Race Selection for Artificer

[Mjesko]

If you only have 28pt builds drow are godlike for artys/ mech rogues (or a mix of the two) if you have 32pt Human, H-Elf (Human if you need the feat, H-Elf if you don't) and Halfling are much better choices.

Good point. I completly forgot the Half Elf and the Halfling.

[orakio]

mm yea I had heard they remove insightful damage spell.. (Sounds overpowered to me.. In pnp its impossible to get dmg bonuses on crossbow for a reason)
Guess I heard wrong.

Could still dump it tho i think if you multi:

14 arti/6 rog
6rog for mechanic, which gives Int for dmg on crossbows
Then use insightful attack spell.
Int for both.

Yea you couldn't get improved precise shot... But youd end up being a better caster and tougher.

Course you could go high dex/int and fully focus on crossbows and it might actually be worth it.. But Id bet the crazy rate of fire they have now will get reduced before it goes live..

Seems like there primary DPS is meant to be spells, not ranged. but well see..

Maybe a squishy 20 dex/int Drow will end up being the best. Still too early to tell.

Insightful damage is still in the game and works just fine, managed to get in on the Dev Event and boosted to 20 artificer. Epic Hellfire XboW + animus (see new items thread) allowed me to mow through cannith wilderness area despite literally no other items. No heavy fort, no ac, no +hp, nothing. The arti PrE is like an action boost manyshot, rate of fire is absolutely insane as i fired off 33 arrows in a 6 second window but there is a noticeable casting animation before the buff goes up. I did notice some problems with targetting animus, its basically a slow moving fireball spell that doesn't track, and even when i hit stuff "dead on" there were times it didn't do damage and no evasion or similar message was posted. Also, elemental damage lines and potency affect the damage of your rune arm charges but metamagic doesn't.

As far as spells go arti's won't ever be sorc/wiz level nukers but they do get a really nice single target damage/cc combination spell with 3 different damage types and 3 different potential cc's(trip, daze, -75% damage) all targetting different saves. Not sure if mobs were saving correctly as i was landing the trip 100% of the time in devil battlefield with only 21 dc.

To me the real damage output definitely felt like it was from weapon damage although that is potentially skewed by the fact that i have an epic weapon and no real potency item.

[Samadhi]

I think its easy to argue about the distribution , because instead of Int for attack an Artificer could use Dex for attack and Int for damage with the Insightful Damage spell. Thats the reason why Drow Artificers could be interesting, too.

If I was making an archer, this is what I would do. I considered applying the same logic to a finesse weapon, but there doesn't seem to be *much* gain over doing that over Str (although there is definitely some).

Since I'm not thinking Dex at all, I'm leaning towards 1) caster first 2) hit things with a DAxe or something second. Ideally, I will use the Int to-hit bonus when my Str is too low to hit otherwise, and I can add a different weapon enhancement for when things are easy to hit. When I'm not nuking of course.

Still pretty undecided though Would like to make it a halfy, but cannot find a justification for doing it that way.

[Morosy]

Drow was the only one that let me start with 17 dex to work towards IPS(and keep to hit high), 14 con, and 18 int to maintain good dc's/casting/damage. This is only while I don't have access to 36 pt builds though. On live i'll be able to do 36 points and can have that stat setup without going drow, but that's my choice for non TRs.

[Failedlegend]

Drow was the only one that let me start with 17 dex to work towards IPS(and keep to hit high), 14 con, and 18 int to maintain good dc's/casting/damage. This is only while i'm still on a 32 point build though. On live i'll be able to do 36 points and can have that stat setup without going drow, but that's my choice for non TRs.

Human/Half-Elf: 17Dex/14Con/17Int (personally I'd go 18Dex and 16Int though) gets an extra feat (Human = Any...H-Elf = Dilly) over Drow and they both have superior enhancements

Halfling: 18Dex/14Con/18Int - Best stat Spread over other races...awesome SA damage enhancement line

Elf: 17Dex/13Con/18Int...yeah Drow (17/14/18) is the better choice if you insist on Pure bloods w/ pointy ears unless they change elf ranged damaged to work with Xbows as well.

So yeah..feeling like a broken record again but...If you only have 28pt builds drow are godlike for artys/ mech rogues (or a mix of the two) if you have 32pt Human, H-Elf (Human if you need the feat, H-Elf if you don't) and Halfling are much better choices.

[Ertay]

I'm surprised this hasnt been brought up more often, but I expect a huge wave of helf crowwbowman artificers. The reasoning behind id would be +3d6 sneak attack and probably +1d6 force damage from arcane archer pre (have to confirm this, but former tests showd them to be working with crossbows).
Sneak attack should be much better for them then for any other class, since you will want to stay at point blank range anyway and have a pretty sturdy iron defender as your tank all the time. Also, their scroll healing will be much better then warforged, because they have healing amp from enhancements and equipment available, while there is no such thing for warforged self repair. And if you need your heals quick you also have those mass heals available.

edit: also make sure to get a gs radiance repeater with improved precise shot for sick sneak attack awesomeness!

[Failedlegend]

@Ertay AA working with XBOW is a bug, a known bug that will be fixed before live but yes H-Elf is potent like I said

"If you have 32pt Human, H-Elf (Human if you need the feat, H-Elf if you don't)" for pure at least if your doing a Arty/Mech your better off with Human.

As far as GS your better off with a Lit2 considering the changes to enemy fortification,etc.

[DragonKiller]

Was playing around last night with a Dwarf Arty, was pretty fun and I think they can make a good Arty - honestly it seems like it should be THE class for it (as apparently described by Wizards web site). However when I was running around I don't think I saw another Dwarf on the island.

I'll have to play around with the build more though, I put more points into strength than maybe I should have, but I was thinking of working melee into the build... being all ranged still feels gimped even though it's pretty powerful in low levels at least on the Arty.

[Failedlegend]

Was playing around last night with a Dwarf Arty, was pretty fun and I think they can make a good Arty - honestly it seems like it should be THE class for it (as apparently described by Wizards web site). However when I was running around I don't think I saw another Dwarf on the island.

I'll have to play around with the build more though, I put more points into strength than maybe I should have, but I was thinking of working melee into the build... being all ranged still feels gimped even though it's pretty powerful in low levels at least on the Arty.

ANY race can work as ANY class were just talking most effective.

Mind you trying to work melee into a ranged build is a trap its a waste of build points, feats and loot drops and just makes you mediocre at both especially on a build that's already feat starved (see my earlier builds...assuming metas are fixed)

[gloopygloop]

ANY race can work as ANY class were just talking most effective.

Mind you trying to work melee into a ranged build is a trap its a waste of build points, feats and loot drops and just makes you mediocre at both especially on a build that's already feat starved (see my earlier builds...assuming metas are fixed)

Well built Rangers disagree with you, but in general, I'd say that's true.

[Failedlegend]

Well built Rangers disagree with you, but in general, I'd say that's true.

Well built rangers that SHOULDN'T be getting that many feats :P

[gloopygloop]

Well built rangers that SHOULDN'T be getting that many feats :P

Mostly, I just meant that they could do some nice melee even just with the feats that they get for free.

I actually tried Melee on a melee focused Artificer that didn't bother with Ranged at all and I was seriously disappointed. Sword and Board is bad enough when you get to use a shield. When you're going Sword and Board and you don't even get the shield, it's just plain terrible.

[DragonKiller]

ANY race can work as ANY class were just talking most effective.

Mind you trying to work melee into a ranged build is a trap its a waste of build points, feats and loot drops and just makes you mediocre at both especially on a build that's already feat starved (see my earlier builds...assuming metas are fixed)

I'm not sure a Dwarf doesn't fit that bill of the most effective, there are different ways to build each class that are very effective.

With that said, I don't know if the Dwarf will be very effective as an Arty as some other classes, but we'll see how it works out. Also, I was thinking of more of a Multi-classer than pure with a Dwarf Arty, but again it might not work out like I was hoping... just like Marriage (Just kidding dear if your reading this.. I love you). But I think there are some things that Dwarfs do bring to the table that other classes don't... specially hit points.

[Ertay]

@Ertay AA working with XBOW is a bug, a known bug that will be fixed before live but yes H-Elf is potent like I said

Yes, I stand corrected. I actually took the time and tested it, and I can confirm that at least AA force Imbue does indeed NOT work with crossbows.

[Failedlegend]

Yes, I stand corrected. I actually took the time and tested it, and I can confirm that at least AA force Imbue does indeed NOT work with crossbows.

Guess they fixed it with Lama 11b

[Aerendil]

Halfling's Hero Companion enhancement line work with the pets, by the way? Anyone tested yet?

[Darkrok]

14 arti/6 rog
6rog for mechanic, which gives Int for dmg on crossbows
Then use insightful attack spell.
Int for both.

If I'm not mistaken these don't stack. The mechanic int for dmg effect does not stack with other bonus spells.

[Failedlegend]

I'm not sure a Dwarf doesn't fit that bill of the most effective, there are different ways to build each class that are very effective.

With that said, I don't know if the Dwarf will be very effective as an Arty as some other races, but we'll see how it works out. Also, I was thinking of more of a Multi-classer than pure with a Dwarf Arty, but again it might not work out like I was hoping... just like Marriage (Just kidding dear if your reading this.. I love you). But I think there are some things that Dwarfs do bring to the table that other races don't... specially hit points.

Fixed your mistake classes =/= races

As far as dwarf HPs...Warforged get that same boost.

[jandhaer]

As Dwarfs and Warforged are possibly my 2 favorite races Im excited both really shine here I dont think either way you can go wrong.

[DragonKiller]

Fixed your mistake classes =/= races

As far as dwarf HPs...Warforged get that same boost.

LMAO! Thanks for catching that... see what happens when I try to type up something before heading into a meeting.