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Skrimshaw wrote:

I am still learning 4e, (like many) and am wondering why this build has so many temp hit points from different sources if they do not stack?

Simply to have them refresh frequently. Most of the time when you take damage, you'll have a buffer that reduces or negates it -- on average it's a bit like damage reduction from 3.5e.

For my guy he's still a striker--get in, hit hard, but maybe _not_ get out and instead stick around for another strike next round. I primarily use his warlock powers but it's nice to have the flexibility to deliver a melee strike too, especially when it has some other goodness attached to it. "I ain't afraid of no melee."

StarKiller_ wrote:

Eladrin Chain has no speed or skill check penalties! Not planning for Toughness, will look at it in the future but your build gives us lots of temporary hit points so it may not be necessary...

Ah, right! I totally missed that, thanks!

Skrimshaw wrote:

Great Build, thank you.

I am still learning 4e, (like many) and am wondering why this build has so many temp hit points from different sources if they do not stack?

Basically, cowardice. I want to be assured of starting each encounter with some temporary HP. In typical (non-Solo) fights, I can count on my Pact Boon to refresh my temporary HP with some regularity, but that doesn't necessarily help me on round 1.

He needs to be able to survive until round 2-3 when the kills start rolling in.

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There's a bit of meta-game optimization I should note here, too, with respect to Curse vs. kill strategy. If your DM uses different initiatives for different foes, you should try to Curse foes which your friends will kill. If your DM uses the same initiative for all foes, you should just focusing on cursing your own kills.

Why? Because if your DM has different initiatives for each (group of) foes, it's easily possible for your temporary HP buffer to refill between hits. However, if your DM has all the foes go on the same initiative, that scenario is vanishingly unlikely, unless your allies frequently trigger interrupt or opportunity attacks which somehow include you... like I said, vanishingly unlikely.

Now, with your Rod of Corruption and your two teleport powers, it's not hard to leave a pack of Cursed foes for your team mates to chew through, while you face off against the big boss who was hiding in the rear. Whether you should do this may depend on the granularity of your temporary HP buffer getting refilled.

Cheers, -- N

Hey there! First, no worries on hijacking -- the build seems to be basically done, and Epic he can only go Demigod or Eternal Seeker, and both are great, so that's fine.

IMHO, variants are very much on-topic.

Let's see. The core strategy is: wear armor and tank using temporary hit points, until you can heal using kills at level 11. The important powers are the ones that (a) kill stuff, and (b) give you voluntary temporary HP at the beginning of a fight before you've had a chance to kill stuff.

So, the skeleton of a build: Race, stats as before. You can lower Wisdom to 8 (-> 10 with racial mods) and raise Charisma to qualify for feats or have some modicum of social talent.

Level 1: unchanged. We want one Temp HP encounter power (Vampiric Embrace) to kick off every combat, and we want Armor of Agathys since it's just plain awesome.

Level 2: Utility power choice -- none are integral to the build. Feat should stay Toughness, though.

Level 3: Fiery Bolt is nice, but not necessary. Encounter power choice.

Level 4: Fighter multi-class feat. This is your last "necessary" feat. You could take it at 10th level, in which case this becomes a free feat.

Level 5: Hunger of Hadar is nice, but not integral.

Level 6: Feat choice, Utility power choice.

Level 7: Howl of Doom is integral. It's the only Close power for a looooong time.

Level 8: Feat will be eaten by Paragon retraining, so do whatever you want, but don't get too attached.

Level 9: Summons of Khirad is hilarious, and should be taken for amusement if nothing else.

Level 10: Feat choice, or Fighter multi-class feat if you haven't already taken it.

Level 11: Iron Vanguard (integral), Utility power choice, Hammer Rhythm feat (integral), retrain 8th level feat into Dwarven Durability. We don't need to care about the Frost damage trick -- it's not integral, and he'll perform fine without it, but it is "cool", if you'll excuse the pun.

Level 12: Twofold Curse (recommended, not integral), retrain something into Scale Armor Proficiency (recommended, not integral).

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DONE! From here on, your choices are your own. At early levels I wanted Vampiric Embrace and Armor of Agathys to give me temporary HP at the start of every encounter, but starting at level 11 we can heal ourselves with every kill. We can freely trade out those powers now.

Cheers, -- N

couchmonkey wrote:

Thanks! So toughness is pretty integral huh? Its not a bad feat. It seems to place you firmly between Striker and Defender hit point tiers.

Exactly! IMHO it's most important at low level (like 2nd) when you aren't getting a whole lot of temporary HP. By 30th level, when you get +30 temporary HP with every kill, the +15 bonus base HP are still nice, but not quite as life saving.

couchmonkey wrote:

As for Demigod versus Eternal Seeker, What are your feelings on these? Obviously, the big deal about Demigod is the Encounter Power refreshing ability at 30th. It seems good for people who really like their Encounter Powers. Eternal Seeker gets the nice ability to choose whatever powers they like which should grow in usefulness as more supplements are released. What do you think is better? The fights can last a long time at this level, giving Demigod an advantage here. What do you think is the best option for the Seekers 30th level ability?

I have no idea. I'm going to have to play a lot more before I can give any kind of useful feedback on those levels. And as you point out, supplements will probably change the value of dipping. It's really hard to look beyond Divine Regeneration, though. If that gets nerfed -- and I suspect it will be nerfed to merely grant regeneration equal to your highest stat modifier -- then Eternal Seeker looks even better.

Cheers, -- N