Acrobat Rogue For Update 19

[Drag-]

With the new enhancements came a lot of goodies for a staff wielding build as you can tell from either henshi mystic or acrobat. This is a build to utilize those strengths.

The Build: 13 Rogue 5 Druid 2 Fighter Halfling

13 Rogue is for the Acrobat enhancement tree. It give the ability to use dex as damage and to hit modifier. Also is gives +4 attack and +6 damage to q-staffs and +1 to critical damage multiplier and critical threat range. 15% attack speed with q-staffs and an ability that deals +3[W] and 20% double strike for 10 seconds with a 12 second cool down. Haste Boost is available. Also the ability to abundant step is nice.
Also Rogue gives access to the Assassin tree which will gives the build 2 sneak attack dies and 1d8 poison damage.

5 Druid is important for this build because of Sleet Storm. The benefit of Sleet Storm is all enemies that enter become blinded and that is a win-win for a rogue because they then have a 50% to miss you and are vulnerable to sneak attack. Also there will be no draw backs to this because the end game staves right now have immunity to slippery surfaces or FoM. Also Druid gives an action that gives 30% Double Strike which is as good as haste boost. Fatal Harrier is another great ability of Druids which can give up to 25% attack speed increase as long as you get kills for mobs equal to your level or higher.

2 Fighter is great for the extra feats and and +3 attack and damage for q-staffs and +3 action boosts.

Halfling is good for the extra boost to dex, saves and sneak attack.

Base Stats:
32 Point Build
Str: 12
Dex: 18
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 12
Cha: 8
Use basic +2 tomes across the board and you will be fine though a +1 str is needed for power attack early on.

Feats:
1 Rogue: Dodge
2 Rogue
3 Fighter: Power Attack Cleave
4 Rogue
5 Fighter: Great Cleave
6 Druid: Toughness
7 Rogue
8 Rogue
9 Rogue: Mobility
10 Druid
11 Rogue
12 Druid: Improved Critical Bludgeoning
13 Rogue
14 Druid
15 Rogue: Spring Attack
16 Druid
17 Rogue: Improved Evasion
18 Rogue: Quicken
19 Rogue
20 Rogue: Opportunist
21 Epic: Improved Sneak Attack
22 Epic
23 Epic
24 Epic: Hamstring or Empower Healing
25 Epic
Not sure yet about 26-28 since i have no experience there yet so will finish it later.
Quicken is for Sleet storm and for cocoon.

Weapons:
There are 2 really good staves right now and at least one of them are easy to get.

Stout Oak Walking Stick
Base Damage is 2[2d6] and can be given deadly by a level 1 druid spell
In Maxed LD the Crit range and multiplier would be 17-18 /x4 19-20 /x5
The only bad thing about this staff is it requires you to be in LD to get is full benefit and it breaks easily.

Sireth, Spear of the Sky
Base Damage is 2.5[1d10] and can be increased to 3[1d10] through upgrading it.
In Maxed LD in would be 14-18 /x3 19-20 /x4 and in any other ED it would still be 14-20 /x3
A great staff all around.

[PurpleTimb]

Looks like a lot of fun and a worthy successor to the 13/6/1 stick builds. I have two questions.

What is the purpose of the spring attack feat taken at level 15?

I would really miss the incorporeal miss chance from the old 6 monk ninja spy. This build has a lot better dps, but how does it compare for survivability?

Thanks.

[Xaenex]

32 points aren't available to new players unless we purchase it.. but even without it, is this build newb friendly?

[honkuimushi]

I think Monk 2 may be better than Fighter 2. I think Fighter is +3 to hit/+2 to damage. 2 Monk will get you +2 to hit and damage with quarterstaffs from Henshin and up to 2d6 sneak attack from Ninja Spy. If you can fit Shintao in there, the first Core gives you +10 Positive spell power and +5% healing amp. But 3 would really start crowding out Rogue and Druid trees. Still, even one of them would probably give you more than Fighter, plus you get the stances. Air would probably be best, with bonuses to Dex, attack speed and doublestrike. You can improve the stances with feats and 2 Monk also gives you 2 feats-- same as Fighter.

[Drag-]

Looks like a lot of fun and a worthy successor to the 13/6/1 stick builds. I have two questions.

What is the purpose of the spring attack feat taken at level 15?

I would really miss the incorporeal miss chance from the old 6 monk ninja spy. This build has a lot better dps, but how does it compare for survivability?

Thanks.

Spring attack is there because of the dodge bonus though you could take something else pretty easily.

Survivability will be great because of sleet storm blinding all the mobs in it so 50% miss chance before anything else is added and i will also have max dodge.

[Drag-]

32 points aren't available to new players unless we purchase it.. but even without it, is this build newb friendly?

You could make a 28 point build pretty easily by going 12 17 15 10 12 8 on stats but you would need to get used to using sleet storm and you wont be able to do that until higher levels so play style in lower levels and higher levels will differ alot.

I think Monk 2 may be better than Fighter 2. I think Fighter is +3 to hit/+2 to damage. 2 Monk will get you +2 to hit and damage with quarterstaffs from Henshin and up to 2d6 sneak attack from Ninja Spy. If you can fit Shintao in there, the first Core gives you +10 Positive spell power and +5% healing amp. But 3 would really start crowding out Rogue and Druid trees. Still, even one of them would probably give you more than Fighter, plus you get the stances. Air would probably be best, with bonuses to Dex, attack speed and doublestrike. You can improve the stances with feats and 2 Monk also gives you 2 feats-- same as Fighter.

The enhancements will be tight as it is and it would be a pain trying to fit everything and also i went with fighter for the +3 action boosts and not being limited to outfits.

[unbongwah]

I'm not convinced Sleet Storm is worth going to druid 5. OTOH, druid 3 would let you get Fatal Harrier, Vengeful Hunter, and Doublestrike action boost for only 13 APs, if I'm adding right; 4 more gets you Beguile.

But why ftr instead of monk? Seems like there are more goodies there.

[Kerthyn]

I think 13 acrobat, 4 henshi, and 3 nature's warrior would have some good synergies together.

[Blackheartox]

You can umd sleet storm if that is a big pont in your build then i dont think its worth to go druid unles your going for fatal carrier.

Better to split between druid monk and rogue with only 3 druid levels, smthn like 13 rogue 3 druid 4 monk would prolly be best split i can think of at the spot

Remade idea and planing to get my main into his 27th life in the folowing build:

Dwarf (stat requirement) 12 rogue 5 monk 3 druid.

Stats will be 18 str 18 dex 14 const, with +5 str tome will get me overwhelm crit, will get impr sneak and go dex based, dwarf will give me tovens shield clickie in case i have spare ap for it. But dont plan to pick it prolly, will see as the idea is just hovering atm.
Main ap will sink into henshin tree bit in acrobat and nature warrior and if anything left that goes into dwarf. With feats i plan to get gmaster wind stance and primarly use that one.

So far looks fun, displace nearly maxed dodge, sleet storm via scrolls, aoe trips and mystics t5 ability for cures with void strike. Need to put build together but thats the basic idea so far for a realy fun stick build, maybe name it drunken stick. Not sure as when i think of dwarfs first that comes to mind is drunk

Main issue is that i want everything, i want improved sneak i want stances i want oc i want cleaves i want trips. Might backfire but should be ok i think.

Another option would be human.

[Valakai]

I think Monk 2 may be better than Fighter 2. I think Fighter is +3 to hit/+2 to damage. 2 Monk will get you +2 to hit and damage with quarterstaffs from Henshin and up to 2d6 sneak attack from Ninja Spy. If you can fit Shintao in there, the first Core gives you +10 Positive spell power and +5% healing amp. But 3 would really start crowding out Rogue and Druid trees. Still, even one of them would probably give you more than Fighter, plus you get the stances. Air would probably be best, with bonuses to Dex, attack speed and doublestrike. You can improve the stances with feats and 2 Monk also gives you 2 feats-- same as Fighter.

I would also second that monk 2 gives more goodies all in all. As now you could use 2 feats to get master stance. (twist in dance of flowers for +1.5W damage, master earth stance for yet another +1 crit multiplier on 19-20 or other stances for other benefits.

I thought fatal harrier got nerfed from beta?

[Drag-]

You can umd sleet storm if that is a big pont in your build then i dont think its worth to go druid unles your going for fatal carrier.

Better to split between druid monk and rogue with only 3 druid levels, smthn like 13 rogue 3 druid 4 monk would prolly be best split i can think of at the spot

Remade idea and planing to get my main into his 27th life in the folowing build:

Dwarf (stat requirement) 12 rogue 5 monk 3 druid.

Stats will be 18 str 18 dex 14 const, with +5 str tome will get me overwhelm crit, will get impr sneak and go dex based, dwarf will give me tovens shield clickie in case i have spare ap for it. But dont plan to pick it prolly, will see as the idea is just hovering atm.
Main ap will sink into henshin tree bit in acrobat and nature warrior and if anything left that goes into dwarf. With feats i plan to get gmaster wind stance and primarly use that one.

So far looks fun, displace nearly maxed dodge, sleet storm via scrolls, aoe trips and mystics t5 ability for cures with void strike. Need to put build together but thats the basic idea so far for a realy fun stick build, maybe name it drunken stick. Not sure as when i think of dwarfs first that comes to mind is drunk

Main issue is that i want everything, i want improved sneak i want stances i want oc i want cleaves i want trips. Might backfire but should be ok i think.

Another option would be human.

In EEs sleet storm scrolls wont be able to cut it so thats why i went with the 5 druid and quicken.
Also i would to splash monk if i had a 120 aps to spend but i dont and as it right now i spent over 40 of my points in acrobat tree spent the basic 13 in the druid tree and about 10 into mechanic so i could get scroll mastery then i put 4 in kensai and the rest went into the halfling racial tree. So as it is i dont have the aps to spend on monk trees without losing something else i like. I have a feeling this will also happen to you with your above build.

I would also second that monk 2 gives more goodies all in all. As now you could use 2 feats to get master stance. (twist in dance of flowers for +1.5W damage, master earth stance for yet another +1 crit multiplier on 19-20 or other stances for other benefits.

I thought fatal harrier got nerfed from beta?

Fatal harrier is still very good after the enhancement pass even though it says it only last for 8 seconds on the enhancement it really last for 20 seconds. As for the 2 monk i still might try it out.

[Blackheartox]

First of all with sneak change its possible now to go into sneak midfight and as dex based its pretty easy to max sneak, theras you can go sneak umd sleet go into fight, so that isnt a issue and druid is yet again wasteful above 3 levels.
Let me try to persuade you to go 5 monk and max henshin tree with couple facts.

From rogue what you actualy need are cores for dex modifer and imunity to knock, stick fight, aoe trip, maybe quick strike and dc to trip and as last no mercy.

Otherwise 5 monks henshin offers the rest which is superior for stick builds atm.
Those are ki strike, light the candle stance which can be active as same time as fatal harrier, void strike which if you played a monk youl know how amazing it is and best ability overall is shadows cannot exist without light. Its a light dot which turns into a aoe heal when enemy is killed while dotted.
Now count in that you can get gmaster air stance which offers dex, atack speed and doublestrike and you can see monk as one of best options for staff builds. Cheers