how to increase ranged damage xbow

[kierg10]

anyone got a breakdown on things I could get to increase my arties xbow dmg?

currently sitting at 35 int ( can increase this, just need to get some items), I have windhowler bracers i am in fatesinver destiny, and have PBS and combat archery, and i am obviously using deadly and insightful dmg. my xbow is a loot gen +5 holy repeating xbow of divine light with 3d8 (I think) base damage

Right now I am hitting for about 80 normal, and about 160 on crits (including stuff like holy, but not procs$, and I have seen videos and screenies with people hitting a lot more than this, so just wondering if anyone could give me a breakdown.

Any help appreicated, thanks

[Todkaninchen]

anyone got a breakdown on things I could get to increase my arties xbow dmg?

currently sitting at 35 int ( can increase this, just need to get some items), I have windhowler bracers i am in fatesinver destiny, and have PBS and combat archery, and i am obviously using deadly and insightful dmg. my xbow is a loot gen +5 holy repeating xbow of divine light with 3d8 (I think) base damage

Right now I am hitting for about 80 normal, and about 160 on crits (including stuff like holy, but not procs$, and I have seen videos and screenies with people hitting a lot more than this, so just wondering if anyone could give me a breakdown.

Any help appreicated, thanks

Some ideas:

1) One of these bows: Doublecross Bow, Epic Doublecross Bow, or Slaver's Hand Crossbow. They all have Nightshade Venom (http://ddowiki.com/page/Nightshade_Venom). When it hits, helplessness ensues and 150% damage right there.

2) If you don't have it, Improved Critical Ranged and Precision (in certain circumstances) will also help. Improved Critical you probably know how works, but Precision gives you a better chance to do more damage against fortified targets. They won't improve your "numbers" but they will add more of the higher numbers...

3) Seeker items like Bloodstone and the like, can add to your critical hit damage as can any weapon with a "burst" or "blast". Seeker adds both to the confirmation "to hit" for a critical hit and to damage (pre-multiplier). So a Seeker +6 item with a typical x2 critical bow will add an extra 12 points of damage per critical. With a Doublecross or Slaver's, that's x2 x1.5 or 18 points per critical hit in combo with a +6 seeker item.

4) Deception/Improved Deception/Bluff (from you or your dog) in combination with a Sneak attack weapon can add to your damage as well. Even without sneak attack damage from being a rogue or monk, you can still add the damage when it would be a sneak attack opportunity and bluff/deception lets you do that. Additionally, if you don't have aggro other ways, should also work.

[kierg10]

Some ideas:

1) One of these bows: Doublecross Bow, Epic Doublecross Bow, or Slaver's Hand Crossbow. They all have Nightshade Venom (http://ddowiki.com/page/Nightshade_Venom). When it hits, helplessness ensues and 150% damage right there.

2) If you don't have it, Improved Critical Ranged and Precision (in certain circumstances) will also help. Improved Critical you probably know how works, but Precision gives you a better chance to do more damage against fortified targets. They won't improve your "numbers" but they will add more of the higher numbers...

3) Seeker items like Bloodstone and the like, can add to your critical hit damage as can any weapon with a "burst" or "blast". Seeker adds both to the confirmation "to hit" for a critical hit and to damage (pre-multiplier). So a Seeker +6 item with a typical x2 critical bow will add an extra 12 points of damage per critical. With a Doublecross or Slaver's, that's x2 x1.5 or 18 points per critical hit in combo with a +6 seeker item.

4) Deception/Improved Deception/Bluff (from you or your dog) in combination with a Sneak attack weapon can add to your damage as well. Even without sneak attack damage from being a rogue or monk, you can still add the damage when it would be a sneak attack opportunity and bluff/deception lets you do that. Additionally, if you don't have aggro other ways, should also work.

Thanks for the reply

So I do have hte double xbow, and I guess that would be better, but I am not getting the epic double xbow any time soon since I promised a guildy that if I pulled the scroll I would give it to him (an apology for a shroud he started where everyone else started zerging and I was just trying to keep up, but I felt a mite responsible so I promised him that).

I do have precision AND IC:ranged (I have a rogue, so I know how fort bypass is amazing (my rogue has 60% fort bypass)) and I am going to go for shadowdancer max instead of shiradi since I will get 6d6 sneak attack (I think), 15% fort bypass, shadow form (extra defense and perm FF FTW), and I can get int increases.

Right now I am actually using the tinker gloves still (need to upgrade gear a bunch, was really hoping for cove to come back which would have helped me get a great gear loadout) which has +2 exceptional seeker, but I am really looking for the manslayer goggles (which has +6 seeker and the vorpal instakill).

It would probably be a good idea to get improved deception, and epic goulden guile would be pretty nice (too bad I don't have the bluff skill, and already used the free respec) and for my dog (who I do not use often anymore except soloing) I have intimidate which can also allow sneak attacks since I would no longer have aggro

Also sorry for my spelling in the first post, was typing that from my ipod so......

[BlackSteel]

I'll hit a few areas then off to equipment slots

past lives can give you up to +9, six from ranger, 3 from monk

Intelligence should be between 44 and 52

set bonuses help alot, consider you can can get up to +4 from ToD sets, or an attack speed bonus.
+4 from claw set or +3 from PDK
+4 from planar conflux set

theres a few other sets but personally I'd only recommend 1 ToD then one of the sets with the gloves for the 30% amp as well. planar is tempting, but I like my Litany too much. its a toss up there

obviously you'll be taking your damage enhancements

all the ranged feats, altho you can skip on the epic one until its working 100%



gear wise you can pick up additional damage from windhowlers (interferes with different set bonuses)
seeker item +6-10 is best
red scale or a seeker 10 armor will provide the best xbow damage, other caster oriented armor may help your rune arm more IF you dont slot those abilities elsewhere

sneak attack + 5 item along with a exceptional sneak attack +3 item
manslayer
Litany of the dead for +1-2 more damage

some named xbows have larger base damage die. the epic hellfire and Needle both have extra large dice.

clickies: divine favor for +3 damage, good hope +2 damage

shiradi will give the highest xbow damage in general, draconic will give the best rune arm damage. shadowdancer I imagine will give the best boss DPS (barring the iniatal bursts of the draconic abilities)

personally I like shriadi, i thought it would be one of the other two, but shiradi is just too much fun:

3 different ways to put multiple mobs into helplessness for 150% damage
stand and deliver to stack with archers focus on bosses


I dont find it uncommon to hit 170ish base (200+ with effects) on each bolt on a noncrit with some combination of the above. Needle likes to crit the mobs I pin or dance for 500-600+ while running and using IPS. I guess I could get some sexy screenies with Fury of the Wild; but I'm very happy with what I'm currently shooting

[goodspeed]

for seeker I'd prolly go with one of the goggles like the drow ones. Not sure if they fixed manslayer but on a 20 that's a nice lil boost of 100 dmg on a humanoid. Even a instakill if they drop below 1k hp or so.

And then the cloak of the umm wolf I think. Thats gonna give you exceptional seeker. Also dodge which is always nice, and better yet, 20% threat reduction and +3 attack bonus. ml20. And those upgrade to +4 att, an extra point of dodge and seeker but ya gotta be 24 and alot of people are reluctant to go past the 23 mark.

Of course stack int every way possible using insightful strikes. Also if your helf and take the rog dili, making a mob helpless in anyway, whether it;s stunned, blind, dancing, held, bluffed, SA occurs. So using a weapon that forces that helpless state works hand in hand. It also makes it so you don't give a **** if the monsters hating on you. Course that to can be achived with the blinding GS weapon, or ive seen a number of nice random gen weapons that have radiance that blind monsters.

+3 tomes without a doubt and search for the more occurring +3 toi +4 and +4 to +5 tomes dropping. Also Mayhaps a SA +5 item. As well as ambushing.

MMM the alchemical pendent in one of the cannith quests also gives you an extra charge on all your boosts. For instance where you would normally get 5 fausade charges per rest, you would get 6. That's a nice lil thing to have and switch in and out.

Also you can force SA for about 5 seconds with bluff. A nice skill to have and the golden guile in lords of dust gives you +20 bluff, as well as 10% incorp miss chance, 15 diplo, and when attacking theirs a chance to envelope the target in darkness making them vulnerable to SA. It can also be epic'd to give you 20 diplo, 25 bluff, +1 exceptional cha skills, a yellow slot (nice for slotting in GFL) and makes you ghostly allowing you to ko other incorps. However i've yet to find the seal or shard to it, soooo could be a bit of a grind on the epic version. But the regular version is still really nice.

And then as said the set bonus's from eveingstar which are just pathetically easy to get from running around kings forest and pimp slapping random quest encounters.

And then of course u'll want to make your way to the ED shir to jack your ranged dmg up.

That's about all I can think of.

[kierg10]

Thanks for the replies

Ok, so since I am using the Terrorweb chitin breastplate armour I am thinking of using the PDK set (I have the helmet, but am nowhere near 375 favour, so for now I am using the nether grasps for the +8 seeker and the +17 OL, and t he -20% threat isn't bad either), so that would be +3 damage when I can finish that off.

For the planar conflux I wanted to use the +3 insightful int (because more int=more win), but I think if I can get the CITW repeater (and I am finally flagged so I can start running it....a lot....) one of the planar focuses of prowess would be nice (and I don't really care which, cause with PDK set I would have +7 str and +2 insightful str, so only a +1 over either way, for con I get +7 and +2 insight so only +1 over with the focus of prowess so it could be nice, but nothing huge, and right now I have the epic hard version of the boots from the U16 chain so +7 dex and +3 insight dex is covered.....) for that extra +4 damage, and if I can get the shintao set (I should be able to slot in the ring/necklace and with the incredible potential slotting +2 insightful int will be much easier) so that would be another +2 damage.....can't really fit in epic claw set though because I am using my bracer slot for +4 exceptional seeker (epic normal version of bracers of twisting shade).

And on the int front I am only at 36 currently, which is:

16 base+6 level ups+2 tome+3 enhancements (artificer)+1 enhancement (human)+6 item+1 exceptional+1 shadowdancer=36

with the shintao ring (+2 insightful int) and if I can get a +7 int item and with a +3 tome I should be able to get (in shiradi so no shadowdancer boost):

16+6 lvl+3 tome+3 enh (art)+1 enh (human)+7 item+1 exc+2 insightful=39

So how are you getting 44 to 52?

[Mryal]

Few ideas:
For repeater alchemical is great.
Earth + Earth if you want more ways to get helpless (Acid burst,Earthgrab,Greater Stone prision) + (alchem con+2,acid blast,Disintegration)
for raw dps replace first earth with Fire (Flaming burst,Flaming Blast,Seeker +10).
For armor.Terror web gives you arcane spell failure (if im not mistaken).This affect scrolls on artis for some bizarre reason.Im running away from using armors with ASF.I recomend spidersilk robes +8 INT version.
Replacing wind howler bracers might be a bad idea overal,still adds extra sonic vorpal damage.Try and get a Tharnes goggles for sneak peraphs.That or Wretched Twilight from abbot.
For Seeker, it can now be on gloves too with the u16 Gloves.They're easy to get as chain reward, chain reward version is +8 seeker.

[BlackSteel]

So how are you getting 44 to 52?

18 base + 6 levels + 1 epic feat Int + 3-5 tome + 3 arti enh + 1 human/halfElf + 8 enhancement + 3 insight + 1 exceptional + 2 alchemical + 2 shrine + 1 profane

= 49-51 depending on tome; could also tack on a few other things:

+0-4 Destiny points
+1-3 house D pots (meh not worth the effort to stockpile)
+2 completionist
+10 joy of the queen
+2? bard song

[kierg10]

18 base + 6 levels + 1 epic feat Int + 3-5 tome + 3 arti enh + 1 human/halfElf + 8 enhancement + 3 insight + 1 exceptional + 2 alchemical + 2 shrine + 1 profane

= 49-51 depending on tome; could also tack on a few other things:

+0-4 Destiny points
+1-3 house D pots (meh not worth the effort to stockpile)
+2 completionist
+10 joy of the queen
+2? bard song

So for my current character the most I could get is:

16 base+6 lvl ups+3 tome (If I managed to pull one)+3 arti+1 helf+8 enh+2 insightful (not gonna be able to slot +3 insightful)+1 exceptional=40......

Expecting litany of the dead to be a standard part of a gear layout is completely unrealistic for people who aren't in channels or in large guilds, for epic feats I took ESF:evo and combat archery and 16 starting int so I could start at 18 dex and get combat archery, I will probably never pull a +4 or 5 int tome, and I am gonna use a planar focus of prowess to match with Needle, so can't use that for +3 insightful int unless I decide a spidersilk robe is a good thing to wear (doubtful), but I could get some goggles with +8 int (if I am lucky, have seen plenty of +8 dex items, but no +8 int.....) in which case after I TR (into WF artie) could use Stone heart with +3 insightful int and +8 int goggles and be able to get (potentially):

18 base+3 tome+6 lvls+8 item+3 insight+3 artie+1 exceptional=42

I'm not counting ship as I don't generally run around permanently with ship buffs (rarely do I get them unless a group decides it is buffing time then I get them) so......

And I hate MA and have never run LOB so it is doubtful I will ever get alchemical bonus (if thereis another way to get it please tell me)

I have never flagged for litany, much less abbot, and I think that raid looks painful enough that I would probably never be able to get enough runs for litany (unless I somehow and miraculously get into a channel that regularly runs it), so that is struck out.

16 base + 6 levels + 1 epic feat Int + 3 tome + 3 arti enh + 1 human/halfElf + 8 enhancement + 3 insight + 1 exceptional +2 shrine=44 so that is basically what is reasonable for me at this time......

Thanks for the breakdown though


EDIT: unless I stick with shadowdancer or magister (doubtful) then I could get about 6 more from destiny points

[BlackSteel]

+2 alch is the yugo pots

+3 insight comes on the planar trinkets, the new armors, but also the latest acid rune arm

combat archery is kinda 'meh' atm; unless they happened to fix it in the last patch so that it stacks properly

[kierg10]

+2 alch is the yugo pots

+3 insight comes on the planar trinkets, the new armors, but also the latest acid rune arm

combat archery is kinda 'meh' atm; unless they happened to fix it in the last patch so that it stacks properly

ok

People always call yugo pots "+2 yugo pots" for their bonus when listed, so when they are actually called by their proper bonus it probably confuses a lot of people.

I think I might get the rune arm for the +36 insightful int (which I assume is epic elite only) because I want to be able to wear by terrorweb chitin breastplate, and for planar foci I am going to use a prowess one so I can attune it to needle (which I almost won in a roll last night in CITW, but the 14 bard/6 rogue repeater user had it pointed out to him and he won the roll, I am so ****ed off)/.....

anyways, thanks for the help again

[dynahawk]

(which I assume is epic elite only)

The epic hard version I believe has +3 insightful int also

[kierg10]

The epic hard version I believe has +3 insightful int also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYDkGJmSfy0