Unarmed Spellsword Build

[lemiro]

So i rolled-up a deep gnome to test and spellsword works nicely on unarmed, so I figure you can do some serious DPS because of the attack speed.

I know the EK capstone is really powerful, so is the best idea to be a conventional EK to 20 and then go Grandmaster of Flowers, or should I make a hybrid monk/EK?

I will either go toaster or PM if fleshy.

Any ideas appreciated.

Edit: 36 point toon, completionist, +4 tomes, a few iconic and epic lives too

[lemiro]

New Build
17/3 Wizard/Monk
Lawful Neutral Gnome


Level Order

1. Monk. . . . . . 6. Wizard. . . . .11. Wizard. . . . .16. Wizard
2. Monk. . . . . . 7. Wizard. . . . .12. Wizard. . . . .17. Wizard
3. Monk. . . . . . 8. Wizard. . . . .13. Wizard. . . . .18. Wizard
4. Wizard . . . . .9. Wizard . . . . 14. Wizard . . . . 19. Wizard
5. Wizard . . . . 10. Wizard . . . . 15. Wizard . . . . 20. Wizard


Stats
. . . . . . . .28pt . . 32pt. . .34pt . . 36pt. . .Tome
. . . . . . . .---- . . ----. . .---- . . ----. . .----
Strength. . . . .7. . . .10 . . . 10. . . .11 . . . +4
Dexterity . . . 13. . . .13 . . . 13. . . .13 . . . +5
Constitution. . 14. . . .14 . . . 14. . . .14 . . . +4
Intelligence. . 20. . . .20 . . . 20. . . .20 . . . +4
Wisdom. . . . . .8. . . . 9 . . . 10. . . .10 . . . +4
Charisma. . . . .8. . . . 8 . . . .9. . . .10 . . . +4 . . .


Skills
. . . . . M .M. M .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W .W
. . . . . 1 .2. 3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Concent . 4 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Spellcr . 2 .½. ½ .3 .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Jump. . . 4 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Heal. . . 2 .½. ½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .11½
UMD . . . 2 .½. ½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .11½
Balance . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Tumble. . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .22 .5. 5 .8 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6
Max . . .36 10 10 .8 .8 .8 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9


Feats

.1. . . . : Dodge
.1 Monk . : Mobility
.2 Monk . : Two Weapon Fighting
.3. . . . : Insightful Reflexes
.4 Wizard : Empower Spell
.6. . . . : Combat Expertise
.8 Wizard : Maximize Spell
.9. . . . : Spring Attack
12. . . . : Whirlwind Attack
13 Wizard : Heighten Spell
15. . . . : Improved Two Weapon Fighting
18. . . . : Adept of Forms
18 Wizard : Quicken Spell
21 Epic . : Greater Two Weapon Fighting
24 Epic . : Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
26 Destiny: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
27 Epic . : Blinding Speed
28 Destiny: Perfect Two Handed Fighting
29 Destiny: Epic Mage Armor
30 Epic . : Completionist
30 Legend : Scion of: Limbo

.3 Monk . : Path of Harmonious Balance


Spells

1. Jump (4), Nightshield (4), Feather Fall (4), Protection from Evil (5), Detect Secret Doors (10)
2. Blur (6), Lesser Death Aura (6), Web (7), Invisibility (9), Knock (12)
3. Displacement (8), Fireball (8), Lightning Bolt (9), Protection from Energy (11), Haste (14)
4. Death Aura (10), Dimension Door (10), Negative Energy Burst (11), Wall of Fire (13), Stoneskin (16)
5. Protection from Elements (12), Ball Lightning (12), Teleport (13), Eladar's Electric Surge (15), Cloudkill (18)
6. Chain Lightning (14), Greater Heroism (14), Acid Fog (15), True Seeing (17), Mass Suggestion (20)
7. Finger of Death (16), Greater Teleport (16), Mass Hold Person (17), Mass Protection from Elements (19)
8. Black Dragon Bolt (18), Incendiary Cloud (18), Mass Charm Monster (19)
9. Acid Well (20), Meteor Swarm (20)

Enhancements (80+2 AP)

Eldritch Knight (Wizard) (39 AP)

• Eldritch Strike, Spellsword, Imbue the Blade, Subtle Force
  1. Improved Mage Armor III, Arcane Siphon III, Toughness III
  2. Improved Shield III, Mystic Wards III
  3. Critical Mastery III, Intelligence
  4. Knight's Transformation, Force's Point, Intelligence
  5. Improved Knight's Transformation, Knight's Striker, Force's Edge, Eldritch Tempest III

Pale Master (28 AP)

• Dark Reaping, Zombie Form, Vampire Form, Wraith Form
  1. Deathless Vigor III, Spell Critical, Negative Energy Conduit III
  2. Spell Critical, Bone Armor III
  3. Spell Critical, Intelligence
  4. Spell Critical, Intelligence

Harper Agent (13 AP)

• Agent of Good I
  1. Harper Enchantment, Traveler's Toughness III, Strategic Combat
  2. Magical Endurance I, Know the Angles II
  3. Strategic Combat

Gnome (2 AP)

• Gnomish Perserverance
  1. Wand and Scroll Mastery I

Destiny (24 AP)

Grandmaster of Flowers

1. Lily Petal, Enlightenment III, Dance of Flowers III
2. Serenity III, Hail of Blows
3. Walking with Waves III
4. Standing with Stone III, Piercing Clarity II
5. Dancing with Flames III
6. Everything is Nothing

I haven't put twists in

[Saekee]

I have not followed closely the ED changes on GMoF destiny but I do not recall it giving proficiency with handwraps, or am I wrong?

2 monk keeps 18 cutoff of EK dice/cores, gives 10% faster attack speed and evasion as well as two free monk feats, opens up stances etc. It might really work well with ToEE wraps of your element’s vulnerability and add Henshin’s elemental vulnerability strike

Everyone has lauded the capstone so I have no idea

[Hobgoblin]

I have not followed closely the ED changes on GMoF destiny but I do not recall it giving proficiency with handwraps, or am I wrong?

2 monk keeps 18 cutoff of EK dice/cores, gives 10% faster attack speed and evasion as well as two free monk feats, opens up stances etc. It might really work well with ToEE wraps of your element’s vulnerability and add Henshin’s elemental vulnerability strike

Everyone has lauded the capstone so I have no idea

unless they are changing it...... core 0 gives handwrap pro.

[Tilomere]

unless they are changing it...... core 0 gives handwrap pro.

The only way to get the fast attack animation of a monk with handwraps ... is to be a centered monk. The only way to get the extra attacks with WWA ... is to also be a centered monk. The monk level changes the animations used for your character to make unarmed viable.

Proficiency just lets you attack slowly with handwraps without the accuracy penalty.

[lyrecono]

2 levels of monk?

Why not go pure sorc or wizard with dual longswords and knight training? Since you're not getting the benefits of the loaded monk unarmed damage dice?

[voxson5]

2 levels of monk?

Why not go pure sorc or wizard with dual longswords and knight training? Since you're not getting the benefits of the loaded monk unarmed damage dice?

Because even just 1 level of monk is the same base damage dice as 20 levels of monk, and if you include enhancements same as up to 17.

[lyrecono]

Because even just 1 level of monk is the same base damage dice as 20 levels of monk, and if you include enhancements same as up to 17.

Huh?, Isn't he missing 3.5[w]?

[Drecas]

Update 40 release notes:

Monk Unarmed Strike now gives +1 to attack with handwraps instead of .5[W].

So no, level 1 is now the same as level 20, higher levels just give you a slightly higher chance to hit.
They nerfed monks hard. If you want to hate yourself, roll an unarmed monk.

[lemiro]

2 levels of monk?

Why not go pure sorc or wizard with dual longswords and knight training? Since you're not getting the benefits of the loaded monk unarmed damage dice?

It's because of the attack speed of unarmed, more hits = more elemental damage. I have ran a pure Wiz EK to 30 with dual weapons but thought (I may be wrong) that an unarmed version may do more overall damage due to the increased hits landed. IIRC the physical part of the damage wasn't great anyway, plus I get evasion if I multi-class with monk which is always a nice bonus.

Core 0 for GM states:

You are proficient with Handwraps. Characters in this epic destiny gain the ability to become centered, even without monk levels.

So I am sure you get the full monk attacks with GMoF.

So I was exploring unarmed for the hit speed, centered with possibly some decent dodge and AC to better mitigate incoming damage. Again this is all theory and if I go pure Wiz then I can always go back to plain EK but the monk levels may pull further ahead?

Edit: Tilo inspired me some time ago with his war/cle/mon build which used the additional light damage to offset the loss of monk damage. I've done about 5 lives on that or variations