The Little Buzzsaw (Halfling Rng/Rog/Mnk TWF)

[Hirshel]

I have a guildie who wants to level up an alt with me. Had a few requirements on it, but nothing too steep. They were as followed:

-Must be a halfling (they are after all the superior race)
-Would prefer to be a ranger, but splashing was welcomed if needed
-Had to be TWF
-Had to have UMD to be able to bypass some Race Restrictions and preferably the Alignment for the ability to use Good weapons
-Had to use Khopesh

We searched through the forums and unfortunately, didn't find much in the rangers that either of us could see really shining with the halfling and the exploiter build. Came up with the following. Sure, it uses peices of the normally seen E Build, but.. its really not ment to accel in the AC aspects of it. Its pretty much just run in, get behind the target and slash away at it. It does have some companion built into it, since it is designed to be primarily a grouping character (obviously). Not high on the spells, since she said spells weren't really of any intrest at all to her.


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.8.0
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 Lawful Neutral Halfling Male
(1 Monk \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger)
Hit Points: 282
Spell Points: 245
BAB: 18\18\23\28\28
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 22
Will: 11

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

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 7 22
Bluff -1 1
Concentration 2 2
Diplomacy -1 -1
Disable Device 4 12
Haggle 3 3
Heal 0 0
Hide 3 9
Intimidate -1 -1
Jump 7 12
Listen 0 2
Move Silently 3 7
Open Lock 5 7
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 0 0
Search 4 20
Spot 2 20
Swim 3 5
Tumble 7 10
Use Magic Device 3 20

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+2)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I


Level 2 (Monk)
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Lawful Outsider
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning I
Enhancement: Halfling Hero's Companion I
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Reflex) I
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I


Level 4 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Energy Resistance Boost I
Enhancement: Halfling Dexterity I
Enhancement: Halfling Guile I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Hero's Companion II


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning II
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct
Enhancement: Halfling Guile II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Halfling Dexterity II


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 12 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Khopesh
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II


Level 16 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Disable Device (+0.5)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Spot (+2)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning IV
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Defense II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild II


Level 20 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III




With the enchancement building, honestly, some of it was used as filler to open up higher options.. and as burst grabs. Feel free to comment.

[Rydin_Dirtay]

I have a level 20 Halfling 18 Ranger/1 monk/1rogue build

Mine started with 15 STR, and I did go for AC (WIS 14 at start).

I think if you're not worried about AC, then you might as well dump stat WIS, and instead of going monk, take a level of Fighter instead...unless you need Monk for the class Toughness feat (which is a good reason to take Monk...just not sure on what your build goals are).

DPS on the build off-aggro is quite good, especially against your Favored Enemies. On aggro the dps is not as great, but that is largely washed away with GS or better weaponry.

You and your friend are correct (in my opinion) in your approach to combat with this build. On a Halfling 18/1/1 you should be fighting and thinking as if you are a Rogue. Always looking to flank and get around and behind opponents, and always moving. In so doing, you will increase your a) survivability and b) dps. It is good in life to take advantage of Halfling Cunning & Guile enhancements.

[honkuimushi]

I agree on the Fighter level. With only a 10 Wis, 1 level of Monk, a Str build and no CE, you won't have much AC on this guy. Fighter will give you +1 to hit and 12 hp at the cost of -1 to Reflex and Will saves.

I also noticed you have 2 Toughness feats, but no Improved Critical. I would take khopesh at level 9 and Improved Critical at level 12.

As for skills, you state UMD is a prority, then fail to max it. Take it up to 23, pehaps at the cost of Balance or Spot. I would also probably try to increase DD. Right now, it's too low to really be useful at higher levels. If you're going to try to do traps, invest in DD, if not, then leave it at 4 or even 0. There isn't much point in going halfway. And if you do decide to do traps, you might want to take Search up to 23 as well.

Finally, as this is supposed to be a UMD build, consider the Ranger Skills Action Boost. +5 to all of your skills can be pretty useful on some of the more difficult checks. It's also useful if you do decide to keep the trap skills.

[Zigana]

I am the guildie this build was made for and she's now lvl 16 and is one of my more fun toons to play.

The UMD was only a priority for bypassing RR on a lot of my stuff as it was hand me downs from my fighter. I will continue to put ranks into the skill for some scroll/wand usage, but past 22 isn't as big of a deal to me.

DD is being maxed currently, and between +15 items and the skill points in it, she was able to search/disable/unlock in Rainbow in the Dark without any issues (at 15). I expect her to be able to do 90% of the traps she encounters, the only difficulty being maybe on elite quests.

She does try to act more rogue like as far as fighting style and overall it works well. She can throw out the damage without much issue :)

She will end up being an AC build by the end, hence the monk in there. She could have gone with a higher WIS, but it would have hampered her STR, and therefor her damage. This build, as it currently plays at lvl 16, has a self buffed 49 AC, seen it up to 53 at this point, and still has a few more items to get to bump it even more. Her damage is pretty significant and although kill count doesn't always mean everything, she is always 1st or 2nd in kills and her damage numbers seem to support that it's not just lucky last strikes. She will be pretty good damage and pretty good AC overall, neither being significantly gimped.

I didn't take the Toughness feat at 1st chance (originally we had TWF there, forgetting that rangers get it automatically, so he switched Toughness in it's place just to round it out. I ended up moving Kopesh and Power Attack up to earlier levels and it's working out great. I don't feel that CE is a big deal at this point, might change my mind later though. Currently using Defensive Fighting and I'm happy with that for now (I switch between it and PA depending on the situation, not noticed a problem so far). Improved Critical is something I've been thinking about and still haven't decided yet. I'm probably going to take it last and see how it goes, switch it out for toughness if I don't notice much of an improvement.

Overall, it's still a work in progress, but definitely a ton of fun! As of 16, it's WAI :)

[Hirshel]

All very valid points. Let's address them, but first state the following:

I am in no way shape or form claiming to be the end all be of builds or modifying them. This build is based off The Exploiter build. As such, yes, its piggy backing off the work of others. Its also modifying it, and adjusting it to the player's play style.

One thing to keep in note as well. This character was not designed as a solo character, like many exploit builds are. She is designed as a tandem static player. She levels with a melee FvS. The two do amazingly well together. One is more "tanky" the other more "healy." Both have respectable AC, though the FvS is less geared.

That's the other point. This build is 100% based on maximizing gear/spell load outs. That and the fact that she's running with another player needs to be remembered. Things like +to-hit and BAB are rather moot points. Divine Power and Divine Favor clickies make up for that.


As for skills, you state UMD is a prority, then fail to max it. Take it up to 23, pehaps at the cost of Balance or Spot. I would also probably try to increase DD. Right now, it's too low to really be useful at higher levels. If you're going to try to do traps, invest in DD, if not, then leave it at 4 or even 0. There isn't much point in going halfway. And if you do decide to do traps, you might want to take Search up to 23 as well.

Its not that high of a priority. This isn't a scroll or wand user. Scroll UMD is nice, but this build is designed to use UMD to get past two things. Race Recstricitions and being able to use Pure Good weapons. The build is Lawful Neutral, opening it for use of Litany.


I agree on the Fighter level. With only a 10 Wis, 1 level of Monk, a Str build and no CE, you won't have much AC on this guy. Fighter will give you +1 to hit and 12 hp at the cost of -1 to Reflex and Will saves.

I also noticed you have 2 Toughness feats, but no Improved Critical. I would take khopesh at level 9 and Improved Critical at level 12.


Totally going to disagree with you there. This build is projected with its proper gearing to have AC in the low to mid 70's or beyond. Its not designed to run Epic Raids. Its designed to run normal raids and quests on hard/elite. 70+ AC is more than enough to keep her up. If anything, one of the toughness feats could be dropped to pick up CE. Exploiter builds are a giant balancing act. Its hard to shave off one feat. It leans more towards the other and loses its effectiveness. I'm not a fan of CE but its a very viable option to bump more AC out of the character. Granted, I think 3 AC when looking at the final calucation won't make or break the build.. but thats subject to change. Also remember, the wis is for AC yes, but its also to open up spell points for the character to be able to remain self sufficiant.

[Rydin_Dirtay]

Totally going to disagree with you there. This build is projected with its proper gearing to have AC in the low to mid 70's or beyond.

I don't see how you can agree or disagree with him on that. It's not something to be "agreed" or "disagreed" with, instead it is simply two different builds (Fighter splash or Monk splash). I mean in the original post you even said the following:



its really not ment to accel in the AC aspects of it

Hence the suggestion that if AC is not in the cards, a Fighter level might be something to consider.

However...since you now say AC is in the picture...by all means the Monk level is desirable. I probably would have gone 15 STR on a Halfling and put points in WIS, but that's just me.

I thought I was the only 18/1/1 Khopesh Halfling on Khyber. I am glad to see other Defenders of the Wee Folk around. I'm pretty impressed with his DPS, it's better than I thought it would be.

[Rydin_Dirtay]

You know as I look at the Little Buzzsaw, I see a close variant of my 18/1/1 khop Halfling, Greenberry.

I can vouch for the build being a little buzzsaw, even though Tempest has been slowed down in the last two years. The build will absolutely saw up your Favored Enemies.

The build in the OP is not quite Greenberry but is fairly close. I too maxxed out Cunning & Guile, and FE damage. I took less DEX and more WIS. I too did not take CE. The build out-dps'es a human Exploiter off aggro, which is how it should be used in combat most of the time. My variant has full UMD and can now reliably UMD a Heal scroll at level 20 -- with all the Ranger skill points, it is easy to do so.

Once fairly geared, 75 AC, 465 hp + Evasion, a mean streak a mile wide, in a 3 foot tall body.

[moomooprincess]

Westside by Obmi (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=174696&highlight=westside)

His AC got to 102.

I have one also but I made a variant. I don't worry about much in the game. I don't need a cleric to heal me. If I am in a party with others I just tell the cleric to heal the others. I will be fine.

[Hirshel]

Orginally, yes, AC wasn't the main focus. SOMEONE who shall remain nameless but whom is playing the character decided she'd like to start being super precise and maxing out her AC. As far as it not accelling (sp). Yeah, I'd have to say it doesn't accel. Not with builds like the situational 136AC dwarf running around. The link elludes me, but the math to it is posted here on the forums. If AC were the top concern of it, there are a million ways it could be pushed higher. We're trying for a balance between attack offensive and the ability to take a hit or two when said attacking power gains the mob's attention.

She's not using PA all that entirely much, and is considering dropping it. Anyone know the pros/cons of that at end game? Or have any suggestions of something to take in its place? CE is not going to be an option. Her Int is 1 point too low for it, and she's happy with just using defensive stance.

[Rydin_Dirtay]

She's not using PA all that entirely much, and is considering dropping it. Anyone know the pros/cons of that at end game? Or have any suggestions of something to take in its place? CE is not going to be an option. Her Int is 1 point too low for it, and she's happy with just using defensive stance.

In my opinion PA is a "must have" on a melee. PA saves healing, because with PA going, monsters can't hurt you if they are dead. There are some builds that operate without PA, but for an 18/1/1 you will want it.

End game the build requires as much to-hit loot as you can get. That means things like the Tempest set from Amrath, or the Tumbleweed from Hound, etc. And all the STR gear you can find.

If you have to choose between CE and PA, take PA always. At low levels though, it may not be feasible to fight using PA, which is why I recommend taking PA between levels 9 and 13 on an 18/1/1 build. By the time the build hits level 12, it is quite capable of hitting things using dual khopeshes on elite, typical buffs and Power Attack on.