meh i'm normally against the multi class thing, i'm more inclined to pure builds, since pures builds tend to be very powerfull in the last lvl with they enhancement tree.
even more on a monk and paladin, I can see fighter and rogues maybe mages multiclass, but most I don't see much use
There are many schools of thought on that.
There is a whole group of players in DDO that believe very strongly in pure builds, and often frown upon milti-class, there are those that love to multi-class and build deep splits all the time.
There is no wrong way to play as long as you are having fun.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
meh i'm normally against the multi class thing, i'm more inclined to pure builds, since pures builds tend to be very powerfull in the last lvl with they enhancement tree.
even more on a monk and paladin, I can see fighter and rogues maybe mages multiclass, but most I don't see much use
There are many schools of thought on that.
There is a whole group of players in DDO that believe very strongly in pure builds, and often frown upon milti-class, there are those that love to multi-class and build deep splits all the time.
There is no wrong way to play as long as you are having fun.
Agreed I only play pure characters but I might go rogue Yes I did just do that
One nice thing about voiceovers is that they tell you how names are pronounced. Unless the voicevers can't agree. How exactly is "sahuagin" pronounced? Depending on which voiceovers you believe, it could be sa-ha-gin, sa-wa-gin, or sa-hoo-ah-gin.
There sure are a whole lot of fires in those caves. Don't the inhabitants realize that fires burn oxygen, and with no oxygen, everyone in the cave dies?
One nice thing about voiceovers is that they tell you how names are pronounced. Unless the voicevers can't agree. How exactly is "sahuagin" pronounced? Depending on which voiceovers you believe, it could be sa-ha-gin, sa-wa-gin, or sa-hoo-ah-gin.
There sure are a whole lot of fires in those caves. Don't the inhabitants realize that fires burn oxygen, and with no oxygen, everyone in the cave dies?
OMG you just hit an ongoing joke in the game..
Oh No! The Aquatic Pork has Found Me!
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Well, since I just TR'ed again, and this is my first time doing the new starting areas known as Keep on the Borderlands. I have to say, on elite, it does in fact offer significantly more challenge than Korthos does.
I ended up needing to use tactics, like bottlenecks and pinch points, In fact, while the loot is pretty good for a level 1 zone this is not a place I would suggest for a new player to run solo in.
It does come across a grand playground for more veteran players, like the kind of zone that was asked for many years ago, So I am happy to see that SSG finally got around to putting something like that in.
The fact they do not make it obvious is a true plus, that way starting players will not get pulled way from the very much needed Korthos starting experience, that teaches the game in an easy to digest manner as well as providing them easy loot to move into the Harbor with.
My static laughed their ass off when after I ran my first quest in KotB, and said "Well that's no joke" and broke out all my twink gear, LOL.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Well, since I just TR'ed again, and this is my first time doing the new starting areas known as Keep on the Borderlands. I have to say, on elite, it does in fact offer significantly more challenge than Korthos does.
I ended up needing to use tactics, like bottlenecks and pinch points, In fact, while the loot is pretty good for a level 1 zone this is not a place I would suggest for a new player to run solo in.
It does come across a grand playground for more veteran players, like the kind of zone that was asked for many years ago, So I am happy to see that SSG finally got around to putting something like that in.
The fact they do not make it obvious is a true plus, that way starting players will not get pulled way from the very much needed Korthos starting experience, that teaches the game in an easy to digest manner as well as providing them easy loot to move into the Harbor with.
My static laughed their ass off when after I ran my first quest in KotB, and said "Well that's no joke" and broke out all my twink gear, LOL.
Oh I'm at Harbour running quests there now so was wondering should I run the Keep on the Borderlands or wait till I'm 21. Is it meant for veterans or can a new player like me play it?
(Note: If I type something in a thread that does not exactly pertain to the stated subject of the thread in every, way, shape, and form, please feel free to send me a response in a Private Message.)
Well, since I just TR'ed again, and this is my first time doing the new starting areas known as Keep on the Borderlands. I have to say, on elite, it does in fact offer significantly more challenge than Korthos does.
I ended up needing to use tactics, like bottlenecks and pinch points, In fact, while the loot is pretty good for a level 1 zone this is not a place I would suggest for a new player to run solo in.
It does come across a grand playground for more veteran players, like the kind of zone that was asked for many years ago, So I am happy to see that SSG finally got around to putting something like that in.
The fact they do not make it obvious is a true plus, that way starting players will not get pulled way from the very much needed Korthos starting experience, that teaches the game in an easy to digest manner as well as providing them easy loot to move into the Harbor with.
My static laughed their ass off when after I ran my first quest in KotB, and said "Well that's no joke" and broke out all my twink gear, LOL.
Oh I'm at Harbour running quests there now so was wondering should I run the Keep on the Borderlands or wait till I'm 21. Is it meant for veterans or can a new player like me play it?
The quests are level 1 (3 on Elite), so if you are already in the Harbor, you might have already out leveled the area, BUT, there is no reason why you can't go back and check it out, you can get EXP there, till 5th level if you run elite quests, and don't forget that is how you get a horse.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Well, since I just TR'ed again, and this is my first time doing the new starting areas known as Keep on the Borderlands. I have to say, on elite, it does in fact offer significantly more challenge than Korthos does.
I ended up needing to use tactics, like bottlenecks and pinch points, In fact, while the loot is pretty good for a level 1 zone this is not a place I would suggest for a new player to run solo in.
It does come across a grand playground for more veteran players, like the kind of zone that was asked for many years ago, So I am happy to see that SSG finally got around to putting something like that in.
The fact they do not make it obvious is a true plus, that way starting players will not get pulled way from the very much needed Korthos starting experience, that teaches the game in an easy to digest manner as well as providing them easy loot to move into the Harbor with.
My static laughed their ass off when after I ran my first quest in KotB, and said "Well that's no joke" and broke out all my twink gear, LOL.
Oh I'm at Harbour running quests there now so was wondering should I run the Keep on the Borderlands or wait till I'm 21. Is it meant for veterans or can a new player like me play it?
I've been playing it with just me and a hireling while level 1. None of the quests are difficult on hard. On elite, some of my characters have been unable to complete some of the quests, especially Obstructing the Orcs.
You know that gambling parlour quest in Harbour on elite at level 4 (quest is level 2 but on elite is 3 I think not sure). My god those dogs chewed my bard to death. I managed it on elite only on 3 characters at level 4, the monk which had like 6 hp at the end of the fight and the paladin ...damn plate rules and the ranger because she managed to kill them at range and by the time they got to her two were dead but even then it was a very close call. Doing that quest at 4 is kind of a test on your character to see how much they can survive. Monk probably because of the high dodge.
That sadistic Brother Augustus has a mean streak knowing full well those dogs are vicious.
The other one that tests you but higher chance to survive even on elite but I blew a few potions and heals on the Bard was Haverdasher. Those scorpions burrowing under is no joke because as a ranged character you cannot take em out from afar like the dogs.
I noticed also that quests on hard my search spot and disable are too low on a multiclass with only one level of rogue. I will need to craft some nice items to help because the traps are super nasty at hard and elite I don't even want to try to run through em. I always release when I die I don't buy any cakes to use may be on higher levels but low levels just rerun it. Some nasty surprises in some quests you need to find out the hard way so you will remember them.
Not too keen on the horses I hate people riding them into the Hammer and Chain.
You know that gambling parlour quest in Harbour on elite at level 4 (quest is level 2 but on elite is 3 I think not sure). My god those dogs chewed my bard to death. I managed it on elite only on 3 characters at level 4, the monk which had like 6 hp at the end of the fight and the paladin ...damn plate rules and the ranger because she managed to kill them at range and by the time they got to her two were dead but even then it was a very close call. Doing that quest at 4 is kind of a test on your character to see how much they can survive. Monk probably because of the high dodge.
That sadistic Brother Augustus has a mean streak knowing full well those dogs are vicious.
The other one that tests you but higher chance to survive even on elite but I blew a few potions and heals on the Bard was Haverdasher. Those scorpions burrowing under is no joke because as a ranged character you cannot take em out from afar like the dogs.
I noticed also that quests on hard my search spot and disable are too low on a multiclass with only one level of rogue. I will need to craft some nice items to help because the traps are super nasty at hard and elite I don't even want to try to run through em. I always release when I die I don't buy any cakes to use may be on higher levels but low levels just rerun it. Some nasty surprises in some quests you need to find out the hard way so you will remember them.
Not too keen on the horses I hate people riding them into the Hammer and Chain.
Yah, those dogs can be mean in Bringing the Light on elite, espcally since they pack attack you. It's also a level 4 quest on elite, so if you are doing it at 3rd level, you are doing quite well for yourself.
also if you are 3rd or 4th right now.. yah.. come on over to the Borderlands! should be great fun!
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
You know that gambling parlour quest in Harbour on elite at level 4 (quest is level 2 but on elite is 3 I think not sure). My god those dogs chewed my bard to death. I managed it on elite only on 3 characters at level 4, the monk which had like 6 hp at the end of the fight and the paladin ...damn plate rules and the ranger because she managed to kill them at range and by the time they got to her two were dead but even then it was a very close call. Doing that quest at 4 is kind of a test on your character to see how much they can survive. Monk probably because of the high dodge.
That sadistic Brother Augustus has a mean streak knowing full well those dogs are vicious.
The other one that tests you but higher chance to survive even on elite but I blew a few potions and heals on the Bard was Haverdasher. Those scorpions burrowing under is no joke because as a ranged character you cannot take em out from afar like the dogs.
I noticed also that quests on hard my search spot and disable are too low on a multiclass with only one level of rogue. I will need to craft some nice items to help because the traps are super nasty at hard and elite I don't even want to try to run through em. I always release when I die I don't buy any cakes to use may be on higher levels but low levels just rerun it. Some nasty surprises in some quests you need to find out the hard way so you will remember them.
Not too keen on the horses I hate people riding them into the Hammer and Chain.
Yah, those dogs can be mean in Bringing the Light on elite, espcally since they pack attack you. It's also a level 4 quest on elite, so if you are doing it at 3rd level, you are doing quite well for yourself.
also if you are 3rd or 4th right now.. yah.. come on over to the Borderlands! should be great fun!
No I do them at level 4 no way at 3 I would be bloody puddle on the floor at 3.
Also, bit of advice, if you plan to Multi-class rogue for Trapping, you should mix with a class that either uses Intelligence as a primary stat, or a class with a lot of skill points, like Ranger, Bard, or Barbarian, so you can keep up the skills.
This is what makes Wiz/Rogues so popular, 18/2 split, max int for skills which gives max trapping skills, also gives evasion, with the feat Insightful reflexes makes it so you use your Int Modifier for reflex saves and evasion.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
hmm so new gatekeeper quests to farm favors huh? need the last expansion too I guess, too bad I really don't have much time to go back, too many games on teh back log and i'm waiting for the pso2 go pc
hmm so new gatekeeper quests to farm favors huh? need the last expansion too I guess, too bad I really don't have much time to go back, too many games on teh back log and i'm waiting for the pso2 go pc
I have no idea, SSG made all content accessible till the end of the month. I am not even sure what packs I do and do not have.. LOL.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
i know it gets mentioned here and there, but some people really hate the whole "you are the one and only chosen one, and so is everyone else playing the game" thing that some MMOs do... well, let me assure you, DDO does no such thing...
other games: you are the chosen one! only you will bring down the big bad guy and bring balance and peace to this realm! and so will that guy, and that guy, and oh yeah, that guy too... etc
i know it gets mentioned here and there, but some people really hate the whole "you are the one and only chosen one, and so is everyone else playing the game" thing that some MMOs do... well, let me assure you, DDO does no such thing...
other games: you are the chosen one! only you will bring down the big bad guy and bring balance and peace to this realm! and so will that guy, and that guy, and oh yeah, that guy too... etc
DDO:
LOL... It's stuff like that keeps me playing.. you just don't find this in any other game.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
i know it gets mentioned here and there, but some people really hate the whole "you are the one and only chosen one, and so is everyone else playing the game" thing that some MMOs do... well, let me assure you, DDO does no such thing...
other games: you are the chosen one! only you will bring down the big bad guy and bring balance and peace to this realm! and so will that guy, and that guy, and oh yeah, that guy too... etc
DDO:
LOL... It's stuff like that keeps me playing.. you just don't find this in any other game.
I know one NPC scolded me for wasting his precious time. I am not even worthy of cutting grass.
i know it gets mentioned here and there, but some people really hate the whole "you are the one and only chosen one, and so is everyone else playing the game" thing that some MMOs do... well, let me assure you, DDO does no such thing...
other games: you are the chosen one! only you will bring down the big bad guy and bring balance and peace to this realm! and so will that guy, and that guy, and oh yeah, that guy too... etc
DDO:
LOL... It's stuff like that keeps me playing.. you just don't find this in any other game.
I know one NPC scolded me for wasting his precious time. I am not even worthy of cutting grass.
LOL, yah, they really know how to make you feel like a hero in that game.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
However the Monte Cristo build is the one I am following both for feats and the enhancement trees. I of course need points in search, spot and disable device so aside from the 7 Balance I need for Greater SWF I have foregone any more points in Balance. It is hard to max out the spot, search and disable device while trying to put points in heal, UMD and Perform. Perform I do religiously every level.
Mine is a charisma build as my damage from the Swashbuckling tree makes charisma my damage stat. I used a short sword but I am on a rapier now, I know it has less damage but it is vorpal. I could not find a short sword yet. I switch to a holy light mace for skellies. I use the bow and crossbow for oozes and often to break a room I use the ranged attack and I never enter a room without picking off a few with my bow preferably a pesky shaman or two.
My question is I know I cannot progress simply killing everything with my combat weapon skills for long. Already in elite I am facing an alarming loss of HP due to my light armour and although I have evasion I still need to rethink how I fight.
I know I am supposed to use the fascinate skill but I tried and it never works, the general one. Granted I have not gotten the Spellsinger tree fascinate skills yet. The Music of the Sewers, Undead and Makers. I have only been putting points in the Swashbuckler tree.
Okay let us say I manage to fascinate an Ooze can I then pummel it to death while it is enthralled?
Is this how I should proceed using my CC. So far I use my Warchant, Heroism and Blur and some extra double strikes to kill. I have not yet tried this CC method yet.
Or am I supposed to fascinate them and leave them be ?
However the Monte Cristo build is the one I am following both for feats and the enhancement trees. I of course need points in search, spot and disable device so aside from the 7 Balance I need for Greater SWF I have foregone any more points in Balance. It is hard to max out the spot, search and disable device while trying to put points in heal, UMD and Perform. Perform I do religiously every level.
Mine is a charisma build as my damage from the Swashbuckling tree makes charisma my damage stat. I used a short sword but I am on a rapier now, I know it has less damage but it is vorpal. I could not find a short sword yet. I switch to a holy light mace for skellies. I use the bow and crossbow for oozes and often to break a room I use the ranged attack and I never enter a room without picking off a few with my bow preferably a pesky shaman or two.
My question is I know I cannot progress simply killing everything with my combat weapon skills for long. Already in elite I am facing an alarming loss of HP due to my light armour and although I have evasion I still need to rethink how I fight.
I know I am supposed to use the fascinate skill but I tried and it never works, the general one. Granted I have not gotten the Spellsinger tree fascinate skills yet. The Music of the Sewers, Undead and Makers. I have only been putting points in the Swashbuckler tree.
Okay let us say I manage to fascinate an Ooze can I then pummel it to death while it is enthralled?
Is this how I should proceed using my CC. So far I use my Warchant, Heroism and Blur and some extra double strikes to kill. I have not yet tried this CC method yet.
Or am I supposed to fascinate them and leave them be ?
ok. i do like the monte cristo. it's a great build and i respect the poster for sure lots of solid advice. altho keep in mind some of the things he mentioned are for an endgame build (he's talking about expanded crit ranges and double strike values from including Divine Crusader epic destiny (which is teh shiz btw. i it so much!) i, however, do not use that build i have my own warchanter/swashy that i cooked up that works well for me.
that said. to address your points and questions.
most people (myself included) who run a "trapping whatever" tend to dump spot. some because they already know where everything is..or, some like me, they forget where it is, bull thru the trap, somehow manage to survive by their luck, and then turn around and disable. derp. definitely whatever you do, don't neglect the perform or UMD. those are the halmarks of a bard. i usually end up dumping heal when i'm running short of points, but i also have a bank full of all sort of oddball gear, and some of it has decent devotion on it.. and i am more than happy to make liberal use of pots, wands, and scrolls. i already go thru my mana bar way too fast as it is. lol. so that is a sacrifice i am willing to make. you make your own judgement on that.
rapier v shortsword... unless the shortie is amazeballs, they should both be roughly equal? at 7 you won't have imp crit yet, but even if you did, they are both piercing weapons, so the bonus there will be equal. a short sword starts out as 19-20/x2 and gets +1 range and +1 multiplier for a total of 18-20/x3. rapiers start out as 18-20/x2 and get +1 multiplier for a total of 18-20/x3. in fact, if i'm not mistaken (i might be, i'm only skimming right now) swashbuckler basically makes all swashy-available weapons have an 18-20/x3 base crit range/multiplier before bonuses from feats/destinies.. so pick your favorite. i like handaxes ^_^
your question about fighting. your defense is a LOT more than simply the armor you wear. if you only concentrate on raw AC, yes, you will get your arse handed to you. very frequently.... every little bit of defense adds up to a whole. and even a newer player can start to stack the deck in their favor by paying attention to their loot, and possibly learning a little bit of crafting. you want.. AC, dodge chance, incorporeal, concealment, and magical and physical resistance (MRR and PRR. appears on gear as "sheltering") AC is your first line of defense. your AC beats the mobs roll and they straight up miss you. good old school D&D rules. then you add dodge. anything that gets passed the AC you now have a chance to dodge it. dodge can be capped by your armor and shield, but enhancements, destinies, and special abilities (like uncanny dodge) can bump the cap out, temporarily or even permanently. you dodge it, it misses you entirely. you can get an idea what your AC, dodge miss chance and current dodge cap, and your "defense chance at level" looks like by hovering over your AC number on the inventory screen.
that bard ain't doing so hot. but i know she needs better gear. she dies alot. but she's also not my main, and not a melee (she's a CC/healer)
my main on the other hand...both same level. both 23.
then, once it manages to get past the "defense chance at level" it has to go up against concealment (granted by blur and displacement and a few other things) and incorporeality. concealment buffs stack with incorporeal buffs... but buffs and items within the same category typically don't stack with each other.. ie: blur doesn't stack with displacement. but still. throw a blur on, and now for every hit that manages to make it past your AC and your dodge, now it has another 20% chance to still miss you, and you get displacement for 50% instead in 2 levels. i pretty much NEVER start a fight without making sure my blur or displacement is fresh and ready to go (depending on level of course). you can see what your current incorporeality and concealment values are on the character sheet by clicking the + on the top right.
i'm slacking on my main bard. i could do better and get myself an incorporeality item... but i'm also still levleing, i'm not into my endgame gear at the moment, but it still gives you an idea how to minimize the damage you're taking.
if an attack makes it thru ALL THAT... that's when the PRR comes in. PRR is kinda like a percentage based DR. the number itself is not a straight percentage... diminishing returns n all that, but the higher the number, the more damage reduction you get. whatever makes it thru your AC, your dodge, your incorporeal, your concealment... that hit that manages to make it thru... now does less damage.
same premise holds true for MRR. MRR reduces the amount of damage you take from spells, which is handy for failed save moments.
and even as a melee, i CAN NOT stress enough how much movement takes a part in the equation. at melee you WILL get hit more than a ranged character, but if you are constantly on the move you WILL get hit much less than if you are stationary. yes, you will take a small penalty to your to-hit unless you have the appropriate feats. usually this isn't a huge issue. but yeah. i'm "dancing" constantly in most big fights. depending on what i'm facing and how hard it's hitting me when it gets thru my other defenses affects how much i move. lol. there's been times when i was practically kiting when fighting some mean boss mob, running tight circles still within melee range and hitting him, but staying *mostly* out of the swing of his weapon as he spins in place to follow. ROFL
NOW.. with THAT infodump out of the way. you say that fascinate is not working for you? fascinate can be a tricky thing. i tend to be a very "in your face kick your ass" player on most of my toons (excepting my archer collection. lol) so i end up rarely using it... BUT i always have it handy, and it has quite literally saved the day more times than i can count.
it does take a few seconds to trigger. it's not fast like a spell. it is dependent on your perform skill, which if you've been maxing it you shouldn't have a problem. it doesn't work on red names. it doesn't work on oozes, constructs, undead, or vermin (spiders, rats etc) unless you have the appropriate enhancements (or destiny in the case of vermin). it is fragile. IF YOU HIT A FASCINATED MOB AT ALL... THE MOB IS NO LONGER FASCINATED. the only exception is enthrall, which has a CHANCE to not break upon damage, but.. paradoxically, i don't think enthrall benefits from the enhancements that make fascinate work on oozes, constructs, and undead. derp.
the timing takes a little practice, but once you nail that down, the times that i HAVE used fascinate usually go as follows "oh crap, that was way more mobs than i expected!" *begin singing*, *run around and jump as needed to avoid as much damage as possible while singing* and once the song ends, most or all of the mobs SHOULD be standing around drooling on themselves for a few minutes. any that made their save i kill first, then i take my time going around the room killing one at a time.
your primary CC while fighting using the monte cristo build... unless you get overwhelmed will most likely more be coming from low blow and elegant footwork and otto's sphere of dancing (once you get it. earliest you can pick it up is 10 levels of bard. so with rogue splash it would be 12th...)
as i mentioned, fascinate breaks the second you do damage, so you can't beat on a fascinated ooze. but you can fascinate all his buddies and make them watch as you beat on the one of them XD
NOW. with all that said. my own personal favorite that i mentioned WAY earlier in this huge arse post... as i said, i prefer in your face to casting... i practically ignore the spellsinger tree on my main, and go to T5 in warchanter. the same heavy investment in charisma. plus you should have a semi decent investment in int as a trapper. splash into harper just enough for "know the angles". equip a stunning item. and go to town with frozen fury and spinning ice. once you nail the timing, there are few things so satisfying as freezing a whole room full of mobs into pretty little ice statues all around you that are now taking helpless damage. ^_^
but... ya gotta play how YOU like... if you want to know more about MY build, let me know, but now my time is short and i gotta take off for some household crap
I don't know where traps are and if I walk through a trap on hard or elite I might die although I have done some blade traps without getting my head lobbed off. So I need spot. I have some spot 5 and search 5 gear on me to help right now. Since my wisdom is so low (12) only my intelligence is around 16. I will definitely cut back on heal.
I have been crafting some gear but at level 50 I cannot do much . Although I did craft some gear for level 5 like belt and rings and Underwater Action to get rid of my starter ring for underwater breathing. I do pay attention to dodge, AC and resistances and crafted a belt I think with spell resistance and deathblock.
Wow at your main's dodge and AC. I also check the info on character page but I don't have that great gear since this is a new character and my first on the server to get to 7.
As for movement I move around a lot and I pull and go inside a niche so nothing can get behind me to stab me from behind and no spellcaster or range character will get me until I kill all the melee mobs.
I'll work on fascinate. I tried fascinating the prophets in that awful stealthy repossession quest and never succeeded. That quest I cannot manage the mobs esp that prophets see through my invisibility every time.
Can you please tell me about your build. I might still be able to change mine to be more like yours. I am not very confident with my ability to cc and play and I actually like the Warchanter tree a lot and wanted more points in it. I saw it can use charisma or strength as the Swashbuckler tree does and I need the damage to be based on charisma because my build has that stat highest. You mentioned same heavy investment in charisma in your build so I'm intrigued.
So basically after you fascinate them, kill them one by one or you move on and when they get unfascinated do they come after you ?
"your primary CC while fighting using the monte cristo build... unless you get overwhelmed will most likely more be coming from low blow and elegant footwork and otto's sphere of dancing (once you get it. earliest you can pick it up is 10 levels of bard. so with rogue splash it would be 12th...)"
This is something I could do since I already have low blow.
Comments
There is a whole group of players in DDO that believe very strongly in pure builds, and often frown upon milti-class, there are those that love to multi-class and build deep splits all the time.
There is no wrong way to play as long as you are having fun.
There sure are a whole lot of fires in those caves. Don't the inhabitants realize that fires burn oxygen, and with no oxygen, everyone in the cave dies?
Oh No! The Aquatic Pork has Found Me!
I ended up needing to use tactics, like bottlenecks and pinch points, In fact, while the loot is pretty good for a level 1 zone this is not a place I would suggest for a new player to run solo in.
It does come across a grand playground for more veteran players, like the kind of zone that was asked for many years ago, So I am happy to see that SSG finally got around to putting something like that in.
The fact they do not make it obvious is a true plus, that way starting players will not get pulled way from the very much needed Korthos starting experience, that teaches the game in an easy to digest manner as well as providing them easy loot to move into the Harbor with.
My static laughed their ass off when after I ran my first quest in KotB, and said "Well that's no joke" and broke out all my twink gear, LOL.
That sadistic Brother Augustus has a mean streak knowing full well those dogs are vicious.
The other one that tests you but higher chance to survive even on elite but I blew a few potions and heals on the Bard was Haverdasher. Those scorpions burrowing under is no joke because as a ranged character you cannot take em out from afar like the dogs.
I noticed also that quests on hard my search spot and disable are too low on a multiclass with only one level of rogue. I will need to craft some nice items to help because the traps are super nasty at hard and elite I don't even want to try to run through em. I always release when I die I don't buy any cakes to use may be on higher levels but low levels just rerun it. Some nasty surprises in some quests you need to find out the hard way so you will remember them.
Not too keen on the horses I hate people riding them into the Hammer and Chain.
also if you are 3rd or 4th right now.. yah.. come on over to the Borderlands! should be great fun!
This is what makes Wiz/Rogues so popular, 18/2 split, max int for skills which gives max trapping skills, also gives evasion, with the feat Insightful reflexes makes it so you use your Int Modifier for reflex saves and evasion.
other games: you are the chosen one! only you will bring down the big bad guy and bring balance and peace to this realm! and so will that guy, and that guy, and oh yeah, that guy too... etc
DDO:
I am following this build
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/443235-The-Count-of-Monte-Cristo-dps-CC-survivability-focused-pure-swashbuckler
For skill points I use this one
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/459103-Bard-Trapper-for-new-players
However the Monte Cristo build is the one I am following both for feats and the enhancement trees. I of course need points in search, spot and disable device so aside from the 7 Balance I need for Greater SWF I have foregone any more points in Balance. It is hard to max out the spot, search and disable device while trying to put points in heal, UMD and Perform. Perform I do religiously every level.
Mine is a charisma build as my damage from the Swashbuckling tree makes charisma my damage stat. I used a short sword but I am on a rapier now, I know it has less damage but it is vorpal. I could not find a short sword yet. I switch to a holy light mace for skellies. I use the bow and crossbow for oozes and often to break a room I use the ranged attack and I never enter a room without picking off a few with my bow preferably a pesky shaman or two.
My question is I know I cannot progress simply killing everything with my combat weapon skills for long. Already in elite I am facing an alarming loss of HP due to my light armour and although I have evasion I still need to rethink how I fight.
I know I am supposed to use the fascinate skill but I tried and it never works, the general one. Granted I have not gotten the Spellsinger tree fascinate skills yet. The Music of the Sewers, Undead and Makers. I have only been putting points in the Swashbuckler tree.
Okay let us say I manage to fascinate an Ooze can I then pummel it to death while it is enthralled?
Is this how I should proceed using my CC. So far I use my Warchant, Heroism and Blur and some extra double strikes to kill. I have not yet tried this CC method yet.
Or am I supposed to fascinate them and leave them be ?
i'm mid quest right now, but i WILL be coming back with a load of info for you. is mah favorite class! ^_^
ok. i do like the monte cristo. it's a great build and i respect the poster for sure lots of solid advice. altho keep in mind some of the things he mentioned are for an endgame build (he's talking about expanded crit ranges and double strike values from including Divine Crusader epic destiny (which is teh shiz btw. i
that said. to address your points and questions.
most people (myself included) who run a "trapping whatever" tend to dump spot. some because they already know where everything is..or, some like me, they forget where it is, bull thru the trap, somehow manage to survive by their luck, and then turn around and disable. derp. definitely whatever you do, don't neglect the perform or UMD. those are the halmarks of a bard. i usually end up dumping heal when i'm running short of points, but i also have a bank full of all sort of oddball gear, and some of it has decent devotion on it.. and i am more than happy to make liberal use of pots, wands, and scrolls. i already go thru my mana bar way too fast as it is. lol. so that is a sacrifice i am willing to make. you make your own judgement on that.
rapier v shortsword... unless the shortie is amazeballs, they should both be roughly equal? at 7 you won't have imp crit yet, but even if you did, they are both piercing weapons, so the bonus there will be equal. a short sword starts out as 19-20/x2 and gets +1 range and +1 multiplier for a total of 18-20/x3. rapiers start out as 18-20/x2 and get +1 multiplier for a total of 18-20/x3. in fact, if i'm not mistaken (i might be, i'm only skimming right now) swashbuckler basically makes all swashy-available weapons have an 18-20/x3 base crit range/multiplier before bonuses from feats/destinies.. so pick your favorite. i like handaxes ^_^
your question about fighting. your defense is a LOT more than simply the armor you wear. if you only concentrate on raw AC, yes, you will get your arse handed to you. very frequently.... every little bit of defense adds up to a whole. and even a newer player can start to stack the deck in their favor by paying attention to their loot, and possibly learning a little bit of crafting. you want.. AC, dodge chance, incorporeal, concealment, and magical and physical resistance (MRR and PRR. appears on gear as "sheltering") AC is your first line of defense. your AC beats the mobs roll and they straight up miss you. good old school D&D rules. then you add dodge. anything that gets passed the AC you now have a chance to dodge it. dodge can be capped by your armor and shield, but enhancements, destinies, and special abilities (like uncanny dodge) can bump the cap out, temporarily or even permanently. you dodge it, it misses you entirely. you can get an idea what your AC, dodge miss chance and current dodge cap, and your "defense chance at level" looks like by hovering over your AC number on the inventory screen.
that bard ain't doing so hot. but i know she needs better gear. she dies alot. but she's also not my main, and not a melee (she's a CC/healer)
my main on the other hand...both same level. both 23.
then, once it manages to get past the "defense chance at level" it has to go up against concealment (granted by blur and displacement and a few other things) and incorporeality. concealment buffs stack with incorporeal buffs... but buffs and items within the same category typically don't stack with each other.. ie: blur doesn't stack with displacement. but still. throw a blur on, and now for every hit that manages to make it past your AC and your dodge, now it has another 20% chance to still miss you, and you get displacement for 50% instead in 2 levels. i pretty much NEVER start a fight without making sure my blur or displacement is fresh and ready to go (depending on level of course). you can see what your current incorporeality and concealment values are on the character sheet by clicking the + on the top right.
i'm slacking on my main bard. i could do better and get myself an incorporeality item... but i'm also still levleing, i'm not into my endgame gear at the moment, but it still gives you an idea how to minimize the damage you're taking.
if an attack makes it thru ALL THAT... that's when the PRR comes in. PRR is kinda like a percentage based DR. the number itself is not a straight percentage... diminishing returns n all that, but the higher the number, the more damage reduction you get. whatever makes it thru your AC, your dodge, your incorporeal, your concealment... that hit that manages to make it thru... now does less damage.
same premise holds true for MRR. MRR reduces the amount of damage you take from spells, which is handy for failed save moments.
and even as a melee, i CAN NOT stress enough how much movement takes a part in the equation. at melee you WILL get hit more than a ranged character, but if you are constantly on the move you WILL get hit much less than if you are stationary. yes, you will take a small penalty to your to-hit unless you have the appropriate feats. usually this isn't a huge issue. but yeah. i'm "dancing" constantly in most big fights. depending on what i'm facing and how hard it's hitting me when it gets thru my other defenses affects how much i move. lol. there's been times when i was practically kiting when fighting some mean boss mob, running tight circles still within melee range and hitting him, but staying *mostly* out of the swing of his weapon as he spins in place to follow. ROFL
NOW.. with THAT infodump out of the way. you say that fascinate is not working for you? fascinate can be a tricky thing. i tend to be a very "in your face kick your ass" player on most of my toons (excepting my archer collection. lol) so i end up rarely using it... BUT i always have it handy, and it has quite literally saved the day more times than i can count.
it does take a few seconds to trigger. it's not fast like a spell. it is dependent on your perform skill, which if you've been maxing it you shouldn't have a problem. it doesn't work on red names. it doesn't work on oozes, constructs, undead, or vermin (spiders, rats etc) unless you have the appropriate enhancements (or destiny in the case of vermin). it is fragile. IF YOU HIT A FASCINATED MOB AT ALL... THE MOB IS NO LONGER FASCINATED. the only exception is enthrall, which has a CHANCE to not break upon damage, but.. paradoxically, i don't think enthrall benefits from the enhancements that make fascinate work on oozes, constructs, and undead. derp.
the timing takes a little practice, but once you nail that down, the times that i HAVE used fascinate usually go as follows "oh crap, that was way more mobs than i expected!" *begin singing*, *run around and jump as needed to avoid as much damage as possible while singing* and once the song ends, most or all of the mobs SHOULD be standing around drooling on themselves for a few minutes. any that made their save i kill first, then i take my time going around the room killing one at a time.
your primary CC while fighting using the monte cristo build... unless you get overwhelmed will most likely more be coming from low blow and elegant footwork and otto's sphere of dancing (once you get it. earliest you can pick it up is 10 levels of bard. so with rogue splash it would be 12th...)
as i mentioned, fascinate breaks the second you do damage, so you can't beat on a fascinated ooze. but you can fascinate all his buddies and make them watch as you beat on the one of them XD
NOW. with all that said. my own personal favorite that i mentioned WAY earlier in this huge arse post... as i said, i prefer in your face to casting... i practically ignore the spellsinger tree on my main, and go to T5 in warchanter. the same heavy investment in charisma. plus you should have a semi decent investment in int as a trapper. splash into harper just enough for "know the angles". equip a stunning item. and go to town with frozen fury and spinning ice. once you nail the timing, there are few things so satisfying as freezing a whole room full of mobs into pretty little ice statues all around you that are now taking helpless damage. ^_^
but... ya gotta play how YOU like... if you want to know more about MY build, let me know, but now my time is short and i gotta take off for some household crap
I have been crafting some gear but at level 50 I cannot do much . Although I did craft some gear for level 5 like belt and rings and Underwater Action to get rid of my starter ring for underwater breathing. I do pay attention to dodge, AC and resistances and crafted a belt I think with spell resistance and deathblock.
Wow at your main's dodge and AC. I also check the info on character page but I don't have that great gear since this is a new character and my first on the server to get to 7.
As for movement I move around a lot and I pull and go inside a niche so nothing can get behind me to stab me from behind and no spellcaster or range character will get me until I kill all the melee mobs.
I'll work on fascinate. I tried fascinating the prophets in that awful stealthy repossession quest and never succeeded. That quest I cannot manage the mobs esp that prophets see through my invisibility every time.
Can you please tell me about your build. I might still be able to change mine to be more like yours. I am not very confident with my ability to cc and play and I actually like the Warchanter tree a lot and wanted more points in it. I saw it can use charisma or strength as the Swashbuckler tree does and I need the damage to be based on charisma because my build has that stat highest. You mentioned same heavy investment in charisma in your build so I'm intrigued.
So basically after you fascinate them, kill them one by one or you move on and when they get unfascinated do they come after you ?
"your primary CC while fighting using the monte cristo build... unless you get overwhelmed will most likely more be coming from low blow and elegant footwork and otto's sphere of dancing (once you get it. earliest you can pick it up is 10 levels of bard. so with rogue splash it would be 12th...)"
This is something I could do since I already have low blow.