Arti2/Ranger18, I'd like some feedback

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

I'm really fond of my D.Axe tempest ranger and I'm looking at a ranger life on my main. I wanted something similar with trapskills. This is what I cooked up [edit: switched GTWF for PA, adjusted stats a bit, added the missing +3 tomes]:

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cere5 
Level 20 Neutral Good Dwarf Male
(18 Ranger \ 2 Artificer) 
Hit Points: 358
Spell Points: 516 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 15
Will: 10

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(36 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             17                    25
Dexterity            14                    19
Constitution         17                    22
Intelligence         15                    18
Wisdom                9                    12
Charisma              6                     9

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 2
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 2
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 2
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 2
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 2
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 2
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 6
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 6
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 6
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 6
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 6
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 6
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 10
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 10
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 10
+3 Tome of Intelligence used at level 10
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 10
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 10

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               3                    20.5
Bluff                -2                    -1
Concentration         7                    29
Diplomacy            -2                    -1
Disable Device        6                    30
Haggle               -2                    -1
Heal                 -1                     1
Hide                  2                     4
Intimidate           -2                    -1
Jump                  3                     8
Listen               -1                     1
Move Silently         2                     4
Open Lock             3                    17
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     6
Search                6                    31
Spot                  3                    24
Swim                  3                     7
Tumble                2.5                   4.5
Use Magic Device      2                    24

Level 1 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Artificer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Artificer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Rogue
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Wizard
Enhancement: Artificer Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Artificer Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Artificer Crossbow Damage I


Level 2 (Artificer)
Enhancement: Artificer Improved Rune Arm Use I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Dwarven Armored Agility I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I


Level 4 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 6 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Dwarven Armored Agility II
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Artificer Wand and Scroll Mastery I


Level 7 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest I


Level 9 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I


Level 10 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II


Level 11 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III


Level 12 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 13 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II


Level 14 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild II


Level 15 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion IV


Level 16 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III


Level 17 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elf
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV


Level 18 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Two Weapon Defense


Level 19 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild III


Level 20 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Resistance I
Enhancement: Ranger Tempest III
Enhancement: Improved Disable Device I

I'm happy with adequate DPS and a lot of flexibility. Repeaters will do fine for a few levels, and then I can switch to D.Axes.

I'll wind up with +3 tomes on STR and INT by the end of this life so that's and extra couple of points, but I'm sure there are some more optimal choices overall. Most of the enchancements I just threw in without too much thought but I'm really wondering about the feats. How necessary is greater TWF and should I go with power attack instead, or something else I haven't considered? Any thoughts on initial stats? How many people can I irritate with an almost nothing Open Locks?

Oh, and to hell with bows unless someone can convince me otherwise.

[unbongwah]

GTWF is free w/rgr lvl 11, so I dunno why you spent a feat on it. I also don't understand why you bumped up WIS & CHA or started DEX 15. Power Atk is a must-have, IMHO; and I would take TWD instead of OTWF for Tempest III pre-req - a little more PRR instead of a little more to-hit.

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

GTWF is free w/rgr lvl 11, so I dunno why you spent a feat on it. I also don't understand why you bumped up WIS & CHA or started DEX 15. Power Atk is a must-have, IMHO; and I would take TWD instead of OTWF for Tempest III pre-req - a little more PRR instead of a little more to-hit.

I wasn't paying much attention to the autofeats. I fiddled with the stats a little, this looks a little better I think.

[DarkSable]

Oh, and to hell with bows unless someone can convince me otherwise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKT5brmwuic

Convinced yet?

[droid327]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKT5brmwuic

Convinced yet?

TBF that's really focused around Unbridled Fury, which is the absolute last thing this build will achieve. If he's just looking for a Ranger life, he's never going to achieve bow damage like that.

[cru121]

I am currently on a tempest ranger life with Ranger 12/Barb 6/Artificer 2 (half elf rogue dilettante). The barbarian really helps with hit points (24 from HD, 20 from Toughness enhancements, 20-25 from Con enhancements), adds frenzy and some rages for situations where healing is plentiful and self-healing aint necessary.

If I was up to another ranger life, I'd probably go ranger 15 for CSW/FOM, and then either art 1/fighter 4 or artificer 4/fighter 1, depending on how many feats I'd want.

[Uska]

For my ranger life I just went ranger/monk but people should do whatever they find fun and thats the build you like cool.

[unbongwah]

TBF that's really focused around Unbridled Fury, which is the absolute last thing this build will achieve. If he's just looking for a Ranger life, he's never going to achieve bow damage like that.

Even w/out EDs or AA, Manyshot + IPS is still great burst DPS, esp. once you hit BAB 16 (4x MS) - a lot better than what you can achieve w/repeaters + arty splash. That said, if OP wants to ignore bows, that's his call.

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKT5brmwuic

Convinced yet?

Ha, nope. At least not on this build.

And honestly, the last two lives have been ranged and casting; I need a melee life. It was either this or a barb, and I can't quite bring myself to go through that boredom yet.

The repeaters are just to get through the first five or six levels as fast as possible. A DPS machine it's not, and I'm not going to spend more time in epics than it takes to get one or two more EDs filled.

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

For my ranger life I just went ranger/monk but people should do whatever they find fun and thats the build you like cool.

If I weren't dead-set on trapping, this would've been it.

[Uska]

If I weren't dead-set on trapping, this would've been it.

Thats cool and traps skills are nice to have for sure

[BladeZero]

Why not just go 1 Arti / 1 Monk and get traps&wraps?