Community

In reference to Borg's Sorcadin, what is the level 1 encounter power Stolen Life? Where does it come from?

Hand of the Raven Queen (I'll update this post for cheese)

This is an encounter nova. I assumed in the calculation that we start with 5 soul shards. As the build encourages you not to spend shards I think it's not a bad assumption. By the way 5 shards will be needed to sustain the loop against solos like Vecna, Orcus and similar critters. 30th level monsters will not need this assumption.

Here's the build:

Hand of the Queen, level 30
Revenant, Assassin, Soul Thief, Perfect Slayer
Build: Bleak Disciple Assassin
Guild Training: Bleak Disciple
Choose your Race in Life: Human
Background: Windrise Ports (Windrise Ports Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 23, Dex 28, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 13.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 11.


AC: 44 Fort: 44 Reflex: 42 Will: 42
HP: 149 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 37

TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +35, Endurance +28, Acrobatics +29, Perception +24, Thievery +29, Religion +21

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +16, Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Dungeoneering +19, Heal +19, History +16, Insight +19, Intimidate +18, Nature +19, Streetwise +16, Athletics +15

FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
Level 2: Focused Expertise (Ki Focus)
Level 4: Grave Dust Assassin
Level 6: Melee Training (Dexterity)
Level 8: Action Surge
Level 10: Nimble Blade
Level 11: Death Scorned
Level 12: Fierce Vitality
Level 14: Hidden Insight
Level 16: Disciple of Divine Wrath
Level 18: Divine Channeler (Cleric)
Level 20: Weapon Focus (Light Blade)
Level 21: Ghostly Vitality
Level 22: Acolyte Power
Level 24: Novice Power
Level 26: Robust Defenses
Level 28: Epic Will
Level 30: Epic Fortitude

POWERS
Assassin at-will 1: Shadow Storm
Assassin at-will 1: Executioner's Noose
Divine Channeler (Cleric): Healer's Mercy
Assassin encounter 1: Gloom Thief
Assassin daily 1: Targeted for Death
Assassin utility 2: Cloak of Shades
Assassin encounter 3: Nightshade's Kiss
Assassin daily 5: Twilight Assassin
Assassin utility 6: Slayer's Escape
Assassin encounter 7: Shadow Link
Assassin daily 9: Wall of Shadows
Assassin utility 10: Seeker of Shadow
Assassin encounter 13: Flurry of Talons (replaces Gloom Thief)
Assassin daily 15: Bleak Gallows (replaces Targeted for Death)
Assassin utility 16: Shadow Meld
Assassin encounter 17: Mob of Shadows (replaces Shadow Link)
Assassin daily 19: Executioner's Blade (replaces Twilight Assassin)
Assassin utility 22: Claim the Dead (retrained to Adjure the Chosen at Acolyte Power)
Assassin encounter 23: Cruel Shadows (retrained to Threatening Strike at Novice Power) (replaces Flurry of Talons)
Assassin daily 25: Folded Shadow (replaces Bleak Gallows)
Assassin encounter 27: Last Word (replaces Mob of Shadows)
Assassin daily 29: Doom Foretold (replaces Executioner's Blade)

ITEMS
Great Hero's Gauntlets (epic tier), Life Charm +6, Shadowflow Starleather Armor +6, Rain of Hammers Ki Focus +6, Short sword, Baldric of Valor (epic tier), Iron Armbands of Power (epic tier)

Encounter nova:

Round 1:
1) Seeker of shadow
2) Adjure the Chosen (Standard)
3) Killer's Judgement (minor)
4) Oath of enmity (minor)

Round 2:
1) Move close to the target
2) Threatening Strike (AP)
3) Nightshade's Kiss (standard)
4) Slide target (NK) -> teleport and make a MBA (TS) -> slide and repeat
5) In case we miss -> minor action with Rain of Hammers Ki focus -> if we hit the loop restarts

To hit analysis:

Threatening Strike:
+ 15 (level)
+ 6 (ki focus)
+ 4 (wisdom)
+ 3 (weapon proficiency)
+ 3 (weapon expertise)
+ 7 (soul thief's action)
+ 3 (action surge)
+ 1 (baldric of valor)
+ 2 (great hero's gauntlets)
+ 2 (adjure the chosen)
+ 2 (combat advantage - automatic via the 21st level feature of the ED)
+ 1 (nimble blade)
Total: +49 (enough to hit any monster with a roll of 2)

Nightshade's kiss and MBA:
+ 15 (level)
+ 6 (ki focus)
+ 9 (desterity)
+ 3 (weapon proficiency)
+ 3 (weapon expertise)
+ 7 (soul thief's action)
+ 1 (baldric of valor)
+ 2 (adjure the chosen)
+ 2 (combat advantage - automatic via the 21st level feature of the ED)
+ 1 (nimble blade)
Total: +49 (enough to hit any monster with a roll of 2 except Bahamut with the MBA where we hit on a 3+)

Damage of MBA:
2d6 + 9 (dex) + 6 (enh) + 3 (wp focus) + 7 (soul thief's action) + 6 (iron armbands) + 2 (adjure the chosen) = 40 average (normal hit) and 66 average (crit).
As we roll twice for each attack and crit on a 18-20 the average damage is:
66 x 0.2775 + 0.72 x 40 = 47.115
Our chance to get out of the loop is 1/400. The chance to kill the monster with the highest HP (Mual-Tar) is about 91% with the first loop. For 30th level solo brutes (Ashardalon) it goes up to 93%.
The rain of Hammers Ki focus will let us restart the loop if we hit with the extra attack. Any item giving us a reroll chance will do the same, and a violet solitaire can be added for extra fun.
The expected damage seems to converge somewhere a little above 18'000 HP with the first loop.

This build is really nova concentrated as I tried not to rely on any help from outside and targeted the highest possible level monsters. It is a bit feat starved due to the double multiclass and double power-swap. With a little help from a leader we can skip the multiclass into cleric and Windrise Ports as well. The Life Charm is not needed for the nova, but is quite useful with Fierce Vitality and Ghostly Vitality, as it lets you stay conscious at negative HP, insubstantial and fully able to take actions.

The build as it is, works from level 26 where you get the ED utility, but can be used from level 23 by simply exchanging the use of Killer's Judgement with the use of Assassin's Shroud (needed to get CA).

I'll ask for it. Movement rules are a mess.

I request that further debate on the topic of forced movement be had on a thread for that topic.  Please post a link to a current debate please.  Nova damage are so widly spread that comparisons are difficult, thus posting this exploit should not diminish the non-existent others.

I'd like the Missilelord to be considred for a ranking.

260.6 DPR Missilelord (30th), by Aesurtiel (157@=)

community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...

259.3 DPR Missilelord (24th), by Aesurtiel (157@=)

138 DPR Missilelord (16th), by Aesurtiel (157@=)

community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...