Steel Shrine

[Infiltraitor]

Is there a more beginner friendly version of this build? It looks very entertaining, but also very expensive.

I'm testing a build that doesn't require PDK. Starting stats are 16 Str /12 Dex /16 Con /10 Int /8 Wis /14 Cha. All levelups in Strength. I'm seeing crits in the 2500 range on my 15-20/x5 heavy pick.

Human will do just fine if you go Strength. PDK is only for divine grace junkies. I'm actually liking strength build more than charisma. The DPS is very nice.

[sanitysdemise]

Would I be able to put something similar together with a 28pt build without monk/fvs? Obviously, I'm sure the survivability and DPS would take a hit, but ultimately I'm looking for a fun Pally build with ameliorating strike and other heals. I'm not really looking for something that can tank end game content. Just something I can solo with when I'm not playing with my 2 buddies, who will also benefit from the heals.

[Loranth]

I think the best part was finding out Draconic Reinvigoration and Dragon's Edge on off hand orb is partially working. Like OMG, not going back to shields. However, the shield doublestrike in orb is a bug that will be fixed "soon". I wouldn't call it a FALSE STATEMENT, more like unaware of existing bugs.

So there was a bug there, good to know. Now, that makes it an interesting option, so switching hmmh, Completionist (as not a completionist toon), Epic Fortitude(?) and Bastard Sword to SWF line.. Didn't check but was there nice synergy with the Perfect SWF 19-20 vorpal range somewhere in the build or use some other destiny feat for the Perfect THF slot.. Or what feats did you have in the STR variant, that seems the way to go anyway..

[Panzermeyer]

I'm testing a build that doesn't require PDK. Starting stats are 16 Str /12 Dex /16 Con /10 Int /8 Wis /14 Cha. All levelups in Strength. I'm seeing crits in the 2500 range on my 15-20/x5 heavy pick.

Human will do just fine if you go Strength. PDK is only for divine grace junkies. I'm actually liking strength build more than charisma. The DPS is very nice.

Are you getting bonus to crit range from the Harper tree?
Are you using the same level split?

[Infiltraitor]

Are you getting bonus to crit range from the Harper tree?
Are you using the same level split?

Crit bonuses are:

Holy Sword Spell from level 14 Paladin gives +1 crit range and +1 crit multiplier
Celestial Champion from Divine Crusader Epic Destiny gives +1 crit range.
Overwhelming Critical Feat gives +1 multiplier on 19-20.
Improved Critical: Piercing doubles the existing critical range.

These bonuses will turn a Heavy Pick 20/x4 into a 15-18/x5 and 19-20/x6.

The level split is the same. All I've done is epic reincarnate from S&B to SWF. The transition was painless.

[Xandez]

How would you compare the DPS of heavy pick vs bastard sword?
(overall, that is... i guess pick wins hands down vs single tgt but how does the BS fare if you take glances into account)

And also, you switched to heavy armor or stayed in light and changed enchantments (mainly T3 and T4 in Sacred defender... or do they work with orb? Cannot test w/o changing feats since i have a BF paladin myself :P)?

[Infiltraitor]

How would you compare the DPS of heavy pick vs bastard sword?
(overall, that is... i guess pick wins hands down vs single tgt but how does the BS fare if you take glances into account)

And also, you switched to heavy armor or stayed in light and changed enchantments (mainly T3 and T4 in Sacred defender... or do they work with orb? Cannot test w/o changing feats since i have a BF paladin myself :P)?

The Heavy Pick with Strength can boost to about 3000 DPS. Tested 22 seconds vs EE Sobrien.
The Bastard Sword with Charisma can boost to about 1500 DPS.

Tested in EE Vol in the room with the 20+ mobs, Heavy Pick outperforms Bastard Sword in DPS under all conditions.

The advantage of Bastard sword is the Charisma synergies. I can get 100+ to all saves on that build, which I can only hit 70ish with Heavy Pick.

I haven't gotten around to testing with heavy armor yet, I'm still in evasion mode. My enhancements have changed considerably but I am still testing the variant builds and therefore haven't posted the final changes yet.


EDIT: Testing Heavy Armor. It is amazing. I think it might be time for our first major overhaul.

[jalont]

EDIT: Testing Heavy Armor. It is amazing. I think it might be time for our first major overhaul.

I'm glad you think so. I've been seeing a lot of pallies sticking to light armor and evasion as though it was a religion, and I couldn't understand why. Made me think I was crazy for going all in on heavy armor.

[Infiltraitor]

I'm glad you think so. I've been seeing a lot of pallies sticking to light armor and evasion as though it was a religion, and I couldn't understand why. Made me think I was crazy for going all in on heavy armor.

In my case, I've been evasion for about 40 lives. Changing that thinking is hard.

The Dps loss from the switch is minimal, about 20 damage per hit.

[Blackheartox]

I'm glad you think so. I've been seeing a lot of pallies sticking to light armor and evasion as though it was a religion, and I couldn't understand why. Made me think I was crazy for going all in on heavy armor.

Same here
Im even playing a pure barb now with harmor .
Nice build opener, but try to make it now with harmor and no monk but maybe fighter.
Tho monk gives you heal amp from shintao core, but having 3 more dodge cap while in harmor seems also interesting.
Also option is wizz splash for orb and swf option.
Lotsa possibilities

[Infiltraitor]

Archive of Original Build

Steel Shrine

Purple Dragon Knight - Divine Crusader
Paladin 14 / Monk 2 / Favored Soul 4

Summary:

Steel Shrine is the most defensive build ever made. It performs with maximum survival under the most diverse of situations. Fort, Reflex, and Will saves can buff to over 100.
Combined with enough DPS to solo EE WGU in 45 minutes.

He does slightly under 400 dmg average per "hit" but can Zeal + Human Damage boost + Chalice Damage Boost to about 700.

Warning: This build requires prior use of a +2 Strength Tome, AND a +5 Constitution Tome, AND a +1 Lesser Heart of Wood.

Build Features:

1300 Hit Points
Self Healing: 400 HP Ameliorating Strike per 15 second cooldown
250% Healing Amp
Charisma for Attack
Charisma for Damage
Charisma for Stun DC
Charisma to All Saves
Charisma for Will Saves

Level Progression

Feats: 7 Normal + 2 Monk + 3 Epic + 2 Destiny + Granted Class Feats

1 (Formerly Fighter) Paladin: Toughness, Force of Personality
2 Paladin
3 Paladin: Completionist
4 Paladin
5 Paladin
6 Favored Soul: Follower of the Morning Lord, Improved Shield Bash
7 Paladin
8 Paladin
9 Favored Soul: Shield Mastery
10 Paladin
11 Paladin
12 Paladin: Improved Critical
13 Favored Soul
14 Paladin
15 Paladin: Bastard Sword
16 Monk: Toughness
17 Monk: Precision
18 Paladin: Improved Shield Mastery
19 Favored Soul
20 Paladin
21 Epic: Epic Toughness
24 Epic: Overwhelming Critical
26 Epic: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
27 Epic: Epic Fortitude
28 Epic: Perfect Two Handed Fighting

Easy Twink Gear Setup:

Oathblade
Purple Dragon Gauntlet
Purple Dragon Helm
Bracer's of the Sun Soul
Signet of the Shining Sun
Leather's of the Woodsman
Boots of the Woodsman
Epic Normal Wall of Wood
Voice of the Master

Endgame Gear Setup:

Intricate Field Optics +3 Charisma
Epic Boots of the Innocent
Epic Belt of Thoughtful Remembrance (Don't Have Yet)
Epic Ethereal Bracers
Shroud of the Ardent
Greensteel 45 HP Concordant Op Cloak
Sanctified Gages
Consuming Darkness
Charisma 11 Ring of Accuracy (Don't Have Yet)
Epic Litany of the Dead
Mythic Minos Legens
Dragontouched Leather Armor of Healing Amp
Thunderforged Bastard Sword +12
Alchemical Small Shield of Fire Earth Water (Don't Have Yet)

Str: 11 + 5 Tome +8 Item +1 Exception +2 Artifact +2 Feat +2 Profane = 31
Dex: 13 + 5 Tome + 11 Item + 2 Insightful + 1 Exceptional + 2 Artifact + 2 feat +2 Profane= 39
Con: 16 + 5 Tome +11 Item +3 Insight +1 Exceptional +2 Artifact +2 feat +6 Stance +2 Profane +1 Enhancement +2 Alchemical= 51
Int: 12 + 5 Tome + 8 Item + 1 Exceptional + 2 Artifact + 2 feat +2 Profane= 33
Wis: 12 + 5 Tome + 8 Item + 1 Exceptional + 2 Artifact + 2 feat +2 Profane = 30
Cha: 16 +5 Tome +7 Levelup +11 Item +3 Insightful +1 Exceptional +2 Artifact +2 feat +2 Profane +2 Enhancement +3 Destiny= 54

Damage = 95
--------
30.25 Base Attack Damage 5.5[1d10]
12 Weapon
3 Enchant Weapon Past Life
2 Holy Sword
3 Shield Specialization III
1 To the Fore
22 Charisma
11 Deadly
4 Sword of Justice
4 Profane
3 Monk Past Life

Glancing blows: 50% chance of 25 damage
---------
18 Damage
7 Courage of Heaven 2d6


Double Strike: 34%
----------
8% Improved Shield Mastery
7% Legendary Shield Mastery
10% Celestial Champion
9% Martial Past Life

Shield Bash: 40% chance of 52 damage
---------
10 Base Attack Damage 2[2d4]
7 Enhancement
2 Holy Sword
3 Shield Specialization III
1 To the Fore
11 Deadly
4 Sword of Justice
4 Profane
3 Monk Past Life
7 Courage of Heaven 2d6

Melee Power: 46
----------
24 Epic Levels
12 Divine Crusader
10 Improved Shield Mastery


Crit Profile: ~90% bonus damage
----------
19-20/x4
13-18/x3

Damage per click = 396
------------
[Damage * (1 + Doublestrike) (1 + Crit Bonus) +0.5 (Glancing Damage) + 0.4 (Shield Bash)] (1 + Melee Power/100)
(94 * 1.34 * 1.9 + 12 + 20) 1.46 = 396 Avg per hit

Fully Boosted Damage (On double completionist)(Attack bonus isn't 10. The last digit got chopped off.)


Healing: 299
---------
138 Devotion Augment
25 Sacred Defender
10 Shintao
51 Implement
10 Extraordinary Virtue
65 Heal Skill


PRR: 153
---------
27 Divine Past Life
10 Wall of Steel
30 Sheltering
31 Light Armor
15 Legendary Shield Mastery
5 Improved Shield Mastery
10 Heavenly Presence
10 Sacred Defense
15 Durable Defense



Twist: Purity of Essence, Legendary Shield Mastery, Dragonhide, and Rejuvenating Cacoon. Energy Burst is also an option.

Purple Dragon Knight

Damage Boost +
Improved Recovery ++
Cormyrean Knight Training +
5 Points Spent

Warpriest

Smite Foe +
Toughness +++
Sacred Touch ---
Awareness --
Smite Weakness ++
Wall of Steel +++
Resilience of Battle -
Burden of Sin ---
Charisma ++
Ameliorating Strike ++
22 Points Spent

Sacred Defender

Holy Bastion +
Durable Defense +++
Sacred Armor Mastery -
Sacred Defense +
Resilient Defense ---
Bulwark Aura --
Divine Righteousness +
Resistance Aura --
Tenacious Defense +++
Constitution ++
Inciting Defense -
Hardy Defense +++
Swift Defense +
Charisma ++
26 Points Spent

Shintao

Bastion of Purity +
1 Point Spent

Knight of the Chalice

Slayer of Evil I +
Extra Smite -
Remove Disease ---
Courage of Heaven +
Damage Boost +++
Exalted Cleave +
Slayer of Evil II +
Vigor of Life ++
13 Points Spent

Vanguard

To the Fore +
Shield Specialization I ++
Armor Training --
Shield Combat I +
Shield Specialization II ++
Stunning Shield +
Missile Shield +
Vicious Shield +
Shield Specialization III ++
13 Points Spent

How to play the Steel Shrine

The Steel Shrine is a mix between a bulldozer and an ambulance. He plows into the enemy and establish a foothold in their space. Charge into the thick of battle and open with a Consecration. This will provide continuous healing for when the squishy team members arrive. In the meanwhile, it grants 10% bonus damage from it, heal for 300 hp and deal 400 good + fire damage every 3 seconds. This is important because Steel Shrine follows up by chaining AOE damage from Exalted Cleave and a Strike Down, ****ing off all nearby enemies. Next, Smite Foe on the nearest enemy. At this point, either follow through with some Autoattack or clean up with an Energy Burst.

The healing arsenal is Smite Foe, Consecration, Rejuvenating Cocoon, Cure Moderate. Use Lay on Hands only as a last resort.

Smite Foe costs no spell points, has low cooldown, and heals everyone nearby for about 150 (up to 400 for healing Amp junkies) . Use it as often as possible. This attack and Consecration makes Steel Shrine almost as good as a dedicated healer.

Consecration is for heavy fighting and/or starting a fight. It's a great tool for entrenching yourself someplace important and providing some AOE heals for allies where the fighting is.

Rejuvenating Cocoon is an emergency heal. Due to the fact that it wears off after receiving a hit or two, it often only lasts for 1 or 2 ticks.

Lay on Hands will heal for a rather large amount. However, due to its highly limited number of uses, it is best saved for a backup emergency heal.

[Loranth]

In my case, I've been evasion for about 40 lives. Changing that thinking is hard.

The Dps loss from the switch is minimal, about 20 damage per hit.

How about dropping 1 monk level (i.e. one feat) and grabbing Zeal from 15 Paladin for extra constant +10% doublestrike?

[Infiltraitor]

How about dropping 1 monk level (i.e. one feat) and grabbing Zeal from 15 Paladin for extra constant +10% doublestrike?

That's a definite possibility, but it would change my level split and therefore would be a different build. Plus, I like the option of having evasion as a simple item swap.

[RTFM]

That's a definite possibility, but it would change my level split and therefore would be a different build. Plus, I like the option of having evasion as a simple item swap.

Actually I did a couple of variants on this build and my personal preferred was FTR1/FVS4/Pali15. That gave Zeal and Holy sword, tower shield prof, using BS and cha to hit/dmg. As I found heavy armor and a tower shield with PL feats gives a PRR just under 200 and MRR that made evasion not needed on EE. The DPS was more than enough to get through any quest or boss, although not as much as heavy picks STR build obviously. I did two STR versions and preferred CHA for the insane saves. EE is all about saves because your DPS does not matter if you are dead (which I famously do often. I have yet to try SteelShrine latest variant, might do that here over the next weeks for comparison.

[Infiltraitor]

Actually I did a couple of variants on this build and my personal preferred was FTR1/FVS4/Pali15. That gave Zeal and Holy sword, tower shield prof, using BS and cha to hit/dmg. As I found heavy armor and a tower shield with PL feats gives a PRR just under 200 and MRR that made evasion not needed on EE. The DPS was more than enough to get through any quest or boss, although not as much as heavy picks STR build obviously. I did two STR versions and preferred CHA for the insane saves. EE is all about saves because your DPS does not matter if you are dead (which I famously do often. I have yet to try SteelShrine latest variant, might do that here over the next weeks for comparison.

Testing Charisma based Heavy Pick right now, I was surprised that the damage is almost the same, due to half my extra charisma being added to STR anyway.

[vizeroh]

Testing Charisma based Heavy Pick right now, I was surprised that the damage is almost the same, due to half my extra charisma being added to STR anyway.

With Cha to hit/dmg is there anything special I need to make sure I still have?

[Infiltraitor]

With Cha to hit/dmg is there anything special I need to make sure I still have?

It is a difficult question to answer due to me not knowing what you currently have.

Bastard Sword & Shield on evasion mode, you really only need to max out charisma and constitution, which makes it the easiest to gear and tome for.

Bastard Sword & Orb in Harper Tree is also looking very viable and not NEARLY as resource intensive as Heavy Pick. You only need Charisma and Constitution, and don't have to constantly refresh Divine Might. Very newbie friendly.

Damage = 103
--------
30.25 Base Attack Damage 5.5[1d10]
12 Weapon
3 Enchant Weapon Past Life
2 Holy Sword
1 Harper Enchantment
22 Charisma
11 Charisma Single Weapon Fighting
11 Deadly
4 Sword of Justice
4 Profane
3 Monk Past Life

Damage per click = 402, or 885 DPS. 2198 while Damage + Speed + Zeal Boosted
------------
[Damage * (1 + Doublestrike) (1 + Crit Bonus) +0.5 (Glancing Damage)] (1 + Melee Power/100)
(103 * 1.24 * 1.9 + 17) 1.55 = 402 Avg per hit

[vizeroh]

It is a difficult question to answer due to me not knowing what you currently have.

Bastard Sword & Shield on evasion mode, you really only need to max out charisma and constitution, which makes it the easiest to gear and tome for.

Bastard Sword & Orb in Harper Tree is also looking very viable and not NEARLY as resource intensive as Heavy Pick. You only need Charisma and Constitution, and don't have to constantly refresh Divine Might. Very newbie friendly.

Damage = 103
--------
30.25 Base Attack Damage 5.5[1d10]
12 Weapon
3 Enchant Weapon Past Life
2 Holy Sword
1 Harper Enchantment
22 Charisma
11 Charisma Single Weapon Fighting
11 Deadly
4 Sword of Justice
4 Profane
3 Monk Past Life

Damage per click = 402, or 885 DPS. 2198 while Damage + Speed + Zeal Boosted
------------
[Damage * (1 + Doublestrike) (1 + Crit Bonus) +0.5 (Glancing Damage)] (1 + Melee Power/100)
(103 * 1.24 * 1.9 + 17) 1.55 = 402 Avg per hit

What I meant was, what enhancement line gives Cha to hit/dmg? (I have all +5 tomes) My old build is here (this build was redone instantly when I came back a week ago or so).

[Xandez]

What I meant was, what enhancement line gives Cha to hit/dmg? (I have all +5 tomes) My old build is here (this build was redone instantly when I came back a week ago or so).

The PDK Racial one,
T1: Cormyrean Knight Training: You now use Charisma or Strength, whichever is higher, for attack and damage with shortswords, longswords, bastard swords, and greatswords. In addition, as long as your Charisma remains higher than your Strength and you are wielding one of the above weapons, you receive a bonus to the DCs of your Tactical Feats equal to 1/3 your Charisma modifier.

[vizeroh]

The PDK Racial one,
T1: Cormyrean Knight Training: You now use Charisma or Strength, whichever is higher, for attack and damage with shortswords, longswords, bastard swords, and greatswords. In addition, as long as your Charisma remains higher than your Strength and you are wielding one of the above weapons, you receive a bonus to the DCs of your Tactical Feats equal to 1/3 your Charisma modifier.

Thank you. ^_^