Advanced Ninja Training + One With the Blade?

[Micron]

I posted this in "Gameplay and Game Systems", too, but that forum doesn't seem to be very active so I thought I might have more luck here:

Sorry if this has been discussed before, I couldn't find anything and I'm kinda clueless when it comes to monks.

Advanced Ninja Training (Ninja Spy level 3 core enhancement:


This seems to suggest that this ability allows you to use Dex for damage with any piercing of slashing weapon you have One With the Blade with? It does sound a bit unlikely (Dex based eSoS or Cleaver builds..?). If it's really supposed to work this way, has anyone actually tried it and did it work? I've been thinking about a Dex-based ninja scimitar build and I was wondering if this would allow me to make it work without 3 ranger levels (the level 3 Tempest enhancement also allows to use Dex for scimitar damage).

[Saekee]

Please keep in mind that to get one with blade via other enhancements--the kensei enhancement--and going dex means that you will negate one of the boosts of kensei, the psionic strength boost...

Power Surge: Action Boost: You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Strength for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.

[sifubob]

My centered kensai guy has Both these enhancements, and has dex to-hit and to-damage option written into the swords description. I also have Sting of the Ninja, which works with my Sword of Shadows (and any toher Greatsword/Falchion i use)

So, it does work, but i'm not sure of the viability of it. Needing 13 STR for power attack isnt too hard to get, but then 15 STR for two handed fighting, and 17 STR for imp. and greater THF, and 23 for Overwhelming Crit.
On the other hand, an Elf can get racial bonuses to Falchions (in fact, they have a racial enhancement that would give dex-to-damage with falchions), i believe i read somewhere that you get 1.5x damage for using Dex for THF, just like using STR.

So, you could have a Dex Based, THF guy. I would imagine that you would do less damage overall when compared to a STR-based swordswinger, but you would be getting a lot of bonuses from the one stat. I would imagine it would be fun to play, but in epic levels the various ways to boost STR are more numerous than ones that boost DEX, and a lot of toons with high saves are getting them from CHA anyway, so the dex-based synergy would start to wear a little thin, but it would still be a fun, viable build. Just probably not solo-EE worthy...

EDIT: (just read the rest of the OP. It's still early here, that's my excuse...)
To get Scimitar dex-to-damage from Ranger, you actually need 6 ranger. the Lvl 3 core is; You gain +10% chance to make off-hand attacks when dual wielding. While you are dual wielding, you can use your dexterity modifier to hit with light melee weapons. You now treat Scimitars as if they were light melee weapons.

So, a Centered Kensai-Monk would do it, or a 6 Ranger + whatever, or Elf + whatever (Valenar Grace: You may use Dexterity to determine the damage you deal with Scimitars, Falchions, and Shortbows.)

But, a shortsword wielding monk is pretty cool too, so you could just cut out all the complications and dual wield shortswords.

[Micron]

Thanks guys. I wasn't actually going to build a Dex-based THF character, I just mentioned that because I thought it sounded too weird to be possible. Apparently it is possible, although as you point out, you'd need to waste stat points on Str to take the THF feats.

The build I was thinking of was a scimitar using Dex-based fighter/monk/rog (8/6/6). Going with short swords would be easier, the reason I want to use scimmies is that I have quite a few of them from previous lives, and I quite like them for flavour reasons. If I could raider-box myself some Celestias, I might re-consider but sadly I've already used both boxes on other weapons.

And yes, you're right about the ranger levels. I thought level 3 gave both Dex damage and scimmies treated as light weapons, but it seems the damage part is level 6.

[Toro12]

Thanks guys. I wasn't actually going to build a Dex-based THF character, I just mentioned that because I thought it sounded too weird to be possible. Apparently it is possible, although as you point out, you'd need to waste stat points on Str to take the THF feats.

The build I was thinking of was a scimitar using Dex-based fighter/monk/rog (8/6/6). Going with short swords would be easier, the reason I want to use scimmies is that I have quite a few of them from previous lives, and I quite like them for flavour reasons. If I could raider-box myself some Celestias, I might re-consider but sadly I've already used both boxes on other weapons.

And yes, you're right about the ranger levels. I thought level 3 gave both Dex damage and scimmies treated as light weapons, but it seems the damage part is level 6.

You don't have to take the THF feats.
My acrobat rogue no longer carries the THF feats and I lost so little in giving them up. Gave them up well before going dex based was even an option.

[Micron]

You don't have to take the THF feats.
My acrobat rogue no longer carries the THF feats and I lost so little in giving them up. Gave them up well before going dex based was even an option.

On an acrobat you don't need THF, no. I don't have the feats on mine. In fact THF might be undesirable as you might to get unwanted aggro from other mobs than the one you're attacking due to glancing blows.
If the hypothetical build discussed in earlier posts is one that relies on raw damage rather than sneak attacks (wielding an eSoS/Cleaver/falchions was mentioned so it's not an acrobat) and has aggro a lot of the time, then you might want THF, the lack of strong glancing blows would probably mean a noticeable drop in DPS.

[unbongwah]

On the other hand, an Elf can get racial bonuses to Falchions (in fact, they have a racial enhancement that would give dex-to-damage with falchions), i believe i read somewhere that you get 1.5x damage for using Dex for THF, just like using STR.

Correct on both counts; although an elf monk who wanted to use a falchion would still need One w/Blade, at which point elven Grace becomes redundant.

The build I was thinking of was a scimitar using Dex-based fighter/monk/rog (8/6/6).

Have a look at Santa's Little Slayer, although it's based on rapiers+longbows to take advantage of elven Grace DEX-to-dmg for both.

My acrobat rogue no longer carries the THF feats and I lost so little in giving them up. Gave them up well before going dex based was even an option.

Until semi-recently, glancing blows with staves weren't proccing, so the THF feats did nothing. I think that got fixed in U19, but I haven't done any testing to be sure.

[Cardtrick]

Until semi-recently, glancing blows with staves weren't proccing, so the THF feats did nothing. I think that got fixed in U19, but I haven't done any testing to be sure.

I don't think this is right.

My understanding is that the bug was that glancing blows weren't proccing on Cleaves / Great Cleaves with staves.

Right now, glancing blows are definitely proccing with staves, both on regular attacks and on cleaves. They're a major component of my current staff build's damage output.