Allow mechanics to raise DC on repeaters

[Scraap]

Title pretty much says it all. With mechanics getting +4 to most relevant int skills, IPS drawing agro like mad, and sneak attacks only applying maybe 2-3 steps outside of melee with a weapon that at best hits around half as rapidly (and hence applying effects half as often) as a comparable two weapon fighter, optimal effectiveness seems at present to lean more in the direction of using the repeaters as a backup weapon, even with int to damage, or even ignoring that feature entirely in favor of dumping int completely (effective +8 int where it counts after all).

Don't get me wrong, they are quite enjoyable at low to mid levels, and if you've the patience for grinding out the green-steel, can be fairly decent at debilitation via earthgrab and the like for the higher level content. I can also see why the devs would be reluctant to raise the damage too much further for both styles of ranged combat.

In general, the proposal would be along the lines of either adding half the intelligence bonus to the DC on a repeater (for around +5-6 maxed iirc, or a quarter of a dice), or an AP line allowing up to X (2,4,8,12) int bonus to be applied.

For red-names, the optimal solution would remain single target, close enough to get SA, would boost crowd control capacity without eclipsing monks and the like (paralizers come on piercers but stunners don't, meaning they aren't hitting back, but they aren't autocrit either), and would keep rangers on top of the ranged DPS charts as they probably should be, while reinforcing the dirty trick nature of the magic device using rogue.

Thoughts?

[Calebro]

Thoughts?

Read your first paragraph again. Those are my thoughts. You've answered your own question.
I'll take it one step further and say:
Instead of "ignoring that feature entirely" you should just ignore the entire PrE line entirely and choose a different, more useful/functional PrE.
An Acrobat or an Assassin who completely dumps Int can handle every traps that you can, and they can do it with decent melee options as well. You've already admitted that you'd be better off ditching the repeater, or using it situationally, so why not be better at melee to boot?

In short: Mech is a trap.

edit:
Perhaps "every trap that you can" was a bit of an exaggeration, but every trap that matters certainly isn't.

[Scraap]

Read your first paragraph again. Those are my thoughts. You've answered your own question.
I'll take it one step further and say:
Instead of "ignoring that feature entirely" you should just ignore the entire PrE line entirely and choose a different, more useful/functional PrE.
An Acrobat or an Assassin who completely dumps Int can handle every traps that you can, and they can do it with decent melee options as well. You've already admitted that you'd be better off ditching the repeater, or using it situationally, so why not be better at melee to boot?

In short: Mech is a trap.

The first mech I capped did just that, pretty much. Started at something like 12 int, TWF all the way. It just seems a crying shame to see that much dev time put in, and more still being spent, on something that even those of us stubborn folks have to admit is on the low end of the pool effectiveness wise in most situations.