Critique My Evoker

[samthedagger]

I have devised an endgame-focused Evoker build designed for maximal evoking and light damage effectiveness. I sacrifice some utility by not taking UMD or making any more than the minimal investment needed in Charisma to get to 19. There is still fairly effective healing. With better Charisma tomes, the Favored Soul Charisma enhancements are practically unnecessary. The build sacrifices Toughness for maximum offensive capability. This is made up for with an 18 base Constitution. The build also eschews melee combat completely. As a Silver Flame follower, use of a bow is marginally useful for corner cases.

What do think? Viable or no?

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.14.02
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Focused Evoker
Level 20 True Neutral Human Male
(20 Favored Soul) 
Hit Points: 280
Spell Points: 1864 
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 12
Will: 21

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength              8                    10
Dexterity             8                    10
Constitution         18                    20
Intelligence          8                    10
Wisdom               18                    28
Charisma              8                    13

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               1                    11
Bluff                -1                     1
Concentration         8                    28
Diplomacy            -1                     1
Disable Device       n/a                    n/a
Haggle               -1                     1
Heal                  4                    11
Hide                 -1                     0
Intimidate           -1                     3
Jump                 -1                    14
Listen                4                     9
Move Silently        -1                     0
Open Lock            n/a                    n/a
Perform              n/a                    n/a
Repair               -1                     0
Search               -1                     0
Spot                  4                     9
Swim                 -1                     0
Tumble               n/a                    n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a                    n/a

Level 1 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Spell
Feat: (Deity) Favored by the Silver Flame
Feat: (Human Bonus) Maximize Spell
Spell (1): Command
Spell (1): Nimbus of Light


Level 2 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Spell (1): Nightshield


Level 3 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Evocation
Spell (1): Obscuring Mist


Level 4 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Spell (2): Soundburst


Level 5 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Fire
Spell (2): Resist Energy


Level 6 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
Spell (3): Searing Light


Level 7 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Spell (2): Cure Moderate Wounds
Spell (3): Mass Aid


Level 8 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (4): Holy Smite


Level 9 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Spell (2): Lesser Restoration
Spell (3): Prayer
Spell (4): Freedom of Movement


Level 10 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Acid
Spell (5): Divine Punishment


Level 11 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (4): Recitation
Spell (5): Greater Command
Spell (3): Magic Circle Against Evil


Level 12 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Spell (6): Blade Barrier


Level 13 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (4): Mass Shield of Faith
Spell (5): Break Enchantment
Spell (6): Heal


Level 14 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (7): Destruction


Level 15 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Sonic
Feat: (Selected) Quicken Spell
Spell (5): Mass Cure Light Wounds
Spell (6): Cometfall
Spell (7): Mass Cure Serious Wounds


Level 16 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (8): Mass Death Ward


Level 17 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (7): Mass Spell Resistance
Spell (8): Symbol of Death


Level 18 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Heighten Spell
Spell (9): Implosion


Level 19 (Favored Soul)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Spell (8): Holy Aura
Spell (9): Mass Heal


Level 20 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Deity) Favored Soul Damage Reduction: Silver
Spell (9): True Resurrection
Enhancement: Favored Soul Ascendency: Silver Flame
Enhancement: Silver Flame Exorcism (Favored Soul)
Enhancement: Favored Soul Angel of Vengeance I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Angel of Vengeance II
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Wisdom I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Smiting I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Smiting II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Smiting III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Life II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Smiting I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Smiting II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Prayer of Incredible Smiting III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Smiting IV
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic IV
Enhancement: Favored Soul Spell Penetration I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Spell Penetration II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Spell Penetration III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion III
Enhancement: Favored Soul Charisma I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wisdom I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wisdom II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wand and Scroll Mastery II

Epic feat 21: Epic Spell Penetration
Epic feat 24: Epic Spell Focus (Evocation)
Epic stat 24: Wisdom

Edited to add in spells selected.

[Lonnbeimnech]

No past lives?

IMO, any end game caster build should start out with some past lives. Doing 2 wizard past lives would give +4 spell pen, allowing you to drop the spell pen feats (so you can spend those on something more usefull like wiz past life and toughness). Doing 3 wiz and 3 fvs would actually allow you to land a few spells against mobs with spell resistance.

And starting with 18 con does not make up for no toughness, since you can't get fvs toughness III or human toughness II, that's 52 hp less. not huge, but still.

There is 0 synergy between bow use and casting because of global cooldowns, and the damage output of bow use is bad enough WITH all the appropriate bow feats.

[samthedagger]

I suppose ideally this build would have 3x Sor, 3x Wiz, and 3x Fvs past lives, but I don't know that I will ever have the time to grind all those lives out. I still like having the Spell Pen on there. Have you seen some of the epic elite spell resistance?

You'll note I admitted giving up Toughness was a sacrifice. I am working on the assumption that offensive capability takes out the mobs before they get to you. And with epic destinies and the new loot tables, it is much easier to beef up your hit points. I am starting to think that post-u14 Toughness is not as necessary a feat as it once was.

Edit: I will confess with the current game environment, "end-game" probably should include some TRs. So maybe the title is somewhat inaccurate.

[Nubicus]

1. The number one thing here is that it's a thirty-two point build. Take it legend, and then don't raise your Con above 16 at creation. You're not dumping the stat in this instance, but 'some' charisma is nice to have for SP. We say they get a lot of SP, but having played through Favored Soul three times on my main and then to 25, it will save you SP pots from time to time. 14 starting seems to be a good round number from the builds I've seen.

2. If the intent is to be a Searing Light pew pew, I see what you did there. But why bother when you have BB, Implosion, Destruction, etc. The Banishing ability seems fairly usesless seeings as you are dumping Charisma.

3. Drop great spell penetration for the Wizard past life. Lonnbeimnech was dead on about past lives and this. Combined Wizard past lives and FVS pastlives gives you +9 spell pen. You should have no problems with the first level tier and past lives.

4. This is just a wild and crazy idea, I know those epic feats look sweet, but tossing in Necro Focus and Greater necro focus at levels 21 and 24 might not be a bad idea. Nothing tickles me more than watching a Barb death machine run at a mob just to have the yellow/orange skull of my destruction spell mocking him for being late to the party. In my mind, the skull is telling the barbarian "You lose." Good times. This would also make a heightened slay living viable if you really felt froggy.

[samthedagger]

You have some good points, Nubicus, namely 1 and 3 are fairly convincing.

However, I disagree on point 2. There is one very good reason to dedicate resources to light damage, and that reason is red-named and purple-named. You can only stack DP up to three times and the cooldown is such that you want something else to do during that time. Most (though not all) raid boss fights are such that the party will attempt to keep the boss stationary so kiting through BB is out of the question, and as a divine role you are not usually going to be the one kiting other mobs since you are going to be watching health bars. I have a capped cleric, so I know this all too well. Being able to dump light spells on a boss in between heals and DP adds considerably to DPS and is relatively cheap. You don't even need to maximize or empower these spells to get a considerable bang for the buck. BB and Implosion are great for mobs, just not for bosses.

As for 4, I am on the fence about this. I am noticing now that the build I posted doesn't include spells. I will correct this. I do not have energy drain in this build, just symbol of death so not as many options for reducing mob saves. You might have a good point here, but those epic feats are really tempting. I am not picking up slay living so I think the only reason I would be SF:N and GSF:N would be for Destruction. Hard to do that with just one spell.