Invincible Naked Dervish Build

Title's technically a misnomer, but it conveys the general idea.

I was just testing out a Dervish build using 12 Mysticism + Pious Renewal to have enough energy to fuel Vital Blessing + Protective Spirit + Spirit Bond while wearing no armor except shoes (for a rune and +1 energy pip). Any hits that would normally strike for 20+ damage now get bumped up over 60 (if they hit anywhere but your feet), then capped to just over 60 by Protective Spirit (because Vital Blessing boosts your max HP just above 600), thereby setting off Spirit Bond to heal you for 70-80, and you actually have enough energy to keep them all up (and lose little energy even if they're stripped). I solo'ed the Zaishen Obsidian Spike group (yes, 1v4) without trouble. Throw in Reversal of Fortune for some extra healing and it actually increases your available energy (costs 5 to cast, you get 6-8 when it ends).

Unfortunately, there seems to be a few too many sources of low-damage hits in real PvP to make it effective (someone torched me with one of the Conjure Element enchants as soon as I tried it in RA--you take around triple damage from anything that normally hits for under 20). It's highly vulnerable to, for example, concentrated wand attacks, since they usually hit for under 20.

It's too bad--it would have been really fun to watch the consternation as the enemy team focuses powerful attacks on the naked Dervish and can't seem to bring her health down.

It ought to survive against the Sand Shards exploit build that's running around, though, which I find highly amusing.

Well, the name definitely shouldn't be invincible. That title is already taken.

And we don't need another temporary build that only lasts a little that impresses the weekend warriors of RA when "Iron Man" comes along and says, "Just sit down and watch, they can't kill me, we'll win. I'll make so much plat when they ask for my build. Heh. I own." Of course, that's when he runs into someone with any kind of enchant removal and/or shut down and the whole temporary moment of glory turns into a huge flopping failure as you click the exit button and go back farming trolls for your thrill of somewhat success.

As for your idea, it's a mix of the shirtless monk and the 55. The problem is, you don't have a way to deal damage really. When it comes down to raw healing power and the ability to not be spiked to death, nothing is invincible. Something can get you. If damage isn't going to do it, then conditions and degen will do it. You can also have someone just daze your butt and beat you with anything. Or spinal shiver you and attack with cold wands. Oops. Game over.

Fun idea if it could work.
But I'm afraid it can't.

Keep working though! Dervish have so many possibilities

Cheers!

This was more for the amusement factor than anything else. I'm not seriously intending to do anything competitive with this sort of build. And this wasn't designed to exploit the Dervish, so much as to find a new use for Spirit Bond, which generally strikes me as excessively specific. The Dervish is just the first class with the energy engine to support it.

However, I think only about half of the counters you listed would actually work. You're expecting to re-enchant yourself every 8 seconds or so anyway (duration on Pious Renewal and Spirit Bond), and most of your energy comes from the enchantments ending, so enchantment removal isn't likely to do much good unless one opponent removes ALL your enchantments and two others spike you at precisely the same time.

And most of the spells are 1/4 second cast time, so if you can interrupt any significant fraction of them with Spinal Shivers, I am duely impressed.


But, yeah, if I were going to make a serious attempt to abuse the Dervish's energy management potential, it would probably involve the elite enchantment that causes you to gain 1 energy per enchantment on you every time you cast any spell.

You don't actually need to get your health over 600 btw

You mean Spirit Bond activates even if Protective Spirit caps the damage to less than 60? Interesting...

The real question is whats the potential of this build over a Dual SB monk?(other than absolutely none).

Actually, the Dervish has a skill extremely similar to Spell Breaker.

Really, they have a lot of the same mechanics inherent to most of the skills, it's just the execution that's different.

Dervish can simply play with the enchantments a little more than a monk can, beyond contemplation of purity :P