18.2% Life Regen Righteous Fire EK - [1.1.1] - Video Inside.

Using a level 20 Purity of Fire aura along with 28% increase effect of auras from the passive tree gives +5% maximum fire resistance, couple this with Elemental Adaptation (+2%), the new marauder nodes (1+1%) and Rise of the Pheonix (+8%) gives a total of 92% fire resistance, meaning that RF will only be burning for 7.2% of our maximum life (7.5% when you factor in ~200 ES).

As RF burns for 7.5% of maximum life per second and we are able to get 11.1% life regen from the passive tree we need more. The first way of doing this is by using the Vitality aura which grants 2.1% life regen at level 20 with the increase aura effect from the tree. This leaves life regeneration at 5.7% which is enough to sustain casting EK with blood magic as well as RF, but using The Blood Dance unique boots, granting Frenzy charges on kill and an additional 1% life regen per frenzy charge. With the final build that means that an additional 5% life regen is obtained, giving 10.7% life regen over top of RF's burning damage.

Max life regen = 11.1% (passive tree) + 5% (blood dance) + 2.1% (vitality) = 18.2%

*Fully buffed, 5 Frenzy, 6 Endurance and Granite Flask.

With the changes to damage over time skills added in Patch 1.0.2 it is now possible to increase the burning damage of RF without killing yourself. As such I have chosen to use a Searing Touch with RF linked to Increase Burning Damage, Empower, Faster Casting and Increased Area of Effect to boost the damage dealt to mobs unlucky enough to try and engage in melee combat.

Required:
Rise of the Pheonix enables you to obtain much higher fire resistance making RF sustainable.
Alpha's Howl allows for an additional aura to be cast on mana (total of 4).
The Blood Dance gives an addition 5% life regeneration, meaning you have 6% regen over top of the Righteous Fire, which burns for 10% of maximum health with 90% fire resistance.

Recommended:
Astramentis gives enough dexterity to allow you to cast EK and the extra strength improves the damage bonus from using the Iron Will support gem, it also gives needed intelligence for running a high level Vulnerability curse.

*Note: Astramentis is not required if you pick the +30 Dexterity node near Unwavering Stance and get ~4-14 dexterity from gear (rings/amulet/glove) and the Blood Dance (+30-40 Dexterity), allowing you to wear Alpha's Howl.

Iron Reflexes
Unwavering Stance - not in 1.1.0 update

Normal +40 Life from Oak
Cruel +18% Physical Damage from Oak
Merciless +1 Frenzy charge from Kraityn, to increase life regen with The Blood Dance boots.

Blood Magic
Life Leech
Faster Projectiles
Faster Casting
Iron Will OR Added Fire Damage

Reduced mana gem +24% reduced mana reservation from passive tree and Alpha's Howl:
Hatred
Vitality
Purity of Fire
Purity of Elements OR Purity of Lightning OR Tempest Sheild

Linked with Cast when Damage Taken support gem (lvl 2):
Enduring Cry (lvl 5)
Molten Shell (lvl 8)
Raise Skeletons (lvl 8)

My Current Build:


Finished Build:


Marauder Build:


Leveling:

+333 to Strength
+104 to Dexterity
+93 to Intelligence
+426.5 to maximum Mana
+978.5 to maximum Life
Evasion Rating: 308
+5 Maximum Endurance Charge
+4 Maximum Frenzy Charge
+3 Maximum Power Charge
4% Additional Elemental Resistance per Endurance Charge
4% Physical Damage Reduction per Endurance Charge
5% Attack Speed Increase per Frenzy Charge
5% Cast Speed Increase per Frenzy Charge
50% Critical Strike Chance Increase per Power Charge
20% increased Melee Physical Damage
234% increased maximum Life
11.1% of Life Regenerated per Second
40% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
12% increased Physical Damage
12% increased Radius of Auras
16% reduced Mana Reserved
28% increased effect of Auras you Cast
3% increased Effect of Buffs on You
80% increased Armour
+8% to Chaos Resistance
+4% to maximum Fire Resistance
+3% to maximum Cold Resistance
+3% to maximum Lightning Resistance
+2 to Melee Weapon and Unarmed range
15% increased Life Recovery from Flasks
+18% to all Elemental Resistances
+8% to Fire Resistance
18% increased Frenzy Charge Duration
27% increased Damage over Time
Converts all Evasion Rating to Armour. Dexterity provides no bonus to Evasion Rating

High life and life regeneration.
Able to do Vulnerability, Elemental Weakness and Reflect maps while sustaining RF.
Defensive as well as offensive, RF can be switched off to have 800+ life regen.
6 Endurance charges reduce any incoming physical damage.
Immune to freeze and fire (100% fire resistance for 4 seconds with Ruby flask).
Good damage with RF: 8-10k EK with Iron Will, 7-9k with Added Fire Damage with added burn from RF.
Decent Damage without RF: 3-5k EK damage, depending on gear and skill gem level/quality.
Blood magic maps allow you to swap BM support gem with added fire.
Good fun burning people in PvP.

Cannot use RF in 50% regen, no regen, blood magic and -max resistance maps (although still clears fast enough).
Not the greatest single target damage.

The build is actually better suited to Marauder, but I had a free respec for my Templar so I made it this way. Going marauder would allow you to remove the unnecessary strength nodes at the templar start area and get more %life from the ring in the centre of the tree.

Possibly use Doon Cuebiyari and Kaom's Heart for extra life and burning damage.