Quick Proposal for DS II

[Requiro]

With new hope for changes:
http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...00&postcount=5

I posted my new concept of Deepwood Sniper.

For now, we have only 2 PrE for ranged attack: AA and DS (And Kensei... but this is another story ). AA is almost complete (at least have something for late game). DS in not only incomplete but even on level 6 better option is AA (+3,5 Force damage, Unlimited Ammo)

That why I decided to change existed first tier of DS too.

(My proposal was inspired by “Master of The Wild” D&D Book)

Level 6 Deepwood Sniper I (4 AP)

• +1 Hide, Move Silently, Spot
• Sneak Attack and PBS: Work within 25 meters
• Ability (active): Sniper Shoot I: Special, One tactic shoot with:
  
  • +4 to hit, +2 to critical threat range, +1 to critical threat multiplier
  • Reduce target fortification by 2%. Duration: 5 sec. (Stack with everything)
  • Colddown: 10 sec
• Ability (passive): Keen Edges: Add Keen property to the weapon (won’t stack with Keen property on weapons or Improve Critical feat)
• Ability (passive): Head Shoot: On Vorpal strike (roll 20) add extra 4d4 + 2d4/ranger level untyped damage.

Level 12 Deepwood Sniper II (2 AP)

• +1 Hide, Move Silently, Spot
• Sneak Attack and PBS: Work within 30 meters
• Ability (active): Sniper Shoot II: Special, One tactic shoot with:
  
  • +6 to hit, +4 to critical threat range, +2 to critical threat multiplier
  • Reduce target fortification by 4%. Duration: 5 sec. (Stack with everything)
  • Colddown: 8 sec
  • Replace Sniper Shoot I
• Ability (passive): Magical Weapon: Add Maiming property to the weapon (stack with everything)
• Ability (passive): Magical Critics: Add Seeker +4 property to the weapon (stack with everything)

Level 18 Deepwood Sniper III (2 AP)

• +1 Hide, Move Silently, Spot
• Sneak Attack and PBS: Work within 35 meters
• Ability (active): Sniper Shoot III: Special, One tactic shoot with:
  
  • +8 to hit, +6 to critical threat range, +3 to critical threat multiplier
  • Reduce target fortification by 6%. Duration: 5 sec. (Stack with everything)
  • Colddown: 6 sec
  • Replace Sniper Shoot II
• Ability (passive): Better Criticals: +1 critical threat range and multiplier (Stack with everything)

--- Special note: Every bonus from Deepwood Sniper work only on ranged weapon, which uses projectile missile (any Bows, any Crossbows) ---

So what do you think?

[Requiro]

What we get:

• On level 6 we get week Sniper Shoot, but gain free Keen property (so free feat on level 9 too), and some extra damage on Vorpals (and this damage will get bigger when we level up).
• On level 12 we get good Sniper Shoot that we will love to use as often as possible. Also small damage bonus from free property on every critical (which can stack with the same bonus from other sources!)
• On level 18 we get superior Sniper Shoot every 6 seconds, and improvements to overall ranged combat (better critical)

Some thoughts about usefulness Sniper Shoot ability.

For some people this ability can look overpowered (on level 18). Give somebody option to shoot with 10-20 critical threat range with x7 critical multiplier? Sound crazy. But it is only illusion, because:

• Like no other special attack, this ability have % change (instead of DC) to do any additional damage and you can’t do anything about it. That why even with super gear, if you are unlucky you will suck in DPS (Chance: lvl6 – max.30%, lvl12 – max.40%, lvl18 – max.55%)
• It is almost completely useless against 100% fortification monsters. In my proposal, fortification damage won’t affect this ability because of short duration.
• This ability is active and have colddown,
• So overall, this ability must brake 3 kind of problem/defences : Normal roll, Critical confirmation and fortification roll. Because of this (and colddown) this ability is unreliable (but with great potential)

Comments are welcome

[dkyle]

The Fort reduction is a good idea. Good way to make Archers worthwhile even if their personal DPS is lower than a melee (which it should be).

You might've gone too far with it, though. Currently, the only way to reduce Devil boss fort for everyone in the party is Jade Strike, which caries a save that is very hard to get above a 5% success rate on Harry, Horoth and Sulu.

You are giving at least 20% fort reduction constantly with no save (alternate Sniper Strike II and III). It's a pretty big leap.

[Requiro]

The Fort reduction is a good idea. Good way to make Archers worthwhile even if their personal DPS is lower than a melee (which it should be).

You might've gone too far with it, though. Currently, the only way to reduce Devil boss fort for everyone in the party is Jade Strike, which caries a save that is very hard to get above a 5% success rate on Harry, Horoth and Sulu.

You are giving at least 20% fort reduction constantly with no save (alternate Sniper Strike II and III). It's a pretty big leap.

In my conception you can’t use alternate Sniper Shoot, because higher ability replace lower one. eg. on level 12 you can only use Sniper Shoot II and on level 18 only Sniper shoot III

Well. 30% almost constant fortification damage (5 sec duration, shoot every 6 sec) can be little too much. Maybe progression 5 / 10 / 15 % will be better?

[dkyle]

In my conception you can’t use alternate Sniper Shoot, because higher ability replace lower one. eg. on level 12 you can only use Sniper Shoot II and on level 18 only Sniper shoot III

I don't see that noted anywhere, and that's not typically how these work, so you should add that clarification to your description. For example, my Monk can rotate among the various tiers of Earth Strikes.

Well. 30% almost constant fortification damage (5 sec duration, shoot every 6 sec) can be little too much. Maybe progression 5 / 10 / 15 % will be better?

Yeah, maybe. But still, having it essentially automatically apply 5/6ths of the time is pretty significant.

It kind of feels like there should be save involved, but I'm not sure what the DC should be.

[Requiro]

I don't see that noted anywhere, and that's not typically how these work, so you should add that clarification to your description. For example, my Monk can rotate among the various tiers of Earth Strikes.

Yeah, maybe. But still, having it essentially automatically apply 5/6ths of the time is pretty significant.

It kind of feels like there should be save involved, but I'm not sure what the DC should be.

In Sniper Shoot II and III are annotation: Replace Sniper Shoot I and Replace Sniper Shoot II.

Fortification damage supposed to be significant. To counterbalance lower DPS. Idk if save is good idea.

Without save, Deepwood Sniper can concentrate on DPS. With save, role of the DS will be reduce to debuf only (and bring this ability worthless in epic), with gimp DPS. For now, I will change for this ability to 5 / 10 / 15 % progression only still without save.

[Requiro]

I rise my own threat. So new comments are welcome.

I made a little, cosmetic changes to my proposal (add PBS and Sneak Attack, also Fortification Reduce in Sniper Shoots)

I hope that work on DeepWood Sniper II, that we should see in Update 11 will be something like this.