Pure Ranger Archer Build

[Avaran]

So I'm going with aa Dex based Ranger. Level 1 and 2 were pretty painful. Low damage but once I got improved weapon defense damage went up significantly. On this part I'm confused. Does improved weapon finese add Dex to damage as well as to hit. On wiki it say just to hit. Do I need to go for elven grace as well? Thanks!!

[nibel]

So I'm going with aa Dex based Ranger. Level 1 and 2 were pretty painful. Low damage but once I got improved weapon defense damage went up significantly. On this part I'm confused. Does improved weapon finese add Dex to damage as well as to hit. On wiki it say just to hit. Do I need to go for elven grace as well? Thanks!!

Bows already use Dex to hit by being a ranged weapon. Ditto for all throwing weapons.

For melee weapons, you need Weapon Finesse to use Dex to damage with Improved Weapon Finesse, or the second core enhancement on Tempest (that allow you to hit with scimitars and light weapons with dex, as long as you are dual-wielding).

[unbongwah]

For melee weapons, you need Weapon Finesse to use Dex to damage with Improved Weapon Finesse, or the second core enhancement on Tempest (that allow you to hit with scimitars and light weapons with dex, as long as you are dual-wielding).

U28 dropped the Weapon Finesse feat pre-req for Imp Weapon Finesse enhancement, thankfully. And since Tempest cores provide DEX to-hit with scimitars & light weapons already, the only reason to take Finesse feat on a rgr is if you want DEX to-hit with rapiers as well.

[Well, until Turbine implements my improvements to Finesse, which I'm sure will be any day now...]

[Avaran]

Still confused. Does improved weapon finese add Dex to damage for bows or is that elven grace? Should a Dex based Ranger go rapiers or other melee weapon. My build is primarily ranged but want some melee capability.

[unbongwah]

Does improved weapon finese add Dex to damage for bows or is that elven grace?

Both. Prior to U28, Elven Grace was your only option.

Should a Dex based Ranger go rapiers or other melee weapon.

My elven ranger builds now go for scimitars, since you can get both DEX to-hit & dmg for free from Tempest cores (or Tempest+Imp Weap Finesse). For rapiers, you can only get DEX to dmg from Elven Grace or Imp Weap Finesse enh; and you can only get DEX to-hit from Weapon Finesse feat.

Again, prior to U28, when Aerenal Grace was your only option for DEX to longbow dmg, it made sense to use rapiers as well, since you got +4 dmg "free" from Aerenal enhs as well as DEX to dmg. With that restriction lifted, though, there are more options for DEX rgrs. You could still go for Grace+Skill on a elf AA rgr, but that basically "locks" you into spending 18 APs elf, 41 APs AA, and 21 APs DWS (for +1 crit range); I think you're better off spending more APs into DWS (Killer, Mark of the Hunted) or Tempest for better melee DPS than in elf tree.

[Avaran]

Thank you!

[Avaran]

My elven ranger builds now go for scimitars, since you can get both DEX to-hit & dmg for free from Tempest cores (or Tempest+Imp Weap Finesse).

What do you mean get them for free? Don't you have spend a total of 6 in Tempest to get dex to dam fpr scimitars? What would be a recommended build for AA/DWS/Tempest?

[Avaran]

What do you mean get them for free? Don't you have spend a total of 6 in Tempest to get dex to dam fpr scimitars? What would be a recommended build for AA/DWS/Tempest?

Never mind on build... I see it.