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CHARACTER BUILDING GUIDE
A Comprehensive Guide to Building Strong Level 40 Characters for PvP
Basic guidelines — not required to win, but certainly helps.
I. Getting Started
| PvP vs. PvE
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Faction & Raiding
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PvE — The Easy Path
PvE has all been done already. A group of 10 players of the right roles can reliably beat every boss.
PvP — The Hard Path
This guide focuses on PvP. PvP characters work fine for PvE.
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Key Point: Decide faction before making your character. All characters must join a faction. Factions are balanced well these days.
PvP is capture-the-flag — see Relic System. Roles: Raiders (attack) • Defenders (protect) • Hybrid (both)
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| Job Rewards
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Relic Capture Process
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Each faction's Jobs grant permanent bonuses (persist through death/delevel):
- 2 items with 1-2 daily uses of unique powers
- +1(magical) to two different stats
- Skill bonuses ranging from +2 to +7
⚠ Friendly fire loses rep → all bonuses lost forever (barring DM intervention)
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1. Slay all hostile NPCs in relic room
2. Click relic cradle (announces in /shout)
3. Wait 2-4 minutes for cradle to weaken
4. Take relic — all buffs dispelled!
5. Carry to your/ally capital, deposit
Relic rooms may spawn 1-4 epic NPCs (CR 31-34). Pumping relic room for epic defenders is frowned upon.
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II. Character Creation
| Race
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Classes
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Alignments
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✗ Avoid: Half-Elves — no unique items, no subraces. Base races usually outclassed by subraces.
✓ All subraces are good for at least one optimal build.
Gender: No effect except Drow favored class (Male=Wizard, Female=Cleric).
See Category:Race for details.
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Research Required: Most classes changed from 1.69. Look up each class first. Many class restrictions exist.
NS4 has hundreds of optimal PvP builds. With other factors, exceeds 1,000. Some classes get pure class bonuses at epic levels.
See Category:Class, Category:Factions, Shifting Guide, Shifter.
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Some items have alignment restrictions. Alternatives exist.
⚠ Smite Warning: Great Smiting kills quickly. High-level Paladins/Blackguards get token for unlimited smites. Endgame NPCs with Extra Smiting/Great Smiting X hit for 500+ damage!
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| Planar Races
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Classes to Avoid
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Rock-Paper-Scissors
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Some subraces are Planar — can be turned:
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All classes have optimal uses, including Harper Scouts and Purple Dragon Knights.
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No build beats all others. All builds have weaknesses in 1v1.
1v1 PvP is often rock-paper-scissors. Group PvP preferred over 1v1.
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III. Build Planning
| Notable Feat Changes
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Stat Books
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Key Skills
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⚠ Many feats changed!
Spell Focus — Bonuses beyond DC increase
Hellball — Self-friendly CL35, party-friendly CL40
Dragon Knight/Mummy Dust — Massively buffed
Blinding Speed — CL×2 rounds, +1 dodge AC vs haste, undispellable
Overwhelming Critical — +2 crit range (stacks with Ki Critical/Improved Critical/Keen)
Devastating Critical — +1 crit multiplier (stacks with Increased Multiplier), no longer Fort-or-die
Works for ranged, unarmed, creature weapons. Weapon Masters can't pick fists/ranged.
Scythes: 14-20/x6 • Rapiers: 8-20/x4
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Permanent Power: Books permanently increase stats by +2 or +4. Persists through death/delevel!
+2 Books: CR 9+ (not animals/vermin), ~1/1000 drop rate, farmable
+4 Books: CR 20+, higher CR = better chance, overwrites +2
Cap: Max +4 to all stats (doesn't count subracials/Dragon Abilities)
INT Tip: Delevel to 1 after using (skills not retroactive)
Books disappear after use. Non-refundable (except DM intervention via The Great Wandering One).
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Discipline (MOST IMPORTANT)
Prevents knockdown/disarm/called shot.
99-127 Pure Fighter • 91-94 Very Safe
83-86 Safe • 75-78 Vulnerable • ≤70 Bait
Hide — No such thing as too much. 127 attainable.
120+ Very High • 100-109 Medium • ≤59 Seen by NPCs
Concentration — Resists taunts, prevents spell interrupt
96+ High • 76-85 Good • ≤55 Low
43+ base recommended. AQ3 users can have 0 (small interrupt risk).
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| More Skills
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Stat Benchmarks
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Saving Throws
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Taunt — -6 AC, 30% spell fail, 4 rounds
90+ Irresistible • 70-84 Reliable • ≤49 Dump stat
Tumble — +AC by tumble/5 (raw points only)
Recommended: 0, 20, 21, or 40 raw points
Spellcraft — +saves vs spells by Spellcraft/5
Make total end in 0 or 5. Great dump skill.
Set Trap/Disable/Search — Try for 43+
Animal Empathy — The Circle only: Elder Dire Bear, Silvastalker, Dark Mamba (25 needed). Others: 1 point for distraction.
UMD — See Use Magic Device. Consider resting CHA mod.
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Attack Bonus
76+ Undodgeable • 68-73 Good • 64-65 Decent
≤57 Don't bother without support
Taunt adds +6 effective AB. HiPSers/Assassins ignore dex/dodge AC.
Armor Class
87+ Invulnerable • 75-83 Good • 69-71 Decent (minimum)
≤59 You probably don't care
Low enemy AB = can't crit you (threat rolls fail).
Hit Points
1330-1426 Con Barb • 1000+ High
600-899 Decent • ≤299 Make new character
1427+ = Probably bad build
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Note: Rolling 1 does NOT auto-fail in NS4!
Fortitude:
Reflex:
- Grease: DC 25 (ignores SR!)
- Earthquake: DC 48 (ignores SR, friendly fires)
- Fire Dragon Breath: DC 50, 20d10 fire
Will:
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IV. Gear & Items
| Weapons
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Equipment
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Most weapon types good. Max enhancement: +6 to +8 (Shurikens/Sickles only +5).
✗ Avoid: Bastard Sword, Dwarven Waraxe (unless dwarf), Club, Dart, Light Crossbow, Throwing Axe, Sickle. STR unarmed only for shapeshifters.
Weapon Stats (endgame):
- 1H: +20 avg damage (7 non-physical), keen, 2d10 massive crit
- Double: +30 avg damage, 15% physical immunity, 10/- resistance
- Large: +30-40 avg damage, +2d12 massive crit
- Gloves: +7 AB, +20-23.5 damage. Best: Fists of Poseidon
Extra Damage Type Options:
Greatswords(+7): blud • Katanas(+7): pierce (not keen) • Light Flails(+7): slash • Whips(+6): pierce
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⚠ No Perma-buffs: No permahaste/permaFoM/permaTS/crit immunity/debuff immunity. Makes Mass Charm/Wail of the Banshee/Phantasmal Killer/Entangle/Sanctuary useful!
AC Caps: Armor +6 (+7 vs alignment) • Shield +6 (+7 vs align) • Deflection +5 (+6 vs align, +6 for Arcane Archer) • Natural +5
Dodge AC packages: 3 dodge+8 DEX boots • 5 dodge+7 DEX • 7 dodge+no DEX
Armor/Shields: Up to 25% physical immunity, 20/- physical resistance. Swap based on enemy damage type! — makes tremendous difference.
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| Weapon Changes & Stat Locations
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Damage Reduction Tiers
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Base Changes (not in tooltips):
Scythes — Slash only (was pierce+slash)
Heavy Flails — Blud+Pierce (was blud only)
Light Hammers/Dire Maces — +1 crit mult (stacks DevCrit/Increased Mult)
Tridents — 19-20 base → 15-20 w/IC+Keen → 11-20 w/OC+Ki
Quarterstaves/Shurikens — Use Monk BAB, can Flurry
Stat Locations:
STR → Gloves (+8) • DEX → Boots (+8) • CON → Belts (+8)
INT → Helms (+9, also Gith's Star) • WIS → Amulets (+9)
CHA → Cloaks (+8, Death's Mantle higher)
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x/+6 — Skull of Demogorgon the Demon Lord, Nature's Balance
x/+7 — Dragon Shape, Red Dragon Disciple's Red Dragon Shape
x/+8 — Earth Genasi token, Divine Wrath (CoT 25-29), Shadow Evade (SD 26-29), Epic Warding, Inertial Barrier (Mindflayer/Greater Wildshape IV)
x/+9 — Shadow Evade (SD 30), Divine Wrath (CoT 30) — HIGHEST
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| Unique Items
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NPCs that drop equippable items have an extremely small chance (similar to +2 book rate) to drop a unique item — a special version with changed properties. Can be game-changers and justify making a new character. See Unique for details. Don't feel obligated to find one before using +4 books.
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V. Combat
| Spells
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Consumables & Use Per Day Items
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⚠ Many spells changed! See Spell Changes.
Nerfed: Time Stop, Black Blade of Disaster, Holy Sword dispel level
Buffed: Flame Lash, Call Lightning
Changed: Persistent AoE same type don't stack (no stacking Infernos/Creeping Dooms). True Seeing only +20-30 spot/search, acts as see invis only.
⚠ Casting cancels Expertise/Improved Expertise!
Casters with 50%+ levels in Cleric/Druid/Sorc/Wiz are severely gimped without Automatic Quicken Spell III (except dragon shape druids/shifters).
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Only non-equip Use/Day item: Formian Planar Link (summon, dispel Bigby's)
✓ Acceptable equip-and-use items:
Bull's Strength(15): Demon Lord Bracers, Fiend Plate
Cat's Grace(15): Black Shield
Eagle's Splendor(15): Sentinel of the Elder Eye Amulet
Ultravision(6): Darkstar Amulet
True Seeing(9): Sioxinala Amulet of Sight (2x/day)
Freedom of Movement(7): Forest Imbued Leather
Aura of Vitality(13): Elysian Dragon Scale Torc (extended)
Invisibility(3): Derro Robes
Greater Dispelling(15): The Purifier, Bahumat Sword of Righteousness, Holy Sword
Bless Weapon(10): Ring of Brom (vs Mummy Dust/Create Greater Undead)
Darkness(3): Drow Elite Robes (3x/day)
Haste(10): Glimmerskin Boots, Black Cloth, Ice Plate
Expeditious Retreat: Dragonskin Boots (duration=STR, undispellable)
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| Acceptable Consumables
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Frowned Upon
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- Traps
- Bless, Aid, Prayer
- Haste
- Stat buffs (Bull's, Cat's, Endurance, Fox's, Owl's, Eagle's, Greater Cat's Grace, Aura of Vitality)
- True Seeing, Ultravision
- Light, Darkness
- Freedom of Movement
- Dispels (Mordenkainen's Disjunction, Greater Dispelling)
- Raise Dead, Resurrection scrolls
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Using these in PvP may get you ostracized:
Items like Skull of the Demilich (chain lightning) or Ring of Health (cure crit) — only use if you wear them during combat anyway.
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| Haste — CRITICAL
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Sources of +50% Movement Speed
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⚠ Every PvP character needs +50% movement speed. Slow players are dead players!
Haste effects:
- +1 AB, +1 AC (+2 from Blinding Speed), +1 Reflex, +1 APR
- +50% Movement Speed
Does NOT quicken spells. Casters need Automatic Quicken Spell III.
Stacking: Barbarian Fast Movement fully stacks. Monk Speed partially stacks (−5% per 3 monk levels). Haste doesn't stack with Expeditious Retreat.
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Haste — Vast majority of Clerics take Travel Domain. Barbarians get free undispellable haste while raging at 25+ levels.
Expeditious Retreat — Not dispelled by Slow/Vine Mine. Common for Sorc/Wiz not using Tenser's Transformation.
Dragonskin Boots — 2x/day, duration = raw STR score, undispellable. Need 25+ naked unbuffed STR.
Blinding Speed — 2 rounds/level (80 rounds at 40), +1 dodge AC, undispellable.
Monk Speed — Partial stack with haste.
Pure Fighter Sprint Token — 1 round/level, 2x/day.
Wild Shape: Panther — Passive +50%, save Blinding Speed for combat.
Potions of Haste — Only 1 minute, easily dispelled. Don't rely on these.
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