PvM Melee Build - Fighter 12 / Weapon Master 25 / Paladin 3

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Yunim
Duke
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Posts: 225
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:49 pm

PvM Melee Build - Fighter 12 / Weapon Master 25 / Paladin 3

Post by Yunim »

This build is inspired by builds from Areani, TedRo, and The Flying Rodent.

The counterpart to this build, this is a DPS build which is fully optimised for high end runs. This is one of the best DPS builds to use against a certain high end boss, and it can also be used on other high end runs. Divine Might ignores DI/DR so it is extremely useful for fighting mobs with high Damage Immunity.

This build can work with any weapon, but the best weapons to use are Dwarven Waraxe, Battleaxe, and Kukri (best to worst). Dwarven Waraxe is the best weapon for the build by far, Battleaxe allows you to pick up Blind Fight but is both the hardest to find and hardest to forge, and Kukri is the easiest weapon to forge.

The main problems with the build are a lack of UMD and a lack of Blind Fight. The build can use all divine wands (including Negative Energy Protection and divine Improved Invisiblity), so the lack of UMD isn't too bad. Since Blind Fight isn't needed much in PvM right now, and not at all for the boss that this build is optimised for, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you do want Blind Fight, swap Weapon Proficiency Exotic for Blind Fight and focus in Battleaxes instead of Dwarven Waraxes.

There are 3 variations of this build (all 3 are identical up to level 35): 30STR/16CHA, 28STR/18CHA, 26STR/20CHA.
This is the 26STR/20CHA version, but by switching Great Charisma feats and CHA level ups for Great Strength feats and STR level ups you can build either of the other two.

You MUST have 4 Intimidate at level 6 in order to become a WM.
After this you will have 121 skill points to spend by level 40.

I recommend 20 Tumble (cross class), 9 Lore (resulting in 10 Lore after adding your INT modifier), and 1 point in all of the skills which require training to use. You can drop Tumble since Spring Attack prevents AoO's while moving during combat, but you will lose 4 AC.

With +12 STR, +12 CON, +12 CHA, +20 Dwarven Waraxes, and +6 AC items, it will have the following:
AB: 30 (BAB) + 14 (STR) + 4 (feats) + 6 (WM) + 20 (AB bonus) - 4 (dual-wielding) = +70
AC: 10 (base) + 1 (DEX) + 4 (Tumble) + 8 (Full Plate) + 24 (AC bonus) + 4 (haste) = 51
HP: 400 (base) + 160 (CON) + 20 (feats) = 580
Fortitude: 22 (base) + 4 (CON) + 11 (CHA) = 37
Reflex: 19 (base) + 2 (DEX) + 11 (CHA) = 32
Will: 16 (base) - 1 (WIS) + 11 (CHA) = 26

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Code: Select all

Fighter(12), Weapon Master(25), Paladin(3), Elf

STR: 16 (26)
DEX: 15
CON: 6
WIS: 8
INT: 13
CHA: 16 (20)

Code: Select all

01: Fighter(1): Weapon Proficiency Exotic, Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe
02: Fighter(2): Expertise
03: Fighter(3): Dodge
04: Fighter(4): STR+1, Mobility, (STR=17)
05: Fighter(5)
06: Fighter(6): Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
07: Weapon Master(1): Weapon of Choice: Dwarven Waraxe
08: Weapon Master(2): STR+1, (STR=18)
09: Weapon Master(3): Improved Critical: Dwarven Waraxe
10: Weapon Master(4)
11: Weapon Master(5)
12: Weapon Master(6): STR+1, Power Attack, (STR=19)
13: Weapon Master(7)
14: Fighter(7)
15: Fighter(8): Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Specialization: Dwarven Waraxe
16: Paladin(1): STR+1, (STR=20)
17: Paladin(2)
18: Paladin(3): Divine Might
19: Weapon Master(8)
20: Weapon Master(9): STR+1, (STR=21)
21: Weapon Master(10): Ambidexterity
22: Weapon Master(11)
23: Weapon Master(12)
24: Weapon Master(13): STR+1, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Epic Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe, (STR=22)
25: Fighter(9)
26: Fighter(10): Epic Weapon Specialization: Dwarven Waraxe
27: Fighter(11): Cleave
28: Fighter(12): STR+1, Great Cleave, (STR=23)
29: Weapon Master(14)
30: Weapon Master(15): Great Strength I, (STR=24)
31: Weapon Master(16): Overwhelming Critical: Dwarven Waraxe
32: Weapon Master(17): STR+1, (STR=25)
33: Weapon Master(18): Great Strength II, (STR=26)
34: Weapon Master(19): Devastating Critical: Dwarven Waraxe
35: Weapon Master(20)
36: Weapon Master(21): CHA+1, Great Charisma I, (CHA=18)
37: Weapon Master(22): Epic Prowess
38: Weapon Master(23)
39: Weapon Master(24): Great Charisma II, (CHA=19)
40: Weapon Master(25): CHA+1, Epic Toughness I, (CHA=20)
Yunim
Duke
Duke
Posts: 225
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:49 pm

Re: PvM Melee Build - Fighter 12 / Weapon Master 25 / Paladin 3

Post by Yunim »

Currently the best weapon choice for this build is kukri, not battleaxe or dwarven waraxe.
I also recommend swapping Epic Weapon Specialization for Blind Fight, since more mobs have concealment now compared to when the build was first posted.
Dyndrilliac
Baron
Baron
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:32 pm

Re: PvM Melee Build - Fighter 12 / Weapon Master 25 / Paladin 3

Post by Dyndrilliac »

If someone wanted to go with a 2-handed weapon instead of dual wield, say for example using a Great Axe or Scythe, then what would need to be adjusted?

I am thinking human race, 16/13/8/8/13/16, take power attack at first level with human bonus feat, take cleave at 12 instead of power attack, take great cleave at 15 instead of two-weapon fighting, take blind-fight instead of ambidexterity at level 21, take great strength at 24/27/31/34, overwhelming critical at 28, dev crit at 30.
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