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I'm making a paragon level Earthstrength Warden for an upcoming campaign, and a rather uncommon problem has shown its face. I have too many feats. A portion of this "problem" is coming from the DM's houserule that everyone simply automatically gets paragon defense and weapon expertise for thier preferred weapon without spending the feats to acquire them.
For now Im assuming 14th level (although this may not in fact be the level we start at, it is somewhere in paragon.) He's warforged also btw.
The weapon choice has a lot of effect on this as well. I've gone back and forth between many options. But I definetly will use a heavy shield so its gotta be one handed.
These are the ones im definetly getting:
1. Durable
2. Sudden Roots (slows on a successful opportunity attack)
3. Shield Specialization
4. Fleetfooted
5. Toughness (maybe)
6. Weapon prof Superior_______ (depends on weapon)
7.
8.
9.
Past number 4 I really have very few clear must-have feats. SO!
I could use some advice about either a multiclass option or a weapon option that will take up a few feats. The current idea is to go with heavy blades and get Heavy Blade opportunity (at-will instead of melee basic for AoO) and heavy blade opportunist (+2 to AoO) but I would definetly be open to a beneficial multiclass option. But none seem to jump out at me.
Well, the barbarian multiclass feat gives you an encounter-long damage boost and skill training off a decent list. Plus, if you're str/con, you can grab some of the excellent barbarian attacks (like storm/hurricane of blades). Multiclassing into fighter is also good. If you have the Wis for it, Battle Awareness lets you punish enemies even when you didn't mark them. Multiclassing into warlord isn't a bad idea either; no one ever turned down an inspiring word.
If you're warforged, you should definitely grab warforged tactics, and the racial feats that improve your warforged resolve aren't bad either. If you're being given paragon defense for free, you don't need shield specialization; armor specialization will do you just fine, and will work even if you want to drop the shield (say when you're trying to jump long distances). It also lets you cut back on Dex and reduces the armor check penalty even when you've got the shield.
I'd recommend axes if you're going Str/Con, in which case Deadly Axe and Weapon Proficiency (waraxe) are both good. If your Dex is up for it, bastard swords and HBO are good, but I'd probably skip blade opportunist.
Finally, you've got the good-for-anyone feats: weapon focus, improved initiative, and durable.
Well, the barbarian multiclass feat gives you an encounter-long damage boost and skill training off a decent list. Plus, if you're str/con, you can grab some of the excellent barbarian attacks (like storm/hurricane of blades). Multiclassing into fighter is also good. If you have the Wis for it, Battle Awareness lets you punish enemies even when you didn't mark them. Multiclassing into warlord isn't a bad idea either; no one ever turned down an inspiring word.
If you're warforged, you should definitely grab warforged tactics, and the racial feats that improve your warforged resolve aren't bad either. If you're being given paragon defense for free, you don't need shield specialization; armor specialization will do you just fine, and will work even if you want to drop the shield (say when you're trying to jump long distances). It also lets you cut back on Dex and reduces the armor check penalty even when you've got the shield.
I'd recommend axes if you're going Str/Con, in which case Deadly Axe and Weapon Proficiency (waraxe) are both good. If your Dex is up for it, bastard swords and HBO are good, but I'd probably skip blade opportunist.
Finally, you've got the good-for-anyone feats: weapon focus, improved initiative, and durable.
OOOH! What book are the warforged feats in? I think ill need to look at those.
The idea behind swords was to get tons and tons of opportunity attacks and use my at wills to pretty much constantly have 5 temporary hp from one of my at-wills. But I could see the bonus damage from axes being helpful (especially from the low weapon damage I do overall).
You do not need durable or toughness. You have those covered.
Warden's do reach weapons very well. I'd focus on that, which opens up a whole host of feats, and which also means a multiclass to fighter is likely in order.
I'd go the whole polearm momentum, heavy blade opportunity, polearm gamble, and glaive combo, or something similar.
I'm telling yah, wardens do very well with reach. Take some time to really consider it. Your heavy shield will not be as important as your overall build and tactics.
I'm telling yah, wardens do very well with reach. Take some time to really consider it. Your heavy shield will not be as important as your overall build and tactics.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've already decided to make an earthstrength warden.
I understand the benefits of reach weapons to wildblood wardens, but I'm just not interested.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've already decided to make an earthstrength warden.
Yes, I know. That's why I pointed you to an earthstrength warden build in that second link, said it was an earthstrength warden build, and the title of the thread in question was "Goliath Earthstrength Warden?"
Quote:
I understand the benefits of reach weapons to wildblood wardens, but I'm just not interested.
Thanks for the input.
Hey, if you don't want to actually click on the stuff people suggest, or read what they wrote, I am not sure your going to get the kind of input you want. I'm trying to help you out. You don't have to like the suggestion, but at least look at it before concluding that.
It definitely has a lot of synergy with a warden's powers and feat excess. But the reach will turn me into definitely more of a controller than defender. Specifically the build you linked me to has fairly low defenses and very low mobility due to his focus on opportunity attacks and weapon feats. I'll have to look at the feats he selected more (I dont have the books they are contained in on me). But I will definetly look more into it.
My earth strength warden that uses a shield and sword has mulitclassing to Avenger...basically for two rounds my oath of enmity means my attacks hit, so that when i pile on some of the good single target defensive attacks. As earth strength the daily and encounter multiclassing are pretty much not worth it, but the utility can give you some usefull stuff (i don't really like any of the warden 2 utilities). Mostly the Avenger is flavor since the character was a paladin but once PHB2 came out we converted a couple of our characters over, but i still wanted some religion in his style. Find a flavor you like.
For the most part you can take little feats, because you don't need big ones to do your job. (unless you go for a really specific build like 'pole-arm').
POWERS
Racial power: Warforged Resolve
Warden at-will 1: Thorn Strike
Warden at-will 1: Strength of Stone
Warden daily 1: Form of Willow Sentinel
Warden daily 5: Thunder Step
Wardem Daily 9: Form of Stone Sentinel
Warden encounter 3: Burst of Earth's Fury
Warden encounter 7: Mountain Hammer
Paragon encounter 11: Thunder Smash
Warden encounter 13: Ponderous Strike
Barbarian utility 2: Combat Sprint
Warden utility 6: Bear's Endurance
Warden utility 10: Returning Strength
Paragon utility 11: Storm Step
Other party members
Bard
Invoker
Monk (yeah probably ends up being a rogue unless more info comes out soon)
Relevant items
Weapon- Khopesh
Cinture of the dragon spirit: Belt that allows str to replace cha for intimidate checks
Boots of striding: +1 speed while in light armor
Note: my dm gives Paragon defenses for free to all characters at lvl 11.
The Idea is at the start of every encounter I use combat sprint to bump my speed for that movement up to 12 and put myself adjacent to as many enemies as possible and use Burst of Earth's fury and mark them. This stops them from shifting and any enemies that leave the square adjacent to me get slowed by my opportunity attack. Then let the invoker and bard attack from a distance while I spend the next move action getting in between monk(rogue) and any enemies he's attracted.
A flimsy plan, but Im sure it will work out once in a while.
Bit late, since you've already posted a build, but if you've got extra feat slots, don't overlook non-combat feats like Skill Focus and Jack of All Trades. Also I notice you haven't taken any of the Warforged feats: they're in Dragon 364, which also increases a few basic class features (you get +2 Intimidate, for one, but I can't remember the other differences).
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