How are you going to build yours on live?

[Talon_Moonshadow]

20 Artificer, Warforged (36-point)
STR - 12
DEX - 16 (+2 tome assumed later, 1 level up at level 12)
CON - 16
INT - 18 (+2 tome assumed at level 7, 4 level ups)
WIS - 6
CHA - 6

Feats:
1 - Point Blank Shot
3 - Past Life: Barbarian
4 - Augment Summon
6 - Past Life: Monk
8 - Rapid Shot
9 - Past Life: Paladin
12 - Maximize
12 - Precise Shot
15 - Empower
16 - Improved Precise Shot
18 - Improved Critical: Ranged
20 - Quicken

Skills:
Use Magic Devices - Max
Open Locks - Max
Spot - Max
Search - Max
Disable Devices - Max
Move Silently - Max (half ranks)
Concentration - Max
Tumble - 2 full ranks
Jump - 6 full ranks (points going in at level 8 and on)
Balance - 6 full ranks (points going in at level 8 and on)


I'll likely be utilizing a repeater, rune arm, and dog-dog for the earlier levels (looking forward to using a screaming of bleed repeater at ML 1, and a similar module for dog-dog). Flame Turret and/or Blade Barrier will find their way in as they come.

Thx.

Why 2 ranks in Tumble? (as opposed to 1)

Why 6 in Balance? (I admit that I have never figured out a magic number for balance)

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Half-Elf with the Rogue dilly feats (spec my dog out for full intim/bluff) and go full dragon-marks. Since I'll be taking most-if-not-all the Electric spell boosters, Call Lightning + Lightning Motes is a lot of fun.

Played this build on Llama, and it was the most fun out of the three I leveled. Yeah, it may not be the most "elite" build out there... but I've always put fun ahead of math when it comes to a build.


My only real decision remains on picking between Great Crossbow or Repeater.

Always admired your "style!"

[Saethiar]

Craft it.

A screaming of Bleed would be ML 3.

Both Screaming and Bleed increase ML by +2 or +1 if the item has no ML (such as a Crossbow keyed for crafting). So adding the first effect would make it ML 1, but ML 3 after adding the second.

EDIT: unless that involves that -2 ML crafting recipe available from house C favor? :X

[Talon_Moonshadow]

If I didn't already have a WF ready to TR...Helf/Rogue Dilly, capped. Dex/Int & ranged with as many force specs as I could sneak in.

Since I do have a WF ready to TR, I think I'll be doing a repeater/int based with force maxxed.

Really looking forward to building and then playing.

Amazing how DDO seems to have become a "builders" game, rather than an "adventure" game.

Well, normally I come up with builds I like on my own. But Artificers are not in core D&D, and are totally different from anything i have played before.

I am much more about the "adventure" than the build. But if I can't kill things, and everyone else can kill things...the fun goes away fast.

Actually, this morning I decided to go with Insightful Reflexes instead of Heighten or Extend.
Cause to me survivability is very important.

(although after seeing MrCow's breakdown of stats, I may try to get more Dex instead, and try to fit in Improved Precise shot somehow)

The nature of DDO is that it is impossible to not care about build at all.
Our options are limited in this game. It is basically all about killing and living to kill monsters.
There is some room to kill in unorthadox ways. But many of those just don't kill very well.....so they lose their funness very fast.

My favorite builds have way more to do with style and DPS. But style has to serve a usable function in the game to actually be fun to play.

For instance, I gladly sacrifice DPS for Displacement. The two ways I get Displacement also give me Invisibility.
Neither adds DPS. One adds a ton of survivability. The other adds some survivablity, but mostly just give me a cool option that I can use when it is fun to do so.

Almost all of my newer builds are stealthy. Cause it's fun!
it certainly is not needed at all. It serves me almost no purpose in any raid I can think of. And most of my builds cannot get high enough skill lvls to be useful in Epics.

Yet having a stealth option is still very, very fun to me. And I find a lot of places in the game to use it.

Anyway, when I do ask build advice from others, I also ask their reasons.
So I can make a decision on what "I" actually want to play....

I never just copy someone else.
Although a good idea is still a good idea, whether I thought of it or someone else did.
But I try to adapt what others say to what makes sense to my own style priorities.

I try to "build" for the "adventure"!

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Well when update 12 comes out (seriously) I will have my build perfected

she will be elven since I like playing elves and played around with Nyxy on Lamania as a TR

I am going to TR my human wizard who had already did a double for spell pen as a wizard. she will be transformed into my elven artificer im still working out stats her since I now have plenty of time to do so.

Started shrouding with my wizard to to get the shards she needs for her repeater going Vac II with it I think maybe LIT II still debating though with the extra time I may craft her one of each. I plan on hitting the reaver's refuge for some DT armor to put things on for her and ive got some docents and mithral chain im going to use as crafting blanks for leveling up. She will probably have a cross bow for all occasions since I was one of the lucky few who made an crafting alt who is pretty high level now.

I really want to play the class and look forward to when I can unlock it to do so by then I will have the TR completely ready including all those tokens needed to trade for my heart of wood

And I love the fact that you are sticking to Elves.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Ok...the build update. Let's se if I can fit in everything.

Str: 8
Dex: 16 (put 1 lvl up here and buy +2 tome at some point for 19)
Con: 14
Int: 18 (4 lvl ups, 1 Human enhancement, 3 Art enhancements)
Wis: 8
Ch: 8

Most likely buy +2 Tomes for Everything eventually. And +6 items for important stats

Feats:

Three Cannith Dragon Marks
Toughness
Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Improved Crit Ranged, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot.
Maximize, Empower
Augment Summon
Construct Essence

That's 13 feats (7 we all get, 1 human, 5 artificer)

Will keep Spot, Search, DD, OL, UMD, Concentration, Hide, & MS maxed.
Will buy +2 Tome at lvl 7.
1 rank in Tumble. The rest in Jump I think.

Weaker in melee than I would like, but should be fun I think.

Thx.

[Kalari]

And I love the fact that you are sticking to Elves.

Pointy ears for life! I am determined to level up each class as an elf I havent done a barbarian yet but that will eventually happen as well went warforged my first go around with that class. But made up with a fun elven fighter

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Pointy ears for life! I am determined to level up each class as an elf I havent done a barbarian yet but that will eventually happen as well went warforged my first go around with that class. But made up with a fun elven fighter

My first Barbarian was a Halfling...and a totally gimped build. She's lvl 16 (on your server btw) and probably waiting for a GR before I play her again.

Hate Barbarians though....

But my second attempt at making a sorta Brb that I might like is an Elf, planned for Rgr11/Brb9.
I think just about the only Brb I could like would have to be an Elf.

Elves are actually my favorite race right now. But that is mostly for appearance. But secondly because of the Displacement DM, and AA enhancement.

But for many builds Drow are close enough for me. (and also look cool)

I prefer Elf for Clr, Fvs, Pal, Ftr, Rgr, Mnk.... and martial Wizards.
Drow for Wiz,Sor, Brd and Rog (maybe Pal too). (tie for Wizards actually, and I think Drow would make a great Artificer)

Brb isn't even on my list... lol But I think Elf.

My main has to be Human though.
And if I can find a bag for their face, HalfElves are pretty good actually. (I really do not like the female HalfElf/human body though)

Appearance really counts to me. (and I love how my Elf Sorc Air Savant looks!)
And I love the Invis/Displace DMs and AAs.....so Elves win or many of my alts.

But for the first Artificer, I can't get past the Cannith DMs and the crafting thing.

[MrkGrismer]

I think I'm going to do the Warforged Artificer thing, and I like the idea of Augmented Summoning. I'm thinking of bastard sword (so I have something to do with all those bastard swords I find, on other characters). That would be the THF line for bastard sword, yes?

[MrCow]

Why 2 ranks in Tumble? (as opposed to 1)

Why 6 in Balance? (I admit that I have never figured out a magic number for balance)

The 2 ranks in Tumble? At level 1 I had 4 spare skill points and I always like the capability to tumble (there goes 2 of the spare skill points). Not much else stood out as "needed" from the remaining skills and it is a good-DEX character, so I just dumped the other 2 skill points into Tumble that remained, as I do prefer having feather falling off if I can get away with it.

The 6 in Balance and Jump were from the extra skill points I'll gain from level up points going into INT and reading a +2 INT tome, from level 8 and on (a modified balance in the low 20 works decently through most content, a moderate unbuffed jump is useful for dispel situations).

With the amount of areas that are not well lit or lack see invisibility critters I omitted the Hide skill. You generally only need a high value in Hide in bright conditions, post-Module 9.

Where are you finding an ML 1 screaming bleeder?

• Find weapon.
• Disjunction weapon on an Item Deconstruction device.
• Add "Screaming Shard" to the base weapon (ML 1).
• Add "Shard of Bleeding" to the Screaming weapon (ML 3).
• Add "Shard of Masterful Craftsmanship I" to the Screaming of Bleeding weapon (ML 1).

... assuming nothing in that process blows up.

[Envoi]

The reason I ask is if it makes sense to swap out the feats for something useful after you reach max crafting lvl.

IMHO the only people who will ever reach max crafting level will be dedicated mules.

[dunklezhan]

Late to the party, as usual...

In U12 will be going repeater - heavy repeater + flaming bolts + elemental weapons + insightful damage + weapon effect damage + runearm bonus + IPS with the enemy over there fighting your pet (at least initially) is win, I dont' care if I could do way more damage per target with 2 kopeshes. Don't get me started on the beauty that is Endless Fusilade.

Seconday specialism will be buffing (and nuking where i think the lower DCs will cope) & UMD

Human, 34 pt.
Pet will be built for intimidate and either trip or sunder.

This will be a TR of my main crafting toon but I'll take the free arti bonuses and be happy rather than the marks.

Starting stats
STR: 10, DEX: 16, CON: 14, INT: 16, CHA: 14 WIS: 8
Tomes: DEX: +1, INT: +2, CHA: +2 which I already have after a recent run of particularly amazing luck (for me), or quite possibly one of the +2 supremes I already have sat in the bankcos frankly I could use the CON and STR for capacity.

Level ups: 2 Dex (for IPS), 3 INT (for more insightful damage, skills, spell points and at least some DC )

Yeah, Cha 14. I really like UMD, and I really like being able to make use of it early on. And it just seems right to squeeze out a few more Cha on an arti for that purpose. They're supposed to be able to use everything, and I want a piece of that! I'm gonna need to craft the best Str item I can cos I'm gonna have scrolls and wands up the wazoo! No party member will leave unbuffed! I will rez you if you still die! I will equip the racial restricted Heavy Repeater Of DoOOOooOOOom and overcome its limitations to pwn That Guy Over There!

...But I might have to rebuff the first buff when I finish the last buff, which admittedly could make for an hour or two's buffing before we start a quest...

At the very least, this will give me appropriate cure wands when I need them, and that's worth it to me. I'm not taking construct essence, I'm afraid unless they make it a line to turn you wholly construct at least for the purposes of repair spells, I see this feat doing me personally more harm than good, to be honest. And pocket WF FVS are plentiful...

Talking of feats:
Augment Summoning
Extend Spell (actually I'm wondering about this one being worth it. Empower maybe instead?)

Maximise Spell
Improved Critical (Ranged)
Improved Precise Shot
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Quick Draw
Quicken Spell
Rapid Shot
Skill Focus (UMD)
Toughness
Weapon Focus (Ranged)

Toughness is late because ideally with a ranged build, particularly one with a pet, you can avoid most damage, at least solo. Pointblank shot helps with things getting too close in party too, I'll just need to keep that potion slot close at hand... Up at the higher levels though, toughness is practically mandatory unless you have serious skills. Which I don't.

Skills (without gear/buffs/etc):
Balance: 15
Concentration: 26
Diplomacy: 15
Disable Device: 29
Haggle: 27
Open Lock: 29
Search: 29
Spot: 23
UMD: 31

I make no claims that this build will be strong. But I think its going to be a lot of fun nonetheless. I do love my pew-pew. And Diplomacy. I love Diplomacy. *nods*

[dunklezhan]

Huh. I wonder what happened to the font then?

[Samadhi]

Not going to they way they are being released the veteran build thing all leaves a bad taste in my mouth if I start a group gonna ignore them for a bit for me they do not exist

I really, really like this idea. Ignore their existence until they are available through favor. Period. No exceptions. This = win (although I am still going to be calling Account Support for a refund as well).