Maximizing Brutal Barrage damage for 'Striker' level damage... Did I do it right?

[wolfstone]

Okay, so I decided to make a Lv. 30 Half-Elf Battlemind character that focuses on doing as much DPR as possible. (I chose Half-Elf for the boosts to CON and WIS as well as a way to fix the OA problem with Dilettante feature and selecting the Cleric A-W Sonnlinor's Hammer - which works off of WIS and can be used as a MBA combined with the Versatile Master feat to make it a true A-W, rather than an Encounter-only power)

Here's the relevant info for Brutal Barrage:

CON: +10 mod
WIS: +8 mod
CHA: +4 mod

PP: Son of Mercy (+WIS mod damage with the LAwbreaker's Doom Encntr Utility and Immobilizing with an AP, which combines with the Crippling Crush feat)

Weapon: Frost/Frost Brand Weapon - Singing Stick (chosen as it's the only mace/hammer with + proficiency and combining with Crippling Crush Warden feat)

Epic Frozen Whetstone (+6 Cold damage for any successful attack with affected weapon til end of encounter)

Feats: Lasting Frost (Vulnerable Cold 5 on cold power hit), Defender of the Wild (MC Warden - Encontr multi-mark all adjacent foes as Free action - access to Crippling Crush feat), Crippling Crush (Warden - +CON dmg when you slow/immobilize with a hammer/mace).

Set up: Activate Frost weapon's frost damage power and use Frozen Whetstone on it.

Attack: Mark via DotW for free or telepathic Challenge as Minor action, activate Lawbreaker's Doom as a Free action, then attack with BB. If all three/four attacks hit, that equals up to 172 dmg:

10 CON dmd for BB + 10 CON dmg for Crippling Crush combined with Lawbreaker's Doom's slowing effect + 8 WIS dmg from Lawbreaker's Doom effect + 5 Cold dmg from Lasting Frost feat + 6 cold dmg from Frozen Whetstone effect + (optional) 4 CHA dmg from Augment 4 BB = 39/43 dmg x 3 or 4 times for a maximum possible DPR of 172, or 344 if I can repeat via an AP.

So now that I've broken it down, is all of this legal? Is any part of it not usable? All I have to go off of is the DDI character creator (which only calculates the base CON and CHA dmg values) and the Achilles character build on the D&D forums that game me most of this combo the Whetstones were my idea and I skipped the Reincarnate Champion - Genasi ED because I wanted to use Destined Scion as my ED for the +2 atk bonus and the other bump up in WIS instead.

Also, what other ways are there to bump up the damage of Brutal Barrage? What else could I look for?

Also, I'm right in thinking of this as Striker-level damage, right? :D

[Kurald Galain]

"Maximum possible DPR" is not a useful term. You should calculate actual DPR by multiplying your average damage with your chance to hit; then add add average extra crit damage times chance to crit.

Anyway the traditional trick is to use Malec-Kith Jannisary to add +1d4 damage, thereby turning BB into a damage roll (allowing you to use any and all bonuses to damage rolls). The forums are rather divided on the matter of whether or not this is legal, though.

[wolfstone]

"Maximum possible DPR" is not a useful term. You should calculate actual DPR by multiplying your average damage with your chance to hit; then add add average extra crit damage times chance to crit.

Anyway the traditional trick is to use Malec-Kith Jannisary to add +1d4 damage, thereby turning BB into a damage roll (allowing you to use any and all bonuses to damage rolls). The forums are rather divided on the matter of whether or not this is legal, though.

Well, bu DPR, I mean MOST DPR. The MJK route would be much different and make it so that I couldn't use the Warden-only feat Crippling crush. With my combo, all I need to do is score a hit to ensure the exact damage, rather than rely upon a damage roll.

[georgie_leech]

Well, bu DPR, I mean MOST DPR. The MJK route would be much different and make it so that I couldn't use the Warden-only feat Crippling crush. With my combo, all I need to do is score a hit to ensure the exact damage, rather than rely upon a damage roll.

The point being that if you are looking to maximise damage, there are a lot more things that apply bonuses to damage rolls than to just damage.

[Kurald Galain]

Well, let me throw up a comparison.

I've got a 13th level wizard who can get +30 to damage rolls, then attack five times as move (racial power), minor (via a summon), standard (duh), standard (action point), and immediate (encounter power), so that's about 5d6+150 or 167 damage. I didn't consider the to-hit factor but then neither did you.

So yeah, I don't think your figure is quite that impressive for a 30th level character, especially one using expensive consumables. Sorry :smallamused:

Anyway, the benchmark for a moderately optimized striker is 90 damage per round using at-will powers only (and that's DPR, or damage times to-hit, not pure damage).

[wolfstone]

Well, let me throw up a comparison.

I've got a 13th level wizard who can get +30 to damage rolls, then attack five times as move (racial power), minor (via a summon), standard (duh), standard (action point), and immediate (encounter power), so that's about 5d6+150 or 167 damage. I didn't consider the to-hit factor but then neither did you.

So yeah, I don't think your figure is quite that impressive for a 30th level character, especially one using expensive consumables. Sorry :smallamused:

Anyway, the benchmark for a moderately optimized striker is 90 damage per round using at-will powers only (and that's DPR, or damage times to-hit, not pure damage).

Anyone know where I can find examples of doing the most damage in a turn using BB? What all should I go for? I want to know what feats, equipment, PP, ED, and other affects to look for. Sadly, I can only find the one build that uses BB and it takes the approach I used. :(

[wolfstone]

Anyway, the benchmark for a moderately optimized striker is 90 damage per round using at-will powers only (and that's DPR, or damage times to-hit, not pure damage).

Okay, I've spent some time coming over character builds featured on the handbooks page of the &D forums, and I can't find any character capable of 90 damage using an A-W power. The most bonuses give are around +38 damage to a 2[W] roll, so unless you're doing two A-Ws using an AP, I don't see how it's remotely possible to do 90+ damage in a round with a single A-W, if that's what you mean. Are there certain PPs and/or EDs to look for, or items other than Epic Iron Armbands of Power, Belt of Titan Strength, Gauntlets of Brutality, Weapon Focus/Elemental damage feats (like Icy Heart), and Whetstones?

If there's better places to find high-damaging character builds, where can I look for them?

[masteraleph]

Okay, I've spent some time coming over character builds featured on the handbooks page of the &D forums, and I can't find any character capable of 90 damage using an A-W power. The most bonuses give are around +38 damage to a 2[W] roll, so unless you're doing two A-Ws using an AP, I don't see how it's remotely possible to do 90+ damage in a round with a single A-W, if that's what you mean. Are there certain PPs and/or EDs to look for, or items other than Epic Iron Armbands of Power, Belt of Titan Strength, Gauntlets of Brutality, Weapon Focus/Elemental damage feats (like Icy Heart), and Whetstones?

If there's better places to find high-damaging character builds, where can I look for them?

Well, the easiest and most basic is Twin Strike. You're getting 2 attacks, and though you don't get +stat damage, you do get everything else. Twin Strike is pretty easy to get up over 90 damage (not each, but total).

For things when you have damage rolls, you're missing Dragonshards. That's +5 damage in Epic.

You're missing Firewind Blade. It adds a separate damage instance (albeit one that's not a damage roll and only questionably part of an attack). But it will ping vulnerabilities.

You're missing Radiant One, which does INT extra fire and radiant damage when you deal damage to an enemy you have CA against. Note that this is when you deal damage- so it makes the attack fire and radiant, which pings firewind blade, and then adds itself to firewind blade's damage again. And if you're a Morninglord, or have a Morninglord in the party, you get to ping vulnerability there too.

You're also missing being a Genasi, which gets you everyone's favorite Shocking Flame, to add fire and lightning damage to melee attacks. For two rounds, that also nets you Promise of Storm if you toss that in, as well.

You're also missing Pelor's Sun Blessing, to deal extra damage = WIS or CON mod when you deal damage to an enemy who is vulnerable radiant (again, stack with Morninglord).

And there are others that I haven't mentioned. Point being, there are a lot of tricks beyond the ones you've mentioned (most vitally: be or have a Morninglord, and have a way to stack with FWB).

[georgie_leech]

-snip-

To be fair, this and other boards tend to have a rather high optimisation threshold. Most tables I've been at would look at this "Moderate Optimism" with thrown books.

[Kurald Galain]

Okay, I've spent some time coming over character builds featured on the handbooks page of the &D forums, and I can't find any character capable of 90 damage using an A-W power. The most bonuses give are around +38 damage to a 2[W] roll, so unless you're doing two A-Ws using an AP, I don't see how it's remotely possible to do 90+ damage in a round with a single A-W,
The catch is that several at-wills (or combinations thereof) give multiple damage rolls. The most straightforward example is Twin Strike, but Hellish Rebuke and Riposte Strike also do that, as do various tricks with Off-hand Strike, Kulkor Arms Master, or the Chain Rebreather combo.


To be fair, this and other boards tend to have a rather high optimisation threshold. Most tables I've been at would look at this "Moderate Optimism" with thrown books.
Sure, but the OP asked for maximized DPR, not for a build that's playable at any table. The vast majority of tables never reach level 30 anyway.

[masteraleph]

Also, of course, it depends on your definition of "at will." A Rebreather doesn't technically get Dragonbreath at will, but when you can lay it down multiple times per turn every encounter...that's pretty at will.

[wolfstone]

In the Battlemind handbook, it says that BB can do "striker-level damage" and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. My approach seemed pretty solid, since I can do a lot of guaranteed damage (assuming every attack hits) in a single turn, esp. if I rinse and repeat BB via an action point. Even if it doesn't kill a foe, they'll definitely feel it. I'm basically asking how I can build the character to achieve this, as I've only been able to locate a single build that focuses on BB damage.

Again, can anyone point me to other builds that do this for a Battlemind?

[masteraleph]

In the Battlemind handbook, it says that BB can do "striker-level damage" and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. My approach seemed pretty solid, since I can do a lot of guaranteed damage (assuming every attack hits) in a single turn, esp. if I rinse and repeat BB via an action point. Even if it doesn't kill a foe, they'll definitely feel it. I'm basically asking how I can build the character to achieve this, as I've only been able to locate a single build that focuses on BB damage.

Again, can anyone point me to other builds that do this for a Battlemind?

The other thing that you're missing is that while 30/60/90 is perfectly lovely and doable, what Charop really cares about is nova potential- how much can you pack in in one turn. If, for example, you found some way of making all of the BB attacks critical hits (and there are ways)...

[wolfstone]

The other thing that you're missing is that while 30/60/90 is perfectly lovely and doable, what Charop really cares about is nova potential- how much can you pack in in one turn. If, for example, you found some way of making all of the BB attacks critical hits (and there are ways)...

Are you sure about that? BB says it only does CON mod damage (and CHA on Augment 4), not an actual damage roll.

Anyone know any nova-oriented Battlemind builds posted out there somewhere?

[GPuzzle]

Mind Blade AP BB AP BB+Rending Axe. Outfit as you like.

[masteraleph]

Are you sure about that? BB says it only does CON mod damage (and CHA on Augment 4), not an actual damage roll.

Anyone know any nova-oriented Battlemind builds posted out there somewhere?

You don't need a damage roll to get critical damage rolls. Run around with a Vicious Fullblade; a +6 one gives you 9d12 critical damage per crit. Or a Rending Greataxe, giving you an MBA per crit (note that some DMs may frown on it- technically, it never tells you what kind of an action the MBA is- if it's a free action, you only get it once per turn, but if it's no action then in theory you can do it as much as you want).

GPuzzle mentioned Mind Blade; Blackstone Guardian's Blackstone Curse Aug 2 and a way of stripping resistance would also work.

[wolfstone]

You don't need a damage roll to get critical damage rolls. Run around with a Vicious Fullblade; a +6 one gives you 9d12 critical damage per crit.

Where does the extra 3d12 come from? It's a +6 weapon, so shouldn't that only be +6d12?

[Sol]

Where does the extra 3d12 come from? It's a +6 weapon, so shouldn't that only be +6d12?

Fullblades are high-crit, which adds +1[W]/tier to crit dice

[Dimers]

Despite it not being a damage roll, there are quite a few things that could add to a brutal barrage. Vulnerability is an obvious area to exploit, and one you've already looked into with the cold attack.

My personal favorite -- and here's your grain of salt to take it with, because I admit to having little op-fu -- is Headsman's Chop, because I like the idea of slicing down at the enemy four times for +20 damage. One way to benefit from this is the warden PP Child of the North Wind; when you spend an AP, until the end of your next turn you can either knock prone or deal +5 damage with every hit. That's enough time for three brutal barrages (four, if you activate the power through a rain of hammers ki focus) that knock down the target as soon as you connect and then deal +10 damage per hit before it gets up. Add another +5 damage per prone hit with gauntlets of brutality on your hands! Perfect Guardian warden ED lets you knock prone once per round on a hit, or deal +2d10 damage if the target's already down. And a maw of the guardian weapon adds +Con damage per hit while you're in a guardian form.

If you're invested in warden + Headsman's Chop already, might as well make it a dwarf storm warden with World Serpent's Grasp, to slow enemies with your minor-action second wind and then knock them down with even non-AP hits. And take the feat Born of the Elements, then Firedancer, for +d6 fire damage with all hits until the end of the turn after you use second wind.

Avenger MC makes you more likely to hit and gives you an easy way to crit on a 19-20 regardless of what weapon you choose. Serene Initiate avenger PP adds 2d10 damage to at-will hits on an AP.

Various leader powers add to damage done by a particular tool for a whole encounter.

Barbarian daily utility level 10 Heart Strike is a stance that adds Charisma damage to all at-will hits.

The AP of a Doomguard Marauder (fighter PP) deals an extra d12 on all hits this turn, or 2d12 once you hit epic.

Ghost of Eventide rogue PP adds +d6 damage when you have concealment. That should be easy enough.

Punisher of the Gods ED can curse one enemy per encounter such that when you crit that enemy, you get another standard action to use against them. Four chances to crit per barrage can make that pretty likely. If you go the critfisher route, also consider a stout weapon, which deals +Con per plus on crits instead of +d6 ... or a great hunger weapon, which increases crit damage by +[W] per crit during a given encounter.

A battlecrazed axe or heavy blade deals +1d6 per tier (average +10.5 per hit in epic tier) while you're bloodied, and comes with a power to consider yourself bloody once a day even if you're not.

A tyrant's melee weapon knocks prone on any crit and has a daily power to add +d6 per plus to hits against opponents that are blind, prone, restrained or helpless. Not great for everyday use, but makes a big splashy nova!

Withering melee weapons impose -1 AC per hit, cumulative. You like accuracy? Here, have some accuracy.

I've taken note of quite a few more options that could be used to reliably increase brutal barrage effectiveness, but none really worth talking about in comparison with Headsman's Chop, critfishing or vulnerability exploits.

[wolfstone]

While researching, I came upon a Theme that gives Vulnerable 5/10/15. Would this stack with Lasting Frost for Vulnerable 20? (yes, I know it may not be as good as other combinations, but still... )

Do vulnerabilities from different things can stack, is what I'm basically asking.

[Dimers]

I'm wondering if vulnerabilities from different things can stack, is what I'm basically asking.

If you combine cold vulnerability with cold vulnerability, no -- only the higher applies. (In fact, depending on how you read the language, only the higher EXISTS, and the smaller amount disappears even if it would outlast the larger amount.)

But if you add, say, thunder vulnerability and deal thunder+cold damage, then both apply.

[wolfstone]

If you combine cold vulnerability with cold vulnerability, no -- only the higher applies. (In fact, depending on how you read the language, only the higher EXISTS, and the smaller amount disappears even if it would outlast the larger amount.)

But if you add, say, thunder vulnerability and deal thunder+cold damage, then both apply.

But Sarifal Feywarden can combine with Radiant One for 15 Fire Vulnerability and 10 Radiant Vulnerability, doing an extra 25 Fire + Radiant Damage?

[masteraleph]

15 Radiant and 10 Fire certainly gives you 25 damage. Whether or not Sarifal vulnerability stacks with other vulnerabilities depends on your reading of Sarifal:



Any enemy in the aura has vulnerable 5 [/10/15] to your attacks that deal the chosen damage type.

If you read that as "vulnerable 5/10/15 to the damage type, limited to your attacks," then it doesn't stack with Lasting Frost, etc. if it's the same damage type. If you read it as "vulnerable 5/10/15 to your attacks, limited to a particular damage type," then it does stack- they're vulnerable 15 to your attacks and vulnerable 5 to cold. The former is almost certainly what was intended; the latter is the way the CharOp boards read Sarifal.

[wolfstone]

15 Radiant and 10 Fire certainly gives you 25 damage. Whether or not Sarifal vulnerability stacks with other vulnerabilities depends on your reading of Sarifal:



If you read that as "vulnerable 5/10/15 to the damage type, limited to your attacks," then it doesn't stack with Lasting Frost, etc. if it's the same damage type. If you read it as "vulnerable 5/10/15 to your attacks, limited to a particular damage type," then it does stack- they're vulnerable 15 to your attacks and vulnerable 5 to cold. The former is almost certainly what was intended; the latter is the way the CharOp boards read Sarifal.

Okay, here's what I'm specifically going for:

Sarifal Feywarden theme's "Sarifal's Blessing" minor action encounter power that has the effect:

"Choose cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or thunder. You activate an aura 2 that lasts until the end of your next turn. While in the aura, you and your allies gain resist 5 to the chosen damage type. Any enemy in the aura has vulnerable 5 to your attacks that deal the chosen damage type.
Level 11: The resistance and vulnerability increase to 10.
Level 21: The resistance and vulnerability increase to 15."

I choose Fire for the element to combine with both of the following effects:

Morninglord PP's Lvl 16 effect:

"Burning Radiance (16th level): Whenever you hit with a power that has the radiant keyword, the target gains vulnerability 10 to radiant damage until the end of your next turn."

And lastly, the Radiant One ED's Lvl. 21 effect:

"Starborn (21st level): You gain resistance to fire damage and radiant damage equal to 10 + your level. Whenever you deal damage to a target that is granting combat advantage to you, you deal extra fire and radiant damage to the target equal to your Intelligence modifier."

So is all of this legal for doing and extra 25 Fire + Radiant damage for every attack for the 2 turns the Sarifal Blessing's vulnerability effect is active? It sounds like a legality gray area, from what you describe.

[GPuzzle]

It is a Nova. One that could be improved, but still one.

[wolfstone]

It is a Nova. One that could be improved, but still one.

I add a Shard for another +5. If it's a melee attack, Iron Armbands of Power for an extra +6 for +11, if it's an Implement, Staff of Ruin for the same +6.

My issue then becomes what weapon/implement to go with. I had thought of using a Radiant Weapon, but it reads:

"Power (Radiant) (Free Action)
All damage dealt by this weapon is radiant damage. Another free action returns the damage to normal."

Am I correct in assuming that this turns all fire damage from Radiant One's effect into Radiant damage as well? If so, that would negate the Fire Vulnerability given by Sarifal's Blessing. :(

[GPuzzle]

Actually those bonuses apply to damage rolls. BB is not a damage roll. Yes, that's why it can be so hard yet so powerful to get everything right in a BB character.

[wolfstone]

Actually those bonuses apply to damage rolls. BB is not a damage roll. Yes, that's why it can be so hard yet so powerful to get everything right in a BB character.

true, but am I right about Radiant Weapon (and similar weapons) cancelling out Fire damage for damage roll powers?

[masteraleph]

true, but am I right about Radiant Weapon (and similar weapons) cancelling out Fire damage for damage roll powers?

Yes, but you don't need the radiantizing if you're using Radiant One already, because that makes your attacks Radiant, anyways.

[wolfstone]

Yes, but you don't need the radiantizing if you're using Radiant One already, because that makes your attacks Radiant, anyways.

I know... I guess I'm just disappointed at how difficult it seems to be to pump up BB to 'striker-level damage' as the handbook claims. Also, I don't get why the feat Hammer Rhythm is included, because it only does damage on a miss. With a high accuracy character, this feet won't see much use.

I'm getting a bit frustrated and am about ready to give up on Battleminds and go with a Genasi max-damage + high accuracy oriented Barbarian with Promise of Storm and a Lightning weapon instead as Battleminds seem to be kind of weak on damage output from what I can tell and the difficulty of fixing the OA issue eats away at optimization of the class at low levels since you have to MC or take CON for Melee Training, meaning weaker attacks.

[GPuzzle]

Not that hard.

Genasi Battlemind/Lyrandar Wind-Rider/Radiant One with a Firewind Blade, Infernal Prince, MC Warlock and Rod of Sunlight.

Stormsoul and Firesoul.

Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61.

Times 3, it's 181. Your to hit should be +1+8+3+3+1+15+6 or 15+15+7, leading to +37 to hit. Monster AC is 44. 44-37-1=6. 6*0,05=0,3. 0,7*181 is equal to 126,7. It is actually a bit higher, I think, or maybe a bit lower. But still, I've beaten average DPR for a Striker with it.

[wolfstone]

Well, let me throw up a comparison.

I've got a 13th level wizard who can get +30 to damage rolls, then attack five times as move (racial power), minor (via a summon), standard (duh), standard (action point), and immediate (encounter power), so that's about 5d6+150 or 167 damage. I didn't consider the to-hit factor but then neither did you.

So yeah, I don't think your figure is quite that impressive for a 30th level character, especially one using expensive consumables. Sorry :smallamused:

Anyway, the benchmark for a moderately optimized striker is 90 damage per round using at-will powers only (and that's DPR, or damage times to-hit, not pure damage).

What race is that?

[Inevitability]

What race is that?

Guessing Genasi.

[Kurald Galain]

Guessing Genasi.

You are correct. Elemental Empowerment + Elemental Echo + Staff of Ruin will make most strikers cry.

Not all of them, of course. :smallamused:

[wolfstone]

You are correct. Elemental Empowerment + Elemental Echo + Staff of Ruin will make most strikers cry.

Not all of them, of course. :smallamused:

If that doesn't, stacking on an epic shard and a +10/15 vulnerability certainly will.

[wolfstone]

Not that hard.

Genasi Battlemind/Lyrandar Wind-Rider/Radiant One with a Firewind Blade, Infernal Prince, MC Warlock and Rod of Sunlight.

Stormsoul and Firesoul.

Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61.

Times 3, it's 181. Your to hit should be +1+8+3+3+1+15+6 or 15+15+7, leading to +37 to hit. Monster AC is 44. 44-37-1=6. 6*0,05=0,3. 0,7*181 is equal to 126,7. It is actually a bit higher, I think, or maybe a bit lower. But still, I've beaten average DPR for a Striker with it.

"Rod of Sunlight"? Are you sure that's it's name? I've looked through the DDI compendium and there's no such item, power or anything else by that name.

[GPuzzle]

"Rod of Sunlight"? Are you sure that's it's name? I've looked through the DDI compendium and there's no such item, power or anything else by that name.

I might've gotten the name wrong - basically, it's a Rod that applies vulnerability to radiant equal to its enhancement modifier.

[wolfstone]

I might've gotten the name wrong - basically, it's a Rod that applies vulnerability to radiant equal to its enhancement modifier.

Okay, it's the Rod of Starlight:

"Property:
When you place your Warlock’s Curse on a target, it gains vulnerability to radiant damage equal to the rod’s enhancement bonus until the end of your next turn."

[GPuzzle]

Well, that's why you should go Half-Warlock with the BB Battlemind.

[wolfstone]

Well, that's why you should go Half-Warlock with the BB Battlemind.

Whetstones of Combustion would give fire vulnerability of 5/10/15 and can be used with anything, plus it's compatible with fire damage weapons or Radiant One. I think that would be better than the warlock route as you can go a different route instead, such as warden for the Crippling Crush feat, which would do the same damage as radiant vulnerability of you have a +10 CON mod.

[GPuzzle]

Combustion Whetsone stacks with Rod of Starlight and both can be double stacked by a Radiant One FWB build, easily beating a Crippling Crusher in accuracy and damage.

[wolfstone]

Combustion Whetsone stacks with Rod of Starlight and both can be double stacked by a Radiant One FWB build, easily beating a Crippling Crusher in accuracy and damage.

To clarify, you mean bestowing radiant vulnerability with fire vulnerability for double-stacking, right?

[GPuzzle]

No, I mean using both.

[wolfstone]

Not that hard.

Genasi Battlemind/Lyrandar Wind-Rider/Radiant One with a Firewind Blade, Infernal Prince, MC Warlock and Rod of Sunlight.

Stormsoul and Firesoul.

Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61.

Times 3, it's 181. Your to hit should be +1+8+3+3+1+15+6 or 15+15+7, leading to +37 to hit. Monster AC is 44. 44-37-1=6. 6*0,05=0,3. 0,7*181 is equal to 126,7. It is actually a bit higher, I think, or maybe a bit lower. But still, I've beaten average DPR for a Striker with it.

Lyrandar Wind-Rider only applies to Lightning and Thunder attack powers, which doesn't work with this combo. RO does Radiant and Fire damage, and FWB only adds fire damage. How are you working in the lighting CON mod damage for LWR and Promise of Storm?

[wolfstone]

No, I mean using both.

That's what I meant. Morlinglord or Rod of Starlight for radiant vulnerability + WoC for fire vulnerability for up to +25 total vulnerability damage per hit.

[GPuzzle]

Lyrandar Wind-Rider only applies to Lightning and Thunder attack powers, which doesn't work with this combo. RO does Radiant and Fire damage, and FWB only adds fire damage. How are you working in the lighting CON mod damage for LWR and Promise of Storm?

You dual-soul Firesoul and Stormsoul, giving you +4 fire damage and +4 lightning damage with Shocking Flame.


That's what I meant. Morlinglord or Rod of Starlight for radiant vulnerability + WoC for fire vulnerability for up to +25 total vulnerability damage per hit.

Oh, okay.

But WoC is pretty expensive. Like, very.

[wolfstone]

Not that hard.

Genasi Battlemind/Lyrandar Wind-Rider/Radiant One with a Firewind Blade, Infernal Prince, MC Warlock and Rod of Sunlight.

Stormsoul and Firesoul.

Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61.

Times 3, it's 181. Your to hit should be +1+8+3+3+1+15+6 or 15+15+7, leading to +37 to hit. Monster AC is 44. 44-37-1=6. 6*0,05=0,3. 0,7*181 is equal to 126,7. It is actually a bit higher, I think, or maybe a bit lower. But still, I've beaten average DPR for a Striker with it.

Okay, working back over the math of this *brain ouchie!* the Radiant One's effect of doing + INT mod Fire and Radiant damage coulds 2 times? +INT mod Radiant damage AND + INT mod Fire damage for double INT mod damage, or is the second occurence of INT mod damage from something else?

The way I read it is:

CON + Shocking Flame feat's +4 Lightning + Shocking Flame feat's +4 Fire + INT Starborn ED Radiant + INT Starborn ED Fire + 6 Rod of starlight + CON + CON + Rod of Starlight.

The Infernal Prince theme olnly gives +1 ATK, not damage as well, so not sure what the extra +1 is from.

[GPuzzle]

Nope. It doesn't double-stack.

The +1 comes from the FWB.

[wolfstone]

Nope. It doesn't double-stack.

The +1 comes from the FWB.

"Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61."

Why list INT 2 times in a row, then? And why List CON 3 times? I get Con for the BB effect, then again for LWR PP, but where does the third instance come into play? I'm still having trouble breaking down the damage on this. Going back over my explanation of each damage instance doesn't even help me, and I'm the one who wrote it out that way! :P

[GPuzzle]

"Deal Con+4+4+1+Int+Int+6+Con+Con+6. If you have +8 in both, that's 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+5 or 61."

Why list INT 2 times in a row, then? And why List CON 3 times? I get Con for the BB effect, then again for LWR PP, but where does the third instance come into play? I'm still having trouble breaking down the damage on this. Going back over my explanation of each damage instance doesn't even help me, and I'm the one who wrote it out that way! :P

I think I might accidentally have double-tapped CON when I shouldn't but the double Int is because it does once for BB and once for FWB.

[wolfstone]

I think I might accidentally have double-tapped CON when I shouldn't but the double Int is because it does once for BB and once for FWB.

Are you sure about that? FWB's effects read:

"Property
Whenever you hit one or more targets with a fire power using this weapon, one enemy adjacent to you takes fire damage equal to 1 + the weapon’s enhancement bonus.

Utility Power (Fire) Daily (Free Action)
Trigger: You use your second wind on your turn.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, your melee attacks using this weapon deal extra fire damage equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus."

Where does the second instance of INT damage fit into there? Is this a separate damage calculation from the damage calculation of BB, thereby triggering RO's INT damage instance? I'm trying to figure out how all the bits of damage fit together.

[GPuzzle]

Are you sure about that? FWB's effects read:

"Property
Whenever you hit one or more targets with a fire power using this weapon, one enemy adjacent to you takes fire damage equal to 1 + the weapon’s enhancement bonus.

Utility Power (Fire) Daily (Free Action)
Trigger: You use your second wind on your turn.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, your melee attacks using this weapon deal extra fire damage equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus."

Where does the second instance of INT damage fit into there? Is this a separate damage calculation from the damage calculation of BB, thereby triggering RO's INT damage instance? I'm trying to figure out how all the bits of damage fit together.
Yes, it is a separate damage instance.

And the extra CON? Pelor's Sun Blessing.

[Tafkam Hokie]

In the Battlemind handbook, it says that BB can do "striker-level damage" and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. My approach seemed pretty solid, since I can do a lot of guaranteed damage (assuming every attack hits) in a single turn, esp. if I rinse and repeat BB via an action point. Even if it doesn't kill a foe, they'll definitely feel it. I'm basically asking how I can build the character to achieve this, as I've only been able to locate a single build that focuses on BB damage.

Again, can anyone point me to other builds that do this for a Battlemind?

I'm running a Battlemind in one game. Haven't gotten to 13th level yet, but here is my plan for Brutal Barrage.

Key things needed: Forceful Reversal power, Brutal Barrage power, Fast Hands utility, Quick Draw feat, Mark of Storm feat, Lightning Flail item, Lightning Heavy Blade item, Lyrandar Wind Rider paragon path, L7 Frozen Whetstone. Also need Lasting Frost either yourself or from an ally.

Fast Hands + Quick Draw essentially allows for freely swapping between weapons. Attack with a Lightning Flail against standing targets and a Lightning Heavy Blade against prone targets.

When an enemy hits me, use Forceful Reversal as an immediate reaction using a Lightning Flail. With Mark of Storm (Feat) and Flail Expertise (Feat), the attack can knock the target prone on their turn.

I have two allies in the party (Ranger Archer and Hybrid Warlock/Wizard) who both have Lasting Frost and at-will cold attacks to apply cold vulnerability. At the start of most encounters, I'll take a minor action to apply a Level 7 Frozen Whetstone to my Lighting Sword. Sure, there are higher level Frozen Whetstones that do more damage, but I'm going for cheap since this will be consumed in virtually every encounter.

So against the now prone enemy, I use Brutal Barrage, typically with an Augment 1 so I get four attacks. I'll forego the Augment 2 because (a) my Cha modifier is only +2, and (b) I'd like to conserve power points so I can do this more times per encounter.

Damage at 13th level would be:
6 (Con modifier from Brutal Barrage)
6 (Con modifier from Lyrandar Wind Rider Paragon Path + Lightning Sword)
2 (Frozen Whetstone)
5 (Cold Vulnerable from ally's Lasting Frost)
5 (Headsman's Chop vs prone target)
5 (Gauntlet's of Brutality vs prone target)

I'm seeing +22 to attacks (including combat advantage for the target being prone) against an average AC of 28 at 13th level.

29 dmg per hit x 75% chance to hit x 4 attacks = 87 dmg.

The cost is no action points, no dailies, 2 power points (to augment both Forceful Reversal and Brutal Barrage), and a 100 gp consumable.

Seems pretty comparable to striker-level damage (at least in Paragon tier) to me.

And the character isn't a one-trick pony, either. It has been very playable from 1st through 9th so far, and I haven't even gotten to Brutal Barrage yet.