Update 24 May 2011: 1) Switched MC Warden + Sudden Roots for MC Fighter + Hindering Shield. Benefits: no need for the theme (now just meet prereq: fighter), and slow on net attacks instead of OAs -> your prey will already be slowed before the OA. Suggested by ??? (somehow his post vanished). 2) Changed Race to Mul in reference build -> hand out 3x61 thp as free actions each encounter (inspired by Jay_libero_911's Mul build).
The Inescapeable Fisherman 2.0
If someone is adjacent to the Fisherman, he will stay adjacent, unable to do anything. He cannot shift away. If he tries to move away, he won't (the Fisherman does damage and prone him down in the process). If he tries to hit us, good luck. Not only are the defenses good (48/44/46/43), but he also gets damaged 8 (white lotus), has to bypass DR 5 and 28 temp hps.
This can be done for up to 8 enemies at once, reliably, all the time (no encounter limit). The Fisherman can deal at-will burst damage vs. all adjacent enemies (and damage+slide+slow everyone from 2 squares away closer), or use an encounter burst 5, marking and pulling enemies adjacent from a 80 square area surrounding him. He can also reduce damage dealt to allies by 28 twice a round, in doing so gains 28 temporary hitpoints each, with the option to loose them and give 31 temporary hitpoints to an adjacent ally. As a free action 3/encounter, he can give himself 58 temporary hitpoints or 61 hitpoints to an ally.
The build is completely functional with any int+dex, int+str, con+dex or con+str race. it is also item independant and can work with just vanilla magic items (looses DR and temporary hitpoints however, but nothing build critical).
All magic items are nice to have, the most important ones (that add additional great features) are Shield of Fellowship + Baldric of Shielding. The Helm of Opportunity also helps (with it, the chance to prone is 97%, without it only 84%), but generally no specific item is required.
Opportunity attack with HBO Brutal Barrage to hit: 15(lvl)+3(prof)+3(expertise)+6(enh)+8(con)+1(ED)+2(bladeOpp)+3(item) +41* vs AC 44 effect: 3 attacks, damage target, if at least 2 attacks hit, knock prone
Swordburst to hit: 15(lvl)+8(int)+6(enh)+3(experise)+2(ring)+1(ED) = +36 vs Ref 42 effect: all enemies in close burst 2: damage + slide adjacent + slow
How it works:
The Fishernet: Our at-will net is Sword burst, which damages and slides everyone in a burst 2 (5x5 area) adjacent to us. If we want a bigger catch, or the fish is scattered, we use the encounter power Thundering Vortex, which aegis marks, damages and slides every enemy in a burst 4 (9x9 area) adjacent to us.
The Fisherboat: The boat is the area directly surrounding the fisherman (i.e. adjacent squares). So, after we threw out our nets, the fish are adjacent to us, but the big wide ocean calls... Ok, ill stop the analogy. The enemy really wants to get to the squishy mage, or the annoying cleric, or just anywhere but close to us (see The Bastion). So, it would like to shift and charge. But it can't, due to the lvl 16 feature of our paragon path. So, it moves or charges, triggering an opportunity attack. Our opportunity attack triggers heavy blade opportunity, and we use brutal barrage. Brutal Barrage is pretty accurate due to OA precision enhancers, so its 3 attacks +41 vs AC 44. If at least two of them hit (which happens with a 0.972 probability), the target gets knocked prone (and its slowed from the net already), ending its movement before it began, and remainig adjacent to the fisherman (now prone+slowed)
The Bastion: Some might say: Who cares ? I shall simply attack the fisherman. Fortunately, this is exactly what we want. Due to our high defenses, the chance for a hit is low. But if a hit occurs, white lotus riposte will also trigger, and with regeneration 10 and DR 5, and normally about 28 temporary hitpoints, the hit won't hurt.
THP and DR for the whole Party And i'm talking about DR 28 and additionally THP 31 twice per round. Every time our Aegis is triggered, the damage is reduced by 28 hitpoints, the Fisherman gains 28 temporary hitpoints and can optionally give up those 28 temporary hitpoints to give an adjacent ally 31 temporary hitpoints. This can happen twice per round, every round. As a free action 3/encounter, he can give himself 58 temporary hitpoints or 61 hitpoints to an ally (3x second wind, modified with inexaustable resources, transferable via Shield of Fellowship.
Comments/Suggestions/Improvements welcome ! (especially daily / util power selection, and status effect avoidance)
All magic items are nice to have, the most important ones (that add additional great features) are Shield of Fellowship + Baldric of Shielding. The Helm of Opportunity also helps (with it, the chance to prone is 97%, without it only 84%), but generally no specific item is required.
Swordmage|Warlock/Gladiator Champion/Destined Scion hybrid talent: Swordmage Warding, go the light armor route. Add warding curse for +2 to all defenses. Instead of HBO Brutal Barrage, use the eldrich strike MBA, MC Fighter and Polearm Momentum (you need to switch wis 13->wis 16 and str 16->str 13 to prone enemies trying to get away.
Single Class Swordmage/Gladiator Champion/Soul of the World second at-will is frigid blade with (arcane admixture thunder) or booming blade, which will be used with HBO, Mark of Storms and rushing cleats. You also need MC Fighter and Polearm Momentum. This build has only one main stat, so its more precise and doesn't suffer from the hybrid restrictions. Also, since Con doesn't need to be as high, you can get the stats for both HBO and Polearm Momentum (and, while we are at it, Polearm Gamble). Pick ED Destined Scion if you don't want to be a Deva.
Benefit: If enemies try to get close to you (polearm gamble), or try to get away from you (OA Booming blade), or are simply in your sword burst radius/thundering vortex radius), slide them 2 squares and knock em prone. Additionally, you don't need the Gladiator Theme (Props to Herid_Fel mentioning that themes can be problematic).
Race Deva Class Swordmage PP Gladiator Champion ED Soul of the World
Stats con 14->20 4 pt dex 13->16 1 pt str 13->16 1 pt int 16-18->28 6 pt wis 12-14->18 cha 8->10
Swordmage|INT Class/Gladiator Champion/Destined Scion Get melee training intelligence, a lighting weapon, MC fighter and Polearm Momentum. For armor, light armor+warding route. With Mark of Storms, you can slide+prone enemies leaving. That way you have the stickyness and aegis of the build, as well as psion/wizard/warlord/artificer powers & features to throw around...
So, at what level would you say that this becomes playable at all, and at what level does it really come into its own? I can't really tell just by looking at a statblock when a build actually starts to matter.
So, at what level would you say that this becomes playable at all, and at what level does it really come into its own? I can't really tell just by looking at a statblock when a build actually starts to matter.
Its playable at level 1 (first feat is hybrid talent: battlemind armor): you are a scale, sword and board guy with high AC, Ref and Fort, your aegis offers DR 8, steel unity allows a mechanic similar to the PP feature, sword burst burst is burst 1, and you use a different battlemind power etc.
At level 11, the sword burst has burst 2 (5x5 squares) and slides.
At level 13, HBO + brutal barrage for knockdown arrives.
lvl 16 adds the PP feature that removes the ability to shift - so you don't need dailies like steel unity anymore.
Thats about it, everything else are just gradual improvements (maybe with the exception of getting and giving big amounts of temporary hitpoints @ lvl 18)
But i want to finish the lvl 30 build before i start to get into earlier levels, and get some sleep (its 10am here ^^)
One of my favorite builds I've seen in a long time (and that's saying a lot since I don't like how most defenders play). Heavy, heavy control and really interesting schtik (I quite appreciate all the references to fishing :D)
Also like that it's so flexible in race decision (granted, that's partially due to not having a real con/int race). Some questions: How well do you think this build will play with another defender? And what, between int and con, do you find to be more crucial to the build's success?
What do you think about throwing White Lotus Master Riposte in here (and not marking)? Or do you feel like, even trapped inside of here, enemies don't have enough reason to attack you? Since you'll already have a group of enemies collected around you, being able to repeat swordburst as an immediate reaction sounds like fun- granted it eats up your immediate reaction. Do you feel like there will be rounds where your immediate reaction is not used up and this would be a good option?
Edit: And how are you getting DR 5 for yourself?
Currently Playing: lvl 6 Pixie Skald in Home Campaign lvl 2 Human Bard in Forgotten Realms ---
One of my favorite builds I've seen in a long time (and that's saying a lot since I don't like how most defenders play). Heavy, heavy control and really interesting schtik (I quite appreciate all the references to fishing :D)
Thank you !
Also like that it's so flexible in race decision (granted, that's partially due to not having a real con/int race). Some questions: How well do you think this build will play with another defender?
I think the should play well together. Just use your own aegis marks on some remote enemies. The other defender can still mark all targets close to you, since the gladiator feature doesn't rely on marks to get stickyness. If the other defender uses an aura (like the knight), that also works, since the gladiator feature is no aura, thus no overlap occurs.
And what, between int and con, do you find to be more crucial to the build's success?
Int is probably a bit more important, since the con based brutal barrage gets +5 to hit from OA optimization, and only needs to hit two times (out of 3).
What do you think about throwing White Lotus Master Riposte in here (and not marking)? Or do you feel like, even trapped inside of here, enemies don't have enough reason to attack you?
Actually, i want to give them some reason to attack me. I certainly could increase defenses even more, and punish them more for attacking me via White Lotus Master Riposte. But attacking the defender should be still be the best out of several bad choices. Therefore, he is hard to hit, but not impossible. He is hard to damage, but not impossible.
His choice is this: A) Do i attack the defender and have a chance to hit and do damage B) Do i attack someone else - with -2 to hit from mark, -2 to hit from prone and DR 28
Since you'll already have a group of enemies collected around you, being able to repeat swordburst as an immediate reaction sounds like fun- granted it eats up your immediate reaction. Do you feel like there will be rounds where your immediate reaction is not used up and this would be a good option?
White Lotus Master Riposte got errata - 1) only works if enemy is not marked 2) only works against one enemy alone (i.e. no one else will get hit by it). Due to that, i think the immediate action is better used for aegis.
Edit: And how are you getting DR 5 for yourself?
Ring of free time. (the temp hps are from the belt, the ability to share them from the shield)
Ah, I wasn't familiar with that second bit of eratta. And here, I thought I found a legit, uncheesy reason to take WLMR
Nice addition of sudden roots- I was actually thinking of trying to mesh warden in there somehow since they're so good at keeping enemies around you. Slowing with OA's means even if they do manage to get away, on your turn you can just shift 1 and then use Swordburst again :D Plus, that would only require 1 hit which is almost guaranteed.
I feel sorry for the artillery that get swordbursted by this build... Moving away with be futile... and if they attack anything, you get an OA (which knocks them prone, thus lowering the hit chance by 2). It's sad when the best option is to get out your rusty butterknife and try and poke the defender.
It's also great how the gladiator's lvl 16 feature completely negates skirmishers- who are usually a nusance for defenders.
Currently Playing: lvl 6 Pixie Skald in Home Campaign lvl 2 Human Bard in Forgotten Realms ---
