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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 8:24AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Nov 30, 2011
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I just started playing in a friend's long-running campaign, so I'm trying to refine this concept to synergize well with the group. We just hit level 11 at the last session. Party composition (without my character): 1 Battlemind (Defender) 1 Warrior (Defender) --> Going to be replaced by Blackguard (striker) 1 Druid (Leader) 1 Controller 1 Avenger (Striker) 1 other striker Total: 1 or 2 defenders 2 or 3 strikers 1 leader 1 controller My character: The character I'm building is a tiefling bravura warlord. I don't want to move from the warlord class, but I want to focus on the strikery or defendery elements over the healing and whatnot. Since one of our defenders is getting replaced by a striker in the future, the DM thinks I should focus on being a second defender, but I don't know when we're actually going to lose our second defender. To fulfill the role of defender, my idea is to use some of the unique characteristics of the bravelord to draw enemy attention away from my allies by making myself a better target. I'm satisfied with my choice of powers, but if anyone has any suggestions I'll take those under advisement. I'm more concerned with which feats to take to increase my proficiency as either a striker or defender. FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 19, CON 16, DEX 9, INT 11, WIS 14, CHA 20
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 16, CON 13, DEX 8, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 15
AC: 27 Fort: 22 Ref: 17 Will: 23
HP: 78 Surges: 11 Surge Value: 19
TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +14, Diplomacy +21, Endurance +13, Insight +14, Intimidate +21
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Arcana +5, Bluff +12, Dungeoneering +7, Heal +7, History +5, Nature +7, Perception +7, Religion +5, Stealth +6, Streetwise +10, Thievery +4
POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Noble Utility: Noble Presence
Tiefling Racial Power: Infernal Wrath
Warlord Feature: Battlefront Shift
Warlord Feature: Inspiring Word
Multiple Class Utility: Defender Aura (This is pretty cool, I think)
Paladin Attack: Righteous Radiance
Warlord Attack 1: Furious Smash (I'm not a big fan of either of these at-wills, personally. Conceptually, I like them, but...)
Warlord Attack 1: Brash Assault
Warlord Attack 1: Luring Focus (To lure in enemies to attack me over my allies)
Warlord Attack 1: Fearless Rescue
Endurance Utility 2: Endure Pain
Warlord Attack 3: Dicey Predicament (As long as I'm going to be getting flanked...)
Warlord Attack 5: Stand the Fallen
Warlord Utility 6: Tempting Target (*waves arms* "Hey, hit me! Hit me!")
Warlord Attack 7: Sacrificial Lure
Warlord Attack 9: Dangerous Leader (This one ended up working pretty well, but I'm not married to it)
Endurance Utility 10: Enter the Crucible (My star power from the last encounter)
Turathi Highborn Attack 11: Bolts of Bedevilment
FEATS
Level 1: Disciple of Death
Level 2: Unfailing Vigor
Level 4: Heavy Blade Expertise
Level 6: Armored Warlord
Level 8: Squire of Righteousness
Level 10: Knightly Bearing --------------------------------------------- I multiclassed into Cavalier for Defender Aura (pretty cool, I think), with the added bonus of getting access to the Knightly Bearing feat (+2 Diplomacy and Intimidate, which is fantastic for the character concept). I picked Disciple of Death and Unfailing Vigor to make up for the fact that I'm probably going to get knocked down to 0 quite a bit with my reckless behavior but make it impossible for me to actually die (succeed on saving throws 75% of the time, spend a healing surge on a 13 or higher). I'm open to dropping one of them (probably Unfailing Vigor) for something else, though. I haven't decided what feat I want for level 11 yet. ------------------------------------------------ QUESTIONS 1) How could I make this character a more effective striker? 2) How could I make this character a more effective defender? A) What should my level 11 feat be? B) Is spending two feats on improving my death saving throws overkill? C) Is there any redundancy in the character build that could be reduced or eliminated? Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks in advance!
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 8:45AM
#2
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1) be a leader
2) don't
A) improved initiative, improved defenses, superior will...
B) yes, twice
C) yes, read the warlord handbook
You didn't ask, but please, pretty please, drop Wis for some sort of reflex defense, and NEVER drop Dex to below 10.
Of all your powers chosen, I would keep Stand the Fallen.
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 8:49AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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Not to be "that guy", but this build looks really bad. There are tools a Warlord can use to sub in for a Defender effectively, but you're not using them right now. Enticing people to attack you is only part of the equation - you also have to be able to punish them if they don't. For that, look into the Warlord's Interrupt power selection or consider multiclassing (Ranger in particular has a couple of good powers for this that don't have weapon requirements).
The second part is that since you're obviously not making a Cha-fueled enabling machine, Tiefling is an awful racial choice - you need something with more durability, like a Dwarf or a Goliath. Planning to get knocked down to 0 regularly is silly - instead, plan to protect yourself from that same situation. That means take a race that makes you tougher, and take feats that make you tougher - Toughness is a good choice given the context.
Thirdly, the power selection right now is pretty suboptimal - your main job is to make your allies better, and this build isn't doing that. Take powers that allow your allies to attack, such as Diabolic Stratagem, Commander's Strike, and Provoke Overextension - those will help you do your job.
Turathi Highborn is an almost painfully bad Paragon Path - don't take it (that is partially covered under "this build shouldn't be a Tiefling", but it's worth mentioning, in case your racial choice is locked).
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 9:10AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Nov 30, 2011
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Hm, thanks for the responses so far. It's a good thing I posted here before our next session. Would a hybrid warlord/paladin (blackguard or cavalier) work well?
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 9:12AM
#5
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What could you possibly hoping to accomplish by such a hybrid ? EDIT: it's the Charisma focus that has me baffled. The warlord can be an extremely powerful build / character. Please read the handbook.
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 9:19AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Nov 30, 2011
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What could you possibly hoping to accomplish by such a hybrid ?
To secretly bring down the party from within by being ineffective in combat.  If there isn't a TPK in the next few sessions then I will consider my mission a failure. BTW, I only put those points in WIS for Disciple of Death, so if I dropped that feat then I can put those points somewhere else. EDIT: In case you were actually sincere in wanting to know my thought process, like I said above, I want to build a secondary defender or striker. The hybrid blackguard seemed pretty good for a striker in particular because of Dread Smite -- and if you take the Icy Clutch of Stygia feat (for tieflings), then the enemy takes extra damage based on your charisma when it saves against the ongoing damage from Dread Smite. Having access to paladin powers also lets you mark things at-will or get THP at-will. Not saying that it's the most optimal choice, but that's what I'm here to find out. EDIT 2: Also, I'm in the process of reading the Warlord Handbook.
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 10:10AM
#7
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Here's the thing about being a off-defender Warlord, you can do it pretty easily with the Guardian Theme and Freedom Fighter Paragon Path. It's better than Turathi Highborn and the two interrupts also work nicely when someone else actually has the target marked.
And yeah, I'd change the race to Genasi, Dwarf, Goliath or Dragonborn. You'll never make a good sponge, but you'll be fine otherwise.
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 10:23AM
#8
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Here's the thing about being a off-defender Warlord, you can do it pretty easily with the Guardian Theme and Freedom Fighter Paragon Path. It's better than Turathi Highborn and the two interrupts also work nicely when someone else actually has the target marked.
And yeah, I'd change the race to Genasi, Dwarf, Goliath or Dragonborn. You'll never make a good sponge, but you'll be fine otherwise.
Interesting you mention the Freedom Fighter PP. I have played a few LFR sessions with a Tiefling Freedom Fighter Warlord | Cavalier Noble Theme. It's much more effective than I expected it to be. Someone joins you in your ridiculously high initiative (Noble L10U Urge to Action, Cav +4, Improv +4, Combat Leader +Cha for +6, Imperious Majesty use Cha instead of dex +6, at 12 roll two/three times and take your choice), three rounds of mass marks, your best striker is attacking instead of you. You absolutely should have Superior Will on a defender, IMHO. My initiative is high enough that I might drop Improved Initiative for Disciple of Freedom (more of a flavor thing I rarely do in LFR, but I did spend the first encounter with the charachter immobilized for the entire encounter).
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 10:28AM
#9
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In short, your attacks aren't going to be as damaging as your striker's attacks. To put out striker level damage, use your strikers. Focus on powers that enable your strikers to attack. Things like Vengeance is Mine is an out of turn extra PAIR of attacks, on a painfully easy trigger. As mentioned above, the Guardian theme can result in a double tap attack if you use it to steal an attack away from one of your defenders.
As a warlord, your standard action every turn should involve causing allies to attack, or setting them up with some bonuses for when they do attack, or some combination thereof.
This is CharOp. We not only assume block-of-tofu monsters, but also block-of-tofu DMs.
One reach cheese'd threatening reach Spiked Chain shuts down any non-teleporting quarterback.
You're already refluffing, what not refluff to something that doesn't suck?
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12 months ago ::
Jun 22, 2012 - 11:07AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Nov 30, 2011
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In short, your attacks aren't going to be as damaging as your striker's attacks. To put out striker level damage, use your strikers.
For some reason, I hadn't thought of it that way. Wow. And I'm definitely taking Vengeance is Mine, probably in place of Dicey Predicament (you can pick a lower-level power in place of a higher-level one, right?) What's better, Battlefront Leader or Combat Leader? EDIT: Typos.
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