Looking for help with a particular build...

[FriedrichPsitalon]

Hey folks.

I'm looking to create something rather particular, and here's my order of priorities:

1) Centered with a Two-Handed Weapon, specifically axes (So "One with the blade")
2) Heavily utilize the advantages of monk (AC/immunities/Grandmaster of Flowers, eventually)
3) I am the front line for my group of six, so durability and taunt-draw in some form are desirable (thinking the Stone stances)
4) I'd like to go Light Monk for the ability to offer lots of nifty supporting abilities to my group

Ideally, I'd like to go Warforged (personal preference, but I recognize the problem it presents to Wisdom and thus AC) or Dwarf (to do the "CON is your STR" thing) - but the problem I'm having there is figuring out the minimum strength I'd need along the way if I go Dwarf. Or, if there's a better race for the plan, just throw that out instead.

Other useful notes:
+5 Supreme Tome
Dedicated Healer in my standard group
Dedicated Trapper in my standard group
Fourth Life, some Epic Destinies but not the whole kit-and-kaboodle yet.

I'd appreciate any advice/suggestions the gentlemen and ladies of this forum could offer, aside from "Non-optimal, ****, waste of time, go away." I recognize the build may not be ultra-BYOH-FOTM, but I think I could at least do something useful with it. My inclination was 15 Monk (AC, immunities, stuffs) and 5 Fighter (minimum for One With the Blade) but alternatives that work better with this plan I'm very open to hearing about.

Thanks very much in advance.

[giftie]

Minimum for One with the Blade is 8 Fighter, since the prereqs include Greater Weapon Focus which is only available at Fighter 8+.

You can't really go wrong with 12 Monk/Fighter 8. Although you might want to consider additionally splashing 2 levels of Cleric/FvS for Divine Might, Wall of Steel and Smite Weakness.

[unbongwah]

Dwarf (to do the "CON is your STR" thing)

I think Throw Your Weight Around is a trap. First off, it forces you to spend 18 APs in dwarf tree, and you'll quickly find this is an AP-starved combo. Second, if you're dumping STR for CON, you're missing out on various DPS feats, such as ITHF/GTHF (base STR 17) or Overwhelming Crit (STR 23); and if you get your STR high enough to take those feats, what was the point of adding TYWA anyway? Plus there are simply more STR bonuses than CON bonuses in DDO.

For these sorts of centered Kensei, I'd recommend a minimum of monk 6 / ftr 8. Ftr 8 is necessary for GWF->Weap Spec IV->One w/Blade+Keen Edge; without it, this doesn't work. Monk 6 is good for 3 feats, Adept of Forms, and Shadow Veil (esp. great if you wanna tank). Then the question becomes what to do with the six remaining lvls.

• Monk 12 gets you Imp Evasion and Master of Forms and boosts your healing ki finishers; you also gain access to the lvl 12 core enhs, although these seem weak to me.
• Ftr 12 gets you two extra feats (one of which is pro'lly GWS for +2 dmg) & Power Surge; it also leaves two lvls free for other splashes.
• Pally 2 splash gets you Divine Grace; saves are always important, but they're particularly important when you're the aggro magnet everyone else is hiding behind. Add enough lvls and you can get some combo of Divine Might, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Exalted Smite, and Unyielding Sovereignty.
• Druid 2 splash gets you Ram's Might, Vengeful Hunter, and Doublestrike action boost.
• Cleric or FvS 2 splash gets you Smite Foe, Divine Might (for fewer APs than pally DM), and Wall of Steel (+10 PRR) from Warpriest.

Some of these combos unlock Heal skill and access to Emp Heal feat; that + Rejuv Cocoon + FoL gives you plenty of self-healing.

[Havok.cry]

there are simply more STR bonuses than CON bonuses in DDO.

Are you 100% sure about that? I was thinking con might be the one stat that could get equal to or higher than strength, but I haven't looked at it in depth yet.

[unbongwah]

Are you 100% sure about that? I was thinking con might be the one stat that could get equal to or higher than strength, but I haven't looked at it in depth yet.

The only item I can think of which gives more CON than STR is Madstone Boots (+2 STR +4 CON). Beyond that, I don't know of any CON bonuses which don't have equivalent STR bonuses. Whereas there are quite a few STR-only buffs: e.g., Ram's Might, Divine Might, Power Surge, Titan's Grip, Primal Scream. The only time CON-based makes sense if you're deliberately gimping yourself by not taking any of those STR bonuses, which seems pointless.

EDIT: also, TYWA replaces STR for dmg but not to-hit; and while to-hit is less important than it used to be, it's not irrelevant, either, so you haven't really made your build any less MAD.

[CoasterHops]

Bladeforged - 12 Fighter/4monk/4pali..............

[unbongwah]

Bladeforged - 12 Fighter/4monk/4pali..............

I'd rather do 12 / 6 / 2: you lose Divine Sacrifice & Exalted Smite and have to Twist in Bane of Undeath to use Divine Might; but you keep Adept of Forms, extra monk feat, and Shadow Veil. If you pick up Magical Training as a chosen feat, you can also Twist in Endless Faith; that's enough to power Reconstruct SLA.

[Viggy]

I'd rather do 12 / 6 / 2: you lose Divine Sacrifice & Exalted Smite and have to Twist in Bane of Undeath to use Divine Might; but you keep Adept of Forms, extra monk feat, and Shadow Veil. If you pick up Magical Training as a chosen feat, you can also Twist in Endless Faith; that's enough to power Reconstruct SLA.

I play a 12(F)/6(M)/2(P), warforged currently but looking at tr'ing into a bladeforged when possible. Extremely powerful 12/6/2, saves are 60+, 60 some odd prr, 26% dodge, displacement and ghostly. With LD Blitz its a very nice build to play.

Edit: I went more pure dps, but you could easily go more monk for defensive abilities.

2nd Edit: I would take a look at a build like this https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...er-Build-Cetus swith race to WF, change enchancements how you want, change twists/epic destiny around and I think you should be pretty well off. Plus the gear could change too, doesn't need to be such top end to do well.