Need Build Feedback/Help - Final Life Arti

[wahrheit]

So I'm finally done with TRing all the classes (at least I will be as soon as I hit 20 on my FvS life, got another 300k xp to go and haven't touched vale yet, woot!). My first Arti life I did a halfling for the guile enhancements, however that was pre-enhancement pass, and I haven't really touched Arti since then.

My main focus is wanting to do ranged damage while backing it up with respectable spell damage (not maxed out spell damage but definitely respectable).

Here's the build I've drawn out in the planner, was wondering if I could get some feedback on it, especially considering I plan on actually sticking with it for at least the semi-long term (I'm a bit over the TR grind for now):


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 04.19.03
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Inaara Seer - Arti Final
Level 28 True Neutral Human Female
(20 Artificer \ 8 Epic)
Hit Points: 498
Spell Points: 1462
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 12
Reflex: 19
Will: 14

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(36 Point) (Level 1) (Level 28)
Strength 8 15
Dexterity 14 21
Constitution 16 23
Intelligence 18 36
Wisdom 8 15
Charisma 12 19

Tomes Used
+5's used on all stats on previous lives at various points so they will apply when allowed (Levels: 3,7,11,15,19)
Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 28)
Balance 4 27
Bluff 1 15
Concentration 7 40
Diplomacy 1 15
Disable Device 8 48
Haggle 1 38
Heal -1 13
Hide 2 16
Intimidate 1 15
Jump 1 23
Listen -1 13
Move Silently 2 16
Open Lock 6 39
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 4 47
Search 8 48
Spellcraft 8 47
Spot 2 36
Swim -1 13
Tumble 2.5 18
Use Magic Device 5 39

Level 1 (Artificer)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Artificer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Barbarian
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Bard
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Cleric
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Druid
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Favored Soul
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Fighter
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Monk
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Paladin
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Ranger
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Rogue
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Wizard
Feat: (Selected) Point Blank Shot
Feat: (Human Bonus) Rapid Shot


Level 2 (Artificer)


Level 3 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Completionist


Level 4 (Artificer)
Feat: (Artificer Bonus) Precise Shot


Level 5 (Artificer)


Level 6 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Augment Summoning


Level 7 (Artificer)


Level 8 (Artificer)
Feat: (Artificer Bonus) Maximize Spell


Level 9 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Precision


Level 10 (Artificer)


Level 11 (Artificer)


Level 12 (Artificer)
Feat: (Artificer Bonus) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons
Feat: (Selected) Past Life: Arcane Initiate


Level 13 (Artificer)


Level 14 (Artificer)


Level 15 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 16 (Artificer)
Feat: (Artificer Bonus) Improved Precise Shot


Level 17 (Artificer)


Level 18 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes


Level 19 (Artificer)


Level 20 (Artificer)
Feat: (Artificer Bonus) Spell Focus: Evocation


Level 21 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Combat Archery


Level 22 (Epic)


Level 23 (Epic)


Level 24 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Evocation


Level 25 (Epic)


Level 26 (Epic)
Feat: (Epic Destiny) Epic Destiny: Epic Spell Power: Force


Level 27 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Epic Toughness


Level 28 (Epic)
Feat: (Epic Destiny) Epic Destiny: Doubleshot
Enhancement: Human - Human Versatility: Damage Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Human Adaptability: Intelligence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Improved Recovery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Sniper (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Sniper (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Human - Sniper (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Human - Improved Recovery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Arcanotechnician (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Energy of Creation (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Energy of Creation (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Energy of Creation (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Uncaring Master (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Spell Critical (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Wand and Scroll Mastery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Wand and Scroll Mastery (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Wand and Scroll Mastery (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Imbued Defender (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Imbued Defender (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Imbued Defender (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Spell Critical (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Automated Repairs (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Spell Critical (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Intelligence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Spell Critical (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Arcanotechnician (Art) - Intelligence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Battle Engineer (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Infused Weapons (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Infused Armor (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Infused Weapons (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Infused Armor (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Master Engineer (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Crossbow Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thermal Venting (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thermal Venting (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thermal Venting (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Crossbow Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thaumaturgical Conduits (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thaumaturgical Conduits (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Thaumaturgical Conduits (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Crossbow Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Extra Action Boost (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Arcane Capacitors (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Intelligence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Crossbow Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Endless Fusilade (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Rune Arm Overcharge (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Arcane Capacitors (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Intelligence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Rune Arm Overcharge (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Battle Engineer (Art) - Tactical Mobility (Rank 1)


Don't really have all my gear mapped out but I have a few items left over from some previous lives (wizard, sorc, ton of stuff from rogue/arti lives) that will likely be helpful.

If my math is coming out right my endgame int should be something like 56 or 58 with ship buff (I don't typically use yugo pots):
18 starting
+5 tome
+2 Completionist
+4 Arti Enhancements
+1 Human Enhancement
+3 insightful Int from corruption of nature
+6 shadowdancer
+11 gloves of master illusionist (currently only have EH version that does +10)
+7 levelups
==================
57 int total (56 if using EH version of gloves I currently have) + 2 from Ship buff for 58/59


Assuming I did this right DC on BB/Tact Det should be something like:
16 base DC
+23 (+24 with ship buff)
+1 sorc past life
+3 spell focus/Wiz Past Life Feats
+5 Sage's Locket
+5 Magist Evocation Spec
+2 Draconic Incarnation
==================
55 (56 with ship buff)

Does anyone know if this is high enough to actually land BB/Tact Detonation on mobs in Epic Elite reliably?


Here's the hitpoint breakdown, assuming I did this right (I think I can steal the Human Versatility I enhancement away from Int, assuming I can get a high +Int glove slot than I currently have)

120 base hp
308 con 33 (16 base +2 completionist +5 tome +8 helm +2 insight)
*** 336 con 34 (assuming I can steal Human Int I to go to Human Con I)
25 HD
15 IHD
10 Draconic
30 toughness
50 epic toughness
40 Sup False Life (slotted 'somewhere')
45 GS Mineral II (Unknown Slot)
80 Epic Levels
=============================================
723 unbuffed ==> 751 unbuffed if using Con I from human enhancements

=====Buffs========
28 Ship buff
28 Rage
48 Yugo Pot (I don't really ever use these)
==================
827 self buffed ==> 855 self buffed (with Con I)


For ED's I'll be switching between SD and Shiradi. Shadow Dancer I'll be using for actual hard content mainly for the 25% incorp and evasion; Shiradi for double rainbow and other fun and exciting on ranged % chances.

Twists I'm not sure on yet but based on above I'm look at least at the two from the magistrate/dragconic line to get my DC's up, then it's probably either going to be the Boulder Toss or Cocoon.

I'll have to test survival between cocoon and boulder toss but I think cocoon will likely win over the couple of thousand damage you get from boulder toss every time it comes up. Anybody got any thoughts on this?

[wahrheit]

Well, I've created this build but not had time to really play too much. All I really have to say is that I forgot how front loaded the Artificer class is when leveling up. So far I'm level 4 (only played for 2-3 hours) and have taken maybe 10 hps worth of damage due to kiting and the Spear Block bracers from Korthos (I've not even bothered to twink yet).

[Irongutz2000]

Well, I've created this build but not had time to really play too much. All I really have to say is that I forgot how front loaded the Artificer class is when leveling up. So far I'm level 4 (only played for 2-3 hours) and have taken maybe 10 hps worth of damage due to kiting and the Spear Block bracers from Korthos (I've not even bothered to twink yet).

My only concern with this build is its not bladeforged or warforged. U lose a lot of self healing this way, sure u gain a feat but u lose reconstruct. Heal scrolls ma work fine in heroic, not so much in EE's.

Also I feel augment summoning is a waste of a feat. The dog can be semi useful if geared right but its not worth a feat to make it a little better.

[Cardtrick]

My only concern with this build is its not bladeforged or warforged. U lose a lot of self healing this way, sure u gain a feat but u lose reconstruct. Heal scrolls ma work fine in heroic, not so much in EE's.

Also I feel augment summoning is a waste of a feat. The dog can be semi useful if geared right but its not worth a feat to make it a little better.

I agree with this. A warforged (or Bladeforged) with Quicken is immensely more survivable than a human with Toughness and Epic Toughness. I'd say swap to warforged, drop Augment Summoning, drop Toughness, drop Epic Toughness. You lose one heroic feat due to being warforged rather than human, so use the one new heroic feat for Quicken. Then use the level 27 epic feat for Epic Reflexes (for a max-INT build like this with Insightful Reflexes, reflex save should be high enough for the not failing on a 1 to be relevant).

[bennyson]

My only concern with this build is its not bladeforged or warforged. U lose a lot of self healing this way, sure u gain a feat but u lose reconstruct. Heal scrolls ma work fine in heroic, not so much in EE's.

Also I feel augment summoning is a waste of a feat. The dog can be semi useful if geared right but its not worth a feat to make it a little better.


I agree with this. A warforged (or Bladeforged) with Quicken is immensely more survivable than a human with Toughness and Epic Toughness. I'd say swap to warforged, drop Augment Summoning, drop Toughness, drop Epic Toughness. You lose one heroic feat due to being warforged rather than human, so use the one new heroic feat for Quicken. Then use the level 27 epic feat for Epic Reflexes (for a max-INT build like this with Insightful Reflexes, reflex save should be high enough for the not failing on a 1 to be relevant).

Or you can drop the wizzy past life and pick up Construct Essence and drop the Toughness line for more metes like quicken.

Construct Essence
You are on the path to becoming a self-forged, augmenting yourself by replacing some of your weak flesh. You are still considered your original race (at this time), gaining 50% healing from Repair spells but suffering a -25% penalty to positive energy healing. In addition, you now take 50% damage from rust effects.

[wahrheit]

Or you can drop the wizzy past life and pick up Construct Essence and drop the Toughness line for more metes like quicken.

Construct Essence
You are on the path to becoming a self-forged, augmenting yourself by replacing some of your weak flesh. You are still considered your original race (at this time), gaining 50% healing from Repair spells but suffering a -25% penalty to positive energy healing. In addition, you now take 50% damage from rust effects.

I've not been playing as much as I normally do, I'm only at level 8 right now, but still working out fine (obviously as artis are insanely front loaded like I mentioned above).

I probably should have mentioned, I'm a bit racist when it comes to warforged...they are just so ugly...so I don't play them, even if they are the master-race, etc.

Any end game artis actually know what reconstruct is healing for via construct essence (I've always heard it was a trap so I never took it my first life)? I know you can easily makeup the 25% penalty via PDK gloves or other item, but seems like a waste to make divine healing worse for the sake of quickened self heals? My target feat for this swap would be the augment summon feat as after 16 or so (turret is less useful, dog is less useful, etc).

I've been able to scroll heal/wand whip myself on several other lives that were melee previously using a 10/20/30 healing amp shortsword offhand with the scrolls, even on EE, but that was when the cap was 25, I've not been playing through to the 28 cap for the past few lives. Then again, I'm not sure what my dodge/prr breakdown will be at endgame on this character so that might play into it quite a bit.

Quicken, assuming construct essence is worth the feat would be swapped as mentioned by bennyson for the wizard past life, giving up a DC on evocation spells, which doesn't really matter for EE as my DC won't be high enough to matter 50% of the time anyway and for EH it will hit most of the time anyway..


Anyway, I've still got all my free LR stones laying around, as well as a pretty nice collection of shards so I should be fine to play around with the feats and such quite a bit once I get to epic levels to see what gives me a nice mix of survivability vs function. I'm tending to agree that Augment Summoning will be pointless past 16 maybe 18 though, especially since I haven't used a hire yet.

[Singular]

I've not been playing as much as I normally do, I'm only at level 8 right now, but still working out fine (obviously as artis are insanely front loaded like I mentioned above).

I probably should have mentioned, I'm a bit racist when it comes to warforged...they are just so ugly...so I don't play them, even if they are the master-race, etc.

Any end game artis actually know what reconstruct is healing for via construct essence (I've always heard it was a trap so I never took it my first life)? I know you can easily makeup the 25% penalty via PDK gloves or other item, but seems like a waste to make divine healing worse for the sake of quickened self heals? My target feat for this swap would be the augment summon feat as after 16 or so (turret is less useful, dog is less useful, etc).

I've been able to scroll heal/wand whip myself on several other lives that were melee previously using a 10/20/30 healing amp shortsword offhand with the scrolls, even on EE, but that was when the cap was 25, I've not been playing through to the 28 cap for the past few lives. Then again, I'm not sure what my dodge/prr breakdown will be at endgame on this character so that might play into it quite a bit.

Quicken, assuming construct essence is worth the feat would be swapped as mentioned by bennyson for the wizard past life, giving up a DC on evocation spells, which doesn't really matter for EE as my DC won't be high enough to matter 50% of the time anyway and for EH it will hit most of the time anyway..


Anyway, I've still got all my free LR stones laying around, as well as a pretty nice collection of shards so I should be fine to play around with the feats and such quite a bit once I get to epic levels to see what gives me a nice mix of survivability vs function. I'm tending to agree that Augment Summoning will be pointless past 16 maybe 18 though, especially since I haven't used a hire yet.

I also can't stand the appearance of wf or bf - totally not worth it. I play human arites and twist in cocoon and have no issues soloing EE content.

I recommend ditching your toughness feats - all of them - and buffing up your spell dc's and spell damage. You need to control your enemies via the limited CC that arties have, so Spell focus: evocation, greater spell focus: evocation and epic spell focus: evasion are musts. The mental toughness is good for the extra spell crit chance. I also recommend empower, as it will increase your spell dps. Additionally, I use Quicken on all my artie spells but the buffs. Artie spells are just to slow.

Construct essence is good in all but EE; it's a trap in two ways: it will reduce your healing overall and reduce the number of your highest level of spells b/c you'll put recon in there.

I almost never use scroll heal, but when I do, it's for a lot - Wand and Scroll Mastery helps. Cocoon will be good to you, but you have to learn to use it before trouble starts - and constantly.

Destinies: Shiradi is a trap of people who like EH content. It simply cannot put out the damage output you'll need in EE, unless you can somehow make it's CC work for you en masse.
Fury of the Wild produces the greatest dps for arties - I like it b/c I want to put the baddies down before they can damage me. Using artie CCs + FotW makes EE soloable.

Ruin is worth considering. It's like having another BT, although an expensive one.

[Irongutz2000]

I also can't stand the appearance of wf or bf - totally not worth it. I play human arites and twist in cocoon and have no issues soloing EE content.

I recommend ditching your toughness feats - all of them - and buffing up your spell dc's and spell damage. You need to control your enemies via the limited CC that arties have, so Spell focus: evocation, greater spell focus: evocation and epic spell focus: evasion are musts. The mental toughness is good for the extra spell crit chance. I also recommend empower, as it will increase your spell dps. Additionally, I use Quicken on all my artie spells but the buffs. Artie spells are just to slow.

Construct essence is good in all but EE; it's a trap in two ways: it will reduce your healing overall and reduce the number of your highest level of spells b/c you'll put recon in there.

I almost never use scroll heal, but when I do, it's for a lot - Wand and Scroll Mastery helps. Cocoon will be good to you, but you have to learn to use it before trouble starts - and constantly.

Destinies: Shiradi is a trap of people who like EH content. It simply cannot put out the damage output you'll need in EE, unless you can somehow make it's CC work for you en masse.
Fury of the Wild produces the greatest dps for arties - I like it b/c I want to put the baddies down before they can damage me. Using artie CCs + FotW makes EE soloable.

Ruin is worth considering. It's like having another BT, although an expensive one.

U guys auctally have ppl heal u in groups? If I ever waited onn someone else to heal me onn my artie , I would be dead 99% of the quest. U should always heal urself onn an arite, its one of its best perks.

Destiny
I use shadow dancer for evasion , reflex saves, int and sneak attack. I have twisted energy burst , evo focus 3 , and stay frosty ( for the slow)