The Starman - Coup de Grace Ranged Assassin

[Gnarkh]

Presenting the 100% guaranteed monk free thrower and ranged assassin: The Starman (yes, that's a David Bowie Song)

! New and improved version after some major brainstorming in this thread and with a couple mates. !

It's by now a theoretical build I'll base my next TR on. Feedback is welcome how to improve the build while maintaining the flexibility and core idea, ranged Coup De Grace!

Strong points:

- Ranged Coup De Grace and Fascinate with adequate DCs.
- A whole bunch of ranged procs like Resonant Arms, Killer and Venomed Blades
- High Doubleshot
- High dexterity and attack speed, full BaB with Tenser's
- Great crit profile with Swashbuckling
- Balanced defenses: Displacement, Evasion, good dodge and saves, light armor for PRR and MRR
- Lots of utility with extended wizard buffs
- Full UMD, trap or stealth skills, lots of skillpoints
- AoE spells for procs if you run in Shiradi



The Starman - Build A - Versatility and ED Farming

Halfling, 11 Wiz / 5 Bard / 4 Rogue
True Neutral

Starting Attributes - 36 points

Strength 8
Dexterity 20
Constitution 14
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 8
Charisma 14

All level up's in Dexterity.

If you don't care about traps or stealth, dump Intelligence and up Constitution.

If you got a lower point budget, lower Strength, then Charisma. (This build will be quite effective on a first life, provided you take the time to farm some decent shuriken.)

I also considered a 11 Wizard / 5 Bard / 4 Ranger version of this, basically replacing the Assassin tree with Deepwood Sniper. This mostly yields two much needed feats, which can be used for Force of Personality, Empower Heal or Combat Archery. You could also make a Dragonmark version then, with Maximize as your 3rd wizard feat. I didn't manage fitting the AP in, though, without losing DPS output.

Level-Up Order

After leveling through most of heroics, I heavily recommend to run your version of this through a character planner, to finetune your chosen skills with whatever INT tome you have.

I ended up with...

-> 1 rogue level (get best skillpoints)
-> 3 bard levels (get swashbuckling essentials)
-> 4 wizard levels
-> 1 rogue level (evasion and I had to fix trap skills at this point, you can probably take this a bit later as well)
-> 3 wizard levels (to get firewall mostly)
-> 1 bard level (fix UMD and perform somewhat)
-> 4 wizard levels (all the way to Tenser's
-> 1 rogue (fix trap skills again and some points in Open Locks)
-> 1 bard level (fix Perform)
-> 1 rogue level (UMD, Trap Skills and Open Locks)

Skills

Skills will be quite useful in this build. And you get a nice amount of points.

The essentials...

- Perform, UMD, some Balance, some Diplomacy

Rest of the points could be...

- Search, Disable, Open Locks (if you care about traps...)
- Hide and Move Silently, Bluff (if you like being stealthy...)

If you can or want to fit it...
- Spot: helps with seeing targets at range
- Heal: always nice to have


Doubleshot

Doubleshot - Sustained: 30%
11% - Swashbuckler
10% - Doubleshot ED Feat
9% - 3x Primal Past Live Stance

Feats

Wiz 1: Extend
Wiz 5: Quicken
Wiz 10: Mental Toughness (or another metamagic you fancy)
1: Point Blank Shot
3: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Shuriken
6: Shuriken Expertise
9: Quick Draw
12: Rapid Shot
15: Improved Crit: Thrown
18: Precise Shot
21: Improved Precise Shot
24: Precision
26: Epic Skill Focus: Perform
27: Epic Reflexes
28: Doubleshot

Enhancements (under construction)

Halfling - 16 AP
7 AP - 5x Core (+3 saves, +2 dex)
1 AP - 1x Cunning (+2 to hit for sneak attacks)
2 AP - 2x Acrobatics
3 AP - 3x Guile (3d6 sneak dice)
2 AP - Skillful Thrower (dex to damage)

Swashbuckler - 38 AP
2 AP - 2x Core (+2% dodge, +2 reflex, +1% doubleshot, +1 weapon enhancement)
3 AP - On Your Toes (3% dodge)
1 AP - Tavern Shanties (extra bard song)
2 AP - Fast Movement (5% runspeed)
6 AP - Doubleshot Boost (30% doubleshot)
1 AP - Swashbuckling (10% doubleshot)
6 AP - Resonant Arms (6d6 sonic on crit)
4 AP - 2x Dexterity
6 AP - Wind at my back (+6 weapon enhancement)
4 AP - Battering Barrage (crits cause improved destruction)
2 AP - Thread the Needle (+5 damage with precision)
2 AP - Exploit Weaknesses (+1 stacking insight to crit, with each normal hit)
1 AP - Coup De Grace (ranged instakill, effective in EE)

Thief Acrobat - 25 AP
1 AP - 1x Core
3 AP - 3x Faster Sneaking
3 AP - 3x Thief Acrobatics
2 AP - 2x Charming
6 AP - 3x Haste Boost
4 AP - 2x Dexterity
3 AP - 3x Shadow Dodge
3 AP - 3x No Mercy

The remaining point can be an AM SLA of choice or +1 Con from Warchanter.

Wizard Spells

Level 1 (5): Nightshield, Sonic Blast, Jump, Merfolks Blessing, Magic Missile
Level 2 (5): Invisibility, Blur, Resist Energy, Knock, (choose one)
Level 3 (5): Displacement, Haste, Rage, Magic Circle against Evil, (choose one)
Level 4 (4): Fireshield, Dimension Door, Stoneskin (choose one)
Level 5 (3): Teleport, Protection from Energy, (choose one)
Level 6 (2): Tenser's Transformation, Greater Heroism

Bard Spells

Bard 1(4): Hypnotism, Remove Fear, Focusing Chant, Sonic Blast
Bard 2 (3): Glitterdust, Cure Moderate Wounds, Hypnotic Pattern

Change spells to your liking. The idea here is to be buff heavy . And possibly have some fun with magic missiles or cloud spells, if you're in Shiradi.

[Gnarkh]

While I like the above build for its versatility, I'm considering moving toward the following final build.

After the next update with the changes to Overwhelming Crit hits, I expect the two additional feats from ranger to give a nice bump in DPS. Also, Deepwood Sniper will be a strong alternative as a secondary tree (got to test what works best here).

The big drawback, it's very limited with ED choices to develop full power. As this split can't get Tenser's without scrolling it, it's most consistent running in Divine Crusader really (full BaB). Which isn't all that bad, as the crit enhancer and temporary boosts will synergize very well with the general build idea.

The Starman - Build B - Minmaxxed

Halfling, 10 bard / 6 ranger / 4 rogue
True Neutral

Ranger: Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Manyshot, Bow Strength
Rogue: Evasion, 2d6 sneak damage, Uncanny Dodge
1: Point Blank Shot
3: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Shuriken
6: Shuriken Expertise
9: Quick Draw
12: Improved Crit: Thrown
15: Improved Precise Shot
18: Precision
21: Cleave
24: Overwhelming Crit
26: Epic Skill Focus: Perform
27: Blinding Speed
28: Doubleshot

[Nayus]

It seems Different Tack does not work with Ranged Attacks, unless they fixed it you'll have to switch to halfling to get DEX to damage.

I'd stop at 7 Bard for Displacement, you aren't getting much else from additional levels. Just some SP and 5% runspeed (in addition to your previous amount).

Rangers get Evasion at 9. If you go 11 Ranger (free IPS and TWF) you can pick 7 Bard and then splash 1 Barb level for 10% movement speed or 1 Fighter for a feat. And you'd still have 1 more level to spend. 12/7/1 Rng/Brd/Barb.
Whatever you do with your 3rd class it won't change your enhancements either way, you have 93 APs to spend out of 80, although your enhancement distribution definitely has room for additional thought

Or 9/7/4 Rng/Brd/Art.

[Gnarkh]

It seems Different Tack does not work with Ranged Attacks, unless they fixed it you'll have to switch to halfling to get DEX to damage.

That's a bit of a let down. But thanks mentioning that...ok, revision one...adapt to halfling. More sneak damage, better saves, not a bad pick.

The enhancements aren't well thought out indeed, more of a sketch so far.

With halfling...two feats short now.


Well, bard also adds more bard songs for fascinate, caster levels for the self heals and a lot of utility (2 more 3rd level spells adding CSW or Haste. 4th level spells give FoM, CCW and Dimension Door i.e.). Some added value from the 4th Swashbuckler core as well.

The rogue splash adds trapping skills, artificer would be an alternative. Hmmm.

I like the idea however to get evasion with a deeper ranger splash and more free feats on top. Then again I don't get anything essential from more ranger levels either, provided I fit the feats in. If you don't want rogue levels...maybe bard 12 / ranger 6 / fighter 2 is another good option as well.

Well, time to revision this, anyways. Halflings changes a lot.

[jakeelala]

great name. jealous i didn't think of it

[Saekee]

check out Tilomere's critzilla thread--some inspiring studies there on thrower mechanics that may influence your build

[Gnarkh]

great name. jealous i didn't think of it

As a quick fix I changed the build to halfling. Losing Combat Archery and Force Of Personality.

For now, I'm still sticking to that 12/6/2 split (for the bard-ness will prevail...)

I'm still open to suggestions for other splits and contemplating the pro / contra.

[Gnarkh]

check out Tilomere's critzilla thread

I gave it a good read again, thanks for reminding me of that thread. More to contemplate.

Options to consider...

...using more barb as another source of enhancing the crit profile. (and I personally don't like the idea being in rage mode for this build).

...weapons choices. Obviously Snowstar is a very strong weapon. Thinking endgame...I'd probably ignore a slightly better crit profile for life stealing / paralyzing spelltouched shuriken to prep coup de grace. For boss DPS...Snowstar might be a strong contender until I craft a Thunderforged. But that's not news.

...dipping deeper into Deepwood attacks. This is worth another thought as well.

[Zakan]

I know monk levels are kind of an easy button, but doesn't the ninja spy core 2 give you another chance to throw shuriken based on your dex? That means more dps and even better chance for instakills. It would even give you more feats so you can slot in more important ones. I believe that rapid shot also increases throwing attack speed, and I don't see it in your build anywhere.

[gwonbush]

I know monk levels are kind of an easy button, but doesn't the ninja spy core 2 give you another chance to throw shuriken based on your dex? That means more dps and even better chance for instakills. It would even give you more feats so you can slot in more important ones. I believe that rapid shot also increases throwing attack speed, and I don't see it in your build anywhere.

If you have found a way to splash Monk (lawful only) on a Bard(non-lawful only), please share by all means.

[Jhaeran]

Very intriguing - curious how the ranged cdg will work out.

[Zakan]

If you have found a way to splash Monk (lawful only) on a Bard(non-lawful only), please share by all means.

Oh ya, forgot alignment restrictions.

[Tilomere]

check out Tilomere's critzilla thread--some inspiring studies there on thrower mechanics that may influence your build

I updated critzilla based on playing 1-27 doing mostly EE, and actually changed it to have 7 bard since you brought up displacement (and good hope). I can now say it is a thing of absolute efficiency and beauty.

[Nayus]

monk levels

dem monk fanbois

[Gnarkh]

Sorry for the lazy updates.

Yeah, if monk and bard wouldn't be mutually exclusive, we'd run bard / monk / whatever all day long now as throwers.

I'm still brainstorming on the actual build, however.

Another weird idea I had was something like...

...Wiz 11 (for Tensers, feats and general utility)
...Bard 5 (for Coup De Grace)
...Ranger 4 (for feats and some DWS goodness)

Or something along the line of 12 Arti / 5 Bard / 3 Rogue.

Thoughts?

I'd love to keep Evasion in the build (no brainer on a dex based toon imho), while trying to fit in a non scrolled Tenser's somehow. Well and Coup-De-Grace (which is mutually exclusive with an enhancement based Tenser's). Just contemplating what I'd give up for the deep "tenser splash".

[autochthon]

Sorry for the lazy updates.

Yeah, if monk and bard wouldn't be mutually exclusive, we'd run bard / monk / whatever all day long now as throwers.

I'm still brainstorming on the actual build, however.

Another weird idea I had was something like...

...Wiz 11 (for Tensers, feats and general utility)
...Bard 5 (for Coup De Grace)
...Ranger 4 (for feats and some DWS goodness)

Or something along the line of 12 Arti / 5 Bard / 3 Rogue.

Thoughts?

I'd love to keep Evasion in the build (no brainer on a dex based toon imho), while trying to fit in a non scrolled Tenser's somehow. Well and Coup-De-Grace (which is mutually exclusive with an enhancement based Tenser's). Just contemplating what I'd give up for the deep "tenser splash".

Had you considered 18 Bard / 2 Rogue (or similar)? XX Points in SB, 31 Points in Warchanter (Full BAB). Bunch of +1s to damage (for sweet sweet crit multiplier).

I mean. Maybe I'm an iddiot and not seeing something you really want but... I think it would be totally doable.

Edit: Or you know... Full on bard and take SB+Warchanter combo and SB capstone for evasion. Fewer free feats, but full BAB, evasion, Slippery Mind, lots of free damage, and Skaldic Rage actually functions like a bardic music so hello 3+ minute duration rage bonus to strength (useful early game).

Edit2: Awwww dex to thrown damage is a 12 point commitment. So much disappointment.

[Gnarkh]

Had you considered 18 Bard / 2 Rogue (or similar)? XX Points in SB, 31 Points in Warchanter (Full BAB). Bunch of +1s to damage (for sweet sweet crit multiplier).

Would be a very different build to say the least . And very, very feat starved, even if I drop the manyshot option.

What's your reasoning for warchanter on a non melee? As dexterity will be the main stat like in (almost) any thrower build really, why try to support Str?

I'll do a major revision of the build, anyways, admittedly this is way too much brainstorming and way too little build efficiency so far.

Probably dropping manyshot to focus on throwing and have more wiggle room concerning feats. One option I'd like to consider is running Shadowdancer for a second instakill attack. Which might make an evasion splash obsolete as well. Stay tuned .

[autochthon]

Would be a very different build to say the least . And very, very feat starved, even if I drop the manyshot option.

What's your reasoning for warchanter on a non melee? As dexterity will be the main stat like in (almost) any thrower build really, why try to support Str?

I'll do a major revision of the build, anyways, admittedly this is way too much brainstorming and way too little build efficiency so far.

Probably dropping manyshot to focus on throwing and have more wiggle room concerning feats. One option I'd like to consider is running Shadowdancer for a second instakill attack. Which might make an evasion splash obsolete as well. Stay tuned .

Many of the Warchanter abilities do not in fact require melee (or strength).

T1: Poetic Edda, Inspired Bravery
Solid bonus songs as well as a mediocre attack boost

T2: Boast, Arcane Shield
100 Temporary HP at the cost of a song is solid, passive stacking +6 to all resistances. Two more solid enhancement lines that don't care that you're at range.

T3: High Spirits, Ironskin Chant
Two more passives with some interesting effects. Immunity to sleep and fatigue in case of the odd save failure, and a bit of passive PRR for you and your allies.

T4: Reckless Chant
6% stacking passive Doublestrike and Doubleshot available to you and your allies.

In the cores you're looking at full BAB, +3 damage while inspire courage is up, Greater Heroism as a song, and a fair chunk of HP. Nothing in these choices requires strength and you are at best trading out two Dex for not needing to splash three classes to get full BAB. You do have some feat starvation but you can pare down feat selection to fit since the core is like thrower feats + useful stuff.

I guess it depends on just how much feat starvation you're willing to have.

I mean... According to the wiki...

Feats

Ranger: Bow Strength (Superfluous), Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Manyshot (Not on thrown)
Drow: Shuriken Expertise, (Shuriken Proficiency)
1: Point Blank Shot
3: Quick Draw
6:
9: Shuriken Expertise
12: Improved Crit: Ranged
15: Improved Precise Shot
18: Precision
21: Empower Heal
24: Quicken
26: Holy Strike (or Positive Spellpower)
27: Epic Reflexes
28: Doubleshot

So ranger is granting you precisely 2 feats, you have one slot open since you "filled" it with a racial feat, and you could *probably* get away with not taking empower heal to get the second feat (depending on how much healing you'd lose). Or otherwise trade something out for rapid shot. So the question is more along the lines of how much is DWS giving you that warchanter can't match in usefulness. Which I admittedly am not entirely sure on.

[Tilomere]

something[/i] out for rapid shot. So the question is more along the lines of how much is DWS giving you that warchanter can't match in usefulness. Which I admittedly am not entirely sure on.

DWS is for Aimed shot, which doubles your crit multiplier, giving you double damage Adrenaline attacks. So it makes a thrower synergize with FoTW and adds roughly 35% physical damage. It also adds a lot of smoothness to leveling, since at level 9 with aimed shot + sb + double crit shadowstar bug combined with sb bug you will have 3-20x4 attacks which can instakill mobs off raw damage. Also drow doesn't give dex to damage with thrown.

People think shuriken and think procs. Raw damage to the face works well too though. This is a shiradi Aimed Shot with shadowstar. A fury adrenaline one would hit 5x as hard. Even bugged without the SB crit multiplier, it still is a decent attack.



Ranger also gives unbridled wrath many snipershot combo.

[Gnarkh]

All interesting ideas.

I like the warchanter tree a lot and it's sure viable to squeeze it in a thrower build somehow. As you describe it it's solid, good buffs (would looove the resists) and rather support oriented. Regarding sheer DPS, other trees offer a lot more here imho.

Tilomere, I think you refer to Sniper Shot, not Aimed Shot? I'd love to have it, but my new split doesn't allow for 6 levels of ranger.

One additional consideration maybe, I'll farm a lot of ED, so I wouldn't want to optimize the build for Furyshot and being bursty (The 10k throwers and monkchers do better here, imho). So I indeed think, sustained damage, attack speed and proc rate have the most relative value.

I also decided I want Tenser's to have full BaB and the Dex bonus. As Coup De Grace blocks tier 5, this can only come from spellcasting (so arty 12 or wiz 11 needed).

So 11 wiz and 5 bard leaves 4 levels, with two logical choices:
- Ranger has two more feats and some clickiness
- Rogue gives Sneak Attack, Venomed Blades, trapping and evasion (on a dex build).

I went for rogue.

------------------------

So, I brainstormed some more and gave the (planned) build a full revision.

Split: 11 Wizard / 5 bard / 4 rogue.

This gives ranged Coup-De-Grace, Fascinate, extended Displacement and Tender's, lots of doubleshot, evasion, trapping skills, full wizard buffs and a nice amount of sneak dice as sugar on top.

Not sure, it will be the 'highest whatever dps', but I'm quite sure it will hit like a truck and have very balanced defenses as well.

My biggest worry is the fort save, actually.

Feedback please.