New ranger enhancements

[redoubt]

Arcane and sniper seem kinda weak. Anyone else think so?

The 10% speed on tempest is okay though.

[Osharan_Tregarth]

Umm.. I'll just cut and paste what I put up on my guild's website... too lazy to think it all out again....

Arcane archer looks allright so far, but I'm a lot more happy about the deepwoods sniper and the tempest ranger enhancements. The biggest bonus for the arcane archers was always the "extra effects" their arrows were able to generate, and that seems to be almost totally missing here. The 100% returning arrows are nice, but I'll stick with the 75% returning +3 arrows. The arcane archer arrows will stay in a quest when you leave just like the conjured flame arrows, so if I'm going to have to click to make arrows when I zone in, I might as well make them flaming arrows.

The deepwoods sniper looks *allright* for a pure ranged dps build. Extra threat range and extra damage multiplier is going to leave a nice mark on some mobs when you can actually get that one attack every 10 seconds to crit.

The real winner here is the tempest ranger add on. Attack speed bonus and +2 bonus to armor while dual wielding is(so far) the best of the three ranger lines.

I think my ranger/rogue will be grabbing the arcane archer, just because he's the only one that can spare the feat for mental toughness. And with his ****-poor wisdom score, some extra spell points will come in handy.

Ish is going to grab tempest ranger once he hits level 15. I won't be able to spare enough feats until then. Even then, it looks like he'll have to drop skill focus umd to be able to get there, so that'll be... Painful.

Esharan will be grabbing the tempest ranger line, and so will notverysexy. Notverysexy allready has spring attack, so he's good to go. Esh will need some respeccing.

[MrCow]

For the most part Arcane Archer, Deepwood Sniper, and Tempest can be compared to the bardic specialties of Virtuoso, Spellsinger, and Warchanter. Those with less prerequisites tend to be weaker or less desirable.

[maddmatt70]

My feeling on the arcane archer enhancement is it in effect creates a quiver as it frees up 10+ spots in my inventory and you don't have to worry about your other arrows being used without you checking as the arcane archer arrows never get used up. The 10 inventory spots can be utilized for greater bane and slaying arrows. Really the only way to be an effective ranged char in game is to horde these arrow types constantly and then when you get to a mob type toggle to this arrow type. This enhancement really makes it more convienent and straightforward to pracitice the hording hence I think it is invaulable to ranged chars.

Tempest rocks especially with stwf.

Deepwood sniper will be better when deepwood sniper II comes out...

[rpasell]

Arcane and sniper seem kinda weak. Anyone else think so?

The 10% speed on tempest is okay though.

I took Deepwoods Sniper on Risia and love it. +1 to the critical threat range every 10 seconds is worth it by itself, the other stuff is gravy.

[Benjai]

Deepwood sniper as i found it was sort of glizty, with some nice crit numbers, but overall I don't know if the increase of dps is worth it, compared to tempest.

[rpasell]

Deepwood sniper as i found it was sort of glizty, with some nice crit numbers, but overall I don't know if the increase of dps is worth it, compared to tempest.

It really shines on effect weapons i.e. Banishing. Especially in the new content where a ton of mobs are banish-able.

[redoubt]

I was reading just in the WDA thread. Maybe there is some more info on the arcane and sniper.

Are the arcane archer arrows something other than +x arrows? Can they be flaming or pure good etc?

The sniper seemed like +1 crit range (so 19-20) or 18-20 with imp crit once every 10 seconds. Again, am I missing something here? I honestly hope I am.

[rpasell]

I was reading just in the WDA thread. Maybe there is some more info on the arcane and sniper.

Are the arcane archer arrows something other than +x arrows? Can they be flaming or pure good etc?

The sniper seemed like +1 crit range (so 19-20) or 18-20 with imp crit once every 10 seconds. Again, am I missing something here? I honestly hope I am.

RE: Sniper

Yes you are missing the +4 to hit (not really a big deal, but helpful) and +1 to the crit multiplier which is a big deal especially with manyshot on. Again the +1 to critical threat range is a fairly nice feature for the new Mod. You go from 10% to 15% every 10 seconds assuming Imp Crit: Ranged. Banish FTW.

[KoboldKiller]

I don't see how you can compare the Tempest to the other two as people seem to be doing. They are two different types of Rangers. One is aimed towards the str based Ranger and the other towards the dex or ranged base. If your going to compare two then the only logical choice is Arcane to Sniper. In this case I like the Sniper over Arccane but until it's availabe and I can play with a few builds the jury will be out.

[redoubt]

RE: Sniper

Yes you are missing the +4 to hit (not really a big deal, but helpful) and +1 to the crit multiplier which is a big deal especially with manyshot on. Again the +1 to critical threat range is a fairly nice feature for the new Mod. You go from 10% to 15% every 10 seconds assuming Imp Crit: Ranged. Banish FTW.

+4 to hit is good for str based guys I suppose. Not a huge deal for dex based, but a "nice to have". I guess I'm just underwelmed by it so far. Even if you crit when you use the shot, you are only going to make something mad and then you can't continue to deliver enough dps to take it down. Maybe we are just not seeing the follow on to this one.

Something more like, when standing still and the target is unaware of your presence you have a 90% chance to slay. I.e. you put an arrow through its brain or heart and it dropped dead. If the targets are moving the chance is reduced. If they no you are there (even if they can't get to you right then) the chance is reduced.

I guess the term "sniper" just seems like it should have more "one shot kill" capability than is currently being discussed.

And banish? Maybe I'm using the wrong quest to decide, by my banishing bow seems to get saved against most of the time. I actually stopped using it because of that.

[D'rin]

I don't see how you can compare the Tempest to the other two as people seem to be doing. They are two different types of Rangers. One is aimed towards the str based Ranger and the other towards the dex or ranged base. If your going to compare two then the only logical choice is Arcane to Sniper. In this case I like the Sniper over Arccane but until it's availabe and I can play with a few builds the jury will be out.

I wouldn't say that the tempest ranger is designed for str based rangers. Take a dex based piercing spec'd ranger and give them the tempest enhancements and they can wield 2 w/p rapiers without penalty or 2 holy burst of pure good/rightesousness and you are going to see some sick damage.

[KoboldKiller]

I wouldn't say that the tempest ranger is designed for str based rangers. Take a dex based piercing spec'd ranger and give them the tempest enhancements and they can wield 2 w/p rapiers without penalty or 2 holy burst of pure good/rightesousness and you are going to see some sick damage.

That's a good point and I was going to bring that up as well. Basically I just meant that you can't really compare the ranged to the melee, but again good point.

[Puke]

I guess the term "sniper" just seems like it should have more "one shot kill" capability than is currently being discussed.

I agree. When not in melee you'd think a "sniper" would take careful aim to hit that magic spot to take a creature out.

Also though, the quests are designed to prevent "sniping." That is, safe spots to snipe from. No sniper in his right mind would stand behind a party and shoot.

[Benjai]

That's a good point and I was going to bring that up as well. Basically I just meant that you can't really compare the ranged to the melee, but again good point.

Well you can compare them, melee rangers tend to be effective in difficult quests, while ranged tend to be more of a burden, or just less than really effective, and I don't see snipershot changing that much.

[Magehound]

Humm,

I stopped my new ranger at level 6 because I don't want to get too many levels/feats that are built wrong. I have been on the path to get shot on the run which will also get me close to the tempest too. But with the news about the stance affecting the to hit progression does it make sence to get shot on the run? By looking over everything I was wondering can you take both the tempest enhancement along with one of the others? I want to be awesome at ranged attacks but not feel like target if they get close.

thanks for any info.

[KoboldKiller]

Well you can compare them, melee rangers tend to be effective in difficult quests, while ranged tend to be more of a burden, or just less than really effective, and I don't see snipershot changing that much.

I was going to repond but I don't want to start this argument again.

[D'rin]

That's a good point and I was going to bring that up as well. Basically I just meant that you can't really compare the ranged to the melee, but again good point.

I agree, it would be comparing a casting cleric vs. battle cleric(oh my god what have I started). Two totally different styles of play.

On the sniper front. There should definintly be a way of for doing an instant kill shot on creatures capable of being criticaled. It certainly would not be any worse than casters who pk/finger of death everything in sight.

[barecm]

I took deepwood sniper and it is awesome. Please don't think in terms of current content when bashing deepwood sniper. Don't overlook the +4 to hit, it is affective. There are spiders that have a very, very high AC. I have a 36 dex and was missing 25% of the time. The sniper shot does have a "glitzy" affect on DPS I know, but when you sneak up, take aim and shoot, you have a pretty good chance of landing a crit before the enemy even has a chance to move. With everything being banishable (almost everything) it comes in handy. Sneak up, targt the orange named and let loose a sniper shot.

[KoboldKiller]

I think there is too much emphasis on ranged Rangers having an unfair advantage if their damage output was higher. This argument that fighters should do more damage because their risk is higher i.e. having to go toe to toe is rediculous IMO. A ranger is no different than a fighter in respect that they are both specialists in what they do. Ok granted if a bow could put out as much damage as a fighter with a khopesh then the game would be unbalanced but why can't many shot be a stance like power attack? Talk about an unfair advantage. Fighters, barbs and such get different boosts to make them much more powerfull yet Rangers get squat with the exception of the new enhancements. I don't think having the ability to many shot at will would be over powering. Give it the same negative to hit as power attack thus sacrificing damage for accuracy. Anyway I know I will get flamed for my opinion but after all it is just an opinion.