Dungeons and Dragons Online went to a free to play model this past
September, re-titling itself as Dungeons & Dragons Online:
Eberron Unlimited, and there's little doubt in anyone's mind now that
it was the right move. The game went from an aging AAA title supporting
a small but loyal fan base to a genuine blockbuster once again.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73529">
Although the majority of classes in DDOU are completely free to play,
not all of them are. This week, I'm taking a look at the Favored Soul
class to answer one all-important question: is it worth paying for or
not?
Like all other classes within DDOU, you can customize your character any
way you choose to (within the rules), but the majority of players will
be happy to find the developers have included three pre-built paths for
the Favored Soul: Angel of Vengeance, Beacon of Hope, and Divine
Avenger. Since I was a man on a mission (and wanted to wield two
weapons), I went with the Divine Avenger build.
Have you ever played a Paladin, but wished you had a bigger spell pool?
Maybe you've played a Cleric and been bummed out by their meager melee
combat abilities. What about playing a Sorcerer, but wishing you had
some decent armor? Well I have and let me tell you; the Divine Avenger
path for the Favored Soul grants all those wishes and then some. I was
kicking epic proportions of ass within minutes of entering the game. As
I continued to climb in both levels and ranks, the ass kicking kept
intensifying. There were times I felt overwhelmed by the mobs I was
facing, but by casting a few quick heals in the heat of combat (be sure
to keep your Concentration skill maxed out), I was right back in the
thick of it. The Divine Avenger build will turn you into a killing
machine that would make Drizzt Do'Urden weep with envy, thus making the
Favored Soul one of the best soloing classes in the game.
Don't let this make you think the class is a one-trick pony, though.
The other builds (including any of your own design) can turn the
Favored Soul into a far different breed than the one I played. If
soloing isn't your cup of tea, choose the Beacon of Hope path. Diving
into a dungeon by yourself with this build will bring you numerous and
painful (though most likely, interesting) deaths. Play with a group
though, and those players are going to be worshipping you like a Greek
god of old because no one (and I do mean *no one*) in the game can
touch you when it comes to your ability to keep a party buffed and
healed, not even the almighty healing class, the Cleric.
Neither build quite fit your style? How about trying the Angel of
Vengeance on for size then? Imagine a living God of War descending upon
the earth and decimating everything in its path. That's you in a
nutshell. You'll still get the benefit of having a few healing
abilities, but you'll spend most of your time raining death and
destruction upon your foes with the force and conviction of a holy
warrior. As you plow through most mobs with ease and keep the attention
of those who won't go down quickly, the power of the divine will flow
through your bones and cleanse the wicked. Your defensive abilities
will suffer some in comparison to the other builds, but if you're in a
party with a healer, your group will be virtually unstoppable.
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While having multiple builds to choose from,
or picking one to use as a basic template, is a great idea, remember
that you can customize your character to your heart’s content
at the time of creation. If you want to put the majority of points into
Strength to increase your melee abilities, feel free. If you want to
stack your Charisma score to gain the highest mana pool count, nothing
is stopping you. For example, I changed out one of my early feats that
granted me a bonus with scimitars to one that granted a bonus with
longswords instead. No matter how you customize your character in the
beginning, if you remember to choose feats that compliment your chosen
ability scores and play style, you'll be fine.
All this is well and good, but it still doesn't answer the question of
whether or not the Favored Soul class is worth the cost of purchase. At
the time of this writing, the class goes for 795 points (approximately
$13). Depending on how you build your character, it can be one of the
greatest soloers or *the* greatest healer in the game. You can also
customize it to fit somewhere in between. That kind of flexibility
alone makes this class worth the money. The fact that it's a seriously
cool class that looks sweet too is just icing on the cake. Personally,
I think the Favored Soul is an absolute blast to play and well worth
the money.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that you can't just
pop into the game, open the DDO Store, and purchase the class itself.
Instead, you'll need to log in and purchase Turbine Points with which
to buy it. So, since the Favored Soul costs 795 Turbine Points, your
lowest cost option is to purchase three 300-point packs (a total of
900) for $15.00. You can also opt for the 1200-point pack for $19.50.
No matter which way you go, you're going to have points left over. On
the plus side, there is an interesting selection of other things you
can pick up for your characters in the store as well.
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited is in the process of
experiencing its own renaissance and you can be a part of that. How you
choose to do so is completely your business. If you've been eyeballing
the Favored Soul class as an option and have wondered how it played and
whether it's worth the cost, you can rest assured that the class kicks
some serious ass and is a ton of fun to play. If not, you still owe it
to yourself to
href="http://www.ddo.com/ddosupport/download-ddo">download
the game for free and
check it out yourself!
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited Game Page.
