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View Full Version : Neat 4E "Builds"



Ranis
2008-08-31, 09:50 PM
I use the term "builds" loosely here because, well, there isn't a whole lot of material out for 4E.

Anyway, I'm actually getting into a 4E game finally, and one of the players is playing an Eladrin Fighter multiclassing into wizard to AOE-mark mobs at melee range, good times.

Anyway, anyone else seen/played any neat "builds" for 4E?

RTGoodman
2008-08-31, 10:05 PM
One of the articles in the July Dragon Magazine (I think) had two different builds statted out to 30th level, and I was kinda shocked by the first of them. It was an Eladrin Fey-Pact Warlock with a HUGE number of teleporting abilities - like, so many that it could probably go a full day's worth of encounters without walking across the ground. I don't think it's particularly optimized (though it's not bad by any means), but it was pretty neat.

Right now I'm having fun looking over higher-level powers to swap around for my Tiefling Paladin/Star-Pact Warlock. Because both classes rely on a high Cha there's good synergy, and some of the powers give the Paladin some good control and striker abilities outside its normal Defender/Leader role.

DMfromTheAbyss
2008-08-31, 10:08 PM
I got to see a 3.5 group translated into 4rth. We ended up going some weird directions to try and fit the character concepts involved.

We ended up with a
1/2 elven Paladin Kensai staff master, even cha/str with a few fighter powers (used to be a paladin/monk like a not stuck up version of someone in a certain comic)

DragonBorn Inspiring Warlord Swordmaster... massive str- decent cha, he used to be a Bardbarian, so this actually made him better at both things he was trying to do. (he was a 1/2 orc trying to get the 1/2 dragon template through a certain prestige class... I guess it worked.)

Cleric Radiant master, who was good with Bow (ranger archery powers) but was also handy with spear and sword (eladrin). She started off as a weird breed of elf, so eladrin fit better than elf.

1/2 elven (drow) Ranger master infiltrator. I thief by another name... with massive stealth and rogue powers to be really hard to see/pin down, but with a mix of two weapon fighting and archery instead of using knives.

Oracle_Hunter
2008-09-01, 01:26 AM
Things I've found:

1) The Elven Bow Cleric.
Go with high DEX and WIS, Light Armor, and otherwise a standard Lazor Cleric build. For close-up baddies, use your cleric powers, but you can stay back and do long-distance support with the Longbow all day. For added fun, MC Ranger and pick up some of the Interrupt ranged powers to add some nice control to your arsenal.

2) The Eladrin Spearmaiden
One of my own - an Eladrin Fighter with Longspear and Eladrin Weapon Training. Aside from teleportation, you are able to do 1d10+2+STR at first level (nice!), can have a DEX 15 for Rain of Blows at 3rd level, and can do Cleave to mark a distant target while then whacking an adjacent bad guy.

3) The Halfling Crimelord
Another of my own. Halfling Inspiring Warlord that uses a Shortsword and MC Rogue. Uses Warlord powers to set up his own flanking or to coordinate with other Rogues. Swap in Rogue utilities for additional sneakiness - makes a good two-man crimewave!

4) The Infernal Tank
Take a Human Infernal Warlock, and give him 13 STR and 18 CON. Start with Improved Dark One's Blessing and Light Shield, then move up the Armor ladder (Hide, Chain, Scale, Plate, Heavy Shield). At level 11, specialize in Plate for a base AC of 26. Between the Temp HP and the high AC, you can wade into the front line of any conflict, using Prime Shot and Hellish Rebuke to nuke the opposition.

Crow
2008-09-01, 01:35 AM
Fighter Multiclassing Warlock is a good gish. Pick up the Hammer Rhythm feat and pump CON+STR and you can put a real hurt on.

Oracle_Hunter
2008-09-01, 01:56 AM
^ is commonly known as a Hexhammer Build. You can just go Dwarven Warlock and MC Fighter instead to get the benefit of Warlock's Curse as well.

Other common builds:
- TacLords that MC Wizard
- Swashbucklers; Brutal Rogues with Rapiers that MC Fighter for some marking and some very nice melee utilities (Stances that cause 1[w] to any enemy adjacent to you are very nice)
- Spear & Shield Fighters with Spear Push and Tide of Iron
- Halfling Rangers that TWF with Scimitars (deadly! Scimitar Dance is your friend)
- Eladrin Wizards that MC Rogue (Cantrips are excellent for thievery)

Saph
2008-09-01, 04:00 AM
Dwarven Hammer Cleric.

Starting stats are Str 16, Con 15, Wis 16, Cha 12, then dump either Dex or Int depending on preference. Take Dwarven Weapon Training and grab a maul. At level 1 you attack at +5 for 2d6+5 damage, and you have Sacred Flame and throwing hammers for ranged attacks.

Basically it's just the ultimate all-round tank/healer/sniper/support. You can melee almost as well as the fighter, shoot almost as well as a Lazor Cleric, heal as well as anyone, you're tough as old boots, and your Healing Strike is really scary. Works in literally any party.

As you level up, keep pumping Str and Wis, letting you pick powers from both sides of the cleric tree.

- Saph

OneFamiliarFace
2008-09-01, 04:10 AM
I think it would be interesting to hear neat team builds:

The Great Gnomish Annoyance

I started with a gnome rogue who takes Skill Focus (Stealth) and picks all powers that improve his stealth, blind enemies, or make him become invisible. It can allow him to get Combat Advantage very often without ever needing a flank. (At higher levels, you can take damage, go invisible with your racial, and then hide, remaining hidden where you are standing and stabbing all around with combat advantage, among other things.)

Add in a fey pact warlock and a control wizard with invisibility and other illusion spells, and you just need a Tactical Warlord with some MC ranger/warlock for stealth and a Paladin with healing to make a team of impossible to catch strikers.

(Note, the paladin is the only one without stealth, making him an even better Defender. Or for flavor, you could give him stealth and have enemies take radiant damage because they don't know where he is to attack him.)

The New Bruceski
2008-09-01, 02:03 PM
It's not really a full build, but I've found a Warlord with a polearm works rather well. A lot of his abilities buff/use "an ally adjacent to you or the target", so attacking from a square away ads more places said ally can be. It especially adds options with Leaf on the Wind. Walk up in a line behind an ally, stab the enemy over him. Bam! Instant flanking.

I do think this falls solidly into DM Fiat territory if you Leaf on the Wind someone over an obstacle/through an arrow slit, etc. In my campaign I've made it clear to the DM that I won't complain if he needs to rule I've gone too far.

Artanis
2008-09-01, 02:24 PM
The closest I've come to thinking up a "non-standard build" is being a shooty Half Elf ranger, and taking the Cleric's lazor as its extra power. The Ranger targets AC, so having another ranged attack that targets a different defense and runs off the boatload of WIS it's going to have anyways would be a good way to help deal with massively-armored tanks.

Grynning
2008-09-01, 02:29 PM
The closest I've come to thinking up a "non-standard build" is being a shooty Half Elf ranger, and taking the Cleric's lazor as its extra power. The Ranger targets AC, so having another ranged attack that targets a different defense and runs off the boatload of WIS it's going to have anyways would be a good way to help deal with massively-armored tanks.

Except that Half-elf stat bonuses add nothing to either Ranger or Cleric, really. You'd be better off as an Elf multi-classing into Cleric with the feat (which I'm pretty sure Oracle_Hunter described above).

wodan46
2008-09-01, 02:45 PM
Hexhammer build. Be a +2 Str/Con race. Be a Warlock. Be an Iron Vanguard. Have a Maul.

Artanis
2008-09-01, 02:49 PM
Except that Half-elf stat bonuses add nothing to either Ranger or Cleric, really. You'd be better off as an Elf multi-classing into Cleric with the feat (which I'm pretty sure Oracle_Hunter described above).
I never said I was good at making builds :smalltongue:

Crow
2008-09-01, 04:39 PM
Ranger with Scimitar Dance is simple and destructive.

Mando Knight
2008-09-01, 10:55 PM
Ranger with Scimitar Dance is simple and destructive.

...and being a Drow gives no unique benefit to the build except helping your Dex for getting the feat.:smallwink:

ShaggyMarco
2008-09-02, 09:12 AM
Halbard Fighter multi-Cleric and Paragon Warpriest.

Warpriest's Mark lets you do the Fighter's Challenge Immediate Interrupt as a Opportunity Attack. Very high Wisdom makes this attack an almost sure thing. Combat Reflexes, Heavy Blade Opportunity, Blade Opposrtunist, and Pole-Arm Gamble make your OAs sick.

Max Strength, Wisdom with decent enough Con (for HP) and Dexterity (for feat prereqs).

Optional: Power-Swap feats to get the Cleric powers that set up Ghost-Knights in order to funnel the availible movement into the Fighter/Cleric's range.

This build tends to work best as an Elf, as Dex makes it easier to get the Heavy Blade feats and Wisdom is key for OA bonuses, Cleric Multi, and Cleric Powers (if you want them)

Blackfang108
2008-09-02, 09:52 AM
...I was kinda shocked by the first of them. It was an Eladrin Fey-Pact Warlock with a HUGE number of teleporting abilities - like, so many that it could probably go a full day's worth of encounters without walking across the ground.

The best part about this build is that, the Fey-Pact paragon path has a feature that cause damage to every enemy adjacent to them equal to his INT modifier every time he teleports.

Nice and destructive.