This is a simple; no frills, straightforward level 40 PvP build that will hit most anything, and avoid being hit most of the time. Like any build, this one has its weaknesses, and is also lean on feats, and gets an awful xp penalty from lvl 20 on. But, the ability to dispel buffs with Holy Sword, use Taunt, have Epic Dodge, use pretty much any scroll in the game, and set Epic Traps, go a long way in keeping this build fiercely competitive. Plus, 60+ab and 70+ac make for a nice combination don’t they?
Also, this will be the first in a short series of Dexterity based Paladin builds I plan to post. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I do!
Skills (252): Discipline: 43 (53, 58 with str gear) Taunt: 42 (52, 57 with cha gear) Tumble: 40 Listen: 43 UMD: 25 Set Trap: 30 (taking 20, while out of combat, skill check with Dex gear is 67) Concentration: 29
Pro’s: Well, like I said above, the AB and AC, traps, holy sword, taunt, and epic dodge make this build pretty formidable. Saves are pretty decent, with the right items, too. A little damage boost from sneaks always helps too.
Con’s: Well, every build has them, and this one is susceptible mostly to knockdowns, and Iron Horn. Devastating critical can be a problem, as well. Then again, what Dex build isn’t somewhat susceptible to those? Also, you’re susceptible to Taunt with your low concentration score, and can’t really heal yourself quickly.
Strategy: Ethereal Visage scrolls to counter Iron Horn are nice. First thing is to make sure you have a couple kamas for Holy Sword. I keep a few mundane ones just for this. Frankly, I built this one unarmed simply because disarm is rampant on my PW, and I don’t care to lose expensive weapons, however, a dual-wield version of this does max out attacks per round, so if that’s the way you want to go, it can certainly pay off nicely.
So, expertise mode (as needed), taunt, IKD, pull out the kama and whack ‘em a few times to dispel buffs, put it away, and beat the crap out of them. With sneaks, I average around 80 points of damage per hit, fully buffed, on my PW.
Fairly straightforward, eh? Keep a stock of Power Word Stun (or Kill, or both) scrolls handy, as you’ll get most people to near death (or flat-out dead, hehe) in a round or so, and we all know how much people like to run when that happens Also, mages aren’t too much of a problem with this build, either, once you whack ‘em once or twice with your Holy Kama, haha!
Other builds with similar class split I found on search engine:
Huh, if you weren't so feat-starved, I'd say duel-wield, since you only get 1d6 (or is it 1d8?) Monk unarmed damage. That said, I'm curious how you plan on killing foes? Sure, Epic Dodge and high AC is nice, but with your low damage, I'm worried. Especially because you lack Empty Body.
But nice looking, nonetheless. Is this for BoW, by chance?
Quote: Posted 06/06/07 17:15 (GMT) -- mantis3
Huh, if you weren't so feat-starved, I'd say duel-wield, since you only get 1d6 (or is it 1d8?) Monk unarmed damage. That said, I'm curious how you plan on killing foes? Sure, Epic Dodge and high AC is nice, but with your low damage, I'm worried. Especially because you lack Empty Body.
But nice looking, nonetheless. Is this for BoW, by chance?
Yes, damage can be a slight problem for this build. On my PW (Badlands) there are special Monk gloves with a +6 attack bonus, that do 2d8 Cold, and 2d8 Sonic damage. Combine that with the 7d6 damage from sneaks, +5 magical damage from divine favor, +1 slashing for prayer, +5 for strength (I have maxed gear), and 1d10 unarmed, and, as above, I average around 80 points of damage per attack, on flat-footed or knocked down opponents. Not too shabby, and with 8 attacks per round using flurry... Of course, not all PW's have gloves like that, but many have similar ones.
As for lacking Empty Body, with UMD you can use Improved Invisibility scrolls for concealment, but then again, that's countered by purge... And yes, it is very feat starved. Wait for my next Dex Paladin build, however...
edit: make that 5d6 sneaks. sorry!
Edited By Hiwatt on 06/06/07 18:14
I'm not sure how playable this in PvM. Considering that he is highly dex-based and doesn't attain Uncanny Dodge until Level 30, you don't want to be caught drinking a potion in the middle of combat. Also, the lack of any damage other than what is provided by weapon enchantments or a couple of Paladin spells is also problematic. Combined with low hit points, I would probably reserve this only for high magic environments in which such gaps can be covered by items. _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
I'm not sure how playable this in PvM. Considering that he is highly dex-based and doesn't attain Uncanny Dodge until Level 30, you don't want to be caught drinking a potion in the middle of combat. Also, the lack of any damage other than what is provided by weapon enchantments or a couple of Paladin spells is also problematic. Combined with low hit points, I would probably reserve this only for high magic environments in which such gaps can be covered by items.
Astute observation. This build is most certainly meant for high-magic PW's. It also errs on the side of late-level maturity (as do pretty much all of my builds), being meant for level 40 PvP combat.
You bring up a good point about Uncanny Dodge, though. I'd thought about how to squeek it in early on, but I'm reluctant to lose out on maxing my AB for a little easier leveling. Again, with building for 40, I sometimes can't see the forest for the trees, I suppose.
Also, I should probably stop to think that not every PW has scads of people with lvl 38 clerics who will buff lowbies to make leveling easier, on a fairly regular basis
uncanny dodge only needs 3 rogue and in pvp servers such as bl in particular it will save your life many times if you are knocked down.
pretty sure you can use potions and not go flat.
I suggest you keep monk and rogue even leveled to 40 to avoid an additional 20% penalty. try this
Also, mages aren’t too much of a problem with this build, either, once you whack ‘em once or twice with your Holy Kama, haha!
uncanny dodge only needs 3 rogue and in pvp servers such as bl in particular it will save your life many times if you are knocked down.