Berserk Tormentor build

I've been playing around with ideas for the rarely-used Sets for a long time and as there will be Sets in the Thieves Guild update that will be available in ALL pieces, including weapons and jewelry it seems, I was looking at the Tormentor set and trying to think of some way this could be used. If the "causing damage with a Charge ability" set bonus really works it occurred to me that if templar Charge morphs are fixed it certainly would be interesting if the Explosive Charge version, which inflicts damage in an AoE could cheaply taunt a whole gaggle of mobs by proc'ing the Tormentor set would be a good way for a higher DPS tanky build to cheaply taunt and the sit behind a health-based Blazing Shield. Then I noticed that the Werewolf charge morph Brutal Pounce is also an AoE, so I set about theorycrafting a built that might be useful and fun as a higher DPS tank for quick group content runs where the tank isn't in danger of being annihilated by the end boss if they try to have a some fun contributing to the DPS and being a bit more aggressive than would ordinarily be feasible.

Obviously, I'd need to get a Tormentor set to even test this idea, and the Roar of Alkosh set isn't critical to this build, it's just on of those new DLC sets that one can squeeze two 5 piece sets in with a Bloodspawn set. 3 sets for one character is rarely a bad thing, and since Synergizing is going to be even more important with everyone having maxed Undaunted passives and these lovely new Synergy-proc'ing Thieves Guild trial sets. The main sword and board bar wouldn't have the Alkosh dual swords or whatever you could get your hands on weapon-wise, but a Maelstrom sword for the bonus Resistance, and the secondary bar would be dual wield for DPS when it's safe to switch, or to swap to hit a synergy for the lovely Alkosh AoE which happens to reduce enemies' resistance as well.

This would be primarily a Health-based build for the Blazing Shield but with decent stamina and magicka, too, so really one of those rare hybrid builds. Part of the reason is that a WW with decent Magicka is basically immortal, even if this doesn't maximize their damage output, their skills do a lot of nice things that no other role really contributes. Nice off-balance and fear effects, group bonuses otherwise unavailable from other skill lines, a nice knock down AoE and good self-heal, plus disease damage to lessen enemy healing received. The real bonus, though, is that Tormentor allows a WW to taunt for the first time by using Pounce.

If anyone happens to have a Tormentor set on an account with a WW stamplar I'd love to know if you can test these taunt-proc'ing ideas as this seems like it would actually be a very fun build to play.




Recommended Equipment
This build is based on a very particular set of gear:

Tormentor (heavy armor chest, hands, legs, waist and feet) (2 items) Adds 1064 Max Health (3 items) Adds 4% Healing Taken (4 items) Adds 4% Healing Taken (5 items) Causing damage with a Charge ability applies Taunt for 15 seconds and increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 3642 for 5 seconds.

Roar of Alkosh (3 jewelry and 2 weapons) (2 Items) Adds 688 Weapon Critical (3 Items) Grants Minor Slayer, causing your attacks to deal 5% more damage to Boss Monsters. (4 Items) Adds 129 Weapon Damage (5 Items) Activating a synergy sends a shockwave from your position that deals 1660 Physical Damage. Enemies hit have their Physical and Spell Resistance reduced by 2905 and take 11620 Physical Damage over 10 seconds.

Blood Spawn (undaunted monster set head and shoulders, one piece light and the other medium for armor and Undaunted passives) (1 items) Adds 129 Stamina Recovery (2 items) 6% chance when hit to gain 6450 Armor and Spell Resist for 6.0 seconds and restore 15 Ultimate.

Maelstrom Sword While equipped, grants 1651 additional Physical and Spell Resistance. Your Low Slash grants 430 additional damage and restores 232 additional Stamina on your next fully charged Heavy Attack within 5 seconds.



Primary Bar (Maelstrom sword and shield)

Blazing Shield (Surround yourself with a solar shield that absorbs damage equal to (30)% of your Max Health. Each successful hit increases the shield's strength by (4)%. Nearby enemies take 50% of damage absorbed when the shield expires. Re-casting this ability will now always cause the damage to explode.)

Pierce Armor (Thrust your weapon with disciplined precision to deal [x] Physical Damage and taunt an enemy for 15 seconds. Also afflicts enemy with Major Fracture and Major Breach, reducing Physical Resistance and Spell Resistance by [y] for 12 seconds.)

Heroic Slash (Surprise enemy with a deep lunge, dealing [x] Physical Damage and reducing Movement Speed by 60% for 12 seconds. Also afflicts enemy with Minor Maim, reducing their damage by 15% for 12 seconds. By hitting with this ability, you gain Minor Heroism, granting you 1 extra Ultimate every 1.5 seconds for 9 seconds.)

Absorb Magic (Bolster your defenses to absorb up to [x] damage from the next spell projectile cast at you and heal yourself for up to 15% of your Max Health. While slotted, the amount of damage you can block is increased by 8% and the cost of blocking is reduced by 8%.)

Repentance (Champion the cause of divine glory to earn the gods' favor. While slotted, you gain Minor Fortitude, Minor Endurance, and Minor Intellect, increasing Health, Stamina, and Magicka Regeneration by 10%. Activate to share your blessings with nearby allies, granting them Major Fortitude and Major Endurance, increasing their Health and Stamina Regeneration by (x) per nearby corpse Each corpse can only be used once in this way.)

(Ultimate) Empowering Sweep (Swing your Aedric spear around with holy vengeance, dealing Magic Damage to all nearby enemies and additional Magic Damage every (2) seconds for (6) seconds. Also reduces damage deal to you by (15)% less for (8) seconds. Take an additional (4)% less damage for each enemy hit.)



Secondary Bar (dual wield Alkosh swords)

Explosive Charge (Charge with your divine lance, dealing [x] Magic Damage to all enemies in the area. If casting, enemies are interrupted and stunned for (3) second.)

Blood Craze (Slice enemy with both weapons to cause deep lacerations and [x] Physical Damage. Lacerations deal an additional [y] Physical Damage over 9 seconds and heal you for [z] Health every 2 seconds for the duration..)

Puncturing Sweep (Launch a relentless assault, striking enemies in front of you four times with your Aedric spear dealing Magic Damage with each strike. The nearest enemy takes 140% additional damage and is knocked back on the last hit. Heals you for 40% of damage done. Heals you based on damage done.)

Quick Cloak (Create a ring of floating blades, reducing damage you take from area attacks by 20% and granting you Major Expedition, which increases your Movement Speed by 40% for 5 seconds. While active, every 3 seconds the blades strike nearby enemies, damaging them for [x] Physical Damage.)

Channeled Focus (Create a rune of celestial protection to gain Major Resolve and Major Ward, increasing Armor and Spell Resistance by (x) for 15 seconds and recovering [x] Magicka every 1 second. If you leave the rune's vicinity, the effects dissipate after 9 seconds.)

(Ultimate) Werewolf Berserker (Transform yourself into a bloodthirsty beast, increasing Stamina, Armor, and Sprinting Speed. Your light attacks add a bleeding effect, dealing [x] Physical Damage over 8 seconds. Your transformation also causes nearby enemies to run in fear.)



Ultimate Bar (Werewolf Berserker)

Brutal Pounce (Pounce on an enemy with primal fury to deal [x] Physical Damage and stun them if they are off balance. Deals an additional [x] Physical Damage to target and nearby enemies.)

Hircine's Rage (Invoke the Huntsman's blessing to heal yourself for [x] and increase your Weapon Damage by 10% for 17 seconds.)
Ferocious Roar (Roar with bloodlust to terrify up to 3 nearby enemies, afflicting them with fear and setting them off balance for 4.3 seconds. If an affected enemy is killed, enemies nearby are disoriented and set off balance for 2.5 seconds.)

Howl of Despair (Crush enemy with a deafening howl, dealing [x] Physical Damage and knocking them down for 3 seconds. Allies can activate the Feeding Frenzy synergy, increasing light and heavy attack damage by 10% for 15 seconds.)

Claws of Life (Maul enemies in front of you with your tainted claws, dealing [x] Physical Damage and an additional [x] Disease Damage over 10 seconds. Also restores your Health, equivalent to 50% of the damage inflicted.)



Alternate Skills (to be swapped situationally)

Power of the Light (Summon an expanding beam of pure sunlight to doom an enemy, storing all damage taken for (6) seconds and releasing it with a (36)% increase. Targets are also inflicted with Minor Fracture and Minor Breach, which reduces the target's Armor and Spell Resistance by [x] for 6 seconds. Maximum damage: (x) Your maximum damage now scales off stamina, and you reduce the target’s armor/spell resist.)

Total Dark (Envelop enemy in a lightless sphere that reflects back any harmful single target spells the enemy casts for 6 seconds. When the sphere dissipates, it deals [x] Magic Damage to nearby enemies. Each reflected spell heals you for [x].)

Solar Disturbance (Call down a fragment of the sun to deal Magic Damage each second to enemies in the target area and reduce the damage from their attacks by 30%. Enemies are also snared 62% An ally may activate the Supernova synergy, dealing damage and stunning all enemies in the area.)

Immovable Brute (Intensify your physical presence to gain Major Resolve and Major Ward, increasing Physical Resistance and Spell Resistance by 5280 for 15 seconds. Also grants you immunity to knockback and disabling effects for 5 seconds. While slotted, the Stamina cost of breaking free from a disabling effect is reduced for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped.)

Spiked Bone Shield (Surround yourself with a whirlwind of bones, absorbing physical damage equivalent to 30% of your Max Health.and returning 30% damage to melee attackers. Nearby allies may use the Bone Wall synergy, increasing Spell Damage by [x] and granting a damage shield for 60% of their Max Health. The wall lasts 10 seconds and affects up to four nearby allies.)




PASSIVE SKILLS of relevance:
⦁ Constitution Increases Health Recovery by 4% per piece of Heavy Armor equipped. Also restores Magicka and Stamina each time you are hit, but only once every 4 seconds. Amount restored is increased per piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
⦁ Resolve Increases your Armor for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
⦁ Juggernaut Increases Max Health by 1% per piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
⦁ Bracing When a Heavy Armor set of 5 or more pieces is equipped: Decreases Stamina cost of blocking by 20%.
⦁ Rapid Mending Increases healing received by 1% per piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
⦁ Twin Blade and Blunt While Dual Wielding Each axe equipped gives your weapon attacks a 50% chance to bleed enemies for [x] Physical Damage over 6 seconds. Each mace equipped allows your weapon attacks to ignore 10% of an enemy's Physical Resistance. Each sword equipped increases the damage of your weapon attacks by 2.5%. Each dagger equipped increases your Weapon Critical rating. (by 5%)
⦁ Ruffian While Dual Wielding: Gives you a 15% damage bonus when attacking stunned, immobilized, disoriented, or silenced enemies.
⦁ Slaughter Increases damage with Dual Wield abilities by 20% against enemies under 25% Health.
⦁ Fortress With weapon and shield equipped: Reduces the cost of One Hand and Shield abilities by 10% and reduces the cost of blocking by 30%.
⦁ Sword and Board Increases your Weapon Damage by 5% and the amount of damage you can block by 20%.
⦁ Deadly Bash With sword and shield equipped: Improves your standard bash attacks. Bashing deals 100% additional damage and cost 40% less Stamina.
⦁ Battlefield Mobility With sword and shield equipped: Increases your Movement Speed while blocking by 60%.
⦁ Piercing Spear With an Aedric Spear ability slotted: Increases the damage bonus for your Critical Strikes by (10)% and your damage against blocking targets by (10)%.
⦁ Spear Wall With an Aedric Spear ability slotted: Increases Block amount vs. melee attacks by 15%
⦁ Burning Light While using an Aedric Spear ability 25% chance to cause 2(x) extra Magic Damage anytime you hit with an Aedric Spear ability. (Damage uses Spell Damage or Weapon Damage. Whichever is higher)
⦁ Balanced Warrior Increases Weapon Damage by 6% and Spell Resistance by (2000)
⦁ Prism While Gaining Ultimate: Grants you 3 additional Ultimate every 6 seconds.
⦁ Restoring Spirit Reduces Magicka, Stamina and Ultimate ability costs by 4%.
⦁ Master Ritualist Increases resurrection speed by 20% Affected allies resurrect with 100% more Health 50% chance to gain a soul gem upon successful resurrect
⦁ Pursuit While in Werewolf Form: Increases Heavy Attack Stamina return by 100%.
⦁ Savage Strength While in Werewolf Form: Increases Weapon Damage by 18%.
⦁ Undaunted Command Activating a Synergy ability restores 4% of your Max Health, Stamina and Magicka.
⦁ Undaunted Mettle Increase your Max Health, Stamina and Magicka by 2% per type of Armor (Heavy, Medium, Light) that you have equipped.