Solo EE Content With This Melee Build (Video Provided)

[Draiden]

Sarlonans have been asking me about this build for years. Not so much how the build is created, since most of us are savvy enough to put the pieces together ourselves, but more about how it plays and how it holds up in endgame content. Well... I'm currently enjoying a break from TRing, sitting at level cap and found myself bored enough to want to make a video to sum up the build's playability. If you enjoy a high dps, self-sufficient and agile toon with a lot of "moving parts", then this play style is for you. A few years ago, this build became the most fun I've had in DDO since release. With each update, it just gets better and better.

This is a quick solo run through EE Feast or Famine with a level 28 Undead Monk (12Wiz/6Monk/2Fighter) Dreadnought.

[cronusdeathspell]

Link says this video is private. Couldn't watch

[Draiden]

Link says this video is private. Couldn't watch

Fixed! Sorry about that.

[cronusdeathspell]

Having watched your video, I now feel as if I fail at DDO with my playing.

That's one helluva build!

[CaseStringer]

... but, where's the build?

[Draiden]

... but, where's the build?

I've never really posted the details about the build, mostly because over the course of the three years that I've been working on this toon it just continually evolves... as do most character builds in DDO. The overall concept is 12Wiz/6Monk/2Fighter. Starting stats were somewhere around 16 or 17 STR, 14 or 15 DEX, 14 CON, 14 INT, 14 or 15 WIS, 8 or 10 CHA. I've LRd so many times and adjusted the stats based on endgame gear that I forget the exact numbers, but TRs and gear will vary from player to player anyways. From there I level everything into STR, except for 1 pt which I used in DEX. Feat-wise, max out your monk stances and take all the appropriate feats to maximize DPS in unarmed combat. Also take cleave, great cleave, overwhelming crit, etc. Use your Wiz levels to take free MM feats... extend, max, empower and use a char feat selection to eventually take Quicken. Epic feats that I currently have are Epic Mage Armor and Perfect 2 Wpn Fighting. The more I run EE however, the more I'm leaning towards dropping the Epic Mage Armor for some sort of damage mitigation that will actually help in EE. For epic gaming, this toon is all about Legendary Dreadnought with Sense Weakness, Lithe and A Dance of Flowers. In terms of Enhancements, take T5 in Pale Master for the 35% incorp in wraith mode and max out your neg energy crit chances. Also dabble in Shintao for defense (PRR and AC in Earth Stance) and limited elements of Kensai for DPS.

That pretty much covers the basic idea of the build, so I'm sure most could deduce the specifics from there. The end result is the ability to situationally shift stances/gear for a desired result. Meaning, in Earth Stance and the appropriate gear configuration, I can have 140 AC, 50% displacement, 79 PRR, 28% dodge. In Water Stance, I can cruise around with a jolly 58 Reflex Save before party buffs... or even higher if I need to switch to Grandmaster ED. I almost never do so. If I need to crank my stuns for a specific quest, I can reach as high as 68 in Dreadnought or even higher in Grandmaster. This build is really all about being a blitzing Dreadnought, so keep that goal in mind for the endgame.

The most important Past Lives to attain, if an option, would be the Fighter lives. +3 to hit and +3 to Combat Tactic Feats are huge.

Again... just wanted to show the joy of how well this build plays. It could just be a great match for my play style, but I like to think most people would enjoy it. (A couple of guildies have tried it, and they didn't really love it.)

[Draiden]

Having watched your video, I now feel as if I fail at DDO with my playing.

That's one helluva build!

Very kind of you to say, but I'm sure you're great at playing the builds that match your play style. After all, that's what it's all about in DDO. Case in point, Shiradi Sorcs are incredible build with even more incredible DPS. They just aren't my style, so I would suck behind the keyboard of one.

[CaseStringer]

What class do you start off as and when do you add the others for best results (for feats mainly) & am I right in assuming he's a dark monk? or does it matter?...Thx in advance for your response!

[Draiden]

What class do you start off as and when do you add the others for best results (for feats mainly) & am I right in assuming he's a dark monk? or does it matter?...Thx in advance for your response!

Yes... dark monk was the path I took, although I'm not sure if it's a requirement for Monk Ninja Spy anymore...?

In terms of classes at levels, here is how I level the build:
1st - Wiz (for maximum Skills)
2nd - Monk (for solo melee ability... handwraps of lacerating ftw)
3rd - Wiz (the race is on for firewall and haste/displacement)
4th - Wiz
5th - Wiz
6th - Wiz (haste/displacement)
7th - Wiz (vamp form, thanks to enhancement pass)
8th - Wiz (yay! Firewall!)
9th - Monk (evasion, of course)
10th - Wiz (the race is on for wraith form)
11th - Wiz
12th - Wiz
13th - Wiz
14th - Wiz (wraith form and lvl 6 spells)
15th - Monk
16th - Monk
17th - Monk
18th - Monk (max wpn dice and granted stance feats)
19th - Fighter (select fighter feats late in development for G2WF, or you won't get it due to BaB req)
20th - Fighter

Since the enhancement pass, I used my +20 LR to level differently. I think the reason was to get the granted stance feats as soon as possible and use the non-class specific feat selections to improve the monk stances. I think using the old leveling strategy may have been problematic, given the total feat selections at endgame. Therefore, when I LRd, the leveling strategy went as such:
1st - Wiz (for maximum Skills)
2nd - Monk (for solo melee ability... handwraps of lacerating ftw)
3rd - Monk
4th - Monk
5th - Monk
6th - Monk
7th - Monk
8th - Wiz
9th - Wiz
10th - Wiz
11th - Wiz
12th - Wiz
13th - Wiz
14th - Wiz
15th - Wiz
16th - Wiz
17th - Wiz
18th - Wiz
19th - Fighter (select fighter feats late in development for G2WF, or you won't get it due to BaB req)
20th - Fighter

I can't vouch for the playability while leveling according to this plan, since I used the +20 LR for this class order. I can tell you that since you no longer need to wait until level 12 to take vamp form, it could actually be more fun than before... although we all know the dangers of being in vamp form during certain quests. I also know that no longer having firewall at level 8 takes some of the fun of mid-levels away. The first moment I was hooked on this concept when I stood in the middle of my own firewall, thrashing at mobs with handwraps. With the new leveling strategy, you won't have firewall until level 14. Firewall is still plenty viable at level 14 content, but you'll just have to be more patient to experience the fun of a melee build standing in a firewall.

Based on the finished product of feats you'll want for your own custom tailored build, just be very careful to pay attention to BaB requirements, wizard feats, monk combat feats and fighter combat feats. Once you have the final list of desired feats on paper, just walk through a mock-leveling strategy (on paper, excel, or whatever) while paying attention to these feat requirements. It's a tricky process, so I would recommend giving it several looks.

Enjoy!

[Draiden]

One more thing... I do NOT recommend using an experience stone for your first time through this build. It really has a lot of "moving parts" that you really want to take on slowly to master the playability. Enjoy the road of progress with this one!

[Towrn]

I've always wondered about your build.

Not about how viable or sustainable it was, I get the odd builds, love them in fact. But mostly I wondered how you played it. Wasn't sure if you used wraps or if you combined spells and melee.

I look to build characters that most either wouldn't think of or would dismiss as weak and show them they can be strong.

That was impressive and has me thinking of a few tweaks for one of my builds.

Nice Video and clearly a great player.

[B0ltdrag0n]

Looking at the brief flash of your character screen as a screenshot. How are you getting those stuns to land?

[Draiden]

Looking at the brief flash of your character screen as a screenshot. How are you getting those stuns to land?

Draydin's Stunning Fist DC in water stance and as a dreadnought is typicaly a 68 or 69. If I wanted to cruise around in Grandmaster of Flowers, which I do not but others prefer this ED, then the Stunning Fist DC is 71 or 72. Even the 68 is more than enough to run EE Tor and stun everything. The only stuns that don't seem to land consistently are in EE Tor against the cleric giants... I forget what they're called.

[B0ltdrag0n]

Again how are you getting them that high.

You haven't posted the other parts of the build, such as gear layout and break downs of important essential things such as your stunning DC.

[Draiden]

Again how are you getting them that high.

You haven't posted the other parts of the build, such as gear layout and break downs of important essential things such as your stunning DC.

Fair enough. If DC = 10 + (Half Char levels) + Wis Mod + Other Mods, then here's the itemized breakdown at lvl 28:

Base: 10
Char Level: 28 (+14 Mod)
Wisdom: 42 (+16 Mod)
Fighter Past Lives x3: +3
Seal of House Dun'Robar: +10
Adamantine Cloak of the Bear: +6 Combat Mastery
Legendary Tactics (Dreadnought ED): +6
Tactics (T2 Kensai Enhancement): +3

Total: 68 (69 if you want to run a DDO Store pot for another +2 Wisdom)

And here is the Wisdom Ability Score breakdown:

Base: 15
Tome: +5
Human Adaptability: +1
Wisdom Item: +10
Insightful Wisdom (Colorless Slot): +2
Exceptional Wisdom (Globe of Imperial Blood): +1
Water Stance (Grandmaster of Forms): +4
Ship Buffs: +2
Yugo Pot: +2

Total: 42 (44 with afore mentioned DDO Store Pot)

Again, this is the breakdown in Legendary Dreadnought. While in Grandmaster of Flowers you will get another +3 from innate abilities, for a total of 71 or 72... as long as you twist in Legendary Tactics. If you're running an EE quest where you really just need to be the Stunmaster of Flowers, then that's your thing. For soloing EE content, the 68/69 Stun DC is plenty high enough even in the Tor.

I hope this helps!

[elyssaria]

Sent you a PM btw with some further questions

/E