Shoikan - A Divine Crusader Warpriest.

[serthcore]

**** I'm in the process of redesigning the build. Stay tuned!

Melee divines have always been my favorite builds. My first toon in DDO was a battlecleric,
however i have never found a build that suited me, as i don't like clonks, and other battlepriests i've tried were more tankish/survivalist
and i wanted straight damage.
With the new divine crusader ED warpriests have gained some power, its a good start!

Important: This is an hybrid build, if you skip the melee or the casting aspect it will be weak.
Also, this build, while being solo friendly, isnt focused on soloing, it gets better in party, where it can also buff and heal others.


Key aspects of the build:
- Good single target dps: dual longswords haste and damage boosts, +60 str, gtwf, Warpriest and crusader bonuses.
- Single target stun with no save. (edit: fixed as of u23.2)
- Good spell AOE (fire) dps: Energy burst, consecration + castigation, Celestial bombardement, Hellball 400 ~ fire spellpow. (+ Archon)
- Buffs and heals that a 15+ fvs can provide, plus sacred ground. Renewal + cocoon if needed on raids.
- Decent defenses: +840 hp, +70 saves, +25 PRR, 10% Ghostly, 50% displacement (clickies), 15~dodge, Evasion.
- A bit of flavor: not a shiradi caster or a blitzing melee, this build adds some variety.
- Uber selfhealing: Sacred Ground, No remorse, Ameliorating Strike, Heal spell


The build

Human, Lawful good 15 fvs / 2 paladin / 3 Monk

STR 15
DEX 13 (need a +4 dex tome)
CON 14
INT 9
WIS 8
CHA 18 + lvl ups


Feats (in no particular order) 8 Human +2 Monk +3 epics +2 ED feats
Power attack
Weapon focus: slash
WSS
TWF
ITWF
GTWF
Icrit: Slash
Quicken
Maximize
Empower
Adept of Forms /mental toughness
Master of Forms /improved mental toughness
Hellball (ed feat at 28)
Completionist /Ruin / Epic mental toughness
Epic twf (ed feat at 26)
Sovereing host favored weapon line

Leveling order doesn't matter, but start with 1 fvs level, (starting w/ monk or paladin can lead to feat problems as you cant select meta's), also save Power attack and twf for monk extra feats, and make sure you have 15 dexterity for twf.

Skills: In order of importance: Spellcraft, UMD, heal, balance, concentration.


Enhacements:
-Human: damage boost, +1 charisma +10% healing amp, 5 AP's
-AOV: All the cores till archon, scourge, just reward, +3 saves, smiting line, +2 charisma, intense faith (28~ APs)
-WArpriest: All the cores till blur, +15 hp, divine might, +10 PRR, Favored weapon line, Smite Weakness, Ameliorating strike, +2 charisma,
Magic Backlash, divine vessel optional, (35 APs)
-Shintao: +10% offhand proc, 9 AP's

Epic Destiny: Divine Crusader

t1 Bane of Undeath (or +1 cha), Interrogation, Purge the wicked
t2: Consecration, Flames of purity
t3: Empyrean Magic, Sacred Ground
t4. No Regret, Crusade,
t5 Celestial Champion, Castigation
t6 Celestial Bombardement

Twists:
Energy burst (fire), Balanced attacks if fire inmune quests.
Soundburst/haste boost
dance of flowers
Unearthy reactions/Brace for impact (once i get epic completion)

Note: dc on soundburst will be in the high 50s/low 60s, enough for anything up to wheloon/stormhorns
(where still works against caster type mobs)


Gear idea:

Mainhand: Wyrm Longsword: Touch of flames, Wrath of flames (or purple slot), Mortal fear
or Wyrm Longsword: Touch of Shadows, Wrath of Shadows (or purple slot), Mortal fear
Offhand: Wyrm Longsword: 1st Degree burns, Dragon's edge, Mortal fear. (slot Devotion here).

Head: Dragon masque + Yellow + Colorless
Goggles: Sages spectacles + colorless
Body: Shadow dragon armor + Blue + green
Ring: Guardians Ring + yellow
RIng: Lanter Ring + colorless + green
Bracers: 30% healing amp of superior parrying
Gloves: Backstabber gloves
Belt: battleragers + green
Boots: +x stat, + seeking + slot
Trinket: Litany of the death
Cloak: Cloak of the wolf? Greensteel?

Videos/Pics/Others

Old build videos:

Break in the ice EE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J76OHo071qQ
Detour EE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkP3MuAvENg

New:

EE Lost on the swamp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80QoA0UT4WM
EE Thrill of the hunt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b9o3euEXfE

Updated!!! Solo EE WGU completion post




FAQ:

Why Charisma?
I get more from charisma than from any other stat. Every 2 points of charisma gives me: +1 Str from divine might,
+1 to epic spells dc, spellpoints, +1 saves and +1 umd.


Isn't it weak as a healer?
This build is OK for 6 man quests. If i need to be a "dedicated healer" in a raid i'll switch to exalted angel and twist renewal and cocoon,
which should give me plenty of healing.

Special thanks to Zoda for helping me improve the build

[Spellburst]

Eh, a Divine Crusader build just a few days before it goes live, great! And with videos so we can see it in action... +1 for that!!! That's really helpful, at least for me.

I wanted to try the Divine Crusader as it went live, and this build sounds really good. Cant wait to try it. I was thinking about trying the Divine Crusader with a toon that has the same splash, but cleric instead of FvS (17 cleric / 2 paladin / 1 fighter). I just wanted to epic reincarnate for trying the Crusader destiny as soon as possible. Do you think it can work with a cleric? Any thoughts about that?

Thx for posting the build.

[serthcore]

Eh, a Divine Crusader build just a few days before it goes live, great! And with videos so we can see it in action... +1 for that!!! That's really helpful, at least for me.

I wanted to try the Divine Crusader as it went live, and this build sounds really good. Cant wait to try it. I was thinking about trying the Divine Crusader with a toon that has the same splash, but cleric instead of FvS (17 cleric / 2 paladin / 1 fighter). I just wanted to epic reincarnate for trying the Crusader destiny as soon as possible. Do you think it can work with a cleric? Any thoughts about that?

Thx for posting the build.

Yes, in fact i was thinking about making a cleric variation.

Instead of the caster tree i would take tier 5 radiant servant though. Sadly it would lose some fire spellpower and crit, but it would still work. Thinking of 35ish Aps for radiant, 22ish on Warpriest, rest on racial and divine disciple for a bit extra spellpower.
Same class split, feats and similar stats, just taking a bit more wisdom.

[PTStroth]

Looks pretty solid, grrrreat successss

[Zoda]

Looks like something my PDK bard wanted to be, but failed, definitely gonna try something like this. Well done!

EDIT:

Speaking of PDK.... what's your CHA score at? might not worth bothering with str at all (nvm... only works on swords...)
Also I think you missed to list your necklace.

What about a BF thf variant? I havea retired toon sitting on an eSOS... (and three BATTLE cleric past lives xD)

[serthcore]

Looks like something my PDK bard wanted to be, but failed, definitely gonna try something like this. Well done!

EDIT:

Speaking of PDK.... what's your CHA score at? might not worth bothering with str at all (nvm... only works on swords...)
Also I think you missed to list your necklace.

What about a BF thf variant? I havea retired toon sitting on an eSOS... (and three BATTLE cleric past lives xD)

Thanks Zoda!

About cha: on live should be in the mid 50s, but my selfbuffed str will still be higher than cha, specially thanks to divine might.
And for the bladeforged, of course it will work, i just went helf w/ scimies for flavor and because im a twf fan and i am already tired of two handed toons spaming cleaves

Good catch on the necklace.. im still thinking about different gear setups, ill take suggestions here.

[Ancient]

Great build! Thanks for sharing. It is nice to see something new doing EE level stuff.

[serthcore]

Great build! Thanks for sharing. It is nice to see something new doing EE level stuff.

Thanks! yes, i was pleased and surprised to see it performing quite well while soloing. I think it will get better on groups, can't wait to try it on live and refine the playstile.

[Cardtrick]

Really cool to see this in action. I have an old (old) warforged favored soul 18 / paladin 2 who I don't play much because he's currently gimpy as can be. Intended as a melee favored soul using greatswords, but he doesn't have an eSOS and other greatswords are just not good without something else to back them up. Unyielding Sentinel is not cutting it.

Anyway, I'm going to try him as a Divine Crusader to see if that makes him fun enough to play or if I should just TR him. It won't be as nice as yours, since charisma and healing amp are obviously lower on a warforged. On the other hand, going THF and choosing not to bother with the THF feats leaves the build a lot lessfeat-starved, so I can feel better about skipping the fighter level, which lets me keep Mass Heal and the 5th warpriest core to self-cast Haste, and take Overwhelming Critical. But I'm going to be about 6 points of Charisma behind you and won't have haste boost or damage boost . . . which is definitely not great. Hopefully it'll still be enough to be fun. If I like it, I'll probably wind up TRing into something a lot closer to what you put together here, which really looks like a great use of the new destiny.

[Sokól]

I like it esp. the race everything else seems to big, to small or stubby legs...

Looks like Soundburst is going to be huge esp. if mortal fear is WAI

[Zoda]

So I kept thinking about this monk splash. What do you think about going for 3 monk levels as human to get fists of light (works wonders with Magic Backlash atm I heard ^^), picking up Stance of Whirling Steel (so be centered) and go human with longswords as centering/favored weapons? If I calculated correctly, as human with 3 monk 2 pala, you get just enough feat to pick up everything you need, + master stance. So melee dps would get: deft strikes, possible dance of flower twist, mountain stance, strike of enduring, and fist of iron as a trade off for worse crit profile and haste boost. Also, you could power your nukes with All consuming Flames vs bosses/thougher trash mobs.

Enhancements could look like this:
Warpriest: 35
Henshin: 3
Shintao: 9 (deft strikes + Fist of Iron)
AoV: 28
Human: 5 (damage boost, t1 hamp, cha)

I'm really not sure if it worths going for it, but I keep hearing fairy tales of the interaction between healing curse and magic backlash, I guess I'll just have to see it for myself. Anyways, it is an option, my bet is on the fighter splash though.

I'm also considering Ruin for the non centered version with mental toughnesses in the place of feats you marked with *. Feels like this build can get pretty decent force spellpower (and crit chance on sage's cuffs probably - can be a hotswap for situations where you want to ruin).

Edit: thinking a bit more about it, I probably tr my main to the Ruin spammer version as soon as servers are up.
On the necklace slot: I have a CHA 11 of +10 to hit and probably gonna use that, but HH necklace sounds like a solid chioce (you don't have ghostly atm on your gear unless if I'm missing something, so it's especially nice). It might force me into using Treads or Wretched Twilight tho (WT sounds appealing with dragon mask btw).

[serthcore]

So I kept thinking about this monk splash. What do you think about going for 3 monk levels as human to get fists of light (works wonders with Magic Backlash atm I heard ^^), picking up Stance of Whirling Steel (so be centered) and go human with longswords as centering/favored weapons? If I calculated correctly, as human with 3 monk 2 pala, you get just enough feat to pick up everything you need, + master stance. So melee dps would get: deft strikes, possible dance of flower twist, mountain stance, strike of enduring, and fist of iron as a trade off for worse crit profile and haste boost. Also, you could power your nukes with All consuming Flames vs bosses/thougher trash mobs.

Enhancements could look like this:
Warpriest: 35
Henshin: 3
Shintao: 9 (deft strikes + Fist of Iron)
AoV: 28
Human: 5 (damage boost, t1 hamp, cha)

I'm really not sure if it worths going for it, but I keep hearing fairy tales of the interaction between healing curse and magic backlash, I guess I'll just have to see it for myself. Anyways, it is an option, my bet is on the fighter splash though.

I'm also considering Ruin for the non centered version with mental toughnesses in the place of feats you marked with *. Feels like this build can get pretty decent force spellpower (and crit chance on sage's cuffs probably - can be a hotswap for situations where you want to ruin).

Edit: thinking a bit more about it, I probably tr my main to the Ruin spammer version as soon as servers are up.
On the necklace slot: I have a CHA 11 of +10 to hit and probably gonna use that, but HH necklace sounds like a solid chioce (you don't have ghostly atm on your gear unless if I'm missing something, so it's especially nice). It might force me into using Treads or Wretched Twilight tho (WT sounds appealing with dragon mask btw).

I was thinking about a centered variation aswell, but i'm afraid that the healing curse + magic backslash isn't WAI (ihavent heard any word from a dev yet ????). And if i didnt go for a monk splash myself is for the haste boost from fighter, i like it soo much. (i know you can twist it, but i don't have epic completionism yet and prefer to keep my twists for now.)
Going for Ruin sounds good, i think i'll try it myself!
I have ghostly on the Shadow Armor, don't think i'll use HH necklace.

[Zoda]

I was thinking about a centered variation aswell, but i'm afraid that the healing curse + magic backslash isn't WAI (ihavent heard any word from a dev yet ????). And if i didnt go for a monk splash myself is for the haste boost from fighter, i like it soo much. (i know you can twist it, but i don't have epic completionism yet and prefer to keep my twists for now.)
Going for Ruin sounds good, i think i'll try it myself!
I have ghostly on the Shadow Armor, don't think i'll use HH necklace.

Right, ghostly on armor, guess I'll eventually have to read what can go on that thing.

[Nightmanis]

Right, ghostly on armor, guess I'll eventually have to read what can go on that thing.

Am I missing something awesome about ruin? It doesn't seem all that great just reading it.

[Sokól]

Regarding feats, have you thought about Precision instead of PA?

With the endgame as it is now the fort bypass and the extra to hit might just serve the build, I would even consider dropping Empower spell so you might have them both!

I have only glanced at the new ed does it feel if it could serve a TWF Paladin or does the FvS spell power matter to much to make this ed work?

[serthcore]

Regarding feats, have you thought about Precision instead of PA?

With the endgame as it is now the fort bypass and the extra to hit might just serve the build, I would even consider dropping Empower spell so you might have them both!

I have only glanced at the new ed does it feel if it could serve a TWF Paladin or does the FvS spell power matter to much to make this ed work?

I haven't tried this destiny on a pure melee yet, i feel like it will would lose some potential, but still most of the stuff is for melee so why not.
Precision: definately a good idea, i'll keep testing the build for the next weeks and see how i end up. I would like to keep empower for divine punishment and for when i switch to exalted angel, (thinking about the SLA's)

[Mast3rR0b]

Thank you for posting this. I have and old WF Soul Survivor that i really wanted to reincarnate into something more appealing to today's content, and your build gave me some nice suggestions.

I think mine will focus a little more on melee, since i i'm about to craft my eSoS and i want to use it ^^

i'll probably get enough pts in STR to get Overwhelming Crit, then the rest into CHA, ditching DEX

So something like this:

Human, 36pt, FvS 18/ Paladin 2

STR 17 +3tome +3lvls = OC
DEX 8 +3tome
CON 16 +4 tome +1lvl = ET
INT 11 +3 tome
WIS 8 +3tome
CHA 16 +3tome +3lvls

Toughness
PA
Cleave
Great Cleave
Maximize
IC Slash
Quicken
Empower/Empower Heal

Overwhelming Crit
Epic Toughness
Perfect TWF
Epic DR/ Empower Heal
Epic Spellpower Fire


Should end up with some less DC, but a somewhat sustainable STR of 60-70

Equip will be trickier since i'll have to include caster stuffs somewhere, but i'm sure i'll manage somehow.

Thoughts?

[serthcore]

Thank you for posting this. I have and old WF Soul Survivor that i really wanted to reincarnate into something more appealing to today's content, and your build gave me some nice suggestions.

I think mine will focus a little more on melee, since i i'm about to craft my eSoS and i want to use it ^^

i'll probably get enough pts in STR to get Overwhelming Crit, then the rest into CHA, ditching DEX

So something like this:

Human, 36pt, FvS 18/ Paladin 2

STR 17 +3tome +3lvls = OC
DEX 8 +3tome
CON 16 +4 tome +1lvl = ET
INT 11 +3 tome
WIS 8 +3tome
CHA 16 +3tome +3lvls

Toughness
PA
Cleave
Great Cleave
Maximize
IC Slash
Quicken
Empower/Empower Heal

Overwhelming Crit
Epic Toughness
Perfect TWF
Epic DR/ Empower Heal
Epic Spellpower Fire


Should end up with some less DC, but a somewhat sustainable STR of 60-70

Equip will be trickier since i'll have to include caster stuffs somewhere, but i'm sure i'll manage somehow.

Thoughts?

Yes it looks solid, however i would go bladeforged if you have it and use reconstruct (Ok, i prefer fleshy+ healing amp, but w/e) to take advantage of the greatsword bonuses from warpriest tree, or maybe wf and investing a lot on healing amp, but i can see it working with human. Stats are a bit tight with just +3 tomes, but you can always LR or epic TR when you get +4s and +5s.

For gear: sages spectacles (for fire stuff) and lantern ring cover the casting stuff, and i usually slot devotion in a weapon or use FOT gloves.

[Mast3rR0b]

Yes it looks solid, however i would go bladeforged if you have it and use reconstruct (Ok, i prefer fleshy+ healing amp, but w/e) to take advantage of the greatsword bonuses from warpriest tree, or maybe wf and investing a lot on healing amp, but i can see it working with human. Stats are a bit tight with just +3 tomes, but you can always LR or epic TR when you get +4s and +5s.

For gear: sages spectacles (for fire stuff) and lantern ring cover the casting stuff, and i usually slot devotion in a weapon or use FOT gloves.

Yeah, i'm quite torn about the favored weapon. BF is more damage, 7 per swing actually,10 if we count the PA enhancement, before any other modifier. Oh, and a few more hp.
Human gives me more skill points, Healing Amp, and a bonus feat.

I guess i'm not really fond of the thought of a divine toon pushing for positive sp for healing, and then relying on reconstruct to stay alive (will it be enough, without heavily investing in repair sp? I guess i can slot a Repair Ruby somewhere in a green slot, but..).

[unbongwah]

Am I missing something awesome about ruin? It doesn't seem all that great just reading it.

Mostly that it works on anything; in particular, there are bosses who are immune or highly resistant to almost everything else.