Bunny Build for Hardcore, Reaper, and Epics

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Careall

Well-known member
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? Re-Introducing: The Bunny Build! ?


Do you remember that tiny, deceptively deadly rabbit from Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail?​


This build channels that very energy, blending the eerie powers of the undead with the might of a powerful arcane warrior. Here's a fun and loose guide on how to create and master the Bunny build.


Heroics (1-20):

Class: Wizard (PM/EK) 20

Race: Any (Human default)

Alignment: Left Justified

Abilities: Prioritize Con and Int. As you level up to 20, keep boosting that Con!

Feats: Start with Augment Summons. Add 2-3 Toughness feats. If you're feeling adventurous, switch some out for Shield-focused feats. Don't forget Mental Toughness, Improved Mental Toughness, and your favorite Meta Magic feats.

Pale Master: Embrace your inner undead! Opt for Lich Shroud, boost those hit points, and get all those delicious Pale Master perks. Tier 5? Reactive Discorporation and Ascendant Shroud are the way to go.

Eldritch Knight: More hit points, more protection, and all the spell power you can handle!

Harper Agent: If you've got some Enhancement AP left, Harper Leadership is your friend.

Key Spells: Keep those auras and AoE DoT spells handy, and don't forget buffs like Haste, Rage, and Greater Heroism.

Combat Style: We're talking classic melee sword and board!

Play Style 1-20: Challenge yourself with Reaper 1! You're sturdy, but not a full-on tank. The key is to have enough HP to survive those nasty hits. Traps? Just strut on through (but keep those legs moving)!



Epics (20+):

Lesser Reincarnation (optional): Balance is the name of the game. Balance HP and Spell Power by splitting Con and Int during leveling up. Be sure to grab the Quicken Meta Magic Feat.

More Augmenting Summons: Go all out on boosting your summons. Harper Leadership in the Harper Agent tree? Yes, please!

Primal Avatar: Grab your mantle and keep powering up those summons. Embrace the Primal Ally and Heart of Flame in Tier 5.

Magus of the Eclipse: It's all about improving those summons. And definitely, definitely summon that lich.

Play Style 20+:

Switch up your tactics!
  1. Set up battlefield control zones (doorways are perfect) with quickened AoE DoT.
  2. Place your Primal Ally in the heart of the action, then step back and support your group from a distance.
  3. Cast, cast, cast, and cast some more. Go ahead and try to run out of mana.
  4. You can handle a hit or two, but if things get too hot, make a tactical retreat.


Build Notes:
I’ve revisited this tried-and-true build, fine-tuned it for Hardcore League, and extended the build through Epics. The nerf to Imbues shouldn’t affect the build much, and it just might be more fun as you deliver the pain slower to your enemies. Embrace the torturer role.


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Coffey

Coffey

Well-known member
Looks like fun survivable build Careall.

I think Strimtom played a form of this build in one of the recent HCLs.

Another good survivable build is Tempest, Dark Hunter, Bow, or Inq Ranger going all in on Toughness.

Human Tempest 18 Monk 2 Dex Scimitars

Blood Bag Build or Ninja Spy Blood Bag Build Etc Etc.

1 Toughness or PBS
1 Toughness
3 Toughness
6 Toughness
9 IC Slash or IC Ranged
12 Precision
13 Monk Toughness
14 Monk Toughness
15 Toughness
15 Toughness
18 Toughness
20 Monk Toughness or PBS

2-6 Monk levels can allow you to add even more Toughness.

A 14 fighter 6 monk can have up to 11 Toughness feats.

And there is Epic Toughness feats as well.

Looking forward to HCL!
 
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Careall

Well-known member
I am experimenting with a DH build now. I found this nice Batman combo in the tree:

Smoke Bomb: Throw a bottle beneath you that explodes into a cloud of smoke and leaves you Invisible and Displaced for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 25 Seconds.

Opportune Moment: Whenever you become invisible, you gain a Primal bonus to Sneak Attack Dice equal to your Wilderness Lore. This lingers for 10 seconds after you become Invisible and may only trigger once every 60 seconds.
 
Coffey

Coffey

Well-known member
Could be a fun build to play. I havent tried it yet because i cant get past the medium armor decision and the removal of evasion.

I suppose Evasion can be picked up with 2 Rogue levels if you dont mind giving up the DH capstone (wouldnt matter if you are playing for 5K and level 20). Tier 5 Tempest gives Improved Evasion only for magic attacks as it reads. So it can be covered in Heroics. Epics allows for Evasion / Improved Evasion (if you have Evasion already) in the Shadow Dancer tree so you can then go tier 5 in DH.

If you go with pure DH through Heroics with medium armor you can change to light armor in Epics and take Shadow Dancer Evasion along with tier 5 Tempest for Improved Evasion but again it only works on magical attacks.

I would want Improved Evasion for sure with a STR variant.
 
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Careall

Well-known member
It's not an Evasion replacement, but there's this from DH:
Underdark Armor: While wearing Medium Armor, you gain a +10% Exceptional bonus to Armor Class and take 50% less damage from Traps.
You would have no MRR Cap, so it could be better than Evasion - in which rolling a 1 can have you on a free trip to the LoLS.

For traps specifically, your wolf can get the ability to find traps based on your skill, which is insane with the same Enhancement:
Lupine Instincts: Your Dark Wolf inherits your Search and Spot scores and will automatically find traps and secret doors for you, assuming you meet the statistical threshold. You gain a Primal bonus to Search and Disable Device skill bonus equal to your number of Wilderness Lore feats.

While trap boxes that are protected by the traps would still be a problem, your wolf would be taking the hit, but you can only summon one wolf per rest (is there a Pet Cemetery spell? Oh. Raise Dead/Res/Reincarnate might work). In Epics, Primal Avatar has this for pet evasion:
Natural Shielding: You gain 10 Hit Points and +2 Magical Resistance Rating. Your summons, pets, and hirelings gain 60% of your Max Hit Points and 30 Magical Resistance Rating instead. Summoned minions also gain +4 Reflex Saves and Evasion.

All-in-all, I'm exploring these options to see if they are viable alternatives to Evasion and potentially amazing trapper build.
 
Coffey

Coffey

Well-known member
Yea the meduim armor bonuses are nice but leaves out magical attacks and HCL is very difficult to get more than 100 MRR even at end game.

Failing on a 1 is half damage with Improved Evasion. So 50 MRR acts as 100 MRR.

You can carry a tower shield with you for traps too if you really want to better mitigate the damage with medium armor. I havent tested this yet though.

I was wondering if you were planning on taking Primal Avatar with DH. Im curious how the Dark Wolf will stack up to the Skele Knight!

Does Natural Evasion stack with Shadowdancers The Darkest Luck i wonder?

I have some testing to do too lol!
 
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Careall

Well-known member
Dark Wolf v Skeleton is comparing apples to potatoes: It depends on if you want to keep doctors away or french fries.
Dark Wolf seems to work really well with DH, just as the Skeleton works really well with PM. They both have their synergies with their trees.

For example, as I was testing a Level 31 Bunny (the one posted above) in EE SlaveLords, my skeleton pet started running around some of those random floor traps. Since I was testing the build, I stood there to see if I could take the hits. If it was just enemies, I think I would have been fine. But they kept running around my skeleton and triggering the traps, which eventually did me in. I was able to run the rest of the quest, being a bit more cautious of the traps, but still without a trapper.
I think a Dark Hunter in that same situation could have done just as well, but using more of Diplo/Bluff sniper approach to combat and using the DW as a distraction. DW uses the traps to help kill baddies, and DH stays back. When it's over, disarm the traps, which would have all been found by the DW.

Edit: I would take PA with DH for buffing up the DW.
 
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DAVIDARCNO

Active member
Alignment left justified? Seriously, I may give this a try. Any advise for someone who has tried Paladin or Fighter / Rogue and never made level 10 in Hardcore?
 
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Careall

Well-known member
DAVIDARCNO said:
Alignment left justified? Seriously, I may give this a try. Any advise for someone who has tried Paladin or Fighter / Rogue and never made level 10 in Hardcore?
Click to expand...
I had been working on formatting forms at work for about two weeks and this was just stuck in my head. Since Alignment isn't critical for this build, I figured I could have fun with it.
That said, Lawful is as good as any for HC to get that one freebie room in PoP that requires a Lawful alignment, so I usually take LN.
 
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DAVIDARCNO

Active member
Careall, thank you for posting this build. It has gotten me further in Hardcore than any others I have tried. I got to Level 11 in game (not Pending) and the first tier favor prize before death (both firsts). Will keep toon and practice. First time doing a wizard that got off Korthos.
 
Misadventure

Misadventure

Killing everybody on Hardcore with pleasure.
Maybe I try this for next built, currently trying a dark hunter bow, nearly died twice but i'm only 3 now. Hand to dip into horizon for bow, deep is of the premise that you dont get mob aggro. Its expensive too, most of my tree is going to the doggo though.
 
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Br4d

Well-known member
EK/PM/HA is a very good hardcore build, albeit you have a a really good chance of walking into a Light crit at some point that one shots you. Stay away from the Vale of Twilight and your chances of a quick incineration go way down.
 
Coffey

Coffey

Well-known member
Br4d said:
EK/PM/HA is a very good hardcore build, albeit you have a a really good chance of walking into a Light crit at some point that one shots you. Stay away from the Vale of Twilight and your chances of a quick incineration go way down.
Click to expand...
The new quest Catastrophe has Deific Vengeance. Sorry if thats a spoiler for some people lol.
 
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