Bard - Fist of the Forest

[Khazrak]

(...yeah, I don't care if it doesn't fit the build well, I imagine this bard having Great Cleave.)

Great Cleave is pointless on this server without Frenzied Berserker, the mobs have too high HP for it to be worthy of the feat investment.

Sad but true. I just want to imagine a bard spraying goblin bits everywhere with broad strokes of his battle lute.

[aaron22]

Yeah. I'm not really good knowing how to structure a scene like that with multiple paragraphs. Still learning. Practicing.

Yes bard27/anything3 is gonna be fine. And I can see a cool heavy metal tough guy lute smasher. It is just gonna have to eventually leave our imaginations and go in game.
No weapon.
No shield.
No armor.
No monk.
This build is gonna struggle. And in all honesty the only build I can see with that really working is a phantom platform build. And even then it doesn't fit the RP and won't be a world wrecker.

Have any of you tested a non monk puncher? It will make you want to rcr faster than timos' arpeggios

[Sun Wukong]

Have any of you tested a non monk puncher? It will make you want to rcr faster than timos' arpeggios

I had a Barbarian 21/Fighter 4/Battlerager 5, and I made actual monk builds jealous with my consistent damage output. It was a high strength build, I had +4 EB gloves, and another pair of the gloves that I recently rediscovered.

I mean, I think the damage output was something like:
1d3
+ 15 (Strength Modifier)
+ 3 (Enchantment Bonus)
+ 1d4 (Acid Damage)
+ 6 (Improved Power Attack)
= 25.5~ (7 attacks per round.)

AB:
30 (BAB)
+ 3 (Enchantment Bonus)
+ 15 (Strength Modifier)
- 2 (Whirlwind Frenzy)
- 6 (Improved Power Attack)
= 40

Now, sure, I also made use of some proper weapons... But it worked with unarmed too and I had some really nasty Improved Knockdown as well.

Edit: These days I would use Northlander Hewing instead of Improved Power Attack, as I would deal 38.5~ damage per hit. (Four attacks per round.)

[aaron22]

25.5~ (7 attacks per round.)

that is not good.

and I made actual monk builds jealous

said by nobody ever. with your bard perks going i imagine you will have damage about this area as well with bard.

especially when paired with...
AC=10+3dex+4Armor+12 Def/NA/Dod+3Tum+9Con=41
with UMD +2MA+4Shi=47
With ICE=53

i have no problems with playing a RP build, but i don't want you thinking that you will not struggle in the monster world.

[Sun Wukong]

It was years ago, and real monks used to be dexterity based Monk 25/Shadowdancer 5 builds that were lucky to get their hands on a +3 EB gloves. There was no Intuitive Strike to get wisdom modifier to AB and open a realistic path for Blazing Aura. There was no Fiery Fist. Thus, the damage output of these dexterity monks was largely just that '3d10', which is '16.5~' on avarage. The dexterity based monk was the only real path available for a pure monk.

That +10 damage that I got over them, and with much higher AB was basically like a god like difference. Some monk players just stopped talking to me, IC and OOC, after hearing of it. It was just so upsetting that the struggle they saw with their 'unarmed' characters was entirely for naught, when a Barbarian with 'unarmed damage' as a mere hindsight out did them.

Now, the DR and the HP figures for mobs were also lower in general. The server has changed since then. It has been up for... 10+ years. So please, don't say nonsense like no one said so ever.

[aaron22]

Sun Wukong wrote:
25.5~ (7 attacks per round.)


that is not good.

Sun Wukong wrote:
and I made actual monk builds jealous


said by nobody ever.

my "being silly and having fun" text mode did not seem to apply.

Now, the DR and the HP figures for mobs were also lower in general. The server has changed since then. It has been up for... 10+ years. So please, don't say nonsense like no one said so ever.

have no knowledge of how things were 2 years ago let alone 10 except what you [sillyfun]"old timers" [/sillyfun]tell me.

like i said before, have fun playing what you want. it is just not gonna be a very strong build in the monster world. it will be a total blast before and after the fights though. you might do well enough if you dont mind playing under your CR. oh and you will need alot of gold to replace all the smashed lutes. and dont forget that a flute with enough force could likely penetrate a softer spot of a monster's body. while the act is metal. playing a flute is not metal

[Sun Wukong]

Anyhow, if you want the gloves... there is the Auction House thread: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=64506

I figured you might be on an alt, already, but just in case.

[Sun Wukong]

http://nwn2db.com/build/?285148 <= Still Bard/Fist of the Forest...

AB:
23 (BAB)
+ 5 (Strength)
+ 6 (Inspire Courage With Inspirational Boost)
+ 5~ (Curse Song enemy AC debuff)
+ 4 (Enchantment Bonus Gloves)
+ 1 (Weapon Focus)
+ 1 (Epic Prowess)
= 45 (42 with Power Attack.)

Damage:
1d3 (Fist)
+ 1d4 (Fist of the Forest)
+ 4 (Enchantment Bonus)
+ 6 (Inspire Courage)
+ 5 (Strength Modifier)
= 19.5~ (22.5~ With Power Attack) (25~ With Sonic Weapon and Power Attack) (Not very good in late game.)

AC:
10 (Base)
+ 3 (Natural Armor)
+ 3 (Dodge Boots)
+ 3 (Deflection Ring)
+ 4 (Armor Enchantment)
+ 3 (Tumble)
+ 4 (Dexterity Modifier)
+ 7 (Constitution Modifier)
= 37 (Which is rather low, you need to have 50% Concealment Up, other wise you will die.)


It is not that bad once it gets Hymn, I suppose. But I guess this is one of those 'Make Server Challenging Type of Builds...'


It would be so much easier to just ignore Fist of the Forest, and just go for 4 levels of Fighter for the extra feats, and the easy AC from Armor and Shield.

[Valefort]

Stop CON at 16, pump STR, drop epic DR feats and use inspire defense ?

AB:
23 (BAB)
+ 10 (Strength)
+ 4 (Enchantment Bonus Gloves)
+ 1 (Weapon Focus)
+ 4 (Greater heroism)
+ 2 (war cry)
+ 1 (haste)
= 45 (42 with Power Attack.)

Damage:
1d3 (Fist)
+ 1d4 (Fist of the Forest) (it doesn't work with an instrument atm)
+ 4 (Enchantment Bonus)
+ 10 (Strength Modifier)
= 16~ (19~ With Power Attack) (21.5~ With Sonic Weapon and Power Attack) (Not very good in late game.)

AC:
10 (Base)
+ 3 (Natural Armor)
+ 3 (Dodge Boots)
+ 3 (Deflection Ring)
+ 4 (Armor Enchantment)
+ 3 (Tumble)
+ 4 (Dexterity Modifier)
+ 4 (Constitution Modifier)
+ 7 (Inspire Defense)
+ 1 (LoH)
+ 1 (Haste)
= 43, can hit 46 with +4 gear, use a buckler for +5 AC (FotF bonuses will still work)

[Sun Wukong]

If I am going to hold a shield, I might just as well drop the instrument and unarmed altogether. Maybe just grab a staff or something and deal a lot more damage. Not that Silvanus would complain.

[Valefort]

A couple of buckler appearances, the ones strapped to the forearm, could be ok though ? If the idea is to be bare chested that's something else though.

[Sun Wukong]

But you get the constitution AC while holding a shield right? If so... It does make some Barbarian 27/Fist of the Forest build far more interesting.

[Valefort]

Yep.

[Sun Wukong]

Extend Rage I extends the Feral Trance... Do the additional Extend Rage feats also increase the duration? What of Extra Rage? Does it grant additional uses of Feral Trance?

[Khazrak]

I'm thinking ignoring FotF and using a lute is more fun. I just wish you could monkey grip it with a shield, or something. Can the PC Tools options give you a visible lute that doesn't actually take up a weapon slot?