Looking for TRing advice to get 3 ranger PLs for my Artificer

[TheWalruss]

Hey guys

I've been browsing the forums and there doesn't seem to be much advice for a guy who wants to TR his Artificer to get 3 ranger past lives before winding up with an Artificer build again - just to get the ranged damage bonus.

My plan is to TR into something that doesn't require a complete revamp of gear so that the gear I can get while TRing will actually aid my final build (20 Artificer w. heavy repeater).

So the challenge is to find a build that is, self-sustainable and very capable of soloing stuff on elite. I've been thinking of 2 rogue, 6 artificer and 12 ranger, but I don't know what feats to choose. I was hoping to be able to stay with my Lit2 heavy repeater as main dps, and was thinking if there was a way to make the 12 ranger levels support the dps granted by the 6 artificer levels. I.e. is it worthwhile to stay with heavy repeater and rune arm? Or will crafting a longbow be better dps overall? Or should I go tempest and then end up grinding gear I cant use for my final artificer build?

I have 7 melee toons already so I really, really want to stay with the ranged type of class.

Please help me.

Ninjatunes of Cannith

[sirgog]

Arti from 1-6, Ranger at 7, Arti 8-10, Ranger all the way.

You have a Lit 2 repeater, Lightning Motes, and at high level add in Toven's Hammer (farm one before you TR, t3 it if LOB's optional is something you are capable of beating, and Masterful Craftsmanship it)

And at 7, you have Sprint Boost.

[karl_k0ch]

Arti from 1-6, Ranger at 7, Arti 8-10, Ranger all the way.

You have a Lit 2 repeater, Lightning Motes, and at high level add in Toven's Hammer (farm one before you TR, t3 it if LOB's optional is something you are capable of beating, and Masterful Craftsmanship it)

And at 7, you have Sprint Boost.

It's a bit sad that this progression gets PS and IPS at cap, i.e. never, assuming you TR at cap.
If I am not mistaken, you could also go 10 Ranger/10 Arty (and still get the Ranger PL), for more runearm DPS, +1 Scroll UMD and either of Armor of Speed and Protection from Elements. Gameplay-wise, it'd be a 10 Arty/8 Ranger, until you hit cap.

[Deathdefy]

I'd probably go 1-6 Arti (Fusillade + Insightful Damage), 7 Arti (Flame Turret), 1 Ranger (Sprint Boost), 8-9 Arti (for one 4th level infusion), Fighter 1-2 (Feats), Ranger 2-9 in that order.

Feats bonanza. I'm sure you can find something to use them on.

I'd suggest playing around with things like dragonmarks of passage and storm; they are both fun for PL experiments.

Sirgog's suggestion is also eminently reasonable and less likely to be rejected from pugs if you are worried about it at all.

[OldAquarian]

1-7 Arti
8-18 Ranger - deepwood sniper - why not?
19-20 doesn't matter since you will likely hold 18 until you hit cap and then TR

Gives you IPS at 18 til you TR

- make it a helf(rogue) for 3d6 sneak attack

[sirgog]

Just spend a feat on IPS rather than waiting until Ranger 11. You could do this:

1-8: Arti (BAB 6)
9-12: Ranger (BAB 10)
13: Fighter (BAB 11, spend a feat, buy IPS)
14: Arti (gets you Lightning Motes which ups Lit 2 repeater DPS a lot)
15-20: Ranger

[TheWalruss]

Thanks guys

[TheWalruss]

If I am not mistaken, you could also go 10 Ranger/10 Arty (and still get the Ranger PL)

Is this true?

[Mrmorphling]

Yes, Arti, being the last one added, will 'lose' every tie, meaning any arti 10 / XXX10 will net you a XXX Past life.

[karl_k0ch]

Is this true?

I can provide you with links which support this position:
http://ddowiki.com/page/Past_Life_Feats
http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...5&postcount=11

Edit:
I just leveled a level 1 Artificer to level 2, and took Ranger as the second level. After relogging, my class icon changed to the ranger icon.

[Deathdefy]

I can testify Arti auto loses to Barbarian first hand.

Tried and true on 3 different lives with equal numbers of Barbarian and Artificer levels; all of them counted as Barbarian.

[Kilnedric]

Great thread. (Although there are in fact other threads exploring the same issue.)

Using sirgog's idea as inspiration for the bonus feat for IPS, I thought why not monk, because I'm an Evasion addict. (Can't take IPS with it, but can take Toughness, freeing up the space for IPS.) I'm thinking

1-7: Arti
8-9: Mnk (Another Toughness or Lightning Reflexes for bonus feat #2, most likely Toughness)
10-13: Rng
14-15: Arti (IPS at level 14, Lightning Motes at 15)
16-20: Rng

Ranger 9/Arti 9/Monk 2

How's that sound?

[ormsbygore]

I'm personally having a blast leveling up my 12 Ranger/6 Arty/2 Rogue build. But I like the idea that a few of the others have about going 9 Arty for lightning motes. As I made a LitII Heavy Repeater durring my character's Mechanic life. With these ideas brewing, I'm thinking Half-Elf(rogue) 9 Ranger/9 Artificer/2 Monk for my character's next life.