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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 1:53AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2009
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One of my players is an ardent that will be going into Stygian Adept as a PP. He is thinking of getting rid of his great spear for another weapon that can be enchanted with the staggering effect. Looking for input on this decision, is it a good/bad idea? why? all input is welcome. Thank you.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 2:02AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Oct 28, 2010
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Keep the greatspear. Accuracy is most useful. Cunning Weapon is OK, otherwise keep it to something completely basic, and save some money for other slots.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 9:02AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2009
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If your player has dipped into the second wind abuse for the ardent, Defensive is an amusing and inexpensive (and common) enchantment for his greatspear.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 11:40AM
#4
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Staggering is by far the best choice, using a +3 prof. blade or flail. If allowed, I think Staggering Alhulak is the best option for an ardent combined with Flail Expertise, so you can forego slides on melee attacks like dilettante Eldritch Strike, Stygian Strike, unaugmented Demoralizing Strike, to knock prone. He might find looking at my build useful: community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...(ArdentFighterStygian_AdeptDemigod,_Spammable_Demo_Strike_that_DazesSlides)
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 11:47AM
#5
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Also, greatspear is a bad choice anyway, since it costs a feat slot, and you have plenty of +3 proficiency weapons that don't cost a feat (longsword, alhulak, etc.) If you invest in polearm stuff, it becomes a better choice, but that's more something for Wis ardents imo. Cha/Con ardents can seldom afford putting all those points in Wis/Str/Dex to really get anything out of polearms.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 11:58AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2009
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so what would you suggest as a good replacement weapon that to put staggering on? preferably with a +3 prof .
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 12:02PM
#7
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Already said above, alhulak with Flail Expertise is the best choice for staggering imo.
If Alhulak isn't legal in your game (it's from Dark Sun), then Longsword or (costs a feat but might be worth it for Flail Expertise) Triple-Headed Flail or Spiked Chain.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 3:28PM
#8
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Greatspears have there use in certain parties.
Reach is very nice if you have too many melee.
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F-111 Interdictor Long (200+ squares) distance ally teleporter. With some warlord stuff. Broken in a plot way, not a power way.
Thought Switch Higher level build that grants upto 14 attacks on turn 1. If your allies play along, it's broken.
Elven Critters Crit op with crit generation. 5 of these will end anything. Broken.
King Fisher Does an excellent job at keeping an enemy disabled in a few ways. Strong.
Boominator Fun catch-22 booming blade build with either strong or completely broken damage depending on your reading.
Very Distracting Warlock Lot's of dazing and major penalties to hit. Overpowered.
Pocket Protector Pixie Stealth Knight. Maximizing the defender's aura by being in an ally's/enemy's square.
Yakuza NinjIntimiAdin: Perma-stealth Striker that offers a little protection for ally's, and can intimidate bloodied enemies. Very Strong.
Chargeburgler with cheese Ranged attacks at the end of a charge along with perma-stealth. Solid, could be overpowered if tweaked.
Void Defender Defends giving a penalty to hit anyone but him, then removing himself from play. Can get somewhat broken in epic.
Scry and Die Attacking from around corners, while staying hidden. Moderate to broken, depending on the situation.
Skimisher Fly in, attack, and fly away. Also prevents enemies from coming close. Moderate to Broken depending on the enemy, but shouldn't make the game un-fun, as the rest of your team is at risk, and you have enough weaknesses.
Indestructible Simply won't die, even if you sleep though combat.
Sir Robin (Bravely Charge Away) He automatically slows and pushes an enemy (5 squares), while charging away. Hard to rate it's power level, since it's terrain dependent.
Death's Gatekeeper A fun twist on a healic, making your party "unkillable". Overpowered to Broken, but shouldn't actually make the game un-fun, just TPK proof.
Death's Gatekeeper mk2, (Stealth Edition) Make your party "unkillable", and you hidden, while doing solid damage. Stronger then the above, but also easier for a DM to shut down. Broken, until your DM get's enough of it.
Domination and Death Dominate everything then kill them quickly. Only works @ 30, but is broken multiple ways.
Battlemind Mc Prone-Daze Protecting your allies by keeping enemies away. Quite powerful.
The Retaliator Getting hit deals more damage to the enemy then you receive yourself, and you can take plenty of hits. Heavy item dependency, Broken.
Dead Kobold Transit Teleports 98 squares a turn, and can bring someone along for the ride. Not fully built, so i can't judge the power
Psilent Guardian Protect your allies, while being invisible. Overpowered, possibly broken
Unnamed Avenger|Runepriest/Hammer of Vengance Do lot's of damage while boosting your teams. Strong to slightly overpowered.
Charedent BarrageA charging ardent. Fine in a normal team, overpowered if there are 2 together, and easily broken in teams of 5.
Super Knight A tough, sticky, high damage knight. Strong.
Super Duper Knight Basically the same as super knight, only far more broken.
Mora, the unkillable avenger Solid damage, while being neigh indestuctable. Overpowered, but not broken.
Swordburst Maximus At-Will Close Burst 3 that slide and prones. Protects allies with off actions. Strong, possibly over powered with the right party.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 4:50PM
#9
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Staggering is by far the best choice, using a +3 prof. blade or flail. If allowed, I think Staggering Alhulak is the best option for an ardent combined with Flail Expertise, so you can forego slides on melee attacks like dilettante Eldritch Strike, Stygian Strike, unaugmented Demoralizing Strike, to knock prone.
He might find looking at my build useful:
community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...(ArdentFighterStygian_AdeptDemigod,_Spammable_Demo_Strike_that_DazesSlides)
Wouldn't it be redundant to have staggering + flail expertise + sliding power? Assuming you prone every time, the extra squares from staggering would go to waste...
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1 year ago ::
Jan 19, 2012 - 5:53PM
#10
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It's nice to have the option to prone on your unaugmented Demo Strike, since that's often a focus target and you don't want to slide it away from your melee. Stygian Strike also contains 2 push/slide elements (one from Stygian Adept, and one from the power itself), so you can use one to slide and one to prone. This is the same with Lashing Flail + dilettante Eldritch Strike, where you have two instances of sliding, so you can prone on one and slide on the other (admittedly, this one is a bit unclear RAW if it works or not).
Either way, the benefit from Flail Expertise obviously exceeds that from the other expertises for a Con ardent.
Reach can be nice... greatspear isn't bad, but it does cost a feat (which are precious for Ardents to pack in all the second wind optimization, defensive stuff, etc.)
The OP specified this is a Stygian Adept, so that's what makes me say staggering and not a greatspear (really hard to beat the Demo Strike spam close burst slide everyone 4-10 squares)... if it were some other pp he were looking at, then greatspear is a great choice.
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