhancments)

Skills (with GH but as I run) an additional +2 available from Skill boost when needed on top of below numbers:
Concentration: 51
Dipomacy: 43
Disable: 70 (15 more available when needed from epic spare hand)
Hide: 49
Move Silent: 47
Open Lock: 43 (15 more available when needed from epic spare hand)
Search: 63 (15 more available when needed from Tharns goggles)
Spot: 56 (15 more available when needed from Tharns goggles)
UMD: 34

(Rogue skills are overperforming for me, delighted with this catagory..........more sneak research to be done though.)

Feats:
Completionist
Empower Spell
Evasion (Shadowdancer Bonus feat)
Extend Spell
Spell focus and greater: Necromancy
Two weapon, Improved, Greater Two weapon fighting
Heighten Spell
Maxumize Spell
Past life Wizard (this one was a real tough take over Insightfull reflex and still consider going the other way on it.)
Quicken Spell
Toughness
Stunning Fist

ED: Shadowdancer 5
Twist ins - +3 Necro DC, +6 Reflex and spot +6 Reflex and +3 dodge.

Gear: Primary set I run in 95% of time, hate gear changing.

Handwraps: Grave Wrappings - +6, soul eating, stunnign +10, Improved Destruction
Body: Epic Tier 3 Frozen Tunic - Cold 90sp/12% Crit, Freezing Ice on attacks, Cold Shield, Enhanced Ki +1, Armor +8 and 1 ac rit, +2 Good Luck, +6 Cha
Bracers: Epic Tier 3 Bracers of Wind - Ele 90sp/12% Crit, Air guard, +3 Dodge, Blurry, +10 inh Ele resist, +1 Int, (Open slot for +30 Greater False Life.)
Ring 1: Kromor's ring - +6 int, +1 random, +2 Int
Ring 1 Target: Seal of House Szind - +2 Int, potency 68 (blah) Wiz 9 (More spell points and open up con opp gogs eventually)
Ring 2: Encrusted Ring - +6 Str, +1 Str, +2 Str
Ring 2 Target: Seal of House - +2 Str, 4% dodge, +5 Combat Expertise
Boots: GS Min 2 boots - Hp +30, Spell +50 Points, +5 Prot, Heavy Fort
Gloves: +8 Dex
Gloves Target: Charged Gauntlet - +6 Str, Chocking Blow, Greater Ele Resist, +6 Dex
Belt: Knost Belt - +6 Con, Greater False Life
Belt Target: Lion Headed Belt - +6 Str, +6 Con, Shaken Effect, +1 Str, +4 Nat Armor
Cloak: Drow Piwafwi - +15 Sneak, +5 Sneak attack, Invis Guard
Cloak Target: Envenomed Cloak - +7 Con, +5 Resist, Poison Guard, Toughness
Trinket: Holy Symbol of Lolth - +15 SP Implement, 102 Nul and Impulse SP, +1 Wis, +1 Cha, +1 Resist ritual
Necklass: Epic Torc - +3 Spell Pen 8, Wiz 6, +1 Con
Helm and Goggs are currenlty Con-Opp goggs and Smoke Helm. Not happy with either but dont see obvious replacments..........maybe Con-Opp to helm, then Tharns Goggs to eyes for better spot. Also keeps in play the +5 sneak attack damage once the cloak gets switched out. Undecided here.

There is a decent update. Happy overall with build........still figuring out EE. Still working on what to do once double dotted with light damage. Punch for 100+ a hit with all the little factors added in, not great, but works well within my needs. Still dotn love the self healing. getting about 45 a blip on my aura and abotu 300 per cast of the burst. Hate the burst mechanic though even with quicken on. I run with all the caster feats runing all the time.

Was disappinted I could not be both a shadow wraith and lich at same time, but should have known better.

[wax_on_wax_off]

I'd worry that you won't get enough use out of your intelligence on this build. The Unarmed Lich build in my sig is the same split but strength based for DPS using SP for dots and other no save spells. The U14 Unarmed Shadowdancer in my recent threads shows a ~55 stunning fist and assassinate DC which should at least convince you to keep stunning fist (it'll be your only reliable CC in some content).

I'm starting to think halfling is nice for the build if they get Assassin III in U16 and a strength build might go with wraith form and 7 rogue instead.

Overall I'm not sure completionist is worthwhile on a character that will have very limited use in EE quests but good luck with it anyway.

[Varr]

Irrelivant

[wax_on_wax_off]

Of this toons attributes, his melee is mostly a toy because I want it all. I'm expecting him to cc and more importantly instakill reliably as his primary to be honest.

As a drow completionist with 18 starting int......dc should be even with max non drow dc possible with the Wis past life and +2 completionist int. negating Capstone....

Spell pen is two behind pure, with no feats (perhaps one epic.) But have +9 pen from 3 wis and fs past lives and could aford +1 more from a single ap spell pen buy.

You're missing out on caster levels, spell pen and DCs from Magister though. Sure, you can get some back from twists but you're going to miss something sooner or later. I'm hearing that you need 58 spell pen for EE and that a 55 necro DC is only semi reliable.

[Varr]

Irrelivant

[MRMechMan]

You won't stay capped. It isn't in your nature :P.

Drow are lame. Go human!


Honestly, the fvs or clr w/ handwraps works because instakill DC and stunning fist and grandmaster of flowers abilities work off of wisdom.

You need int, str, dex, con and wisdom...even with completionist I would worry about spreading yourself a tad thin.

Ask yourself what you want your character to do. Instakill EE drow? Well pile on the pen and DC and nothing else really. It basically needs to be mix/max. Not prepared to go there? Then your past lives, items and maybe and enhancement or twist are enough; you only need mid 30s to be fine really in Ehard/normal content.

Being able to melee and caster in elite epics takes a hell of a lot of gear and past lives...but it also takes a lot of synergy within the build itself and missing out on 2 caster levels and magister goodies seems to make instakilling possibly a challenge.

Also, if you need a feat, show empower the door. It is no longer efficient...it is nice for burst dps but you have more tools at your disposal than a pure sorc it seems, so don't need to be uber max dps.

Finally...evasion is not THAT good, particularl on a self healing character. Anything you evade you will make your save for 1/2 without evasion, and there are very few times that 1/2 damage will kill you if you can selfheal. It is a crutch-if you are taking that many reflex saves in that short a time that kills you even with 1/2 damage, something else is wrong. Having a good reflex is essential. Having evasion on top of that is a luxury. Picking an ED just for evasion seems...well it is your build but not something I would do

[Varr]

Irrelivant

[Mystera]

Subscribed as I'm interested in outcome of the thread. I myself favor instakill wizards with melee and evasion (i.e. monk splashes). Adding a touch a melee makes the character so much more versatile and fun to play, and whether other people swear by evasion or not does not matter since I have seen the difference for myself. Will be interested in your end game experience as I hope Turbine hasn't made pure casters the only viable option.

[sandypaws]

IMO, you also could look into using stealth and the rogue shadowdancer charm ability. I'm fairly certain that, in spite of the tooltip, that thing doesn't have a save. My int-gimp assassin has no problems landing it even on casters, it has a crazy large cast-range, and if you pair it with stealth you basically don't even need CC. Your pet caster is now attracting all the attention.

Cooldown's a beast, though.

Note: Haven't actually tried this in epic elite content though. Stuck in the Fury ED for a bit.

[slimkj]

I'm hearing that you need 58 spell pen for EE and that a 55 necro DC is only semi reliable.

If this is correct I really don't really see why Wail needed a change. Those are some high numbers there.

[Moltier]

Done some Spell Pen research, note to self (23 level+3enh+2item+5lob weapon+9 past lives+6 mag and drac twist+8 feats=56) Sweet. Lol.

Epic levels dont give you spell pen, so just 18 from there.
Also what is the 2item+5lob? I know what the 5lob is, but then dunno about that extra 2.

[Varr]

Signifacant changes to build, enough to overwrite the origional and post new OP. Thread basiclly restarting now.

[savingsoul]

see my comments at http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...4&postcount=35

[Varr]

Savingsoul. I read your post and pretty well agree. WF casters a more selfreliant than fleshy in most cases. I would offer that against beholders, I cant remember a time when my pale Ioun stone ran ot of charges, there is never enough beholders/tough enough beholder to burn thru the 50 charges. As halfling Ipretty well never leave form.

Second, and most importantly.............I dont like robots in my D&D. Pretty much just that simple. For effiency, I've run some lives in WF like Sorc to burn thru them. End building a warforged was never on the table for me.

I should probably reupdate the OP, all the gear has been aquired (except the elusive Lion Headed Belt Shard) and I find I can run in Ocean stance which was also my preferance in the past, overcoming the encumberance issue. In EH and En Extended Tensers transformation is quite tasty on this build. the + physical atributes are noticible and the - casting are really not unless EE.

After gearing and adapting to EE, pretty pleased with build. I've turned in a few more lives now to play around macing ED's (Doing a barbarian life now to knock out the last 3 ED's) then back to wizard.

Only question for me now is if TN Halfing Shadowdancer 18/1/1 like before, or TN Halfing Magister 18/2 monk. I must admit I love the backattack damage and trapping, but not being able to incorporate the shadowdancers Wraith Form with the wizards Lich form was a real disapointment.

I will most likely go 18/2 and lesser res down the road if I want to Shadowdancer again. Core will stay the same though, High Stunning and greater two weapon punching, High Necro DC's, High Evasion saves, Low Hp, Low Spell Pen. Thinking Cold and Acid instead of Cold and Ele specialazation though.

[mishraif]

I think i will try a build like that soon, but after I do a druid life.