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Hot Topic (More than 35 Replies) Melee Wolf Druid? (Read 33892 times)
Vissarion
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Melee Wolf Druid?
Sep 1st, 2013 at 9:51am
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What are people doing with mostly pure melee wolf druids? (That is, aside from TRing or LRing them into something completely different). Mine is a 17 Druid/2 Rogue/1 Fighter TN Human right now, with maxed doublestrike through shield feats and natural fighting. It's alright, but I'm not thrilled with the damage output, and I haven't respecced to take advantage of the new TWF "features" yet.

Going more castery with the new SLAs?

Going into a deeper multiclass split for melee? If so, what splits?
  

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Carpone
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #1 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:32am
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LRing into the TWF line which apparently works in wolf form now.
  
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Vissarion
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #2 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:59am
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Carpone wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:32am:
LRing into the TWF line which apparently works in wolf form now.


Well, yes. That will happen either way, at least until they decide it isn't WAI.

For splits, the following look good, at least at first glance:

16 Druid/2 Ranger/2 Monk: Sacrifices Mass Regen and Snowslide for some pretty awesome splash benefits in terms of higher reflex saves, PRR, offhand chance, sneak die, positive SP.

13 Druid/6 Monk/1 Ranger: Doesn't get as much Ranger splash sexiness or Druid casting capability (loses Heal spell...boo!), but gains Shadow Veil, die step increase, one less form to take, etc.

Would Half Elf still be optimal? Rogue dilly looks distinctly less good than it used to, and Human gets an extra feat, skill point, and that GH clicky for those of us who are too lazy to collect 4-5 Girds.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #3 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 3:33pm
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I'd look at 9monk/9druid/2fighter.

improved evasion, stunning fist, earth stance 3, enough druid levels to cast deathward, fom & animal growth.

I'd also seriously consider a 9druid/9rogue/2monk.  This'll be much more melee dps, but a bit harder to squeeze all your feats in.

Personally I wouldn't want to play a wolf form druid without improved evasion, right now the only thing you get from 9th druid level onwards is spells, I'd rather trade them for survivability / melee dps.

Definately human over helf imo.
« Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2013 at 1:13am by Munkenmo »  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #4 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 4:31pm
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 3:33pm:
I'd also seriously consider a 9monk/9rogue/2monk.  This'll be much more melee dps, but a bit harder to squeeze all your feats in.

???
  

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Vissarion
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #5 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 4:56pm
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 3:33pm:
I'd look at 9monk/9druid/2fighter.

improved evasion, stunning fist, earth stance 3, enough druid levels to cast deathward, fom & animal growth.

I'd also seriously consider a 9monk/9rogue/2monk.  This'll be much more melee dps, but a bit harder to squeeze all your feats in.

Personally I wouldn't want to play a wolf form druid without improved evasion, right now the only thing you get from 9th druid level onwards is spells, I'd rather trade them for survivability / melee dps.

Definately human over helf imo.


Improved Evasion presumably because of the needed reflex saves?

The 16/2/2 looks like it could possibly get into the 50s for reflex, with the available enhancements and some low level twists. Is that no longer adequate?

I considered the 9/9/2 build, but tend to prefer having access to higher spell levels. Is blue bar healing adequate on the 9/9/2, or does it pretty much necessitate twisting Cocoon?
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #6 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 6:04pm
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Vissarion wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 4:56pm:
Improved Evasion presumably because of the needed reflex saves?

Imp Evasion because only taking half damage no matter how shitty your saves are is really fucking good when an army of Ice Elementals are casting Otiluke's Freezing Sphere for 300 points each at your face.
  
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tachyon
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #7 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:04pm
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Healing on the 9\9\2 is just fine imo. Granted, I haven't had a chance to try out any epics though. I had also taken empower\maximize\quicken. If TWF works for wolves, I'll swap out two metas and stunning blow to pick them up for sure. You can never go wrong with cocoon, so I'd twist it anyway. Epic feats for me then would probably be grandmaster of forms, overwhelming crit, epic DR, perfect TWF, toughness in that order.


he probably meant 9 druid\9 rogue\2 monk Arkat, which is the next split I'll try when I can get a chance. Just by looking and the enhancements it seems like a lot more DPS.

  
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #8 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:07pm
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tachyon wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:04pm:
he probably meant 9 druid\9 rogue\2 monk Arkat,

TY but I figured that out a little later after reading the whole post and a few others.  Cheesy
« Last Edit: Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:07pm by Arkat »  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #9 - Sep 1st, 2013 at 10:07pm
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You could actually keep a meta by swapping out monk toughness for a twf feat too.
  
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Munkenmo
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #10 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 1:14am
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Vissarion wrote on Sep 1st, 2013 at 4:56pm:
I considered the 9/9/2 build, but tend to prefer having access to higher spell levels. Is blue bar healing adequate on the 9/9/2, or does it pretty much necessitate twisting Cocoon?


The healing is fine, even in EE.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #11 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 1:19am
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 1:14am:
The healing is fine, even in EE.


With or without metas?
  
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Vissarion
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #12 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 10:09am
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 1:14am:
The healing is fine, even in EE.


Hmmm...may be time for a TR soon, then.

Edit: Why 2 Fighter over 2 Ranger? The latter seems better now.
« Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:23am by Vissarion »  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #13 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 10:57am
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Does this new feature make Winter Wolf form superior to traditional TWF builds?  30% inherent attack speed + PTWF + Natural Fighting 18% Doublestrike is awesome, and it appears damage can be increased to 6[1d10]:

1.0[W] Winter Wolf base
2.0[W] Epic quarterstaff
1.0[W] Shillelagh
1.5[W] A Dance with Flowers when centered
0.5[W] Improved Power Attack
-----
6.0[1d10]

Assuming the above calculations are valid, what's the optimal quarterstaff to use?  Stout Oak Walking Stick?  Random loot Something of Stunning?  Sireth does not benefit from Shillelagh.

Does Pulverizer from Legendary Dreadnought apply to animal form damage while a quarterstaff is equipped?
  
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #14 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:21am
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Carpone wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 10:57am:
Does this new feature make Winter Wolf form superior to traditional TWF builds?  30% inherent attack speed + PTWF + Natural Fighting 18% Doublestrike is awesome, and it appears damage can be increased to 6[1d10]:

1.0[W] Winter Wolf base
2.0[W] Epic quarterstaff
1.0[W] Shillelagh
1.5[W] A Dance with Flowers when centered
0.5[W] Improved Power Attack
-----
6.0[1d10]

Assuming the above calculations are valid, what's the optimal quarterstaff to use?  Stout Oak Walking Stick?  Random loot Something of Stunning?  Sireth does not benefit from Shillelagh.

Does Pulverizer from Legendary Dreadnought apply to animal form damage while a quarterstaff is equipped?


Wait, so you benefit from TWF feats even if you don't have two weapons equipped? I had swapped over to dagger/scepter, since I assumed that it was needed to trigger the benefits.

Pretty certain that epic weapon die step increases don't apply to wolf form, unless they changed that recently. Or Pulverizer, for that matter. Granted, this is pre-U19 knowledge, so haven't fully tested if stuff was changed.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #15 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:47am
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Vissarion wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:21am:
Wait, so you benefit from TWF feats even if you don't have two weapons equipped? I had swapped over to dagger/scepter, since I assumed that it was needed to trigger the benefits.

I don't know.
« Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:47am by Carpone »  
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Vissarion
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #16 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 12:38pm
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Carpone wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 11:47am:
I don't know.


Well, then I'll test when the game is back up, since that could lead to some interesting options.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #17 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 3:30pm
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Carpone wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 10:57am:
Does Pulverizer from Legendary Dreadnought apply to animal form damage while a quarterstaff is equipped?


no it doesn't Sad

personally I used sireth whenever an artificer was around, or used my (festival icy burst) cosmic of heavenly wrath staff. when i had to rely on shillelagh.
« Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2013 at 3:32pm by Munkenmo »  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #18 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 3:48pm
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Vissarion wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 10:09am:
Hmmm...may be time for a TR soon, then.

Edit: Why 2 Fighter over 2 Ranger? The latter seems better now.


Feats and haste boost.
If you drop 8 points into henshien mystic 25% (10 sec boost 20 sec cooldown) 10% grandmaster wind stance + 6% doublestrike ring +18%natural fighting thats 59% DS without lightning mace (not sure if working in wolf form)

Is stunning fist worth it in EE on this build?
  
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Vissarion
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #19 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 4:22pm
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tachyon wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 3:48pm:
Feats and haste boost.
If you drop 8 points into henshien mystic 25% (10 sec boost 20 sec cooldown) 10% grandmaster wind stance + 6% doublestrike ring +18%natural fighting thats 59% DS without lightning mace (not sure if working in wolf form)

Is stunning fist worth it in EE on this build?


Ranger 2 gets haste boost access, as well. Guess it would depend on how many feats were needed.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #20 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 4:48pm
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atm

2wf*3
natural fighting *3
power attack
cleave
great cleave
empower heal.
stunning fist.
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #21 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 5:18pm
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 4:48pm:
atm

2wf*3
natural fighting *3
power attack
cleave
great cleave
empower heal.
stunning fist.



ic:bludgeon?
  
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #22 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 7:40pm
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tachyon wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 5:18pm:
ic:bludgeon?



yep and earth stance III
  

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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #23 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 8:54pm
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Vissarion wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 12:38pm:
Well, then I'll test when the game is back up, since that could lead to some interesting options.

My guildie who tested this says you get TWF offhand procs in wolf form regardless of what weapon set you have: weapon + shield, two weapons, or quarterstaff/greatsword.
  
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Re: Melee Wolf Druid?
Reply #24 - Sep 2nd, 2013 at 8:58pm
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Munkenmo wrote on Sep 2nd, 2013 at 7:40pm:
yep and earth stance III

Epic feats: OC, <insert heroic feat from above>, Epic Damage Reduction

If you're human, you could have +1 epic feat.  Suggestions?
  
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