Gear (Expected GP = 100): Warhammer (AV) (15gp) Hide Armor (PHB) (30gp) Standard Adventurer's kit (PHB) (15gp) Throwing Hammer (3) (PHB) (5gp a piece, 15gp total) Total: 75gp
Who you are:
Okay here is where we start at this point their isn’t much special to say you start with solid abilities and are more then able to do your job as a defender. Pretty much a fairly basic Warden frame, but it is all your really need at this point to be effective.
Magic Items (Expected GP = 32,000): L10 (5,000gp): Belt of Blood (AV) L10 (5,000gp): +2 Lifeblood Hide Armor (PHB 2) L8 (3.400gp): Boots of Quickness (Heroic) (AV) L7 (2,600gp): +2 Staggering Warhammer (AV) L7 (2,600gp): +2 Cloak of Resistance (PHB) L7 (2,600gp): +2 Dwarven Thrower Warhammer (AV) L6 (1,800gp): Iron Armbands of Power (AV) L4 (840gp): Helm of Opportunity (Heroic Tier) (AV) Non Magical Gear: Heavy Shield (PHB) TOTAL: 23,840gp
Who you are:
Okay by now you have begun to separate yourself from the pack, with HP that is on par with a level 30 wizard. This high HP combined with your two encounter uses of healing surges, and a utility that allows you to regain hit points when you drop to 0 once a day makes you a very hard target to take down. Meanwhile you also have significant resistance to any save ends effects you are hit with thanks to the combination of Grit and Spittle, Font of Life and Unfailing Resources. Even with all this toughness you are still a defender in everyway you can be, using your form powers to restrict enemy movement, your encounter and at will powers to pull enemies to you, and the combination of Sudden Roots and Swaying Branches to make your OA and Mark Punishment powerful tools for keeping enemies engaging you and not your allies. Finally you are also dealing solid damage with the combination of Hindering Shield and Crippling Crush allowing you to add your Constitution modifier to damage of most of your attacks. This works even better when you are in a form as you can add your Constitution Modifier to damage again for Con x2 to damage.
Daily Attack Powers: L1 - Form of Winter’s Herald (PHB 2) L15 - Form of the Crushing Mountian (PrP) L15 - Form of the Magma Brute (D 383) L20 - Line-Breaker Assault (MP)
Magic Items (Expected GP = 800,000): L20 (125,000gp): +4 Brooch of Vitality (AV) L19 (125,000gp): Foe Binder Ring (AV) L18 (85,000gp):Belt of Mountain Endurance (D 365) L18 (85,000gp):Ring of the Fallen (AV 2) L17 (65,000gp):+4 Staggering Warhammer (AV) L17 (65,000gp): +4 Feytouched Darkhide Armor (MotP) L17 (65,000gp): +4 Dwarven Thrower Warhammer (AV) L16 (45,000gp):Iron Armbands of Power (Paragon Tier) (AV) L14 (21.000gp):Helm of Opportunity (Paragon Tier) (AV) L12 (13.000gp):Feystep Lacings (Paragon Tier) (AV) L12 (13.000gp): Gloves of the Healer (Paragon Tier) (AV) Non Magical Gear: Heavy Shield (PHB) TOTAL: 687,000
Who you are:
Okay by now you have really pulled yourself away from the back sporting HP equal to many level 30 defenders. With 2 encounter uses of healing surges, and multiple ways to get Damage Resistance you are extremely tough to take down. You are also a very competent defender using your forms to limit enemy movement and then throwing around the Daze and Slow Condition to reduce their chances of escape. Meanwhile you have a nice array of powers to pull enemies adjacent to you and away from your allies making you extremely sticky and hard to escape. Anyone who tries to neuter you with a save ends effect is in for a big surprise with your multiple abilities to make saving throws including Cleansing Earth which can be used in reaction to being hit with a save ends effect and gives you a bonus to the save equal to your Strength Modifier. Now you do have one area where you may have some issues and that is in your accuracy, however the fact that you can get consistent CA via the Daze condition or the Deadly Draw feat really helps to alleviate the fact that your base to hit is a bit lower then some other defenders at this level.
Daily Attack Powers: L1 - Form of Winter’s Herald (PHB 2) L15 - Form of the Crushing Mountain (PrP) L20 - Line-Breaker Assault (MP) L25 - Form of the Entangling Spider (PrP)
Changes: +7 HP +1 to attacks, defenses, and checks New Feat: Epic Reflexes (PHB 2)
Magic Items (Expected GP = 14,625,000): L30 (3,125,000gp): +6 Brooch of Vitality (AV) L27 (1,625,000gp): +6 Staggering Warhammer (AV) L27 (1,625,000gp):+6 Feytouched Elderhide Armor (MotP) L27 (1,625,000gp):+6 Dwarven Thrower Warhammer (D 385) L27 (1,625,000gp):Shadow Band (AV) L26 (1,125,000gp):Ring of Guarded Will (AV 2) L26 (1,125,000gp): Iron Armbands of Power (Epic Tier) (AV) L24 (525,000gp): Boots of Caiphon (AV 2) L24 (525,000gp): Helm of Opportunity (Epic Tier) (AV) L22 (325,000gp): Gloves of the Healer (Epic Tier) (AV) L18 (85,000gp):Belt of Mountain Endurance (D 365) Non Magical Gear: Heavy Shield (PHB) TOTAL: 13,335,000gp Who you are:
Here you are at level 30, by this point your HP value has outstripped every other PC in the game. Meanwhile your ability to spend healing surges, shrug off save ends effects, and your ability to lockdown multiple enemies makes you a very formidable defender.
Special Thanks: Koval and MC Drowbane: For helping me develop the concept
The core concept is to leverage the base Catch-22 of the defender as high as possible. The idea is to be simply the toughest PC on the field and then to make the enemies engage you instead of your allies. The build employs a variety of techniques to do this. First it starts with upping it durability with solid defense, and the ablity to create situational defensive buffs.
Second Wind: Encounter - Con+2 to AC, +2 to all other defenses until end of next turn. Form of the Winter's Herald: Daily - +1 AC and Fire Resistance 5 until end of the encounter Form of the Crushing Mountain: Daily - +2 AC until end of the encounter Form of the Entangling Spider: Daily - +2 Fort until end of the encounter Blood Iron: Daily - Immediate Reaction to being bloodied gain resist 5 until end of the encounter Line Breaker Assault: Daily - Gain Resist 5 until the start or your next turn Dreadnaught Action: Constant -Spend AP and gain Resistance 10 until the start of next turn Critical Hardening: Constant - Score a Critical hit and gain Resistance 10 until the end of your next turn Shadow Band: Constant - Gain Concealment
Even with solid defenses and a large amount of HP you will eventual take enough damage to need some healing, and the build comes fully equipped with a variety of self healing abilities.
Dwarven Resilience: Encounter - Minor Action Second Wind Reactive Surge: Encounter - Immediate Reaction to being bloodied, spend a surge + 2d6 Form of The Stone Sentinel*: Daily - Encounter long regeneration equal to you constitution modifier. Form of The Stone Sentinel Attack*: Daily - Spend a Healing Surge. Bear’s Endurance: Daily - Immediate Reaction surge free healing when you drop to 0 or bellow Epic Tenacity: Daily - No Action surge free healing when drop to 0 or below
*These powers are trained out during the builds progression
Now HP damage is not the only thing that can bring a character low. A bad status effect can knock a person out of the combat just as easily as getting killed if not more easily. To help prevent that situation the build employs a variety of abilities that allow it to make saving throws before the effect becomes to much of an issue.
Font of Life: Constant - Save at the beginning of your turn Stand Your Ground: Constant - Save verse being knocked prone. Grit and Spittle: Encounter - Minor Action spend a surge to roll a save verses all save ends on you. Unfailing Resources: Constant - Minor Action and spend 10 HP to auto save verse a effect Superior Will: Constant - Save verse Daze and Stun at the beginning of your turn Cleansing Earth: Encounter - Immediate Action to save against a effect you just got hit with a bonus to the save equal to your strength modifier.
Being tough is all well and good but is useless if you enemies can just ignore you, and to that end the build employs a variety of powers that allows it to make enemies engage it instead of its allies. The idea being that you can forcefully lure enemies away from you allies and bring them into you sphere of influence where you can use your marking and other abilities to threaten them.
Thorn Strike: At Will - Pull an enemy with in 2 squares adjacent Grasping Winds: Encounter- Pull all enemies with in 3 squares adjacent Mountain Stature*: Encounter - Pull 2 enemies with in 2 squares adjacent Rumbling Doom*: Encounter - Slide a single enemy with in 5 squares of you up to 3 squares. Form of the CrushingMountain Attack: Daily - Pull all enemies with in 3 squares adjacent. Warden’s Lure: Encounter - Pull all enemies with in 4 squares adjacent Strengthening Gift: Encounter - Push 1 enemy up to 4 squares and then slide any enemies adjacent to the target up to 8 squares.
*These powers are trained out during the builds progression
Now once you have your enemies adjacent to you they will want to get away and try to get to your allies. You as a defender don’t like this and take measures to prevent this type of thing, for the most part OAs do a good job of discouraging movement, but shifting is something even harder to stop. Fortunately you have several abilities to hinder and even just shut down shifting.
Form of the Winter Herald: Daily - Minor Action that creates Encounter long ally friendly difficult terrain in a close burst 2. Burst of Earths Fury*: Encounter- Attack that prevents adjacent enemies hit by it from shifting EONT Clutching Mire*: Daily - Attack that creates a close blast 3; minor action sustainable, zone of difficult terrain. Treacherous Ice: Daily - Minor action that prevents enemies from shifting while adjacent to you. Battle Awarenss: Encounter - Immediate Interrupt, make an MBA against an adjecent target who shifts. Form of the CrushingMountain: Daily - Minor Action that prevents enemies from shifting while adjacent to you. Form of the Entangling Spider: Daily - Minor Action that creates Encounter long ally friendly difficult terrain in a close burst 3.
*These powers are trained out during the builds progression
Another way to keep the enemies engaging you is to limit their option but throwing on status effects like slow, immobilize and daze. The build uses a combination of these effects through out its career.
Weight of the Earth: At Will - Slows a single target until the end of you next turn. Form of the Winter Herald Attack: Daily- Close Burst 1 save ends immobilize Sudden Roots: Constant - Allows you to add the slow condition on OA attacks Hindering Shield: Constant - Allows you to slow until the start of you next turn with any forced movement effecta. Overwhelming Impact: Constant - Allows you to turn any slow generate with a melee attack into a daze. Snowy Grasp*: Encounter - Immobilizes a single target and slows all targets marked by you Form of the Entangling Spider Attack: Daily - Close Blast 3 that gives out Restrained as a save ends condition.
*These powers are trained out during the builds progression
In this section we will take a look at some of the numbers the build generates in this case we are looking at the accuracy, damage and effects of your Warden’s Fury , and OA attacks. The numbers are generated using the suggested items presented in the base build, so there may be some changes if you do not use those items. In particular the items that effect the following numbers are: Staggering Weapon, Iron Armbands of Power, and Helm of Opportunity. Warden’s Fury
Warden’s Fury: +7 vs. AC Hit: 1d10+4 damage and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next turn. Critical: 14 damage and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next turn.
Warden’s Fury: +16 vs. AC Hit: 1d10+9 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next Critical: 2d6+19 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next
OR
Warden’s Fury + Swaying Branches: +16 vs. AC Hit: Slide the Target 4 squares, and slow the target until the beginning of you next turn
Warden’s Fury: +29* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+16 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next Critical: 4d6+36 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next
OR
Warden’s Fury + Swaying Branches: +29* vs. AC Hit: Slide the Target 6 squares, and slow the target until the beginning of you next turn
OR
Warden’s Fury + Swaying Branches + Overwhelming Impact: +29* vs. AC Hit: Slide the Target 6 squares, and the target is Dazed until the beginning of you next turn
*At this point you should have CA most of the time thanks to Deadly Draw or the enemy being Dazed. The +2 to hit provided by that is calculated into the base to hit.
Warden’s Fury: +37* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+21 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next Critical: 4d6+41 damage, and the target grants CA to you and your allies until the end of you next
OR
Warden’s Fury + Swaying Branches: +37* vs. AC Hit: Slide the Target 8 squares, and slow the target until the beginning of you next turn
OR
Warden’s Fury + Swaying Branches + Overwhelming Impact: +37* vs. AC Hit: Slide the Target 8 squares, and the target is Dazed until the beginning of you next turn
*At this point you should have CA most of the time thanks to Deadly Draw or the enemy being Dazed. The +2 to hit provided by that is calculated into the base to hit.
Melee Basic Attack: +17 vs. AC Hit: 1d10+14 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn. Critical: 2d6+24 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn.
Melee Basic Attack: +31* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+23 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn. Critical: 4d6+43 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn.
OR
Melee Basic Attack: +31* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+16 damage, and the target is Dazed until the end of its turn. Critical: 4d6+36 damage, and the target is Dazed until the end of its turn.
*At this point you should have CA most of the time thanks to Deadly Draw or the enemy being Dazed. The +2 to hit provided by that is calculated into the base to hit.
Melee Basic Attack: +40* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+29 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn. Critical: 4d6+49 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its turn.
OR
Melee Basic Attack: +40* vs. AC Hit: 2d10+21 damage, and the target is Dazed until the end of its turn. Critical: 4d6+41 damage, and the target is Dazed until the end of its turn.
*At this point you should have CA most of the time thanks to Deadly Draw or the enemy being Dazed. The +2 to hit provided by that is calculated into the base to hit.
While the build I presented one way to create the Damage Sponge, it is not the only way. There are lots of things you can do to change the build to your personal tastes and style. In the next little bit I would discuss some of the most obvious ways to customize the build, but first I went to present what I think is the very basic framework for the build.
One of the simplest switches is to change out the race. Any race with a Strength bonus will work, however some races are better then others for the build. Here is a list of races that I considered but did not use.
Warforged (Str/Con): This race from Eberron is a top contender, bring another way to heal and make a save with its racial ability. The race also has some solid support to enhance your durability. Goliath (Str/Con): This race from PHB 2 brings the needed stats along with another way to get some Damage Resistance. Its racial support is solid. Shifter, Longtooth (Str/Wis): This race comes in with a bonus to your tertiary stat, and some truly impressive racial support. Early on you will lag a bit verse a Str/Con race but by paragon you should catch up. Minotaur (Str/Con or Str/Wis): Either stat array works here, overall the racial abilities are solid though the power is a bit lacking. The support is a bit weak save for Bloody Ferocity for a free MBA when you get bloodied. Mul (Str/Con): This Darksun race is one of the top contenders, with access to all the Dwarven feats, and some feats of its own. Its racial abilities are up there though not the best available for the build.
Guardian Might
Another option to change up the build is to change the type of warden you are. This change is a bit more detailed then a racial change but is defiantly a viable option. If you are going with Stormheart then you don’t have to change a thing save possible minor rework of power depending on your personal preference. However if you are going with Lifeblood or Wildblood then you are going with that you will need to switch around your feats and ability scores, however powers shouldn’t change to much. Here is a my suggestions for stats and feats on a Wisdom based Warden.
While the above build presents a suggested list of magical items the build really doesn’t rely on any one item to function. You can easily switch around any of the item in the build to your personal tastes. Depending on the items you chose the build may play a bit differently, but should be functional no matter what you decided to go with. While there are more items then I can really cover, here are is a list of some items that I thought about for the build but for one reason or another did not have room for.
Cloak of the Walking Wounded (AV): The ability to use two healing surges when bloodied is hard to argue with. Maw of the Guardian (AV2): You will spend most of you time in a guardian form so the extra damage this weapon can deal can go along way to helping you kill an enemy Feyslaughter Weapon (AV2): The ability to shutdown teleporting is something that is good for any defender. Eye of Awareness (AV): A nice double up item helping your will defense and initiative. Coif of Mindiron(AV): Worried about your lower will defense and getting hit with a stun, daze or dominate. Well this item can be your answer. Coif of Focus (AV): Another option for those wanting some more protection against stunning, and dazing. Steadfast Amulet (AV): One final option for those looking for more protection against getting stunned or dazed. Lifeblood Armor (PHB 2): Temporary HP when ever you take a short or extended rest is never a bad thing. Strikebacks (PHB): Item bonus to Opportunity attacks and an encounter power to get a out of turn attack. Backlash Tattoo (AV 2): Another item to get a off turn attack when you are first bloodied. Ring of Free Time (AV 2): An extra minor action when is something that can be useful but the real draw is the constant damage resistance 5. Diamond Cincture (AV): Bonus to fortitude defense and another way to access your healing surges when needed.
Paragon Path and Epic Destiny
Another fairly easy switch around is to change out the Paragon Path or Epic Destiny. With access to both Fighter and Warden Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies there are a lot of really quality options. The following are some of the Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies that I considered for the build
Paragon Paths Kensei (PHB): The go to fighter paragon path. Bonus to hit and damage is always useful. Ice Wrought Sentinel (PrP): With a frost weapon this paragon path adds a bunch more control. Guardian of Two Worlds (D 379): A nice PP which enhances your Guardian forms adding some more action limitation and save granting to your abilities.
Epic Destinies Demigod (PHB): Just one of the best all around EDs out there. Ceaseless Guardian (D 387): By far one of the best defender EDs.. Perfect Guardian(PrP): A very solid ED, but it is mostly about the utility and level 30 feature. World Tree Guardian (PrP): This EDs ability to absorb damage is really impressive and if you want to be nigh unkillable this is the way to go. Unyeilding Sentinal (D 388): A really solid ED with a lot of durability and pefect stat bumps.
The idea here is to talk about how the build plays out through the various tiers and how the build evolves throughout its career. The information is based on some play testing and just general game experience.
Heroic Tier:
Heroic is probably the toughest Tier to play this build in. While the build gets all the basic tools it will need to do its job it you may find that you can only really shine in 1-2 encounters out of the day. This is primarily due to the Warden’s inability to stop shifting outside of its daily powers, and the fact through out heroic you just don’t have many of them. Now even when you can’t shut down shifting; proper positioning and a little bit of team play should allow you to do your job fairly well. Like many build there is only so much you can do in Heroic and the point here is to be able to fulfill your role in the party while preparing for the later game at the same time.
Paragon Tier:
As usual with optimized build here is where the build really begins to take off. At this point you begin to really pull ahead in the toughness department. Meanwhile you pick up your final few dailies you have been waiting on to help shutdown shifting for most encounters. The build’s continued focus on forced movement when combined with Hindering Shield and Deadly Draw help to secure your control of the battlefield. Overall it is in this tier where you begin to separate yourself from some other defender options out there.
Epic Tier:
Primarily a continuation and expansion on everything you have worked towards throughout Heroic tier. Basically in Epic you get stronger and more powerful control effects while continuing to further enhance your durability. The two big changes to the build at this point is the addition of Overwhelming Impact to turn your multiple slow effects into daze effects, and the addition of Rapid Wild Defense to allow you to punish more enemies each round.
Overall Progression
The build should progress fairly nicely and be playable throughout all tiers of play. The primary themes of the build are there from the very beginning and just get better and more powerful as the build progresses.
How are you adding damage to Warden's Fury + Swaying Branches? Hindering Shield and Crippling Crush are both "extra damage" which requires there to be damage in the first place.
Also, your level 11, 21, and 30 builds list your class as Druid...
I'll add this thread to my list of builds in my handbook when I'm back at my own computer.
Well the idea is to be the toughest person on the field and no Paragon Path does toughness better then the Dreadnaught. I am working on a couple version of the build that does not use Dreadnaught which will go up in the variants section when I get done with them.
