Melee Druid Build help

[Finnimur]

Hi! Can anyone suggest me one wolf/bear build that involves monk and is still viable and up to date? Thanks!

[Discpsycho]

Viable depends a bit on your expectations. Based on mine, sure.

In the before times, Druid wild shape attacks counted as unarmed and therefore benefited from the current bonuses to unarmed attack that scale with Monk level (previously +[W] dice). These days, Wild Shape is typed differently from handwraps / unarmed combat, so there's no particular benefit to combining Monk and Druid.

That being said, DDO reasonably supports a variety of builds and splits - not necessarily optimally, but viably. IMO you'll be best off going Nature's Warrior T5, which now supports evasive wolf builds, and the level split is a balance between your preference for spells and cores.

If you have to splash Monk, I'd probably go with Druid 18, Monk 2. Snowslide alone is worth it if you don't go LD under the new ED system, since Dire Charge will be restricted. NW Core #5's stacking 10% doublestrike seems better on paper than anything Monk 3-8 has to offer. Deeper splashes don't really add much since NS T5 is underwhelming, and a single level of Monk doesn't do much good

[Riffolk]

A guildie posted his handwrap bear here:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...dUvO4TUx-gWeIQ

I've also toyed with the idea of running a Tiefling 18 Druid/1 Monk/1 FVS (or 18 Druid/2 Monk)
Using Xuum, Epic Xuum, and Mirana of the Flame at cap.
Using Anger of the Noonday Sun + Tiefling Scorch SLA to + Henshin Mystic All Consuming Flame to make enemies take more fire damage.
The sad part is the MRR cap, as I've currently got ~110 MRR @ lv 15 (probably around 220 @ cap) on a bear build im running.

[painkiller3]

A guildie posted his handwrap bear here:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...dUvO4TUx-gWeIQ

I've also toyed with the idea of running a Tiefling 18 Druid/1 Monk/1 FVS (or 18 Druid/2 Monk)
Using Xuum, Epic Xuum, and Mirana of the Flame at cap.
Using Anger of the Noonday Sun + Tiefling Scorch SLA to + Henshin Mystic All Consuming Flame to make enemies take more fire damage.
The sad part is the MRR cap, as I've currently got ~110 MRR @ lv 15 (probably around 220 @ cap) on a bear build im running.

does the Xuum and Epic Xuum let you stay centered?

[magaiti]

does the Xuum and Epic Xuum let you stay centered?

Not unless you have the appropriate Kensei T5 enhancement.

I suppose the build could work uncentered, as long as you have Ki for All Consuming Flame.
I don't remember if there are means to regain Ki while uncentered. The wiki says "Your ki meter drains rapidly to zero and cannot be refilled.", but that's not specific enough.

[Riffolk]

does the Xuum and Epic Xuum let you stay centered?

Mmm good point. Prime example of why I post build ideas to the community, I am prone to missing details.
One option would be leveling with Druid Flame Blades + shield instead of the Xuums.

[magaiti]

Mmm good point. Prime example of why I post build ideas to the community, I am prone to missing details.
One option would be leveling with Druid Flame Blades + shield instead of the Xuums.

Shields uncenter

[SocratesBastardSon]

It sounds like your best options are

• Dual Flame Blades, although most people consider this to be suboptimal.
• Single Flame Blade - paired with orb? I'm pretty sure you can use orbs and remain centered, but I haven't tested it. An orb offers more slots to beef up spell power and some protections. You'll want the SWF line, but that leaves you very tight on feats even with the extra Monk martial arts feat, especially since Monk forms are so valuable.
• Staff - this may be the best option since you can cast Shillelagh for +1[W]. Again, like SWF above, you will want some of the TWF line, leaving you very tight on feats. I would be tempted to take 2 levels of monk instead of FvS for access to tier 2 of Henshin and a second feat, e.g., Swords to Plowshares (evasion is nice, but you likely won't have the reflex saves to gain much benefit). Or Druid 17/Mo 2/FvS 1 has a lot to recommend it.

Other options are listed under Centered.