Builds

[Mad Marduk]

What are some good classes/builds right now? I am working on a war domain pure cleric right now, but I wonder if I would be better served with a paladin or maybe a fighter with cleric splashed? Splash cleric with fighter? It seems like the game has become extremely solo based too. I’m not familiar with the current game dynamics so it is hard for me to conceive a plan for my toons going forward. I’m likely going to reincarnate either my 20 sorc or 20 arti soon, but I don’t know in to what or which past life I might get more out of.

[Doug]

We're not all that build-focused here on the Steam forums. We'll answer specific questions, but we don't tend to post builds. If you're looking for that info, you'll find a lot more of it on the official forums. I sometimes browse this thread for ideas:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/470423-Build-Repository?highlight=builds

[Doug]

Actually, I guess this area would be broader:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/175-Custom-Character-Builds

[Doug]

Do note dates. Builds more than a few months old have some possibility of being outdated (depending on what classes have been revamped since the build was designed). The older the build, the more likely that it is no longer current and should be mined for ideas rather than slavishly copied.

[Mad Marduk]

I'm only looking for general advice as to what classes or combinations are currently effective so that I can go search out more detail on the DDO forums rather than trying to comb through each individual class forum, pick out the build posts, compare, etc., I think I am more disoriented by leaving and returning to the game than I was at beta/release as a genuine newbie.

And i'll be honest.. i'm sort of trying to generate some Steam forum traffic/content since this is where nearly any new or potential new players are going to go now that it is a FTP through Steam. If this forum seems too dead then most people on Steam considering the game will pass it by. This game has a much higher learning curve and there is a lot more to know about it than typical MMO's but it also has a lot more to offer. I'd like to try to get more people to give it a chance... again.. been in this seat before lol.

[NavFamG]

If you don't want to use a hireling, having a X plus rogue works. I'm running a Barb / Rogue build; allows me to spot and disarm traps and pick locks.

[Doug]

Problem is, there are too many possible multiclass combinations. Trying to list even a few would quickly become overwhelming. Add to that the usual multiclass caveat that multiclassing is an advanced skill: it's way too easy to make one that sounds good but doesn't work in practice or that peters out at higher levels. Or one that hits its stride at L20, which is useless if you intended to TR at 20.

As a general rule, caster multiclasses are the most difficult and have the most gotchas. For example, you don't just give up higher level spells, you may get your spells later, and you also lose duration and Spell DCs, which can make even the spells you do have less useful.

A 2 Rogue splash for traps works pretty well if you have the stat points to put at least some into Int in addition to whatever your other class(es) require. General rule is to take the first Rogue level at L1 to maximize the benefit of the 4x skill points at L1. Can take the 2nd anytime, but after a few levels so it can 'top up' some skills is handy. Don't want to put it off too long or you lose the benefit of evasion until later levels.

But even if I told you that I'm currently running a 16 Rogue/4 Arti crossbow build and gave you the reasons why, it would be incredibly easy to make it unplayable by picking the wrong feats or make it gimped by taking the classes in the wrong order. (It's easy, albeit costly, to fix poor enhancement choices.)

Thus, my general recommendation for newbies is to either play a pure class or look up and at least generally follow a build that someone has fleshed out.