Completionist Order

[Sojourner]

We are doing it as a group, so our choices are sort of our own, but also we need to take turns healing and trapping. So we try not to double up in any life in case we have neither right at the end.

However, next life we are all going Druid, because we think it will be fun having so many pets and summons.

Well, the list was an order for it to count as a past life. With a group, it should be fairly easy for at least one person to always have a splash of rogue in their build to get the traps and such while still keeping their primary class for TR purposes.

The list I presented was mostly a "here's the best guess so that every life gets something from past lives" but honestly, the bonuses from each past life are relatively minor and so the order isn't critical.

[Varashad]

I would do fighter and barbarian lives first. Both of these are painfully reliant on other classes, though I suppose either one could do decently with a deep multiclass. Barbarian in particular is excruciatingly annoying after level 12 or so, when CSW pots cease to be enough healing to stay fighting. So, I would do barbarian for your first life, fighter second.

By third life you'll have the gear for the rest of your lives to be easier.

[fco-karatekid]

The druid passive past life is a steaming pile of fail, true.

A lot of people seem to underestimate how useful flameblade is at low levels on a wisdom specced divine. True I swap the feat later on, but flameblade goes a long way to making those pre blade barrier levels more palatable.

Though I hated my druid life, my arty found having a dog and hirelings that can stay alive through almost anything up thru level 18-19 helpful in the EXTREME!

[awar1234]

I started DDO as a Pure Human Fighter, 2 years ago. I died ALOT. 28pt build, F2p, no tomes, no gear, no ship, built a TWF with 28pts, No clue how to play.
1) FIGHTER

But i was hooked.....Went VIP! $99 for 1 year.
2) FIGHTER So i did ANOTHER fighter life, this time Had to have 2 Levels of ROGUE , (Hated waiting for trapper). this life went WAY better. Died about 50% less.

3) FIGHTER H-ORC Then I thought, Hmmmmm 2 fighter life's might as well do a third and get my +3 to hit! (Another 18/2 fighter/rogue). Still needed much healing, but learned how to back off when hurting, so died a little less......

Now what do you do with +3 to hit/trip/stunning blow/sunder/sap/hamstring??
4) MONK! I wanted to SURVIVE, so i went 20 Pure Half-Elf/Cleric Dilly/Light/Human/Str/Wis. FREAKING AWESOME!!!!
5) MONK Added 2 rogue (missed my trapping skills)
6) MONK Same AWESOME BUILD 18/2 monk/rogue (By this time I COUNT ON MY FINGERS MY DEATHS!!)

ADDED +3 TOMES all around and Greater learning XP tome! YIPPY!

Now what do you do with +3 to hit and +3 to Damage? ADD +15% healing amp!!
7) PALADIN 18/2 with rogue (human for feat)
8) PALADIN 18/2 with rogue
9) PALADIN 18/2 with rogue (Stayed here for 20 SHROUD runs and purified 45 HP GS item) Now have 2 GS accessories!!YEAH! And crafted MIN2 khophesh, LIT2 Khophesh, Triple POS heavy mace AND light mace. Leveled to 100 Cannith Crafting all classes. Spent 3,000,000 plat on essences

Now what do you do with +3 to hit/+3 to DAMAGE/+15% Healing Amp? I was playing with some great bowmen and wanted to try it. I HATED THE BOW. So slow on DPS, except many-shot time.
10) Ranger 12 tempest/6 rogue Assassin More HUMANS
11) Ranger 12 tempest/6 rogue Assassin
12) Ranger 12 tempest/6 rogue Assassin

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^^^^That is all done^^^^ I am about to TR for the 13th time..

+3 to hit/+3 to Damage/+15% Healing Amp/+6 Energy Resist/+6 Bow Damage

Here is my plan , Thinking about my BARBARIAN lives...
ADD +6 save to traps/+3 SA Damage
13) ROGUE Human Strength based will go pure
14) ROGUE
15) ROGUE

ADD +6 to saves on enchant/illusion (+6 will saves)
16) BARD will need rogue
17) BARD
18) BARD

ADD +6 to all abilities of hires and summons
19) DRUID
20) DRUID
21) DRUID

So my 3 BARBARIAN lives will be
+3 to hit/+3 to Damage/+15% Healing Amp/+6 Energy Resist/+6 Bow Damage/+6 save to traps/+3 SA Damage/+6 to saves enchant-illusion/+6 to all abilities of hires and summons.

I haven't thought beyond this, but am thinking
FVS x3 (+3 to spell pen/60 SP)
WIZ x3 (+6 to spell pen)
SORC x3 (+3 DC's Evocation spells/60 SP)
CLERIC x3 (+3 DC's Conjuration spells/+3 Turn Undead)
ARTI x3 (+3 Int skills/UMD)

FINAL 40th life?????????????? I think ARTI uses ALL of the above benefits????

I have not been past level 20 with this toon yet. I will save all epic content for when I am competionist. It will be like a whole new experience/game for me when i go to new content. I will have 3 past lives on all classes before taking any epic destinies..

[Machination]

In reality, I don't think it really matters. Yeah people say get Barb out of the way first, other option is to make a toon like Barb7/rogue7/ftr6 that gives you credit for barb, but plays like something else.

I still advise that if you don't care about pure class builds, then spash rogue into most of your lives where it makes sense (anything but Sorc can make sense). You get evasion, traps, UMD.....all extremely useful in making 1-20 grind faster and smoother.

It certainly seems like some Past Lives are better than others, so is there a preferred order? This is a bit relevant since I solo almost exclusively, and certain classes are just a tad better at that than others. Artificer seems like it'd help with Rogue, and Sorc might help with low-SP classes like Ranger and Paladin. Any thoughts?