Dual-Stunning Aligner of Things inc. Heavens : 11 Ranger / 6 Fighter / 3 Monk

[Deathdefy]

11 Ranger / 6 Fighter / 3 Monk, AA, Stunning Blow + Fist, Light Finishers. Hopefully Entry-Epic Ready.

It's almost all in the title, and the build flows by necessity from there into almost every feat, enhancement and stat taken, but I'd like feedback on the detail.

I've been messing around with Monk / Ranger splashy things for a few lives now, but TRing immediately on hitting 20, and this is definitely the life (up to 18) I enjoyed most. Since I'm doing my final Ranger life on my main soonish, I figured I'd publish this in full and see if others have thoughts on it.

It's kind of a rest-stop life to enjoy the current end-game before I launch into 3 Barbarian lives without the ability to splash Monk due to alignment incompatibility.

I do intend to run it at cap - including epics - for a while (read 20 raid completions on everything save Titan unless I'm incredibly lucky with the number of Titan LFGs up), since I'm tired of being perpetually poor and haphazardly geared with what I've found through my previous lives that have never managed 20 raid completions before TRing.

e.g. no Sword of Shadows (hence no Barb lives yet; it's absence is something of a deal-breaker for me), my 2 bursted ToD rings are weird ones (sniper and stalwart), no Demon-Consort Bracers, no Bramble Casters, no Helm of the Mronanon, no Braciers of the Glacier, and... no cleansed Greensteel.

Stats:
Str: 18 (+5 Level-ups, +2 Tome, +7 Event Gloves, +2 Ram's, +2 Fire Stance, +2 Ship Buff, +2 Rage, +2 Fighter Strength, +1 H-Elf = 43)
Dex: 13 (+2 Tome, +6 Item, +1 Exc Item (ToD ring), +2 Ship Buff = 22; but meh. Only after Rogue Dilettante.)
Con: 13 (+2 Tome, +6 Item, +1 Exc Item (other ToD ring), +2 Ship Buff, +2 Rage = 24)
Int: 8
Wis: 16 (+2 Tome, +6 Item, +2 Ship Buff, +1 Monk Enh, +1 H-Elf, -2 Fire Stance, = 26)
Cha: 8

Levelling Progression:
1 Ranger, 1 Monk (HW Use), 2 - 11 Ranger, 2 - 3 Monk (Fists of Light + Finishers), 1 - 6 Fighter

Feats Summary:
Passive Past-Lives(9):
3 Monk, 3 Fighter, 1 Paladin, 2 Ranger,
Dilettante(1):
Rogue
Ranger (9):
Bow Strength, Rapid Shot, TWF, Diehard, ITWF, Manyshot, GTWF, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot
Monk (2):
Toughness, Power Attack
Fighter (4):
IC: Bludgeoning, Stunning Blow, IC: Ranged, WS: Ranged (have to Spec in Ranged to qualify for Kensai I since I lack the spare feat for WF: Bludgeoning)
Standard Feats (7):
Point Blank Shot, WF: Ranged, Mental Toughness, Zen Archery, Stunning Fist, Extend Spell, Active Paladin Past Life

HP:
Heroic Vit: 20
Con: 140
Ranger Levels: 88
Fighter Levels: 60
Monk Levels: 24
Toughness: 23
Fighter Tougness Enh: 20
H-Elf Toughness Enh: 20
Minos: 20
Argo: 10
GS: 45
GFL: 30
= 500 HP! Exactly.

Stunning Blow DC:
Base: 10
Strength Mod: 16
Wraps: 10
F. Past Lives: 3
SB Enh: 2
Kensai: 1
=> 42

Stunning Fist DC:
Base: 10
1/2 CL: 10
Wraps: 10
Wis Mod: 8
F. Past Lives: 3
SB Enh: 2
Kensai : 1
=> 44 (can bump to 45 with Wind Stance or even 46 with Water if they're just not sticking, though Water hurts to-hit and Stunning Blow)

Enhancements are extremely tight; essentials include Ranger Devotion IV, Kensai I + Pre-reqs, Fighter Toughness II, Fighter Haste Boost II, H-Elf Healing Amp II, Monk Healing Amp I, Monk Wis I, Fighter Strength II, Ranger Sprint I, Rogue Dilettante II, H-Elf Adaptability Str + Wis, the AA Line.... it's a lot. But it does fit. Just.

Playstyle:
-Mostly just melee-ing with wraps; stunners or greater banes or smiting/banishing/mabar/DR breakers.
-Manyshot bow option is there too though.
-Self-heals are sizeable due to healing amp (1.2 H-Elf x 1.05 Pally PL x 1.1 Monk x 1.25 Jidz x 1.1 Ship x 1.1 DT x 1.2DT = 2.51) from self-cast Cure Moderate with Ranger Devotion IV and even just a Superior Devotion item, though for epics I'll make a Superior Ardor III clickie.
-Will try and keep Heavens Aligned and Sun Walked

Gear:
-Most non-epic stuff that a Monk would want that isn't specific ToD rings.
-Literally no epic items save Mabar / Cove stuff.
-Of note: Tharne's goggles, Madstone Boots, 45 HP earthgrab GS cloak[uncleansed], a few 10 Healing Amp / 20 Healing Amp / something useful DTs.
-Formidable selection of bows and wraps.

Pros:
-2 Serviceable Stuns
-Haste Boost II
-Manyshot + IPS + Slayer Arrows
-Nice Healing Amp - allowing decent self-healing from Ranger's Cure Moderate. Very easy levelling with a Torc.
-Decent melee dps; the appalling 1d6 base fist damage die does hurt, but haste boost, burst rings, pally PL, rogue dilettante, favored enemies and a moderate strength should make it somewhat respectable.
-Light Finishers
-Should be able to hit epic things that aren't gnoll packmasters or other desert denizens. Will still bring along destruction/improved destruction kamas in case. I'm assuming a full BAB (when centred) with 43 Strength + 3 luck from pally PL + 3 stacking to-hit from Fighter PLs will cut the mustard with an appropriate greater bane set of wraps. If not... well, respect to you high AC enemy mob.
-22 Minute Resist Energy 30 Buffs

Cons:
Not a tank
Not truly insane dps
Lame reflex save means it's not really an 'evasion' build, but it doesn't have the HP of a non-evasion type build. So, HP are slightly questionable. Worst case scenario I can buff the Reflex save with a fancy new U10 Armour swap-in when appropriate.

Final thoughts:
Yeah, so I genuinely think this thing looks solid, and I plan to play it at cap. If something looks off, or is improvable, please do comment.

Play tips for epics from similar builds; e.g. Helves Angels / Blasphemous Abominations / 12 Monk 6 Ranger 2 Fighter, would be greatly appreciated.

The only thing I'll say in advance is that I need this to be a Ranger life, so potential improvements can't change that.

[maddmatt70]

hmm I have an 11 ranger 9monk AA h-elf character. I love Touch of death with manyshot and feel it is a great one two burst dps. The other thing I emphasized was self healing by picking up the maximize feat and ramping up the healing amp with the healing enhancement. When I wear a torque and with amp gear and sup ardor 3 pot my cure moderate wounds hit for 230. To be honest I am not sure what the 6 fighter levels really give you? Any thoughts to going to the darkside and 11 ranger 9 monk especially since healing ki was nerfed?

[Deathdefy]

I gave 9 monk /11 ranger a lot of thought actually, and it's very much the alternative to this if I chicken out.

It's the lack of room for (Extended) Pally PL and Lower Stun DC I'm most apprehensive about.

I went 6 Fighter primarily for feats (Stunning Blow, Extend and Pally PL are what I see as the pick-ups, given WS: Ranged is meh), and Stunning Fist DC (+3 from 2 stunning blow enh, and 1 from kensai). I honestly don't know what DC viable stuns are in epic since I haven't played it since saves went up. I suspect the extra 3 DC from 41 to 44 will correlate with a 15% increase in them sticking though.

Haste boost is also a nice perk, as is +2 Fighter Str Enh, and another +1 to-hit from kensai for the bow (given the to-hit is working off Wisdom 26).

I actually wrote out a 9 monk / 11 ranger going with Fighter Dilettante to bolster stun DC I thought I was happy with, but discovered I didn't have the spare feat to take stunning blow to grab the enhancements.

All of that said, 9 monk with occasional ToDding is doubtless a biggish increase in melee dps, and I do like NS I's shadow fade ability a lot... trading those for better stuns and the Pally PL sounds unbalanced on paper, but I'm probably still going to do it since to-hit and stun DC are the 2 epic requirements I'm most worried about.

I'm also very much on the Ranger self-heals through a Torc bandwagon! Was a game-changing item for me.