too many good weapons, what would you do?

[Ddealti]

Definitely not flexing, because other's have better items, truly confused about what my best options are. Perhaps I am over enamored by cool effects that don't occur frequently, but are super bad ass.

F1 Rogue12 W1 with 2WF specialty - have improved and over sized upgrades. Weapons finesse and other feats have my +8 Dex as my primary attack and damage bonus.

One thing I am trying to figure out is which should be primary and which should be secondary with a 60% off hand proc.

In Searing Heights, I got these 2 weapons.

Blade of the Clouds - Short Sword
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Favored Weapon (Useless, wrong class)
Finesse (already have)
Cloudburst - On Vorpal, this weapon triggers a Cloudburst, striking its target with lightning and dealing sonic damage to surrounding enemies through a powerful thunderclap.
Electrifying 2d6
Red Augment Slot: Acid 4D6

So 1D6 + 3 + 2d6 + 4d6 and 5% chance of an extra 20-30 points AoE

And

Dagger of the Deep Ones?-Dagger
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Tidal 2: This weapon is sheathed in water. A Tidal weapon deals an extra 2d6 points of damage on a successful hit. Creatures with the Fire trait take double this damage instead.
Corrosive Salt: This weapon stores a caustic, insatiable power deep within. When this weapon is used, this power can come to the surface in the form of a noxious, corrosive salt that dissolves all substances.
Bleeding 2: This weapon is wickedly curved, with spines and hooks meant to cause damage to those with flesh. This weapon does 2d8 bleeding damage to those that are vulnerable to it.
Maiming 2: This weapon has a twisted haft or grip and spikes along its blade, head, or point. When you score a critical hit with this weapon, it does an additional +2d8 damage.
Purple Augment Slot: Acid 4d6

So 1d4 +3 + 2d6 + 2d8 + 4d6 and a 10% chance of +2d8 and a 1-3%? chance of some super salt attack.



Which would you choose for Primary? Go for the AoE Cloudburst, or the Instakill? salt attack?


Now things get complicated, as in Red Sands I pick up this.

Ancient Vulkoorim Dagger

1.50[1d6] + 5 Slash, Pierce, Adamantine, Magic
Critical threat range 19-20 / x2
Weapon Type Dagger / Piercing weapons

+5 Enhancement Bonus
Poison Blast 3: This weapon drips with vile poison, dealing 3d6 Poison damage on a successful hit, and an additional 3d6 Poison damage on a critical hit.
Giant Slayer
Giant Bane 3
Wounding 2: This weapon saps the health from your enemies, dealing 2 Constitution damage on each hit.
Adamantine
Purple Augment Slot: Frost 4d5
Red Augment Slot: Acid 4d6
Mythic Weapon Boost +2: +2 Mythic bonus to Melee, Ranged, and Universal Spell Power.

So, 1d6 +5 + 3d6 + 4d6 +4d6 + 2pts Constitution! +10% chance of +3d6

Does this now become main weapon? Give up Cloudburst?

What would you make Main hand vs Off hand, and what gets set aside?

Now lets throw in a curveball. I got this shield (I am proficient).
Coronation Shield - Large Shield
Shield Bonus +9
Damage Reduction 9
Armor Check Penalty -1
Arcane Spell Failure 15%
Damage [1d6] + 5 Bludgeon, Magic
Critical Roll 20 / x2
Blinding Flash — 3 Charges (Recharged/Day:3)
+5 Enhancement Bonus
Holy Blast 3: This weapon sings of virtue, dealing 3d6 Good damage on a successful hit, and an additional 3d6 Good damage on a critical hit. This effect makes the weapon good aligned.
Blinding: This item can generate a flash of light that has a chance to blind opponents.
Paragon Light Guard: When hit or missed in combat, the attacking creature takes 4d8 Light damage.

Blue Augment Slot:


So, I can shield attack with this bad boy and do 1d6 +5 +3d6 and 10% chance of another 3d6 with a 1-3%? chance of blinding them.
Now this isn't 2WF, but I believe there is some chance of it proccing as my 2nd hand weapon?

But the biggest thing is melee attackers, whether they hit or miss me, take 4d8 damage. Each of them.

So do I fill my 2nd hand with a +9AC DR9, maybe weapon, that dings opponents as they hit me? I tested it and just stood there as a gnoll beat on me, for no damage, until it died!

Too many good and interesting options.

What would you main hand and off hand?

[Yvonnel-1]

Vistani style with pain&suffering fromRavenloft raids got my rogue to new heights dps-wise


Sorry, thought ure looking for end game solution- didnt see u still lvling

[archest]

already said you cant use the one for your favored weapon.
obvious choice is the other that you can.
I like best defense better because it has impact critical threat and vorpal insta kill 1000< and a purple augment slot.

[Ddealti]

already said you cant use the one for your favored weapon.
obvious choice is the other that you can.
I like best defense better because it has impact critical threat and vorpal insta kill 1000< and a purple augment slot.

Sorry I wasn't clear, Favored is useless because of my class, not the weapon type.

[Marshal_Lannes]

As a general rule, the weapons with superior crit profiles are generally the most sought after. For leveling, here are some daggers you'll have fun with.

Gold Cursed Dagger (Back to Basics) - turn your enemies to gold! You can be Goldfinger. Bond theme optional
Sky Pirate's Dagger (Three Barrell Cove rare) - Amazing crit profile
Assassin's Kiss (Temple of Elemental Evil) - Expanded crit profile, various fun effects
Bottle O Rum (Captive of the Hidden God) - Vorpal! Plus you get to fight with a broken bottle
Nightforge Stiletto (A Relic of a Sovereign Past crafted) - expanded crit profile, easy to get
Barovian Dagger (free after Into the Mists) - pretty powerful all around dagger better than most things that don't have high crit profiles or for starting out. The go to weapons on Hardcore.

All these are minimum level 10 or below.

For mid-heroics -

Slice and Dice (Multitude of Menance) a pair, forms a set, each has a plethora of fancy effects.

Those should get you started. There are tons of epic options.

[archest]

2% chance for cloud burst vs constitution damage .
when you get con damage you lose hit points so does the monster.
you could pick up a ruby of snow peaks in the upcoming event which give a freezing blast. you would have to choose between frost and acid .

[Fauxknight]

As a general rule, the weapons with superior crit profiles are generally the most sought after.

The more advanced a character is the more true this is. A 1st life character with no tomes is going to benefit as much or more from bonus damage dice as they would from crit profile.

Slice and Dice (Multitude of Menance) a pair, forms a set, each has a plethora of fancy effects.

I'm not sure if Slice and Dice even make the cut anymore. They aren't a terrible option, but something like a Moonslice/Sunslice combo is going to have better consistency or even any mix of Barovian and Syranian.

As mentioned earlier on a more advanced character the focus will be on crit profile, Nightforge Stilletos are fantastic for that and super easy to get.

[Saekee]

I am assuming that you took improved critical: slashing? A dex ranger will be using scimitars so look into the expanded crit range and multi you get out of the ranger cores in tempest and deepwood.

A scimitar will then have 14-20/3 crit profile. There are not a lot of great scimmies at your level but Mirage is ok and can complete the windlasher set if you have, say, the Hyena Claw necklace. Toxic treatment drops a great one but that is a tough long quest especially for new players. You could also use a kukri but at that level range there are not any great ones. Lootgen might worl fine.

Blade of the Clouds has a proc that if used in the offhand should proc on the mainhand. So for a thrower build it could be fun. You can play with it a bit in the offhand to see its proc rate (probably low) and have fun with it. Store it for future use…

[Ddealti]

The more advanced a character is the more true this is. A 1st life character with no tomes is going to benefit as much or more from bonus damage dice as they would from crit profile.




I'm not sure if Slice and Dice even make the cut anymore. They aren't a terrible option, but something like a Moonslice/Sunslice combo is going to have better consistency or even any mix of Barovian and Syranian.

As mentioned earlier on a more advanced character the focus will be on crit profile, Nightforge Stilletos are fantastic for that and super easy to get.

Thanks for this great info. It get's confusing for me, Lvl14 1st Life, when everyone is talking 4th lives and tomes.

It helps to understand what is good at different stages of the game.

I'm still not sure if I should be using the shield, with it's damage response, instead of a 60% off hand weapon.

[Ddealti]

I am assuming that you took improved critical: slashing? A dex ranger will be using scimitars so look into the expanded crit range and multi you get out of the ranger cores in tempest and deepwood.

A scimitar will then have 14-20/3 crit profile. There are not a lot of great scimmies at your level but Mirage is ok and can complete the windlasher set if you have, say, the Hyena Claw necklace. Toxic treatment drops a great one but that is a tough long quest especially for new players. You could also use a kukri but at that level range there are not any great ones. Lootgen might worl fine.

Blade of the Clouds has a proc that if used in the offhand should proc on the mainhand. So for a thrower build it could be fun. You can play with it a bit in the offhand to see its proc rate (probably low) and have fun with it. Store it for future use…

Hi, apparently I wasn't clear. I am 1Fighter/12Rogue/1Wizard. I am not a Ranger. However your crit profile information is still useful.

I am afraid I don't understand this - Blade of the Clouds has a proc that if used in the offhand should proc on the mainhand


Are you saying I will get a cloudburst, with it in my off hand, when my main hand, using a different weapon, rolls a 20?

Thanks for helping.

[Fauxknight]

I'm still not sure if I should be using the shield, with it's damage response, instead of a 60% off hand weapon.

If you have the TWF line of feats then stick to using two weapons. Sheilds don't add much to your offense or defense unless you specialize in them.

[Tsutti]

Blade of the Clouds - Short Sword
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Favored Weapon (Useless, wrong class)
Finesse (already have)
Cloudburst - On Vorpal, this weapon triggers a Cloudburst, striking its target with lightning and dealing sonic damage to surrounding enemies through a powerful thunderclap.
Electrifying 2d6
Red Augment Slot: Acid 4D6

So 1D6 + 3 + 2d6 + 4d6 and 5% chance of an extra 20-30 points AoE

And

Dagger of the Deep Ones?-Dagger
+3 Enhancement Bonus
Tidal 2: This weapon is sheathed in water. A Tidal weapon deals an extra 2d6 points of damage on a successful hit. Creatures with the Fire trait take double this damage instead.
Corrosive Salt: This weapon stores a caustic, insatiable power deep within. When this weapon is used, this power can come to the surface in the form of a noxious, corrosive salt that dissolves all substances.
Bleeding 2: This weapon is wickedly curved, with spines and hooks meant to cause damage to those with flesh. This weapon does 2d8 bleeding damage to those that are vulnerable to it.
Maiming 2: This weapon has a twisted haft or grip and spikes along its blade, head, or point. When you score a critical hit with this weapon, it does an additional +2d8 damage.
Purple Augment Slot: Acid 4d6

So 1d4 +3 + 2d6 + 2d8 + 4d6 and a 10% chance of +2d8 and a 1-3%? chance of some super salt attack.



Which would you choose for Primary? Go for the AoE Cloudburst, or the Instakill? salt attack?


Now things get complicated, as in Red Sands I pick up this.

Ancient Vulkoorim Dagger

1.50[1d6] + 5 Slash, Pierce, Adamantine, Magic
Critical threat range 19-20 / x2
Weapon Type Dagger / Piercing weapons

+5 Enhancement Bonus
Poison Blast 3: This weapon drips with vile poison, dealing 3d6 Poison damage on a successful hit, and an additional 3d6 Poison damage on a critical hit.
Giant Slayer
Giant Bane 3
Wounding 2: This weapon saps the health from your enemies, dealing 2 Constitution damage on each hit.
Adamantine
Purple Augment Slot: Frost 4d5
Red Augment Slot: Acid 4d6
Mythic Weapon Boost +2: +2 Mythic bonus to Melee, Ranged, and Universal Spell Power.

So, 1d6 +5 + 3d6 + 4d6 +4d6 + 2pts Constitution! +10% chance of +3d6

Does this now become main weapon? Give up Cloudburst?

What would you make Main hand vs Off hand, and what gets set aside?

Now lets throw in a curveball. I got this shield (I am proficient).
Coronation Shield - Large Shield
Shield Bonus +9
Damage Reduction 9
Armor Check Penalty -1
Arcane Spell Failure 15%
Damage [1d6] + 5 Bludgeon, Magic
Critical Roll 20 / x2
Blinding Flash — 3 Charges (Recharged/Day:3)
+5 Enhancement Bonus
Holy Blast 3: This weapon sings of virtue, dealing 3d6 Good damage on a successful hit, and an additional 3d6 Good damage on a critical hit. This effect makes the weapon good aligned.
Blinding: This item can generate a flash of light that has a chance to blind opponents.
Paragon Light Guard: When hit or missed in combat, the attacking creature takes 4d8 Light damage.

Blue Augment Slot:


So, I can shield attack with this bad boy and do 1d6 +5 +3d6 and 10% chance of another 3d6 with a 1-3%? chance of blinding them.
Now this isn't 2WF, but I believe there is some chance of it proccing as my 2nd hand weapon?

But the biggest thing is melee attackers, whether they hit or miss me, take 4d8 damage. Each of them.

So do I fill my 2nd hand with a +9AC DR9, maybe weapon, that dings opponents as they hit me? I tested it and just stood there as a gnoll beat on me, for no damage, until it died!

Too many good and interesting options.

What would you main hand and off hand?

The short sword is pretty meh, the 2d6 electric damage is the most useful thing I see on it tbh (well actually the augment technically is), so drop that one. Being TWF you want two weapons, the shield actually sounds easier to play with and if you're running normal difficulty then it could be a good option for easiest quest completion and ensuring you don't die (higher difficulty enemies will get through that 9 DR so it won't make you as invincible). You lose a lot of potential damage however, and I don't believe that you have any chance of performing a secondary shield bash without feats for it.

Put the Ancient Vulkoorim Dagger in your mainhand and the Dagger of the Deep Ones in your offhand, the Vulkoorim one has higher base damage (1.5[1d6]+5 vs 1d6+3) and additionally has more on-hit damage (3d6 weapon + 8d6 augments = 11d6 extra damage vs 2d6 + 2d8 + 4d6 = 6d6 + 2d8 extra damage) so it is definitely your highest damage option of everything listed.

I did some lazy calculations not accounting for crits, average combined damage of your Vulkoorim is about 48 and Deep Ones is about 36. This doesn't account for your doublestrike or melee power either, including the 2 melee power provided by the mythic bonus. If I accounted for crit or melee power, Vulkoorim would be favored even harder due to these things only affecting the base damage part (the 1.5[1d6]+5 vs 1d6+3 part) so the dagger with the higher base damage is more heavily impacted by melee power and crits.

By the way I don't think you need to do two separate damage types for the augments in your Vulkoorim dagger if you don't want to, pretty sure you can make both of them acid. I'm assuming you did acid augs because the fewest enemies are resistant to/immune to it, plus it's nice against trolls, although if you do want a varied damage type then I'd say electric is pretty nice because it should slow iron golems (not 100% sure this works with augment/weapon on-hit damage, might only be for electric spells if anyone can confirm either way).

[Fauxknight]

By the way I don't think you need to do two separate damage types for the augments in your Vulkoorim dagger if you don't want to, pretty sure you can make both of them acid.

Yes and no. In my experience two identical procs on the same weapon don't work, so it won't handle a 4d6 acid ruby with another 4d6 acid ruby on the same weapon. You can however mix two different rubies of the same type so you can mix a 4d6 acid ruby with a 3d6 acid ruby.

[archest]

you can use the shield when it benefits you the most.
in AC.
sneak attack for twf pull up the shield when defensive fighting for an increase in PRR and AC.
say you sneak attacked a monster and then were spotted by the group you standing in the middle of I suppose you could still just swing away with the duel weapons or switch and reduce the hp your loosing by eliminating hits with a higher ac and damge with a higher PRR. your blinding bash and light damages from that shield should help with that as well.( but you have to manually hit the shield sla.) put it in a tool bar.
Vanguard tree enhances the shield +1 to hit and +1 damage ( 1st core).
Stalwart Defender Defensive Combat Stance +PRR but it also pushes increased % of Threat to your light armored 1/2 tank rogue. (Argo)
additional AC and PRR when you arm you shield at melee range < rogue loses evasion with a large shield equipped.

[Ddealti]

The short sword is pretty meh, the 2d6 electric damage is the most useful thing I see on it tbh (well actually the augment technically is), so drop that one. Being TWF you want two weapons, the shield actually sounds easier to play with and if you're running normal difficulty then it could be a good option for easiest quest completion and ensuring you don't die (higher difficulty enemies will get through that 9 DR so it won't make you as invincible). You lose a lot of potential damage however, and I don't believe that you have any chance of performing a secondary shield bash without feats for it.

Put the Ancient Vulkoorim Dagger in your mainhand and the Dagger of the Deep Ones in your offhand, the Vulkoorim one has higher base damage (1.5[1d6]+5 vs 1d6+3) and additionally has more on-hit damage (3d6 weapon + 8d6 augments = 11d6 extra damage vs 2d6 + 2d8 + 4d6 = 6d6 + 2d8 extra damage) so it is definitely your highest damage option of everything listed.

I did some lazy calculations not accounting for crits, average combined damage of your Vulkoorim is about 48 and Deep Ones is about 36. This doesn't account for your doublestrike or melee power either, including the 2 melee power provided by the mythic bonus. If I accounted for crit or melee power, Vulkoorim would be favored even harder due to these things only affecting the base damage part (the 1.5[1d6]+5 vs 1d6+3 part) so the dagger with the higher base damage is more heavily impacted by melee power and crits.

By the way I don't think you need to do two separate damage types for the augments in your Vulkoorim dagger if you don't want to, pretty sure you can make both of them acid. I'm assuming you did acid augs because the fewest enemies are resistant to/immune to it, plus it's nice against trolls, although if you do want a varied damage type then I'd say electric is pretty nice because it should slow iron golems (not 100% sure this works with augment/weapon on-hit damage, might only be for electric spells if anyone can confirm either way).

Thanks for your insights. Having virtually no Area Effect attacks, I was a little enamored with the cloudburst, but like you said everything else was meh.
Regarding the augments, went with acid because it seems broadly effective, and then added cold because we are fighting so many fire creatures.

I'm thinking I go TWF slice and dice for most situations, then I could use the shield for boss fights. However, I do lose evasion for that, so hmmm....

[Ddealti]

you can use the shield when it benefits you the most.
in AC.
sneak attack for twf pull up the shield when defensive fighting for an increase in PRR and AC.
say you sneak attacked a monster and then were spotted by the group you standing in the middle of I suppose you could still just swing away with the duel weapons or switch and reduce the hp your loosing by eliminating hits with a higher ac and damge with a higher PRR. your blinding bash and light damages from that shield should help with that as well.( but you have to manually hit the shield sla.) put it in a tool bar.
Vanguard tree enhances the shield +1 to hit and +1 damage ( 1st core).
Stalwart Defender Defensive Combat Stance +PRR but it also pushes increased % of Threat to your light armored 1/2 tank rogue. (Argo)
additional AC and PRR when you arm you shield at melee range < rogue loses evasion with a large shield equipped.

I was thinking it would be best in a boss fight, or when overrun by a mob. Usually I am TWF slicing and dicing and just trying to pile dps with a 60% off hand chance.

You make a great point that the shield loses me my evasion, so maybe that isn't worth it. I wish I could figure probabilities better.

Thanks for your input and insights.

[Saekee]

Hi, apparently I wasn't clear. I am 1Fighter/12Rogue/1Wizard. I am not a Ranger. However your crit profile information is still useful.

I am afraid I don't understand this - Blade of the Clouds has a proc that if used in the offhand should proc on the mainhand


Are you saying I will get a cloudburst, with it in my off hand, when my main hand, using a different weapon, rolls a 20?

Thanks for helping.

oh duhh I read wrongly—yes as folks are saying use daggers assuming you took IC pierce and people usually go up the vistani tree too.
If you took ic slashing then go up TA tree and aim eventually for improved defensive roll (make sure to take the feat ofc later levels)

Weapon suggestions all great from folks above but note that dps is not a big issue with assassins—it is survivability

yes the offhand proc from clouburst should proc on the mainhand. Test it with a throwing dagger. It is not worth using at your current level but in the future you may use it in the offhand in its level range or for a monk build/splash

the snowpeaks augment in an offhand weapon will peoc on the mainhand too and will even do so in a shield slot. It is a great little augment for half of heroics