Enhancement help with pure tempest

[Inoukchuk]

So I'm planning a possible return to tempest (which I did last life and loved). Now last life I went HOrc and 8 ftr levels to leverage high str, stunning blow, and extra damage. This life I'm contemplating elf dex build, because it's just so tempting.

The quandary: I starting planning out my AP and found I spent about 20 too many in tempest tree (and could've spent more!).

The question: what to drop from this list (and what to add if I missed a "must-have")

Tempest (72!!!):
1 - Shield of whirling steel
2 - tempest
2 - graceful death
2 - deflect arrows
2 - whirlwind
2 - dervish

2 - whirling blades
6 - improved reaction

2 - whirling blades
6 - improved parry
6 - improved dodge
6 - bleed them out
6 - action boost speed

2 - whirling blades
3 - +1 dex

2 - whirling blades
2 - +1 dex
6 - elaborate parry

3 - a thousand cuts
6 - a dance of death
3 - evasive dance

Elf (19):
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex

2 - Aerenal weapon training
3 - enchantment lore (mostly just to hit 15 AP spent)

2 - aerenal weapon training

2 - aerenal weapon training

1 - grace
2 - aerenal weapon training
1 - skill


AA (7):
1 - arcane archer
2 - conjure arrows
2 - elemental arrows
2 - morphic arrows

DS (1):
1 - far shot

My instinct is to drop evasive dance (will have a good reflex anyway), bleed them out (nice, especially at low levels, but not as nice as others for cost), improved parry (tough to let go but something has to go) and improved dodge (ditto). Am I crazy? Am I too DPS focused?

Also, do the stacks of elaborate parry increase the duration indefinitely, or is it hard-capped at 15 sec? And does it allow you to exceed the hard cap of 25% dodge?

For feats I'm thinking:
PA
cleave
GC
imp crit (pierce)
imp crit (ranged)
dodge
Pt blank shot

OC / Precision (not sure I want to put that much into str)
Combat archery ?

[Rhaphael]

Also, do the stacks of elaborate parry increase the duration indefinitely, or is it hard-capped at 15 sec? And does it allow you to exceed the hard cap of 25% dodge?

The dodge bonus from Elaborate Parry is hard-capped at 15 sec and also hard-capped at whatever the DEX cap of your armor is.

[mezzorco]

Tempest (54):
1 - Shield of whirling steel
1 - tempest
1 - graceful death
1 - deflect arrows
1 - whirlwind
1 - dervish

2 - whirling blades
3 - improved reaction

2 - whirling blades
6 - improved parry
3 - improved dodge
6 - action boost speed

2 - whirling blades
2 - +1 dex

2 - whirling blades
2 - +1 dex
3 - elaborate parry
3 - the growing storm (prerequisite)

3 - a thousand cuts
6 - dance of death
3 - evasive dance


Elf (18):
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex

2 - Aerenal weapon training
3 - enchantment lore (mostly just to hit 15 AP spent)

2 - aerenal weapon training

2 - aerenal weapon training

2 - aerenal weapon training
1 - skill


DS (13):
1 - far shot
1 - sneak attack

3 - increased empathy
2 - versatile empathy

6 - action boost: damage

TOTAL : 85

Some of AP costs you listed were wrong.
Remove grace from elf, as you already have dex to damage with scimitars.
You could drop AA entirely, investing more in melee. With a little more weapon choice you will still use manyshot effectively.
Take devotion line in DWS tree, 75 devotion is something you want unless you have a dedicated healer. Once you're there, take sneak attack core and damage boost, you won't regret.
Drop Bleed Them Out, it forces you to click it continuously with little damage increase.
If you want A Thousand Cuts, you've to take Growing Storm as a prereq.

I ended up spending 85 AP. You can drop Growing Storm-Thousand Cuts line, given low duration and long CD, or work on your survability (improved reaction, improved dodge). If you feel you don't need damage boost from DWS, drop it and you've done.

[Inoukchuk]

Some of AP costs you listed were wrong.
Remove grace from elf, as you already have dex to damage with scimitars.
You could drop AA entirely, investing more in melee. With a little more weapon choice you will still use manyshot effectively.
Take devotion line in DWS tree, 75 devotion is something you want unless you have a dedicated healer. Once you're there, take sneak attack core and damage boost, you won't regret.
Drop Bleed Them Out, it forces you to click it continuously with little damage increase.
If you want A Thousand Cuts, you've to take Growing Storm as a prereq.

I ended up spending 85 AP. You can drop Growing Storm-Thousand Cuts line, given low duration and long CD, or work on your survability (improved reaction, improved dodge). If you feel you don't need damage boost from DWS, drop it and you've done.

Awesome, thanks! I'm normally really good with #s, can't believe how many of those costs I doubled on accident, I must've been blind yesterday!

Okay, working with the new info here:
1) given that elaborate parry is hard capped is it even worth it? I'm inclined to say no
2) totally missed that the otherwise useless empathy enhancements also gave pos spell power, nice catch!
3) I left off growing storm for the reasons you mentioned, was underwhelmed. Given the hard-cap durations I'm inclined to drop thousand cuts line to make some room
4) not excited to drop the AA stuff. I found that even as a very melee focused HOrc with 8 ftr levels I still found myself pulling the bow out a lot, and 7 AP to get conjure, elemental, and morphic seems like a steal.
5) Grace.... makes me rethink the whole build I was planning on Balizardes and Celestias, but after reviewing I think I would still have to take weapon finesse, and even then still couldn't wield Balizarde off hand and get dex to hit. I could do Balizarde + Celestia + weapon finesse but....this may start falling short of a str build. Anyway, for now...
6) as much as I want damage boost I just can't seem to fit it, and haste boost is the better one I think

So, after review and revision, how does this look?
Tempest (48):
1 - Shield of whirling steel
1 - tempest
1 - graceful death
1 - deflect arrows
1 - whirlwind
1 - dervish

2 - whirling blades
3 - improved reaction

2 - whirling blades
6 - improved parry?
3 - improved dodge?
6 - action boost speed

2 - whirling blades
2 - +1 dex

2 - whirling blades
2 - +1 dex
3 - elaborate parry

6 - a dance of death
2 - evasive dance (70%)

Elf (19):
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex
1 - elven accuracy
2 - elven dex

2 - Aerenal weapon training
3 - enchantment lore

2 - aerenal weapon training

2 - aerenal weapon training

1 - grace
2 - aerenal weapon training
1 - skill


AA (7):
1 - arcane archer
2 - conjure arrows
2 - elemental arrows
2 - morphic arrows

DS (7):
1 - far shot
3 - increased empathy
2 - versatile empathy
1 - sneak attack

[Inoukchuk]

Does power attack work with the dex-to-damage enhancements (like grace)?

[mezzorco]

Does power attack work with the dex-to-damage enhancements (like grace)?

Sure.