The Inferno: A Heroic Leveling Build

[jscott457]

A Warforged 9 Monk/8 Sorcerer/3 Favored Soul, this build relies on fireball as an SLA and the use of a greatsword or quarterstaff, plus the natural speed and self healing of an arcane warforged, to zerg through the heroic levels, and obtain a monk past life without any lesser reincarnations. The monk levels work out very well for many reasons, but this build is still feasible if you wanted to change the monk out for something less useful (bard, barbarian, etc.) .

Before the build itself, first a few disclaimers:
1. This is a build meant as a leveling build, and I have no good idea how it could be very useful in epic play beyond epic normal.
2. If you are not a 36 point build, your stats will probably be too stretched out.
3. This build works best with +3-+4 tomes and a reasonable amount of gear, although it is playable without.

This build is in no way perfectly optimized, so I am definitely open to constructive suggestions for how to make it more efficient.

Without further ado, here is the build:

Beginning Stats:
STR: 16 (10)
DEX 12 (4)
CON 16 (6)
INT: 10 (2, with +4 or better tome in intelligence) or 11(3, with +3 tome) or 12(4, with +2 or lower tome )
WIS:10(4)
CHA: 14 (10) + all level up points here
If you do not have +4 tomes, lower your wisdom (AC, will save) or dexterity (AC, reflex save, dodge prerequisite) by an appropriate amount to allow for intelligence.

Leveling order:
1-8: Sorcerer
9: Monk (Allows the feats to line up well)
10-12: Favored Soul
13-20: Monk

Skill Points(10 starting intelligence with +4 tome)
1. Spellcraft (4), UMD (2)
2. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5)
3. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5)
4. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5)
5. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5)
6. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5)
7. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5), Repair (0.5)*
8. Spellcraft (1), UMD (0.5), Repair (0.5)
9. Concentration(4), Tumble(1)
10. Spellcraft(2), UMD (0.5)
11. Spellcraft(1), Repair(0.5), UMD(0.5)
12. Spellcraft(1), Repair(0.5), UMD(0.5)
13. Concentration(4), UMD(0.5)
14. Concentration(4), UMD(0.5)
15. Concentration(5), UMD(0.5)**
16. Concentration(2), Spellcraft(1.5), UMD(0.5)
17. Concentration(1), Spellcraft(2), UMD(0.5)
18. Concentration(1), Spellcraft(2), UMD(0.5)
19. Concentration(1), Spellcraft(1.5), Repair (0.5), UMD(0.5)
20. Concentration(1), Spellcraft(1), Repair(1), Tumble(1)

Totals: Concentration(23) Spellcraft(23), UMD(11), Repair(3), Tumble(2)

*+2 Tome used
**+4 tome used

Feats:
1: Maximize
3: Empower
6: Extend
9(Monk bonus level 1): Power Attack
9: Cleave
10(FVS faith): Follower of The Lord of Blades
12: Great Cleave
13(Monk bonus level 2): Two Handed Fighting
15: IC: Bludgeon/Slash (depending on your weapon of choice)***
17(Monk bonus level 6): Dodge
18: Master of forms (ITHF if you are choosing to be uncentered)***

***An uncentered version of this build will probably be using a greatsword, because it can be used as an implement with favored soul enhancements, and if it has a red slot can still grant a good amount of fire spell power. Due to the lack of fire lore in this version, I recommend Flame's Gift (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Flame%27s_Gift)

***A centered version of this build will probably be using Luminous Truth (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Luminous_Truth) for its mix of excellent fire boosts and decent damage with improved critical range.

Sorceror Spells
Level 1: Jump, Nightshield, Shield, Tumble
Level 2: Blur, Invisibility, Resist Energy
Level 3: Fireball(Potentially switch to Haste later), Repair Serious****
Level 4: Firewall(Switch to Repair Critical later)

Favored Soul Spells
Level 1: Bless, Remove Fear, Divine Favor, Cure Light Wounds

**** If you do not have access to displacement clickies, then consider picking up displacement instead of haste/fireball

Enhancements:

Fire Savant (35)
Tier 1: Critical(2), Fire Savant(1), Conflagration(3), Burning Hands(3), Intensity(1)
Tier 2: Critical(2), Fanning the flames(3) Fire affinity(1)
Tier 3: Greater Fire Affinity(1), Critical(2), Charisma(2)
Tier 4: Scorch(3), Critical(2), Charisma(2), Fire Guard(2)
Tier 5: Fireball(3), Evocation DC(2)


Angel of Vengeance(12)
Tier 1: Font of Power(1), Scourge(3), Smiting(2)
Tier 2: Just Reward(2), Smiting(2),
Tier 3: Smiting(2)

Warpriest(8)
Tier 1: Smite Foe(1), Divine Might(3), Toughness(1)
Tier 2: Resistance of Battle(1), Wall of Steel(2)

Henshin Mystic(25)
Tier 1: Riddle of fire(1), Staff Training(2), Clever Monkey(2)
Tier 2: Ki bolt(1), Staff Training(2), Contemplation(3), Fists of Iron(2)
Tier 3: Staff training(2), Lighting the Candle(6), Sounding Staff(1)
Tier 4: Incinerating Wave(1), Staff Training(2)

Note: These enhancements are designed for a quarterstaff build, a greatsword build would be significantly different

Lastly, the main goals of this build:

1: Use SLA fireball and a two handed weapon to zerg through the heroic levels
--This build can easily achieve 400 fire spell power and can even reach 40% critical chance
--Using divine might, your high charisma will help your strength become high enough to deal decent melee damage
2: Self heal reasonably well using repair spells
3: Get a monk past life, or modify the build to get any past life you choose

[jscott457]

Some statistics on the build, taken from around level 16.

All of this is very hypothetical, and all of the AP's are not possible at level 16, but you should be able to get numbers close to these.

Spell power on SLA fireball

Maximize 150
Empower 75
Item 72
Implement 12
Scourge 30
Conflagration 25
Henshin Innates 15
F.S. Innates 30
F.S. Points 24
AOV Points 13
Warpriest Innates 10
Spellcraft Skill 20
Total: 476 Fire Spell Power (without alchemical)

476 is a bit of a stretch, but 400 is very reasonable.

Fire critical chance:
Fire Savant Enhancements: 8
AOV Enhancements: 6
Item: 15
Henshin Innates 4
Magical Training 5
Total 38% Fire Critical Chance

What this means: With an 11d3 +33 damage fireball (average damage 55) your damage jumps to:
55*576/100 = 316.8 damage
And on a critical hit: 633.6 damage

The average damage for your fireball becomes: (316*62 + 633*38)/100 = 436 damage

[maddong]

Nice.

What is the casting level of fireball? I guess it doesn't matter so much since they normally cap at 10d6?

[jscott457]

The casting level is 8(Sorceror Levels) +3(Fire Savant Enhancements)=11
The 3rd fire savant enhancement increases the max caster level of fireball to 11

[Munkenmo]

I don't see how this build is any good as a heroic leveling build.

by default it grants a monk pastlife, but it's far from an ideal splash. A 9druid / monk /2fighter will be far more optimised and easier to level.

if you're planning on getting a sorc pastlife using an lr then this build is not only inneficiant it's also a waste of money.

[jscott457]

This build is not meant as a sorcerer life, if I wanted that, I would probably just play a pure WF sorcerer, it's fairly easy.

What this build IS meant for, though, is to help someone who leans towards self-healing and casters obtain lives like monk and rogue that do not meet these criteria.