Kensei Warpriest for new players (Human 12/8 Fighter/Cleric)

[EllisDee37]

Cool, had a few ideas for S&B Warpriest / Defender builds which double-striking Ameliorating Strikes would definitely help.

Yeah, plus on a double strike build you can easily max out the vulnerable on bosses. My guy has almost no double strike yet and even as a THF was able to max out vulnerable on harry the last shroud I ran.

(+20% to all damage from any source.)

[Choopak]

Cool, had a few ideas for S&B Warpriest / Defender builds which double-striking Ameliorating Strikes would definitely help.

Did i miss something? Does shield and board = dual wielding with weapon and shield as off hand?
If yes can be very effective self healing tank

[unbongwah]

Did i miss something? Does shield and board = dual wielding with weapon and shield as off hand?
If yes can be very effective self healing tank

S&B is all about the doublestrike:

• 15% from Shield Mastery feats & Legendary SM (US)
• 15% Enhancement (EE First Blood)
• 6% morale bonus
• 5% Alchemical bonus
• 3% Artifact bonus
• 3% Hail of Blows (GMoF)
• 25% from Block & Cut in T5 Stalwart D. tree (10 sec. duration, 20 sec. cooldown)

That's 47% base doublestrike once fully kitted out, 72% while B&C is active; so the idea would be to use B&C just before using Smite Foe to max out chance of double-procing Ameliorating Strikes. If I also double-proc Smite Weakness, well, so much the better.

AP costs make things tight, though: I need to spend at least 33 APs in SD for B&C, 22 APs in WP for Ameliorating Strike. Which leaves 25 APs for whatever else I need/want.

[Choopak]

S&B is all about the doublestrike:

• 15% from Shield Mastery feats & Legendary SM (US)
• 15% Enhancement (EE First Blood)
• 6% morale bonus
• 5% Alchemical bonus
• 3% Artifact bonus
• 3% Hail of Blows (GMoF)
• 25% from Block & Cut in T5 Stalwart D. tree (10 sec. duration, 20 sec. cooldown)

That's 47% base doublestrike once fully kitted out, 72% while B&C is active; so the idea would be to use B&C just before using Smite Foe to max out chance of double-procing Ameliorating Strikes. If I also double-proc Smite Weakness, well, so much the better.

AP costs make things tight, though: I need to spend at least 33 APs in SD for B&C, 22 APs in WP for Ameliorating Strike. Which leaves 25 APs for whatever else I need/want.

oki so this build is only viable if you invest a lot in StaDef... I taugh you wanted to try the OP build, but with a shield instead of THF..

[Choopak]

Quick question Ellis

You said you don't use this build in EE (whatever it is, lol) but you built it to level 28...
At cap level: can the build perform well enough (outside EE)?
Also, while leveling and beyong, any specific gear should i aim for (all ready have GS boots, bracers, ESoS, bunch of stuff from TOD), was really looking more of the "new stuff", expansion and whatnot...
I like to have a certain goal to end game

Thanks

[EllisDee37]

You said you don't use this build in EE (whatever it is, lol) but you built it to level 28...
At cap level: can the build perform well enough (outside EE)?

EE is epic elite. This build works fine in epic hard, no problem.

[Choopak]

EE is epic elite. This build works fine in epic hard, no problem.

Haaaaa for EE, and glad to know that the build works fine... love the play style and leveling so far.

[Choopak]

With U20 around the corner, do you foresee any major changes?
I can see Tring into the DPK, for more cheese enhancements wise... but that's about it...

[Choopak]

Noob alert: I read a couple of times about cleric's aura, how do you get them? what they do? I look into enhancements, found out about bursts (powered by turn undead) but aura...

[Panzermeyer]

Noob alert: I read a couple of times about cleric's aura, how do you get them? what they do? I look into enhancements, found out about bursts (powered by turn undead) but aura...

Cleric Aura is a Teir 5 enhancement of the Radiant Servant tree. It is at the top of the tree.

You must spend at least 30 points in the RS tree and have 6 cleric levels to get it.

Getting it will lock you out of any other Tier 5 abilities in any other tree. But it is a pretty potent one to have.

[Choopak]

Cleric Aura is a Teir 5 enhancement of the Radiant Servant tree. It is at the top of the tree.

You must spend at least 30 points in the RS tree and have 6 cleric levels to get it.

Getting it will lock you out of any other Tier 5 abilities in any other tree. But it is a pretty potent one to have.

gotcha! thanks for the quick and clear answer... So for this build it would be good to have, but nearly impossible to get... To few AP to spare to get Tier 5 in RS... and beside, with tier 5 in RS, this would not be call a melee dps build anymore, hehe.

[EllisDee37]

gotcha! thanks for the quick and clear answer... So for this build it would be good to have, but nearly impossible to get... To few AP to spare to get Tier 5 in RS... and beside, with tier 5 in RS, this would not be call a melee dps build anymore, hehe.

Not really.

I tested it on lama, and aura only ends up being worth in the teens per tick. A real cleric's aura will be worth 50-100 per tick.

For this build it is much preferred to take kensei to tier 3 for the +1 crit range. (Keen Edge) "Dumping" heals almost entirely (investing 0 in the radiant servant tree) still gives you a massive amount of healing.

[Choopak]

Not really.

I tested it on lama, and aura only ends up being worth in the teens per tick. A real cleric's aura will be worth 50-100 per tick.

For this build it is much preferred to take kensei to tier 3 for the +1 crit range. (Keen Edge) "Dumping" heals almost entirely (investing 0 in the radiant servant tree) still gives you a massive amount of healing.

Yep Ellis, came to same conclusions...
With U20 you can now TR into iconic race, even at only 20th level and restart at 15... what you think of this build as a PDK? Almost all same enhancements, and racial (feat, extra skill points)
I would miss the dragonmark (expeditious retreat is so useful at low level, and DD also), BUT all this is redeem with: For Cormyr!!! On top of it, they start as fighter...

[EllisDee37]

It should work fine as any race. An iconic PDK version would be particularly nice if you want to start at 15.

[Choopak]

It should work fine as any race. An iconic PDK version would be particularly nice if you want to start at 15.

Lol well your build works really good, but i'm still only level 8... Thinking ahead... Maybe to much ;-)
The thing is: there will be special feat/ past life available only to iconic... So worth considering.

[LaryTrueman]

So... I sort of tried a build quite similar to this... only with a lot more gimmick to it. Its basically a WF Lord of The Blades Greatsword wielding kensai centered monk.
What I wanted was the following:
1. Monk for Stances and Evasion
2. Enough Fighter so I could be centered with a Greatsword
3. Enough Cleric to make using my religion's weapon Greatsword actually worth it
The split I originally came up with was Monk3/Fighter8/Cleric9... but now that I've read through this thread I'm pondering if it would be worth it giving up the ability to cast level 5 cleric Spells an Evasion for the +8 Strength boost. What are your thoughts on this? And also... the Warpriest religious weapon enhancements and Kensei Battle meditation stack right?

[EllisDee37]

So... I sort of tried a build quite similar to this... only with a lot more gimmick to it. Its basically a WF Lord of The Blades Greatsword wielding kensai centered monk.
What I wanted was the following:
1. Monk for Stances and Evasion
2. Enough Fighter so I could be centered with a Greatsword
3. Enough Cleric to make using my religion's weapon Greatsword actually worth it
The split I originally came up with was Monk3/Fighter8/Cleric9... but now that I've read through this thread I'm pondering if it would be worth it giving up the ability to cast level 5 cleric Spells an Evasion for the +8 Strength boost. What are your thoughts on this? And also... the Warpriest religious weapon enhancements and Kensei Battle meditation stack right?

The biggest reason I want 7 cleric levels is for FOM and DW to keep me immune to holds and level drains. Since you're natively immune to both, you can drop level 4 cleric spells without much concern.

I might toy around with 12/4/4 fighter/monk/cleric or 8/8/4 fighter/monk/cleric. Heck, even 12/6/2 fighter/monk/cleric might be good, though cleric 4 is nice for deity weapons.

[LaryTrueman]

The biggest reason I want 7 cleric levels is for FOM and DW to keep me immune to holds and level drains. Since you're natively immune to both, you can drop level 4 cleric spells without much concern.

I might toy around with 12/4/4 fighter/monk/cleric or 8/8/4 fighter/monk/cleric. Heck, even 12/6/2 fighter/monk/cleric might be good, though cleric 4 is nice for deity weapons.

An excellent point. But I would also lose quite a bit of healing and buff capability I think. I really like the 12/4/4 though because it would get me the +8 strength boost, the super stylish monk feather fall AND another +2% dodge on top. Hm.

EDIT: And I would also lose Bladesworn Transformation... its sort of weird but damage-wise its comparable to the fighter boost although of course it comes at a greater cost.

[Choopak]

An excellent point. But I would also lose quite a bit of healing and buff capability I think. I really like the 12/4/4 though because it would get me the +8 strength boost, the super stylish monk feather fall AND another +2% dodge on top. Hm.

EDIT: And I would also lose Bladesworn Transformation... its sort of weird but damage-wise its comparable to the fighter boost although of course it comes at a greater cost.

If you want to go Bot (aka forged) take a look at new bladeforged, same goodies as warforged, but no -2 CHA, so everything that need CHA is better (smites, divine might, saves, etc...)

[Choopak]

An excellent point. But I would also lose quite a bit of healing and buff capability I think. I really like the 12/4/4 though because it would get me the +8 strength boost, the super stylish monk feather fall AND another +2% dodge on top. Hm.

EDIT: And I would also lose Bladesworn Transformation... its sort of weird but damage-wise its comparable to the fighter boost although of course it comes at a greater cost.

This is a better split 12/5/3 IF you go WF or BF.
Bladeforged really shine here, no pen to CHA, reconstruct as a SLA, good enhancements.
5 cleric open 3rd level spells and all the warpriest enhancements (including weapon of faith)
3 monk is enough for evasion, earth stance, and 2 feats! (level 4 give you what? slow fall?)
You'll loose some healing amp, but gain reconstruct to compensate.
One more thing: one a WF/BF platform, i'll go TWF, cost more feat, but the double proc of ameliorating strike fills your health bar even faster