Halfling Exploiter?

[Torkzed]

I'm building a character to run 2-man with my son. He is currently into halfling rogues, and wants to sneak as much as possible. For flavor reasons, I also want to be a halfling, and have the ability to sneak with him. However, i think we will need a little more dps than two rogues can generate, and possibly some limited healing. Plus, I'd like to put the xp into a character that has at least some future past level 10 or so (likely as high as my son will go with f2p content only, but I'm VIP and will take this guy higher if he is not totally gimped).

I've more or less decided that an exploiter ranger is the way to go, here is my halfling version. Apologies if there is already a halfling version out there. I have just taken the standard human exploiter I found on the forum, and adjusted it according to what makes sense to me. I would appreciate any feedback the experienced rangers here can offer.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.10
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Torkling Prime
Level 20 Lawful Good Halfling Male
(1 Monk \ 1 Rogue \ 18 Ranger) 
Hit Points: 280
Spell Points: 178 
BAB: 18\18\23\28\28
Fortitude: 18
Reflex: 22
Will: 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    21
Dexterity            16                    20
Constitution         16                    16
Intelligence         14                    14
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma              8                     8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 9

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               7                    20
Bluff                 3                     7
Concentration         3                     3
Diplomacy            -1                    -1
Disable Device        6                    25
Haggle                1                     1
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  4                    20
Intimidate           -1                    -1
Jump                  6                    20
Listen               -1                     1
Move Silently         7                    20
Open Lock             7                    10
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     2
Search                6                    25
Spot                  3                    10
Swim                  2                     5
Tumble                4                     6
Use Magic Device      3                    22

Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I


Level 2 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 4 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Halfling Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Rogue Faster Sneaking I


Level 5 (Ranger)


Level 6 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning I
Enhancement: Halfling Guile I
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) I
Enhancement: Halfling Hiding I
Enhancement: Halfling Athletics I
Enhancement: Halfling Silent Moves I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I


Level 7 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Fortitude) I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 8 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning II
Enhancement: Halfling Guile II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 9 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 10 (Ranger)


Level 11 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct
Enhancement: Rogue Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III


Level 12 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons


Level 13 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Combat Expertise


Level 14 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III


Level 15 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting


Level 16 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Halfling Guile III
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) III


Level 17 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider


Level 18 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost II


Level 19 (Ranger)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning IV
Enhancement: Halfling Guile IV
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Reflex) I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III

[WielderofGigantus]

So what oversized piercing weapons are you dual-wielding?

And if you're not using any monk weapons, what's the point of a level in monk? Your wisdom is too low to give much a bonus to AC.

[Tsuarok]

So what oversized piercing weapons are you dual-wielding?

And if you're not using any monk weapons, what's the point of a level in monk? Your wisdom is too low to give much a bonus to AC.

he's presumably wielding rapiers

@ OP WoG is right about your wisdom. The original exploiter starts with around 14(?) wisdom, which, combined with the monk level, allows you to reach meaningful AC, which was the point of the monk level.

When you get your ToD rings, you'll probably want to switch to handwraps and swap out IC pierce for IC bludgeon.

Another build you may want to check out is the Prodigy ( http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php...hlight=prodigy ), which should do more damage while maintaining close to the same AC.

[AylinIsAwesome]

OP if you put your CON down to 14 and your INT down to 12, you'll get a lot more benefit out of your WIS to AC.

[Torkzed]

Thank you all for pointing out the wisdom goof. When I was looking at stats, I was considering how to get the various skills I wanted to keep maxed,and I was kind of thinking rogue-like thoughts...so I boosted my INT. Completely forgot why I needed wisdom later. (I was thinking I could cast any ranger spell with just a starting 8 WIS, but that is beside the point)

And yes, I was going to go with rapiers, so that I could skip the kopesh feat. I know that is a bit of a DPS hit, but I thought I could live with it. I still plan the ability plus ups to go into STR, not DEX. Seems like in the long run that is easier for a relatively new player (and completely new ranger).

[unbongwah]

I usually prefer to take Imp Crit ASAP - by lvl 9 in this case. You could take monk 1 at lvl 10 to get Toughness then.

[Mercureal]

This looks good overall. I have a few comments, they're minor and aimed at optimizing some of your point choices, but you could certainly still function fine as is.


- I notice that you end up with a 21 Strength; unless you're planning on a +3 tome or getting something late in the game with +1 Exceptional Strength, this is a point going to waste. You could start out with a 13 Str instead of 14, which would give you 2 points to put into something else, or just use a +1 tome rather than a +2.

- Additionally, you probably don't need a 20 in Jump. The highest value that the game recognizes in jump is 40, and rangers get the jump spell at level 1, which gives +10/20/30 to jump at levels 1/5/9.

- I also see that you don't have FE: Giant. The choices you have are good, but in my experience you'll see more giants than elementals or constructs - although FE helps against the DR of those 2 types. Another possibility might be swapping out FE: Undead around level 10 for Giant, as there seem to be fewer numbers of undead enemies in the higher levels.

[Torkzed]

I redid the starting stats to

STR 15
DEX 16
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 13
CHA 8

After reading the suggestions here, I obviously had to boost wisdom, so I went to 13. I think I can afford a pair of +1 tomes just as easy as a single +2 tome, so I decided to go odd on the STR also, as one reply suggested. But I went up to 15 instead of down to 13. I took the points from CON and INT. The CON decrease feels a little wrong, but I decided I didnt really need all the skills I had planned, so the INT won't be missed too much. Especially as folks explained the cap on Jump (didnt remember that when I was planning, although I now recall reading it before somewhere). I prrobably can go lower in a other places, too. I still plan to max UMD, Search, and Disable, then sprinkle the remainder in a few spots like jump, balance (and move silent and hide for a couple of levels until my son gets out of his current sneaking fascination)

Thanks for the help. I have gone ahead and rolled Torkling up and have run some harbor quests. I think it is going to be a fun character!