Hi all!

Ive just recently started playing NWN again after a long time away (due to friends in the game persuading me to come back to a server).

The server is Heart of Winter (Really well made full pvp server that i highly recommend after having played on it for 2 weeks)

There have been quite a few changes to classes and spells in an attempt to balance out things.

Everyone seems to roll Barbs as their rages have been given quite a boost, but ive never been a big Barb fan and i was just wondering if anyone had any builds that are a bit wacky but effective in pvp! Ive always been a fan of the builds that make people go.. what was that! Not.. oo thats another Pally/Rdd boring

I was thinking maybe a DD as they get Physical immunity boosts at level 6(10%),10(15%) etc and +1ab and damage at lvl 15,20 etc. However when making them i have struggled to get a decent enough AB and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions?

As an idea as to what to aim for.. i have been told that 65-69ab and 61-65 ac is needed for a str tank.

I am also willing to listen to any other ideas! Maybe the underused Ranger (21 lvls for +2ab vs certain races wooopieee! ). Anything really.. just was wondering what you guys would give a go!

Its heavily a team server.. but i am not in a guild as i dont play enough so would often be alone while leveling, but would PVP with my friends.

Thanks in advance! Sorry for the long post!
In summary,
A different but effective str tank for a full pvp server, details of changes can be found here:

Click Here

Cheers! And Merry Crimbo!
_________________
Life's a B*tch, Wear a helmet! Fighter 12/Rogue 2/DD 26, Any Lawful

Race: Dwarf

Str: 16 (32)
Dex: 13
Con: 18
Int: 13
Wis: 8
Cha: 8

Pre-epic: Fighter 10/DD 10, bunch of feats, you'll have enough to customize slightly what you want...here are the essentials

Weapon Focus
Weapon Specialization
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Improved Critical
Knockdown
Blind Fight
Dodge
Toughness

That's 10 feats...and you'll have another 3 to do what you want with. Note you'll need Dodge and Toughness to qualify for DD. Expertise and Improved Expertise are two very good candidates out of those 3.

Epic: Take rogue levels at level 22 and 39, max out tumble at level 22 and set it to 40 at level 39...also fill out other rogue skills you want (including 43 UMD, which is 44 with your two rogue levels and on a d20 guarantees the ability to use all level 4 scrolls and a 50/50 shot on using level 5 scrolls).

Your epic feats are...

Great Strength x6 (must be taken as general feats)
Epic Weapon Specialization
Epic Weapon Specialization (must be taken as the fighter feat)
Epic Prowess
Armor Skin
Overwhelming Critical
Devastating Critical

You wind up with...664 base hit points, 904 possible with gear.

30 base attack + 4 from feats + 11 from base str + 3 from new DD bonuses = 47 base AB. This can be increased to 58 with +12 str and a +5 weapon. I'm not sure how high the magic level is, item enhancement wise.

You have 18 innate damage reduction and 30% physical immunity, meaning a hit for 50 damage deals 50 - 15 - 18 = 17 damage.

Your AC will depend on gear available...but if you don't have enough AC with your tumble dump and a shield, no one besides an RDD or PM will. Brilliant thanks alot! But in your honest opinion.. is it worth going DD over a WM? i dont know why i have this mad craving for a DD.. doesnt really make sense!
Will give it a go, thanks
Quote: Posted 12/26/09 13:14 (GMT) -- smartie2003

Brilliant thanks alot! But in your honest opinion.. is it worth going DD over a WM? i dont know why i have this mad craving for a DD.. doesnt really make sense!
Will give it a go, thanks

Honesty?? You mention that DD gets +1ab + dam every so often + immunities! Wel, with that, DD wins. You wont get as high AB, but so what.

The best melee build though is... if you dont know, shame on you! (hint cleric26/bard4/rdd10) with dev crit on a 20 str (to start) half orc. Will end up with 40+ base str, but you have to know how to use a cleric.
Quote: Posted 12/26/09 13:14 (GMT) -- smartie2003

Brilliant thanks alot! But in your honest opinion.. is it worth going DD over a WM? i dont know why i have this mad craving for a DD.. doesnt really make sense!
Will give it a go, thanks

If you go weapon master, you'll gain 5 AB, improved critical range, and larger critical hits at the cost of a lot of physical damage reduction, 144 hp, and sneak attack immunity in combat.

Note that 5 AB and the improved criticals will nearly (or perhaps actually) double your damage output in many cases, at the cost of probably halving your defenses.

One build is extraordinarily powerful offensively, one is extremely powerful defensively...and both are still decent at decent and offense respectively. So do you want to be able to survive longer or kill faster? Good Question.. i have no idea! Cleric/Bard/RDD is nerfed on this server as it is on so many servers!
I will consider planning my DD! Really enjoying my dwarf Rogue/PDK/CoT which gets an effective 71ab outdoors due to the server subraces + modifications great fun!
Quote: Posted 12/27/09 20:42 (GMT) -- smartie2003

Good Question.. i have no idea! Cleric/Bard/RDD is nerfed on this server as it is on so many servers!
I will consider planning my DD! Really enjoying my dwarf Rogue/PDK/CoT which gets an effective 71ab outdoors due to the server subraces + modifications great fun!

see, now our help really isnt possible once you have custom races and such. How is cleric/rdd nerfed? And i have as yet to ever see it as such on any server, and i played a few dozen in my day.

Oh, and to brag that a 71 ab is good with the lame classes you suggested (rog/pdk/cot!) means only one thing: it is WAY to low for the server! If those classes net you that, then you will need over 100 to be good. AB is all relative, especially when you make a suggestion that clearly has gear attached to it. Oh, and unless its actual combat log, the character sheet has been known to lie, ESPECIALLY with PRC. We had a character one time with an ab of 60 (+10 gear, +12 to ab stat, the works). When the "ability" was active he had over 80 ab on the sheet, which isnt possible, which it wasnt. Never trust the sheet! THat should have been tattooed on your forehead when you became an ECBer! 100000 lashes with a wet knoodle for Kail for missing that tattoO! Ha i know about the sheet being wrong.. and 71ab is from the log. And yes.. those classes have been buffed in this server(wrath gives +4ab to a race + dov wrath duration has been doubled), but no its not too low! Although it is likely to get nerfed soon.

Cleric/RDD is nerfed via the nerfing of div favour, and by rdd getting a cold weakness and like -2ac. Barb/RDD does much better on this server!
I havnt played on a server where Cleric/RDD hasnt been nerfed! so i guess every1 has a different experience.

Try out Heart of Winter if your still playing. Its good fun