Build Showcase: The Interdictor (Defender) and Variants

[Crivens]

OK, here's the next build that I'm dragging up out of my file... : )

The premise: Originally conceived of as an “Off-Tank” / Secondary Defender, this build concept combines the Battlemind’s mobility and strong Defender powers with the Cavalier’s Defender Aura and Virtuous Strike for a resilient and versatile tank.

Race: Tiefling, Dragonborn, Half-Elf, or Hobgoblin.

Hybrid Cavalier: Straightforward, area-of-effect defense that doesn’t take up Immediate actions, gets the original class’ punishment power at full-strength instead of the reduced-strength punishment of the Hybrid Vanilla Paladin, +4 to initiative and +2 to healing surge value thanks to Virtue of Valor, and a Charisma-based MBA in Virtuous Strike, which also happens to buff saving throws, which is one of the build’s strengths. Also allows use of Devout Protector Expertise, which is handy for the shield bonus it grants to all your allies.

Hybrid Battlemind: Lightning Rush doesn’t need a mark to work and places its target inside your Defender Aura, which (when it doesn’t grant you a full opportunity attack, e.g. against an enemy using a ranged attack) will qualify the enemy for additional punishment through the Cavalier’s opportunity-action “Righteous Radiance” defender at-will power.

Lodestone Lure also, conveniently, keeps enemies inside the Cavalier’s Defender Aura.

Battlemind also brings access to Battlemind dailies, like Nightmare Vortex - again, good for keeping foes inside your Defender Aura - and Iron Tomb, for strong removal of difficult foes.

Theme: Yakuza combines beautifully with both of the above.

It can improve your opportunity attacks (at level 5), has brilliant power swaps for U2 and U6, and has the free action “Make an Intimidate check against a bloodied enemy to force it to surrender” once per encounter in “Ruthless Demonstration” (assuming your DM allows the use of Intimidation against bloodied enemies to force them to surrender, whatever that means in a given situation).

Feat selection: The feat “Hero’s Poise” benefits the character’s allies when the character succeeds on a saving throw, so there’s a little suite of feats that combine to make it possible for that to happen more frequently.

Superior Will
Disciple of Freedom
Resilient Focus

And, conveniently, Virtuous Strike’s add-on effect improves all of those, when you happen to have used it.

Paragon Path: For non-Tieflings, Freedom Fighter adds yet more ally-assisting, enemy-punishing and saving throw synergy*.

For Tieflings, “Infernal Eye” adds power points, some Action-Point do-over goodness, bonuses to skills, and half a stat-modifier as a bonus to party initiative.

...oh, and its E11 power, when augmented, causes its target to be considered “bloodied for all effects”.

Like… Ruthless Demonstration, presumably.

Paragon Path alternatives include Eternal Blade and the Dragonborn path “Mercurial Assassin”.

Tweaks: The Githyanki Silver Longsword + Psychic Lock works well for applying even more penalties, and also bypasses the Iron Tomb “psychic damage only” constraint.

If your campaign is using boons, then “Moradin’s Blessing of Iron” at level 3 counters some forced movement, which can take your Defender Aura out of an enemy’s range (and it has a nice, free MBA that can show up in the event that you get pulled instead of pushed or slid).

I think that covers it.

*Thanks to MwaO for highlighting it over in the Mul Fighter MC Monk thread from 2017-01-02!

[Crivens]

Sample build

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
The Interdictor, level 11
Dragonborn, Battlemind|Cavalier, Freedom Fighter
Hybrid Cavalier: Hybrid Cavalier Reflex
Psionic Augmentation (Hybrid): Hybrid Encounter Power
Choose Bluff or Intimidate for your Level 10 Yakuza Feature: Intimidate (Level 10 Yakuza Feature)
Dragonborn Subrace: Standard Dragonborn Racial Traits
Dragonborn Racial Power: Dragonfear
Background: Wandering Duelist (Wandering Duelist Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 22, Dex 14, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 20.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 17, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15.


AC: 29 Fort: 24 Reflex: 23 Will: 27
HP: 97 Surges: 15 Surge Value: 32

TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +25, Diplomacy +15, Bluff +15, Endurance +14

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +6, Arcana +4, Dungeoneering +5, Heal +5, History +6, Insight +5, Nature +5, Perception +5, Religion +4, Stealth +5, Streetwise +12, Thievery +5, Athletics +3

FEATS
Level 1: Devout Protector Expertise
Level 2: Superior Will
Level 4: Resourceful Leader
Level 6: Resilient Focus
Level 8: Disciple of Freedom
Level 10: Superior Fortitude (retrained to Hero's Poise at Level 11)
Level 11: Psychic Lock

POWERS
Hybrid at-will 1: Conductive Defense
Hybrid Encounter Power: Holy Smite
Hybrid Encounter Power: Lodestone Lure (replaces Conductive Defense)
Power User Choice: Virtuous Strike
Psionic Defense (Hybrid): Blurred Step
Hybrid daily 1: Radiant Delirium
Hybrid utility 2: Life's Losing Hand
Hybrid daily 5: Nightmare Vortex
Hybrid utility 6: You Can't Hide
Hybrid at-will/encounter 7: Lightning Rush
Hybrid daily 9: Iron Tomb

ITEMS
Githyanki Silver Longsword +2, Karach Wyvernscale Armor +3, Floating Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +3, Screaming Wyvernscale Armor +3, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Avandra's Blessing of Confidence (heroic tier), Mercurial Mind (heroic tier), Moradin's Blessing of Iron (level 3)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

[Crivens]

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
The Interdictor, level 11
Tiefling, Battlemind|Cavalier, Infernal Eye
Hybrid Cavalier: Hybrid Cavalier Reflex
Psionic Augmentation (Hybrid): Hybrid Encounter Power
Choose Bluff or Intimidate for your Level 10 Yakuza Feature: Intimidate (Level 10 Yakuza Feature)
Background: Wandering Duelist (Wandering Duelist Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 22, Dex 14, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 20.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 17, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15.


AC: 29 Fort: 24 Reflex: 23 Will: 27
HP: 97 Surges: 15 Surge Value: 26

TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +23, Insight +15, Bluff +17, Perception +15

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +6, Arcana +4, Diplomacy +10, Dungeoneering +5, Endurance +9, Heal +5, History +4, Nature +5, Religion +4, Stealth +7, Streetwise +12, Thievery +5, Athletics +3

FEATS
Level 1: Devout Protector Expertise
Level 2: Superior Will
Level 4: Master of Stories
Level 6: Resilient Focus
Level 8: Disciple of Freedom
Level 10: Blurred Speed (retrained to Hero's Poise at Level 11)
Level 11: Secrets of Belial

POWERS
Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might (level 3): Bolstering Speech
Hybrid at-will 1: Conductive Defense
Hybrid Encounter Power: Holy Smite
Hybrid Encounter Power: Lodestone Lure (replaces Conductive Defense)
Power User Choice: Virtuous Strike
Psionic Defense (Hybrid): Blurred Step
Hybrid daily 1: Radiant Delirium
Hybrid utility 2: Life's Losing Hand
Hybrid daily 5: Nightmare Vortex
Hybrid utility 6: You Can't Hide
Hybrid at-will/encounter 7: Lightning Rush
Hybrid daily 9: Iron Tomb
Hybrid utility 10: Hellfire Shroud (retrained to Protective Scroll at Secrets of Belial)

ITEMS
Karach Wyvernscale Armor +3, Floating Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +3, Screaming Wyvernscale Armor +3, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Avandra's Blessing of Confidence (heroic tier), Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might (level 3), Mercurial Mind (heroic tier), Moradin's Blessing of Iron (level 3), Feyslaughter Longsword +2
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

[MwaO]

Some general notes(I've played around with this also, which is where all the notes are coming from - good general Defender build):
You can't actually have 2 Battlemind at-wills at 3rd level(and then 3 at 7th). There's a bug in OCB that lets you do that, but you have to deliberately not select one.

Hybrids must have powers from both sides before they can pick other powers. i.e. you need at least 1 Battlemind & 1 Cavalier utility(i.e. at levels 2 & 6) before you can pick Yakuza utility powers or use Secret of Belial. No matter what OCB lets you do. That happens to be true for single-classed PCs - they just need to pick a level 2 first.

You really want to use the Hybrid Talent feat on Speed of Thought - combat starts, you move 7 squares(assuming 18 Cha at 1st) next to an opponent, and then they're in your aura before they get to go. Pick up Quick Reactions next and you can dump Dex for Cha as your initiative modifier.

Devout Protector Expertise <<< Flail Expertise+Lashing Flail for a Battlemind. Which means a martial PC class - you melee basic them, they end up prone on a hit. Battle Awareness means someone shifts away from you, you get to smack them once per combat.

I'm not a real fan of Yakuza. Compare against Elemental Initiate - an almost sure extra swing for a Defender instead of a potential extra hit on a swing. Remember the Flail Expertise? Well, that means it ends up prone after missing you at level 1 if you took it then...Also, you want Cunning Stalker, otherwise you're not assured CA against your foe to get your bonus. And again, Surrender means what exactly? I agree not to attack you specifically as long as none of your friends or you attack me or any of my friends?

Infernal Eye - not convinced it interacts properly with Yakuza - you didn't actually bloody it, you made it considered bloody for all effects.

Call of Challenge. Must have utility 2. Divine Sanction works with Battlemind's mark...

[Crivens]

Some general notes(I've played around with this also, which is where all the notes are coming from - good general Defender build):
You can't actually have 2 Battlemind at-wills at 3rd level(and then 3 at 7th). There's a bug in OCB that lets you do that, but you have to deliberately not select one.

In my Character Builder, Lodestone Lure replaces Conductive Defense instead of adding to it, so maybe another version has that bug? But it's good to note, so thanks for mentioning.

Hybrids must have powers from both sides before they can pick other powers. i.e. you need at least 1 Battlemind & 1 Cavalier utility(i.e. at levels 2 & 6) before you can pick Yakuza utility powers or use Secret of Belial. No matter what OCB lets you do. That happens to be true for single-classed PCs - they just need to pick a level 2 first.

This seems... weird, to me. Up 'til now, I assumed that you pick a class utility and then you can substitute a Theme utility for the class one that you picked. I think I get the reading that says that you have to have one of each before gaining a non-class utility power, but doesn't that make skill powers also not work as intended? And the ability to swap out one of your utilities for a theme power is one of the really appealing things about Yakuza - the reroll on "Life's Losing Hand" is just nice, if you can actually use a Theme power at level 2 as it seems like you're supposed to be able to. Oh well?

You really want to use the Hybrid Talent feat on Speed of Thought - combat starts, you move 7 squares(assuming 18 Cha at 1st) next to an opponent, and then they're in your aura before they get to go. Pick up Quick Reactions next and you can dump Dex for Cha as your initiative modifier.

Devout Protector Expertise <<< Flail Expertise+Lashing Flail for a Battlemind. Which means a martial PC class - you melee basic them, they end up prone on a hit. Battle Awareness means someone shifts away from you, you get to smack them once per combat.

I'm not a real fan of Yakuza. Compare against Elemental Initiate - an almost sure extra swing for a Defender instead of a potential extra hit on a swing. Remember the Flail Expertise? Well, that means it ends up prone after missing you at level 1 if you took it then...Also, you want Cunning Stalker, otherwise you're not assured CA against your foe to get your bonus. And again, Surrender means what exactly? I agree not to attack you specifically as long as none of your friends or you attack me or any of my friends?

Infernal Eye - not convinced it interacts properly with Yakuza - you didn't actually bloody it, you made it considered bloody for all effects.

Call of Challenge. Must have utility 2. Divine Sanction works with Battlemind's mark...

The Defender Aura unfortunately isn't compatible with marking powers, but the wider area of marking might make it worth it for a turn.

So, incorporating Speed of Thought, Flail Expertise, 2 class utilities before taking Hobgoblin's level 10 utility, and Lashing Flail, here's a sample example:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
The Interdictor, level 11
Hobgoblin, Battlemind|Cavalier, Freedom Fighter
Hybrid Cavalier: Hybrid Cavalier Reflex
Psionic Augmentation (Hybrid): Hybrid Encounter Power
Hybrid Talent: Psionic Study (Hybrid)
Psionic Study (Hybrid): Speed of Thought (Hybrid)
Hobgoblin Choice: Hobgoblin Discipline
Background: Adventurer's Scion (Adventurer's Scion Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 22, Dex 14, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 20.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 17, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15.


AC: 29 Fort: 24 Reflex: 23 Will: 28
HP: 97 Surges: 15 Surge Value: 26

TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +10, Religion +9, Endurance +14, Arcana +9, History +11

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +6, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Dungeoneering +5, Heal +5, Insight +5, Intimidate +10, Nature +5, Perception +5, Stealth +5, Streetwise +10, Thievery +5

FEATS
Level 1: Flail Expertise
Level 2: Superior Will
Level 4: Hybrid Talent
Level 6: Hobgoblin Weapon Training
Level 8: Resourceful Leader
Level 10: Quick Reactions (retrained to Hero's Poise at Level 11)
Level 11: Lashing Flail

POWERS
Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might (level 3): Bolstering Speech
Hybrid at-will 1: Conductive Defense
Hybrid Encounter Power: Holy Smite
Hybrid Encounter Power: Lodestone Lure (replaces Conductive Defense)
Power User Choice: Virtuous Strike
Psionic Defense (Hybrid): Blurred Step
Hybrid daily 1: Radiant Delirium
Hybrid utility 2: Virtue
Hybrid daily 5: Nightmare Vortex
Hybrid utility 6: Mental Triumph
Hybrid at-will/encounter 7: Lightning Rush
Hybrid daily 9: Iron Tomb
Hybrid utility 10: Flowing Defense

ITEMS
Karach Wyvernscale Armor +3, Floating Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +3, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Avandra's Blessing of Confidence (heroic tier), Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might (level 3), Mercurial Mind (heroic tier), Moradin's Blessing of Iron (level 3), Feyslaughter Triple-headed flail +2
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

[Crivens]

Some general notes(I've played around with this also, which is where all the notes are coming from - good general Defender build): ...

Also, thanks for sharing the notes and for your feedback.

: )

[MwaO]

Also, just to note - at 13+, Fighter+Dizzying Mace+Intellect Snap+some sort of Mace = at-will 'Stun' - because they'll be at a -5+ penalty to hit. You can then Lightning Rush some other target, knowing they can't attack you because they're dazed and at a huge penalty to hit anyone.

[dadada]

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======

How do you still have that?[sarcasm]are you a hacker?[/sarcasm]

[Crivens]

How do you still have that?

The offline character builder? A DM gave me a copy of it and it was maintained & may still be available on the internet somewhere...

Good luck!

[ScrivenerofDoom]

How do you still have that?[sarcasm]are you a hacker?[/sarcasm]

I'm more confused: You mean you don't have a copy of the offline Character Builder, the offline Compendium, the offline Monster Builder (actually Masterplan with all the libraries) despite all the hints dropped on these and other forums about how to get them?

I am shocked (save ends).

[darkbard]

ITEMS
Karach Wyvernscale Armor +3, Floating Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +3, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Avandra's Blessing of Confidence (heroic tier), Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might (level 3), Mercurial Mind (heroic tier), Moradin's Blessing of Iron (level 3), Feyslaughter Triple-headed flail +2
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

I don't understand your equipping both the Floating Shield and Iron Armbands of Power; you know, both occupy the Arms slot, right? Also, the Floating Shield doesn't do what you must think it does.

Mercurial Mind is an oft-overlooked but excellent alternative reward. There are a few of those from the DSCS that rarely get mentioned. That said, I think Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might is vastly overpowered for its level, but Kalak's Echo replicates it with, to my mind, a more level-appropriate designation.

[MwaO]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthr...=1#post6997175

Here's a version of it. Can do the Defender routine, minors in Leader, and then can go solid Striker with a nova round. I'm not making any big assumptions in magic items either - Hands of the Titan+Lasting Frost+Brutal Barrage, augmented 1, is a really strong combo...

[dadada]

I'm more confused: You mean you don't have a copy of the offline Character Builder, the offline Compendium, the offline Monster Builder (actually Masterplan with all the libraries) despite all the hints dropped on these and other forums about how to get them?

I am shocked (save ends).

No. I am new to the forums and wasn't playing when WotC closed 4e,so no. Now if you had helpfully pointed out where or how to get these things or at least said something helpful, I wouldn't be so annoyed, but since you expected a PIXIE to have had as much experience as you did,I'm really annoyed! I also notice that you have done this before, and my advice for you is this: it's better to under react than overreact .