Henshin
Stats:..........Level 1 (28 pt build)

Strength...........16(+ level ups)
Dexterity...........14
Constitution.......14
Intelligence........8
Wisdom.............14
Charisma............8

Stats:..........Level 1 (32 pt build)

Strength...........17(+ level ups)
Dexterity...........14
Constitution.......15
Intelligence........8
Wisdom.............13
Charisma............8


Feat Progression:
Level 1   : Cleave
Level 1   : M1: Power Attack
Level 2   : M2: Two handed Fighting
Level 3   : Dodge
Level 6   : Great Cleave
Level 6   : M6: Deflect Arrows
Level 9   : Improved Two Handed Fighting
Level 12 : Improved Crit Blunt
Level 15 : Greater Two Handed Fighting
Level 18 : Weapon Focus Blunt
Level 21 : Overwhelming Critical
Level 24 : Improved Martial Arts
Level 26 : Perfect Two Handed Fighting
Level 27 : Mobility
Level 28 : Elusive Target
Level 29 : Dire Charge
Level 30 : Epic Damage Reduction
Level 30 : Scion of Arborea

Add Spring Attack if Human

Skills: Concentration, Spot, Tumble

Add Heal if Human/Drow

Ninja Path: Newbs trying to beat Korthos quests with stacks of shuriken?

Agree on the ninja path - either hybrid twf thrower or even a pure TWF.

Don't forget to add path as well.

Whirlwind attack @ lvl 6

nuff said

5 Foot Step wrote on Apr 11^th, 2017 at 2:41pm:


Picking a nit here, but why no strike through for the level 20+ feats?

Revaulting wrote on Apr 11^th, 2017 at 7:50pm:


Yes.  All 'newb' builds don't need to be avoided because they will be better with twink gear.

The build looks like it will do fine, based only on my single Monk thrower past life.  Sure I had all the low level named shuriken but stacks of shuriken are just as good as stacks of arrows or bolts.  And while archer or repeater builds typically provide ways to avoid having to buy stacks of arrows or bolts, but even a newb can afford them.

Level 1-2 for NS will suck, but not significantly more than Shintao's 1-2. Either way Byron Scoutsword can cure what ails you.

There's nothing hard about shuriken as a build, you just aim and fire like any ranged build.

What's hard about shuriken is back ended load of the power curve. They just don't get good until a minimum of 12-14 levels in, and they don't get great until 16-18+, given the right gear.

Sailias wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 2:54pm:


Shortsword ninja is a trap build. That is specifically what we are trying to avoid.

Sailias wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 2:54pm:


It's really not complicated. You max dex. You equip shuriken. You hold down LMB. Everything dies.

harharharhar wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 3:12pm:


Yes.

harharharhar wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 3:12pm:


No.

Shuriken can outperform melee starting at level 3 and carry pugs by level 6.

5 Foot Step wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 4:51pm:




I'm going to challenge you on this point for a 28pt newb playing, without good gear, PL's, etc.

Actually, I'm just going to try a pure Monk thrower levels 1-6 on my next life just to see if you're right. I'm having real trouble buying it though.

Contrary opinion: Monks aren't good first life toons. They require gear, tomes, pls, and skill to play well. There is no build path that will give new players a good experience - playing any kind of monk (majority monk levels) will likely lead to the player getting frustrated.

That said: pure thrower ninja is probably THE WORST path. This will make the player quit before level 6, if that.

So what's the population this set of builds is serving? I know the idea is for a new player, but how many new players actually roll onto Korthos and buy monk as basis for a first character? How many of us had a monk until we were into the game for a good bit?

I do think the lack of a starter returning shuriken will be detrimental. The early Korthos freebies are handwraps. A new player running out of that stack of 50 masterwork shurikens halfway through the explorer area on the island is less than ideal. One of the other things that would be helpful would be an overhaul of the fixed reward lists. And maybe a vendor that lets you swap out any of the starter gear for another item from the same list for when you botch that choice.

Maybe instead of the hybrid shortsword build (which I still am tempted to play around with, even knowing better) a hybrid bludgeoning spec'd build. Give them the feats to support 75% efficiency at either playstyle. Given the likelihood of a new player knowing how to close quarters kite efficiently in any case, they're going to end up in melee range almost immediately.

5 Foot Step wrote on Apr 14^th, 2017 at 7:29pm:


At level three with SE and ANT, they will have if they're lucky as a new player, around 24 Dex (18-20 to start, +2 tome, +1 racial, +2 enchant).

So they will be throwing 1.5 shuriken per animation. They will have at best 1 SA die proc. How on earth is this better than swinging to 2 shortsword with TWF? With TWF at lvl 3 a Monk would make 1.4 attacks per animation. However, SS have a higher [W] than shuriken, easily making up the difference in attack rates. And since you would be making 1 attack the majority of the time in either case, the shortsword is actually better. The crit range on SS is also better.

Now, as Dex increases shurikens pull ahead, until you get more TWF feats. But of course, you also pick up things like 10k and IPS eventually totally changing the math.

BUT, at level 3, or even up to level 6 pre-10k, Shuri's are not ahead. Moreover, even with 10k, once you pick up iTWF, you're back to Shuri's probably being worse when 10k is on cooldown.