Thought on my Tempest Build?

[Cairo]

I have a Tempest Ranger now, level 11, and I'm trying to fix some mistakes I made earlier without rerolling, cause I suck at leveling :P

Thoughts on this?


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.00
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Kayos2
Level 16 Lawful Good Dwarf Male
(16 Ranger)
Hit Points: 270
Spell Points: 225
BAB: 16\16\21\26\26
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 15
Will: 7

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 16)
Strength 16 21
Dexterity 15 20
Constitution 14 19
Intelligence 12 12
Wisdom 12 15
Charisma 8 10

Tomes Used
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 16
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 16
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 16
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 16
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 16

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 16)
Balance 2 9
Bluff -1 0
Concentration 3 17
Diplomacy -1 0
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle -1 0
Heal 1 2
Hide 6 24
Intimidate -1 0
Jump 3 18
Listen 1 2
Move Silently 5 24
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 1
Search 5 22
Spot 5 21
Swim 7 9
Tumble 4 8
Use Magic Device 1 9.5

Level 1 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Bow Strength
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stability
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stonecutting
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Dwarven Waraxe
Feat: (Automatic) Giant Evasion
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Light Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Orc and Goblin Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Poison Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Shield Proficiency (General)
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Spell Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip
Feat: (Automatic) Wild Empathy


Level 2 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Rapid Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Two Weapon Fighting


Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Feat: (Automatic) Diehard


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 5 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider


Level 6 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Manyshot


Level 7 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Wild Empathy


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 9 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion


Level 10 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Aberration


Level 11 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Precise Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Precise Shot


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Ranger)


Level 14 (Ranger)


Level 15 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Lawful Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Two Weapon Defense


Level 16 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I

[szaijan]

At 15th, Power Attack is probably a better feat selection than 2WDef. By that level your "To Hit" will be saturating and the +5 damage per attack will be needed to penetrate DR.

I'd drop the +DEX at 12th and go +STR instead... DEX increases can be made up through AP if needed.

Nothing you can do about being short and walking like a gorilla short of rerolling... ;^)

[Demoyn]

Lower int by 4, wis by 2, and cha by 2. Increase str by 2 and con by 2.

[Cairo]

At 15th, Power Attack is probably a better feat selection than 2WDef. By that level your "To Hit" will be saturating and the +5 damage per attack will be needed to penetrate DR.

I'd drop the +DEX at 12th and go +STR instead... DEX increases can be made up through AP if needed.

Nothing you can do about being short and walking like a gorilla short of rerolling... ;^)

I thought about putting it into Str instead of Dex, but the Dex gets me 1 extra point on my reflex, but the point of Str doesnt get me any higher of a boost.

I picked 2WDef for the extra AC, I dunno if it's really worth it, but I figured it couldnt hurt.. I know I'm not gonna reach the 90 AC that's considered "borderline" nowadays, but... meh. The +5 damage from PA, is it really noticeable or even needed to bypass DR when everyone has dual MinII weapons, smiters, banishers, and vorps?

I guess it couldnt hurt.. Any other suggestions?

Wish I could put equipment in it so I could see what my numbers would be like after getting geared..



Lower int by 4, wis by 2, and cha by 2. Increase str by 2 and con by 2.

That'd give me less skill points, a lower Will save, and the lack of skill points combined with a lower cha would kill -any- chance I'd ever have at using anything with a UMD skill more than Threeve. Can you explain why +1 hit/damage and a few glancing blows worth of HP is worth more than skill points?

[QuantumFX]

Drop Two Weapon Defense

Instead, pick up Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (as your prereq feat for Tempest III) and Power Attack as your level 15 and 18 feats. You can take them in any order. With Tempest III and OTWF any weapon you use will not give you a penalty to hit and allow you to run around in PA mode even on high AC mobs. This also can free up action points for more useful enhancements like toughness and spell defense.

Favored Enemy Evil outsider does not stack with Favored Enemy Lawful Outsider. You should take FE: Giant at level 5 and FE: Evil Outsider at level 10. FE:Aberration is an OK choice for a FE but FE:Elemental is generally much more useful. Though if you stay pure Ranger you can fit in both by level 20.

[Cairo]

Drop Two Weapon Defense

Instead, pick up Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (as your prereq feat for Tempest III) and Power Attack as your level 15 and 18 feats. You can take them in any order. With Tempest III and OTWF any weapon you use will not give you a penalty to hit and allow you to run around in PA mode even on high AC mobs. This also can free up action points for more useful enhancements like toughness and spell defense.

Favored Enemy Evil outsider does not stack with Favored Enemy Lawful Outsider. You should take FE: Giant at level 5 and FE: Evil Outsider at level 10. FE:Aberration is an OK choice for a FE but FE:Elemental is generally much more useful. Though if you stay pure Ranger you can fit in both by level 20.

Yeah, I havent even given thought to 17-20 yet, I had to start a brand new beta account and only got toons to 4 and 6, respectively, so I havent experienced anything higher level yet.

Didnt realize EO and LO didnt stack, yeah ill fix that.. Why giant instead of something like Monstrous Humanoid or Beast?

[szaijan]

The +5 damage from PA, is it really noticeable or even needed to bypass DR when everyone has dual MinII weapons, smiters, banishers, and vorps?
Smiters, Banishers, Vorpals, Disrupters, etc. only work if the damage manages to get through DR, so yeah, it's very noticeable. This is the biggest issue with DEX based builds, IMO.

As for dual MinII weapons, I have no idea as I've never seen a Green Steel weapon except through the store window of the AH.

[QuantumFX]

Why giant instead of something like Monstrous Humanoid or Beast?

It covers an astonishing number of mobs in the game over a large number of levels. (Anything listed as a “Giant” plus Ogres and Trolls.) You start seeing them as named bosses around level 3 in the Harbor, general mobs in level 5-10 quests and in higher level content such as Gianthold and the Vale.


The +5 damage from PA, is it really noticeable or even needed to bypass DR when everyone has dual MinII weapons, smiters, banishers, and vorps?

Power Attack is pre crit damage that applies evenly over both weapons. This means that if you're dual wielding Dwarven Axes you get +5 damage on a regular hit and +15 damage on a crit from Power Attack.

[Gornn]

I am in agreement: ability bump at 12, strength. 16, strength. 20, strength.

From the sound of it this is a char youve built and want him to not be gimped. Well he doesnt sound gimp but you could be SIGNIFICANTLY better.

Add: power attack

That's excellent advice. it's not about breaking DR is about doing damage. period. and without PA you're WELL behind your peers imagine it this way. For 20 swings: assuming you only miss on a 1, and you're using a khopesh, from not having power attack you're 135 points of damage behind a ranger that HAS power attack.

Thats 135 per 20 swings. Thats a LOT of damage over a 5 minute fight with arraetrikos, when you consider you swing about once or twice a second.

Your reflex save is good enough that you should save 75 percent of the time. Putting an ability point into dex and not strength is just...well, not worth it for that one point. You don't get doovers with ability points.

By the by, I see a lot of AC enhancements and whatnot on your build...fully buffed, whats your ac?

[Cairo]

I am in agreement: ability bump at 12, strength. 16, strength. 20, strength.

From the sound of it this is a char youve built and want him to not be gimped. Well he doesnt sound gimp but you could be SIGNIFICANTLY better.

Add: power attack

That's excellent advice. it's not about breaking DR is about doing damage. period. and without PA you're WELL behind your peers imagine it this way. For 20 swings: assuming you only miss on a 1, and you're using a khopesh, from not having power attack you're 135 points of damage behind a ranger that HAS power attack.

Thats 135 per 20 swings. Thats a LOT of damage over a 5 minute fight with arraetrikos, when you consider you swing about once or twice a second.

Your reflex save is good enough that you should save 75 percent of the time. Putting an ability point into dex and not strength is just...well, not worth it for that one point. You don't get doovers with ability points.

By the by, I see a lot of AC enhancements and whatnot on your build...fully buffed, whats your ac?

When you put it that way, yeah, that is a huge gap. I appreciate the advice, its been about 9 months since Ive played this guy seriously. I may very well end up rerolling him eventually, I dunno.

My AC is..

10 Base
10 Armor
6 Max Dex
2 Deflection
2 Dodge
3 Feat
------
33 AC unbuffed..
5 Barkskin
1 Haste
5 Holy Aura
(2 from Protection from Evil, if it stacks)
4 Shield Clickie/Shield of Faith or if I use a shield/parrying weapon combo, +8
----------
48 (50) or 56 (58) unless my math is wrong, which it probably is cause I suck at math :D

I dont have anything really uber in the way of gear for this guy, a decent set of +5 mithril BP with some bonuses, Chaosgardes, i recently traded a +1 cha tome for a +6 con neck with extras..

I'm still looking at what to build in the shroud, and what raid and quest loot to go after. Kinda bummed the Character Planner doesnt have equipment anymore, I'm hoping it gets updated with Mod 9's release.