U5 - Ranged Cleric?

[LunaCee]

01 Wizard, Mental Toughness & Maximize
02 Cleric
03 Cleric, Empower Healing
04 Cleric
05 Cleric
06 Cleric, Zen Archery
07 Cleric
08 Cleric
09 Fighter, Weapon Focus Ranged & Point Blank Shot
10 Cleric
11 Cleric
12 Cleric, Bow Strength
13 Cleric
14 Cleric
15 Fighter, Rapid Shot & Manyshot
16 Cleric
17 Cleric
18 Cleric, Toughness
19 Cleric
20 Cleric

That would be my take on it... Stoneskin wand usage, Flame Arrow wand usage... granted you do get Many Shot a little late, but I figured it was important to get you to the point where you could take Radiant Servant II in time to boost your healing so that you could *maybe* be raid viable at healing.

As a 32 point elf...
13/15/12/8/18/8 spread at level one. You'll need at least a +2 DEX by 15th. Highly suggest you get as high as possible tomes for STR/CON/WIS as you can. Even without a tome with the 2 fighter levels the class enhancement +1 to STR and a +6 STR item (or for that matter Divine Power) gives you a 20 STR score.

[PyrosianFelicity]

I was thinking about this before you posted. Maybe 1 ftr/2rngr/17 cleric elven arcane archer. Helps cut down on feats.

I'm liking this split.

Out of this feat list

Must Haves
1) Zen Archery
2) Point Blank Shot (Prereq)
3) Weapon Focus (Prereq)
4) Mental Toughness (prereq or can miss if splash to other toons)
5) Manyshot (the main DPS for a archer)
6) Rapid Shot
7) Bow strength
8) Empower
9) Maximize

Good to have
7) Toughness
4) Improved Precise Shot (Precise Shot as prereq)

It takes care of
6) Rapid Shot
7) Bow Strength
with the Ranger levels, and the Fighter level is +1 Feats.

That leaves 8 Feats while retaining 9th-level Spells. Dropping Improved Precise Shot is possible, especially since it would require Precise Shot as a pre-req, maybe?

[Visty]

I'm liking this split.

Out of this feat list

It takes care of
6) Rapid Shot
7) Bow Strength
with the Ranger levels, and the Fighter level is +1 Feats.

That leaves 8 Feats while retaining 9th-level Spells. Dropping Improved Precise Shot is possible, especially since it would require Precise Shot as a pre-req, maybe?

1ranger/fighter2 will be better as you get those feats too (rapid shot as fighter feat instead of free) but you also get the +1 str enhancement

[krud]

Another way to do it is to use you bows in a support role; using cursespewers, paralyzers, disruptors, destructors, etc. All you need to do is maximize your to-hit and not worry so much about damage. If you are ok with not getting a kill, then it is a very good way to go. It still provides plenty of bow action, plus you retain everything a regular cleric/FvS would. Collect greater slaying arrows for even more fun.

I've made a few of these elf ranged clerics. It's much less feat intensive than going arcane archer, and trying to maximize damage output on what is already a feat starved class. Going this route you can pick up precision for the +4 to-hit, zen archery, and maybe quickdraw to speed the transition from shooting to wand/scroll healing. Those would be the only bow related feats you would need. If you splash 2rgr, then you'd get rapid shot, and bow strength for free, but it wouldn't be necessary.

[Angelus_dead]

Another way to do it is to use you bows in a support role; using cursespewers, paralyzers, disruptors, destructors, etc. All you need to do is maximize your to-hit and not worry so much about damage. If you are ok with not getting a kill, then it is a very good way to go.

The problem with that approach is that the ranged action provides a very minimal benefit to the group. Those "supporting" debuffs do very little, when they even work.

[Dark-Star]

18 fvs/ 2 ranger.

IPS, Quicken.

17 dex, level ups into str.

[maddmatt70]

Ranged combat isn't very good in DDO. Using it as a primary mode of combat (unless you're an arcane archer who wishes to have fun) is useless. .

You do not run with good archers. I run epics all the time on my ranged ranger and in fact some of the fastest epic runs my ranged character was in group. Its all about improved precise shot on epics. Ranged characters in alot of the quests on epic hit 2-5 targets per shot via improved precise shot to which no melee can replicate. Ranged characters do more dps on the trash then melee do in most epic quests.

That all being said I have levelled up to cap at various times in DDO 4 different ranged characters so I am very experienced at playing ranged characters and prefer to run my ranged ranger in quests where she has favored enemies (current list= elves, giants, evil outsiders, dragons, constructs). I do not advocate ranged characters for brand new players and the second point is this is a build with a different twist which is actually a good concept ranging and healing in some ways would work better then meleing and healing.

[Angelus_dead]

You do not run with good archers. I run epics all the time on my ranged ranger and in fact some of the fastest epic runs my ranged character was in group. Its all about improved precise shot on epics. Ranged characters in alot of the quests on epic hit 2-5 targets per shot via improved precise shot to which no melee can replicate.

That is sometimes true, such as when epic mobs have high melee damage, high hitpoints, and low/stopped movement speed. But to the extent that it is true, it is bad game design.

Improved Precise Shot (or any other ability which multiplies DPS by the number of opponents) is a bad way to balance a combat style, unless the tendency of monsters to line up had been taken into account as a key factor in the design of encounter difficulty.

[krud]

The problem with that approach is that the ranged action provides a very minimal benefit to the group. Those "supporting" debuffs do very little, when they even work.

It's fast enough to tag each mob once for the effect, before they close in. Start with the poor man's cursespewer, giant's roar at level 6; -2 to-hit, and saves. That's equivalent to a +2 AC to everyone in group, or a +2 DC on any save related spell. t lands more often than cursespewer on affected mobs. Destruction gives a +4 to-hit against all mobs. If those are such a minor benefit then why do most melee toons beg for GH and other buffs? They all add up, that's why. Paralyzers are also effective in the upper mid level ranges. Hit them to paralyze and move on. It works fast enough that you can tab through a crowd well enough. Slaying arrows also work well in that upper mid level range. In epic, the dps toons can stick with their dps weapons, while you hit with improved destruction, improved shattermantle, etc..

If you consider those as providing "a very minimal benefit to the group", then most likely the damage output from any ranged specced cleric/fvs will also be considered a very minor contribution to the group. So, why even bother? Maybe because doing something different for a change, as long as it doesn't impact your main function, is a welcome break from cookie cutter, in-the-box, stereotypes.

[maddmatt70]

That is sometimes true, such as when epic mobs have high melee damage, high hitpoints, and low/stopped movement speed. But to the extent that it is true, it is bad game design.

Improved Precise Shot (or any other ability which multiplies DPS by the number of opponents) is a bad way to balance a combat style, unless the tendency of monsters to line up had been taken into account as a key factor in the design of encounter difficulty.

I like it actually angelus and do not want the devs to change this. It is a different way of fighting then just walk up to the first target and swing a sword. Its all about aiming for the target in the back and try to get inline with multiple targets. There are some situations where monster AI is weak such as the archers in epic von3 tend to stand stationary and its easy to get a line on them, but in alot of instances a fair amount of skill is involved because the targets are moving and you will have to swap targets or move in order to get multiples or in order to get the max number of multiple targets.

[Angelus_dead]

If those are such a minor benefit then why do most melee toons beg for GH and other buffs?

Greater Heroism combines four buffs in one and lasts for one minute per level, which means that after giving it out initially the caster does not need to spend time maintaining it. Unlike shooting a bow it doesn't take away from what else you can be doing.

If you consider those as providing "a very minimal benefit to the group", then most likely the damage output from any ranged specced cleric/fvs will also be considered a very minor contribution to the group. So, why even bother?

Yes, both the damage and debuff potential are too low to really bother with. The strongest reason do try it now is if you want to be different for the sake of difference, regardless of if it is helpful.

[krud]

Greater Heroism combines four buffs in one and lasts for one minute per level, which means that after giving it out initially the caster does not need to spend time maintaining it. Unlike shooting a bow it doesn't take away from what else you can be doing.

as if GH is the only buff people receive. Every buff that gives +2 here and there adds up. If you want to pick things apart individually then there are a multitude of buffs that can be considered so minor as not to be needed, yet they always seem to be cast or asked for. Shaken, cursed, or paralyzed mobs mean less incoming damage, and therefore less time healing. Besides, what else is a cleric going to be doing besides watching health bars and casting bb? It's still possible to do those as well, and just as effectively too.

Yes, both the damage and debuff potential are too low to really bother with. The strongest reason do try it now is if you want to be different for the sake of difference, regardless of if it is helpful.

It's called being multidimensional. It's more interesting than watching health bars and casting blade barrier. At least going the debuff route doesn't detract from anything else a cleric can do, and it doesn't require a whole bunch of feats and other stats in order to pull off. If you are up to the task of doing all three at once; casting, healing, shooting a bow, it makes playing a cleric much more interesting. It was always the most intense character I played; keeping up with all three of those tasks.