Tempest Trapmonkey for new players (28-pt human & dwarf)

[unbongwah]

This is a build which I keep reposting for newbies, so I figure it makes sense to just post it in its own thread for future reference. It's just a variant on tihocan's Tempest (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=2800940&postcount=16), but it lays everything out.

Goals: good TWF DPS, max ranks in trap skills & UMD, decent HPs, Tempest III, no tomes or premium classes req'd.
Cons: low Will saves, not a high-AC build, dump-stating WIS means you need to find level-appropriate +WIS item to cast spells.

First up is the human version:


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Tempest Trapmonkey
Level 20 True Neutral Human Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 302
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 16
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 22
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 15 16
Intelligence 12 12
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 7
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 2 3
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 5 24
Haggle 3 3
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 7 10
Listen 3 3
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 24
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 1
Search 5 24
Spot 3 22
Swim 3 6
Tumble 6 7
Use Magic Device 3 22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Listen (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Strength I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV
Enhancement: Ranger Item Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


Why take Oversized TWF before khopesh? I figure new players are more likely to need to "live off the land," using whatever weapons they can scrounge from quest rewards etc. Khopeshes are relatively rare drops and good ones are hella expensive on the Auction House - way more than a newbie can afford at the beginning. Also, you spend a lot of time during the first 10-12 levels fighting undead (e.g., Catacombs, Delera's, Necropolis, House J quests, etc.), who are immune to crits, thus negating khopeshes' big advantage over other weapons. And since OTWF is a Tempest III pre-req, it's not like it's a wasted feat. By level 12, they can either save their plat for khopeshes off the AH or grind Demon Sands for Dynastic Falcatas (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/jgould2005/DDO/Items/Weapons/DynasticFalcata.jpg) or Chaosblades (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/jgould2005/DDO/Items/Weapons/Chaosblade.jpg) (lowest-lvl static khopesh rewards AFAIK); and later of course they'll craft green steel khopeshes.

Final feat is up to debate. I went with Maximize so she can toss off the occasional emergency heal, but other options include Extend, Empower Heal (saves mana but less potent heals), Improved Crit Ranged (if you like softening targets up with longbows), or Skill Focus UMD (if you need the boost for no-fail Heal scrolls).

Stealth variant: start CON 14 INT 14. Put half-ranks into Open Lock and remaining points into Hide & Move Silently. Swap one of the less important enhs for Rogue Faster Sneaking I.

EDIT: added 5/19/11 - based on Aylin's suggestion of taking a barbarian splash instead of fighter, I came up with this variant I've nicknamed Zerger's Delight:


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Human Female
(1 Barbarian \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 304
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 16
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 22
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 15 16
Intelligence 12 12
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 9
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 2 3
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 5 24
Haggle 3 3
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 7 10
Listen 3 3
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 25
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 1
Search 5 24
Spot 3 22
Swim 3 6
Tumble 6 7
Use Magic Device 3 22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Listen (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Human Bonus) Mobility


Level 2 (Barbarian)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Selected) Least Dragonmark of Passage (swap for khopesh proficiency later)


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Attack I
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Strength I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Barbarian Toughness I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


The idea is +10% barb run speed + 25% Expeditious Retreat (Least Passage DM) + rgr Sprint Boost = ZOOOOM! at low levels. :) Once you can cast Longstrider (tho it's only +15% so you won't be as fast), have a high enough Striding item, and/or good khopeshes gathered, you swap the DM out for khopesh instead. Note: you have to complete the Hall of the Mark (http://ddowiki.com/page/Hall_of_the_Mark) quest once per server in order to take the Dragonmark feats; so if this is your very first char on a particular server, I would recommend holding off on taking lvl 3 until you finish this quest - so get off Korthos ASAP! :)

The main drawback to this approach is it delays Toughness until lvl 12 and OTWF to lvl 18. So you could skip the DM entirely and take Toughness at lvl 3 instead, pushing khopesh back to lvl 12, if extra HPs are more important to you than extra run speed at lower levels.

EDIT: added 3/29/12 updated 2/2/13

Until recently, there was very little incentive to take rogue 2 on this build, since rangers get Evasion at lvl 9. But with the addition of Wand & Scroll Mastery enhs to rogue, rogue 2 lets you add W&S Mastery I, which adds +30% to your Cure wands & Heal scrolls. Along with human Improved Recovery, that's a pretty big boost to this build's self-sufficiency. The downside is losing the extra HPs and extra feat from ftr (in this case losing Maximize) or +10% run speed & +1 PA enh from barb. I've also rejiggered the skill pts a bit to get max Concentration and some more pts of Balance, at the expense of max Open Lock.

(2/2/13) With the changes to the AC system in U14, I've put less emphasis on to-hit. I've also swapped OTWF for Lightning Reflexes; if you take at least a +1 DEX tome before lvl 18, you can take Two Weapon Defense instead for +5 PRR.

The addition of epic levels adds two more feats to round out this build. This khopesh-based version plans to take Quicken & Maximize at lvls 21 & 24 to boost its self-healing potential.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.14.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Tempest Trapmonkey
Level 20 True Neutral Human Female
(2 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 288
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 19
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 22
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 15 16
Intelligence 12 12
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 14
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 4 26
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 5 24
Haggle 3 3
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 7 11
Listen -1 -1
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 14
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 1
Search 5 24
Spot 3 22
Swim 3 6
Tumble 6 7
Use Magic Device 3 22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Human Bonus) Mobility


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+3)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 8 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+7)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Strength I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I
Enhancement: Rogue Wand and Scroll Mastery I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Lightning Reflexes


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance III
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


Epic feats: Quicken & Maximize (or Empower Heal if you plan to take Rejuvenation Cocoon from Primal Avatar ED (http://ddowiki.com/page/Primal_Avatar))

Alternatively, you could drop khopesh prof. so you have enough feats for the Cleave/Great Cleave/Overwhelming Critical chain. Adding CL & GC also opens up Lay Waste & Momentum Swing from the Legendary Dreadnought ED (http://ddowiki.com/page/Legendary_Dreadnought). In that case, I would recommend taking Dodge (1), Mobility (1), Toughness (3), Spring Atk (6), IC:Pierce (9), Power Atk (12), Cleave (15), Lightning Reflexes or TWD (18), Great Cleave (21), and finally Overwhelming Critical (24).

[unbongwah]

Dwarf version is pretty much the same, just slightly different base stats and drops khopesh feat - uses dwarven axes instead.

Advantages over human: higher CON & HPs, racial enhs to axes, bonuses to saves vs. spells
Disadvantages: loses Versatility, Adaptability (-1 STR), and Imp Recovery; 1 less feat delays OTWF and loses khopesh


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Dwarf Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 332
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 16
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 21
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 16 18
Intelligence 14 14
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 6 6

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 11
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 3 4
Diplomacy -2 -2
Disable Device 6 25
Haggle 2 2
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 7 9
Listen 3 3
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 24
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 2 2
Search 6 27
Spot 3 22
Swim 3 5
Tumble 6 7
Use Magic Device 2 21

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Listen (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


EDIT: added 5/11/11 - an elf version by request. For variety's sake I added Imp Crit Ranged instead of Maximize and elven bow enhs; even without AA, Manyshot + IPS still means great burst DPS, so why not capitalize on that? Even with 10 pts put into CON, it's still squishier than a human or dwarf - the sacrifices we make in order to be pretty, eh? ;) Built for TWF w/scimitars; if you prefer rapiers, take Imp Crit Pierce instead of Slash and Aerenal enhs instead of Valenar.


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Elf Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 272
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 17
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 21
Dexterity 14 18
Constitution 14 14
Intelligence 12 12
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 8
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 2 2
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 5 24
Haggle 3 3
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 4
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 7 9
Listen -1 1
Move Silently 2 4
Open Lock 6 16
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 1
Search 5 26
Spot 3 23
Swim 3 5
Tumble 6 8
Use Magic Device 3 22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1.5)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost II
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


EDIT: added 7/6/12

Someone asked me to post a drow version of this build, so here it is. It's a lot like the elf, though I decided to add Improved Sunder for a change of pace. I'm also hoping the recent changes to AC makes it more viable for this build and thus taking FE Defense isn't a waste of APs. Caveat: bear in mind the forthcoming Enhancement changes will add Tempest as a drow racial PrE, so this might not be the best idea. I'll try to remember to revisit this build later.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.12.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Drow Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 272
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 17
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 21
Dexterity 14 18
Constitution 14 14
Intelligence 14 14
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 10 10

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 8
Bluff 0 0
Concentration 4 25
Diplomacy 0 0
Disable Device 6 25
Haggle 4 4
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 4
Intimidate 0 0
Jump 7 9
Listen -1 1
Move Silently 2 4
Open Lock 6 16
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 2 2
Search 6 27
Spot 3 21
Swim 3 5
Tumble 6 8
Use Magic Device 4 23

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+3)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost II
Enhancement: Drow Weapon Attack I
Enhancement: Drow Weapon Damage I
Enhancement: Drow Weapon Damage II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost III
Enhancement: Drow Weapon Attack II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Sunder


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Extra Action Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost IV
Enhancement: Fighter Strategy (Sunder) I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


EDIT: another option is to start DEX 16 INT 12; i.e., +1 AC & Reflex (now that AC is relevant again) for fewer skill pts (I'd probably drop them out of Spot & OL).

[k1ngp1n]

And this, folks, is how to build a f2p ranger.

[Irinis]

Nice. +1 rep, again. :)

[Werewolfzz]

I've been trying to follow along a bit with Tihocan's Tempest III build... But the one major difference is that I'm playing a Drow! (Ranger2/Rogue1 thus far)

Str - 16
Dex - 16
Con - 12
Int - 14
Wis - 10
Chr - 10

Just in advance, I understand that human may be higher DPS, etc. (or some other "better"). But what I'm looking for is:

Drow Ranger18/Rogue1/??????? (Fighter seems most likely, Don't have Monk unlocked)

I am under the impression that with a Drow, it might be more effective to go Dex-based? Does this remain true even without the Monk lvl? Can I still be an effective Ranger as a Str-based Drow?

Also, I opted for a higher Int score in order to stay rich is Skill points. However, I don't know if I can have all that I want =( ...

UMD, Spot, Search, Disable Device, Open Locks,... Is there enough left for Move Silently and Hide? I already tossed a few in Jump, Tumble, Balance & Haggle... Do I need to start over?

As for Feats, If its possible to do a Dex-Based Drow Ranger without Monk (and it stays worth it...) I'd like to get Point Blank Shot to take advantage of the other freebie feats that come with Ranger such as many shot and rapid shot. Are there enough feats to pull that off? I don't mind using Rapiers if that is a factor

So I guess what I was hoping for was 2 separate builds:

1. Str-Based Drow Tempest Ranger18/Rogue1/Fighter1 (or other twist on Ranger18/Rogue1)

2. Dex-Based Drow Tempest Ranger18/Rogue1/Fighter1 (or other twist on Ranger18/Rogue1)

And then I guess I ought to consider being tempted by:

3. Dex-Based Drow Tempest Ranger18/Rogue1/Monk1 ... I'm kinda hoping the Monk splash is NOT awesome for Drow... hahaha... its pricey =)

Well,... Thanks In Advance to anyone who can offer up some guidance to a lost Ranger!

~X~


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.7.2
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Name
Level 3 True Neutral Drow Male
(1 Rogue \ 2 Ranger)
Hit Points: 45
Spell Points: 0
BAB: 2\2
Fortitude: 4
Reflex: 9
Will: 0

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 3)
Strength 16 16
Dexterity 16 18
Constitution 12 12
Intelligence 14 14
Wisdom 10 10
Charisma 10 10

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 3)
Balance 7 8
Bluff 0 0
Concentration 1 1
Diplomacy 0 0
Disable Device 6 7
Haggle 4 4
Heal 0 0
Hide 5 9
Intimidate 0 0
Jump 7 7
Listen 0 2
Move Silently 5 9
Open Lock 7 8
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 2 2
Search 6 10
Spot 4 8
Swim 3 3
Tumble 7 8
Use Magic Device 4 6

Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I




How about that =) ... And I now know how to use the planner... Kinda ;)

[FlyingTurtle]

I am under the impression that with a Drow, it might be more effective to go Dex-based?

No, never, nada. You're not a Rogue or an AA. You don't have the extra damage to make up for the loss of +dam from low strength.

So, in your build your dex is too high. I'd drop it to 13, dip Wis to 9, and kick Con up to 14. For weapons, go Rapiers and Shortswords.



As for Feats, If its possible to do a Dex-Based Drow Ranger without Monk (and it stays worth it...) I'd like to get Point Blank Shot to take advantage of the other freebie feats that come with Ranger such as many shot and rapid shot. Are there enough feats to pull that off? I don't mind using Rapiers if that is a factor


PBS is useless on a tempest. Why pew pew when you can pull out your melee weapons and mince the enemy by running 30' (less than 1s unhasted)?

[unbongwah]

I am under the impression that with a Drow, it might be more effective to go Dex-based? Does this remain true even without the Monk lvl? Can I still be an effective Ranger as a Str-based Drow?
Possible - yes, if you plan to use rapiers and/or short swords to take advantage of both Finesse and drow enhs. More effective than STR-based? Wellll...on the plus side, you'll have higher to-hit, higher Reflex saves, and higher AC; but the downsides are lower DPS, costs a feat on a build which is pretty short on them (since you spend half your feats on your Tempest pre-reqs), and without a monk splash your AC won't really be super-high.

I'd like to get Point Blank Shot to take advantage of the other freebie feats that come with Ranger such as many shot and rapid shot. Are there enough feats to pull that off? No, but it doesn't matter, as rangers always get their free feats, regardless of whether or not they meet the feat pre-reqs; it's what makes being a ranger so cool. :)

I would say you could do a Finesse-based drow version of my build and not be ZOMG TOTALLY GIMP3D!!1! but it's also not optimal if you don't have monk (and maybe not optimal even if you do). Maybe I'll play around with the builder and see what I can come up with...

[Mercureal]

I am under the impression that with a Drow, it might be more effective to go Dex-based? Does this remain true even without the Monk lvl? Can I still be an effective Ranger as a Str-based Drow?

I'm not sure who was giving you that impression, but if you plan to primarily use melee combat, Str is better, and yes you can be effective that way (speaking as a 28-point elf). Drow can certainly raise Dex more easily, but that doesn't make them more effective.

Dex gives you ranged attack bonus, reflex save bonus and AC bonus; if you want melee attack bonus as well it costs a feat. The reflex save bonus from good Dex is nice because you'll have evasion, but you can still get a very nice Dex without sacrificing level-up points. You can get +5 from enhancements and another +6 eventually from equipment, meaning you can have a 27 Dex without using any ability increases as you level. That's more than enough to give you good saves.

Str give melee attack bonus *and* melee damage bonus *and* range damage bonus (ranger automatic bow-strength feat). AC isn't useless, but building for it takes a lot of work and depends as much on gear as on stats, meaning high Dex alone won't help you avoid getting hit for very long. Str makes you much better in combat, because ultimately your role is to kill things.

[Werewolfzz]

Maybe I'll play around with the builder and see what I can come up with...

Thanks... I just spent the day on the Character Planner and I was worried I may have to reroll this Ranger just to max out UMD, Disable Device, Open Locks, Search & Spot =( ... But its pretty close. 2 ranks shy in Search, 3 in open locks

All done and said,... I'm trying to salvage/fix what I've already got (and no doubt making some mistakes on the planner along the way)... This is where I am at thus far... =)

Helpful Comments Welcome!


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.7.2
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Name
Level 20 True Neutral Drow Male
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 252
Spell Points: 370
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 18
Will: 6

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

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 7 9
Bluff 0 0
Concentration 1 1
Diplomacy 0 0
Disable Device 6 25
Haggle 4 4
Heal 0 0
Hide 5 10
Intimidate 0 0
Jump 7 9
Listen 0 2
Move Silently 5 10
Open Lock 7 25
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 2 2
Search 6 24
Spot 4 24
Swim 3 5
Tumble 7 9
Use Magic Device 4 23

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Hide (+2)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Hide (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+2)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild II


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack II


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild III


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III

[unbongwah]

OK, here's a DEX-based drow variant with stealth skills using rapiers (or short swords). Personally I wouldn't take this approach myself - partly because it delays Toughness so late, mostly because of the lower DPS mentioned before - but it's not completely terrible either. :p The trick to playing a Finesse build IMHO is to look for the biggest STR boost you can get for the extra dmg (Bull's STR potions / wands / spells from friendly casters early on, then +6 STR items ASAP and of course +2 STR tome if you can; don't forget to buff w/Ram's Might too); and use weapons which do extra dmg that's not dependent on your STR (e.g., burst effects).

Max ranks in UMD, Disable, Spot, & Search; 22 ranks in Hide & MS; only 12 ranks in Open Lock but one advantage to going DEX-based is the big bonus to OL (and other DEX skills) it provides.


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.7.2
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Drow Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 272
Spell Points: 205
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 21
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 14 14
Dexterity 16 26
Constitution 14 14
Intelligence 16 16
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 10 10

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 7 12
Bluff 0 0
Concentration 2 2
Diplomacy 0 0
Disable Device 7 26
Haggle 4 4
Heal -1 -1
Hide 7 30
Intimidate 0 0
Jump 6 7
Listen -1 1
Move Silently 7 30
Open Lock 7 20
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 3 3
Search 7 28
Spot 3 24
Swim 2 2
Tumble 7 12
Use Magic Device 4 23

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Hide (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Move Silently (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Finesse


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Fighter)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost II
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost III
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost IV
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Attack II
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Drow Melee Damage II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Elven Enchantment Resistance I
Enhancement: Elven Enchantment Resistance II
Enhancement: Elven Enchantment Resistance III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Rogue Faster Sneaking I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Alternate feat order: Toughness (1), Finesse (3), Dodge (6), Mobility (ftr bonus), Imp Crit Pierce (9), Spring Attack (12), PA (15), OTWF (18). You delay Tempest I four levels (from 8 to 12), but gain extra HPs from Toughness + enhs right away, which can help a lot on a squishy build like this. The silver lining to the nerf to Tempest I is it's less urgent to get it ASAP, IMHO.

[Werewolfzz]

I'm beginning to see why most Rangers go STR-Based!

Here's what I've come up with, all prettied up... hahaha

Edit: updated earlier post with my final version

[FlyingTurtle]

Here's what I've come up with, all prettied up... hahaha


Too much dex for a Str-based character.

You do know the minimum dex requirement for this build is only 13 right?

[Werewolfzz]

Too much dex for a Str-based character.

You do know the minimum dex requirement for this build is only 13 right?

I'm wearing +2 studded leather as to avoid spell failure and armor check penalties on my Rogue skills... which are set to be max'd

With a 13 Dex, are you suggesting I wear Plate Mail... Are the wands, scrolls and Ranger Spells not affected by the Full Plate Armor checks and spell failure % ?

[unbongwah]

Arcane spell failure only affects arcane spell casters; rangers (and clerics and FvS) are divine casters. The ftr splash lets you wear med & hvy armor without the -4 non-prof penalty; but you have to wear light armor or robes to benefit from Evasion (ranger lvl 9).

That said, a STR-based ranger (w/out a monk splash) isn't really a high-AC build; in the long term it's not something you worry about.

That said, there's nothing inherently wrong with your base stats, IMHO, though I would probably start 16 / 16 / 12 / 16 / 8 / 10 or 16 / 14 / 14 / 14 / 8 / 10; i.e., dump-stat WIS for more INT or CON.

[Werewolfzz]

Arcane spell failure only affects arcane spell casters; rangers (and clerics and FvS) are divine casters. The ftr splash lets you wear med & hvy armor without the -4 non-prof penalty; but you have to wear light armor or robes to benefit from Evasion (ranger lvl 9).

That said, a STR-based ranger (w/out a monk splash) isn't really a high-AC build; in the long term it's not something you worry about.

That said, there's nothing inherently wrong with your base stats, IMHO, though I would probably start 16 / 16 / 12 / 16 / 8 / 10 or 16 / 14 / 14 / 14 / 8 / 10; i.e., dump-stat WIS for more INT or CON.

What about Arcane Wands and Scrolls that UMD will give me access to? Does wearing heavy armor affect the spell failure chance of arcane scrolls and wands?

Also, the trap and lock skills are also affected by heavy armor as well, right? The armor check penalty (not proficiency penalty) is subtracted from the skill modifier, right?

As for dumping Wisdom, you recommend using +1-6 Wisdom items to obtain access to my spells? Or did you have something more clever in mind?

... And thank you so much for taking the time =)

[t0r012]

Dwarf version is pretty much the same, just slightly different base stats and drops khopesh feat - uses dwarven axes instead.

Advantages over human: higher CON & HPs, racial enhs to axes, bonuses to saves vs. spells
Disadvantages: loses Versatility, Adaptability (-1 STR), and Imp Recovery; 1 less feat delays OTWF and loses khopesh


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.5.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 True Neutral Dwarf Female
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 332
Spell Points: 205
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 16
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(28 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 16 21
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 16 18
Intelligence 14 14
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 6 6

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 11
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 3 4
Diplomacy -2 -2
Disable Device 6 25
Haggle 2 2
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 7 9
Listen 3 3
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 24
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 2 2
Search 6 27
Spot 3 22
Swim 3 5
Tumble 6 7
Use Magic Device 2 21

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Listen (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+3)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
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: Ranger Item Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I




This one is a real winner. I personally would drop the con to 14 and dex to 13 to get 1 more Str. but that is a minor tweak and just a preference thing either way works. the Con with the dwarf adjustment on top of the higher start seems overkill to me. Yeah no such thing as too many HP but to give up the 20HP for the even str score after the 5 level ups to me is worth it. Pretty much what I recommend to any new player.
For a new player kopeshes are way to rare and expensive. With the dwarf axe line you swing the strater great axe for a long time and are still effective. then when you start swinging two axes you aren't locked into war axes. a good war axe and a battleaxe is fine. Heck even a handaxe is still sporting an x3 and is a light weapon , which at lower mid levels may times would be superior to a heavy off-hander and talk about cheap.

[unbongwah]

The armor check penalty (not proficiency penalty) is subtracted from the skill modifier, right?
Armor check penalty affects the following skills: Balance, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Swim (double penalty), and Tumble. So stealth is affected; trap skills are not.

As for dumping Wisdom, you recommend using +1-6 Wisdom items to obtain access to my spells?
Correct.

[Werewolfzz]

I'm not sure who was giving you that impression, but if you plan to primarily use melee combat, Str is better, and yes you can be effective that way (speaking as a 28-point elf). Drow can certainly raise Dex more easily, but that doesn't make them more effective.

Dex gives you ranged attack bonus, reflex save bonus and AC bonus; if you want melee attack bonus as well it costs a feat. The reflex save bonus from good Dex is nice because you'll have evasion, but you can still get a very nice Dex without sacrificing level-up points. You can get +5 from enhancements and another +6 eventually from equipment, meaning you can have a 27 Dex without using any ability increases as you level. That's more than enough to give you good saves.

Str give melee attack bonus *and* melee damage bonus *and* range damage bonus (ranger automatic bow-strength feat). AC isn't useless, but building for it takes a lot of work and depends as much on gear as on stats, meaning high Dex alone won't help you avoid getting hit for very long. Str makes you much better in combat, because ultimately your role is to kill things.

Thank You! ... This post was very helpful in switching me over to doing just this... Use Ability Raises in STR all 5 times, but then also get the +5 Dex from the enhancements for Drow & Ranger!

Although, Unbongwah's version could forego armor and wear robes with that 26 Dex and max'd out UMD,... couldn't he?

[Werewolfzz]

Armor check penalty affects the following skills: Balance, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Swim (double penalty), and Tumble. So stealth is affected; trap skills are not.


Wow... Thats Perfect! I shored up tumble and balance at the opening with the extra skill points so after the Fighter lvl, I wear Heavy Armor, and carry a Studded Leather spare just in case stealth is required... Nice!

[unbongwah]

Although, Unbongwah's version could forego armor and wear robes with that 26 Dex and max'd out UMD,... couldn't he?
Certainly, although even a STR-based ranger frequently gets their DEX high enough (thru enhs, tome, item, etc.) to exceed the MDB of light armor and switch to robes. Eventually the AC on this build lags behind and you'll chose your armor or robes based on its other properties, like DR, elemental resistance, etc.

[azmodeus1]

im currently trying this build with a bard duo and its coming along good sofar. it would be helpfull to have some direction on which enhancments to prioritize on first, if there is a specific order worth following.

[unbongwah]

it would be helpfull to have some direction on which enhancments to prioritize on first, if there is a specific order worth following.
The only must-have enhs on this build are the Tempest PrE line & ranger DEX I & II (Tempest II pre-reqs). Otherwise, you take what's most useful to you as you level. My expectation is people will reset their enhs periodically as they level, which is why I don't show a lvl-by-lvl breakdown of enhs.

[SavvyGabby]

On the tempest trapmonkey, I don't see Ranger favored item Defense as a feat to take. Is supposed to be Ranger favored defense that I see, but no item defense?

[unbongwah]

There is no "Ranger favored item Defense" feat - period. There are Ranger Item Defense enhancements, which reduce item wear; and Ranger Favored Defense enhs which increase your AC vs favored enemies. Are you thinking of one or both of them?

[SavvyGabby]

ooh lol I don't know. Your feats list had it in there as ranger item defence feat idk what one to take then if its not showing up for my ranger.



Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV
Enhancement: Ranger Item Defense I <----------Right Here ********
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III


I don't see that available to my ranger and don't know what to do. Is it given at a specific level or no? What should I choose if the npc don't want to give it to me as an option?? It's not on the black list either for some reason, idk why.

[SavvyGabby]

never mind I messed up I gotta re-do it :( that sucks I just hit 4.

[unbongwah]

Enhancements can be reset at any time (well, once every 3 days) by talking to a class trainer and paying the toll. It's the one thing you can respec relatively painlessly in DDO, since feat swaps ain't free after the first one and of course reincarnations don't come cheap either. My expectation is that any player will periodically reset their enhs to re-tweak their build based on gear changes etc.

Incidentally, the Item Defense enh is there because I wound up with a pt left over and couldn't find anything better to spend it on. So don't sweat it if you don't take it. :)

[SavvyGabby]

yea but to advance to level 4 it wont let me take fighter mobility. What happened is by accident at the beginning I made a mistake, i took dodge and something else by accident lol instead of human toughness. I could have sworn i took that but I guess I didn't I took mobility instead of toughness by accident so I gotta re roll. My hp points is junk lol and now I know why I made a big mistake at the beginning. I thought for sure I took it but I guess I didn't lol. It's okay I can get a new one up to 4 in a day easy.

[SavvyGabby]

how would I do a halfling exploiter for 32pt ? Since halfling has a dex boost would I want to start this out like this 15,13,14,12,14,8 ???

[FlyingTurtle]

AC analysis in view of event items making some farmed items less necessary (I'm looking at you Icy Raiments).

10 Base
6 Dex bonus 14 base +2 tome +6 gear
1 Dodge Feat
1 Greater Nimble trinket -Dodge1
2 Epic Mabar Cloak -Dodge2
12 Epic Duelist's Leathers +4 Dodge4, +8 Armor
1 Alchemical Dodge
3 Chattering ring Dodge3
4 Insight (give up good blast on one lit2 weapon)
5 Protection -Deflection
5 Barkskin -Natural
4 Tempest III -Shield
5 Combat Expertise

Total: 59
Hm. Close, but still not enough to matter? Did I miss anything?

What's interesting is that all but one item on this list is "easily" obtainable: after the Chattering Ring, the next hardest item is just the shroud-crafted weapon. If this is actually feasible AC taking CE at 18 could be an option?

[AylinIsAwesome]

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?

You don't really need the final feat, and the run speed boost and +1 damage from PA1 would be good to have.

[QuantumFX]

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?

You don't really need the final feat, and the run speed boost and +1 damage from PA1 would be good to have.

Either will be fine. The Maximize Spell is to take advantage of the Healing Amp enhancements/potential items with self cast Cure Serious Wounds.

[FlyingTurtle]

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?

You don't really need the final feat, and the run speed boost and +1 damage from PA1 would be good to have.

I would agree with this analysis.

[Vanshilar]

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?

You don't really need the final feat, and the run speed boost and +1 damage from PA1 would be good to have.

Incidentally this is a variant that I had planned out a long time ago:

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=221756

I went dwarf with dwarven axes instead of khopesh, because of the exorbitant AH prices for khopeshes and because dwarves are more survivable, and dwarven axes will be fairly close to khopeshes in terms of damage output. But yes I couldn't find a good feat as my last feat so I just chose barbarian as my "extra feat" for the +1 power attack, run speed, and more HP. Unfortunately I never got around to completing that build, getting it up to level 6 but then deciding to go with a completely different rogue-heavy build instead. Even though it's been over a year ago, if I were to make the build I probably won't make many changes to it; maybe change the feat progression a bit (since I use the Carnifex for lowbie-leveling anyway rather than TWF), but otherwise, wouldn't change that much. (Actually, if I were to redo it I'd probably go 12 ranger / 7 fighter / 1 rogue or something like that nowadays, but that's another story.)

[unbongwah]

6 Dex bonus 14 base +2 tome +6 gear
You forgot that Tempest II requires rgr DEX II, so you will have at least +2 DEX from that.

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?
That's an option too, esp. on a human, if +10% run speed and +1 PA enh is more useful to you than the extra feat. On non-humans it's a bit tighter, as you need the four Tempest I/III pre-reqs, Toughness (don't leave home without it! :D), PA, Imp Crit - doable, but leaves you no wiggle room for anything else and losing the ftr bonus feat means delaying something (probably Toughness) until much later in the build and you don't have the option of taking khopesh (dwarves are fine w/DAxes, but it may be more of a loss for other races).

The idea behind including Maximize was that plus rgr Devotion plus whatever heal-boosting item you carry means you can toss out decent emergency CSWs at endgame. Add in the torc from Demon Sands (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/jgould2005/DDO/Items/Necklaces/TorcofPrince-deII.jpg) to regen your SPs and you can hopefully keep yourself alive.

[FlyingTurtle]

You forgot that Tempest II requires rgr DEX II, so you will have at least +2 DEX from that.

Thanks, the thing I'm not sure about is the CE. Because we're still not at Exploiter AC-tanking levels, the -5 to damage (due to turning off PA) in return for partial damage mitigation when fighting trash doesn't seem that appealing. Might be important for soloists... I'm undecided. Maybe Maximize is more useful as you pointed out.

[unbongwah]

If there was an easy way of hitting DEX 34 (MDB of Epic Duelist's Leather is 12) without gimping your DPS, it might make for an interesting alternative to all those monk-splashed Exploiter variants. Unfortunately, I can't think of a viable way of doing that without going DEX-based, which obviously has its own issues...

[Dragavon]

Why not go 18 Ranger/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian?

You don't really need the final feat, and the run speed boost and +1 damage from PA1 would be good to have.

I have this build. Its awesome :cool:

http://my.ddo.com/character/ghallanda/thambar/

[AylinIsAwesome]

You forgot that Tempest II requires rgr DEX II, so you will have at least +2 DEX from that.

That's an option too, esp. on a human, if +10% run speed and +1 PA enh is more useful to you than the extra feat. On non-humans it's a bit tighter, as you need the four Tempest I/III pre-reqs, Toughness (don't leave home without it! :D), PA, Imp Crit - doable, but leaves you no wiggle room for anything else and losing the ftr bonus feat means delaying something (probably Toughness) until much later in the build and you don't have the option of taking khopesh (dwarves are fine w/DAxes, but it may be more of a loss for other races).

A Dwarf with D-axes would also work with 1 Barbarian, though it'd be less DPS than a Human with Khopeshes. It would make a nice 28-point build though for a newbie.


The idea behind including Maximize was that plus rgr Devotion plus whatever heal-boosting item you carry means you can toss out decent emergency CSWs at endgame. Add in the torc from Demon Sands (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/jgould2005/DDO/Items/Necklaces/TorcofPrince-deII.jpg) to regen your SPs and you can hopefully keep yourself alive.

My issue with that, is if you plan on getting hit to regain your SP, then you'll probably also want Quicken (2 Fighter or 1 Fighter/1 Monk now, no Rogue), which is a loss of some DPS.

And since we're talking about raid gear, then that means no Shintao Cord either, so -2 attack/damage there as well.

[FlyingTurtle]

then you'll probably also want Quicken (2 Fighter or 1 Fighter/1 Monk now, no Rogue), which is a loss of some DPS.


So Crystal Cove, where the quest mechanic forces you to grab multiple aggro from a number of highly durable, low damage monsters, is one of the great ways to test out the Maximize+Devotion combo, and my verdict is:

1. It's saved me countless times. There's no way I could have equipped all my UMD stuff and hit the Heal scroll as fast as I could have just hit a maximized CSW.

2. It's gotten me dead countless times when I rely on it. "Spell interrupted" when you're trying to save yourself with a Maximized CSW is not something you want to see. Generally you don't get to see that twice. Pulling back from melee before casting doesn't always work if there's missile weapons in play.

So it's like insurance, but it only pays out once or twice and the other 50% of the time your safety net breaks and you land on your head. Given the damage levels at cap I'm not sure it's feasible to get Concentration to where it would fix this problem.... Quicken would be ideal but no room feat-wise.

I'm considering swapping to Skill focus: UMD now.

[Bolo_Grubb]

thanks I just used this as the basis for my 2 rogue/18 ranger build

[BOgre]

so, I'm reading that after a certain point i won't be wearing armor with this build, but using circumstance apporpriate outfits instead. I'm not sure I understand this.
Why does armor become no good anymore? I mean, with the fighter splashl I can wear any armor, can't I?
So, I'll assume that someone will tell me why that is and move on to the next question, WHEN does this become an issue, and what should I be looking for in terms of loot to compensate for it?

[unbongwah]

At lower lvls, it's fairly easy to have decent-ish AC with that ftr splash, esp. if you go dwarf and take an Armor Mastery enh or two. Past a certain point, though (usually Gianthold, possibly sooner), this build (along with lots of others) is unable to have high enough AC to be useful: no CE, no monk splash (a la Exploiter), none of the AC boosts that Stalwart Defender or DoS provide ftr & pally tanks, good but not exceptional DEX, etc. That's also about when you'll get Evasion from rgr 9, which requires light armor or robes. So at that point, you'll chose your armor based on other bonuses it provides: DR, elemental resist, guard effects, False Life, etc.

[BOgre]

Excellent reply, thanks. So I'm hearing that the main reasons are: 1) what i don't get that other classes do to help with AC, and 2) what i do get (evasion) that makes me want to stay with light/robes, which occurs at rng 9, 2 levels away.
Ok, what kinds of gear can I expect to find? That is, I've come across plenty of 'robe of lesser lightning guard' or something like that, but they didn't really seem all that stellar. Any idea what I should be keeping my eyes peeled for?

[Meetch1972]

Excellent reply, thanks. So I'm hearing that the main reasons are: 1) what i don't get that other classes do to help with AC, and 2) what i do get (evasion) that makes me want to stay with light/robes, which occurs at rng 9, 2 levels away.
Ok, what kinds of gear can I expect to find? That is, I've come across plenty of 'robe of lesser lightning guard' or something like that, but they didn't really seem all that stellar. Any idea what I should be keeping my eyes peeled for?

Ultimately, when question you want these sorts of things:
* All appropriate Greater resistances. As you're a ranger, you can cast that, so the only time it becomes handy on your gear is when you meet a beholder and his elemental friends. Of course, if you see THAT coming, you can get the beholder-proof resistances from ship buffs instead. But having gear to absorb fire/cold damage could be handy in the subterrane if you're feeling fragile.
* Deathblock. Prevents stat drains.
* Guards. If you can absorb the punishment, your armor/other guard items can do some of the crowd control and/or killing work for you. Walking into a room full of fire mephits? Wear that frost guard item. The frostier the better. Trolls? Acid guard is good. etc. Then there are the more special guards that can be crafted with your GreenSteel items or Dragontouched armor. DR helps enormously with a guard based ("HIT ME, I DARE YA!") build.
* Poison Immunity. Disease Immunity. Blindness Immunity. You can craft those and deathblock into one GreenSteel item without too much effort, but there are goggles and jewellery that will grant what you need. Get them, switch between them as you need. Note that these do not cure afflictions, only prevent them.
* Damage Reduction. Reduces damage, depending on the type that it says it works for. It makes the mob see yellow numbers when hitting you... :) When U9 comes, you may or may not also want to investigate the DR benefits of a shield for your build. Axe block/Spear block/Hammer block/Invulnerability items won't stack, but having them all may prevent a lot of physical damage in a long fight.
* False Life. Greater False Life is better. More hit points, yeah!
* Fortification. The best you can get for your level. There's a reason why you see many high levels wearing the same face covering helmet - minos legens is easy to get and very useful in that it gives you Heavy Fort, and also extra toughness (stacking hp with False Life effects). You may eventually eliminate the need for it, but would take a while to gear.

There's probably other stuff...

If you want to have useful AC, look around at what useful figures are. At level 20, 40AC might as well be 0AC, and your survivability is determined by how quickly you can bring down whatever it is that's trying to kill you, combined with how effective your party teamwork is.

But yeah, rangers usually wear robes. See about joining Icy runs for Icy Raiments (pretty good AC item for ~level 15) and DragonTouched robes/shroud which has thousands of combinations - I have one robe for AC (slightly better than Icy raiments) and one with Disintegration Guard, Corrosive Salt Guard, and hopefully exceptional strength +3 soon.

Named loot will also be your friend.

Edit: Don't sweat gear too much yet! But keep an eye out for bargains in the AH and see what people are dumping in the pawn shops.

I'll shut up now. Gotta get back to work. Cheers!

[BOgre]

Thanks for the WoT. I'll be printing it for when I hit my teens. :)

[unbongwah]

If you're at least lvl 9 and don't already have Heavy Fortification, follow JollySwagMan's guide (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=284046) on how to get a heavy fort necklace for free.

[BOgre]

wrong thread for this question, pm me if you care, but with this dandy new fort necklace (wow that was fun!), how will it stack with evasion, if at all?

[unbongwah]

I'm not sure I understand your question; they're two separate things. Fortification protects you from sneak attacks & critical hits. Evasion effects anything which requires a Reflex save (i.e., most traps & DPS spells); succeed on your saving throw and you take no dmg. Since taking even half-dmg from some spells (esp. on hard or elite) can be a lot of dmg, Evasion can be a literal (virtual) life-saver.

[BOgre]

it's all good. answered already.

[BuffNut]

I'm a newb...and very intrigued by this discussion (so much to learn...)

If the big deal about dual wielding Koepesh's is due to their very good critical hit properties, then why not take the last two feats as Weapon Focus: Slashing and then Power Critical?

I don't understand the math of all this so well, yet. But it seems to me that when combined with the Improved Critical:Slashing, all the Attack bonuses from enhancements and the enhancement Fighter Critical Accuracy -- it might be possible to haul out much more damage with the many attacks of this build if you add these feats. Perhaps someone could explain how that might make sense or not.

Also, if you take Power Critical at l20, even though it was dependent upon taking a Weapon Focus, does the Power Crit then apply to all attacks? (say including ranged weapons?)

Thanks!

[zwiebelring]

Depends on your endgear. Mineral2 Kopeshs do not need Improved Critical because they have keen ability. Anyway IC gives a bigger range on dps since you could use Lit2 Kopeshs who do not have keen.

I would take Improved Critical on lvl. 9 or 12 if possible to have more benefit from found weapons. Later it could be swapped.

Power Critical doesn't seem very viable to me. In endgame you usually have enough attack bonus to confirm critical hits. If you don't have any divine power clicky and have a big loss in BAB it eventually is worth a look.

I would not take it.

[FlyingTurtle]

I don't understand the math of all this so well, yet. But it seems to me that when combined with the Improved Critical:Slashing, all the Attack bonuses from enhancements and the enhancement Fighter Critical Accuracy -- it might be possible to haul out much more damage with the many attacks of this build if you add these feats. Perhaps someone could explain how that

Power critical adds +4 to confirm a crit. Weapon focus adds +1 to hit. Neither feat adds to damage. No melee should never have any problems hitting or confirming a crit, from mid-high levels. So they are both very low payoff feats for builds without many to spare (I can see them on a primary fighter build though)

[BuffNut]

Thanks guys

If I understand you both correctly, then, there is a point at which no amount of additional bonus affects whether or not a swing will result in a critical hit. I was simplistically thinking that with enough bonus I could roll a 2 and still score a crit.

[unbongwah]

I've added an elf version to the 2nd post for all the pointy-eared lovers out there. [You know who you are. :D] I've also redone the enhancements on all three builds to show what they look like at lvls 8 / 14 / 20 (i.e., the Tempest break points) to help guide newbies as to what enhs they should take while leveling to minimize unnecessary respecs.

[GuntherBovine]

What would a 32 point human version look like?

[unbongwah]

What would a 32 point human version look like?
You have a few options as far as stats go:


18 / 14 / 14 / 12 / 8 / 8 - max STR, a little less CON
18 / 14 / 16 / 8 / 8 / 8 - max STR and extra CON but w/INT 8; that's still enough to max Search, Disable, and UMD with pts left over for, say, Spot or Open Lock.
16 / 14 / 16 / 14 / 8 / 8 - extra CON & INT, for people who like HPs & skill pts more than max DPS.
16 / 14 / 15 / 12 / 12 / 8 - bump up WIS so you can take a +2 WIS tome and not need a WIS item to cast spells. [Also gives +2 Will saves, though I'm not convinced that's enough to matter.] I think this only makes sense if you're going for a monk splash (a la Exploiter (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=168687)), though, so you can also get the extra AC.

Basically, the idea is to use those extra stat pts to beef up what you think is more important: DPS, HPs, skill pts, etc. The only stats I wouldn't bother putting them in is DEX & CHA.

[GuntherBovine]

Thanks for the reply! I didn't see an obvious place to put the extra points and I guess there isn't one.

[zwiebelring]

In doubt push up INT so you can have UMD covered with ease.

[unbongwah]

In doubt push up INT so you can have UMD covered with ease.
The beauty of rogue-splashed rangers is you could have INT 8 and still have enough to bump up UMD (2), Disable (2), and Search (1) every rgr lvl, which are the most important skills. Humans get 1 extra skill pt per lvl, so they'd be able to bump up Spot or Open Lock as well.

That said, "when in doubt, go for more skill pts!" is also my rule of thumb too. :cool:

[zwiebelring]

Well, the difference is notable in endgame. You decide for more skillpoints to max the skill or you decide for the absolute minimum so tradeoff was more trials on skillchecks to open a lock or use a scroll.

I am a player who wants to take the safe road and I do not want to have a switching-item-war-panic-button so I definately chose max.ed skills over minimum ranks but that is just me.

[unbongwah]

Based on Aylin's suggestion of taking a barb splash instead of fighter, I've added a 2nd build to the original post, which I have nicknamed Zerger's Delight. :D Adapting it to dwarf or elf instead is left as an exercise for the reader... :cool:

[EllisDee37]

Loving this build so far, currently level 10. I'm primarily a Paladin, having a THF Knight of the Chalice and a S&B Defender of Siberys, so this build gives me a great change-up with the trap skills and the TWF khopeshes.

Since all my characters just went up a level I decided to sit down and hammer out the enhancements. I think you're missing out on some quality Human enhancements that could really help this build, since running quests at-level on elite sometimes leaves me unable to spot or search the traps, much less disable them. For my level 10 tempest trapmonkey I've decided on: (I bank xp to cap so I get the fuill 40 AP to play with.)

Fighter Toughness I
Human Adaptability
Human Improved Recovery I
Human Improved Recovery II
Human Versatility I
Human Versatility II
Human Versatility III
Racial Toughness I
Racial Toughness II
Ranger Dexterity I
Ranger Dexterity II
Ranger Energy of the Wild I
Ranger Favored Attack I
Ranger Favored Damage I
Ranger Favored Damage II
Rogue Haste Boost I
Rogue Improved Trap Sense I
Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Improved Disable Device I
Improved Search I
Improved Search II
Improved Search III
Improved Spot I
Improved Spot II
Improved Spot III

Open Lock is easy to pass up, but a +3 static bonus to both Search and Spot and a +1 static bonus to Disable Device seems like a no-brainer for 7 AP.

Improved Search & Spot both go to level 4, also 1 AP each, so that means I need to find room for an extra 9 AP in the final build. I'm currently thinking of paying for this by ditching Item Defense, Improved Trap Sense and Improved Recovery III.

EDIT: Thought I'd mention that I found I never use Energy Boost now that I can cast Resist Energy, and also the Mire Set keeps me fast enough all the time that I don't particularly miss the Sprint Boost.

[unbongwah]

There's lots of room to customize enhs based on what gear & buffs you have. I usually skip the static skill bonuses, but there's nothing wrong with adding them if you find yourself needing the boost.

[BOgre]

@unbongwah: Now, I'm using your build because it seems really solid and because I'm trying to learn as much as I can before trying my hand at my own custom. (By the way, it IS really solid and I'm liking it alot. Thanks.) However, I'm not understanding what causes the decision to splash X at toonlevel Y. Specifically, what I'm not getting is, why the fighter splash at level4? I think I understand that the rog comes in at lvl1 in order to pay the least for openlock and disable, is that right? Not understanding why the fighter comes in where it does. Also, why did I(you) take Mobility as the feat there? Tumble AC is pretty weak, rarely use tumble other than to speed up ankle deep water, or was Mobility a prereq for something else?
Thanks in advance, hoping you can educate me on what I'm overlooking.

edit: thanks to turtle below for clearing up that part.

[FlyingTurtle]

Mobility a prereq for something else?

Tempest 1 enhancement requires Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack.

http://ddowiki.com/page/Ranger_enhancements

[GuntherBovine]

@unbongwah: Now, I'm using your build because it seems really solid and because I'm trying to learn as much as I can before trying my hand at my own custom. (By the way, it IS really solid and I'm liking it alot. Thanks.) However, I'm not understanding what causes the decision to splash X at toonlevel Y. Specifically, what I'm not getting is, why the fighter splash at level4? I think I understand that the rog comes in at lvl1 in order to pay the least for openlock and disable, is that right? Not understanding why the fighter comes in where it does. Also, why did I(you) take Mobility as the feat there? Tumble AC is pretty weak, rarely use tumble other than to speed up ankle deep water, or was Mobility a prereq for something else?
Thanks in advance, hoping you can educate me on what I'm overlooking.

edit: thanks to turtle below for clearing up that part.
Here are what I think the considerations are:
Level 1 - Rogue, to get max skill points
Level 2-3 - Ranger, to get TWF as quick as possible and permits taking OTWF at level 3

The next question is when to take the Fighter level. Having it before level 8 gets Mobility, which is needed for Tempest I. Mobility itself sucks, but the Fighter level allows you to take Fighter Toughness I. As this build is low on HP for a melee, he takes the Fighter level as early as possible to get the extra HP. If you aren't that concerned about HP, you could slide it back to 6 and get your Ranger spells a level earlier. However, as your Wisdom is only 8, rushing to get the Ranger spells will probably just cause you more frustration than happiness. Or you could even push it back to level 8 so that you get Manyshot and ITWF a level earlier. However, the extra 12 HP (2 for Fighter and 10 for Fighter Toughness I) are going to have a lesser impact the longer you wait to take the Fighter level. I would go with Fighter at level 4 for the HP.

[unbongwah]

Specifically, what I'm not getting is, why the fighter splash at level4?
On the non-human builds, you need to take a ftr splash early if you want to squeeze in Toughness, Dodge, Mobility, & Spring Atk by lvl 6 or so; as mentioned, D/M/SA are Tempest I pre-reqs. On the human, the timing is more arbitrary since I use their bonus feat to add Toughness; I used the ftr splash to grab OTWF early (could also be used for khopesh prof.), but it could be delayed almost indefinitely. In both cases I chose lvl 4 because it comes after you get TWF from rgr 2, which seemed like a good spot for it. As pointed out, taking the ftr splash early also lets you add Toughness enh for +10 HPs; and gets you med & hvy armor prof., which can be useful until you get Evasion from rgr 9.

[TimoteoDeLani]

On the Dwarven build I might skip a meta-magic feat and take Cleave - then the Dwarven Axe gets some AoE effect, plus the (small) possibility of (very weak) glancing blows to add a (very small) amount of DPS in mobs.

[EllisDee37]

On the Dwarven build I might skip a meta-magic feat and take Cleave - then the Dwarven Axe gets some AoE effect, plus the (small) possibility of (very weak) glancing blows to add a (very small) amount of DPS in mobs.My understanding is that one-handed weapons with glancing blows (bastard sword, dwarven axe) don't get glancing blows while dual-wielding, only when going sword & board.

Regarding when to take what, I went with the level recommendations (human) but decided on getting Khopesh and OTWF on level 3 and 4, so as soon as I hit level 4 I started dual-wielding +3 Khopeshes, moving up to +5 by level 8. I'm still using them now on level 11 because I really like the to-hit bonus; with improved critical they deal tons of damage even without damage effects.

The problem with that is I ended up having to push Tempest I back to level 12; I still don't have it, heh. Gotta be honest, I'm not noticing any major issue not having it, so I'd say pushing Tempest back to level 12 isn't the end of the world.

(And yeah, agreed that this build is awesome, and I am loving it. Just this morning I easily disabled all the traps in Xorian Cipher elite, though I needed my +10 goggles to sense danger and find the traps -- the +7 bonus from the Raven's Sight set wasn't cutting it -- so I'm really glad I spent the action points on the static skill boosts. Without that extra +3 to search and spot I would have been useless even with the +10 goggles. Maybe +11 goggles would have been sufficent, but then again maybe not.)

[TimoteoDeLani]

My understanding is that one-handed weapons with glancing blows (bastard sword, dwarven axe) don't get glancing blows while dual-wielding, only when going sword & board.

That's correct for dual-wielding, but a cleave only uses the primary hand. As of update 9, cleaves give glancing blows, including for bastard swords and dwarven axes in the primary hand.

However, the effect is minimal (no special effects at all, minimal damage) unless you can afford to also spec into THF - which this build most definitely can't.

[BOgre]

So, I'm at rng12/rog1/ftr1, and I'm considering breaking away from the build a little, either right now, or at some point between now and rng15. What I 'think' I want is 3 more levels of fighter, for the bonus feats at ftr2 and 4. That would give me weaponfocus:ranged and Bowstrength (**in addition to the selected feats in the build?**). I'd lose Hidinginplainsight and 30spell points, and it'd delay 4th F.E. (elemental) till i pick rng back up again, but i'd still hit my 2 level 4 rng spells at that point as well.
Is there anything I'm not considering here? Would this still be a viable endgame build (rng15/rog1/ftr4)? How will this affect my BAB? Should I consider any changes to the enhancement list as well? Will I still be getting my selectable feats at lvl15/17/18 as per the build guide?

Any input appreciated.

*The thing is, I'm finding I'm ranging quite a bit more now that i have improved precise shot and since my comfort level with the bow/switchingbacktoblade has gone up.*

[unbongwah]

That would give me weaponfocus:ranged and Bowstrength (**in addition to the selected feats in the build?**).
First off, you already have Bow STR, as well as Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Precise Shot, and Imp Prec Shot - i.e., all the ranged feats all rangers get by lvl 11. Second, WF Ranged by itself is practically useless; the only reason to take is because it's a pre-req for something else, like AA (which can't be combined with Tempest) or Kensai (which requires at least 6 lvls of fighter).

I'd lose Hidinginplainsight and 30spell points, and it'd delay 4th F.E. (elemental) till i pick rng back up again, but i'd still hit my 2 level 4 rng spells at that point as well.You would also lose a fair number of skill pts, so you won't be able to max your skills the way my build does; and miss out on Tempest III, which is a decent (if less than awesome) boost to melee DPS.

How will this affect my BAB?BAB stays the same; both rgrs & ftrs are high BAB classes.

Should I consider any changes to the enhancement list as well?Well, you don't have to drop any ranger enhs apart from Tempest III; but you may wish to replace some with extra ftr enhs, such as Toughness II and Haste Boost II.

There are some people who argue rgr 15 is a good stopping point; I'm not a fan, though. I'd rather stop at rgr 12 or 18 (i.e., Tempest II or III). Those that do go for ftr 4 usually do it to get Weap Specialization for extra +2 dmg. So other options would be rgr 12 with rogue 7 or ftr 7.

[Jec78]

So, I'm gonna give this build a shot, it looks interesting to me and I never tried a ranger, so all bets are off. :D

I do have 32-point builds unlocked, so any advice as to where to put those extra 4 points? I'm going off your human build, with 18 ranger/1 rogue/1 fighter.

Cheers. :)

[unbongwah]

I do have 32-point builds unlocked, so any advice as to where to put those extra 4 points? I'm going off your human build, with 18 ranger/1 rogue/1 fighter.
See this post (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=3801184&postcount=57).

[Jec78]

Thanks much! I had a nice facepalm moment after realizing I had somehow missed that post earlier. :P

[BOgre]

Not sure how i missed bowstrength in my feat list.... derp i guess. didn't consider skillpoints either double derp. K, thanks for the kick in the butt. i'll rethink :)

[FlyingTurtle]

Not sure how i missed bowstrength in my feat list.... derp i guess. didn't consider skillpoints either double derp. K, thanks for the kick in the butt. i'll rethink :)

Bow strength is automatic for rangers at level 2.

[unbongwah]

Bow strength is automatic for rangers at level 2.
Lvl 1; Rapid Shot (& TWF) is lvl 2.

[zwiebelring]

So, I'm gonna give this build a shot, it looks interesting to me and I never tried a ranger, so all bets are off. :D

I do have 32-point builds unlocked, so any advice as to where to put those extra 4 points? I'm going off your human build, with 18 ranger/1 rogue/1 fighter.

Cheers. :)
STR - 17
DEX - 15
CON - 14
INT - 12
WIS - 9
CHA - 8

This is how I build this concept once and it worked fine. If you have access to early +6 WIS boosters you might even go fully frontload and get STR 18 and leave INT/WIS on 8. But this sure hurts till you get +10 skill boosters.

If you have to rely much on self found stuff you might stick to unbongwah but for my part I never had any problems getting or using stat booster to unlock casting.

[soulbakna]

Dwarf version is pretty much the same, just slightly different base stats and drops khopesh feat - uses dwarven axes instead.

Advantages over human: higher CON & HPs, racial enhs to axes, bonuses to saves vs. spells
Disadvantages: loses Versatility, Adaptability (-1 STR), and Imp Recovery; 1 less feat delays OTWF and loses khopesh



Thanks for the help Unbongwah, it is largely thank to your post I was able to help finalize my own Dwarf Version, I was planning on doing something like "The Exploiter" but didn't want to monk and could not afford khopesh's, that combined with well the great appealed of a Dwarf sold it to me :D

Not sure if its as good as yours as I change a few things, 32pt built, tomes, didn't take spot but stealth.

One change I am not sure of is that I decided to take Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (OTWF) much much earlier as I have read complaints about missing a lot and this is meant to make it more effective early levels. Not to sure how this will compare with getting Spring Attack later/earlier though.

Opinions anyone?



Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Dwarf Ranger
Level 20 Lawful Good Dwarf Male
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 342
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 18
Reflex: 17
Will: 6

Starting Ending Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20) (Level 20)
Strength 17 24 24
Dexterity 14 16 18
Constitution 16 18 20
Intelligence 14 16 16
Wisdom 9 10 10
Charisma 6 7 7

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 3
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 8

Starting Ending Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20) (Level 20)
Balance 6 8 12
Bluff -2 -2 -2
Concentration 3 5 5
Diplomacy -2 -2 -2
Disable Device 6 26 26
Haggle -2 -2 -2
Heal -1 0 0
Hide 6 21 21
Intimidate -2 -2 -2
Jump 7 13 13
Listen -1 0 0
Move Silently 6 21 21
Open Lock 6 27 27
Perform n/a n/a n/a
Repair 2 3 3
Search 6 26 28
Spot 3 4 4
Swim 3 7 7
Tumble 6 8 8
Use Magic Device 2 21 21

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Hide (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Move Silently (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stability
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stonecutting
Feat: (Automatic) Giant Evasion
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Light Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Rapier
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Shortsword
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Shortbow
Feat: (Automatic) Orc and Goblin Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Poison Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Spell Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Trapfinding
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Automatic) Bow Strength
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Dwarven Waraxe
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Shield Proficiency (General)
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip
Feat: (Automatic) Wild Empathy
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Automatic) Rapid Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Heavy Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Medium Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Tower Shield Proficiency
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Diehard
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Spell (1): Camouflage
Spell (1): Jump
Spell (1): Longstrider
Spell (1): Merfolk's Blessing
Spell (1): Ram's Might
Spell (1): Resist Energy
Spell (1): Summon Nature's Ally I
Spell (1): Tumble
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Manyshot
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Wild Empathy
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (2): Barkskin
Spell (2): Bear's Endurance
Spell (2): Cat's Grace
Spell (2): Cure Light Wounds
Spell (2): Hold Animal
Spell (2): Mass Camouflage
Spell (2): Owl's Wisdom
Spell (2): Protection From Energy
Spell (2): Snare
Spell (2): Spike Growth
Spell (2): Summon Nature's Ally II
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Precise Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Precise Shot
Spell (3): Cure Moderate Wounds
Spell (3): Neutralize Poison
Spell (3): Remove Disease
Spell (3): Summon Nature's Ally III
Spell (3): Wild Instincts
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (4): Cure Serious Wounds
Spell (4): Freedom of Movement
Spell (4): Mass Longstrider
Spell (4): Summon Nature's Ally IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense II


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Combat Expertise
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III

[Gremmlynn]

Thanks for the help Unbongwah, it is largely thank to your post I was able to help finalize my own Dwarf Version, I was planning on doing something like "The Exploiter" but didn't want to monk and could not afford khopesh's, that combined with well the great appealed of a Dwarf sold it to me :D

Not sure if its as good as yours as I change a few things, 32pt built, tomes, didn't take spot but stealth.

One change I am not sure of is that I decided to take Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (OTWF) much much earlier as I have read complaints about missing a lot and this is meant to make it more effective early levels. Not to sure how this will compare with getting Spring Attack later/earlier though.

Opinions anyone? I don't understand the concept of taking OTWF early when a light off hand weapon takes care of the hit problem with little loss to DPS due to not procing many off hand attacks pre-tempest I anyway (personally, I use a two handed weapon until then, if not until GTWF at ranger 11).

[unbongwah]

A few comments:


I would probably start 18 / 14 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 6 and drop skill pts from Open Lock.
OTWF is less important than Spring Atk & IC Slash to this build; I would delay it until lvl 12. As Gremmlynn said, either use a light offhand weapon (or switch to 2H weapon) if you're having trouble hitting until then.
Combat Expertise is of negligible use; by the time you get it, it's pretty tough to have good AC without either a monk splash or a traditional S&B ftr / pally tank. I've tried (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=269482) but it just never seems to work out.

[soulbakna]

A few comments:


I would probably start 18 / 14 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 6 and drop skill pts from Open Lock.
OTWF is less important than Spring Atk & IC Slash to this build; I would delay it until lvl 12. As Gremmlynn said, either use a light offhand weapon (or switch to 2H weapon) if you're having trouble hitting until then.
Combat Expertise is of negligible use; by the time you get it, it's pretty tough to have good AC without either a monk splash or a traditional S&B ftr / pally tank. I've tried (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=269482) but it just never seems to work out.


If I start with 18 / 14 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 6 it seemed a waste as Ide end up with 27 str instead of 26 unless i got a +3 Str Tome. Not sure why you reccomend dropping Open lock, do I not need it to be as High? or do you think it is not needed at all?

I took Combat Expertise as a throw away pretty much, wasnt to sure what I would get instead. Didnt understand why some of the builds took Maximise, would have though maybe WFSW (Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons) or Luck Of Heroes or Mental Toughness or TWB (Two Weapon Bocking) would have been a better idea.

How about Feats:
1-Toughness
3-Dodge
4-Mobility
6-Spring Attack
9-IC Slashing
12-OTWF
15-Power Attack
18-??

[zex95966]

If I start with 18 / 14 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 6 it seemed a waste as Ide end up with 27 str instead of 26 unless i got a +3 Str Tome. Not sure why you reccomend dropping Open lock, do I not need it to be as High? or do you think it is not needed at all?

I took Combat Expertise as a throw away pretty much, wasnt to sure what I would get instead. Didnt understand why some of the builds took Maximise, would have though maybe WFSW (Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons) or Luck Of Heroes or Mental Toughness or TWB (Two Weapon Bocking) would have been a better idea.

How about Feats:
1-Toughness
3-Dodge
4-Mobility
6-Spring Attack
9-IC Slashing
12-OTWF
15-Power Attack
18-??

you can get by with open lock at 4 through the entire game and unlock almost everything. If you fail just try again until you succeed.

as per the feats, I'd personally take power attack at 12, lightning reflexes at 15 and OTWF at 18, that's if your a dwarf or elf.
(I value light reflexes over OTWF)
otherwise I'd drop oversized (or light reflexes) and replace it with khopesh.
you could also add another toughness.

[soulbakna]

you can get by with open lock at 4 through the entire game and unlock almost everything. If you fail just try again until you succeed.

as per the feats, I'd personally take power attack at 12, lightning reflexes at 15 and OTWF at 18, that's if your a dwarf or elf.
(I value light reflexes over OTWF)
otherwise I'd drop oversized (or light reflexes) and replace it with khopesh.
you could also add another toughness.

From What I understand Khopesh would not benefit from all the dwarf Axe Enhancements so it would likely work better with a Axe on a Dwarf then any similar Khopesh.

Unless I Respec anyway and skip the axe enhancements.

Also it didnt occur to me before now but if I take the High STR build above Ide have to use a +2 Wis tome at level 7 to get the 10 Wis needed to cast spells, vs getting away with a +1. Tome at level 3+.

Hmm Didnt know you only needed open Lock at 4 and could just keep re-trying till you roll the proverbial 20. Ive done some elites though and have found Devices can blow up if you fail sometimes, is that possible for locks on Elite? If not then I can clearly see ya dont need Open Locks past 4.

If not what level would you need open locks at for Upper level elite?.

[FlyingTurtle]

Didnt understand why some of the builds took Maximise,
18-??

For emergency healing. CSW hits for 180+ fully amped with maximize.

Personally I've found that "emergency healing" in any situation for rangers is pretty poor with a dumped Concentration score, since you'll fail that cast about half the time and just turn into a soulstone. You need to disengage and kite before you can cast, but by the time you've achieved that, then it's not quite as emergency anymore and it makes more sense to try to be more mana efficient. But that's up to playstyle.

Some builds take Skill focus: UMD. I swapped maximized to SF:UMD and it's done wonders for getting a no-swap UMD of 39: on a first character you'll want a pair of Lit IIs and a HP item before you get your charisma skills GS item and that takes a loooooooong time.

[unbongwah]

If I start with 18 / 14 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 6 it seemed a waste as Ide end up with 27 str instead of 26 unless i got a +3 Str Tome.
There are enough ways of evening out one's STR - e.g., +3 tome, +7 item, etc. - that if you have the build pts for it, you might as well max it out.

Not sure why you reccomend dropping Open lock, do I not need it to be as High?Max ranks in OL is nice but not necessary: partly because lock DCs are generally lower than trap DCs; partly because you can keep retrying a lock until you either succeed, give up, or run out of thieves tools (i.e., you will never break a lock the way you would a trap). I maxed it out on my original builds, but with decent gear, 10-12 ranks in OL should suffice; with great gear, just 4 ranks will do.

I took Combat Expertise as a throw away pretty much, wasnt to sure what I would get instead. Didnt understand why some of the builds took MaximiseThe idea is Maximise + Devotion IV lets you toss off decent CSWs in an emergency. It's not a must-have, but it can help out, esp. if you have some SP-regen-on-hit gear. The only problem is without Quicken or max Concentration, you're likely to get interrupted mid-cast if you get hit.

If you really don't care about that extra feat, consider the barb splash instead, which gets you +10% run speed, a single use of Rage, and +1 PA enh.

[soulbakna]

Alright will be making the below.

Droped OL but picked it up again near end as had extra skill points, could invest into Intimidate instead I guess but as it is it will just make unlocking easier.

Ive played mainly WF so not really sure if I should maybe dabble into swim instead as ive never had the chance to need it before as no fear of drowning on WF.

Upped the STR in the end because as you all convinced me I didnt need the extra skill points. If I dont end up getting a +2 Int Tome at 7 I can just drop the extra OL skills.


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.9.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Dwarf Ranger
Level 20 Lawful Good Dwarf Male
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 342
Spell Points: 230
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 18
Reflex: 17
Will: 6

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 18 26
Dexterity 14 18
Constitution 16 20
Intelligence 12 14
Wisdom 8 10
Charisma 6 6

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 8
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 20

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 12
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 3 5
Diplomacy -2 -2
Disable Device 5 25
Haggle -2 -2
Heal -1 0
Hide 6 22
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 8 12
Listen -1 0
Move Silently 6 24
Open Lock 6 16
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 2
Search 5 28
Spot -1 0
Swim 4 8
Tumble 6 8
Use Magic Device 2 21

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Hide (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Move Silently (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1.5)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense II


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III

[guero]

unbongwah - Just a note of thanks for this and other builds for newbies. The majority of guides I find out there are for players who have been in the game longer (understandably so). I appreciate the fact that someone is still looking out for us new folks!

Thank you.

[BOgre]

@unbongwah: I have a question: Any thoughts on where this build would TR to? The basic question is where does a ranger's PL feat find a home in a new life, and the followup question would be, what kind of build could make use of the gear I've collected. I've got a few good bows including Silver Longbow, looking to add Unwavering whatchamacallit from ADQ soonish, got the Abishai set, and a decent arsenal of khop's... So, another Ranger? AA maybe? Thoughts?

[EllisDee37]

I'm personally planning on TRing directly into the same build again, adding the extra 6 points into strength for base 18. With that in mind I took the opportunity to add frost to a pair of +3 khopeshes and icy burst to a pair of +5 khopeshes during the risia ice games. (I modified the build slightly to start wielding khopeshes on level 4, pushing Tempest I back to level 12.)


I think you're missing out on some quality Human enhancements that could really help this build, since running quests at-level on elite sometimes leaves me unable to spot or search the traps, much less disable them.When I originally posted this I wasn't aware of the Ranger spell that gives a stacking +10 to spot. Once I got that spell I respecced out the human spot enhancement points but left the search and disable device ones. I also tossed in the single Open Lock skill enhancement to help with the high DC locks scattered throughout the game.

[BOgre]

I considered going trapmonkey again briefly, but I think I'd rather opt for variety instead. The closest I'd stay is AA, and since I'm really liking his ranged abilities now, and with ImpPointBlank getting love, it's becoming even more attractive. No idea if I can build an AA with viable TWF to make use of my khops though, haven't started to look into it yet. Anything else seems like a waste of a TR really. In fact I may just leave him be at cap, and use him for Epic grinds and such. Re-think the Past lives for an alt maybe.

[unbongwah]

@unbongwah: I have a question: Any thoughts on where this build would TR to?
To be honest, no, I hadn't really thought about TRing this build. Sounds like you're leaning towards an AA, though - maybe something like Helves Angel (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=289591)? You'd have to adapt it a bit since you won't have a pally past life; and I don't know if you have half-elves or monks unlocked. Fortunately it's pretty easy to adapt it to elf instead of HE or take a rogue splash instead of monk. I can give it a shot if you like if you tell me what parameters I have to work with (i.e., available races & classes, gear, tomes, desired skills, etc.).

[EllisDee37]

Based on u11 content, you might consider switching the level 17 favored enemy from elemental to construct.

[EpiKagEMO]

well as a dwarf, might as well spec in d-axes. soo much cheaper than khopeshes, freebie proficientcy, and can afford oversized twf, dwarf bonus, switch to g-axes. there are much more benefits going human with khopeshes than dwarves.

[EllisDee37]

Just want to say again how much fun I'm having with this build, currently at cap and only 1 ToD ring away from completely finishing his base gear. Stiull have to slot toughness in his epic spyglass and once I get the ToD ring then I'll need to slot +2 excp con, and then will be well and truly done with his gear. No epics or anything; he's good enough to get by as-is. (Will end up with 522 hp.)

Here (http://my.ddo.com/character/argonnessen/ellistempest/)'s a link.

I went skill focus:umd for the last feat. With all the healing amp he's rocking (including +20% from dt armor) his 8pt and 12pt heals land for 64 and 94, which is plenty good enough. The only issue is that he fails a lot of concentration checks, so I'm thinking next life I'll probably take enough skill points off of open lock to max out concentration and call it good enough. Skill focus:umd is too good to pass up for quicken.

[unbongwah]

I've added a rgr 18 / rogue 2 version to the first post to take advantage of rogue Wand & Scroll Mastery I; +30% to Cure wands & Heals scrolls is pretty sweet. :) Also tweaked the skill pts a bit: maxed Concentration, added some more Balance, but had to give up some Spot & Open Lock to get it. Drawback is losing some HPs and either the extra feat from ftr or the +10% run speed from barb. Oh well, can't have everything in life...

[Kenni]

Hi to all,

playing DDO now for about 4 weeks and its a lot of fun. Played NWN Online-Module years ago and quite good in building a toon, if it comes to DnD rules. I orientated myself on your build, due to the fact after reading the wiki and some posts in here, that there are some more or less changes to the DnD rules. Now i decided to take VIP and be able to take other splashes. On my first attempt to understand the build, i struggled about the extreme low Will saves. But not knowing the Game mechanics, i trusted it might maybe not that important in the Game. Now i am level 10 and tired of getting feared and dancing :). So i used the DDO Planner to create a toon for a greater wooden heart. Now i have some questions, if my build will work properly:

1. If we have a low Will-save toon, why Ranger favored resistance is no option in that build ??? I play on my level with a +4 Will save crafted item. Does the resistance stack with it ??? Normally it should, cause its a favored resist and not a general one.
2. I´m thinking to splash a monk or cleric level for better will saves. Does cleric splash have any advantages to use wands and scrolls ??? And how does that look like in fact ???

Before i post the build to check up completely by the community, these are my major problems, cause i dont know exactely, if my thoughts are right.

Any help will be great,

Thx

Kenni :)

[unbongwah]

Hi Kenni, from one ex-NWNer to another, welcome to DDO. :)

Now i am level 10 and tired of getting feared and dancing :)
An immunity to fear item such as Reaver's Ring (http://ddowiki.com/page/Reaver%27s_Ring) takes care of the former. A Spell Resistance item is still useful at that level, IMHO. When you hit rgr lvl 14, you can self-buff with Freedom of Movement to protect against Hold spells.

And don't forget sometimes the best defense is a good (ranged) offense. Even as a Tempest, Silver Longbow (http://ddowiki.com/page/Silver_Longbow) + Manyshot can make short work of evil casters from a safe distance.

1. If we have a low Will-save toon, why Ranger favored resistance is no option in that build ???That's certainly an option. Rangers tend to have plenty of APs to spare, so you could drop, say, Devotion to max our FE Resistance instead.

I play on my level with a +4 Will save crafted item. Does the resistance stack with it ??? Normally it should, cause its a favored resist and not a general one.Yes, in general, bonuses from class or racial Enhancements will stack with bonuses from items. Furthermore, class & racial Enhancements generally stack too; e.g., dwarven Spell Defense and rgr FE Resistance.

2. I´m thinking to splash a monk or cleric level for better will saves. Does cleric splash have any advantages to use wands and scrolls ???If you have monk, take a look at the Exploiter (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=168687), which is the classic monk-splashed rgr build. I wouldn't do a cleric splash; you have UMD and I can't think of any good cleric wands you don't already have access to as a rgr.

You may also want to look at some more heavily-multiclassed ranger builds. Tempest III is not as great as it used to be (though hopefully it will be improved when Turbine finishes revising Enhancements (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=357100)), so if you can stand to give up lvl 4 spells and your fourth FE, you might get more out of adding more rogue or ftr / monk levels instead.

[EllisDee37]

I wouldn't drop the devotion line; self-healing is the best thing this build has going for it.

For fear spells, as a umd build you can self-buff with greater heroism scrolls which grant immunity to fear. They can be purchased in the portable hole. (Use teleport scrolls to get there.)

[unbongwah]

Planar Gird (http://ddowiki.com/page/Planar_Gird) is also a good option before your UMD is high enough.

[BOgre]

I wouldn't drop the devotion line; self-healing is the best thing this build has going for it.

For fear spells, as a umd build you can self-buff with greater heroism scrolls which grant immunity to fear. They can be purchased in the portable hole. (Use teleport scrolls to get there.)

This build won't have a 36 umd (or even close), in order to use port scrolls... You could hitch a ride with another caster, usually if you ask in gen chat someone will be kind, and once you get there you can set a bind point there, but then, a GH scroll will need a 40 UMD, which you will also not have...

Focus on Reaver's Ring, Freedom of Movement, and don't fret; this build has so much else going for it, that low will save is minor.

[BOgre]

To be honest, no, I hadn't really thought about TRing this build. Sounds like you're leaning towards an AA, though - maybe something like Helves Angel (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=289591)? You'd have to adapt it a bit since you won't have a pally past life; and I don't know if you have half-elves or monks unlocked. Fortunately it's pretty easy to adapt it to elf instead of HE or take a rogue splash instead of monk. I can give it a shot if you like if you tell me what parameters I have to work with (i.e., available races & classes, gear, tomes, desired skills, etc.).

Obviously, so much has changed since last August... and I still haven't TR'd. Not sure I'm going to on this guy. I WILL do a GR to get him out of the 28pt doldrums though. The build is just too much fun as is. I even +1 GR'd him on Lammania to test out the Exploiter build, but I didn't find enough benefit from the extra AC to make it worthwhile. Anyways, still a great build, thanks again.

[Kenni]

Thx for all the answers,

feel lke dialing 911 :). I checked the Exploiter post and its pretty the same i did "Puh"...Your Ranger build is fantastic to play, not to be misunderstood. Due to the fact dual-wielding isnt that effective until Level 14 (Tempest II), i prefer a two-handed Scimitar, which is a lot of fun, causing in high DPS on that level with improved criticals.

Btw you dont have to drop Ranger Dev for Resistance. If someone can help me with how to import fromm DDO Character Planner i show how it will end up.:)

[EllisDee37]

This build won't have a 36 umd (or even close)Yes it does. I have this build and self-cast gh all the time via scrolls.

8 base
6 item (always equipped)
2 tome
2 ship
--
18 cha

23 base
4 cha
1 ship
3 persuasion (swap)
3 epic spyglass (always equipped)
3 skill focus: umd (to be replaced by gs next life; instead of min2 hp item, concop w/25 hp, 100 sp & 3 cha skills)
--
37

This is what my capped tempest trapmonkey actually has now. The 85% on gh is fine; I cast it at start or after shrines when failure isn't an issue, and once cast I have no-fail heal scrolls if I swap in my persuasion goggles, or 95% heal scrolls without swapping.

I'll be TRing him from 28pt to 34pt build next week, and I'm pretty stoked. I'll be going with 18 starting strength; that was never a question. However, since I ate a +3 con tome I'll be scaling con back to 14 and dumping those extra two points on either int for skills or cha for umd; not sure which yet.

I will definitely be maxing concentration; the lack of concentration is my only complaint with the original build. With the +3 cha skills from gs I'll get empower healing spell instead of skill focus: umd. I have the tempest tod set which I love, but it conflicts with torc. Since that leaves only a concordant op item for spell regen, I think empower healing spell is a nice compromise. (The missing 20 gs hp will be put on dt sovereign rune, which currently is 100 sp. That 100 sp will come from concop item's 100 sp/3 cha skills.)

My standing hp upon quest entry is 544, and on my third (final) life that'll be up to 574, since starting con will be up to 16 and I have a superior false life cove hat (of concentration) ready to go. Also, both my search and disable device skill are up to low-mid 60s.

Have I said how much I love this build?

[EllisDee37]

I got so excited I went ahead and mapped out my planned tr build.

Once tomes were changed to persist through tr I ate a complete set of +2s, plus I also had a +3 str and con tome that I ate. For the most part those are just nice to have; the only tome that is really required is a +2 int tome from a past life or by level 7 to help with skills from level 8 on.

My #1 priority is survivability, which means scheduling toughness and self-healing enhancements as early as possible, keeping in mind that the first healing spell isn't available until level 10.


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.12.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Ellistempest
Level 20 True Neutral Human Male
(1 Fighter \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 302
Spell Points: 250
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 16
Will: 5

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(34 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 18 23
Dexterity 14 16
Constitution 15 16
Intelligence 12 14
Wisdom 8 8
Charisma 8 8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 6 7
Bluff -1 -1
Concentration 3 25
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 5 26
Haggle 3 3
Heal -1 -1
Hide 2 3
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 8 10
Listen -1 -1
Move Silently 2 3
Open Lock 6 20
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 1 2
Search 5 28
Spot 3 22
Swim 8 10
Tumble 4 5
Use Magic Device 3 22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Swim (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Ranger
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Rogue Improved Trap Sense I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Improved Search I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+2)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Constitution I


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Spell (1): Ram's Might
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (1): Resist Energy
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (2): Cure Light Wounds
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Spell (2): Barkskin
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (3): Cure Moderate Wounds
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (3): Wild Instincts
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (1): Jump
Spell (4): Freedom of Movement
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Spell (4): Cure Serious Wounds
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Improved Disable Device I


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell
Spell (2): Protection From Energy
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Human Versatility IV


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Spell (1): Merfolk's Blessing
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Improved Search II
Enhancement: Improved Search III




Feats:

1: Toughness
1H: Dodge
3: Khopesh
4F: OTWF
6: Mobility
9: Improved Critical: Slashing
12: Spring Attack
15: Power Attack
18: Empower Healing Spell

Favored Enemy: Construct @ 2, Undead @ 7, Giant @ 12, Evil Outsider @ 17

Skills:

23 Search, Spot, Disable Device, UMD
22 Concentration
17 Open Lock
4 Jump, Balance, Haggle, Swim
2 Tumble

Enhancements:

Tempest III
Dexterity II (prestige prereq)

Human Adaptability: Constitution
Racial Toughness III
Fighter Toughness I

Improved Recovery III
Devotion IV
Energy of the Wild I

Favored Attack II
Favored Damage IV

Sprint Boost I
Haste Boost I
Human Versatility IV

Improved Search III
Improved Disable Device I
Improved Trap Sense I
Sneak Attack Training I

[BOgre]

@Ellis: Yes, you're right, there are ways to get there, but a 1st lifer at level 10 won't have access to many of those things.

Thanks for the breakdown though, and the build you posted; that helps me a bunch with a couple slotting questions I was having. +1 to u.

Coupla things:
1- Personally I like Maximize over Empower Heal. ConcOpp procs fairly reliably, and with only buffs at entry/shrine time to waste sp on, I lean more towards bigger heals, than efficient heals. I can always drink a pot (cuz this guys is really NOT a potaholoic, so once in a while I can live with).

2- Since I haven't had much success with Power Attack, and since I'm not thinking this build will ever be considered 'Main' DPS, I'm happy to swap PA for ImpCrit:Ranged. One of the best things about this particular DPS build, is that it's also great at ranged. It's not the best any longer with Arti, Kensai AA, and 10kstars builds, but it is still awesome. So to me that tradeoff is well worth it.

3- I'll be waiting till summer time to see what shakes out with proposed changes, but I think that when I do GR my Tempest, I'll be losing FE:Giant in favor of Dragon. Seems that MotU will be featuring moar dragonz, so seems like a given.

[EllisDee37]

@Ellis: Yes, you're right, there are ways to get there, but a 1st lifer at level 10 won't have access to many of those things.Oh, level 10? I thought you meant the build in general. Yeah, fear immunity at level 10 would be a pipe dream without a clickie like the planar gird.


1- Personally I like Maximize over Empower Heal. ConcOpp procs fairly reliably, and with only buffs at entry/shrine time to waste sp on, I lean more towards bigger heals, than efficient heals. I can always drink a pot (cuz this guys is really NOT a potaholoic, so once in a while I can live with). Most people do, and in the end Maximize will probably end up being the smarter choice. I haven't yet seen it with my own eyes, though, and since I'll be doing a third life regardless, I'm going to test out Empower Healing Spell instead of Maximize for my second life.

In a similar idea, my evasion paladin is currently on his second (of at least 3, possibly 4) lives in his same build and I used his second life to test out maxing concentration. Big thumbs up to the experiment so far, which is why I modified the skills for my planned tempest trapmonkey's second life.


2- Since I haven't had much success with Power Attack, and since I'm not thinking this build will ever be considered 'Main' DPS, I'm happy to swap PA for ImpCrit:Ranged. One of the best things about this particular DPS build, is that it's also great at ranged. It's not the best any longer with Arti, Kensai AA, and 10kstars builds, but it is still awesome. So to me that tradeoff is well worth it.I think that's solid. If you range a lot then I think you'll enjoy it quite a bit. For me personally, I almost never pull out my bow other than when I jump out of the blades 10 seconds earlier than most melee to get in a full manyshot on Harry. I should be using my bow more than I do, but I'm just too much of a melee at heart.

Not sure what you mean by not much success with power attack; you mean you miss a lot and have to turn it off? I find I hit everything on a 2 with power attack on, and only need to turn it off against extreme ac bosses like Malicia and the final boss in eDA. I go out of my way to stack on the to-hit bonuses, though:

+4 crafted attack bonus goggles
+2 sora kell (first life gear) or fabricator's (planned second life gear; I want that 25% excp fort bad!)
+3 kilau's set (tod tempest set)
--
+9 to hit vs everything, plus my devil beaters are a pair of silver khopesh hobglobs, which makes them +9 weapons.

EDIT: Does power attack add damage to bows for rangers?

[BOgre]

Not sure what you mean by not much success with power attack; you mean you miss a lot and have to turn it off? I find I hit everything on a 2 with power attack on, and only need to turn it off against extreme ac bosses like Malicia and the final boss in eDA. I go out of my way to stack on the to-hit bonuses, though:

+4 crafted attack bonus goggles
+2 sora kell (first life gear) or fabricator's (planned second life gear; I want that 25% excp fort bad!)
+3 kilau's set (tod tempest set)
--
+9 to hit vs everything, plus my devil beaters are a pair of silver khopesh hobglobs, which makes them +9 weapons.

EDIT: Does power attack add damage to bows for rangers?

Well, it just seems to me that I'm doing more damage with it off. I traded it out as my first Fred visit... the wiki description had me convinced, since it really benefits THF more, and I'd already crafted my holy banes... Also, as it turns out I completed my Kilau's set TODAY!!!. Now i just need a couple more trophies to slot a shard in there. woo hoo. I'm loving the set bonus already.

Afaik, PA does nothing for ranged, just melee, so again, since I use the bow quite often, it was an easy choice.

[Thundaga]

First off, I agree with guero (Post #90 (http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=4004838&postcount=90)). I very much appreciate that there are those out there who still look out for the new players or less knowledgeable players. Thank you very much.

Anyway, I'm looking at your latest Tempest Trapmonkey--the Ranger 18/Rogue 2 build. I notice you still took Khopesh at level 12 but without OTWF until level 18 and since you took Improved Slashing Criticals before Khopesh I was wondering, what would I use as an off-hand weapon until level 18? AFAIK Rangers aren't proficient with Kukris. Is there another light slashing weapon? Does it even matter?

[unbongwah]

I notice you still took Khopesh at level 12 but without OTWF until level 18 and since you took Improved Slashing Criticals before Khopesh I was wondering, what would I use as an off-hand weapon until level 18? AFAIK Rangers aren't proficient with Kukris. Is there another light slashing weapon? Does it even matter?
Kukris are martial weapons in DDO, not exotic; perhaps you're another NWN alum? :) So rangers (and anyone else with martial prof) can use kukris without penalty, making it a reasonable offhand choice when the to-hit penalty is too high for using a regular weapon.

It's also possible to reverse the order on khopesh prof. & OTWF; it depends largely on what weapons you have available to you and when.

[Thundaga]

Kukris are martial weapons in DDO, not exotic; perhaps you're another NWN alum? :) So rangers (and anyone else with martial prof) can use kukris without penalty, making it a reasonable offhand choice when the to-hit penalty is too high for using a regular weapon.

It's also possible to reverse the order on khopesh prof. & OTWF; it depends largely on what weapons you have available to you and when.

Ah ha! Thank you, that makes a lot of sense now.

Yeah, this will be my second character on this server, and my first character can buy some good stuff for her. I believe I will go with OTWF first then.

I also started with the stealth variation--14 CON, 14 INT--and maxed Hide and Move Silently. I also decided to drop Haggle for Bluff, just because I love Bluff and wouldn't think of ever playing a character capable of Sneak Attacks without it!

EDIT:
Nah, decided to leave OTWF for level 18. I need to keep reminding myself that I can use Kukris.

EDIT2:
Although now I'm thinking I'll take Khopesh at level 3, Improved Slashing Criticals at level 6, Toughness at level 9, and Spring Attack at level 12...

[unbongwah]

Delaying Spring Atk (and Tempest I) is certainly an option; however Improved Crit requires BAB 8, so you can't take it before lvl 9.

[Thundaga]

however Improved Crit requires BAB 8, so you can't take it before lvl 9.

Ah, I knew I was forgetting something...

EDIT:

Just a couple of last questions here, before I jump in...

1) TWF requires 15 DEX. Does this build rely on a +1 tome or does it simply not even use it? I don't have enough knowledge on the game to know whether or not a TWF build is any good without the feat. Am I missing something (very likely that I am)? Does the 15 DEX req not apply to Rangers? I do understand Rangers are given this feat for free at Ranger level 2 (level 3 for this build), but by then I'd assume you'd still need a base 15 DEX, no?

2) Which enhancement would you suggest dropping for Faster Sneaking in the stealth variation? The faster sneaking in general is probably a waste, or at least many people will say that it's a waste, but personally I'd like to have it, even if it's just the one or two enhancements for the 10-20%. Depending on that, I was thinking I'd drop one or two ranks of Improved Recovery. Then there's also Sprint Boost, which isn't very needed.

[EllisDee37]

Does the 15 DEX req not apply to Rangers?Correct. Rangers do not need to meet any prereqs for any twf feats granted to them for free.


Which enhancement would you suggest dropping for Faster Sneaking in the stealth variation?I personally wouldn't drop any recovery or devotion enhancements. The original build has a "freebie" 1 point to play with currently spent on Item Defense, which is as good a choice as any if there's nothing specific you want. If using that enhancement list I'd swap out Item Defense.

[Thundaga]

Correct. Rangers do not need to meet any prereqs for any twf feats granted to them for free.

I personally wouldn't drop any recovery or devotion enhancements. The original build has a "freebie" 1 point to play with currently spent on Item Defense, which is as good a choice as any if there's nothing specific you want. If using that enhancement list I'd swap out Item Defense.

Great. Thanks a lot. I guess I'll go ahead and jump in now...as soon as I get myself some coffee.

[unbongwah]

Someone asked me to do a drow version, so I've added it to the second post. Bear in mind, though, that drow are getting Tempest as a racial PrE as part of the big Enhancement changes later this year, so this build will be kinda redundant when that happens.

[EllisDee37]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on destinies and twists for the build. I'm leaning toward:

Fury of the Wild
Twist 1: Brace for Impact (tier 1 Uniyielding Sentinel): 40% fort, +2 to all saves
Twist 2: Technician (tier 1 Shadowdancer): +6 search, spot, disable device, open lock and flanking bonus to attack
Twist 3: Unearthly Reaction (tier 1 Magister): +6 reflex save, +3 dodge

The +3 dodge seems like the more useful side benefit compared to Draconic Perception (tier 1 Draconic Incarnation): +6 reflex save, +6 spot, darkvision. What little I've seen of the xpack content, darkvision isn't strictly required. There's also a +6 reflex with +6 ac tier 2 one, but I honestly haven't a clue if 3% dodge or 6 ac is better, and tier 1 is much cheaper than tier 2.

I wish I'd started in Shirardi Champion, but I started in Fury of the Wild since I planned on finishing there. Oh well. For these twists, merely unlocking them in the fastest possible way provides more than enough fate points to slot all three. Starting in Shirardi would have given me a 720k xp head start getting back to fury, but I'll need that 720k either way so no big issue.

Other interesting possibilities might be 3% doublestrike, echoes of power (to 30!), lay on hands, or even some dps action boosts though they share a cooldown with either rogue haste or human vers so I don't see much utility there.

EDIT: Actually, Grim Precision (tier 3 Shadowdancer, bypass 15% fort and 3% dodge, looks awesome. I guess I'd get rid of technician to make room.

[Kyuubil]

hate to necro-bump here, but.. I just came back to the game after a year, and.. finding non-TR'd non-super tome'd builds (Honestly, if I stick around for a while like i'm hoping to, I might start collecting them for a general "newbie build index thread", just because.. they're literally like needles in a haystack at this point..

I'm moderately poor, so tome usage in general is out -- Anyhow, looking around (and playing my lowly monk) -- I realize I really really enjoy being able to trap, like.. being forced to skip chests and hoping we have a rogue or arti for traps is making me twitch to make a rogue.

But I hate sneak attack damage, I don't like my usefulness as a dps to be completely wiped by one potential mob trait.

Then I found this, and it's got.. pretty much everything I want, good dps, utility, and full trap monkeying (though I kinda wanna run AA instead but eh, that'll be a for a TR, if I get that high)

So some questions before I dive off the deep end.

1.) How viable are the (I guess 18/2 build since it's the newest?) trap skills of this character? if I get to the end game, and decide not to Tr for a while, am I going to be able to handle traps and locks in EE content?

2.) I have 32 point builds, any comments as to where I should shove the last 4 points?

aand

3.) Any recommended ED's? I'm guessing with the in-your-face nature of the build Legendary dreadnaught? or SD?


EDIT: played it for a bit, enjoying it.. having a bit of trouble truely getting into it because of TWF (.. I can never TWF anything but a monk in this game, the animation/speed just seems so.. clunky, but eh, i'll get used to it)

Question I have though, is using the first 18/1/1 build, would it be feasible to fit cleave in there at all? just feels.. wrong being surrounded by trash and having no AoE.. heh.

[unbongwah]

I've updated the human rgr 18 / rog 2 build with a few tweaks to enhs & feats and a few brief comments about epic levels & EDs.

[Luzelina]

I've enjoyed this build immensely. My favorite is your Dwarf version. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind creating a halfelf version. I went ahead and VIP and now that I have access to more features I'm curious. I've been reading and researching but to be frank I'm overwhelmed with the amount of information. And I wish I could say I understood half of what I read but my mouse size brain does not compute. :p

Do you know of any builds for new players to VIP for 28pt druid and monk class?

[~TomAtom]

Hello, would a strength based halfling work or would that just turn out gimped? I just like halflings :) I thought I could start with lower dex and make it up with enhancements since halflings get dex instead of human adapt. strength.

[Fleckislaupir]

Hi all, unbongwah here. I've been unable to retrieve my original forum account, so ironically I have to post with my F2P alt until that gets fixed. SO glad Turbine "upgraded" the forums! :rolleyes:

Do you know of any builds for new players to VIP for 28pt druid and monk class?
Yes, I have some 28-pt druid & monk builds. A few questions:

Do you have any tomes, twink gear, etc. you can pass to these chars; or would you be starting from scratch?
For the druid: do you want to be caster- or melee-focused? If melee, do you want to be shapeshifted, unarmed w/fists, THF, TWF, or S&B?
For the monk: light or dark?
For either, any preferences as far as race?


Hello, would a strength based halfling work or would that just turn out gimped? I just like halflings :)
Yes, halflings are fine; any race can be adapted to this build, really. I would probably stick with STR-based, although the Enhancement overhaul looks like it will provide extra options for DEX-based Tempests.

[Luzelina]

Yes, I have some 28-pt druid & monk builds. A few questions:

Do you have any tomes, twink gear, etc. you can pass to these chars; or would you be starting from scratch?
For the druid: do you want to be caster- or melee-focused? If melee, do you want to be shapeshifted, unarmed w/fists, THF, TWF, or S&B?
For the monk: light or dark?
For either, any preferences as far as race?




I have a +1 Con tome someone randomly gifted me. I'm not really sure about twink gear so I'm going to go with starting from scratch. However, I do have a bunch of items in the AH that I can probably use, if you point out what gear I should keep my eyes on I may have something. I've not experimented with crafting but I hear one can create some very nice gear to start - I just haven't' had the time to figure out crafting yet.

Wow so many options for the Druid class, I love it. What is S&B? I'd like to try melee TWF.

I was reading on the monk class and I would like to try ninja assassin so Dark.

As far as race, well, I want to try all the new races that opened with VIP, Warforged, Half-Elf, and Half-Orc. But my Fav race is Dwarf.

[Luzelina]

Wondering if you had any time to post those builds we were talking about? Points to post before this one.

[Faerzress]

Just curious.... you mention the cleave/great cleave/overwhelming critical path with the epic levels added. Would an alternate route go Combat Expertise/Whirlwind/(something else)? Without really knowing, it seems that whirlwind is better than great cleave and yet it takes the same amount of prereqs (1) to get (since the others have already been taken). Not sure what that something else would be...

Other thoughts... Is Precision something to consider?

Is Power Attack more or less left on all the time?

Is imp. crit -- slash really needed? Are keen weapons that hard to get?

Thanks!

[Faerzress]

(edit post function not working so well atm)

Forgot to also ask about the order of taking the fighter and rogue splashes. Should rogue always be first? I assume its for extra skills at the start? Could you start levels 1 and 2 with fighter then rogue, or rogue then fighter... then rest ranger? Or is it better to splay them out more as you have it in your build?

Thanks again!

[unbongwah]

Just curious.... you mention the cleave/great cleave/overwhelming critical path with the epic levels added. Would an alternate route go Combat Expertise/Whirlwind/(something else)? Without really knowing, it seems that whirlwind is better than great cleave and yet it takes the same amount of prereqs (1) to get (since the others have already been taken).
That is a possibility, however Whirlwind is not a great feat, partly because of the feat cost, but also because of the slow animation; it shows your char doing a double-spin, however you only attack on the first spin, thus the second spin is purely for show. :( In a DPS-obsessed community, doing things "purely for show" is frowned upon. Also, taking CL+GC opens up Lay Waste & Momentum Swing from the Legendary Dreadnaught ED; that's a lot of AoE goodness. :)

BTW, this build (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/408403-Theorybuild-The-Whirling-Dervish?p=4959371&viewfull=1#post4959371) I posted takes all of the above and should in theory still be viable under the new Enhancement system (knock on wood).

Other thoughts... Is Precision something to consider?
Precision has two main uses: when fighting high-AC high-Fortification targets, the extra to-hit and -25% Fortification may be worth more than +5 dmg -5 to-hit from PA; and it works with ranged atks and will stack with Archer's Focus or Imp Prec Shot, so it's good for the pew-pew. :)

Is Power Attack more or less left on all the time?
Yes, unless you're having trouble hitting things or switching to Precision.

Is imp. crit -- slash really needed? Are keen weapons that hard to get?
Keen weapons are fairly common, but on random lootgen the keen property occupies the prefix slot; and it's much better to get, say, Holy Burst or something like that. Also, named weapons are usually the best choices and most (tho not all) aren't keen. E.g., if you go with khopeshes, the Cannith water khopesh (http://ddowiki.com/page/Elemental_Khopesh_of_Water) is good DPS and has Paralyzing, but isn't keen. If you go with piercing weapons instead, the air rapier (http://ddowiki.com/page/Elemental_Rapier_of_Air) and Deathnip (http://ddowiki.com/page/Deathnip) are great options - which, again, aren't keen.

Forgot to also ask about the order of taking the fighter and rogue splashes. Should rogue always be first? I assume its for extra skills at the start? Could you start levels 1 and 2 with fighter then rogue, or rogue then fighter... then rest ranger? Or is it better to splay them out more as you have it in your build?
In order: yes; yes; I wouldn't recommend it; how soon you take the ftr splash is up to you, but it largely depends on how soon you need that extra feat vs. delaying rgr feats & spells an extra level.

[Faerzress]

BTW, this build (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/408403-Theorybuild-The-Whirling-Dervish?p=4959371&viewfull=1#post4959371) I posted takes all of the above and should in theory still be viable under the new Enhancement system (knock on wood).[/QUOTE]

I notice you don't get 18 levels in Ranger. This means no Tempest III, correct? Is that not a deal-breaker? Or can it be sacrificed for something better? If that is the case, is there maybe a 2 rogue/2 fighter/16 ranger build that would work? 2nd rogue level for that nice wand enchancement. 2nd fighter for another feat (i think). Especially if I got Half Elf to get a dilly, the second fighter feat may make up for the lost human one.

Also... I forgot to ask about weapon focus. Seems to me that most builds forgo this. Is the +1 attack just not worth spending a precious feat on? If so, then it seems like this game does not emphasize "to hit" that much (especially considering that Power Attack is standard fare even though you give up 5 attack). This is directly in opposition with many other MMOs where your first priority is to raise your "to hit" to a much higher level. Seems like in DDO, you're not that far from hitting the "to hit" target, which I assume is probably taken care of with raised ability scores and +x gear.

[unbongwah]

I notice you don't get 18 levels in Ranger. This means no Tempest III, correct? Is that not a deal-breaker? Or can it be sacrificed for something better? If that is the case, is there maybe a 2 rogue/2 fighter/16 ranger build that would work?
Right now, Tempest III provides +5% doublestrike, +2 AC, and +5 PRR over Tempest II. That's generally seen as a pretty modest boost to DPS & survivability; plus you have to spend another feat to get T3. So a lot of Tempest builds skip it for more levels of other classes instead. Rgr 12 / Tempest II is considered the "sweet spot" on a lot of rgr builds; but I also like rgr lvl 15, which gets you a fourth FE and two lvl 4 spell slots (CSW & FOM are the best options). That gives you 5 lvls to play with; on the build I linked, you can see I took rog 3 for 2d6+3 SA and W&S Mastery I and ftr 2 for 2 extra feats & +1 STR enh.

Unfortunately, in the Enhancement alpha, Tempest III didn't receive any extra bonuses; actually, it got slightly nerfed, because the PRR bonuses were a separate line of Enhancements, rather than inherent to core abilities. Pure Tempests will be getting a nice melee capstone (finally!), but obviously you lose trap skills on a pure rgr, which defeats one of the purposes of this build. :)

I forgot to ask about weapon focus. Seems to me that most builds forgo this. Is the +1 attack just not worth spending a precious feat on?
The only reason to take Weapon Focus is if it's a pre-req for something else you want (e.g., Weap Spec). It's not that to-hit doesn't matter; it's that with last year's changes to AC and how to-hit works, there's negligible value in small to-hit bonuses like Weap Focus or OTWF, particularly on a build with so few chosen feats. [On a Tempest III, I'd now rather take TWD instead of OTWF for a bit more PRR.] If you find yourself having trouble hitting things, Precision is a much better choice: bigger to-hit bonus in the long run, works with every weapon / combat style, and reduces Fortification, which means more crits on high-Fort targets.

[EllisDee37]

Would an alternate route go Combat Expertise/Whirlwind/(something else)?I did this on my tempest trapmonkey solely because I'd already spent the 3 feats on the spring attack line, so figured I'd try it out. He still has whirlwind today, but trust me: it sucks hard.

[Faerzress]

I did this on my tempest trapmonkey solely because I'd already spent the 3 feats on the spring attack line, so figured I'd try it out. He still has whirlwind today, but trust me: it sucks hard.

Good to know... I'll stay away from the WA then, and go down the Cleave/Greater Cleave/Overwhelming Crit line

[EllisDee37]

Updated build is up, thread here (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/423116).

Feedback is welcome.

[deathfarts]

Ok new player here and this maybe a dumb question but... Can I use enhancements before lvl 8 or is there a reason you wait till 8? Like elven dexterity could be used at lvl 4.

[unbongwah]

U19 has rendered this build obsolete. You should really go use this updated thread (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/423116-Tempest-Trapmonkey-for-new-players) instead. :)