Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Every time I think non buff melee fighter, I am reminded of this beast of a build from Dzidek. Could probably use some updating though https://nwn2db.com/build/?191982

Swashbuckler14/duelist8/WM5/rogue3 or Swash14/duelist8/WM5/SD3 can get you 60 AC without UMD. And technically 85 AC in prolonged 1v1 combat vs enemies vulnerable to ability drain and crit (alongside -25 damage).

Can kill FGK with 0 buffs. (provided you forced a 1v1 duel... since you're a duelist and stuff, and avoided his SoV with a wand of gust of wind or just walked out of it)

Fire giant general needs mirror image until you landed 10-12 crits.


Only real buff you need is mirror image if you're using the shield rapier from roaringshore (75K gold). If you get a stronger rapier than that (say with vamp regen), brooch of shielding or wand of Shield might be needed, but that's optional.

You cal replace WM5 with Swashbuckler 19 to also land con damage on crit, or replace WM5 with Fighter4/Swash15 for +1 duelling AC and bunch of extra AB. Or be a weirdo like me and go swash14/duelist8/wizard5/SD3 for free source of mirror image and aoe -2 AC/-2str for when surrounded.

Basically, you can swap out WM 5 for anything and the build will work. If you can go...

Swash14/duelist8/rogue3/thief acrobat 5, that's theoretically the build with the most survival ability https://wiki.bgtscc.net/index.php?title=Thief_Acrobat
You can't go SD though, since you need evasion to access it.

You can also go swash15/duelist 7 if you are only getting 7 int with a +4 or +3 item, giving you +1 duelling AC.


Duelling AC: Dodge feat, Swashbuckler Dodge I, II and III that only applies vs current or last target. Is 3 with swash 14, 4 with swash 15.


Addendum: you lose out on a lot vs non-crittable enemies and those who are immune to ability drain. You can still beat them, but you need to enable Athkatlan and CE, maybe even ICE (if fighting multiple) and slowly whittle them down if they are the high AB type (more than 32 AB 1vM, 35 1v1). You'll still win out due to high AC, and you retain full damage due to epic precision... but you lose your survival steroid (weakening crit), and your damage steroid (wounding crit, lvl 19 variant)

AC is all well and good, but if you can get some DR in there, it's even better. Dwarven defender, warrior of darkness or anointed knight are great ways to 15/- (for dwarven defencer) or 12/- (for the others) DR.

Here's a warrior of darkness I made once:
https://nwn2db.com/build/?309028

It wears a mithral chain shirt, though (6/4), rather than the mithral full plate (8/3). The AC is thus 1 lower, but you keep access to evasion. Resist acid energy and resist disease are stand-ins for tower shield specialisation and northlander hewing, if I recall correctly.

My non-buffing melee toon choice is: Monk (6), Duelist (10), Warrior of Darkness (10), Fighter (4) w/ max INT.

54 AC no buffs. 21each F/R/W saves + 6 vs spells w/ Steadfast, no buffs. 38-40 AB no buffs. Lowish dmg of 27 avg per hit. If you add buff/UMD, it just gets better, all around.

You all have to include healing pots in this discussion I think..

fast healing for the win

my toon cannot solo the Balor without buffs, he cannot solo the fire general without buffs nor Lyra, however he can do most else on the server without ever having to touch a potion, scoll, or wand thanks to that fast healing.

Fast healing is great. But I’d much more prefer DR, because reducing 15 dmg points PER HIT versus 6 HP per round regen...well, even I’m not good at math but can understand those numbers!

But yeah, Heal potions essentially imbalance the experience.

Psst.. I have both full DR and full fast healing

Dwarfs is indeed good to hold line in battle without buffs Dral is a good example!

Regenerativ abilities with DR and good HP get my vote. But it’s extremely complex build / items to get a good fighter that more or less can survive bosses without healing or buffs.

EDM MaA26/Paladin-or-Blackguard - https://nwn2db.com/build/?297746

High AC/HP, Decent Saves, Disables, Decent Damage -Great(ish) with EDM.

That or a Barbarian/Battlerager ( https://nwn2db.com/build/?222661) or Barbarian/Dervish (https://nwn2db.com/build/?296905) at the melee builds that can hold their own with no umd/spells.

There are many options to build non-buff reliant melee.

You need to hit base saves ~20 in all stats, have steadfast, have 54+ AC, uncanny dodge (improved is even better), be able to do enough damage to outlast competition, and have combination of naturally high health (350+), regeneration, vamp weapon, damage reduction etc...

META:

12 Fighter / 10 DD / 8 DC
12 Fighter / 10 AK / 8 DC
12 Fighter / 4 BG / 10 DC / 4 AK
12 Fighter / 4 WD / 4 TA / 10 DD
12 Fighter / 4 Rogue / 4 TA / 10 Dervish

20 Barbarian / 10 X (where X fulfills the missing requirements from above).

etc....

Some out-of-the-box ones:

Two-handed: Swashbuckler 12 / 10 duelist / 4 Anointed Knight / 4 whirling dervish: 60+ AC, 40+ damage per hit, haste on demand

GTWF: Ranger 6 / 4 Tempest / 10 Dervish / 10 Dwarven Defender: 56+ AC, ~30 damage per hit, fast healing II, DR /15, 500+ natural health

Charging Shield Basher: Fighter 12 / 3 BG / 5 MoA / 10 DC: The world is your oyster (EDM build with 26 feats to pick throughout the build's life)

Classes that can help out:

-Thief Acrobat is excellent to pick up 2 AC, immunity to knockdown, and improved evasion - especially for builds with lower reflex saves.
-FOTF special AC works with a shield
-MoA is a valid splash for shield builds to pick up tumble and +1 AC, especially if charisma based.
-Dwarven Battlerager gives added +2 AC in addition to one of the best feat arrays in the game (Powerful charge + Dire charge)
-Wilderness Stalker at 8 is excellent at shoring up a stealth build that needs just a bit more AC and SA dice to get to acceptable levels while picking up the best feat for stealthers outside HIPS in the game
-Divine Champion, Fighter, and last two levels of AK are excellent opportunities pick up the fast healing/epic DR feats and still allowing you to pick up the other epic feats you want.
-Does Warlock 6 count as a buff reliant splash?

Don't forget tactics exist:
Blackguard is helpful to better land the DCs.

-Knockdown and Improved knockdown
-Shield Slam
-Trip, and improved trip
-Disarm, Improved Disarm
-Springboard
-Weapons with special effect that have DCs attached to them

etc..




Cheers!

Fighter 12/Blackguard 3/Frenzied Berserker 5/Divine Champion 10.

Go for Epic Divine Might, get Improved Power Attack, Improved Combat Expertise, pick a medium weapon of your choice (or light if playing small race), Blindfight, Steadfast Determination, and take most of your Divine Champion levels in the epics to get the most out of the bonus feats.

On your quickbar, have a keybind for Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Epic Divine Might, Divine Wrath, Heavy Shield, and a Tower Shield. If you need as much AC as possible; turn on Combat Expertise and wear the Tower Shield. If you need less AC, feel free to wield your medium weapon without any shield and enjoy the boosted Power Attack damage. Use Divine Might and Wrath as needed.

If you want Divine Shield, go for Fighter 12/Blackguard 4/Frenzied Berserker 6/Divine Champion 8, your Divine Wrath will be slightly weaker.

Either way, your Fortitude saves will be high enough to ignore save or die spells from the best dedicated DC builds people can have on the server, and your reflex and will saves will be high enough to not worry about most caster mobs on the server. You will be even stronger with a race that has innate Spell Resistance.

As for Weapon Master, the critical hits can be nice, but... then again... the whole PRC does nothing at all if you ever have to fight against something that is immune to critical hits, such as undead.

YYA wrote: ↑Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:02 pm

If you want Divine Shield, go for Fighter 12/Blackguard 4/Frenzied Berserker 6/Divine Champion 8, your Divine Wrath will be slightly weaker.

Or take FB to 10. Last 5 levels gets you more frenzy uses and +9 more damage and +2 AB.

https://nwn2db.com/build/?280445

The dodge feat could be placeholder for one weapon or whatever other feat you want; consider indomitable will.

blacksoft wrote: ↑Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:14 pm

YYA wrote: ↑Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:02 pm

If you want Divine Shield, go for Fighter 12/Blackguard 4/Frenzied Berserker 6/Divine Champion 8, your Divine Wrath will be slightly weaker.

Or take FB to 10. Last 5 levels gets you more frenzy uses and +9 more damage and +2 AB.

https://nwn2db.com/build/?280445

The dodge feat could be placeholder for one weapon or whatever other feat you want; consider indomitable will.

Is not the ab too low especially with minus 6 for IPA?

MaA 26/Blackguard 4

60 AC can go to 67 with Divine Shield, saves aren't amazing, but I am enjoying the PC immensely.

My Fighter was a F12/DC 4/Rogue 4/WoD 10 build that also worked very very well

A Hateful Drow wrote: ↑Sat Jul 03, 2021 7:47 am

Bobthehero wrote: ↑Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:13 pm MaA 26/Blackguard 4

60 AC can go to 67 with Divine Shield, saves aren't amazing, but I am enjoying the PC immensely.

My Fighter was a F12/DC 4/Rogue 4/WoD 10 build that also worked very very well

Sounds like my "Tanky Tank"

https://www.bgtscc.net/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=75360

Yours is better built, save wise. Probably some feat differences