Arelith

So we have a thread on worst, lets see what is said about the best builds?

GO!

This will either be an exceptionally short thread, or an exceptionally long one.

For pve some kind of druid or cleric build. Druid 27/3 Monk is probably as well rounded as you can get thanks to their versatile spells, and one or two control spells that cant be saved against.

A Cleric/Full BAB class can solo incredibly well too if you pick the right domains, the ferocity can wax and wane depending on how much Cleric you give up in favor of other goodies. Depending on the module and how well you know the server being vulnerable to dispels is either a big deal or not.

I used to play a 26/4 Bear druid that was pretty indestructible. With the recent changes to Regeneration that essentially makes it last forever on you and your summons you can pretty much just roll through all but the nastiest content on your own. In a group setting you can be tank, control or a really reliable healer thanks to how tanky all of your forms are even if you're a non totem once you get to epic levels. If you build the bear druid right with feats you can supplement your lower damage with knockdowns and called shots which help protect your softer but fairly decent dps animal companion.

On their own they're not very mind blowing but as a small team of well played archers can absolutely destroy if working as a unit. Some of my best Arelith memories were overcoming the challenges of the modules as nothing but a few hard working Rangers

Beard Master Flex wrote:For pve some kind of druid or cleric build. Druid 27/3 Monk is probably as well rounded as you can get thanks to their versatile spells, and one or two control spells that cant be saved against.

Whut.

All of the druid's CC spells have saves.

Grease is reflex. Entangle is reflex. Hold monster is will. Stonehold is will. SoV is reflex. If any class had a control spell that had no save it would be immediately nerfed into the ground (see Bigby's).

Druids also have one critical weakness: two widely affordable and available items (clarity potions and freedom wands) render a PC immune to all their control spells, anyway. Clarity cannot be breached, and god help the druid if they have one of those unbreachable freedom items.

All that being said, a druid/monk dragonshaper is probably top-tier in PvE, hands down, with the caveat that it takes 28-30 levels to get there unless you have a legacy raven totem.

They do have a few spells that slow without a save while creatures are in the AoE, but yea, that's relatively weak CC.

Also just gonna point here:
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=9473
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6395

Off the top of my head, in a non-indicative order.

Melee PM (high ac, crit/sneak immune, can take abjuration focuses to make mages a mostly non-issue)

Weapon Masters ( High Ab, good damage via crits, decent ac, can boost saves via gear and feats)

Bard/Paladin or Blackguard (High ac, supplements ab with bard song and spells, saves are through the roof, damage non-terrible)

Mages (enough IGMS spam will kill most things, sorcerers being especially good at that, while wizards can diversify and pick up more focuses. Wild Mage is a direct upgrade to wizards)

Fighter/Paladin or Blackguard (High AC, High AB, solid damage, saves through the roof. Non-human versions can get a +5 weapon and are generally really good)

E-Dodge Monk (Absurd AC, devent saves, some immunities, can kite foreverwith monk speed to essentially never die as long as you're not outplayed)

Fey Warlocks (Lots of hp, good saves, lots of damage reduction or immunity. Kite forever, eventually they'll roll a 1. Haste helps with this. )

I've never seen a monsters use potions or wands.

If anything without druid levels stands in a vinemine for more then a few rounds regardless of what its stats are it will be slowed to a crawl and you just throw rocks at it until it dies or kite it along while you figure out some way to deal with it. Works really good with an extended inferno to help supplement your damage, I think they buffed inferno too so it wont take you forever to wittle down the really crazy monsters. Doesn't work if they have fire resist but its great against the things that dont. Storm of Vengence is still probably the best pve spell in the game for clearing out huge swarms if you mess up a pull or are feeling lazy. I cant think of any content where it wasn't still very useful unless they've changed things in recent years. Its not very difficult to get it to a DC in the high 30's or low 40's depending on gifts and race choices.

I think they changed creeping doom so its not broken anymore, but you used to be able to do all kind of weird stuff with that one.

From what i hear Fighter/Paladin/Rogue is a pretty awesome build

It's very difficult to get many of the druid's spells to work as advertised. You have to have a degree of foresight, especially with entangle, as it doesn't apply its effect until a round has passed and by then most mobs have moved out of it and started charging you. I suggested in another thread it be changed to roll instantly in the same way web does.

In PvE a druid's main benefit is her summons, however. At level 30, a fully-buffed dire wolf animal companion is comparable to a dragon knight, albeit without the magical accoutrements:

AB in the high 40s
4 APR
AC near 50
10/+10 physical DR
Haste
1d10 fire or ice damage
+10 magical damage
Full skill ranks in discipline and Epic Skill Focus: Discipline
9 points of regen/round

This in addition to your already super tanky ancient water elemental, whose aura stacks with your regeneration for a total of +16 regen/round for your little pupper friend.

I thought animal companions were changed back to vanilla some time ago.

I think those are the stats with all of the buffs cast upon it Lorkas, plus the berries and potions and such.

Lorkas wrote:I thought animal companions were changed back to vanilla some time ago.

This is my rough math judging from what buffs the wiki says animal companions get as the druid levels.

Also incorporating awaken, extended Aura of Vitality, maximized bull's strength, ice/flame berries and Greater Magic Fang.

My druid is level 15 and her animal companion is stronger than a warlock's summon of the same level, sitting pretty at +27/+22/+27 AB and 37 AC.

10/+10 DR though? Just a typo?

And haste?

Haste is from frost/flame berry

I recall doing the math on those animal companions before, and I don't remember them being that impressive. They also pale in comparison to any variant of EDK.

edit: Having redone the above with a Dire Wolf, as opposed to Panther and Bear as I've done before, he or she is actually correct, but only when it's super beefed.

48 AB
48/43/38/48 AB
2d10+16 physical, +10 magical, 1d10 elemental, averaging at 43.5 damage.
55 AC.

The 10/+10 DR comes from Greater Magic Fang, which is 'uncapped' at Arelith, going as far as +10 at level 30.

I do stand by my statement that an EDK is still much more menacing, and the animal companion is not without flaws. Unlike a warlock's summon, if it dies, it's gone. It has no True Seeing of its own unlike high level warlock summons and the EDK (meaning a WoF would mess with it unless it has TS or SR cast on it).

edit 2: The best build is melee PM because the only thing that can reliably kill it is a warlock or the DM kill button.

edit 3: fixed typos and some math

Oh, it's not as good as the dragon knight, but it is, as I said "comparable." ^^

Also, it can be used alongside a dragon knight.

Wytchee wrote:Also, it can be used alongside a dragon knight.

Which is honestly its greatest strength.

Git gonne for PM's

Hunter's list is pretty spot on though.

Sockss wrote:Git gonne for PM's

Hunter's list is pretty spot on though.

A PM can literally outheal a single Gonne user, and as we all know, kits are more affordable than gonne slugs are.

Resource war ensues.

I mean, most people will fight a PM to a stalemate. War of attrition for sure.

Cortex wrote:A PM can literally outheal a single Gonne user.

It's such a painful sight to see.

Probably the most lethal build on the server is a 20 FTR/7 WM/3 rogue wielding a scimitar and with optimal gear.

Druids shouldn't even be mentioned here with the exception of the Druid/Monk/CoT Dragonshape build; otherwise the class just isn't that strong.

dex palemaster

RamblerTeo wrote:dex palemaster

no

Peppermint wrote:

RamblerTeo wrote:dex palemaster

no

hmmmmmmmmm
suboptimal dev.. !