Looking For Help with Ranger

[Sayreno]

Hi All,

I'm currently a Level 19 Sorc, looking at TR'ing soon for the first and last time. I'll be TR'ing into a pure ranger.

Wanting to get a few tips and advice from all you elitist experts! Just before I TR I have a +20 lesser wood heart so I can reincarnate to any class first. I was thinking of changing into a Barb or Ranger before TR'ing into my Pure Archer Ranger

Now the main question is Ranger for the +2 ranged damage, or +10hp from barb.
When I TR, should I go for Elf and go down the dex route for my ranged damage or stick with Human and go for STR based.

Also what feats are essential to select upon leveling up. I obviously know PBS and Toughness and Imp Crit Ranged.

I was thinking of going pure Ranger, Elf, start out with dex 19, not fully dump str maybe start with 13 or so. Con 14.

At the moment I have access to +2 int and +2 cha tomes when I do eventually TR.

What advise do you guys have for myself?

I know that being Ranged is technically gimping myself but I am looking at something that I would enjoy.

Thanks all in advance.

If you want to catch me in game please feel free to PM me on Sayreno

[Aerendil]

Honestly, the past life feats aren't going to make or break you. +2 damage per arrow, or +10 HP is nice and all, but seems to me a waste of a +20 heart. I'd vote you just get to 20, TR, and then play up as a Ranger. If you don't like the pure Ranger archer feel, and want more of a Monkcher, or want more of a melee character, or even decide that you miss being a spellcaster: then you still have your +20 heart to change that.

Conclusion: save the heart.

[Aerendil]

Edit being weird for some reason, so throwing another post on here instead - but just wanted to add that Ranged isn't necessarily gimped. At endgame, for example, it's one of the most damaging setups currently in DDO.

The issue is that basic archery + Manyshot starts to fall behind the other dps by level 10 or so, and severely so by late teens. Which is why many either mix melee and archery, or if they want pure archery tend to throw in 6 Monk levels for 10k Stars (Arrows).

But I'd say go pure Ranger for the first 10 levels and see how you like it. Up to then, archery will slaughter almost everything, especially with Improved Paralyzing in the AA tree. And Manyshot will absolutely obliterate any boss you come up against.

[Sayreno]

Edit being weird for some reason, so throwing another post on here instead - but just wanted to add that Ranged isn't necessarily gimped. At endgame, for example, it's one of the most damaging setups currently in DDO.

The issue is that basic archery + Manyshot starts to fall behind the other dps by level 10 or so, and severely so by late teens. Which is why many either mix melee and archery, or if they want pure archery tend to throw in 6 Monk levels for 10k Stars (Arrows).

But I'd say go pure Ranger for the first 10 levels and see how you like it. Up to then, archery will slaughter almost everything, especially with Improved Paralyzing in the AA tree. And Manyshot will absolutely obliterate any boss you come up against.

Sorry spell it out for me to make it easier, how does 10k stars work with arrows?

EDIT: I just quickly read, it shares a cooldown with Many Shot? So what use is that to ourselves?

[Aerendil]

Sorry spell it out for me to make it easier, how does 10k stars work with arrows?

It affects throwing stars/shuriken, AND arrows. Don't ask why, we've been trying to figure it out for a long time now. It just does :)
So essentially it's like having another Manyshot, only with slightly less arrows, but also on a shorter recast timer than Manyshot. Currently Manyshot also imposes a Doubleshot penalty of -100 after its use, whereas 10k does not.

Read up on "Monkchers" on the forums here for more info, or check out DDO Wiki to get a better idea of how it all works. Definitely worth reading up on before you jump into the world of archery!

[Sayreno]

I was considering 12 ranger, 6 monk and 2 fighter originally, but after watching 2 of my guildies running with Pure Rangers, It still looked very viable and I do love to have no multiclass levels.

10k stars Monkcher is it really THAT much more OP over a standard ranger? I'll go 20 ranger, then if I find that monkcher could be better I can use my +20 heart to rearrange everything.

If Im going to go pure ranger, elf, is it worth going all dex with the enhancements or stick to good ol' str?

Thanks for your help so far!

[Sayreno]

I was considering 12 ranger, 6 monk and 2 fighter originally, but after watching 2 of my guildies running with Pure Rangers, It still looked very viable and I do love to have no multiclass levels.

10k stars Monkcher is it really THAT much more OP over a standard ranger? I'll go 20 ranger, then if I find that monkcher could be better I can use my +20 heart to rearrange everything.

If Im going to go pure ranger, elf, is it worth going all dex with the enhancements or stick to good ol' str?

Thanks for your help so far!

With Regards to this last post I had a quick look at feat progression, please let me know if theres any important changes:

1 - PBS
3 - Toughness
6 - PA
9 - Imp Crit
12 - Cleave
15 - Great Cleave
18 - Toughness
21 - Overwhelming Critical

[crazycaren]

Hi
I'm not sure a pure ranger will be much fun to play as an archer. When you can manyshot, the HP on monsters will go down fast, but otherwise, you will be hoping for a crit or slaying arrows to go off. And most bows only auto-crit on a 20.

Below is a link to a pure range toon where I rotate through manyshot, 10K stars, Kensai power boost + racial damage boost. Then every shot is more than just an arrow.

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/435069-Kensai-Monkcher-12-ftr-6-monk-2-archer

happy hunting.