Revisiting the Sacred Defender for New Players

[unbongwah]

Someone PMed me looking for gear suggestions to this build; rather than posting to that thread, though, I figured I'd start a new one.

First off, I suggest taking a look at Junts's oldie-but-goodie pally guide; although the info on Enhancements is obsolete, there's still good info on pally spells, how special abilities work, etc. that's still relevant.

Second, the first piece of advice offered to most newbies out to make S&B pallies is: don't make a S&B pally. In most cases, the threat & survivability bonuses from S&B doesn't outweigh the DPS loss of not going THF/TWF. Furthermore, S&B pally builds are actually more feat-intensive than a pure DPS pally; and pallies are feat-constrained as it is. Usually the best "Defenders" are those who focused on DPS, with a little bit extra invested in threat amp & survivability than pure DPS builds.

That said, if your heart's still set on a S&B Sacred Defender, then here's a brief rundown of various options and their pros & cons:

Pal 20
Pros: Gain capstone, maximize LoH, extra spell slots & SPs
Cons: no Evasion; SD capstone is pretty weak and KotC capstone is broken (Good-aligned weapons isn't working); pure pallies are sorely lacking in DPS & feat-starved

Pal 18 / ftr 2
Pros: gain 2 extra feats, tower shield prof, access to low-tier Kensei & SD goodies (Haste Boost, Extra Action Boost, Threatening Countenance, Shield Striking)
Cons: no Evasion; only two lvl 4 spell slots; lvl 18 core abilities are fairly blah IMHO (altho Ralmeth is a fan of Glorious Stand, IIRC)

Pal 18 / monk 2
Pros: gains 2 extra feats, +3 to all saves, & Evasion; some monk PrE bonuses still apply while uncentered (e.g., Ninja Acrobatic, Shintao heal amp)
Cons: doesn't provide the DPS bonuses of a ftr splash - this is a more survivability-oriented splash; no tower shield prof (altho you can UMD Master's Touch scrolls to grant it)

Pal 15 / monk 2 / ftr 2 (final level into monk or ftr)
Pros: gain 4 extra feats & Evasion; combines the best of both splashes while keeping two lvl 4 spell slots (Zeal + CSW or DW)
Cons: lose lvl 18 core enhs; fewer SPs & LoH loses some oomph

Pal 14 / ftr 6
Pros: Stalwart Defender can take Block & Cut (+25% doublestrike for 10 secs, 20 sec CD), which is a significant bonus to S&B DPS and stacks w/Zeal, AFAIK
Cons: no Evasion, only 1 lvl 4 spell slot (so no CSW), investing heavily in Stalwart D. means fewer APs for KotC and Sacred D.

Right now pure pallies are pretty weak; I wouldn't make one except for flavor or some self-imposed constraint to stick w/pure. My belief is that pal 14 / ftr 6 will have the best S&B DPS but the worst survivability / self-sufficiency (tho still a lot better than pure ftr has); while the 15/3/2 split offers the most reasonable compromise between DPS & survivability (can still wear med/hvy armor when AC&PRR are more important than Evasion). 18/2 builds are only if you really want the lvl 18 core abilities or you don't have monk. Since this thread is focused on new players who won't have monk, I'll be focusing on the pally 18 / ftr 2 combo. [If there's interest, I'll try to whip up something with a rog splash instead of monk for F2Pers who want Evasion tanks.]

Feats: These are roughly divided into three catergories.

• DPS: Power Atk, Cleave, Gt Cleave, Improved Critical, the THF chain, Overwhelming Crit - threat is based on DPS, so higher DPS not only kills monsters faster, it increases your ability to hold aggro
• Survivability: Toughness / eToughness, Dodge / Mobility etc., metamagics like Quicken+Emp Heal - these are the feats which boost your chances of staying alive, thru more HPs, higher Dodge, better self-healing, etc.
• Tanking: Shield Mastery, Imp Shield Mastery, b.sword or d.axe prof., Imp Shield Bash - these feats boost DPS as well as survivability while S&B

Since pure & mostly-pure pallies are feat-constrained, finding the right balance for your build goals is key.

Now, onto a sample build:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 04.20.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 28 Lawful Good Human Female
(2 Fighter \ 18 Paladin \ 8 Epic) 
Hit Points: 380
Spell Points: 260 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 20
Reflex: 9
Will: 9

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 28)
Strength             16                    26
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             16                    16

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 20

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 28)
Balance              -1                     7
Bluff                 3                    11
Concentration         6                    33
Diplomacy             3                    11
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                3                    14
Heal                  3                    28
Hide                 -1                     7
Intimidate            5                    37
Jump                  3                    16
Listen               -1                     7
Move Silently        -1                     7
Open Lock            n/a                    n/a
Perform               n/a                  n/a
Repair                0                     8
Search                0                     8
Spellcraft            0                     8
Spot                 -1                     7
Swim                  3                    16
Tumble                0                     8
Use Magic Device      n/a                  n/a

Level 1 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Skill: Heal (+4)
Skill: Intimidate (+2)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Cleave
Feat: (Deity) Follower of the Sovereign Host
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+3)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery


Level 3 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword


Level 4 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Heal (+1)


Level 5 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 6 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Great Cleave


Level 7 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Intimidate (+3)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Human - Human Versatility: Damage Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Human Adaptability: Strength (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Improved Recovery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Hunter of the Dead I (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Holy Bastion (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Divine Righteousness (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Kensei Focus: Heavy Blades (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 3)


Level 9 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Mastery


Level 10 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 11 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 12 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Bash
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Sacrifice (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Exalted Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Swift Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 3)


Level 13 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 14 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 15 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Two Handed Fighting


Level 16 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 17 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 18 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Handed Fighting


Level 19 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 20 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Courage of Heaven (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Vigor of Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Redemption (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Glorious Stand (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Bulwark Aura (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Bulwark Aura (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resistance Aura (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resistance Aura (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Harbored by Light (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Harbored by Light (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Harbored by Light (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Toughness (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Item Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 3)


Level 21 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Handed Fighting


Level 22 (Epic)


Level 23 (Epic)


Level 24 (Epic)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Overwhelming Critical


Level 25 (Epic)


Level 26 (Epic)
Feat: (Epic Destiny) Epic Destiny: Holy Strike


Level 27 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Blinding Speed


Level 28 (Epic)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Epic Destiny) Epic Destiny: Elusive Target

I focused on DPS and tanking feats with this build; this helps max out threat & kill mobs quicker but limits extra survivability options. In particular, not having Quik+Emp Heal will limit self-healing a bit. You can see I maxed out Intim & Concentration, with near-max Heal; UMD is also an useful alternative to Concentration.

Note: I front-loaded the shield feats for those who wish to go S&B ASAP; but honestly I think you'd be better off leveling as a conventional 2H pally and only switch to S&B at later levels when it becomes (slightly) more useful. To that end, you may wish to revise the feat order to take the THF chain ASAP and backload the shield feats later.

[unbongwah]

Gear Recommendations

Balancing gear is always a PITA, frankly, but it's particularly tricky for a tank build, which has a lot of things to worry about. Here's a list of what I consider priorities:

• Stat bonuses: STR, CHA, and CON are your primary stats and should be kept as high as possible; bearing in mind than only even stats count towards bonuses. Remember that Div Might is now an Insightful STR bonus, so balance your STR based on how high it will be while DM is active; e.g., if you have STR 21 CHA 20 natively, then w/DM your STR will be 26. WIS needs to be 10 + spell lvl in order to cast spells; so in the long run you need at least WIS 14 to use all pally spells. DEX boosts your AC & Reflex saves; it isn't a top priority, IMHO, but it's still worthwhile after other gear reqs are met. INT is a dump stat.
• Dmg bonuses: a Deadly item and a Seeker item are both important; Manslayer (instakill or +100 dmg on vorpal strikes) is also a nice perk.
• Fortification: this protects you from sneak atks & critical hits, so it should be kept maxed out.
• Saves: thanks to Divine Grace, pallies have naturally high saves, but you'll still want the best Resistance item you can equip; later you'll want a Parrying item as well.
• Speed: boosts your movement & atk speeds, both of which are important.
• HPs: have the best False Life item equipped; later on add Vitality and, if you get into Shroud-farming, a GS HP item.
• AC: it's debatable whether it's worth investing in AC heavily, but if you do, you'll want Protection, Natural Armor, and Parrying bonuses.
• Dodge: build as specced can support 4% Dodge (base MDB 1 + 3 SD enhs); higher Dodge req's more investment in MDB increases or switching to med armor.
• PRR: some of this is inherent from armor; you'll also want a good Sheltering item equipped.
• Heal amp: this boosts all incoming heals and will stack multiplicatively with different bonuses; i.e., 10%+20% heal amp bonuses stack, but 20%+20% does not.
• Self-heals: a Devotion item and Heal skill item will boost Positive Spellpower.
• SPs: pallies don't get a lot of spell pts, so you'll want a Wizardry item.
• Skill bonuses: Intim is the primary skill of every tank, so naturally you'll want the highest bonus to that you can get. Secondary skills like Concentration or Heal should also be boosted.
• Threat amp: this boosts your threat and like heal amp will stack with different bonuses.

ML:20 epic "starter" gear

Lots of folks come up with ideal endgame gear lists, but don't bother to tell newbies what to use while leveling. So, here's the stuff which should be relatively easy for a newbie to acquire to get started in epics. I used a lot of Eveningstar Commendation gear, in particular the PDK set because it provides a lot of useful bonuses.

Armor: PDK armor (Heavy Fort, SFL, Knights Loyalty)
Head: PDK helm (+7 CON, +2 insightful STR, Intim +15) - the STR bonus doesn't stack with Div Might, but the other bonuses are good
Gloves:PDK gloves (+7 STR, +2 insightful CON, 30% heal amp) - apart from the stat bonuses, these are the easiest-to-acquire source of 30% heal amp
Goggles: Guardian's Glasses (+35 Vitality), Woodman's Lenses (True Seeing, Seeker +6), Drow Smoke Goggles (Seeker +6, Manslayer), Deadly of Resistance lootgen
Cloak: Mithril Cloak of the Bear (+6 PRR, +6 Protection, Combat Mastery +5, +20% Incite) - this isn't a tactics-oriented build so CM +5 is of limited use, but the rest are solid tanking bonuses
Bracers: Sun Soul Bracers (WIS +7, Parrying IV) - the CON bonus is redudant, but WIS +7 is enough for your spellcasting needs plus it provides Parrying
Belt: a free slot to round out anything you're missing elsewhere
Trinket: Gtr Nimble Trinket (Blurry, 2% Dodge) - it's sad, but I dunno what else to put here...
Boots: Woodsman's Boots (insightful DEX +2, Striding 30%), Speed lootgen
Ring 1: Shining Sun Signet (+7 CHA, +2 insightful WIS, Healing Lore VI)
Ring 2: Guardian's Ring (24 PRR), Ring of the Stalker upgraded to T2/3 (Seeker +6, Ghostly, Manslayer) - Seeker & Manslayer bonuses don't stack, so it's redundant if you've got Woodmans or Drow Smoke in goggles slot
Weapons: eTemplar's Retribution (slotted w/silver for DR-breaking), eChimera's Fang (see below), ML:20 Cormyrian bastard swords
Shields: eTemplar's Bulwark (inherent elemental resists), heroic Wall of Wood (heal amp + Devotion)

eFang used to be the best b.sword in DDO; now it's mostly useful as a starter weapon for its bonus consolidation, esp. if you've got the Sentinel DM feat for full bonuses. But since it's not competitive with Nightmare or a Thunder-forged b.sword, I couldn't recommend basing one's build on it anymore.

[unbongwah]

Paladin 15 / Fighter 4 / Wizard 1

This variant is based on discussions from page 2; it was originally a Bladeforged paladin which I've adapted for F2P humans. I've also tweaked the feat order etc.; this build is focused on THF DPS until level 15 when she takes both Shield Masteries. While leveling, you may wish to ignore Sacred D. entirely to focus on KotC, particularly when tackling undead- or EO-heavy quests (Deleras, Necropolis, Vale, etc.).

The wiz splash may look odd, but it actually adds a lot of benefits to this build:

• Free metamagic feat (Extend to start, swap for Quicken later)
• Free Magical Training, which adds +130 SPs (plus more from INT) and Echoes of Power. Base EoP is 12 SPs, which is enough to power un-meta'ed CSW; in epic lvls you can Twist Endless Faith which bumps this up to 30 SPs, enough for un-meta'ed Zeal or meta'ed CSW.
• Access to arcane wands for early buffage & utility: e.g., Blur, Stoneskin, Protection from Energy, Knock (not as good as Finding DM, but beats nothing when you don't have a rogue). UMD eventually renders this redundant, but it can be a boon for first-lifers.
• Lvl 1 arcane buffs like Expeditious Retreat, Shield / Nightshield (MM immunity), and Jump (note some are subject to ASF)
• 4 APs into Eldritch Knight gets you +1% doublestrike, +10% AC from Imp Mage Armor SLA, and Eldritch Strike (SP cost makes it too expensive to spam regularly, but sometimes it's helpful to have a 3rd Cleave atk)
• 4 APs into Archmage will get you 1 SLA (Shield/Jump/Invisibility) and +75% Wand & Scroll Mastery (I think - not sure if wiki or builder is right about it being T1 or T2)

Taking two extra ftr lvls gets you 1 more feat and access to higher-tier Kensei / Stalwart abilities. I only added Overbalance for the free knockdowns, but you could add more STR, Crit Accuracy / Dmg, or whatever else you can squeeze out the APs for.

The main drawbacks to dropping 3 pally lvls are it reduces LoHs' effectiveness and you lose Glorious Stand, which can be a handy emergency button. Also, due to AP constraints, I gave up Harbored by Light, which just got nerfed / bugfixed in U21.1; it no longer stacks with itself, so it maxes out at +25 PRR rather than +50.

EDIT: tweaked build order slightly, based on feedback.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 04.20.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Good Human Female
(4 Fighter \ 15 Paladin \ 1 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 299
Spell Points: 325 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 21
Reflex: 10
Will: 12

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    24
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         14                    16
Intelligence         12                    12
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             15                    18

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 20
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 20
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 20

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance              -1                    -1
Bluff                 2                     4
Concentration         6                    25
Diplomacy             2                     4
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                2                     7
Heal                  3                    22
Hide                 -1                    -1
Intimidate            4                    29
Jump                  3                     8
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently        -1                    -1
Open Lock            n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                1                     1
Search                1                     1
Spellcraft            1                     1
Spot                 -1                    -1
Swim                  3                     7
Tumble                0                     0
Use Magic Device      4                    15

Level 1 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Skill: Heal (+4)
Skill: Intimidate (+2)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+2)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Cleave
Feat: (Deity) Follower of the Sovereign Host
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 2 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+2)


Level 3 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Two Handed Fighting


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Intimidate (+3)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Great Cleave


Level 5 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 6 (Paladin)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Handed Fighting


Level 7 (Paladin)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 8 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Human - Human Versatility: Damage Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Improved Recovery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Holy Bastion (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Divine Righteousness (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Durable Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resilient Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Hunter of the Dead I (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Courage of Heaven (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Hunter of the Dead II (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Sacrifice (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Kensei Focus: Heavy Blades (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Haste Boost (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Eldritch Knight (Wiz) - Eldritch Strike (Rank 1)


Level 9 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 11 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Handed Fighting


Level 13 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+3)
Enhancement: Human - Human Adaptability: Strength (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Redemption (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Bulwark Aura (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resistance Aura (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Inciting Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Vigor of Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Exalted Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Toughness (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Threatening Countenance (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Eldritch Knight (Wiz) - Improved Mage Armor (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Eldritch Knight (Wiz) - Improved Mage Armor (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Eldritch Knight (Wiz) - Improved Mage Armor (Rank 3)


Level 15 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Shield Mastery
Feat: (Selected) Shield Mastery


Level 16 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Heal (+2)


Level 17 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)


Level 18 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword


Level 19 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Heal (+2)


Level 20 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Intimidate (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Shield Bash
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Bulwark Aura (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Resistance Aura (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Strong Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Swift Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Hardy Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Tenacious Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Kensei (Ftr) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Overbalance (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Item Defense (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Stalwart Defender (Ftr) - Shield Striking (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Archmage (Wiz) - Transmutation I: Jump (Rank 1)

Normally I dislike starting with odd stats, but I felt I needed the extra INT in order to max out Intim and UMD, as well as have 22 ranks in Heal & Concentration.

[Ralmeth]

Good post! This should definitely help out a newer player. Paladins may not be ideal in epic elites due to the current game mechanics, but Paladins can do very well in heroic elites and epic hard quests (IMHO).

Now, as for your Paladin 18 / Fighter 2 build recommendation, I do have some suggestions & thoughts:
1) Tactics are where it's at. Stunning Blow is just an awesome way to increase your DPS by 50% vs. a stunned opponent. I would recommend to pick up stunning blow & improved sunder over the THF chain. Basic trip is useful too, but the catch is, you have to work on increasing the difficulty check (DC).
2) For anyone wanting to play a S&B character, monsters die so easily at lower levels (even on elite) that you are better off going two-handed fighting until at least the early teens. I would recommend pushing back the shield feats until levels 12-18 (ex. shield mastery at 12, improved shield mastery at 15, etc)
3) Glorious Stand is that good if you learn to use it when things are going south, and worth going to 18 Paladin levels (thanks for the shout out, BTW). Only since picking up cacoon have I not needed to use it, and for a new player it will be a while before they get cacoon.

[SoVTyphoon]

I had the dubious pleasure of playing a paladin S&B tank last life(15Pal/3Rog/2Fi). I found that paladins have excellent utility, but the fact that the number of feats I wanted to take was nowhere near the number of feats that I had to spend was definitely painful. I wound up not being able to pick up things like Toughness, Emp. heal, Improved shield bash, and B. sword prof. It looks like 4-6 levels in fighter frees up enough feats to reach the optimal S&B build and still keep Zeal.

Some things I noticed:

1. Took stunning blow early with the intention of swapping it out later for b. swords. Wound up keeping it all the way into epic levels due to divine might and strong defense kicking up Str DCs higher than initially anticipated.
2. Left concentration at 0. No problems whatsoever. Lay on hands works fine for emergency in-battle healing(without quicken, this is the fastest heal paladins have anyway), all other spells (cures/buffs/ress) are saved for when fights are over, or turn and run before casting.
3. Harbored by Light - either bugged or too **** good.
4. Both the cleave feats and the THF feats had a bigger impact than the shield mastery feats. The doublestrike on the shield feats wound up being the most useful aspect. Parties wound up consisting of people who were able to steal aggro almost at will, or people who basically did no damage. Damage output(counterintuitive, yes) became a primary consideration when it came to being able to maintain aggro as a tank.

[unbongwah]

1) Tactics are where it's at. Stunning Blow is just an awesome way to increase your DPS by 50% vs. a stunned opponent. I would recommend to pick up stunning blow & improved sunder over the THF chain.

Good points about tactics feats, esp. Stunning Blow; I sometimes forget pallies no longer have sucky DCs. I'm just wondering where to squeeze in more DC bonuses. I already planned on a Cloak of the Bear in my gear layout, but any suggestions for what to use for Stunning / Shattering bonuses? Dun'Robar rings are an obvious option, except farming for the right one is such a PITA.

If I dropped the THF feats, I think I would drop b.sword as well and switch to scimitars, hoping the better crit dmg would make up for the loss of glancing blows. Plus with Thunder-forging, all weapon types are once again viable at endgame. In which case, those feats can go towards Quicken, Emp Heal, Stunning Blow, and something else (Imp Sunder, maybe).

[ZanderJS]

Hi unbongwah!

Thanks for this awesome reply to my query! : )
Really appreciate it!
And to Ralmeth and SoVTyphoon as well for your suggestions!

Regarding giving up the THF chain for Stunning Blow, would it be possible to maintain the usage of B.Swords while giving up the THF chain?
Would it reduce my damge output greatly?

[Fedora1]

Very nice (as usual) sir, very nice.

I like to keep B-sword or D-axe as a feat since there are such a plethora of good loot-gen ones out there for cheap, and a lot of good named ones as well.

If you go dwarf you will not have to spend a feat for a d-axe and also get some nice axe bonuses from the racial tree, and combat DC's as well.

Question - using the 16/2/2 or 15/3/2 for the fighter/monk splashes, what would be the ideal leveling order? Would you front load the monk for evasion?

[unbongwah]

Regarding giving up the THF chain for Stunning Blow, would it be possible to maintain the usage of B.Swords while giving up the THF chain?
Would it reduce my damge output greatly?

http://ddowiki.com/page/Glancing_blows

I don't think the page has been updated since U19 rolled out, so some of the data is obsolete; but the main takeaways are (A) glancing blows only apply to regular atks while standing still and (B) of the THF feats, GTHF provides the single biggest boost to dmg because it adds an extra glancing blow - so for that reason, I consider the THF feats to be all-or-nothing.

[Enoach]

You have some good points about the S&B Paladin.

I myself have a half-elf Level 20 Paladin that primarily uses S&B.

Some helpful advice about maximizing your Attribute setup especially where it concerns your defensive abilities...

It is important to understand what your maximum obtainable Max Dex Bonus will be. This is important as this also caps out your Dodge bonus (which will be far more valuable than AC at higher levels/Difficulties)

Determine what Kind of armor you will be wearing - Heavy 1 MDB / Medium 3 MDB
Determine MDB with Tower Shield - 2 MDB (4 MDB if Mithral)

So for Example if you have a Base 8 Dexterity, plan on a +2 Tome and a +6 item your Dexterity would be 16 with Ship buffs you will be at 18, with a Dex Mod of 3, 4 with ship buffs. If this is the case you will want your MDB to be at 4 - Less would be wasting your Dexterity, more would be wasting points/gear on something you cannot fill. You can make adjustments with feats and gear.

Determine Feats/Enhancements planned for improving MDB
- Sacred Defender has enhancements that will add up to 3 MDB to Armor and 3 MDB to Tower Shield
- Half-Elf Racial Fighter Dilettante has an enhancement that will add 2 MDB to Armor
- Fighter Enhancements (Don't stack with Racial) also allows up to 2 MDB to Armor
- Mobility adds +2 MDB to Armor/Tower Shields

The goal is to match up your Dexterity Bonus to be right at your MDB so as not to waste the Dex or Waste the Enhancements

Feats that are useful but also can be available without taking the feat
1. Mobility - Found on Gear, also can be Crafted using the Cannith Crafting system - it is low level so not a lot of investment needed
2. Tower Shield Proficiency - Use Magic Device (UMD) with Master's Touch or use any of the Named Tower Shields that comes with Proficiency built in
3. Dodge - Dodge is now a common gear enhancement and one can get gear and usually fit it in to current layouts that provides the Dodge % needed. This feat is only needed if you cannot slot the item, or if your current Dodge % does not max out your current available Dodge %.

Edit:

Defensive Feat not mentioned but worth looking into especially if Evasion is not in the Build - Shield Deflection 20/25/30/40 percent energy damage ignored while shield blocking. This appears to still be working if you have Improved Shield bash and "Hit" with your shield while blocking.

Shields: <- Treat these the same way you would treat an off-hand weapon for TWF

1. Look for Utility - Bash effects, Guards, Defensive
2. Different Types - Buckler, Small, Large and Tower - Don't be afraid of using different types to open up utility
3. Some shield effects are bonuses to Main Hand and some require the shield itself to be hit - Learn which is which to better utilize the shield and main hand combination

[Ralmeth]

Good points about tactics feats, esp. Stunning Blow; I sometimes forget pallies no longer have sucky DCs. I'm just wondering where to squeeze in more DC bonuses. I already planned on a Cloak of the Bear in my gear layout, but any suggestions for what to use for Stunning / Shattering bonuses? Dun'Robar rings are an obvious option, except farming for the right one is such a PITA.

If I dropped the THF feats, I think I would drop b.sword as well and switch to scimitars, hoping the better crit dmg would make up for the loss of glancing blows. Plus with Thunder-forging, all weapon types are once again viable at endgame. In which case, those feats can go towards Quicken, Emp Heal, Stunning Blow, and something else (Imp Sunder, maybe).

The Cloak of the Bear is good for exceptional combat mastery. Either that or the Spare Hand belt from the house C challenges (I use the belt because I already have a Con Opp cloak, but if I were to start over I would go with Cloak of the Bear). As for a stunning item, farming the right Dun'Robar ring is really the pits. I've run that a bunch of times and still have yet to get the ring, so instead, and more new player friendly is to craft a shield with stunning on it. Even at level 28, I'm using a shield with +8 stunning on it.

Other good sources of DC would be the Kensai enhancement, Legendary Dreadnaught (both the tactics ability and the ability to take more strength points), the combat tactics epic destiny feat, as well as using improved sunder for when you haven't gotten your DC high enough for the mobs your up against. That and just doing everything you can to max out strength and charisma.

[ZanderJS]

Gear Recommendations

Balancing gear is always a PITA, frankly, but it's particularly tricky for a tank build, which has a lot of things to worry about. Here's a list of what I consider priorities:

• Stat bonuses: STR, CHA, and CON are your primary stats and should be kept as high as possible; bearing in mind than only even stats count towards bonuses. Remember that Div Might is now an Insightful STR bonus, so balance your STR based on how high it will be while DM is active; e.g., if you have STR 21 CHA 20 natively, then w/DM your STR will be 26. WIS needs to be 10 + spell lvl in order to cast spells; so in the long run you need at least WIS 14 to use all pally spells. DEX boosts your AC & Reflex saves; it isn't a top priority, IMHO, but it's still worthwhile after other gear reqs are met. INT is a dump stat.
• Dmg bonuses: a Deadly item and a Seeker item are both important; Manslayer (instakill or +100 dmg on vorpal strikes) is also a nice perk.
• Fortification: this protects you from sneak atks & critical hits, so it should be kept maxed out.
• Saves: thanks to Divine Grace, pallies have naturally high saves, but you'll still want the best Resistance item you can equip; later you'll want a Parrying item as well.
• Speed: boosts your movement & atk speeds, both of which are important.
• HPs: have the best False Life item equipped; later on add Vitality and, if you get into Shroud-farming, a GS HP item.
• AC: it's debatable whether it's worth investing in AC heavily, but if you do, you'll want Protection, Natural Armor, and Parrying bonuses.
• Dodge: build as specced can support 4% Dodge (base MDB 1 + 3 SD enhs); higher Dodge req's more investment in MDB increases or switching to med armor.
• PRR: some of this is inherent from armor; you'll also want a good Sheltering item equipped.
• Heal amp: this boosts all incoming heals and will stack multiplicatively with different bonuses; i.e., 10%+20% heal amp bonuses stack, but 20%+20% does not.
• Self-heals: a Devotion item and Heal skill item will boost Positive Spellpower.
• SPs: pallies don't get a lot of spell pts, so you'll want a Wizardry item.
• Skill bonuses: Intim is the primary skill of every tank, so naturally you'll want the highest bonus to that you can get. Secondary skills like Concentration or Heal should also be boosted.
• Threat amp: this boosts your threat and like heal amp will stack with different bonuses.

ML:20 epic "starter" gear

Lots of folks come up with ideal endgame gear lists, but don't bother to tell newbies what to use while leveling. So, here's the stuff which should be relatively easy for a newbie to acquire to get started in epics. I used a lot of Eveningstar Commendation gear, in particular the PDK set because it provides a lot of useful bonuses.

Armor: PDK armor (Heavy Fort, SFL, Knights Loyalty)
Head: PDK helm (+7 CON, +2 insightful STR, Intim +15) - the STR bonus doesn't stack with Div Might, but the other bonuses are good
Gloves:PDK gloves (+7 STR, +2 insightful CON, 30% heal amp) - apart from the stat bonuses, these are the easiest-to-acquire source of 30% heal amp
Goggles: Guardian's Glasses (+35 Vitality), Woodman's Lenses (True Seeing, Seeker +6), Drow Smoke Goggles (Seeker +6, Manslayer), Deadly of Resistance lootgen
Cloak: Mithril Cloak of the Bear (+6 PRR, +6 Protection, Combat Mastery +5, +20% Incite) - this isn't a tactics-oriented build so CM +5 is of limited use, but the rest are solid tanking bonuses
Bracers: Sun Soul Bracers (WIS +7, Parrying IV) - the CON bonus is redudant, but WIS +7 is enough for your spellcasting needs plus it provides Parrying
Belt: a free slot to round out anything you're missing elsewhere
Trinket: Gtr Nimble Trinket (Blurry, 2% Dodge) - it's sad, but I dunno what else to put here...
Boots: Woodsman's Boots (insightful DEX +2, Striding 30%), Speed lootgen
Ring 1: Shining Sun Signet (+7 CHA, +2 insightful WIS, Healing Lore VI)
Ring 2: Guardian's Ring (24 PRR), Ring of the Stalker upgraded to T2/3 (Seeker +6, Ghostly, Manslayer) - Seeker & Manslayer bonuses don't stack, so it's redundant if you've got Woodmans or Drow Smoke in goggles slot
Weapons: eTemplar's Retribution (slotted w/silver for DR-breaking), eChimera's Fang (see below), ML:20 Cormyrian bastard swords
Shields: eTemplar's Bulwark (inherent elemental resists), heroic Wall of Wood (heal amp + Devotion)

eFang used to be the best b.sword in DDO; now it's mostly useful as a starter weapon for its bonus consolidation, esp. if you've got the Sentinel DM feat for full bonuses. But since it's not competitive with Nightmare or a Thunder-forged b.sword, I couldn't recommend basing one's build on it anymore.

What about Accuracy and Deathblock?
Would I require items with these?

[unbongwah]

What about Accuracy and Deathblock?
Would I require items with these?

As a paladin you can self-buff with Death Ward, so you only need DB at lower lvls (before you can cast it) or when fighting anything which dispels buffs (e.g., beholders).

The AC changes in U14 made to-hit bonuses less important; and since this is a high-STR, high-BAB toon, I wouldn't be too worried about your to-hit. Go ahead and slot it if you can, but I don't regard it as a high priority.

[EllisDee37]

As a paladin you can self-buff with Death Ward, so you only need DB at lower lvls (before you can cast it) or when fighting anything which dispels buffs (e.g., beholders).

Unless you're a pure 20 paladin you only get 2 level 4 spells. Zeal is a given, so are you recommending deathward instead of cure serious?

[elraido]

Unless you're a pure 20 paladin you only get 2 level 4 spells. Zeal is a given, so are you recommending deathward instead of cure serious?

Yes. If your heal amp is good enough, cure mod works just as well. Not only that, but you should be using your LOH's in battle if you are in the Undying line....regenning LOH are very good. With out a devotion item, my paladin is getting 100 points back from a cure mod. If I swap on a wall of wood, I get about 150ish. Deathward, in my opinion, is a much more valuable spell vs getting a marginal amount more of HP back.

[unbongwah]

BTW, would anyone like to take a stab at putting together an endgame gear list? I confess I'm still trying to figure out what to get from the new U21 / Thunder-forged gear...

[elraido]

Off the top of my head for my paladin
Armor: Heavy Black Dragon Scale---want to upgrade to shadow dragon scale (not sure if I want the DR one or the Melee one)
Helm: Purple Dragon Helm
Necklace: Mineral II
Trinket: Deadly X, Natural Armor X compass
Cloak: Level 24 Cloak of Night
Belt: Defender of Siberys (I like it for the incite bonus)
Ring 1: Band of Siberys
Boots: Seeker X of Resistance 6? It is Seeker X for sure.
Gloves: Purple dragon bracers
Ring 2: Ring of Shadows
Bracers: Leviks Bracers (can't have enough healing amp)
Goggles: Concordiant Op Goggles with Char skills
Shield: Shield from Fall of the Truthful One....just got the Purple Dragon Shield.

[Ralmeth]

Yes. If your heal amp is good enough, cure mod works just as well. Not only that, but you should be using your LOH's in battle if you are in the Undying line....regenning LOH are very good. With out a devotion item, my paladin is getting 100 points back from a cure mod. If I swap on a wall of wood, I get about 150ish. Deathward, in my opinion, is a much more valuable spell vs getting a marginal amount more of HP back.

Both cure serious wounds and death ward are good options. Personally I've been running with cure serious wounds, but then i'm usually in legendary dreadnaught and up until I twisted cacoon I found it more helpful to have two cure spells to alternate between due to the cool downs. When I need death ward I would use the Tangleroot clicky or drink a pot (Eveningstar cleric turn in). However that is a good idea and I may switch back to Deathward as cacoon handles most of my healing needs.

In any event there are two good level 4 spell options after picking up zeal.

[Wongar]

Off the top of my head for my paladin
Armor: Heavy Black Dragon Scale---want to upgrade to shadow dragon scale (not sure if I want the DR one or the Melee one)
Helm: Purple Dragon Helm
Necklace: Mineral II
Trinket: Deadly X, Natural Armor X compass
Cloak: Level 24 Cloak of Night
Belt: Defender of Siberys (I like it for the incite bonus)
Ring 1: Band of Siberys
Boots: Seeker X of Resistance 6? It is Seeker X for sure.
Gloves: I seriously can't remember....
Ring 2: Ring of Shadows
Bracers: Purple Dragon Bracers
Goggles: Concordiant Op Goggles with Char skills
Shield: Shield from Fall of the Truthful One

New Purple Dragon Shield from Haunted Halls is very nice, I swapped it in place of my Madstone Aegis (FOT shield) as soon as I pulled it.
FYI - WKI is not correct for this - base shield also includes 15% energy absorption when blocking

[elraido]

New Purple Dragon Shield from Haunted Halls is very nice, I swapped it in place of my Madstone Aegis (FOT shield) as soon as I pulled it.
FYI - WKI is not correct for this - base shield also includes 15% energy absorption when blocking

I just updated mine. Realized I had an item in the wrong spot and corrected....along with the shield you mentioned