Clonker - U7 Radient Bow kensei

[OldAquarian]

Good with a bow - good backup healer
Good solo

Probably as low as you want to see a cleric go
Interesting prereq double use for kensei and bow strength (both need WS:Ranged)

Zen Archery just for U7 - monk stance with bow

Comments welcome:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.5.1
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Clonker U7 Radient BowKensei
Level 20 Lawful Neutral Elf Male
(6 Fighter \ 2 Monk \ 12 Cleric) 
Hit Points: 289
Spell Points: 712 
BAB: 16\16\21\26\26
Fortitude: 18
Reflex: 16
Will: 15

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    18
Dexterity            17                    24
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence          8                     8
Wisdom               13                    14
Charisma             11                    14

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 20
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 20
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 20

Level 1 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell


Level 2 (Cleric)


Level 3 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness


Level 4 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: DEX


Level 5 (Cleric)


Level 6 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons


Level 7 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Zen Archery


Level 8 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: DEX
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Point Blank Shot


Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Manyshot
Feat: (Selected) Rapid Shot


Level 10 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Toughness


Level 11 (Fighter)


Level 12 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: DEX
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Bow Strength
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Specialization: Ranged Weapons


Level 13 (Fighter)


Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons


Level 15 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Precise Shot


Level 16 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: DEX


Level 17 (Cleric)


Level 18 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Precise Shot


Level 19 (Cleric)


Level 20 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: DEX
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Acid Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Explosive Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Burst Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Slaying Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Terror Arrows
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant I
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage II
Enhancement: Follower of the Silver Flame
Enhancement: Kensei Longbow Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +2 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +3 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +4 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +5 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer I
Enhancement: Cleric Heal I
Enhancement: Cleric Heal II
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Incredible Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic II
Enhancement: Cleric Charisma I
Enhancement: Cleric Charisma II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality I
Enhancement: Cleric Extra Turning I
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Turning I

[Calebro]

Two words:
Six Ranger.

[FengXian]

I don't think it's gonna work.

Your wisdom is pretty low: little to no advantage from monk for ac, low sp, and what did u take zen archery for, you dex is higher than your wis...

Better go 12/6/2 with 6 ranger and bump wis, but u still gonna need 19 dex for improved precise shot so it's a tricky build to go with...easier to spec a ranger for healing imho...

[Calebro]

I don't think it's gonna work.

Your wisdom is pretty low: little to no advantage from monk for ac, low sp, and what did u take zen archery for, you dex is higher than your wis...

Better go 12/6/2 with 6 ranger and bump wis, but u still gonna need 19 dex for improved precise shot so it's a tricky build to go with...easier to spec a ranger for healing imho...

I'm assuming he took Zen Archery because come U7 it will allow bows as Ki Weapons, so he can stay in stance if he has it.

Beyond that, I agree.

[OldAquarian]

Zen archery is for stance only - will use dex for hit
Six ranger is less dps than kensei (except more favored)
2 Monk = evasion

Swapped to +5 dex instead of str - better hit and reflex

[Calebro]

Zen archery is for stance only - will use dex for hit
Two ranger is less dps than kensei
2 Monk = evasion

Might swap to +5 dex instead of str - better hit and reflex

6 ranger is less DPS than Kensai, correct.
But you're using a bow, so no one expevts you to have uber DPS to begin with. What 6 ranger does is it frees up a bunch of feats that you get for free, while also raising your reflex save making evasion useful.

So yes, ranger is less DPS than Kensai.
It's also better for this build.

[OldAquarian]

6 ranger is less DPS than Kensai, correct.
But you're using a bow, so no one expevts you to have uber DPS to begin with. What 6 ranger does is it frees up a bunch of feats that you get for free, while also raising your reflex save making evasion useful.

So yes, ranger is less DPS than Kensai.
It's also better for this build.

Ranger grants Bow Strength, Rapid Shot, and Manyshot
Fighter 1-6 grants 4 feats but needs to use Weapon Specialization to get Bow Strength and Kensei
So feats is a wash

So its dps vs reflex save

[Calebro]

Ranger grants Bow Strength, Rapid Shot, and Manyshot
Fighter 1-6 grants 4 feats but needs to use Weapon Specialization to get Bow Strength and Kensei
So feats is a wash

So its dps vs reflex save

DPS tradeoff: Fighter Str +2 (+1 damage), Weapon Spec (+2 damage) & Kensai LB (+1 damage & +2 on crits) vs. Ram's Might
So the Kensai does 1 more damage, 9 more on a crit. Not a huge difference, good to go there.

Reflex save: 3 points higher with Ranger. (edit: 4 points if you buy the two Dex enhancements)

Feats: You said it, the same. Except that Ranger 6 gives you TWF and ITWF, which offers you a decent melee option, while Fighter lacks this because you spec'ed for a bow.

Advantage Ranger.

[OldAquarian]

DPS tradeoff: Fighter Str +2 (+1 damage), Weapon Spec (+2 damage) & Kensai LB (+1 damage & +2 on crits) vs. Ram's Might
So the Kensai does 1 more damage, 9 more on a crit. Not a huge difference, good to go there.

Reflex save: 3 points higher with Ranger. (edit: 4 points if you buy the two Dex enhancements)

Feats: You said it, the same. Except that Ranger 6 gives you TWF and ITWF, which offers you a decent melee option, while Fighter lacks this because you spec'ed for a bow.

Advantage Ranger.

Fighter Haste II > Rams
And it's only +2 Reflex (vs magical effects)

And if you expect me to heal, and range and also melee you have another thing coming.

[Calebro]

Fighter Haste II > Rams
And it's only +2 Reflex (vs magical effects)

And if you expect me to heal, and range and also melee you have another thing coming.

Actually, I don't expect you to heal.
One of the main problems with healers using ranged weapons is that the attack animation for bows takes too long. When you absolutely need to get that instant heal off in a sticky situation, you'll miss it because of the bow's animation and the target will be dead before the spell goes off.
As you plan on playing the "backup healer" this is a horrible situation to be in.

[unbongwah]

I think I prefer ranger 6 to fighter 6 as well for more versatility. You'd get 9 feats: 3 AA pre-reqs, Toughness (monk 1), PA (monk 2), GTWF, Imp Crit Slash & Ranged, Emp Heal. Giving up Prec Shot & IPS for full TWF; can't figure out how to squeeze in ZA as well, but IMHO 1st-tier monk stances aren't worth the effort anyway. Other downside is you're backloading either your cleric levels or your ranger feats.

[Ravoc-DDO]

12 cleric / 6 ranger / 2 rogue

[TFPAQ]

I ran Cleric12/Ftr6/Monk2 and Cleric12/Rgr6/Monk2 (same tune that I burned a LR+5 then a +1 a couple of weeks later).

Crunching all the numbers that you want... the ranger was better than Kensai I for me in "feel" and playability.

I also was using longswords in stance. Bows would make this even sweeter ...

[talyor]

go 12 FVS still lvl 6 spells, more spell points, and take silver flame line for bow enhancements

[OldAquarian]

I ran Cleric12/Ftr6/Monk2 and Cleric12/Rgr6/Monk2 (same tune that I burned a LR+5 then a +1 a couple of weeks later).

Crunching all the numbers that you want... the ranger was better than Kensai I for me in "feel" and playability.

I also was using longswords in stance. Bows would make this even sweeter ...

If I were going longswords, I might consider Ranger. With Bows I prefer Fighter, but as you can see from the above, if you don't plan on melee, both are close, so it's mostly a matter of preferrence.

go 12 FVS still lvl 6 spells, more spell points, and take silver flame line for bow enhancements

Here again, I might go ranger, an interesting idea, but I wanted Radiant Servant

[Maldavenous]

I think I prefer ranger 6 to fighter 6 as well for more versatility. You'd get 9 feats: 3 AA pre-reqs, Toughness (monk 1), PA (monk 2), GTWF, Imp Crit Slash & Ranged, Emp Heal. Giving up Prec Shot & IPS for full TWF; can't figure out how to squeeze in ZA as well, but IMHO 1st-tier monk stances aren't worth the effort anyway. Other downside is you're backloading either your cleric levels or your ranger feats.

If you're giving up Improved Precise Shot you might as well go melee. The proper use of IPS is just about the only thing that makes an AA worth playing.