Vampire TWF Build

[Gorget]

Hey there,

first of all, I'm fairly new to DDO. It's a ****ing great game. Also very nice job you guys here are doing. I already tried a few builds from this Forum.

After Reading this:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5067851
And Especially this:
Tempest Vampire
"Concept: This is kind of an interesting build. This build focuses on advancing through the Tempest tree, trying to get your off-hand, double strike, off-hand double strike as high as you can. Then become a vampire and gain health every time you land a hit. Throw in an attack speed haste boost and you can heal pretty fast
Class Distribution: 14 Ranger, 6 Wizard; feasible at level 12
Enhancement/Item Focus: Two-Handed fighting feats/enhancements (though most are granted via ranger). Dex for damage (via the tempest tree). Con and health items/enhancements."

I wanted to try this build and theorycrafted a little. I know it will probably not be that good for Raids, but I'm more of a "play to have fun" player. These are the two things i came up with. I'd like your opinion on these and every improvement you can spare ^^

1. 7 Wizard / 3 Ranger / 10 Monk - Centered Shortsword Poison Vampire
As Race I thought maybe Drow because of Int and Dex Bonus as well as having the Shortsword enhancements
- 7 Wizard for Vampire and Rank 4 Spells for selfheal (Death Aura / Negative Energy Burst)
- 3 Ranger for TWF, Haste Action Boost and 10% Offhand Strike
- 10 Monk for AC, Dex to hit/dmg, Improved Evasion, Higher Saves, 4d6 Sneak Attack, Ninja Poison, Probably Shadow Double for 6 sec 100% Double Strike

Feats here would be 7 regular, 2 Wizard and 3 Monk
- Wizard: Mental Toughness and Empower Spell
- The other 10 are: ITWF, GTWF, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Master of Forms, Grandmaster of Forms, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave and maybe Toughness

2. 12 Wizard / 6 Ranger / 2 Monk
Race again Drow for Dex/Int, or maybe Elf for Scimitar Enhancements
- 12 Wizard for Vampire, Wraith, Rank 5 Spells
- 6 Ranger for Dex to hit/dmg with Scimitars, 10% Offhand Strike as well as ITWF
- 2 Monk for Evasion and 2 Bonus Feats

Featwise I would drop the Master of forms/Grandmaster of Forms since I'm not Centered with Scimitars and take Combat Expertise and Whirlwind Strike. Third Wizard feat could be Improved Mental Toughness or Spell Focus: Necromancy

A Third Method could be 12 Ranger / 7 Wizard / 1 something
- giving 100% Offhand Strike, GTWF automatically, Deflect Arrows
- Maybe Rogue for Trap Skills

So Guys, what do you think? Any Improvements or Suggestions are very welcome. Thanks upfront for anything helpful.
Again, I know it won't be very good, I just want to have a Life Leeching Vampire.

Cheers.

[hucka]

my own experiance with a wiz12/ranger6/monk2 build says that wraith is better then vampire, yes, you dont heal yourself with each hit, but you also get hit 35% less and dodge 3% more attacks (well, and the +1ac you get from the higher dex)

all my healing can be done via the healing aura currently

[Rhaphael]

my own experiance with a wiz12/ranger6/monk2 build says that wraith is better then vampire, yes, you dont heal yourself with each hit, but you also get hit 35% less and dodge 3% more attacks (well, and the +1ac you get from the higher dex)

all my healing can be done via the healing aura currently

My vote goes to this build as well. I've been testing a wiz12/rng6/mnk2 wraith twf on Lamannia over the weekend and I really like what I see. Wraith form + displacement + high dodge rocks. Plus 12 wizard gives access to a lot of utility spells. Coupled with neg lvl and/or stat draining weapons it can be really strong.

[CoasterHops]

In fact for a vampire neg levlling build you actually only need 11 lvls of wizard, so 11 wizard/6monk/3ranger = Vampire form + Incorp from Ninja spy + 100% offhand strikes! Maybe this would be a decent split.

[Gorget]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. You guys/girls are simply awesome. I think I will try them some time.

I realised yesterday while playing how much I like the Monk class and its Forms. Is the 12 Wiz / 6 Rgr / 2 Mnk using the Forms? Or could it be possible to make a slightly different build using Vampire or Wraith, Monk-Class levels, remaining Centered and then using the Forms?

Maybe use the 12 Wiz / 6 Rgr / 2 Mnk with Shortswords or the afore mentioned Daggers and take the Adept of Forms to GM of Forms feats.

Could this work? 12 Wiz / 6 Mnk / 2 (Fighter maybe for feats)
- then remaining Centered by using Monk weapons/unarmed?

Edit: While writing this, CoasterHops posted his idea and if it works maybe that would be a nice try XD

[hucka]

the 12 Wiz / 6 Rgr / 2 Mnk split can have access to grandmaster of forms, yes, and if you make a better leveldistribution then i did, then even befor lvl21^^

[Gorget]

the 12 Wiz / 6 Rgr / 2 Mnk split can have access to grandmaster of forms, yes, and if you make a better leveldistribution then i did, then even befor lvl21^^

This is the part where I suck most, planning when to take which level to get the best leveling order. Any suggestions?

[Soulfurnace]

This is the part where I suck most, planning when to take which level to get the best leveling order. Any suggestions?

Simple answer - 6 ranger, 2 monk, 12 wizard. In that order.
You want ranger levels ASAP for ITWF, monk for 2 feats and evasion, wizard last because meh.

Means you use a fair few cure serious pots though.

[Lauf]

Maybe use the 12 Wiz / 6 Rgr / 2 Mnk with Shortswords or the afore mentioned Daggers and take the Adept of Forms to GM of Forms feats.

daggers cannot be used as a monk, you are proficient with them but they'll make you uncentered.

[Lauf]

Love the notion, I'll do what I can to help.

the main problem with a vampire build with evasion, is that picking up so many wizard levels as well as rogue/monk levels really hurts your base attack bonus (BaB). this in turn has a direct effect on the number of attacks you make, so anything less than a 15 BaB really hurts you.
the easiest way to compensate for it is with tenser's transformation, a level 6 wizard spell; the only problem being ofcourse that it requires at least 11 wizard levels (or a ton of scrolls, should you choose not to go that deep into a wizard)

so of the 2 builds, it would seem the 12 wiz / 6 ranger / 2 monk has more potential to run smoothly and effectively (taking into consideration that the added wiz levels would also grant you better self healing) if you're intent on going for a twf build.

with so many wizard levels, it would be a shame not to incorporate magic in your attacks, and since you'll have low DCs you'll be spending most of your time casting no-save spells, such as acid rain/fog and firewall.
with that in mind, the henshin mystic cores leaped out at me, granting:
+5 Fire Spell Power
+5 Force Spell Power
Enemies have -2 Fire Resistance against your spells.

which seems ideal for someone who will likely be fighting in firewalls.
henshin monks also make for great quarterstaff melee characters, and just so happens there are several quarterstaves in DDO that deal neg levels on crit, making them an interesting addition to a build that's dealing neg levels on vorpal strikes.
this of course takes the build down a different path, which I'm not sure you'd be interested in...
so I'll stop here

as a side note, in your ninja spy build you can achieve 100% off-hand strikes with +10% from ranger core (as you've stated) and an additional +10% from shintao deft strikes enhancement.

[Charononus]

Vampire form is complete garbage and the moment anything throws any light damage at you you will die. Most quests have at least a couple casters in them that will throw out light damage. Now this assumes you're running elite, because less than elite it doesn't matter what you do with the build.

[Soulfurnace]

Vampire form is complete garbage and the moment anything throws any light damage at you you will die. Most quests have at least a couple casters in them that will throw out light damage. Now this assumes you're running elite, because less than elite it doesn't matter what you do with the build.

This.

Well other idea failed. **** turbine

Anyway, 12/5/3 wizard/rogue/ranger would work. Grab these for trash, these for boss dps.
Better neg leveling than vampire, average dps with sacrificial (good dps on Agony, though nothing beats negs on trash), evasion, 90% offhand and dex based if you wanted. (And some sneak attack)

[CoasterHops]

This.

My thought for a vampiric, high offhand build would be 12/6/2 wizard/fighter/monk.
Wraith form, centered with whatever (pick bastard swords), 90% offhand, 2x nightmare. Should be fun, seeming they're vampiric, you'll have perm displacement, 25% incorp (35% won't give a large survivability increase), master of earth stance (hp, prr, +1 crit on 19-20).
The reason I like that? A crit will neg level them, 1d3 worth. (In short, it's a step up from vampire being 1 level on vorpal, yet has a lot higher defence)

Oh. Nightmare heals you 1d3 per hit, instead of vampire forms 1 per hit.
Did I mention the ability to neg level them?

Cept you need 8 levels of fighter to get centred with picks/bastards?

As a neg leveller how about 12wiz/4mnk/4ranger, vampire - centred with shortswords - Epic envenomed Blade, slotted with one of those new neg lvl rubies from upcoming mabar? So = 2 Neg lvls per vorpal, + chance of neg lvls per hit (enervation on shortsword) + neg lvls from Triple Dark monk finisher.

[Soulfurnace]

Cept you need 8 levels of fighter to get centred with picks/bastards?

As a neg leveller how about 12wiz/4mnk/4ranger, vampire - centred with shortswords - Epic envenomed Blade, slotted with one of those new neg lvl rubies from upcoming mabar? So = 2 Neg lvls per vorpal, + chance of neg lvls per hit (enervation on shortsword) + neg lvls from Triple Dark monk finisher.

Sonofa.. You are correct. I.. uh... I got nothin'. Why do I always forget that.. I swear, that feat needs to be lv 5. A feat pre-req is fair enough, but silly people like me keep forgetting that it's lv 8. /fixing post

Anyway, other idea I was tossing around was 12/5/3 wizard/rogue/ranger. Similar idea, except using these for trash, these for boss dps.
Grab the top tier rogue enhancement for +1 to dagger crit range, +1 to crit multiplier...

[unbongwah]

Anyway, 12/5/3 wizard/rogue/ranger would work. Grab these for trash, these for boss dps.
Better neg leveling than vampire, average dps with sacrificial (good dps on Agony, though nothing beats negs on trash), evasion, 90% offhand and dex based if you wanted. (And some sneak attack)

I'm inferring you plan to take Knife Specialization for the crit bonuses; that's fine, but remember that means you can't take Imp Shrouding as well.

[Soulfurnace]

I'm inferring you plan to take Knife Specialization for the crit bonuses; that's fine, but remember that means you can't take Imp Shrouding as well.

I know. I was hoping to convince OP to use wraith form, hence 12 wizard.
Won't heal with each hit, but 25% incorp and the ability to be neg-level trash to oblivion sounds fun. (Oh, fine. That's not due to wraith form, that's just life-stealing with a larger crit range.)