DPS Character Build Workshop
Let’s talk about improving character builds – DPS specifically, though some of the info will help with other roles.
Full disclosure up front: I do not have the bestest end-game character in Tamriel. I am not a data-miner, and I can’t do advanced math.
But I am an academic, and I have done hella research. There are a few basic misconceptions I made at first that I see other people making, and since I began improving my character I have made consistent jumps upwards in my DPS. This post won’t help you get from 35K DPS to 45K, but if you’re starting out with build improvement and are confused by all the conflicting information, this will help.
One note before we start: this material is for group dungeon builds and end-game play. If what you want to do is solo/PvE content, you can make it through that part of the game making your decisions for role-play or personal preference reasons – go ahead and do your quests with your mage in plate mail if you want, it’ll work.
But if you go into a group, you must effectively serve a particular role in that group.
Roles are like pants – you don’t want to wear pants when you’re home alone? No problem. But if you walk into a community space, people are going to expect you to know how pants work, and be wearing them. If the requirements of the role conflict with how you want to play the character, then build another character, or get used to swapping out your gear/active abilities. I am the Queen of Because: Role-Play Reasons, but “I don’ wanna play the character that way” doesn’t cut it if it means you’re wasting other people’s time by getting a party wiped over and over because you can’t fulfill the role you queued in for.
We dive in after the cut. Read more…