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So, Thought I would put this build up for new players that simply want a Drow with a strength fighter build that isn't too half bad. Very low maintenance (Point and click at monsters) so its easy enough to go with.

Here goes.

Fighter 6/ WeaponMaster 17/ Bard 1

STATS STATS STAAATS:
STR 18,
DEX 13,
CON 12, (10)-2 After
INT 13, (15)+2 After
WIS 8,
CHA 8 (10) +2 After Drow

Fighter 01 Weapon Focus, Blind Fight
Fighter 02 Dodge
Fighter 03 Mobility
Fighter 04 Expertise
Fighter 05
Fighter 06 Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
WM 7
WM 8
WM 09 Improved Critical
WM 12 Power Attack
WM 13
WM 14
WM 15 Cleave
WM 18 Great Cleave, Knockdown
WM 19
WM20 Improved Expertise
WM 21 Great STR I
WM 22
WM23 Overwhelming Critical
WM24 Devastating Critical
WM25 Armor Skin
WM26
WM27 Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Prowess
Bard 28 : No feats, but its a skill dump for Tumble & UMD

Pros!
~ Dev Crit,
~ Ridiculous AB,
~ Can sacrifice 10 AB for 10 AC via Imp Expertise, because of full AB, You can afford that normally in PVM
~ The Bard level allows you to Roleplay singing sub par (But also get AC from Tumble)
~ UMD can use wands & scrolls.
~ Going weaponmaster with a weapon with a critical range of 18-20 to start can reduce the range to almost 50% chance of doing criticals.

Cons!
~ One trick pony. You hit stuff with a weapon.
~ Without expertise and sacrificing your AB, You AC can suffer quite badly whilst up against higher tier stuff.
~ CON at 10 for a frontliner is a bit dicey, If you get hit a good few times, Theres a very good chance that your going down.

Enjoy! Also, the build itself isn't min/maxed, but feel free to criticise or make suggestions! I can change it if general consensus agrees to make it better for all!

There's a few discrepancies with your build. Firstly, 10 levels is the maximum of any prestige class you can take pre-epic. This is a common ailment we builders try to combat relentlessly to no avail. Alas, Fighter14/WM13/DumpHere is the truism of all ECL +2 races headed for heavy WM.

Secondly, always remember to min to the max, praise be! INT 15 is unequivocally too smart for a fighter, so you can lower that to 13.

Thirdly, IKD is far superior to Improved Expertise.

Also... just my 2 cents here: Wouldn't 1 rogue instead of bard be better? First you get sneak attack, second, you won't get all your potions dispelled based on the current dispelling logic of the server.

Opustus wrote:

There's a few discrepancies with your build. Firstly, 10 levels is the maximum of any prestige class you can take pre-epic. This is a common ailment we builders try to combat relentlessly to no avail. Alas, Fighter14/WM13/DumpHere is the truism of all ECL +2 races headed for heavy WM.

Secondly, always remember to min to the max, praise be! INT 15 is unequivocally too smart for a fighter, so you can lower that to 13.

Thirdly, IKD is far superior to Improved Expertise.

bidocks wrote:

Also... just my 2 cents here: Wouldn't 1 rogue instead of bard be better? First you get sneak attack, second, you won't get all your potions dispelled based on the current dispelling logic of the server.

Thanks for the comments guys! Will re-amend and add extra bits in!

Opustus wrote:

Alas, Fighter14/WM13/DumpHere is the truism of all ECL +2 races headed for heavy WM.

Secondly, always remember to min to the max, praise be! INT 15 is unequivocally too smart for a fighter, so you can lower that to 13.

Thirdly, IKD is far superior to Improved Expertise.

First statment, sadly is true, the combo of 14 fighter, 13 weapon master, and a dump class works perfect for a drow and that nasty +2 Ecl.

The second part, I will disagree with, nothing wrong with 15 INT, Auen'nal Zua'ana had 15 lnt points, due to the fact when I was maxing out his attributes and wanted a 14 int to get extra skill points, I had one point left over that just simply wouldnt fit anywhere else, so though it gives no stat bonues really... for "RP" sake (yes I went there) It fits very well... Auen was a commander of a very Lore heavy position, and haveing that extra smartness

helped out a great deal.

Third point this mentions I again disagree... if your in a fight where you have issues hitting them and they are hitting you, IKD is pointless to you, over the years of testing IDK and nornal KD.... I really only found it helpful to races that are smaller... KD plus dev crit... really dont need to waste a feat on Improved Knock down.... you already get the best one in the game. Dev crit...

bidocks wrote:

Also... just my 2 cents here: Wouldn't 1 rogue instead of bard be better? First you get sneak attack, second, you won't get all your potions dispelled based on the current dispelling logic of the server.

Rougue is great if you want the 1d6 sneak... about all it gives. Bard gives 1 ab for a few seconds and those who love the RP aspect.. Bards get Perform. It works either way... if you ever plan on an Eli, they love the dance and what not (Lady of the Dance = Eli) Then perform helps, but is just an RP icying on the cake.

I have built... more drow fighter/wm's then I care to discuss on this server... how ever I will say for stats... my build request for Auen and his final stats... it gives you alot of flexible thought maxing out attributes and with a few sneaky trade skills such as greater sanc scrolls... (hipsing weapon masters) gets them flat footed... fun times.
Link to my rebuild on Auen'nal Zua'ana.
viewtopic.php?f=90&t=68387

Soul_Reaper wrote:

bidocks wrote:

Also... just my 2 cents here: Wouldn't 1 rogue instead of bard be better? First you get sneak attack, second, you won't get all your potions dispelled based on the current dispelling logic of the server.

Rougue is great if you want the 1d6 sneak... about all it gives. Bard gives 1 ab for a few seconds and those who love the RP aspect.. Bards get Perform. It works either way... if you ever plan on an Eli, they love the dance and what not (Lady of the Dance = Eli) Then perform helps, but is just an RP icying on the cake.

You are forgetting all of what bidocks said: 1 Bard means your potions will get dispelled by a sneeze. Which is enough to make it hella frustrating.

Also, it's not the server's logic it's NWN's logic ;p We tried to fix it, it blew up, and it was reverted. Still hoping to fix it right though!

Naivatkal wrote:

You are forgetting all of what bidocks said: 1 Bard means your potions will get dispelled by a sneeze. Which is enough to make it hella frustrating.

Also, it's not the server's logic it's NWN's logic ;p We tried to fix it, it blew up, and it was reverted. Still hoping to fix it right though!

I never disagreed with that logic but was giving an RP or another way at looking at Bard as a dump

. I didn't think I needed to say anything more on the fact that yes sneeze will dispel any potion buff you use.... which is only a pain really in the squid layer... beholders doesn't matter if your level 30 wizard with every epic spell feat in the book... so only few selected areas is it a nightmare, or can be. How ever with that said, I have ran into little to almost no issues with a bard level as my skill dump... and pretty much solo every area including abyss and actland when it was still around

squids I don't count cause you sneeze on them and they die

The deal here when taking a bard level instead of Rogue, is that you are lowering your caster level to a magnificent 1.
Wide open to a whooooole neeew woooooorld of dispells.
Rogue, in the other hand, neats you 1d6 of sneak die, more and better skill(points). Unless you are planning to max spellcraft at the bard level... well, you know the point.

Why do we need the 4 last fighter lvls?

If Terra's dispel changes ever get put in (it requires a lot of fixes to what things like KC powers are) then a 1st level bard will be a minimum of level 15 like every other non-caster anyway. 1 bard would become a lot more useful because you would get spellcraft some other really nice skills I can't think of off hand.

Really... this whole dispel thing makes me chuckle. Everyone blows up on even a lesser dispel dispelling your potion buffs... Ok lets make a list of alllll the area's that have dispel that drow normally run around outside of dm events....

Squids - mindflayers (level 24 caster or non caster with potions {exect 1 level bard})
Beholders. (Dosnt matter what level caster you are, be that lvl 100 wizard... your getting stripped)

yeah this is all I got.

Even my cleric wm rogue of Lolth had no issue in the squids.... Auen'nal with one level bard.... hell almost all my drow around level 15 to 16 were in that area killing squids... Boss's don't have dispel... 99% of this server dosnt have dispel.... even in pvp... the only dispel I ever get hit with are mords... and again, be that level 30 wizard/sorc/cleric/druid/bard/ranger/ any spell caster.... your loosing something.

In my personal opinion, cause I can... I strongly be-leave creatures like... squids... who have more then enough caster levels... should be throwing mords instead of greater dispel... they are after all one of the deadlier creatures of the UD. Then it really wont matter if u have a UMD/tumble dump class

Soul_Reaper wrote:

Opustus wrote:

Alas, Fighter14/WM13/DumpHere is the truism of all ECL +2 races headed for heavy WM.

Secondly, always remember to min to the max, praise be! INT 15 is unequivocally too smart for a fighter, so you can lower that to 13.

Thirdly, IKD is far superior to Improved Expertise.

First statment, sadly is true, the combo of 14 fighter, 13 weapon master, and a dump class works perfect for a drow and that nasty +2 Ecl.

The second part, I will disagree with, nothing wrong with 15 INT, Auen'nal Zua'ana had 15 lnt points, due to the fact when I was maxing out his attributes and wanted a 14 int to get extra skill points, I had one point left over that just simply wouldnt fit anywhere else, so though it gives no stat bonues really... for "RP" sake (yes I went there) It fits very well... Auen was a commander of a very Lore heavy position, and haveing that extra smartness

helped out a great deal.

Third point this mentions I again disagree... if your in a fight where you have issues hitting them and they are hitting you, IKD is pointless to you, over the years of testing IDK and nornal KD.... I really only found it helpful to races that are smaller... KD plus dev crit... really dont need to waste a feat on Improved Knock down.... you already get the best one in the game. Dev crit...

Second point: My rationale was simply that INT 15 will net you nothing but crumbs of skill points buildwise. I feel so filthy, but it still feels oh so right.
Third point: You're probably right, but my opinion is so biased by my perversion for offensive stats that sacrificing them for the sake of defensive stats is just utterly, hideously unthinkable.

Soul_Reaper wrote:

99% of this server dosnt have dispel.... even in pvp... the only dispel I ever get hit with are mords... and again, be that level 30 wizard/sorc/cleric/druid/bard/ranger/ any spell caster.... your loosing something.

Ha, I'm the 1%. Fuck yeah, ring of lesser spell battle :mrgreen:

555444333 wrote:

Soul_Reaper wrote:

99% of this server dosnt have dispel.... even in pvp... the only dispel I ever get hit with are mords... and again, be that level 30 wizard/sorc/cleric/druid/bard/ranger/ any spell caster.... your loosing something.

Ha, I'm the 1%. Fuck yeah, ring of lesser spell battle :mrgreen:

Don't let me find out about that bard level man, I will use that +10 spellcraft ring for something lol

555444333 wrote:

Ha, I'm the 1%. Fuck yeah, ring of lesser spell battle :mrgreen:

bobofwestoregonusa wrote:

Don't let me find out about that bard level man, I will use that +10 spellcraft ring for something lol

What one shot to dispel what? Your concealment? You have one maybe two of those… to my average 30-40 charges on my wand of imp inveso… my mindblank? Unless you’re a spell caster… don’t really need it and if you are… well you’re screwed anyways. So really comes down to being pointless in the end and more than acceptable to have a tumble dump be bard.

I will defend the original poster xD

Edit to address this:

Opustus wrote:

Second point: My rationale was simply that INT 15 will net you nothing but crumbs of skill points buildwise. I feel so filthy, but it still feels oh so right.
Third point: You're probably right, but my opinion is so biased by my perversion for offensive stats that sacrificing them for the sake of defensive stats is just utterly, hideously unthinkable.

I feel your pain I really do... maxing the stats on a drow F/WM is a pain... and if you go for the extra skill points, you litertly have 1 attribute point that you cant shove anywhere.... its a total waste of an attribute... but what can you do?

Improved KD... really is a personal preference... too be honest, I just over the years never took it on a toon with dev crit... as I had a much easier time putting things on their butts when they fail their fort then their disc

Oh I just like my devcrit soup to be extra pikant when I run up to the mage, nuke his Ghostly and slice him into salami.

You are being unrealistic.
At least half of the server has access to a form of dispell or another.

And if you think that just because you can buff yourself again you are safe of everything, then you apparently never got comboed in NWN. (You know that barbarian with the lesser dispell wand and frightening rage? Well, I do)

I'm merely stating the fact that bard seems pointless in comparison to rogue.

One level of bard gets you a +7 universal saving through against magic effects, which is +7 against almost everything you'll encounter in the module. Between that an a cloak of fortification +4 you're sitting at +11 universal against almost everything but dev crit in the module. You only need like +6 fort on gear at most, and then you can put the rest into spellcraft. A ring of spell battle is basically 1 power and it gives you +2 more universal saves vs magic as well. Now personally I would mythal out the dispel but I know the option to just use it for people with a mechanically superior bard level exists.

Then again if you have spellcraft as a WM then my dispelling your mindblank so I can shadow daze you (as an SD) is kind of pointless. You'll have a will save that can make my DC 30. It's pretty solid.

Build: Fighter/WeaponMaster/Bard : Drow

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