Challenge Farmer

[whereispowderedsilve]

I like where you're going with that. I do have a free slot to roll one up and try it out.

My only concern is...how do you get bladeforged now? Was it only available via preorder? If a brand new player joined today, went VIP and bought both expansion standard editions, would they have bladeforged?

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...re#post5080618

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...Conspiracy-FAQ

Can I get Iconics without purchasing the expansion? Can I buy them after the Expansion launches?


You must purchase one of the Shadowfell Conspiracy expansion bundles to gain access to Iconics when the expansion launches. Iconics will also be available for purchase in the DDO Store in Update 20 - each Iconic type will cost 1295 Turbine Points.

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*I* don't want another BF challenge farmer though I already made one >< I *do* need another challenge farmer/bank toon though still! :P! !

I liked the morning lord wizzy/cleric one that nibel & Ellis were brainstorming on. Nothing wrong with razor's build at all though, just not my cup of tea at this moment.

Keep the great builds/ideas coming folks! Cheers! :P! !

[raznorw]

I think it's currently unavailable, but will be released in update 20. So a new player couldn't make use of this for the new few months, after which it should be in the store.

[EllisDee37]

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...re#post5080618

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...Conspiracy-FAQ

From the second link:

What are Iconics?

Jump into the action of DDO with these new prestige characters that start in Forgotten Realms at level 15 and feature unique looks and skills. Each of these classic D&D heroes is a paragon of their race and class and features custom iconic gear, appearance options and new abilities to enhance their power. For pre-purchasing the Expansion, you will also receive immediate access to an Eberron "Bladeforged" version of Iconics. Bladeforged is only available to players who pre-purchase (it will arrive in the Store to purchase separately after Update 20). To learn more about Iconics, check out our dev diary by clicking here!

According to the DDO Market, if a new player today spent $50 on the Shadowfell collector's edition and even went so far as to spring for the legendary upgrade, they would not get access to Bladeforged Paladins. What I'm wondering is if Bladeforged will ever get to the store, or if it's a true "pre-order only" feature like the panther was with MotU.

[nibel]

How about a melee based bladeforged wizard?

My major problem with Bladeforged wizard is the lack of spell power gear on their starter gear (only cover repair). That's why I started thinkering with the morninglord. His initial orb havr fire spellpower, and only the fire giant warlock on Lava Caves and devils in Shortcuts is immune to fire on the challenge maps.

Or maybe we are also looking at the wrong angle. If the intention of the Iconic runner is to create, run, and delete... maybe we might get more bang for our buck if we create specific map runners instead of a general all-around (for this we have the monk build).

Oh, and I just noticed a BIG drawback on other iconics besides Bladeforged: They start out in Whelon, and must make the long walk to Cannith.

[raznorw]

My major problem with Bladeforged wizard is the lack of spell power gear on their starter gear (only cover repair). That's why I started thinkering with the morninglord. His initial orb havr fire spellpower, and only the fire giant warlock on Lava Caves and devils in Shortcuts is immune to fire on the challenge maps.

The bladeforged wizard hybrid I rolled up only uses buffs and repair, so the lack of spellpower didn't matter. Basically, an all melee toon with a lot of nice self buffs and more healing than it should ever need.

Or maybe we are also looking at the wrong angle. If the intention of the Iconic runner is to create, run, and delete... maybe we might get more bang for our buck if we create specific map runners instead of a general all-around (for this we have the monk build).

This is a very interesting idea.

Oh, and I just noticed a BIG drawback on other iconics besides Bladeforged: They start out in Whelon, and must make the long walk to Cannith.

All iconics get the "start in eberron/start in forgotten realms" button for free. So after you create the char, exit to loading screen and you can warp straight to the hall of heroes.

[nibel]

The bladeforged wizard hybrid I rolled up only uses buffs and repair, so the lack of spellpower didn't matter. Basically, an all melee toon with a lot of nice self buffs and more healing than it should ever need.

For that, we can stop at Wizard 7 for DDoor. Adds more melee power. Bladeforgeds get Reconstruct on their racial tree, so we don't need level 6 spells.

All iconics get the "start in eberron/start in forgotten realms" button for free. So after you create the char, exit to loading screen and you can warp straight to the hall of heroes.

Didn't knew that. This helps a lot.

[raznorw]

*I* don't want another BF challenge farmer though I already made one >< I *do* need another challenge farmer/bank toon though still! :P! !

Keep the great builds/ideas coming folks! Cheers! :P! !

Alright, next Iconic Challenge Farmer Idea (less fleshed out)

PDK - Bard 10+ / Ftr 1+ / Ranger 1
-- bard 13 gets 5th level spells, 10 gets 2 4th level spells

lvl 1: detect secret door, sonic blast, focusing chant
lvl 2: heroism, rage, blur, invis,
lvl 3: Displacement, Good Hope, Haste,
lvl 4: Freedom of Movement, Cure Critical, Dimension Door
lvl 5: greater heroism, mass suggestion, shadow walk

Gear:
eyes: spot +13, blindness immunity
head: fort +100%, intim +13
neck: con +5, prot +5
trin: exc cha +1, healing amp 10%
back: res +5, greater fire res
belt: Vit +20, exc con +1
fin1: Deathblock, proof against disease +6
hand: Str +5, att +2
feet: Speed V, Dex +4, FF
fin2: Cha +6, proof against poison +6
arms: doublestrike 3%, exc str +1
body: +5 (armor 19), dr 3/-

Weapons:
Knight's Blade (longsword) - 2[1d8] +3, Flaming II, Vorpal
Blockade (large shield) - +4 (shield 9), Bashing IV, Riposte IV

Armor is unfortunately heavy, and arcane failure from shield isn't nice either, so drop both of those.

Stats:
Str: 14 (6)
Dex: 8
Con: 14 (6)
Int: 8
Wis: 8
Cha: 18 (16) + all level ups
-- 4 points for skill or to improve saves or whatever

Feats:
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Improved Crit: Slashing
WF: Slash
WS: Slash
Empower Healing
Toughness
Dodge
???

Option: Take some ranged feats instead

Enhancements:
PDK: 12
(1) Core I - USP Boost
(2) Core II - Cha +1
(1) Core III - Dmg Boost
(2) Knight Training (Charisma for modifier)
(2) Action Surge: Charisma (2)
(4) Improved Recovery II
Deepwood Stalker: 6
(1) Core I - Far Shot
(3) Increased Empathy - 45 pos spell power
(2) Versatile Empathy - 20 pos spell power
Kensai: ???
Bard: ???
- Sprint Boost in warchanter

With enhancements, can get haste boost and extra dmg in kensai,
sprint boost in warchanter, extra SP, echoes and magical training in spell singer.
Depending on the spells desired and level split taken between bard and fighter,
various enhancement options.

Grabbing a greatsword off the AH instead of the default longsword would be
a bit of a boost as well.

Healing: ~100 pos spell power
Cure Critical (20 sp): 4d6+8+10 = ~32 base
32 * 2 * 1.2 (human amp) * 1.1 (trinket)
= ~84 avg heal
Empower healing will bump that to about 106

I think it's a bit weaker overall than the bladeforged option, but sprint boost is awesome and it should work fairly well overall.

[EllisDee37]

For that, we can stop at Wizard 7 for DDoor. Adds more melee power. Bladeforgeds get Reconstruct on their racial tree, so we don't need level 6 spells.

Well, tenser's helps for melee. And dots (level 5 spells) have no save.

[raznorw]

For that, we can stop at Wizard 7 for DDoor. Adds more melee power. Bladeforgeds get Reconstruct on their racial tree, so we don't need level 6 spells.

I thought about that, but Wiz 11 gets you tenser's transformation for the full BAB, and extra Str/Con/Dex plus greater heroism. The extra 4 fighter lvls (assuming wiz 7, pal 2, ftr 6) gets you 2 feats, more HP, and some dmg enhancements. Still not enough fighter levels to get tier 5 kensai expanded crit threat range though.

[nibel]

Well, tenser's helps for melee. And dots (level 5 spells) have no save.

Dots without spellpower to boost them take too long to kill stuff. Since the changes to savants to also REDUCE spellpower on opposite elements, my earth savant had to drop Eladar because even with a +128 eletric scepter, it was dealing less damage triple stacked than an single unboosted BDB. If we go Bladeforged, the smart move is to keep him as pure melee as possible, and only use his SP for buffs and Recon.

I thought about that, but Wiz 11 gets you tenser's transformation for the full BAB, and extra Str/Con/Dex plus greater heroism. The extra 4 fighter lvls (assuming wiz 7, pal 2, ftr 6) gets you 2 feats, more HP, and some dmg enhancements. Still not enough fighter levels to get tier 5 kensai expanded crit threat range though.

Fighter 6 give us the stalwart stance. +6 Str/Con, that equals rage + tenser. We can avoid the incite enhancements, and get only the PRR/save and stats.

Dimension Door don't have somatic components, so for that, arcane spell failure don't bother. For the other buff spells it does.

The major problem with the iconic runner is this point of trying to work out with the initial gear. This means if we go PDK/Sun Elf we must consider the heavy armor, if we go shadar-kai must consider the light armor and dual daggers, etc.

[nibel]

Anyway, to help the brainstorm, a lot of enhancement trees are up to date on the wiki right now. I think the only ones missing the update are Arcanotechnician (Artificer), cleric, wiz, druid and fvs. Everything else is updated.

[EllisDee37]

Dots without spellpower to boost them take too long to kill stuff.

Surely triple-stacking a pair of dots while also meleeing would be more dps than just meleeing, no?

Fighter 6 give us the stalwart stance. +6 Str/Con, that equals rage + tenser. We can avoid the incite enhancements, and get only the PRR/save and stats.

The +6 str/con from stance will be a net dps loss because you have to equip a shield to get the +6 str/con. THF would be better dps regardless.

[nibel]

Surely triple-stacking a pair of dots while also meleeing would be more dps than just meleeing, no?

And would we have enough SP/concentration to keep it up with max/emp while beating a boss? Rushmore's elementals hit hard on a non-evasion toon.

The +6 str/con from stance will be a net dps loss because you have to equip a shield to get the +6 str/con. THF would be better dps regardless.

I quoted wrong. I was talking about the PDK plan. Going with stalwart stance would save us the problem of hoping to find a two-hander on the AH.

[nibel]

Just like the palemaster topic, I wantd to inform that Monk enhancements on wiki are up to date.

And that I found two pearls for our challenge runner: Fists of Iron (Tier 2 of any tree) is an attack with +3[W] and +1 crit threat and multiplier, and can be easily spammed (3 seconds cooldown, cost 5 ki); and Rise of the Phoenix (Tier 5 Shintao), a 1/rest self-raise. Since we are considering Empty Hand Mastery, this is another reason to get T5 enhancements on Shintao. The drawback is that the requisites are kinda useless, since you get 4 toggles to buff the healing ki finisher, and those 8 AP are expensive.

[EllisDee37]

Fists of Iron (Tier 2 of any tree) is an attack with +3[W] and +1 crit threat and multiplier, and can be easily spammed (3 seconds cooldown, cost 5 ki)

I opted for Unbalancing Strike instead. Fists of Iron -- which I think of as unlimited exalted smite -- was very tempting, but I think unbalancing gives more dps. It's a +1[W] attack every 3 seconds that makes the mob susceptible to sneak attack for up to a minute with ongoing saves. A friend who also has one of these builds and I tested it on the horned devils in short cuts 20 and the horned devils shook it off after ~30 seconds, typically.

Being able to get sneak attack on what amounts to every single hit every single fight is more dps than the +3[W] attack, I think. Unless you meant to take them both? Which, if we can, will cause me hotkey issues but may be worth it.

[nibel]

You can't take them both on the same tree, but every monk tree have this enhancement at tier 2, so you can get up to 3 elemental strikes.

I'm thinking more about Rise of the Phoenix, because on Beta it costed 100 Ki to work, but the live description make no mention of required ki, only that it have a 15 minute cooldown, and can be used once per rest. Having a self-raise on the sleeve for those times you make a mistake is great.

[EllisDee37]

Does your challenge farmer ever die?

[nibel]

Sometimes, mostly on Rushmore (not the map, the mage). Combination of air elemental trips + earth elemental grab + losing evasion while grabbed, and three mobs throwing reflex-based spells on you. Usually, if I roll a 1 in an earthgrab on that fight, I die before the grab ends, or get ridiculously low on HP.

Thinking about it now, Saves Boost might remove this problem for my farmer.

[Stoner81]

How well do you think this will perform in Mabar m8, I really need to get my bum in gear and get mine leveled up pronto in time for the event.

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

How well do you think this will perform in Mabar m8, I really need to get my bum in gear and get mine leveled up pronto in time for the event.

My experience with it last Halloween was that it rocked the house.