Feat Advice

[Side]

Since I started playing again, and since I learned of the 100% RCR that is ending very soon, I've been thinking about my main character's build. It's a very late blooming build, with the first real power spike happening next level at 21, and I'm very excited to see how it works out.

That said there are a few feats I still haven't decided on in the later levels. They were mostly going to be for flavor and RP purposes, and they likely still will be, but since my character hasn't hit those needed power spikes just yet she's been feeling weak. I have a few characters who are less than mechanically viable, with one that is nearly impossible to play solo, and I enjoy them quite a bit, but as a drow weapon master I'm hoping this one will be able to fully carry her weight in combat.

I'm also not quite sure I want to share the build. It's a bit on the odd side, being altered over the years with a few RCRs and being made to fit a few different fighting styles that probably shouldn't go together. It's a little special to me so I kind of want to keep it to myself until I know how it actually performs, or the character is no longer active. That said there are two feat slots that need filled, and I'd like to get some amount of mechanical benefit out of them if I can, even if they are mainly there for flavor. The feats I'm currently considering are:

Blinding Speed
Improved Combat Expertise
Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Disarm/Improved Disarm
Knockdown/Improved Knockdown
Two Weapon Defense/Improved Two Weapon Defense
Blind Fight
Daylight Adaptation

I've never had an epic level character before, at least past level 21, so I'm not entirely sure how useful these feats would be against that type of content. Most of these feats can easily fit into the weapon master RP, and the direction I'm taking her is a bit up in the air.

Her AC will be between 37 and 44 counting current equipment and fighting style, and AB will be around 35 and 39 excluding equipment. I don't know what other stats would be helpful, and I will link to the build if necessary. Being my only (somewhat) mechanically strong character I don't really want to miss the 100% RCR opportunity if my original build will miss the mark I'm aiming for and the above feats won't be enough to make up the difference.

I know it's rather vague, and I'm not really sure what I'm looking for with this thread, but any advice that could help me decide between feats, or an RCR, would be wonderful and appreciated.

[Steve]

Blinding Speed
Improved Combat Expertise
Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Disarm/Improved Disarm
Knockdown/Improved Knockdown
Two Weapon Defense/Improved Two Weapon Defense
Blind Fight
Daylight Adaptation

Hey,
Usually, one takes Epic Feats in the epic level! So since we're not looking at your entire build, it is hard to say why some of these options are not or have not been taken earlier.

If you do not care about mechanics, then take whatever you want, and do not worry. But if you want to adventure, or possibly even solo content, you need to consider how BGTSCC was built, the mobs and such, and then build according to that (or just forget about adventuring outside of maybe a DM event, where your Character Sheet could be useful in other ways than purely mechanically against the Engine).

All that said, if your Character is a high STR build, then Knockdown/Imp. Knockdown is always good to have, since it can give you some extra attacks without getting pummeled at the same time. Blind Fight is pretty good any time, any place (especially on melee builds). Disarm/Imp. Disarm is very cool, but the mobs need to be built to be disarmed, and that has not happened for the majority of BGTSCC's content.

Daylight Adaptation is kinda broken, so is mainly an RP feat that would justify a UD toon going surface side. Oversized TWF is only worth it if you have high AB. Same for Imp. Combat Expertise.

I've never taken Blinding Speed on a build, since I'd usually have Haste in a spellbook or from a potion.

[Side]

Thanks for the reply! There's only three epic feats I qualify for that I feel are worth taking, and the other two (Epic Weapon Focus and Melee Weapon Mastery) are already queued up. I could just get a point or two into an attribute, but these non-epic feats seem much more worth while in the long run.

I really don't want to care about mechanics, but I also want to have at least one strong character. I'm sure I'm just worrying too much about it all.

It's definitely not a high strength build, so I'll ignore knockdown, and the AB isn't exactly impressive either so I guess I'll pass on the upgraded combat expertise. That's one of the reasons I was considering Oversized Two Weapon Fighting, to help combat the AB loss. If it wasn't a good choice I would have been thinking about Two Weapon Defense to try and add on a little bit more AC without touching my AB.

What exactly would you consider to be high AB? I'm used to seeing min/maxed builds on nwn2db so I'm not exactly sure I've been comparing my character to the right numbers.

In any case, if AB is fine, that leaves Blinding Speed, Blind Fight, possibly Disarm, and Daylight Adaptation.

The big two there are Blind Fight and Disarm. Is Blind Fight particularly useful against the higher end PvE content? I don't plan on any PvP, but my character will likely end up in situations where it will happen from time to time, so how is Blind Fight and Disarm in that context?

[Theodore01]

If you have evasion, expose weakness is a must have feat.
If you use light weapons (finesseable), then combat expertise & deady defense is nice.
(I have heard that blindfight is not so useful in the UD.)

Ohh and light blindness got fixed, so if your toon is afflicted, he will suffer now

[Steve]

Do not take Disarm unless you can also take Imp. Disarm.

[chad878262]

Hmmm....I'm playing a level 10 in the UD and I would say blindfight's pretty important in these low/mid levels. Crypt Wraiths have concealment and Crypt Wights cast ethereal visage so without blindfight you better have high/undispellable AC and/or something to protect against the wights spells or you'll have a rough time of it. Even when I have embrace the wild up these fights can be tough, but worth a decent amount of XP (~50 XP per wight/wraith @ level 10 drow).

Anyway, never discount blindfight on a melee character.

[Side]

Well, I built my weapon master around being able to change stances in a fight. When I'm playing for AC I get 42 AC with no buffs used, so whenever I enter the crypt I have a fairly easy time with a battle of attrition. Helps that I'm level 20 too.

I love the idea of Blind Fight on an underdark based weapon master. It simply makes too much sense, but I've been pretty feat starved so far. In order to add everything that I've been slowly adding over the years I had to push some very basic feats to the later levels, just to make sure everything fits into the build in a legal manner.

The only time I really see myself making good use of Blind Fight (along with Disarm/Improved Disarm) is if I end up in a PvP situation, so I'm not entirely sure it's worth considering anymore. PvP isn't a goal of mine, ICly or OOCly, but I would like to be able to respond properly to it if it does happen.

Unfortunately I don't qualify for Expose Weakness or Deadly Defense, otherwise this would be a fairly simple decision.

I also would love to take Daylight Adaptation. I've had reasons to head to the surface in the past, and I plan on reopening those reasons in the future (once I'm sure I have the time to invest). That said I'm also willing to travel only at night. It's definitely a feat I'd like to have, but if something else takes it's place it won't be the end of the world.

I can afford to take both Disarm and Improved Disarm, but I'm not sure taking two almost exclusively PvP feats is worth the space. I'm starting to lean toward not bothering and going with the feats that either fit into the RP of the class with some mechanics on the side or are almost RP only.

At the very least I think I'm no longer considering an RCR, which is pretty relieving considering how much time is left on the 100% experience thing. Now I just need to decide whether to cut Blind Fight, Daylight Adaptation, or Blinding Speed... Or find some way to magically summon a third open feat slot.

[chad878262]

blindfight has value in PvE, Improved Disarm has none (and costs two feats!). If you'd said you were going Improved Knockdown I'd get it, but you say blindfight is mostly PvP (which it isn't) but want to keep Improved Disarm... Gotta be honest, not that I'd lose an epic feat for either, but if you're looking at Improved Disarm or Blindfight, it's blindfight (plus another feat) all day long!

Of course do as you will, it's your character, but from a mechanical standpoint there is simply no comparison.

[Side]

I know blind fight has PvE use, it's just that I almost never run into a situation where it would have made a note worthy difference. The stuff I've been fighting, and the stuff I expect to fight in the future, don't really have me thinking I'd need it. Mechanically it would mostly have PvP use for me, even though I'd take it as a mainly RP feat.

I don't know if I wasn't clear, but I'm not really thinking about Disarm anymore. Right now I'm looking at Blind Fight, Daylight Adaptation, and Blinding Speed, and I can fit two of the three.

[chad878262]

if you are only looking at epics isn't there something better than taking non-epic feats? You're level 20 now I have to think there are better epic feats for your PC to take... 2 Great Strengths? Blinding Speed and Armor skin? Epic Toughness? From an RP perspective you should have enough pre-epic feats to fit in a couple for flavor, but epic feats are a huge boon and it seems a bit of a waste to take something like blindfight and daylight adaptation as an epic feat...

would be easier if you posted a build from nwn2db so the full feat distribution could be viewed along with the character makeup.

[Garn Greymoon]

For epic levels for weapon combat

Combat prowess
Great str or dex


Rest are dependent on your class.

You should aim at 50 ac and 48+ ab if you intend to solo.