Daian of the Tree - FvS/Monk 17/3 hybrid build for levelling (way to completionist)

[Dodoroq]

Working on Completionist, now on third life on Daian (Barbarian and Paladin done). With the U19's free LR+20 I will use this build on two lives, this one LRing to Rogue and TR immediately, next one really for FvS past life. As I am 2/3 through the first FvS life, I would welcome any comments that can help me in my second run around as I plan to farm some equip later for life no.5 before TRing (mostly runearms).

The build is described as Human, although in reality I only play Elves; I know I would be stronger as Human, but that is how things go - nothing else than elves and half-elves in my stable.

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Daian of the Tree
Level 20 Lawful Good Human Male
(3 Monk \ 17 Favored Soul) 
Hit Points: 270
Spell Points: 1422 
BAB: 14\14\19\24
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 16
Will: 19

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(36 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    23
Dexterity            13                    17
Constitution         14                    18
Intelligence         10                    14
Wisdom               16                    22
Charisma             11                    15

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 3
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 11
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 11
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 11
+3 Tome of Intelligence used at level 11
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 11
+4 Tome of Strength used at level 15
+4 Tome of Dexterity used at level 15
+4 Tome of Constitution used at level 15
+4 Tome of Intelligence used at level 15
+4 Tome of Wisdom used at level 15
+4 Tome of Charisma used at level 15

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               5                    13
Bluff                 0                     2
Concentration         6                    27
Diplomacy             4                     6
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                0                     2
Heal                  3                    11
Hide                  1                     3
Intimidate            0                     2
Jump                  6                    16
Listen                3                     6
Move Silently         1                     3
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                0                     2
Search                0                     2
Spellcraft            3                    29
Spot                  3                     6
Swim                  3                     6
Tumble                2                     4
Use Magic Device      2                    13

Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Cleave
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Barbarian
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Paladin
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Rogue
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Power Attack


Level 2 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Deity) Favored by the Sovereign Host


Level 3 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell


Level 4 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 5 (Favored Soul)


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Great Cleave
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Mobility


Level 7 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Fire


Level 8 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 9 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Selected) Quicken Spell


Level 10 (Favored Soul)


Level 11 (Favored Soul)


Level 12 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Acid
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 13 (Favored Soul)


Level 14 (Favored Soul)


Level 15 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Evocation


Level 16 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS


Level 17 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Favored Soul Bonus) Energy Resistance: Electricity


Level 18 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Selected) Heighten Spell


Level 19 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Harmonious Balance: Fists of Light


Level 20 (Favored Soul)
Ability Raise: WIS

Spells:
(1) Divine Favor, Nightshield, Nimbus of Light, Remove Fear
(2) Cure Moderate Wounds, Resist Energy, Soundburst, Spawn Screen
(3) Cure Serious Wounds, Magic Circle Against Evil, Prayer, Searing Light
(4) Death Ward, Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Restoration
(5) Divine Punishment, Spell Resistance, Slay Living, True Seeing
(6) Blade Barrier, Heal, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds
(7) Destruction, Mass Protection From Elements, Resurrection
(8) Mass Cure Critical Wounds, Holy Aura

Enhancements:
Angel of Vengenance (35 total)
1 Font of Power
2 Smiting
3 Scourge
1 Shield of Condemnation
2 Smiting
6 Efficient Maximize
3 Spell Power Boost
1 Aura of Menace
2 Smiting
2 Wisdom
2 Spell Penetration
1 Summon Archon
2 Smiting
2 Wisdom
3 Unstoppable Magic
2 Evocation Focus

Protection (23 total)
1 Protector
6 Divine Might
3 Toughness
1 Sanctuary
1 Enhanced Sanctuary
3 Energy Resistance
3 Armored
2 Wisdom
2 Wisdom
1 Death Pact

Shintao (1 total)
1 Bastion of Purity

Henshin Mystic (4 total)
1 Riddle of Fire
1 Staff Training
2 Way of the Clever Monkey

Human (17 total)
1 Human Versatility: Saves Boost
2 Human Adaptability: Wisdom
1 Human Versatility: Damage Boost
2 Improved Recovery
2 Action Surge: Wisdom
2 Don't Count Me out
3 Fighting Style: Traditionalist Caster
2 Improved Recovery
2 Improved Recovery

Playstyle is pretty simple - I solo most of the time, and that means spamming Cleave and Great Cleave until everything dies. LitII Q-staff helps with that from lvl12, before I mostly use crafted weapons (Screaming of Bleed etc.). With saves I have (F/R/W 31/33/34 at lvl 13) and Evasion I do not care about most spells and traps. AC (62% miss chance at level), Dodge (11%) and Displacement clickies give me quite a pause in dodging attacks too.

From lvl14 I plan to use Blade Barrier mostly, switching to various +X Thaumaturgy Staff (Radiance/Impulse) of Evocation Mastery I have amassed.

Lvl 20 Wisdom breakthrough:
40 = 16 (base) + 2 (level-ups) + 4 (tome) + 6 (item) + 5 (enhancements) + 2 (ship buff) + 2 (water stance) + 1 (exceptional on ToD ring) + 2 (Inherent on ToD ring)

With that in mind, the DC for Evocation spells (Blade Barrier) should be 36+ without any ED's. Enough for heroic Elite content? (never played DC caster seriously)

Any input and suggestions will be welcome.

[randomcleric]

I may try this build but i only have access to 32 points, what would you change to make that work?

[Matuse]

I may try this build but i only have access to 32 points, what would you change to make that work?

Drop strength a couple of points, probably.

But, the build is not very good. I don't see what its purpose is.

Why 3 monk? For fists of light? Waiting until 19th level for that seems counter-productive. Plus it's not as though you are short on self-healing ability as a FvS.

Heighten? Useless in this build. Spell Focus: Evocation serves almost no purpose at all. You will never notice the tiny smidgen of DC on Blade Barrier for a leveling build.

Is it trying to melee with monk unarmed? ...it has no TWF feats.

Is it trying to be an offensive caster? ...no Empower, missing 9th level spells, 3 level ups go to strength instead of Wisdom.

You can pick melee and dabble in spellcasting, or you can pick spellcasting and dabble in melee. Then at least you're good at SOMETHING. This is not good at anything.

[Dodoroq]

Depends on whether you have access to crafting (my levels are 100+ in all schools and I have leveling gear prepared so that I can keep up with Cha to be able to cast spells I know all the time) and tomes available (I do have supreme +4 eaten). With those two guaranteed, I could easily drop charisma to 9 possibly and forfeit 1 point of wis.

Without the +4 strength tome, there is no point in spending level up points in strength (this way I qualify for Overwhelming Critical, that's the reason I even started to spend there). In case I would not have +4 Strength tome available, I would just drop Strength to 14 and put all level ups to Wis to beef that one up, forgetting the Overwhelming Critical completely. That would lower your DPS by 2-3 damage per swing (not a big deal) and actually raised your DC's.

You can check on http://ddocrafting.info/myddo/cannith/Daian/ what gear I have on and how the stats look - please note several items are either Large Guild slot items (helmet, +20 HP) or augment slot items (cloak, colorless - master's gift; belt, yellow - deathblock; ring, colorless - vitality +20; robe, blue - heavy fortification) and the items shown most of the time is "running setup", so for fights I switch rings and bracers around to get "parrying" bonus to AC into equation, which costs me striding bonus. I am hasted in fights anyway, so that does not matter there.

Also, next level, the White Dragonrobe will kick in for even more boost to AC and no necessity to switch gear. Hooray! Have to farm for the Quiver of Alacrity on this toon once I get to Abbot level.

[Dodoroq]

Why 3 monk? For fists of light? Waiting until 19th level for that seems counter-productive. Plus it's not as though you are short on self-healing ability as a FvS.

Still contemplating whether Monk 3 or just 2... cannot decide. My lvl9 spell would be Mass Heal (most probably, too low spell pene for Energy Drain and Implosion). And I am not a good healer at all - not patient enough just to sit and heal while others do the job, not quick enough to switch targets and position myself not to be blocked etc.

Heighten? Useless in this build. Spell Focus: Evocation serves almost no purpose at all. You will never notice the tiny smidgen of DC on Blade Barrier for a leveling build.

Probably. Those two feats give me +3 DC on BB - not much, but at least something. I could go some other way - possibly. Then, please, suggest. I really do not have a use for those last two feats.

Is it trying to melee with monk unarmed? ...it has no TWF feats.

Meleeing with Q-staffs until lvl14, casting/meleeing with Q-staffs from 14 onwards. As in opening post. THF feats are not that useful for such fight style.

Is it trying to be an offensive caster? ...no Empower, missing 9th level spells, 3 level ups go to strength instead of Wisdom.

Decreasing spell point effectiveness of my spells does not seem that much of a win to me. Basic spell, 100% efficiency. 90 item spellpower + 15 implement. AP's spent in trees, +58 USP. Spellcraft, +35 USP. That makes around 300% effectiveness of a spell I cast just for the base cost - 100 HP Searing Light for 8 SP, yes please (12.5 HP/SP). With Maximize on, it's 146 HP for 20 SP (Gloves of the Glacier and Enhancements discount), still 7.4 HP/SP. With Maximize and Empower (AND after shifting some 6 enhancement points) it is 170 HP for 29 SP, which is 5.9 HP/SP spent. I can forgive decreased effectiveness when the spell hits for 50% more, but not when it hits for 16% more only.
Am I really missing that Empower? When both feats stacked multiplicatively, it was a no-brainer. Now... Hm...
As for the Strength, I plan to stay at lvl20 for a few next life, that's where Overwhelming Critical kicks in. Unfortunately, Str 23 as a prerequisite. :-(

You can pick melee and dabble in spellcasting, or you can pick spellcasting and dabble in melee. Then at least you're good at SOMETHING. This is not good at anything.

If you say so... this one has full melee AND good DC spellcasting (for heroic content, that is) by my standards, but my standards may be well of. Please suggest two feats that would make me better melee... I have two slots free at lvl's 15 and 18.

[Valakai]

If you say so... this one has full melee AND good DC spellcasting (for heroic content, that is) by my standards, but my standards may be well of. Please suggest two feats that would make me better melee... I have two slots free at lvl's 15 and 18.

I would propably go for the feats adept of forms, master of forms (I love the master mountain stance)
I would also consider splashing 1 rogue for +15% attack speed from acrobat, another useful splash idea would be druid for Shillelagh +1W is not bad + Rams might.

Personally I would recommend FvS18/mnk2 (wings + 9th lvl spell) or FvS14/monk6 (people don't expect you to be main healer ). If you go elf you could use longswords (costs feats) or if you go drow you could use shortswords. This would let you get deitys favored bonuses and racial damage bonuses.

[Dodoroq]

I would propably go for the feats adept of forms, master of forms (I love the master mountain stance)
I would also consider splashing 1 rogue for +15% attack speed from acrobat, another useful splash idea would be druid for Shillelagh +1W is not bad + Rams might.

Personally I would recommend FvS18/mnk2 (wings + 9th lvl spell) or FvS14/monk6 (people don't expect you to be main healer ). If you go elf you could use longswords (costs feats) or if you go drow you could use shortswords. This would let you get deitys favored bonuses and racial damage bonuses.

Thanks for suggestions. I was considering the two-feat expenditure on longswords (Weapon Focus and Whirling Steel Strike), but the focus just shuns me from that - I just consider it to be a mighty waste of a feat. That, and the fact this would not, by itself, improved my DPS over Q-staffs, just give me more options what to hold in hands.

I will have to check the Forms feats now - what they present to the build. May be a way to go.

[Valakai]

Thanks for suggestions. I was considering the two-feat expenditure on longswords (Weapon Focus and Whirling Steel Strike), but the focus just shuns me from that - I just consider it to be a mighty waste of a feat. That, and the fact this would not, by itself, improved my DPS over Q-staffs, just give me more options what to hold in hands.

I will have to check the Forms feats now - what they present to the build. May be a way to go.

Sure. I have an elf twf FvS18/mnk2 with longswords. Elf racials + favored weapon bonuses from FvS are quite nice paired with 2 oathblades its fun. But yea wasting 2 feats is a huge pain. If I would replicate same build I would definately go drow so you could use short swords as ki weapons without spending any feats. Then would have to grind for twin celeastias though. Getting +4 damage from racial tree and +2 damage from FvS autogrants and also can use the blades as implement is also good. Not trying to talk you out of using Qstaff just saying.

But yeah, master mountain stance paired with overwhelming critical and spamming fists of Iron makes for some pretty sweet crits. That +3 x crit multiplier is not too bad.

[Panzermeyer]

Sure. I have an elf twf FvS18/mnk2 with longswords. Elf racials + favored weapon bonuses from FvS are quite nice paired with 2 oathblades its fun. But yea wasting 2 feats is a huge pain. If I would replicate same build I would definately go drow so you could use short swords as ki weapons without spending any feats. Then would have to grind for twin celeastias though. Getting +4 damage from racial tree and +2 damage from FvS autogrants and also can use the blades as implement is also good.

What feats and starting stats did you have with this dual wielding longsword elf? Curious how you went.