Kali's Dark Hunter Tempest TWF DEX Melee DPS build

Kalibano · Nov 21, 2023

Scrag said:
Ok, figured as much. But as a whole, what dictates your trap dc? Your int on creating a trap?

Can't say I'm an expert on this, but I have found the following effective when making traps and using them in combat:

High INT, or at least equipping an INT item before setting up traps
Disable device skill maxed
Disable device item/augment, or at least equipping an item before setting up traps (inc different bonuses such as competence, insightful, exceptional INT skills, etc.)
Investing in the Improved Traps enhancement (Rogues and Dark Hunters), as it allows you to benefit from 100% of your disable device skill, instead of the standard 50%

Improved Traps: +[1/2/3] to the save DC's of Alchemical Trap Attacks and Magical Traps. Elemental Traps that you place now have a DC equal to [65/80/100]% of your Disable Device Skill instead of 50%

Here's some info from the wiki about what dictates your trap DC when Trapmaking:

https://ddowiki.com/page/Trapmaking

Hope this was helpful

syrrys · Nov 24, 2023

Again, great build, insight and guide. Thank you! If you did go scimitars, which two scimitars would you pick for end game? (apologies if I missed it in this thread).

Kalibano · Nov 26, 2023

syrrys said:
Again, great build, insight and guide. Thank you!

Glad you found it helpful

Compliments are much appreciated.

If you did go scimitars, which two scimitars would you pick for end game? (apologies if I missed it in this thread).

Main hand:

> I'd definitely go with an Attuned Bone Scimitar, with the same Dino augments as listed in the gear section of the main build.

Off-hand:

> My off-hand weapon choices vary a lot, as they normally depend on:

> who I am fighting (trash vs bosses)

> if I am soloing

> or playing in a group with no dedicated CC

> or playing in a group with someone doing consistent/reliable CC

> So, with the above in mind, what I'd probably go for:

> dealing with trash, especially when limited/no CC is available

- Flow, the Piercer of Hearts

Not a scimitar, and no expanded crit profile (i.e. piercing weapon with no keen), but I personally find Guardbreaking to be exceptionally good when soloing

- Nightshard / Timeshard / The Labrythine Edge

Identity Crisis (i.e. 'Salt') is a powerful and effective. Timeshard offers double CC with Legendary Paralysis, while Labrynthine has a very desirable effect: Enhanced Bloodrage

> vs CCed mobs (on some occasions)

- Keeper of the Crimson Covenant

It has Keen, and its no-save insta-kill effect very is nice. Depending on the situation, I use this rather than the full DPS option below

> vs bosses and CCed mobs on most occasions

- Char, the Hellstorm's Edge

Light + slashing weapon. Fully upgraded, it has very strong DPS output

> DR bypass

- Legendary Vulkoor's Edge

Hope these suggestions are helpful!

syrrys · Nov 26, 2023

Kalibano said:
Glad you found it helpful Compliments are much appreciated.

Main hand:

> I'd definitely go with an Attuned Bone Scimitar, with the same Dino augments as listed in the gear section of the main build.

Off-hand:

> My off-hand weapon choices vary a lot, as they normally depend on:
> who I am fighting (trash vs bosses)
> if I am soloing
> or playing in a group with no dedicated CC
> or playing in a group with someone doing consistent/reliable CC

> So, with the above in mind, what I'd probably go for:
> dealing with trash, especially when limited/no CC is available
- Flow, the Piercer of Hearts
Not a scimitar, and no expanded crit profile (i.e. piercing weapon with no keen), but I personally find Guardbreaking to be exceptionally good when soloing

- Nightshard / Timeshard / The Labrythine Edge
Identity Crisis (i.e. 'Salt') is a powerful and effective. Timeshard offers double CC with Legendary Paralysis, while Labrynthine has a very desirable effect: Enhanced Bloodrage

> vs CCed mobs
- Keeper of the Crimson Covenant
It has Keen, and its no-save insta-kill effect very is nice. Depending on the situation, I use this rather than the full DPS option below

> vs bosses
- Char, the Hellstorm's Edge
Light + slashing weapon. Fully upgraded, it has very strong DPS output

> DR bypass
- Legendary Vulkoor's Edge

Hope these suggestions are helpful!

Perfect! Thank you kindly!

Sylvado · Nov 30, 2023

Kalibano said:
Hey @morningfrost Thanks for your message

I know what you mean: levelling throwers and bow users through heroics can be quite a challenge, their attack speed is really not great. The Alchy build starts shining later with improved precise shot and the epic destinies, so I can see how it would be tricky in heroics. I shared some thoughts on the levelling within that build's thread: might be a bit late for you, as you are already level 19, but I suggested spellcasting as a way to help offset the difficulty with dps via throwers, specially in the early levels.

This would be a great build for a ranger life, for sure. I think you'll have a much easier time soloing heroic, compared to a ranged build.
Kukris and Scimitars would work great too, as they both have a great crit profile.

If you go with slashing weapons, you could drop the Weapon finesse feat @lvl 1, and maybe take toughness instead. Then @level 30, you could take Epic Toughness. Or if you want a bit more damage, maybe take weapon focus: slash instead?

You won't need the Deepwood Stalker T2 'Improved Weapon Finesse' either, as the Tempest cores cover DEX hit & dmg for both scimis and kukris. It's rapiers that require the weapon finesse feat and that enhancement.

Hope this helps

Just to make sure I am not missing something. What would you possibly get from Weapon Finesse if you are getting attack and damage from the Tempest Core?

Kalibano · Nov 30, 2023

Sylvado said:
Just to make sure I am not missing something. What would you possibly get from Weapon Finesse if you are getting attack and damage from the Tempest Core?

Hey there, happy to clarify, as it can be a bit confusing:

> Tempest cores:

"While dual-wielding light Melee weapons, you can use your DEX modifier to hit and damage.

It also lets you treat Scimitars as if they were light Melee weapons" (but not rapiers).

> This build uses rapiers as its main weapon and rapiers are not considered light weapons (which means they do not benefit from the Tempest cores).

In order to have DEX applied to-hit and damage with rapiers you need to get:

- feat 'Weapon Finesse' (wiki):

"This feat allows the character to apply their dexterity modifier to hit instead of the strength modifier when making melee attacks with light weapons and rapiers"

- Deepwood stalker's T2 'Improved Weapon Finesse' (wiki):

"You can use your Dexterity modifier for damage when wielding thrown weapons, and melee weapons with which you can use your Dexterity modifier to hit" (rapiers qualify because of the feat 'Weapon Finesse')

If using Scimitars, both of the above can be dropped in favor of something else, as the Tempest cores themselves allow Scimitars to benefit from the Tempest cores DEX to-hit and damage.

Hope this helped clarify things

Sylvado · Nov 30, 2023

Kalibano said:
Hey there, happy to clarify, as it can be a bit confusing:

> Tempest cores:
"While dual-wielding light Melee weapons, you can use your DEX modifier to hit and damage.
It also lets you treat Scimitars as if they were light Melee weapons" (but not rapiers).

> This build uses rapiers as its main weapon and rapiers are not considered light weapons (which means they do not benefit from the Tempest cores).

In order to have DEX applied to-hit and damage with rapiers you need to get:

- feat 'Weapon Finesse' (wiki):
"This feat allows the character to apply their dexterity modifier to hit instead of the strength modifier when making melee attacks with light weapons and rapiers"
- Deepwood stalker's T2 'Improved Weapon Finesse' (wiki):
"You can use your Dexterity modifier for damage when wielding thrown weapons, and melee weapons with which you can use your Dexterity modifier to hit" (rapiers qualify because of the feat 'Weapon Finesse')

If using Scimitars, both of the above can be dropped in favor of something else, as the Tempest cores themselves allow Scimitars to benefit from the Tempest cores DEX to-hit and damage.

Hope this helped clarify things

Ok, it was the slashing weapons comment that threw me off, so it was rapier that was the issue, not a slashing weapon requirement.

Kalibano · Jan 31, 2024

Weapon critical profile section updated to include:

> breakdowns of the threat range and multiplier

> average additional base damage %

- for weapon crit profile (after feats/compentence bonuses applied)

- for crit profile boosts (e.g. on 19-20 rolls)

Hope this extra info is helpful.

syrrys · Mar 4, 2024

Kalibano said:
Welcome to my build repository! I've been playing since 2006, and I play to have fun: I don't really care about 'the META'. I have 23 alts, so I actively play practically every class and race available in the game. I design all my builds fully from scratch. Hope you find them useful, and constructive comments/ suggestions are always welcome!

If you would like to contribute towards this effort, any donations will be greatly appreciated. If not, please don't worry: sharing is caring! Just sit back and relax, and enjoy the builds!

12. Kali's Dark Hunter Tempest TWF DEX Melee DPS
DDOBuilder file for this build. You can find and download Maetrim's DDOBuilder here.

Preface to the build

This thread aims to provide the very 'core' of the build:

show how it started: its key aims

indicate the key decisions that can be made to achieve those aims: stats, skills, feats, heroic enhancements, epic destinies

all numbers are based on what a first-lifer (or someone with minimal past lives) would have, unbuffed, outside of reaper mode (they do, however, include equipped gear and partially completed filigrees). They are real characters, and those are the numbers I can offer.

numbers are indicative of the potential minimum amounts that can be achieved with the investments that were proposed

provide a 'photo' of what your character could look like at endgame during quite a few lives of their 'TR hamster wheel' journey

show the 'foundations' to be built upon, if a player decides to embark on the 'TR hamster wheel' and go out there to hunt for rare bonuses

gear choices are NOT part of the core build, but rather one of the most important ways to invest in the key elements of the core build to make the aims work. It has been added here simply to suggest options/ inspire. No promises are being made towards keeping this updated upon the release of new content.

DISCLAIMER: nobody in real life has been injured on the making of this thread, and nobody will suffer injuries in real life if they try it. DDO is an awesome game, and trying-and-testing + making changes to suit your specific play style are a very healthy aspect of the game. It's how you learn and get better! Try not to stress too much about what some people have to say about how you play your game. Not everyone gets that this is a game, that people are not the same, and don't want the same things! The Mountain has many paths. Have fun!

Aims of the build

Primary aim(s):
1. DPS

> lots of AoE attacks:

> 200% strikethrough chance [always attacks 3 targets (if in range)] for 10s every 15 seconds (regardless of combat style):
> Tempest's 'Dance of Death [T5]'

> Shadowdancer's 'Shadowstrike [T2]'
> {+50% dmg, +3 crit Range and Multiplier} Cleave attack

> Fury of the Wild's 'The Great Leveler [T5]'
> {+60% dmg +16 crit range}: hits all enemies in a short line

> 'Whirlwind Attack' (feat):
> {+20% damage} Attacks twice all enemies in a 360 degree arc around you

2. interwaeved with some enemy de-buffs:

> Shadowdancer
> Shadow Loss on failed Fort save (-5 PRR, MRR and Spell Penetration)
'Shadowstrike [T2]'

> Darkness for 12s on rolls of natural 20 (applies sneak attack vulnerability / -3 PRR, MRR and Spell Penetration per stack, max 3 stacks)
'Bring Darkness [T4]'

> Fury of the Wild (FotW)
> Shaken, for 30s every 30s
'Primal Scream [T1]'

Secondary aim(s):
3. some Crowd Control:

> AoE:
> Fury of the Wild (FotW)
> ‘The Great Leveler [T5]’

> Single-target:
> Dark Hunter
> 'Snap Trap [T3]'

> Shadowdancer
> Blindness on vorpals, no save (for 5s, can only apply to each monster once per 60s)
'Dark Imbuement [T3]'

> Deepwood Stalker
> 'Tendon Cut [T1]' (AoE while under Tempest's 'Dance of Death [T5]')

4. Finding & disabling traps + opening locks

Key stats & synergies

Key abilities toolbar (main rotation):

A. Dexterity for melee combat:

> To hit: via Tempest's [C2]
> Rapiers: Weapon Finesse (feat)

> To dmg via Tempest's [C3]
> Rapiers: Deepwood Stalker's 'Improved Weapon Finesse [T2]'

> base ability for Tactical DC formulas of some key attacks/enhancements:
(+INT-based insightful bonus via Harper Agent's 'Know the Angles [T2]')
> Dark Hunter (e.g. Snap Trap)
> FoTW (e.g. The Great Leveler)

B. Two Weapon Fighting mastery:

> Off-hand attack chance = 100%:

Base bonus
> 20%
Feats
> +20%: Two-Weapon Fighting
> +20%: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
> +20%: Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Heroic
> +10%: Tempest's 'Tempest [C2]'
> +10%: Tempest's 'Whirlwind [C5]'

> Off-hand Ability bonus to dmg = 100%:

> Tempest's 'Dual Perfection [T5]' (base is 50% Ability bonus to damage)

C. Attack speed = 15%

Enhancement bonus
> +15%: Gear/ Augment/ Haste spell

> Attack speed boost = +30% (total 45%)

[Tempest's 'Haste Action Boost [T2]']
> 9 Charges:

Base charges
> 5
Augment
> +3: 'Legendary Moment to Legendary Moment'
Airship buffs
> +1: 'Concert Hall'

D. Doublestrike

> Main hand = 70%
Doublestrike breakdown:

Feats
> +2%: 'Harbinger of Chaos'
Heroic
> +5%: Tempest 'Whirlwind [C5]'
> +10%: Tempest 'Dervish [C6]'
Epic Destinies
> +3%: FoTW 'Wild Weapons: Doublestrike [T3]'
> +2%: FoTW 'Wade Through: Doublestrike [T4]'
> +5%: Shadowdancer 'Shadowstriker [T3]'
Gear bonuses (inc Set bonuses)
> +15% artifact bonus (set bonus)
> +15% enhancement bonus
> +6% insightful bonus
> +3% quality bonus
Filigrees (inc Set bonuses)
> +1%: 'Shadowstrike' (single filigree)
Unknown source
> +3%: ???

> buffable to 100% {for 15s every 90s}:

> +30%: Tempest's 'A Thousand Cuts [T5]'

> Off-hand = 65% of total:

Base bonus
> 50%
Feats
> +15%: 'Perfect Single Weapon Fighting'

E. Weapon Critical profile 15-20/ x3

→ Critical threat range

Base
> 18-20: Rapiers
Feats
> +3 feat bonus: 'Improved Critical: Piercing' (feat)

= 15-20

→ Critical damage multiplier

Base
> x2: Rapiers
Heroic enhancements/spells
> +1 competence bonus: Tempest's 'Deflect Arrows [C4]'

= x3

→ Average additional base damage = +60%:

Critical threat range 15-20 = 6
Critical damage multiplier x3 (-1 to remove base) = 2
> 6 x 2 = 12

> Each point = 5% more average base damage
> 12 x 5% = 60%

> Crit damage multiplier boost = +2 (15-20/x5):

Feats
> +1 on 19-20 rolls: 'Overwhelming Critical'
Epic Destinies
> +1 on 19-20 rolls: FotW's 'Nature's Fury's [T5]'

15-20/x5 = 6 x 4 = 24
24 x 5% = +120% more average base damage

F. 4 imbue die: Bleed dmg (scales Melee Power):

> Dark Hunter's 'Bleed the Weak [T1]'
> Dark wolf also gets this imbue, and uses your total imbue die
Imbue die breakdown:

+2 die Feats
+2 Harbringer of Chaos (@lvl 28)

+1 dice Heroic enhancements
+1 Dark Hunter (Tier 3)

+1 dice Augment
+1 Emerald of Arcane Empowerment
= total 4 die, sustainable 100% of the time

G. 26 Sneak Attack die
SA die breakdown:

+11 die Feats
+5 Dark Hunter class feats (passive) (@lvls 1, 5, 10, 15, 20)
+6 Scion of the Ethereal Plane

+6 dice Heroic enhancements
+3 Dark Hunter (Tiers 1-3)
+3 Deepwood Stalker (C1-2 + T1, rank 3)

+7 dice Epic Destinies
+7 Shadowdancer (C1-4 + T2)

+1 dice Filigrees
+1 Treachery (set bonus: 3 pieces)

+1 dice ???
+1 ???
= total 26 die, sustainable 100% of the time

> buffable to 46d6 {for 10s every 60s}:

+20 die Dark Hunter's 'Opportune Moment [C4]'

H. Fortification bypass = 123%

Feats
> +25%: 'Precision'
Epic Destinies
> +12%: FotW's '6% Sense Weakness [T3]' + '6% Primal Force [T4]'
> +8%: Shadowdancer's '3% Cut to the Soul [C4]' + '5% Grim Precision [T3]'
Gear bonuses (inc Set bonuses)
> +30%: Legendary Part of the Family set bonus
> +23%: enhancement bonus
> +10%: insightful bonus
Filigrees (inc Set bonuses)
> +10%: 'Dreadbringer' (3-piece set bonus)
Airship Buffs
> +5%: 'Trapsmith's Workshop'

I. Helpless damage = +106%

Base bonus
> +50%
Feats
> +15%: 'Crush Weakness'
Epic Destinies
> +18%: FotW's '9% Mantle of Fury's [T1]' + '9% Sense Weakness [T3]'
> +3%: Shadowdancer's 'Cut to the Soul [C4]'
Gear bonuses (inc Set bonuses)
> +15%: Legendary Part of the Family set bonus
Airship Buffs
> +5%: 'Game Hunter'

J. Extra damage:

> Extra Weapon dmg = +0.25{W]:

Airship Buffs
> +0.25[W]: 'Ninja Assassin'

> +2% damage: epic bonus to all physical attacks
> FotW's 'Primal Force [T4]'

> Untyped damage per Sneak Attack die, on each hit, for 10s every 15s, scales Melee Power
> Shadowdancer's 'Dark Imbuement [T3]'

> AoE Bludgeon dmg (on Trip attack, scales 150% Melee Power)
> Fury of the Wild's 'Be the Whirlwind [C4]'

> Insightful bonus to damage:
> Harper 'Know the Angles [T2]'

> up to +10 damage {for 15s every 30s}
> Tempest's 'The Growing Storm [T4]'

> up to +15 morale Melee Power {killing enemies, for 20s}
> Dark Hunter's 'Slayer in the dark [T4]'

K. Burst damage:

> FotW's 'Unbridled Fury [T5]'

L. Survivability (after all, soul stones do zero dps):

> Light armor for higher dodge chance + evasion
> Max DEX bonus to armor: = 35 / Dodge cap = 30%

> Dodge chance = 26% [31% in reaper mode, using reaper tree Dodge bonuses]
> buffable:
> extra 35%+ {for 18s every 90s}:
> Tempest's 'Elaborate Parry [T4]' (Dodge, Maximum Dodge, and Maximum Dexterity Bonus to light and medium armor, equal to your Dexterity Modifier)
> +5%, ignores Cap {for 10s every 15s}:
> Shadowdancer's 'Improved Meld [T4]' via Epic strike 'Shadowstrike [T2]'

> stacking Incorporeality = +5%
> Tempest's 'Whirlwind [C5]'

> Deflect arrows: Tempest's 'Deflect Arrows [C4]'
> 1 projectile every 2s: Tempest's 'Improved Defense [T1]'

> Hit Points bonus = +35%
Competence bonus
> +25%: Tempest's 'Dual Perfection [T5]'
Primal bonus
> +10%: Fury of the Wild's 'Lore of the Wilds [T5]'

I share some strategies for general defensiveness and survival in this thread. Come visit if you feel it could be useful to you!

M. Trapping:

> Auto-search for traps (Dark Wolf):
> Dark Hunter's 'Lupine Instincts [T4]'

> Search + Disable traps
> High INT
> +20 primal bonus: Dark Hunter's 'Lupine Instincts [T4]'

> Very high DEX:
> Reflex saves + Open Lock

> Evasion: Shadowdancer's 'The Darkest Luck [C3]'
> No auto-fail Reflex saving throws on a roll of 1
> Epic Reflexes (feat)

The 'core elements' of the build

Class(es): Dark Hunter (20)
Race: Wood Elf (Tabaxi would be an excellent choice too)
Alignment: Chaotic Good (because of 'Harbinger of Chaos' feat, but can be any)
Main stat: Dexterity (level ups here)
Starting stats (34 pts): STR: 08/ DEX: 20/ CON: 16/ INT: 13/ WIS: 08/ CHA: 08
Skills:

> Search/ Spot/ Disable Device / Open Lock
> Heal / Use Magic Device/ Concentration/ Balance/ Tumble (1 point)
Weapon type(s): Rapiers mainly (crit profile), but also some Short swords, Daggers, Light Picks (light piercing weapons)
* Extra notes on weapon choice:

> I made a choice to go with rapiers as the main weapon for this build for a few personal reasons:

one of the other strong options, scimitars, are being used by my Blighted Wolf druid alt

Kukris, which could also go really well, will be used my my rogue alt

rapiers created potential to use other special/strong piercing weapons such as daggers, short swords and light picks (because of improved critical: piercing feat)

those other piercing weapons choices, in my opinion, bring more variety of options than the slashing counterparts (Handaxes, sickles and kukris mostly)

so all in all, a personal choice, as scimitars and kukris could work very well too

> The Tempest tree grants DEX to-hit and damage with light melee weapons, but unfortunately, rapiers are not considered light weapons

so to make it work with this build, the Weapon Finesse feat lets it use DEX to hit

then, Deepwood stalker' 'Improved Weapon Finesse [T2]' lets me use DEX for damage with melee weapons with which you can use your Dexterity modifier to hit (that's why the Weapon Finesse feat is needed)

Deepwood Stalker is a tree I still want to use to get extra Sneak Attack die, so this isn't an extra cost just to make rapiers work

The Weapon Finesse feat needs to stay in, and won't be swapped out later on

> Note: Tempest [C2] (min Dark Hunter level 3) lets you treat Scimitars as light weapons

So, if you decide to go with slashing weapons, instead:

you could drop the Weapon finesse feat @lvl 1, and instead potentially take:

Nimble Fingers, so you get an extra +1 Sneak Attack die from Shadowdancer's 'Technician [T1]'?

or maybe take Toughness, and then @level 30 take Epic Toughness?

Weapon focus: slash?

Power Critical (needs to be later because of BAB+4 requirement)?

You won't need the Deepwood Stalker T2 'Improved Weapon Finesse' either, as the Tempest cores cover DEX hit & dmg for both scimis and kukris. It's rapiers that require the weapon finesse feat and that enhancement.

you could use the 1 action point somewhere else in the same tree, or any of the other trees.

Feats:

Heroic enhancements: 83 = 80 + 2 (Racial tomes) + 1 (Universal tome)

Epic Destinies: 65 = 61 + 1 (Tome of Fate +3) + 2 (Fey & Dread tomes) + 1 (Historic tome)

N.B: ED multi-selector choices:

> Fury of the Wild

> T2: 'Fast and Furious'
> T3: 'Doublestrike'
> T4: 'Primal Force'
> T4: 'Doublestrike'

> Shadowdancer

> T3: 'Shadowstriker'
> T3: 'Dark Imbuement'
> T4: 'Improved Meld'

Spells:

Suggestions for gear
(not part of the core build: choices based on what supports the main aims of the build best, with the intention to suggest/ inspire)

Gear Set bonuses:

Gear:
(PS: Some choices ref gear cater to a much larger personal scheme/tetris where items need to get shared between several alts at endgame, where I normally play in reaper mode 6-10 skulls).

Dark Hunter DPS gear set spreadsheet above is available to download too. More on DPS gear sets in this thread.

Main Filigree Set bonuses:

Filigrees: 14 = 4 (artefact) + 10 (weapon)

Filigree master plan:

Primarily invest in Melee Power and Assassinate DCs.

Sneak Attack die and Imbue Die goes as secondary aim, if/when possible to squeeze in

Dexterity and other effects get the least priority

I am always happy to read, consider and respond to constructive comments/ suggestions / feedback that are provided in a polite and friendly manner. I welcome discussions with anyone who is capable (and willing) to do this. Some discussions may lead to both parties simply agreeing to disagreeing - that's absolutely fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion after all!
.

Quick question, where do you find the +19 spot augment?
I've been looking on the wiki and Reddit and can't seem to find anything other than that there are no spot augments?

saekee · Mar 4, 2024

Hey I found something interesting for you. There seems to be a hidden 2 or 3% doublestrike in Shadowdancer. It appears when you do the epic strike upgrades, at least for the damage version. I saw it disappear when I tried dumping SD’s epic strike buffs. So that might explain your mystery 3% doublestrike.

On my assassin I use Dreadbringer 4 piece but also 4 piece Shattered Device. The debuff from it really boosts your damage against tough foes as well as other folk’s. It also gives boosts on attack and damage as well as 3% doublestrike. I have a standing doublestrike of 93 (before rapid slash). This is with 9% from EPLs but I am missing the Aasimar 6% one could get (I do not own that iconic race but will probably buy it when it goes on sale and push my DS to 99). I get 9% DS out of Fury of the Wild too—3% in one tier and 6 in another. DS is super important for DPS, and I see you got the active attack that pumps it up high when you need it.

Kalibano · Mar 5, 2024

saekee said:
Hey I found something interesting for you. There seems to be a hidden 2 or 3% doublestrike in Shadowdancer. It appears when you do the epic strike upgrades, at least for the damage version. I saw it disappear when I tried dumping SD’s epic strike buffs. So that might explain your mystery 3% doublestrike.

Good to know, thanks for sharing this!

On my assassin I use Dreadbringer 4 piece but also 4 piece Shattered Device. The debuff from it really boosts your damage against tough foes as well as other folk’s. It also gives boosts on attack and damage as well as 3% doublestrike. I have a standing doublestrike of 93 (before rapid slash). This is with 9% from EPLs but I am missing the Aasimar 6% one could get (I do not own that iconic race but will probably buy it when it goes on sale and push my DS to 99). I get 9% DS out of Fury of the Wild too—3% in one tier and 6 in another. DS is super important for DPS, and I see you got the active attack that pumps it up high when you need it.

That sounds great. Agreed that DS is very important, and without past lives, it can be a challenge on some builds to hit that nice 100%.

Shattered Device is indeed very nice to boost DPS, but potentially more of a 'must' for those who play solo a lot. If playing in groups, all it takes is one person to have Shattered Device, as my understanding is that the de-buff does not stack from different sources (perhaps I am wrong?). In the event it doesn't stack, everyone having Shattered Device would seem counter-productive, and actually translate into a potential loss of DPS, hence my choice to focus on sneak attack die and imbue die (and a personal choice to boost assassinate DCs).

Fisto Mk I · Mar 5, 2024

Kalibano said:
perhaps I am wrong?

You fully correct. If you remember, i suggest Shattered Device as second option for solo play before, but for group play it's loss of DPS. 8)

Aphasmayra · Mar 5, 2024

Do you have a list of gear that you are wearing while leveling your melee characters from 1-30?

Kalibano · Mar 5, 2024

Aphasmayra said:
Do you have a list of gear that you are wearing while leveling your melee characters from 1-30?

Hi there,

Unfortunately no, as I have quite a few alts, and sometimes I TR an alt into another build half-way through levelling (e.g. new race release), so gear changes too much and without a predictable pattern.

When gearing, I personally tend to consider:
- first: what set bonuses (artefact bonus + profane bonus) are available at this level range?

> this matters, as set bonuses are substantial, and have gear slot requirements

- I use a planner spreadhseet to keep track of slots and bonuses (I share these spreadsheets here)

> I look back at the build and jot down in the planner the key stats I want (e.g. melee DPS builds: doublestrike, melee power, etc.)

> then fill up all the gear slots taken by both sets, and update the bonuses columns

> I then have an overview of all I have and all I am missing in one page of the planner!

- I then look up items, for each empty gear slot in the spreadhseet, which contains the key stats I am still missing in the bonuses list

That's the general strategy I tend to use.

In the event this feels too complicated/ time-consuming, I'd try to stick to the gear and their respective key set bonuses throughout the game (e.g. lvl 3L Saltmarsh / lvl 5 Chronoscope / lvl 7 Isle od Dread, etc.). The heroic lvl 15 Sharn gear is pretty strong, and will serve you way all the way into mid/late epic levels.

Hope this was helpful!

saekee · Mar 5, 2024

Kalibano said:
Shattered Device is indeed very nice to boost DPS, but potentially more of a 'must' for those who play solo a lot. If playing in groups, all it takes is one person to have Shattered Device, as my understanding is that the de-buff does not stack from different sources (perhaps I am wrong?). In the event it doesn't stack, everyone having Shattered Device would seem counter-productive, and actually translate into a potential loss of DPS, hence my choice to focus on sneak attack die and imbue die (and a personal choice to boost assassinate DCs).

yes, I PUG or solo always (except for guild raids) and most players do not have Shattered device in their setup, let alone any ability to stack vulnerability. In fact, it is amazing how poorly a lot of players play their builds TBH but hey, just a fun game and I love the insanity from all this

bobjones17 · Mar 7, 2024

Is there any way to put bastard swords in this build, at least for leveling? Farmed piles of b-swords for my ek build, and just thinking about farming rapiers/scimitars make me dizzy.

Kalibano · Mar 8, 2024

bobjones17 said:
Is there any way to put bastard swords in this build, at least for leveling? Farmed piles of b-swords for my ek build, and just thinking about farming rapiers/scimitars make me dizzy.

Well, that might take some deeper planning, rather than a simple substitution, for a few reasons:
- B-swords benefit from strikethrough, which means they are potentially stronger when using

> SWF+THF style

> one appealing option: rune Arms & sword + THF speciality feat, like I use with this build

> Shield & sword + THF feat

- Dark Hunters get the TWF feats free, so investing in in an alternative combat style would require significant feat changes (and the TWF free feats would be useless, which means it's less synergistic, but not impossible). Dual Perfection in Tempest T5 is another strong aspect of the Tempest tree that would be useless too.

- You would need to use STR as the main ability, instead of DEX. This creates a difficulty, as you'd need STR, CON and INT (traps), so perhaps would need an extra feat change to squeeze in Insightful Reflexes, since there would be no room to invest in DEX for reflexes.

- Personally, I find DEX far more synergistic with the Tempest tree:
> Elaborate Parry
> Reflex saves, which for a DH in particular, are very important
> Being able to pull a bow out on some occasions and do decent dmg with manyshot

These are just some considerations, off the top of my head. Likely there is more that needs to be considered.

Also possible to simply dual-wield b-swords using TWF, since Tempest gets short bursts of strikethrough via Dance of Death, but again, it will need to be STR based, so imo less natural synergy with Tempest.

Hope these comments are helpful!

saekee · Mar 8, 2024

Kalibano said:
Well, that might take some deeper planning, rather than a simple substitution, for a few reasons:
- B-swords benefit from strikethrough, which means they are potentially stronger when using

> SWF+THF style
> one appealing option: rune Arms & sword + THF speciality feat, like I use with this build
> Shield & sword + THF feat

- Dark Hunters get the TWF feats free, so investing in those would require significant feat changes (and the TWF free feats would be useless, which means it's less synergistic, but not impossible). Dual Perfection in Tempest T5 is another strong aspect of the Tempest tree that would be useless too.

- You would need to use STR as the main ability, instead of DEX. This creates a difficulty, as you'd need STR, CON and INT, so perhaps would need an extra feat change to squeeze in Insightful Reflexes

- Personally, I find DEX far more synergistic with the Tempest tree:
> Elaborate Parry
> Reflex saves, which for a DH in particular, are very important
> Being able to pull a bow out on some occasions and do decent dmg with manyshot

These are just some considerations, off the top of my head. Likely there is more that needs to be considered.

Also possible to simply dual-wield b-swords using TWF, since Tempest gets short bursts of strikethrough via Dance of Death, but again, it will need to be STR based, so imo less natural synergy with Tempest.

Hope these comments are helpful!

That was the most kind, thoughtful way someone here on the forums has said ‘no it will not work.’

bobjones17 · Mar 8, 2024

Kalibano said:
Well, that might take some deeper planning, rather than a simple substitution, for a few reasons:
- B-swords benefit from strikethrough, which means they are potentially stronger when using

> SWF+THF style
> one appealing option: rune Arms & sword + THF speciality feat, like I use with this build
> Shield & sword + THF feat

- Dark Hunters get the TWF feats free, so investing in in an alternative combat style would require significant feat changes (and the TWF free feats would be useless, which means it's less synergistic, but not impossible). Dual Perfection in Tempest T5 is another strong aspect of the Tempest tree that would be useless too.

- You would need to use STR as the main ability, instead of DEX. This creates a difficulty, as you'd need STR, CON and INT (traps), so perhaps would need an extra feat change to squeeze in Insightful Reflexes, since there would be no room to invest in DEX for reflexes.

- Personally, I find DEX far more synergistic with the Tempest tree:
> Elaborate Parry
> Reflex saves, which for a DH in particular, are very important
> Being able to pull a bow out on some occasions and do decent dmg with manyshot

These are just some considerations, off the top of my head. Likely there is more that needs to be considered.

Also possible to simply dual-wield b-swords using TWF, since Tempest gets short bursts of strikethrough via Dance of Death, but again, it will need to be STR based, so imo less natural synergy with Tempest.

Hope these comments are helpful!

Thanks, imma go farm me some scimitars.

Kalibano · Mar 21, 2024

U66 changes (updated in the forums and DDOBuilder file)
This build pretty much remains the same, with one exception:

Fury of the Wild

> T4: 'Primal Force' (3 ranks)

> as of U66, 3 ranks of T3 'Spirit of the Beast' are now required to be able to take the full 3 ranks of T4 'Primal Force'

A couple of suggestions to deal with this change:

The one I personally prefer, and which can now be seen in the updated DDOBuilder file for this build:

(gain 2 APs) -> drop T4 'The Voice of Fury' since this build does not use the FoTW epic strike
(gain 1 AP) -> drop T4 'Doublestrike': total doublestrike goes down to 98% outside reaper mode
use those 3 APs in T3 'Spirit of the Beast', so pre-req is met for T4 'Primal Force' as planned

Another possible change:

2 ranks in T3 'Spirit of the Beast'
1 rank in T4 'Primal Force'

Other than that, still very much the same build. Enjoy!

Kali's Dark Hunter Tempest TWF DEX Melee DPS build

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