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Concept Credit: Anubis_Reynard
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He hides above ground now and keeps his head down. His treachery is known amongst his kind, his renouncement of Lloth sealed his fate. Fate, that is also a funny word to this drow. The world can play tricks on the mind unless you can stay just beyond the madness grasp, hidden from the sight of would be prey and predator.

Concept

This is a martial controller build focused on maintaining enemy attack penalties, statuses, and damage support. Artful Drowlock (AD) is designed to take full advantage of the racial feats for Cloud of Darkness and Darkfire, Drow Fighting Style, and Ability bonuses.

Edit:
I updated the build to fall closer in line with the drow theme and picked dark pact.

Artful Drowlock

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Artful Drowlock - 30, level 30
Drow, Rogue, Shadow Assassin, Demigod
Rogue Tactics: Artful Dodger
Pact Initiate: Pact Initiate (dark pact)
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Dexterity
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Charisma

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 14, Dex 28, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 28.

Starting Ability Scores
Str 10, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 16.

AC: 44 Fort: 33 Reflex: 42 Will: 40
HP: 171 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 42

TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth, Thievery, Bluff, Athletics, Acrobatics, Streetwise.

FEATS

1: Drow Fightng Style
2: Pact Initiate
4: Starfire Womb
6: Ruthless Hunter
8: Novice Power
10: Backstabber
11: Master of Fire and Darkness
12: Psychic Lock
14: Clutch of Darkness
16: Adept Power
18: Implement Expertise (Crossbow)
20: Slaying Action
21: Bow Mastery
22: Martial Mastery
24: Epic Resurgence
26: Darkfire Warrior
28: One with Shadow
30: Artful Provocation

POWERS

1, At-Will: Sly Flourish
1, At-Will: Deft Strike

ENCOUNTERS:
1, Encounter: Fox's Gambit
3, Encounter: Enforced Threat
7, Encounter: From the Shadows
13, Encounter: Tornado Strike (replaces Enforced Threat)
17, Encounter: Escape Artist's Gambit (replaces From the Shadows)
23, Encounter: Crack Shot (retrained to Dreadtheft at Novice Power) (replaces Fox's Gambit)
27, Encounter: Skirmishing Strike (replaces Tornado Strike)

DAILIES
1, Daily: Blinding Barrage
5, Daily: Compel the Craven
9, Daily: Vexing Sting (retrained to Death's Fond Caress at Adept Power)
15, Daily: Mind-Boggling Onslaught (replaces Compel the Craven)
19, Daily: Daunting Barrage (replaces Blinding Barrage)
25, Daily: Rogue's Resurgence (replaces Daunting Barrage)
29, Daily: Cagey Killer (replaces Mind-Boggling Onslaught)

UTILITIES
2, Utility: Fleeting Ghost
6, Utility: Chameleon
10, Utility: Shadow Stride
16, Utility: Hide in Plain Sight
22, Utility: Dazzling Acrobatics

ITEMS
Mindiron Hand Crossbow +6, Deathcut Starleather Armor +6, Piwafwi +6, Pact Blade Dagger +6

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#2 Dec 27, 2008 1:08:09

anubis_reynard

Joined Oct 2008

2961 Posts

Meh. I consider multiclassing to a non-martial class to be "cheating," when it comes to declaring yourself a "martial controller." But that's just my senceless elistisim. (Even my magic items are aimed to be stuff that has no flashy special effects that I can't justify martially.)

The Shadow Assasin powers are also all focused on damage- Damage, along with mobility, being a striker thing more than a controller thing. I went Arena Champion for the 1/encounter Weakness power.

#3 Dec 27, 2008 3:41:22

jonnyfortune

Joined Aug 2008

157 Posts

On multi-classing:
Each to their own. This build is a firmly rooted martial character. The warlock powers are complimentary to the character theme. Compel the Craven has a fear element very similar the star powers I selected. Being able to save every time you use a power will come in handy.

The Shadow Assasin powers are also all focused on damage-

I disagree here. Everyone needs to hit, especially when you want to sock the bad guys with some status effects. That +4 to AT on an AP is better than Action Surge at making your hits hit every other encounter. The damage to people attacking me from adjacent shouldn't happen all the time because I'm a short range attacker. That truly benefits the melee rogues.

One of my alternate PP include the Death Dealer from MP because of all the tasty -2 to AT and Saving Throws hexing, however the Encounter and Daily powers are melee based and I was trying to stay with the Hand crossbow theme.

Another alternate was the Dread Fang, because, well, that is sort of what I built. There are strong Encounter and Daily powers, but the PP features are all sneak attack focused.

In last place for PP alternate, I was considering Strong-Arm Enforcer for all the rattling powers, but like Death Dealer, the powers are melee based.

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#4 Dec 27, 2008 14:10:44

anubis_reynard

Joined Oct 2008

2961 Posts

Strongarm was my alternate plan, as well, until I looked up Arena Champion.

With the caveat that we are talking about different builds, I find a +4 to hit 1 time, every other encounter, as the sole reason to take a paragon path to be not the best option. Strongarm offered Promise of Pain (add rattling to some big AoE), Painful Reminder for marking and pushing, and Implied Threat to end fights with Intimidate checks.

However, Arena Champion had another debuff on Action point, a way to use Bluff for combat advantage effectively (free basic attack, for the mindiron handbow), Taxing Strike to inflict Weakness each encounter, and 1/day, I effectively get a nat 20 on a death check. AND it can all be used both at range and at melee.

#5 Dec 27, 2008 22:09:42

jonnyfortune

Joined Aug 2008

157 Posts

I see what you are talking about and I'm tending to agree. *Updated*

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#6 Apr 29, 2009 10:37:31

jackhunter

Joined Apr 2009

48 Posts

I have an Artful Drowlock 4th level I'm playing. I want to know if you can get SA on everyone in Blinding Barrage? Or any AOE attack?

#7 Apr 30, 2009 1:32:45

The_Collective

Joined Jul 2008

184 Posts

You only deal sneak attack against one enemy per round unless you have a feat or power that specifically gives the ability to do so. My build does not. I believe there is an epic power called Whirlwind Sneak Attack that allows you to do SA against every person you hit in the attack. Great for Burst and Blast attacks.

#8 May 01, 2009 17:10:55

jackhunter

Joined Apr 2009

48 Posts