Well, it's interesting as a concept, but I have to wonder just what those last 15% defense are really getting you. Floored to hit is floored to hit, whether you get there through defense, to hit debuffs or both. Going past that offers very little, and you seem to be paying a pretty heavy price to get there.
You've only got three functional attacks (if you want to call Life Drain functional) and no Hasten. I guess I just don't think the tradeoff makes much sense. As Defenders go, Dark is already pretty durable. I only have 8% ranged def and don't really miss it. What are you planning on doing with this build that a high recharge build couldn't?
looks good to me. I'd def remove the Rech IO from Twilight Grasp its like a .7 sec difference, and with a dark on the team, how often do you really have to heal? 
actually I wouldn't even use Theft of Essence. Touch is better
Level 1: Twilight Grasp
- Touch of the Nictus - Healing
- Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge
- Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
- Accuracy IO
Maybe slap a GravAnchor:%to hold in TT?
You could also slap a Kismet somewhere for some low level ToHit
Dark Miasma FTW!
perma jump is ---> /up 1
Two responses! Thank you both for your feedback. If nobody bothers to criticize my builds, I have to wonder if they're too perfect to be improved on, or too awful to salvage.
I've had this character since before The Great Nerfing (Issue 5) and what I've always enjoyed about Dark/Dark is the large toolbox of useful control and support abilities. While DPS is nice, I realize that it's really not one of the strengths of this character. This was driven home recently when one of my friends started a Dark/Dark Corruptor. Clearly outclassed in the DPS department, I decided to focus more on the things a Defender is really best at... and here we are.
High defense is not actually critical, but defenses have good synergy with to-hit debuffs and I'm a believer in soft-capped defense. There's a huge difference in safety between real soft-cap and just being close. Thunderstrike, Stupefy and Cloud Senses are all good IO sets that I don't regret having. Still, I've been playing this character with a mostly-complete version of this spec for the last week, and I've discovered that ranged defense is great when soloing, but on a team (which is how I really play my Defenders) AoE is more useful. I tend to get hit most when I get in close to use Twilight Grasp on teammates.
The IO sets I would need to switch to to maximize AoE defense (below) are not nearly as attractive, so I am working on a revised version with far more mediocre defenses but better recharge and hopefully better control.
Cloud Senses > Siphon Insight
Thunderstrike > Ruin
Stupefy > Razzle Dazzle
In terms of attack chain, the three damaging attacks I've got seem to work okay. Gloom is always a solid attack. Drain Life does nearly the same damage as Gloom (when slotted as a pure attack) with the same recharge time. The healing is a fringe benefit but it helps, especially since I don't have enough recharge to spam Twilight Grasp without pause. Tenebrous Tentacles lags a bit behind in the speed department but that can be fixed.
As far as Hasten goes, I rarely use it. Not that I have anything against recharge.... The 74% global +Recharge on this build is actually better than the 6-slotted perma-hasten of the old days. I'd just rather have a lot of different abilities/attacks to cycle through than to spam the same two or three powers as fast as I can push the buttons. And ultimately, I retain enough RPG sensibilities that I would not consign my darkness-based character to go through life with bubbly glowie yellow hands.
Admittedly, teams don't really value the Dark Miasma Defender as a "healer", but there are still situations were I find myself healing like mad and wishing Twilight Grasp were faster. A mere 0.7 seconds could be the difference between life and death!
Using level 30 IOs, Theft of Essence and Touch of the Nictus grant the same enhancement values, and similar set bonuses. The Theft of Essence IOs were just a lot quicker and easier to obtain, since 30 is the top end for that set.
I might consider purples or Hami-O's if they are not too steep, but I generally avoid them so I can keep all of my alts in more common IOs.
Also, consider taking Intuition Partial as an Aplha when you get to that point. Aside from the -Defense, everything in that can help you. Especially if you get Soul Storm from the Soul Mastery Patron Pool.
I have a DDD Defender; I rarely play him, but its a fun toon and surprisingly resourceful, with lots of utility abilities.
I'm missing a few pieces, but this is where I'm taking the build, for whatever it's worth:
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.952
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Tennebrae: Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Twilight Grasp
- (A) Touch of the Nictus - Healing
- (3) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge
- (3) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
- (5) Touch of the Nictus - Chance for Negative Energy Damage
- (5) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
- (7) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
- (7) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
- (9) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
- (9) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- (11) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (11) Devastation - Chance of Hold
- (A) Pacing of the Turtle - Accuracy/Slow
- (13) Pacing of the Turtle - Accuracy/Endurance
- (13) Pacing of the Turtle - Endurance/Recharge/Slow
- (15) Pacing of the Turtle - Range/Slow
- (15) Recharge Reduction IO
- (17) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
- (17) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
- (19) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
- (19) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- (21) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (21) Devastation - Chance of Hold
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
- (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
- (23) Freebird - +Stealth
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
- (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
- (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
- (27) Aegis - Resistance
- (27) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
- (29) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
- (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
- (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge
- (29) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear
- (31) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance
- (31) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range
- (31) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge
- (33) Glimpse of the Abyss - Chance of Damage(Psionic)
- (A) Soaring - FlySpeed
- (A) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
- (33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
- (34) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
- (34) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
- (34) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Endurance
- (36) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Recharge
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
- (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
- (36) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
- (37) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
- (37) Javelin Volley - Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
- (37) Javelin Volley - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
- (A) Sting of the Manticore - Accuracy/Damage
- (39) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance
- (39) Sting of the Manticore - Accuracy/Interrupt/Range
- (39) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Interrupt/Recharge
- (40) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (40) Sting of the Manticore - Chance of Damage(Toxic)
- (A) Interrupt Reduction IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (40) Endurance Reduction IO
- (42) Healing IO
- (42) Recharge Reduction IO
- (42) Immobilisation Duration IO
- (43) To Hit Debuff IO
- (A) Touch of the Nictus - Healing
- (43) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
- (43) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge
- (45) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
- (45) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (45) Touch of the Nictus - Chance for Negative Energy Damage
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
- (46) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
- (46) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
- (46) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge
- (48) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
- (48) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance
- (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
- (48) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection
- (50) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/Endurance
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Flight Speed IO
- (A) Jumping IO
- (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
- (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
- (50) Performance Shifter - EndMod
- (50) Endurance Modification IO
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
- 11.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
- 3% Defense(Melee)
- 3% Defense(Smashing)
- 3% Defense(Lethal)
- 6.13% Defense(Fire)
- 6.13% Defense(Cold)
- 3.94% Defense(Energy)
- 3.94% Defense(Negative)
- 10.5% Defense(Psionic)
- 4.88% Defense(Ranged)
- 4.56% Defense(AoE)
- 4.5% Max End
- 2.75% Enhancement(Terrorized)
- 2.5% Enhancement(RunSpeed)
- 36% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 10% Enhancement(Heal)
- 2.5% Enhancement(FlySpeed)
- 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
- 2.5% Enhancement(JumpSpeed)
- 2.5% Enhancement(JumpHeight)
- 48.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 5% FlySpeed
- 141.2 HP (13.88%) HitPoints
- 5% JumpHeight
- 5% JumpSpeed
- Knockback (Mag -4)
- Knockup (Mag -4)
- MezResist(Held) 6.6%
- MezResist(Sleep) 2.75%
- 10% (0.17 End/sec) Recovery
- 86% (3.64 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 3.15% Resistance(Fire)
- 3.15% Resistance(Cold)
- 9.38% Resistance(Negative)
- 3.13% Resistance(Toxic)
- 3.13% Resistance(Psionic)
- 10% RunSpeed
Set Bonuses:
Touch of the Nictus
(Twilight Grasp)
- 19.08 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
- 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 5% Enhancement(Heal)
- 2.25% Max End
- 3.75% Resistance(Negative)
(Dark Blast)
- 12% (0.51 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 22.89 HP (2.25%) HitPoints
- 3% DamageBuff(All)
- MezResist(Held) 3.3%
- 3.75% Defense(Psionic)
(Tar Patch)
- MezResist(Sleep) 2.75%
- 2.5% Enhancement(Slow)
- 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
(Gloom)
- 12% (0.51 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 22.89 HP (2.25%) HitPoints
- 3% DamageBuff(All)
- MezResist(Held) 3.3%
- 3.75% Defense(Psionic)
(Hover)
- 10% (0.42 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
(Shadow Fall)
- 10% (0.42 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 11.45 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
- 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
(Shadow Fall)
- 5% RunSpeed
- 3.13% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.56% Defense(AoE)
(Maneuvers)
- 10% (0.42 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
(Fearsome Stare)
- 2.75% Enhancement(Terrorized)
- 19.08 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
- 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 3.13% Resistance(Psionic)
(Tenebrous Tentacles)
- 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
- 1.58% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
(Tenebrous Tentacles)
- 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
- 1.88% Resistance(Negative)
(Night Fall)
- 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
- 1.58% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
(Night Fall)
- 2% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
- 7.5% Enhancement(Range)
(Vengeance)
- 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
(Moonbeam)
- 12% (0.51 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 1.88% Defense(Ranged), 0.94% Defense(Energy), 0.94% Defense(Negative)
- 3% DamageBuff(All)
- 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 3.13% Resistance(Toxic)
(Life Drain)
- 19.08 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
- 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 5% Enhancement(Heal)
- 2.25% Max End
- 3.75% Resistance(Negative)
(Dark Consumption)
- 11.45 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
- 1.5% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
- 10% (0.42 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 2.5% DamageBuff(All)
- 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
(Dark Embrace)
- 1.5% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
- 15.26 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
- 3% Defense(Melee), 3% Defense(AoE), 3% Defense(Ranged), 3% Defense(Smashing), 3% Defense(Lethal), 3% Defense(Fire), 3% Defense(Cold), 3% Defense(Energy), 3% Defense(Negative), 3% Defense(Psionic)
- Knockback (Mag -4), Knockup (Mag -4)
(Stamina)
- 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
Keep in mind that only powers below level 32, or so, need to have L30 IOs. When you Exemplar down below that, you won't have access to those higher-level powers anyway. Feel free to slot your APP powers with 50s.
Also, it's not the level of the IO, but the size of the enhancement bonus that matters, so a tri-aspect IO could be much higher level without being Exemplar-nerfed.
Be Well!
Fireheart
My DDDD has had a fairly conventional Debuff + DPS build for years now, but I have decided to do something a bit different and experimental.
All Set IOs are Level 30 for exemplaring purposes. This means that some of the enhancement values are rather low. Twilight Grasp has less than 57% accuracy bonus, and Tenebrous Tentacles is worse. This is mitigated by set bonuses unless I exemplar below 27th level, and then I can't hit the broad side of a barn.
I have soft-capped ranged defense. Using Vengeance will soft-cap Melee and AoE. Does a character who can debuff an enemy's accuracy through the floor really require soft-capped defenses? Probably not, but I'm curious to see how survivable this is. Anyone have any thoughts on how much defense is enough?
I dropped Night Fall in favor of more single-target damage. Modern teams just blow things up too fast. By the time I'm finished with some combination of debuffs and control powers, there's nothing standing but two or three half-dead bosses that aren't even worthy of Night Fall.
Lots of stun in the form of Howling Twilight, Dark Pit and Oppressive Gloom. In actual practice, I normally debuff a group rather than stunning it. Still, the double-whammy from multiple stun attacks can be a life saver. Many people skip Dark Pit but I like having a stun other then Howlight Twilight.
Six-slotting Stupefy for ranged defense bonuses has the side effect of giving Howling Twilight and Dark Pit knockback procs. I'm hoping there is some crowd control benefit to the knockback, but if I decide to lower my ranged defense below soft-cap, these will be the first things to go. The knockback proc in Oppressive Gloom does (rarely) save me from unwanted melee attackers and will probably stay.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.951
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Shadow Caller 50c: Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Theft-Heal(A), Theft-Heal/Rchg(3), Theft-Acc/Heal(3), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal(31), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(31), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 1: Dark Blast -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Gloom -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 4: Teleport -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(7), Zephyr-ResKB(50)
Level 6: Howling Twilight -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(9), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(9), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(37), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(37), Stpfy-KB%(39)
Level 8: Recall Friend -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 10: Hover -- LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(11), Flight-I(11)
Level 12: Fearsome Stare -- Cloud-ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(13), Cloud-Acc/Rchg(13), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Cloud-%Dam(40)
Level 14: Dark Pit -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(15), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(15), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(40), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(42), Stpfy-KB%(43)
Level 16: Tenebrous Tentacles -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(17), Posi-Dmg/Rng(43), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 18: Petrifying Gaze -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(19), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(19), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(45)
Level 20: Tar Patch -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 22: Darkest Night -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(23), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(23), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(45)
Level 24: Shadow Fall -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(25), LkGmblr-Def(25), LkGmblr-Rchg+(45), EndRdx-I(50)
Level 26: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(27), LkGmblr-Rchg+(27)
Level 28: Tactics -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(29), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(29), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(46), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(46), GSFC-Build%(46)
Level 30: Vengeance -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Dark Servant -- Cloud-ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(33), Cloud-Acc/Rchg(33), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Cloud-%Dam(48)
Level 35: Life Drain -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(36), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(36), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 38: Oppressive Gloom -- Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(A), Stpfy-KB%(39)
Level 41: Dark Embrace -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(42), EndRdx-I(42)
Level 44: Soul Transfer -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 47: Long Range Teleport -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 49: Dark Consumption -- EnManip-Stun%(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(7)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-End%(21), EndMod-I(31)