arcane wizard/ranged fighter?

[beatles42o]

i want too make an archer build that focuses on using elemental enchanted arrows(or what ever they are) and ranged fighter? i was thinking choosing ranger, but wouldnt i get more feats with fighter? probably elf race. im thinking 13/7 either way?

any advice or a build would be great. i know nothing about wizards. also, with bow strength, do i still need stats in strength? or could i leave it at 8?

[krud]

My first toon I ever made was one of those. It's not easy to do. If you want to be any kind of wizard, you are gonna have to take almost all of your levels in wizard, but doing so will leave you weak as an archer. In the end, you will just be weaker at both, and either want a better wizard, or a better archer.

My toon took 1rgr, and the rest wizard. It is a very fun build early on, but at higher levels, the archery is nothing more than a novelty; good for some interesting but not really necessary effects.

28pt stats elf 1rgr/xwiz
14str
16dex
12con
16int <- all level ups here
8wis
8cha

can even melee early levels, and be self sufficient with cure wands. Get an elemental bow (acid, frost, shock or pure good), and make your own flame arrows at level5 (from wands if you can afford it). Haste, web and only target mobs that are already occupied by someone else or stuck. This will work until about level 8. Then forget about bow damage (you'll never do enough), and switch to effect only bows (cursespewing, disruption, paralyze, destruction). Save your sp for haste and firewalls. Swap your level 1 rgr feat for precision; +4 to-hit, and half damage (lowers aggro) yet the effects will still go off. Also, use slaying arrows if you can get any.

Beyond level14 those effect bows won't work very well. Either LR that 1 rgr level away, or reroll. Improved curse, etc are available and do work at the upper levels, but you will be so busy with the wizard stuff, that using a bow will be more trouble than it's worth. You'll have lots of fun until then, just be prepared to abandon the original plan at high levels.

If you want more ftr, or ranger, and want to dabble with wizard, I wouldn't recommend it. It used to be that 5 wizard for self haste and displacement was a good split, but not anymore. There are enough pots, and clickies available that the wizard levels are not needed and would just create drag on your main function.

[Mipedian]

Wizzies and rangers just dont mix well rangers dont need the int and the wizzies dont need the wis that rangers do also strength is almost useless to wizards.

[Brennie]

If you want a ranged arcane archer, your best bet is a simple level 20 Ranger. Its possible to do a Kensai AA, but you need to multiclass to make it work, and lack some of the better versitility of the ranger. Plus, you need to push back your AA enhancements, making leveling a bit more arduous.

THIS BUILD (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=2882691&postcount=90) lays it all out pretty succinctly.

[Sogrin]

If you want a ranged arcane archer, your best bet is a simple level 20 Ranger. Its possible to do a Kensai AA, but you need to multiclass to make it work, and lack some of the better versitility of the ranger. Plus, you need to push back your AA enhancements, making leveling a bit more arduous.

THIS BUILD (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=2882691&postcount=90) lays it all out pretty succinctly.

another option is a pure elf caster, going purely for the AA enhancements, but in most cases (like stated above) you would be weaker in both areas.

outside of the ranger version that brennie above posted, most others are reccomended for players that are a bit more experienced.

[shablala]

Actually a 2ranger/18cleric Elf AA works pretty well. The reason it is better to go Cleric than Wizard is that a cleric can get full BAB and still be able to cast. You can work Manyshot into the build and still be able to pick up extend and empower healing and be a very viable healer.

With the next update, this build will actually get a lot better since Dex can be a dump stat. You pick up Zen Archery, and put stats in STR and WIS and make a pretty decent archer.

[tihocan]

The reason it is better to go Cleric than Wizard is that a cleric can get full BAB and still be able to cast.
With Divine Power clickies a Wiz can do the same.

[krud]

Actually a 2ranger/18cleric Elf AA works pretty well. The reason it is better to go Cleric than Wizard is that a cleric can get full BAB and still be able to cast. You can work Manyshot into the build and still be able to pick up extend and empower healing and be a very viable healer.

With the next update, this build will actually get a lot better since Dex can be a dump stat. You pick up Zen Archery, and put stats in STR and WIS and make a pretty decent archer.
it's possible, but in the end suffers from the same problems a wizard archer does, it's weaker at both. The bow damage just does not keep up. The only time it would be useful is when many shot is active. Put down the bow in between.

The cleric/archer is not a newb friendly style. It was the most actively involved character I ever played; keeping up with targetted mobs, healing the party, as well as offensive casting. Unlike a melee battle cleric where you can cast mass cures while in combat to heal you and your party members, a ranged cleric will need to switch targetting friends/foes to keep his the party healed, all while staying out of melee range. The delay between shooting a ranged weapon and casting (it's worse than melee) makes it even more difficult.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Wizzies and rangers just dont mix well rangers dont need the int and the wizzies dont need the wis that rangers do also strength is almost useless to wizards.

:(

[Talon_Moonshadow]

your reasons for wanting Wizard are not clear in your post.

The only way in DDO to use elemental enhanced arrows is with the Arcane Archer ehancement line. Which Rangers can take and Elves of any class.

There are several ways to go.

The easiest, and I think the best is simply a pure Rgr.

But with an Elf you can do one all kinds of ways.

The Ftr based AA needs some spell points in the build somewhere. I have one that is going to be Ftr18/Rgr1/Wiz1 at lvl 20.

it is very difficult to make a good archer who is not heavy in Rgr or Ftr lvls because of the large number of feats that you need to make a good archer.

But a Wizard based on is possible. Wiz18/rgr2 is probably the best and easiest to pull off.

But a high lvl Wizard will find his spells more effective than his weapons. So it isn't really the best choice. Plus his to hit and damage will be low, although there are ways to make it work.

If you go any kinda of combat Wizard build, I would do a min of 10 Str and 12 or higher is recommended. Even for an archer without Bow Str.

If you really want to get creative, you can go with just a few levels of Wizard for buffs.

But honestly a pure Rgr AA is very good. And I really, really recommend it for anyone who is not sure about builds and multiclassing rules.....etc.

[Thrudh]

Wizzies and rangers just dont mix well rangers dont need the int and the wizzies dont need the wis that rangers do also strength is almost useless to wizards.

A wizard/ranger where you focus on offensive spells doesn't work well, but a ranger/wizard using only buffs is decent...

Gives you the best of both worlds - access to both arcane and spiritual spells.

A 12/8 elf ranger/wizard gets you

All the ranged feats for free
All the TWF feats for free
Two free meta-magic feats from the wizard levels (Extend and Maximize)
Ranger devotion enhancements plus Maximize gives you decent self-healing with your spells.


Tons of buffs (all extended):

Jump
Exp Retreat
Shield
Blur
Invisibility
Haste
Displacement
Rage
Fire Shield
Stoneskin
Ram's Might
30 point resists
120 point protection from elements
Neutralize Posion


Plus firewall (a weak firewall, but decent when soloing)

For a new player though, a pure ranger is probably the way to go...

[Zowy]

If you want your Elf AA to have usefull buffing Arcane magic, go with Bard. It mixes with Ranger better than Wiz.

Elf ( Arcane Archer ) - Bard 8 ( Warchanter I ) / Ranger 12

You lose the free meta-magic feats from the wizard levels. But get UMD, Buff and CC Songs, more hit points, your BAB goes up to 18, ect...