Highest Damage with a Bow

[ArchStriker]

Hello, I am always creating new characters. I've been playing for a year, and havn't played an archer build yet. I would like to see if anyone can help me with creating a max dps archer build. I really don't care what class. I prefer drow, and I would like to have some hide abilities. Longbow would be good. Thanks, if you need anymore info just ask.

[drac317]

first off you would ned to do 3 lives as mainly ranger to get the flat +6 dmg with ranged

i know alot of work,but you did say highest

then go elf ftr12/rgr6/barb2 or some other such build for an AA/kensaiII longbow build.
helf works also but dont get elven ranged dmg.

edit: it might help to know if you want anything else out of the build like traps or umd or minor casting.

[ArchStriker]

No I don't prefer traps or casting. But if it would maintain most of it's damage, and get manyshot as quick as possible, then that would be nice.

[drac317]

well you could just go pure 20rgr and be nasty against your FE'sand get the capstone(that supposedly isn't working right)

or something like what i suggested to get kensaiII for the flat bonus dmg and power surge(+8str clikie),and at least six lvls of ranger to start to get manyshot asap.

theres tons of builds out there on the forums

edit: the reason i mention rouge(or monk for that matter) is its the only way to get evasion on a build like this,its not absolutely neede but nice to have.

[ArchStriker]

Thanks, what type of build like what combo. The PRE for ranger, should be arcane?Also is deepwood useful at all, the sniper shot seems kinda cool.

[sephiroth1084]

Deepwood Sniper is utterly useless at this point in time. Rangers only have two PrEs: Tempest and Arcane Archer.

[ArchStriker]

Thanks guys, can someone give me a link to a pretty awesome archer build?

[drac317]

Deepwood Sniper is utterly useless at this point in time. Rangers only have two PrEs: Tempest and Arcane Archer.

very true.

and elf and helf get AA no mater what class as long as they meet the prereqs

[ArchStriker]

Is there disadvantages if you go elf and aa without going ranger pre AA, are they the same?

[smithtj3]

Bow ranger is a tricky animal to max DPS out on because it relies on two stats to determine damage where as the traditional melee class relies on only one. With a fighter build, you only need to put points into strength and this determines how much damage you will due as well as how likely you are to hit your target. With a ranger using a bow, strength is still determining how much damage you due but your dexterity score is what determines how likely you are to hit.

This complicates things because if you put too much into dexterity you sacrifice points that could have gone into strength and ultimately damage. If you put too much into strength then you wind up missing and sacrificing damage in that respect. You need to do a great deal of gear planning and boss AC research before you start your ranger so you can figure out the exact to-hit figure you will need to achieve and how you will achieve it to leave as many points as possible available for strength.

Epic difficulties throw a bit of wrench into the whole dynamic as well because while these dungeons represent the most recognizable end game challenge, they aren't run as often as your standard end game content. If you plan on building your ranger for epic rather than normal end game, you are going to lose DPS in the level 17 - 19 content because your epic attack will be higher than necessary for that content. If you build your character for level 17 - 19 and ignore epic, you may find yourself missing more often on epic quests and as a result sacrificing DPS there.


As far as the ranger PrE, arcane archer is the only realistic option for bow damage as a result of the Slayer arrow imbue which grants 500 points of damage on a vorpal strike. Deepwood Sniper has nothing even remotely close to that. As far as the ranger capstone and alacrity (rate of fire) increases, none of them give you the advertised bonus. It's commonly believed to be about 50% of what is described. So the capstone gives about a 12% increase to firing speed. Other items and weapons sets operate under the same rule and there is some date to suggest that certain combinations do stack.

For max DPS with a bow, the elf is the class to work with because it is the nature of their enhancements being tailored towards bow attack and damage. Going pure ranger also has the advantage of letting the character make the most out of the favored enemy feats and enhancements.

Notable AA gear includes:

- The Amrath AA ring and necklace set
- The black dragon scale armor from Gianthold
- The quiver from the Abbot raid
- The tumbleweed ring
- Silverbow from the Temple of Vol quest
- A Greensteel Lit II bow
- Windhowler bracers
- Bloodstone or Shimmering Arrowhead trinkets
- Raven's Eye item set from Red Fens

[ArchStriker]

Thanks, but can someone give me a link to a build.

[timetorun177]

Search hElves Angel.

[smithtj3]

Is there disadvantages if you go elf and aa without going ranger pre AA, are they the same?

The elf race has access to the AA PrE whether they are ranger or not. The advantage to accessing it via the ranger class is that you can take the enhancements earlier while non-rangers have to wait until level 19 or 20 to take the Slayer arrow enhancement. Rangers also just need to take the feat mental toughness in order to meet the requirements for the PrE while a fighter or other non spell casting class would have to cross class something to obtain a SP pool.

[smithtj3]

Thanks, but can someone give me a link to a build.

The thread below does a very thorough job of explaining the complexities of the bow ranger specifically and also details several builds that are designed for ranged combat.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=263907

[Brennie]

Highest DPS ranged character would be, in my opinion, found here:

Elf Kensai AA. Read down for revised builds, which are better.

More discussion can be found HERE. Start reading at about post 8. The early ones aren't that good.

18 fighter for Kensai III, feats, and other fighter fun stuff, ranger 1 for free bow strength and +2 (3 with enhancements?) damage to either undead (good for leveling) or evil outsiders (Good for endgame/raiding), and 1 bard as a AA qualifier, also for a smattering of skillponts, weak Inspire Courage (Weak is better than none), UMD, access to a few nice wands (like blur) and Focusing Chant.

Longbow Kensai does the heavy lifting for DPS gain. Power Surge + Haste boost + Manyshot will be huge burst DPS when you want to take down something fast, or just put the hurt on a boss. Mix in some Slayer arrow, and you are a burst DPS machine.

Big downsides are:

- Spellpoints. You won't have many, unless you have an "Always on" spellpoint item. You can re-apply slayer arrow once or twice if it gets dispelled (Damned beholders!), but after that you're SOL. Archivist necklace will be a useful-til-level-20 item for you.

- Progression. Kensai III and Arcane Archer +5 arrows and slayer arrows all come in at level 20. All other AA abilities are delayed 2 levels in comparison to a Ranger, and Kensai II is also put off. Most ranged feats come in 1 or 2 levels behind what a Ranger would have, due to BaB restrictions.

- Melee. It comes in late. However, with your good strength and high to-hit, you can whip out any Two-Handed weapon of choice and go to town in the low levels. TWF can fit in late, bringing Melee into good standing.

- Stat spread. If you want UMD AND spot (And you probably do. No point in being ranged if you dont' see the enemy til its meleeing you), You're going to have to invest some points in Int. Additionally, if you want to ever cast that one bar dspell you have, you're going to need a +3 or better charisma item. The charisma item can be hotswapped for casting/UMD though.

Half Elf offers some interesting tweaks to all of these builds. Rogue Dilletante seems like a natural fit, since we have dex above 13 anyway, and 3d6 extra damage is nice... except the 3d6 only take effect if you are within short range, which is a rather uncomfortable spot for rangers (Or simply difficult to maintain). Ranger Dilletante also seems promising, allowing you to turn your ranger level into something else, except that the "Bow Strength" wanna be line caps out at 26 strength, with everything passed that being wasted for ranged combat. If you don't get above 26 strength on a Kensai AA, you're doing it wrong.

For maximum dps, roll in 3 monk past lives, 3 ranger past lives, the Paladin "Active" past life feat, the barbarian "Active" past life feat, and the rogue "Active" past life feat. There are also rumors that the Sorceror "active" past life feat could, in theory, be taken on a pure fighter, which woudl garner higher DPS (Fighter Capstone adds attack speed to ranged combat, and natural 20 BaB also gives a speed increase)

[ArchStriker]

Would going drow over elf , the disadvantages what could they be? Btw this is while taking ranger levels.

[Bilger]

Would going drow over elf , the disadvantages what could they be? Btw this is while taking ranger levels.

Elf gives you access to AA without having to be full ranger where a drow would have to go atleast 18 ranger to get full AA pre

[Therigar]

First, anyone building arcane archer and taking more than 1 ranger level does not know what they are doing.

Second, drow is a poor choice for a damage focused archer build whether you take arcane archer or not.

Third, fighter Kensai III is the character class to give best sustained, non-situational, DPS.

With 18 fighter levels there are enough feats to have all of the desired bow feats. Because some of those depend on DEX the probability is that the character will also have the full TWF line for melee -- although this is not a requirement.

Half-elf with ranger dilettante is the best race choice IF the character does not have Bow Strength. Elf is the best race choice if the character does have the Bow Strength feat.

With 18 fighter levels it is still necessary to qualify for the Arcane Archer prestige class. If choosing elf then wizard is the best splash to qualify for the PrE. This is because you can take enhancements rather than using a feat to qualify. Bard is a reasonable alternative as is sorcerer.

The final character class can be anything depending on play style and expectations. Rogue and ranger are good options for access to large pools of skill points. Ranger also gives you a single Favored Enemy and the Bow Strength feat for free.

Brennie's post is pretty much on target. Note however that the Sorcerer active past life feat only gives spell points if you already have a pool of spell points. As such it does not currently work to let you cast the imbues you need if you are pure class fighter as is hinted at.

[ArchStriker]

With a bow, are you sure the kensai would be more damage than the helves angel? If not/so please tell me how the helves angel isn't as powerful. Also would it work with just a normal elf nto a half elf.

[Therigar]

Would going drow over elf , the disadvantages what could they be? Btw this is while taking ranger levels.

Elf lets you take TWO prestige enhancements. Drow and ranger only get you one.

With fighter as your main class you get the Kensai prestige class that not only gives you an extra +2 to hit and damage but also increases the threat range of the weapon. Larger threat range means more criticals giving you more damage.

With elf as your race you get the Arcane Archer prestige class. This gives you a whole laundry list of bonuses culminating with Slaying Arrows. Elf also gives you another, stacking, +2 to hit and damage.

To gain the same to hit and damage advantage you would need to have a STR 8 points higher. If you have the gear for it you can reach that with a barbarian. So, if you want maximum damage you could go with a barbarian arcane archer.

In that case, however, you will miss out on feats and be extremely one dimensional. It is probably why people are not advocating a build of that type.