(I am still on a high from my permadeath fighter making level 20. Sue me!)

Notes from a Professional Tank #4

You don’t need to be an auction house shark or a player of wealth and means to be a great tank.  I was looking in my inventory today and I noticed there are certain items that I carry with me from the low levels.  I thought I would share my thoughts on them and why I think they are useful all the way through level 20. 

Low level gear that is still in my inventory:

1.)     Muckbane – Min level 2 lesser ooze bane club that does not take damage from oozes or rust monsters.  More than that, it is a money saver in terms of gear being permanently damaged or destroyed.  It drops from the chest of an ooze named “Muck” in the Durk’s Got a Secret quest, located in the Harbor.

2.)    Jump Clicky-  You just never know when you are going to need a jump buff and most 3/say jump clickys are no min level or very low.  They drop everywhere.  Look for one and do not sell it when you find one. 

3.)    Shield Clicky- This is another good item to look for.  As a tank, majic missiles will tear you apart if you have no defense against them.  The shield clicky will be there when you need it! Get one!

4.)    Divine Favor Clicky (optional)- Gives you a to-hit bonus that you might find useful on elite quests. 

5.)    Voice of the Master – Min Level 5. This is a trinket that is given as a choice of end rewards at the end of the Delera’s Tomb quest series.  It gives a +1 luck bonus to saves and a 5% bonus to xp. 

6.)    Mantle of the Worldshaper – Min level 7.  If you get nothing else… consider this item along with the VOM.  This cloak regens your health 1 HP/ min, absorbs spells thrown at you 5/ day, gives you a 5% bonus to XP that does not stack with the voice, but when worn WITH the Voice of the Master, give you True Seeing. It lets you spot secret doors, which is why detect secret doors clicky is NOT on my list. Most importantly, True Seeing lets you hit a mob that has been blurred or displaced.  Trust me, when you chips are down, and you are desperate to kill an enemy caster that is displaced, you will be thanking the maker that you have TS at your beck and call.  This will save your life!  The Mantle drops as choice of end rewards at the end of the Threnal Quest Series.  Located in the Ruins of Threnal, get there through House Phiarlin next to Necropolis (there abouts)

7.)    Proof Against Poison belt/ ring- Useful when you know you have to run through a poison trap.  You can also just carry 10 each poison removal potions, but this works too. 

8.)    Flesh Render Goggles- Min Level 5.  This is a Death Ward goggles Clicky 1/ day.  Death Ward protects you from instakill death spells… slay living/ level drain/ destruction etc etc.  I like to carry at least 2 of these. They drop as a random end reward at the end of the Tangleroot Gorge quest series. Get there from the North West corner of House Phiarlin.  There is a nice explorer area there too for you to kill yourself in!

9.)     Chaos Guards- Min level 9.  This is only for the sexy/ lawful people.  Plus 2 dodge bonus to AC are STILL on my level 20 fighter’s wrists today!   These drops in the chests in the Xorian Cypher, a quest located by the garden of Respite in House Jorasco.  (Hint: make friends with a rogue)

**note about the above 

There are many other things you can have, but these items are “musts” that I get and tend to keep throughout the life of the character.

Must Have Potions List for Tanks:

1.)    Heal Pots x100 each

2.)    Protection Pots Fire/ Electricity/ Acid/ Sonic/ Cold x10 each

3.)    Remove Curse pots x10 each

4.)    Remove Disease Pots x10 each

5.)    Blindness Removal Pots x5 each

6.)    Barkskin Pots (+3) 10 Each

7.)    Haste Pots 25 each

8.)    Lesser Restoration Pots x 10 each

9.)    Poison Removal pots x 10 each (optional)

Quick Tip: Keep all your potions on the same tab in the inventory, that way you can keep them organized and don’t have to keep remembering what you do and do not have.  I do this with weapons and Gear as well.

**A quick note about collectibles**

As you level up, you will want to pick up all collectibles, esp the once from the harbor and the lower level quests. Tangleroot Gorge, for example is an excellent source for collectibles. 

You MUST keep the following, all others are optional w/e:

Vials of Pure Water (5 each)

Strings of Prayer Beads (stop collecting at 100, you have enough to last forever at that point)

Why: These will add +1 to your AC after you find armor that makes your heart happy!

Silver Flame Hynmals (6 each)

Tomes of the Prophcies of Khyber (2 each)

Why: This is for your shield ritual.  You will know when you have found “the one.”

Fragrant Drowshoods (9 each)

Luminescent Dust (3 each)

Why:  This will add 1 point of force damage on every successful hit to your favorite weapon.

When in doubt about a collectible… check the Cookbook! 

Weapons:

I cannot speak for everyone. I am a slashing specialist. You might use bludgeoning weapons, or piercing….

The important thing is to have at least one of each of the following:

A Bludgeoner preferably holy or PG for bashing skellies and like creatures

A Ghost touch weapon

An everbright weapon for the occasional rust monster or ooze OR… a muckbane

Your tried and true damage weapon.  (this sounds simple, but I have a list of weapons that I refuse to part with… see below)

Some kind of ranged weapon or returner. 

A damage reduction bypassing weapon like metaline. 

I have experimented with the following and formed my own opinion on it. You should do the same. What I might consider treasure, you might see as trash.  Having said that… here is what I think about the following: 

My List:

Immobilizing Weapons: Paralyzers! Chance to stunners!  These are good and I consider it standard SOP to go for a paralyzer starting at level 10.

Stat Damaging Weapons: I like them. Many high level mobs do not respond well to traditional DPS. I like to Wound or even weaken when this problem comes up.

Quick TiP: Try to combine a wounder with another weapon to save an inventory slot; i.e. Wounding of Everbright

Holy weapons: Look far and wide for a Holy Weapon of Pure Good.  In 20 levels, one is bound to drop somewhere. Most mobs respond well to this weapon and you will use it often. 

Fire and Ice:  If you are lucky enough to find a flaming burst weapon of Pure Good, put Icy Burst ritual on it and watch the number fly off the screen! I call this my “mephit killer”

Metaline vs Adamantine: You will need one or the other. Try to combine this with another stat like… ghost touch.. you have to carry one of those anyway! 

Anarchic: I don’t really use them, they are situational and too mob specific for my taste. 

The Power 4: We will deal with these one at a time.

Vorpal: Have, don’t really use.  Too situational.  Too hard to roll a 20. 

Banisher: Don’t use, waste of my time as I am not a stabby ranger/ bard/ rogue with imp crit piercing. I just trip them and beat them down. 

Disruption: Good.  Get a bludgeoning Disruptor for skellies and keep it. 

Paralyzer: Yes.  Force Multiplier up to the upper tier.  That is all.

Other: As in…

Curse Spewing weapons: Situational, don’t use, sometimes carry.

Destruction:  Almost never use or carry

Seeker:  A good option, underestimated in this game, but I always forget I have them.

Greater Parrying:  A “must have” for any AC Intimitank.  This will add a plus 2 bonus to you AC and make you hard to hit while you are turtling. 

 Links to related posts:

Notes from a Professional Tank 1

Notes from a Professional Tank 2

Notes from a Professional Tank 3