Three Ring Circus - Staff-wielding Acrobat II Builds

[unbongwah]

The humble quarterstaff has been attracting DDO players for years, despite - or perhaps because - of its lousy base damage and crit profile. Purely in DPS terms, there's little reason to choose a staff...except, maybe, that nothing says "you got your @$$ kicked by a master!" quite like beating the stuffing outta someone with a broom handle.

This thread will contain my current staff builds, aimed at everyone from the F2P newbie to the TR junkie (I hope). They all start from the same fundamental concepts, though:

• Rogue 13 / Acrobat II is the base, which provides 7D6+12 sneak dmg (another +3D6 on builds with Improved Sneak Atk epic feat), +15% atk speed w/staves, +10% run speed, knockdown immunity, adds DEX modifier to sneak atk dmg, Opportunist, Imp Evasion, Imp Uncanny Dodge, Haste Boost IV, and of course a whole lotta skill pts.
• Sneak atks with proc on Cleave atks but not with glancing blows, so all of them are built to take Cleave & Great Cleave; for those with Epic Destinies, Lay Waste & Momentum Swing are definitely meant to be added. Overwhelming Critical is also added, for obvious reasons.
• Improved Feint acts as an AoE Bluff on targets in front of you; thus the idea is to use Imp Feint, then atk w/your Cleaves while they're vulnerable for mondo sneak atks. Imp Feint is on a separate timer from Bluff/Diplo/Intim, so you can use Imp Feint, then use one of those skills immediately if need be. The only downside to IF is there is a delay between activating the ability and the Bluff effect procing; atk too soon and you cancel the feint, while if you wait too long, the effect wears off before you've finished all of your Cleaves. So once you have IF, the first thing you have to do to disable auto-atk and learn how to get the timing right.

The main difference between each build is what I do with the remaining 7 levels, plus what other feats I take, which I'll go over in each build.


Beginner's Class (dwarf rog 13 / ftr 6 / barb 1)


This is the 28-pt F2P option, with fairly modest tome requirements. Ftr 6 adds 4 feats, +2 STR, HPs, and Kensai I; the barb splash add +1 Power Atk enh for a bit more DPS, a single use of Rage, and +10% run speed which stacks w/Acro II +10% run speed for zerger in us all.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.14.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Dwarf Female
(6 Fighter \ 1 Barbarian \ 13 Rogue) 
Hit Points: 312
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 16\16\21\26\26
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 14
Will: 5

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    25
Dexterity            12                    18
Constitution         18                    18
Intelligence         12                    13
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma              6                     6

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 11
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 20
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 20

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               5                    25
Bluff                 2                    22
Concentration         4                     5
Diplomacy             2                    22
Disable Device        5                    24
Haggle               -2                    -2
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  1                     4
Intimidate           -2                    -1
Jump                  3                    12
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently         1                     4
Open Lock             5                    16
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                1                     1
Search                5                    26
Spot                  3                    11
Swim                  3                     7
Tumble                2                    11
Use Magic Device      2                    21

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Bluff (+4)
Skill: Diplomacy (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Cleave


Level 3 (Barbarian)
Skill: Disable Device (+1.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 4 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Bluff (+3)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+3)


Level 5 (Fighter)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Great Cleave


Level 6 (Fighter)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Stunning Blow


Level 7 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+3)
Skill: Disable Device (+2)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+3)


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 9 (Fighter)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 10 (Fighter)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 11 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+3)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Combat Expertise


Level 13 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+5)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Attack I
Enhancement: Kensei Quarterstaff Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I
Enhancement: Rogue Subtle Backstabbing I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Rogue Faster Sneaking I
Enhancement: Rogue Thief-Acrobat I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training II
Enhancement: Improved Balance I
Enhancement: Improved Balance II
Enhancement: Improved Tumble I
Enhancement: Improved Tumble II
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity I
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery II


Level 14 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+5)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 15 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Feint


Level 16 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+2)
Skill: Spot (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Rogue Bonus) Improved Evasion


Level 18 (Rogue)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Spot (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Sunder


Level 19 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Bluff (+1)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Rogue Bonus) Opportunist
Enhancement: Rogue Extra Action Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost III
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost IV
Enhancement: Rogue Thief-Acrobat II
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training IV
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity III
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery III
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery IV

Epic feats: Overwhelming Critical (req's +2 STR tome) and epic Toughness (req's +3 CON tome)

Feat options: you could drop Stunning Blow, Imp Sunder, and epic Toughness for the THF chain; it depends on whether you favor tactics + extra HPs vs. raw DPS. If you can take the +1 INT tome sooner, that would enable you to move up CE+Imp Feint, probably by delaying WF+WS:Blunt (and Kensai I).

F2P race options: human would add an extra feat (e.g. Imp Trip), but you wouldn't be able to get epic Toughness, so that would have to be replaced. You could try to add Versatility or heal amp, but as you can see APs are very tight already. You can't afford any racial enhs without dropping something useful, like Haste Boost IV or W&S Mastery; so which race you go with is more about base bonuses.

Skills: the key skills are Bluff and UMD, but since she has so many skill pts, I maxed out trap skills as well, because why not? I also maxed out Diplomacy, because I like having a backup when IF fails. Extra pts were spread between Balance, Spot, and Open Lock; other options include Haggle, stealth, maybe even Intim if you want to try a novel hate-tank who draws aggro, then uses IF to get their sneak atks in.

Coming up: the HOrcrobat.