Pure vs. a 2 arti splash for non-human mechanic?

[Cardtrick]

I've been away from the game for a while, before returning in the last couple of weeks. Having a good time so far playing a first life rogue mechanic on a new server. Playing first life, completely un-geared/under-equipped, in a static duo with my girlfriend's pure ranged ranger. Playing much more casually than I used to, so quality of life during the heroic leveling experience is important. Problem is I've been away since before the mechanic pass and I feel like I'm a bit behind the 8 ball.

From the perspective of someone who wants a fun and powerful feeling character on an under-equipped first lifer, throughout the process of leveling from 1 to 30 with no experience bonuses, no twink gear, no guild buffs, etc. . .

Can anyone speak to the pros and cons of staying pure rogue vs. Splashing 2 arti?

The mechanic capstone seems decent, but not exceptional. Dex and int are both good, of course. The stat bonus from the capstone clicky seems helpful. (My character is an int-based drow with Harper for KTA, currently level 10.)

The big advantages of going arti seem to be the free feat and the stats/imbues of a runearm. A lesser but still significant advantage is more SP for KTA epic abilities. If I were playing human, I feel like pure rogue would definitely win - with the extra human feat, getting rapid reload free matters a lot less. But on a drow... I'm really torn.

Right now, at level 10, I'm stuck choosing to drop rapid reload, rapid shot, or precision -- all of which are feats I really want. (Precise Shot and Point blank shot are non-negotiable.) I'll have a similar problem for quite a while, since level 12 will be IC: ranged and then I'll want IPS. Plus, long term, I probably won't be able to fit Insightful Reflexes or Quicken.

Typing all this out, I find myself leaning more and more toward the 2 arti splash - probably for levels 13 and 14, since I dont want to delay Improved Critical. Are there any disadvantages I'm missing? I know there's a bit of lost sneak attack, the capstone itself, etc. And it will mean I don't get to play with expert builder till epic levels. What do you all think?

[unbongwah]

Welcome back, OP.

Typing all this out, I find myself leaning more and more toward the 2 arti splash - probably for levels 13 and 14, since I dont want to delay Improved Critical. Are there any disadvantages I'm missing?

Splashing arty won't delay Imp Crit (rog 10 / art 2 is BAB 7 + 1 = 8), but it will delay IPS (rog 13 / arty 2 is BAB 9 + 1 = 10 while rog 15 is BAB 11).

You pretty much have it down pat: stay pure for capstone (decent but weakest of the rogue caps, IMO), splash for extra feat (free Rapid Reload) and free Runearm imbue (caps out at +2d10 at endgame).

There are a whole bunch of rog 18+ Mechanic builds, but they're almost all the same since you're feat-constrained. The only question marks are pure or splashed and how you hit your DEX pre-reqs for Imp Prec Shot, Combat Archery, and Imp Sneak Atk.

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...epeater-Builds
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...ue-the-SA-king
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5790602

I maxed out Spellcraft on that last build in order to boost the 2d20 acid damage from Scion of the Plane of Earth, one of the new Legendary feats.

[gwonbush]

Another little advantage to the arti splash for first life characters: you get +2 to skill checks for scrolls, allowing for earlier reliable raising and heal scrolls.

[Jiirix]

Toven's Hammer is great for Arti-Splashes:
- 1.5% chance to do 20d20+400 damage from "Lightning Strike"
- Exceptional Fortification 10% (not much but still useful)
- 2d8 extra damage per bolt from "Rune Arm Imbue: Electrical IV"
- torc-like effect from "Transform Kinetic Energy" when upgraded. Those 11-33 SP are great for Cocoons and KtA.

[Cardtrick]

Thanks, everyone. Especially thanks for the build links, unbongwah -- when you've been away for a bit, it gets harder to judge builds. (and thanks for correcting my error about delaying improved critical -- I was misremembering the BAB requirements.)

Overall, seems like taking a 2 artificer splash is close to a no-brainer for my character. I think I had underestimated the advantages and overestimated the disadvantages. Appreciate everyone weighing in!

[Saekee]

something else to consider

It is not DPS king but adding 1 level of barb gives you stacking 10% run speed.

Instead of two arti do:
1 ranger and 1 barb. 1 rgr gives you 1d6 sneak + 5 meters PBS range for 1AP (deepwood) & the AA tree magical training feat for 4 AP (energy of the wild) which will give you your sp to power cocoon and KtA. The sneak damage will scale strongly with ranged power (150%) whereas arti imbues do not. 5 meters PBS will also result in a situational boost to DPS.
1 barb 1 fighter: 10% run speed + access to kensei haste boost (4 AP) & free feat.The free feat will be important on non-human mechanics since you can't fit in insightful reflexes (2 arti gets you a feat too). Ranger is better though.

The run speed is veeeery nice--QoL win and kiting surviveability.

edit: DPS is not an issue for mechanics running in LD.

[Livmo]

Toven's Hammer is great for Arti-Splashes:
- 1.5% chance to do 20d20+400 damage from "Lightning Strike"
- Exceptional Fortification 10% (not much but still useful)
- 2d8 extra damage per bolt from "Rune Arm Imbue: Electrical IV"
- torc-like effect from "Transform Kinetic Energy" when upgraded. Those 11-33 SP are great for Cocoons and KtA.

One of my all time favorite rune arms and I do splash 2 arty sometimes for run arm use.

[Wipey]

SA scales with RP. Blitzing mechanic has 150 - 230 RP, those SA dices add up really quick.
The loss of damage is not worth it. And 550 - 800 hjeal is really nice.

[unbongwah]

SA scales with RP. Blitzing mechanic has 150 - 230 RP, those SA dices add up really quick.

How are you hitting 230 RP? Are you talking "effective" RP once 150% scaling is applied?

EDIT: added Arborea

30 epic lvls
20 Scion of Arborea
12 LD cores
10 Fletching
10 Mechanical Reloader
09 Harper
04 epic quiver
95 Ranged Power (baseline)
70 Blitz (max stacks)
45 Archers Focus (max stacks)
210 Ranged Power

Even if you took WF:Ranged+Thrown, that's still "only" 214 RP. What am I missing?

The loss of damage is not worth it.

Doesn't that depend on what feat the OP gives up to stay pure drow Mechanic?

[Saekee]

SA scales with RP. Blitzing mechanic has 150 - 230 RP, those SA dices add up really quick.
The loss of damage is not worth it. And 550 - 800 hjeal is really nice.

Yes for advanced players & endgame but from OP: "Playing much more casually than I used to, so quality of life during the heroic leveling experience is important."

1 rgr 1 barb gives up hip flask and (3d6 sneak total) but at least gets 1d6 sneak back & run speed. Plus OP wants SP

[Wipey]

How are you hitting 230 RP? Are you talking "effective" RP once 150% scaling is applied?

30 epic lvls
12 LD cores
10 Fletching
10 Mechanical Reloader
09 Harper
04 epic quiver
75 Ranged Power (baseline)
70 Blitz (max stacks)
45 Archers Focus (max stacks)
190 Ranged Power

Nope, just looked at my gimpchanic quickly against dummy. 140 ( some Blitz stacks and moving ) - 229 ( boss fights and boosted ). Has Arborea and 2 mythic on xbow. Nothing in Harper RP or special feats ( and no quiver but don't tell anyone :P).
In theory could have +2 tome, +2 from 4 mythic, +6 Sightless, some harper rp, maybe spare a feat for 2 more, dunno.
I think we can talk about 170 average RP in practical game - still a lot of damage lost by splashing.

[Jiirix]

Is there a ship buff that gives ranged power?

[Hobgoblin]

also dont underestimeate the capstone

it gives you up to +2 damage from stats - plus defenves stat bonus - more hp etc, a heal, and it gives 2d6 damage for a minute. and +2 sneak damage all the time - what are you getting from arti that is better then that?

[unbongwah]

Rapid Reload, PBS, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, IC:Ranged, Imp Prec Shot, Precision, Overwhelming Crit, Imp Sneak Atk, Combat Archery - that takes up 10 slots, which on a non-human leaves just your lvl 30 feat free for one more, like Epic DR or Insightful Reflexes. Some people are willing to trade capstone to squeeze in another feat; others are not.

[Livmo]

Rapid Reload, PBS, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, IC:Ranged, Imp Prec Shot, Precision, Overwhelming Crit, Imp Sneak Atk, Combat Archery - that takes up 10 slots, which on a non-human leaves just your lvl 30 feat free for one more, like Epic DR or Insightful Reflexes. Some people are willing to trade capstone to squeeze in another feat; others are not.

I skip Insightful Reflexes and pick Manyshot sometimes since all the ranged feats are the same, so I can alternate Manyshot on the bow and Endless Fuselodge on my Crossbow. I try to get bow prof. so I don't have to skip a capestone.

[unbongwah]

You don't say!

Although now you've got me wondering about a gnome Mechanic who alternates lt repeaters and shortbows to take advantage of +6 dmg +1 crit range from racial bonuses. Hmmmm...