Challenge Farmer

[EllisDee37]

If you were going to run this a bit in mabar and happened to get a +5 tome which stat would you use it on and would that change anything about your build or starting stats? Currently I'm sitting at level 21 on my challenge farmer grabbing extra epic tokens and hearts of wood.

I'm going another way for an epic challenge farmer. The monk detailed in this thread will be for heroic cannith challenges, crucible, and an extra level choice during events. (It's of course fantastic at both cove and mabar.)

For an epic challenge farmer I'm planning on a level 21 drow pure wizard pale master with the entire skeleton pet line to leave the pet guarding center for kobold torch line challenges. The pale master will be able to farm epic tokens, epic cannith challenge mats, and also be better suited than a monk for farming eveningstar challenge mats.

[Arcanegrin]

I'm going another way for an epic challenge farmer. The monk detailed in this thread will be for heroic cannith challenges, crucible, and an extra level choice during events. (It's of course fantastic at both cove and mabar.)

For an epic challenge farmer I'm planning on a level 21 drow pure wizard pale master with the entire skeleton pet line to leave the pet guarding center for kobold torch line challenges. The pale master will be able to farm epic tokens, epic cannith challenge mats, and also be better suited than a monk for farming eveningstar challenge mats.

Actually this is my heroic challenge farmer based on your monk build, after the enhancement pass hit he was required to level to 18 (due to tons of xp from challenges). I've been getting ready to tr him but hes kinda fun to play at epic levels and of course destroys the challenges. I'll TR him pretty soon though.

Your build sounds pretty fun, I'm doing a cha based toon for epic challenges with Chest blessing, undecided on bard, or sorc though. Prefer if its viable on EE content.

Why leave it at level 21?

[EllisDee37]

Why leave it at level 21?

To get the maximum underlevel parts bonus from running cannith challenges at 25.

To that end, I respecced my pale trapper (18/2 wizard/rogue, currently level 25) to take the full pet line to test. With 18 wizard levels and 5 epic levels his pet was CR23, compared to a level 21 pure wizard's CR21 pet. Not a perfect test, but close enough.

So I went into colossal crystal on 25 (max) and parked the skeleton in the circle at the start. (Not a circle of power; that first intersection just forward from the foreman.) Then I hung back and watched him deal with incomings by himself. He did quite well, easily handling the first 2 incomings and then absolutely owning the giant mage who showed up next. It was a thing of beauty. It took him ages to kill the mage since they're a boated sack of hp, but the mage almost couldn't hurt the pet at all.

The idea will be to still go back for incomings, but only when it's a convenient time for you as opposed to the second the foreman whines "Hjeal meh!" Top off your pet with neg energy burst and then get back to what you were doing.

[Stoner81]

I'm going another way for an epic challenge farmer. The monk detailed in this thread will be for heroic cannith challenges, crucible, and an extra level choice during events. (It's of course fantastic at both cove and mabar.)

For an epic challenge farmer I'm planning on a level 21 drow pure wizard pale master with the entire skeleton pet line to leave the pet guarding center for kobold torch line challenges. The pale master will be able to farm epic tokens, epic cannith challenge mats, and also be better suited than a monk for farming eveningstar challenge mats.

Sounds like fun m8, I had thought about another Monk build very similar to yours and using ED's for extra oomph (looking at you EiN) but using a Wizard is going to be like using a nuclear bomb to swat a fly! Looking forward to you posting it up though not looking forward to finding room in my stable for yet another build

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

I went through and redid my weapons based on the new ML formula for weapons and armor: 2(x-1) instead of 2x-1. Keep in mind that my guy is Lawful Good to allow use of Pure Good, which I'm now super happy about:

Trash: +5 Screaming of Pure Good w/red: Greater Acid (crafted)
Heals: +3 Screaming Flametouch Threaded of Vampirism (crafted)
Undead: ML16 Wraps of Endless Light
Outsiders: +5 Holy of of Greater Evil Outsider Bane (crafted)
Giants: +4 Acid of Greater Giant Bane w/red: Greater Acid (crafted)
Archon: +5 Unholy of Greater Chaotic Outsider Bane (crafted)
Construct: +2 Smiting (lootgen)

The ML16 augments do 1d6 elemental damage, and acid seems to be the least resisted for general purpose use. That means the trash beaters are +5 paragon wraps with 3d6 procs per swing on pretty much everything, and they break almost all dr in the game thanks to shintao and taking level 16. (Good, silver, cold iron, byeshk and adamantine.) Just them alone would be sufficient for pretty much everything. The "heals" wraps also break all the same dr thanks to being flametouch threaded.

Now that greater banes have come down from +4 to +3 enchantment level I was able to kick those up a notch for my boss beaters. I threw in the archon killer for the heck of it.

The irony is that my weakest weapon is now the mabar wraps. Those smiters are also a little suspect; if I get unlucky on vorpals the trash beaters do the same damage to constructs. But of course the vorpal effect puts them over the top so I kept them.

[EllisDee37]

With my new computer I can capture video. New toy! Shiny!

Now I'm putting together a cannith challenge tutorial thread. It's still under construction, but the videos are up. Check them out here.

[Stoner81]

With my new computer I can capture video. New toy! Shiny!

Now I'm putting together a cannith challenge tutorial thread. It's still under construction, but the videos are up. Check them out here.

Great job buddy! Will be checking these out soon!

Stoner81.

[Stoner81]

Spent this morning trying to come up with a gear set for this guy since you said that you were revising it, so far I have been struggling to juggle everything to get everything in! However, one thing I keep coming back to is the Garments of Equilibrium, I know Frozen Tunic is good for the procs and Ki generation but a flat out full die step up on damage is seriously good imo. These would free up Heavy Fort from the GS item so could go with 45HP/Smoke (2 Displacement clickies for boss fights ) which in turn would free up bracers (though that means losing out on Dodge 6%) and all this is just for 2 slots! Then just when I think things can't get more complicated I remember Jidz-Tet'ka from House D!

I think I'm going to go lie down now or something my head hurts from all these numbers

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

The only problem with the garments is that they're super fragile. I wouldn't be surprised if they flat-out broke during mansion runs. Apart from that, losing the ki regeneration from the tunic is a dealbreaker. Not to mention that freezing ice procs all the time.

I'm actually thinking of centering the gearset around Arkat's Cord, because you're definitely right about reinforced fists.

Key dps gear:

Arkat's Cord
Brawling Gloves (+6 strength, 1d4 piercing damage every hit, +6 sneak attack damage)
Deadly goggles or necklace
Frozen tunic
Ring of the Stalker (manslayer procs enough to notice)

Key survivability gear:

Bracers of Wind
Cloak of Invisibility


Regarding greensteel, I'm starting to think +45 hp concordant op might be a viable choice if only as an underhanded way to slot +6 wisdom without having to use up a crafted accessory slot for wisdom. Not as good as stoneskin or displacement, but occasional temp hit points is something, at least.

I'm also thinking I'd like to try and cram in 30% striders if possible.

EDIT: And the cove hat is a clear winner if only for kobold haste. That it also gives superior false life and +15 concentration is crazy good. Hmmm, that's most of the gear. Let's see what that basis looks like:

Head: Cove Hat
Eyes: Deadly (lootgen)
Neck:
Back: Cloak of Invisibility w/Resistance +5
Wrist: Bracers of Wind
Hand: Brawling Gloves
Waist: Arkat's Cord
Feet: Striding 30% (lootgen)
Ring: Ring of the Stalker
Ring:
Trinket:
Mainhand: +5 Screaming of Pure Good w/Greater Acid

Let's see, we still need:

Wisdom, at least +6
Constitution, at least +6 (can we get +8 from Shadowfell? skirmisher's ring? wiki is unclear...)
Greensteel HP (is this really needed if we can hit 400+ without it?)
Heavy Fortification
Deathblock (can be slotted in Arkat's Cord)
Jump?
DR (ring of the djinn? kaelth's touch? the old plan had no dr)
PRR? (old plan had no prr)
Good luck?
Devotion?
True Seeing?

That's an awful lot to try and cram into 3 slots.

[Stoner81]

Let's see, we still need:

Wisdom, at least +6
Constitution, at least +6 (can we get +8 from Shadowfell? skirmisher's ring? wiki is unclear...)
Greensteel HP (is this really needed if we can hit 400+ without it?)
Heavy Fortification
Deathblock (can be slotted in Arkat's Cord)
Jump?
DR (ring of the djinn? kaelth's touch? the old plan had no dr)
PRR? (old plan had no prr)
Good luck?
Devotion?
True Seeing?

That's an awful lot to try and cram into 3 slots.

30% striding can be had from the Quiver of Alacrity though I understand it's a right PITA to get hold of but it is an option at least. Cannith Jet Boots are lvl 18 so unless we take an extra 2 levels I can't see how to fit in Jump however, there is always Jump pots for +10 and they are dirt cheap so that might be something there? Good Luck is +2 to saves? With having Saves Boost and Greater Heroism that is +8 to saves do we really need the extra +2? Heavy Fort we have got to fit in somewhere, my initial thought was maybe a Blue Augment but that would/could mess things up for everything else. I am fairly sure +8 Con can be had from Shadowfell I just can't recall what it is on (will have a look later). So that leaves us with Wisdom and Devotion left, I think trinket is good for Devotion maybe even as a hotswap if push really came to shove.

As far DR and PRR, the old build didn't include any so I don't us losing out really if we keep it that way. There is just to much to slot in with everything else . True Seeing is certainly handy but maybe this could also be a hotswap somewhere? I can't think of any challenge where True Seeing would be really handy/needed apart from casters who cast Blur/Displace on themselves but that is about it.

I can feel this headache coming back *sigh*

EDIT

The Thrill of the Hunt has CON +8 gloves but there is nothing else on them which seems a bit of a waste of the slot to be honest.

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying there.

Currently on live, my challenge farmer hotswaps true seeing as needed. It's actually worse than that; he hotswaps a crafted pair of Detect Secret Doors goggles. He no longer has any true seeing at all, and I haven't noticed any problems. So true seeing is nice but not needed.

I do keep +2 luck on at all times, and IMO it's very much worth it. I'd really like to keep it slotted. Trinket is the natural fit for it.

Heavy fort could actually go in the cloak, moving resistance to somewhere else. I say this because it's easy to craft resistance anywhere you like, but heavy fort is both hard to craft and even harder to craft in different slots. Or, just keep a min2 hp item? I do use stoneskin a lot...

Speaking of heavy fort, a guildie who has the same build picked up a pair of deadly goggles with a green slot. That would be a nice way to get heavy fort taken care of for free.

Crud, I totally forget dex. Hmmm. That means we need to figure out how to slot wis, con and dex. Now I remember why I didn't slot striding boots into the old gearset.

[EllisDee37]

Madstone Boots look like a winner. +6 dex and 30% striding.

The rage effect prevents laying torches, but it wouldn't be too bad to just use defensive stance to cancel it assuming that's how it works.

[Stoner81]

OK so we have to find 3 main stats (assuming going with the Madstone Boots) and have how many slots left if any? I am starting to think that trying to fit in the Deadly googles is causing more issues with gear than they are worth, assuming we could find a pair with a Green slot on it that would use up +3 enchantment before anything else is on it so we probably/possibly would not get that much in the way of Deadly anyway. Add to this at the moment does your guy lack for DPS mine certainly doesn't and that is at level 10 with some basic gear (+6 stat items etc).

Hmm maybe we are looking at this from the wrong angle slightly, rather than trying to slot absolutely everything we could possibly want lets just start off with the "absolute must haves not going to be changed in a million years" so with that in mind I think we are so far at:

Body: ML15/16 Tier 3 Frozen Tunic (Lesser Freezing Ice, Fire Shield (Cold), Enhanced Ki +1, Craftable +3).
Waist: Elite Arkat's Cord (Vitality +20, Reinforced Fists, Yellow Augment Slot w/ Deathblock)
Gloves: ML16 Tier 3 Brawling Gloves (Strength +6, Spike Studded, Glass Jaw Strike, Sneak Attack Bonus +4)
Head: Cove Hat (Superior False Life +40, Kobold Haste and Concentration +15).
Wrists: ML15/16 Tier 3 Bracers of Wind (Blurry, Dodge Bonus 3%, Air Guard, Craftable +3)
Ring: ML15/16 Ring of the Stalker (Exceptional Sneak Attack Bonus +2, Seeker +4, Manslayer, Ethereal, Craftable +3).
Trinket: Devotion +48 & Good Luck 2
Eyes: Green Steel 45HP ConOp (+6 Wisdom).
Neck: Constitution +6 of Resistance +X (crafted).
Back: <empty at the moment>
Ring: Dexterity +6 of <something>

That would leave 4 slots for other things, Heavy Fort isn't included in the above set up but we could go back to the GS option for that. With the above in place we still need CON, DEX and WIS and these I think are the absolute must haves otherwise the build is going to be totally different, like I said trying to fit in the Deadly goggles just messes everything up imo. GS ConOp +6 WIS is a distinct possibility though that is a fair amount of grinding for such an important stat, another thing that has occured to me is that due to stances and tomes (+4 at level 15) etc there could well be odd numbered stats now I know we have to have WIS as high as possible for Stunning Fist DC's but if there is no difference between using a +6 or a +5 then go with the +5 and see if that means we can get something else in it's place (crafted maybe?).

EDIT

There is also the Eldritch Ritual for Force which could be added to the various sets of wraps for an extra +1 damage per hit. The other thing I thought of is if we go with GS ConOp Goggles for WIS +6 we could go the whole hog and make the Displacement clickie anyway and hotswap between the two, having 3 minutes worth of Displacement is just so full of win.

EDIT

Added in a few options which I think has everything covered and leaves the cloak slot free at the moment, anyway have a look and see if I have missed anything that we need. The main problem I have here is that the crafting levels needed are fairly high compared to the original final gear set so it would be harder for folks to make stuff.

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

The main problem I have here is that the crafting levels needed are fairly high compared to the original final gear set so it would be harder for folks to make stuff.

That's a fair point that I very much take into consideration.

Off to finish watching football; will mull over the possibilities. You forgot cloak of invisibility, btw.

[Stoner81]

You forgot cloak of invisibility, btw.

Doh! I knew I would forget something somewhere.

Stoner81.

[Panzermeyer]

Anyone figure out some options for farming challenges with any of the new iconics?

[EllisDee37]

Anyone figure out some options for farming challenges with any of the new iconics?

There are several nice ideas posted later on in this thread.

[Ancient]

Got a question:

Have you considered a lvl 4 challenge farmer? I know the lvl 15 one has several advantages, including crucible swimmer (big advantage!), but the lvl 4 could be easier to equip and take advantage of the challenges being easier at low levels.

My thoughts:
1.) You can get the dimension door enhancement even at lvl 4.
2.) The best AE breaker seems like either cleave/gcleave or khybers fury with master craftsmanship. Run speed is key, so I lean towards cleave/gcleave.
3.) Greater cleave would require bab 4 meaning all melee type classes with fighter taken at lvl 4. The obvious choices are barb (run speed/rage) or pally (divine might) splash.
4.) Cure serious potions would cover healing just fine at lvl 4
5.) There are several good weapon options such as Carnifex or something of icy burst laceration.

Something like human 2 fighter/2 barb
dragon mark/power attack/cleave/great cleave/stunning blow (toughness doesn't seem worth much at lvl 4)

You have spent a lot of time fine tuning your challenge runner, and I would be very curious to hear what you think when you apply that knowledge to a lvl 4 version.

Thanks!

[EllisDee37]

Something like human 2 fighter/2 barb
dragon mark/power attack/cleave/great cleave/stunning blow (toughness doesn't seem worth much at lvl 4)

I like this concept a lot, though I suspect the regular ol' Trip (you likely wouldn't be able to manage improved trip) would be more effective than stunning blow, if only because there's a fair amount of unstunnable mobs like undead and animated armor. You get trip for free, of course, so that's just a random thought.

A level 4 alt can only enter Kobold Chaos, Behind the Door and Circles of Power. You're physically prevented from entering any other challenge due to being below the lowest level of the challenge.

For those three challenges it might be able to outperform my level 16 for parts:minute by running them at level 8 (or higher), but it might be tough to outperform it significantly enough to merit the effort. Especially since those parts aren't used by much.

Here's what my level 16 can (did) get from those three challenges:

Behind the Door: 741 parts in 33 minutes
Circles of Power: 518 parts in 20 minutes
Kobold Chaos: 647 parts in 15 minutes

Those figures are from the videos in the tutorial thread.

[Panzermeyer]

Got a question:

Have you considered a lvl 4 challenge farmer? I know the lvl 15 one has several advantages, including crucible swimmer (big advantage!), but the lvl 4 could be easier to equip and take advantage of the challenges being easier at low levels.

My thoughts:
1.) You can get the dimension door enhancement even at lvl 4.
2.) The best AE breaker seems like either cleave/gcleave or khybers fury with master craftsmanship. Run speed is key, so I lean towards cleave/gcleave.
3.) Greater cleave would require bab 4 meaning all melee type classes with fighter taken at lvl 4. The obvious choices are barb (run speed/rage) or pally (divine might) splash.
4.) Cure serious potions would cover healing just fine at lvl 4
5.) There are several good weapon options such as Carnifex or something of icy burst laceration.

Something like human 2 fighter/2 barb
dragon mark/power attack/cleave/great cleave/stunning blow (toughness doesn't seem worth much at lvl 4)

You have spent a lot of time fine tuning your challenge runner, and I would be very curious to hear what you think when you apply that knowledge to a lvl 4 version.

Thanks!

While I certainly love the ease with which I can run these lower challenges, there honestly is not enough gear that use the ingredients that the only 4 that you can run drop that would make this worthwhile for me.

I created a level 15 iconic farmer that is working awesome.

The interesting side effect is that I have my lvl 8 monk farmer that I was leveling up, kind of left in limbo. But he is still viable and can run 4 additional challenges, so he still might have use.

I would suggest if you are looking for a super low level farmer, to take advantage of the ease of challenges at that level, then a lvl 8 toon would be more optimal than a lvl 4 toon just simply for the number of effective challenges that you can run.