Is exploiter still viable?

[Fallenkezef]

I've been away for a while, a year in fact and have rejoined the wonderful world of DDO. Is the RNG18/MNK1/ROG1 build still viable these days?

[Thucydides04]

Not really. 18 ranger is kind of broken atm. Not much incentive to take a rgr past 12/15. 15/3r/2m is probably a bit better.

[grodon9999]

Yes, but drop combat expertise for a healing meta-magic.

[grodon9999]

Not really. 18 ranger is kind of broken atm. Not much incentive to take a rgr past 12/15. 15/3r/2m is probably a bit better.

He asked if it's viable, it is Optimal? probably not but despite the nonsense perpetuated on this forum this game isn't hard enough to require anything to be optimal.

12/7/1 and 15/3/2 are also great splits with more damage potential but it relies on sneak attack. The 15/3/2 also yields another feat and a point of AC (better saves to I think?) so that's pretty nice.

[Fallenkezef]

Not really. 18 ranger is kind of broken atm. Not much incentive to take a rgr past 12/15. 15/3r/2m is probably a bit better.

How is it broken?

[Sequell]

The new exploiter build works best IMO.

20 Sorc -

[FlyingTurtle]

How is it broken?

Tempest III used to grant melee alacrity 10% on both hands. Now it's just 5% double strike on the main hand, which is 1/4 as effective. It went from OP to ubernerfed overnight.

[sirgog]

Expect your once useful (but never max) AC to be worthless now; ACs under ~85 don't really hold up at endgame now, so the typical ~65 on an Exploiter isn't useful any more.

Other than that, your DPS will be a bit lower than it was, and the DPS of other melees is a bit higher (and the DPS of casters is insanely higher).


The kings of TWF are now the Ftr12/Bbn6/Xxx2 (usually Rogue) builds. Extremely high Str, dumped AC.

[Therigar]

Define "Viable."

Plenty of Exploiter builds still running around and it gets referenced fairly often still in new player build discussions. So, yes, it is still viable.

Is it at the top as a DPS build? No, but it is still relatively close.

So, if you have one in some stage of development then you can feel alright about yourself if you go ahead and finish leveling to L20. If you have one that is L20 you can still expect to see plenty of game time with it.

But, as has been said, if you are starting from scratch (or have an exploiter that is still in its lower levels) you might want to consider some of the more recent builds that have become popular since the changes to Tempest and TWF.

[grodon9999]

How is it broken?

Broken is too strong of a word . . . tempest III is just kinda crappy. Tempest peaks with Tempest II, it's a very middle-weighted class/PRE where stuff doesn't get that much better int he third tier of the PRE. 5 % double-strike is kinda meh and hopefully the devs will throw some love it's way when they get bored of nerfing everything else.

Tempest III has the advantage of the better to-hit (lower to-hit penalties and the tempest ToD set give +3 to-hit that stacks with everything).

Race also plays a factor. If you wanna go Horc and use Khopesh I'd got 15/3/2. An 18/1/1 Horc can't take a healing meta-magic but the 15/3/2 can. A rangers strongest and most over-looked ability is it's self healing. A human 18/1/1 can fit in all the feats.

[elujin]

it works well thill end game then the ac lags behind on mine anyways

[Fallenkezef]

well my toon is TR'd and stands at level 7 with 1st level rogue, 5 leveles of ranger and for some reason I'd dipped into monk already.

I was going to splash out on a heart +1 to lose the monk level. So assuming 1st level rogue and 6 levels of ranger, TR points, what is the way forward?

[grodon9999]

Expect your once useful (but never max) AC to be worthless now; ACs under ~85 don't really hold up at endgame now, so the typical ~65 on an Exploiter isn't useful any more.

Both my Exploiters can get that with power-attack on counting FE bonus. The gearing options we have now with epic gear and air-ship buffs let STR builds hit what only the DEX-based halfling freaks could hit a year ago.

And it's ALL gear, wear different stuff when you're doing different stuff. You don't need AC when you're hitting the back of a devil so put away the chattering ring and put on a second ToD ring. When you're standing in the Devi's crotch, and mine tank hard/elite sulu 8 times a week between both raids, then you equip the stuff that gets you hit less. Icy's don't do any good in epics, put on the Red Dragon robe, etc . . . it's all gear not build.

Other than that, your DPS will be a bit lower than it was, and the DPS of other melees is a bit higher (and the DPS of casters is insanely higher).

Compared to casters all melees are second-rate now

The kings of TWF are now the Ftr12/Bbn6/Xxx2 (usually Rogue) builds. Extremely high Str, dumped AC.

A well built, well equipped Blitz build is a thing of beauty, poetry of death in motion.

[Chai]

Yeap.

I have gone with the blue bar self heal method over the no fail UMD method however. Res clickies are cheap to make if needed.

[Fallenkezef]

I think I'm gonna go for solo/fast leveling capability and do another TR at 20. For this is the old exloiter sill good or do I need one of these new fangled builds?

[Thucydides04]

I think I'm gonna go for solo/fast leveling capability and do another TR at 20. For this is the old exloiter sill good or do I need one of these new fangled builds?

I think the level of rogue is useless... I don't care about traps or UMD so I would go h-elf 18rgr/2mnk or ftr with the rogue dil if you insist on going 18rgr/xxx. You get HA, make up the extra feat and get SA.

Feats:

Khop, PA, Toughness, Dodge, Mobility, SA, OTWF, Maximize, IC Slash

If you go 15/3/2 take the monk dil for extra HA.

[Splotto]

Maury Sline: Hold it, hold it. "Tomorrow night", what are you talking about. A gig like that, you gotta prepare the proper exploitation.

Elwood Blues: I know all about that stuff. I have been exploited all my life.

[Chai]

I think I'm gonna go for solo/fast leveling capability and do another TR at 20. For this is the old exloiter sill good or do I need one of these new fangled builds?

The old exploiter is still great for that.

[Waylayer]

I think I'm gonna go for solo/fast leveling capability and do another TR at 20. For this is the old exloiter sill good or do I need one of these new fangled builds?

For this, the original exploiter works just fine - even "no grind ac" is workable in all Normal and most Hard content.

By "no grind" I mean just that - nothing that you can't acquire solo or from the AH.

[hermespan]

I've been away for a while, a year in fact and have rejoined the wonderful world of DDO. Is the RNG18/MNK1/ROG1 build still viable these days?

Only if built for str... Then again that's how I've always felt about melee rangers in general. Dex rangers are wimpy in the dps department. It's possible to get a high enough AC to tank as an exploiter ranger, but there are much better builds to get a high AC that do a metric ton more damage than a dex ranger, so to me dex ranger is not a build I'd want. Dump AC, go for STR, DPS, HP and utility. Finesse is for the weak. Khopesh wins. Make sure you have over 425 HP or so for raiding (standing with ship buffs, before raid buffs). Your saves, death ward, poison resist, greater heroism, resistance spells and evasion will enable a lot of the spellcasting dps to bounce off. Anything below this and you'll die any time a heal lags or a healer messes up. You may get away with it sometimes, but low HP always catches up to you. Then again, my caster has 400HP (with buffs) so maybe I take it a little too far. 450 fully buffed with healing amp is the minimum sweet spot for a ranger with greater resistance, evasion, poison resist, gh, and good reflex saves. You'll die with any less unless you have really good healers or you are really lucky. If your healing amp isn't up to par you will be a mana sponge. If your saves suck and you don't have evasion I think the consensus is 550+ or so.