[Hardcore][Nuker][Tomeless] Safe Endgame r4 Cold Druid

[Ipsum]

DDO Builder Files (https://github.com/Maetrim/DDOBuilder/releases)
Build File S7 [[CLICK]]
Build File S6 [[CLICK]]

What is this build?

This is cold druid with good CC and survivability intended to be played on reaper 4 difficulty on hardcore league. I played and refined this build during HC6 and got both the 5k favor reward as well as the 20 reaper point reward.

What do I need to own to play this build?
- Isle of Dread
- Saltmarsh
- Sharn
- Ravenloft
- Feywild
- TOEE or Thethymar
- Feydark Illusionist
- Shifter

What is this build NOT suitable for?
- Non-hardcore server play
- Higher than r4 play


Table of Contents
|-[Race, Stats]
|-[Feats]
|-[Skills]
|-[Spells]
|-[Enhancements]
|-[Epic Destinies]
|-[Gear(HC7)]
|-[Defensive and Offensive breakdown]
|-[Gear(HC6)]
|-[Gear farming & thoughts]
|-[How to level]
|-[Reaper point priority]
|-[Acknowledgements]
|-[Video]

[Race, Stats]
Race: Shifter
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

32 point build:
Str: 8
Dex: 10
Con: 18
Int: 6
Wis: 18

For a 28 point build, dump some wisdom

On levelups, take 1 levelup as con(for legendary toughness requirements) and the rest as wisdom.

When you get your +2 tome from favor (1750 favor), you should take it as Constitution. This is required to get Legendary Toughness at level 31.

[Feats]
1: Maximise Spell, Beasthide shifter
2: Wild Shape: Wolf
3: Empower Spell
5: Wild Shape: Bear
6: Quicken Spell
8: Wild Shape: Dire Bear
9: Toughness
11: Wild Shape: Winter Wolf
12: Spell Focus: Transmutation
13: Wild Shape: Fire elemental
15: Greater Spell Focus: Transmutation
17: Wild Shape: Water Elemental
18: Heighten Spell

21: Epic Toughness
22: Epic Spell Power: Cold
24: Burst of Glacial Wrath
25: Crush Weakness
27: Wellspring of Power
28: Deific Warding
30: Embolden Spell, Scion of the Plane of Earth
31: Legendary Toughness

[Skills]
Tumble: 1 (2 points)
Spellcraft: Max
Heal: Reminder of points

[Spells]
I'm only going to record the spells I used here. Feel free to fill out the list to your personal taste. Take healing spells when leveling.

1: Jump, Longstrider, Takedown, Magic Fang, Merfolk's Blessing
2: Flame Blade, Lesser Restoration, Hold Animal (no fail on scorps!), Resist Energy, Gust of Wind
3: Call Lightning, Baiting Bite, Neutralize Poison, Remove Disease, Quench
4: Freedom of Movement, Flame Strike
5: Deathward, Panacea, Call Lightning Storm
6: Word of Balance, Greater Dispel Magic, Fire Shield
7: Firestorm, Elemental Toughness, Protection from Elementals Mass, Regenerate, Freezing Spray
8: Heal, Ice Flowers, Finger of Death, Stormrage
9: Tsunami, Mantle of the Icy Soul, Regenerate Mass, Snowslide, Storm of Vengeance

[Enhancements]
These are the endgame enhancements. For levelling enhancements, see the "How to Level" section.


Season's Herald (41 points)
Take all cores (Child of Summer to Hierophant)
--Tier 1--
Produce Flame [2/3]
Wax and Wane I
--Tier 2--
Wax and Wane II
Efficient Maximize [3/3]
Efficient Empower [3/3]
--Tier 3--
+1 Wisdom
Wax and Wane III
--Tier 4--
+1 Wisdom
Wax and Wane IV
Strength of the Solstice
--Tier 5--
Elemental Mastery [3/3]
Time and Tide
Winter's Heart

Feydark Illusionist (11 points)
Cores 1-3
--Tier 1--
Study the Arcane [3/3]
Feydark Explorer [2/3]
You've Got My Back

Nature's Protector(11 points)
Cores 1-3
--Tier 1--
Enchanted Defense [3/3]
Fey's Blessing [3/3]
--Tier 2--
Grizzled Defense [2/3]

Shifter(16 points)
Cores 1-4
--Tier 1--
Hardy Shifting [3/3]
--Tier 2--
Shifted Defenses [3/3]
--Tier 3--
Empowered by Nature: Beasthide [3/3]
--Tier 4--
Threatening Shift

Nature's Warrior(1 point)
Core 1

[Epic Destinies]
We use draconic for damage, primal for not running out of SP, and unyielding for not dying. When you are leveling, I suggest putting most of your points into primal(mantle, evergreen, carrion swarm, shard storm) and unyielding (all the hp and fort stuff)

If you have more ED points from tomes, you should consider putting more points in Primal or going for the 3rd unyielding core.



Draconic Incarnation (35 points)
Cores 1-4
--Tier 1--
Dragonhide [3/3]
Draconic Perception [1/3]
--Tier 2--
Draconic Rage
White Dragon Breath [3/3]
Coalescence [3/3]
Conduit
--Tier 3--
Scales of the Dragon
Transmutation [3/3]
--Tier 4--
Pull from the Wellspring
Gaping Maw
Epic Improved Maximized [3/3]
--Tier 5--
Dragonform
Enhanced Draconic Spell Focus [3/3]

Primal Avatar (17 points)
Cores: Sky, Heart, Weathering the Elements
--Tier 1--
Frog of the Lake
Well Weathered [2/3]
--Tier 2--
Mantle: Sky [3/3]
Mind [2/2]
--Tier 3--
Ever Green [3/3]
Evocation [2/3]

Unyielding Sentinel (8 points)
Cores 1&2
--Tier 1--
Divine Energy Resistance
Brace of Impact [3/3]
--Tier 2--
Renewal

[Gear(HC7)]
Legendary Goggles of Dusk
Legendary Bronze Dragonscale Plate
Legendary Cold Iron Bracers
The Legendary Shattered Onyx: Crafted - +6 Insightful Wisdom
Legendary Deepsnow Boots
Legendary Sunstone Gauntlets
Legendary Celestial Topaz Ring: Crafted - +13 Wisdom
Legendary Direbear Belt
Legendary Walking Ancestor's Shroud
The Two-Headed Platinum Piece
Legendary Pendant of the Azure Sea
Legendary Crown of Snow
Dinobone Quarterstaff
-Crafted:
--Shadowscale
--Iredescent Fang
--Meltclaw: Wisdom
--Brighthorn

Augments:
+12 Diamond of Constitution
Topaz of Deathblock
+30 Topaz of Striding
Topaz of Transmuted Power
Topaz of Illusory Power
+32 Sapphire of Defense
Topaz of Feather Fall
Legendary Undying Sapphire

Filigree:
Filling out every slot with +1 wisdom filigree is the priority. The below should be pretty easy to get but you can use any +1 wisdom filigree

Main weapon:
Frozen Wanderer: Wisdom
Dragonsoul: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Wisdom
Lunar Magic: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Universal Spell Power

Artifact:
Frozen Wanderer: Wisdom
Dragonsoul: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Wisdom

Swap weapon(These filigree are much rarer and I was unable to acquire a full set during the league. You should swap to this set before raging for a big temp hp boost):
5x The Blood Feast

[Offensive and Defensive Breakdown]
Since this is hardcore, I have prioritized HP and defensive stats. Therefore, as a first life character the spellpower and DCs are a bit low. However, Druid is a very powerful caster class and you will be doing plenty of damage for endgame reaper 4 questing. I found that DC 90 in reaper is fairly reliable in R4.

Non-reaper stats:
Ice Flowers: 88 DC
Tsunami: 83 DC
Burst of Glacial Wrath: 83 DC
Greater Color Spray: 89

Cold Critical Chance: 50%
Cold Critical Multiplier: 49%
Cold Spell Power (w/metas): 944

HP: 1795
PRR: 214
MRR: 98
AC: 93
Fort: 308%
Saves(fort/reflex/will): 78/34/65
Hamp: 113

[Gear(HC6)]
This is the gear I used to complete HC6. Included for posterity or if you have trouble farming something on another list.

Randomly Generated Goggles: +6 evocation, +3 insightful transmutation
Legendary Bronze Dragonscale Plate
Legendary Cold Iron Bracers
The Legendary Shattered Onyx: Crafted - +6 Insightful Wisdom
Legendary Deepsnow Boots
Legendary Sunstone Gauntlets
Legendary Cheiftain
Legendary Direbear Belt
Legendary Mantle of Fury
The Two-Headed Platinum Piece
Legendary Pendant of the Azure Sea
Legendary Crown of Snow
Dinobone Quarterstaff
-Crafted:
--Shadowscale
--Iredescent Fang
--Meltclaw: Wisdom
--Brighthorn

Augments:
Topaz of Deathblock
+30 Topaz of Striding
Topaz of Transmuted Power
Topaz of Illusory Power
+32 Sapphire of Defense
Topaz of Feather Fall
Legendary Undying Sapphire

Filigree:
Filling out every slot with +1 wisdom filigree is the priority. The below should be pretty easy to get but you can use any +1 wisdom filigree

Main weapon:
Frozen Wanderer: Wisdom
Dragonsoul: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Wisdom
Lunar Magic: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Universal Spell Power

Artifact:
Frozen Wanderer: Wisdom
Dragonsoul: Wisdom
Coalesced Magic: Wisdom

Swap weapon(These filigree are much rarer and I was unable to acquire a full set during the league. You should swap to this set before raging for a big temp hp boost):
5x The Blood Feast

[Gear farming & thoughts]
Trinket
-I'm never running hardcore without spell absorb again. This is the best spell absorb item in DDO. It is very overpowered. You can replace it with something else if you don't have saltmarsh, but at your own peril.
-I just farmed saltmarsh wilderness rares while watching a movie to get this

Celestial Topaz Ring
-I hate just buisness farming, it is the worst. If you also can't stand it, this item can be replaced with The Cheiftain from Tethymar.

Dinobone weapon
-Take saga bonuses as bones to make getting the weapon easier.
-You really, really want to craft a brighthorn for your weapon. I suggest farming out the galbarazu raid boss in the adventure zone. Even better if you can get someone to pass you pearls.

Bloodfeast filigree
-You don't need them but it is a really good defensive boost. If you do want to farm these, I suggest trying to farm the optionals in the Final Vintage.
-You can also try begging other players for these. Mileage may vary.

IOD Augments
-These are not required, but do provide a nice DC boost. They seem to drop fairly often and you are going to do a lot of IOD to finish your weapon

[How to level]
This character plays very differently when leveling. My general plan when leveling is:
Level 1-2: Cast Produce Flame SLA (from Season's Herald) and melee things
Level 3-6: Cast Flame Blade, use Wolf Form and Wolf attacks. Put points into Season's Herald until you have the Call Lightning SLA.
Level 7-12: Start using Flame Strike. Put points into Feydark Illusionist for Colour Spray, then put points into Nature's Protector for Nature's Defense. Keep casting Product Flame SLA and Call Lightning SLA.
Level 13-17: FIRESTORM. You are now fire druid. Firestorm everything and be in fire elemental form. You should respec Season's Herald to match the endgame version.
Level 18+: You are now cold druid. Use Tsunami and Ice Flowers and water elemental form.

When I leveled this build, I took spell focus: evocation and then used my free Lesser Heart at level 18.

[Reaper point priority]
I put my first 12 points into Dire Thaumaturge to pick up the spell DCs and Wisdom. I personally considered reliable CC a higher priority than more HP.

[Acknowledgements]
Thanks to all the Druid players I asked for advice!
Thanks for reviewing and improving my build Strimtom!

[Video]
I recorded a quick R4 Into the Mists after the league was over. I intentionally took some damage and stuff to show what it looks like.

[Michele]

maybe you want to fit enlarge spell somehow, by replacing greater transmutation focus or by getting it for free from fatesinger or feydark illusionist.

[Ipsum]

maybe you want to fit enlarge spell somehow, by replacing greater transmutation focus or by getting it for free from fatesinger or feydark illusionist.

I personally find that while I do use enlarge on my raid healer so I don't have to chase people around to heal them, I don't like using it on dps casters since the monsters are fairly predictable (and usually close to you). However, if it is important to you, you could certainly do the suggested swap. Thanks for the feedback!

[Michele]

your burst of glacial wrath and salt ray have fortitude saves and may need more evocation DC: why are you taking transmutation focus instead of evocation focus?

in feydark illusionist tree I would take +1 spellcraft and saves and -2 action points in spell points.

in season's herald I would take efficient quicken, no efficient empower and maximize and I would cast ice flowers with just quicken spell (when you need to conserve spell points); I would take 3x shared spirit for +3 spell power, creeping cold sla, crown of summer because 15% healing amplification is very nice.

I don't see intensify spell among your epic feats, but I understand that many consider 75 more spell power a waste for an epic feat.

Anyway congratulations for 5k favors and 20 reaper points rewards, I always failed my attempts in hardcore league.

[Ipsum]

Again, thanks for the reply! I hope your next hc attempt goes better!

your burst of glacial wrath and salt ray have fortitude saves and may need more evocation DC: why are you taking transmutation focus instead of evocation focus?

My primary rotation is: Bogwa -> Tsunami -> Ice Flowers until dead

Basically, I find that ice flowers is really, really good so I improved ice flowers DCs (transmutation). I didn't really have any issues with stuff getting past bogw+tsunami+color spray on r4. I see the logic in pumping evo DCs, I just didn't find it necessary (plus having some extra transmuation was nice for leveling though epics).

in feydark illusionist tree I would take +1 spellcraft and saves and -2 action points in spell points.

Sure, saves are good. I don't really value spellcraft that high on hardcore though, its a really minor bonus. I like taking spell points on first life characters generally since they usually have smaller SP pools for various reasons.

in season's herald I would take efficient quicken, no efficient empower and maximize and I would cast ice flowers with just quicken spell (when you need to conserve spell points); I would take 3x shared spirit for +3 spell power, creeping cold sla, crown of summer because 15% healing amplification is very nice.

In reapers I turned on every metamagic and never turned them off. Evergreen in Primal Avatar really helps with SP. If you do the same, efficient max/empower provide more overall SP discount. Crown of summer is good, I just preferred the metamagic stuff. I personally don't like using creeping cold because it takes so long to do damage.

I don't see intensify spell among your epic feats, but I understand that many consider 75 more spell power a waste for an epic feat.

I considered it! Not sure what I would swap though. You can afford the spell point cost easily at endgame.

[Michele]

thank you for sharing your experience.

lol, this hardcore season I'll play heroic hard to see how many favors I collect that way.

Again, thanks for the reply! I hope your next hc attempt goes better!

My primary rotation is: Bogwa -> Tsunami -> Ice Flowers until dead

Basically, I find that ice flowers is really, really good so I improved ice flowers DCs (transmutation). I didn't really have any issues with stuff getting past bogw+tsunami+color spray on r4. I see the logic in pumping evo DCs, I just didn't find it necessary (plus having some extra transmuation was nice for leveling though epics).


Sure, saves are good. I don't really value spellcraft that high on hardcore though, its a really minor bonus. I like taking spell points on first life characters generally since they usually have smaller SP pools for various reasons.



In reapers I turned on every metamagic and never turned them off. Evergreen in Primal Avatar really helps with SP. If you do the same, efficient max/empower provide more overall SP discount. Crown of summer is good, I just preferred the metamagic stuff. I personally don't like using creeping cold because it takes so long to do damage.


I considered it! Not sure what I would swap though. You can afford the spell point cost easily at endgame.

[Ladas]

Hello Ipsum and lurkers - Novice question:

How are you bypassing the rage casting restriction with this Beasthide Shifter build? I cannot seem to find it.

Thanks,
Silver

[Ipsum]

Hello Ipsum and lurkers - Novice question:

How are you bypassing the rage casting restriction with this Beasthide Shifter build? I cannot seem to find it.

Thanks,
Silver

I don't bypass it until epics when I take "Draconic Rage" from Draconic Incarnation. Basically put the points into the racial tree last since you can't really use it until epics.