Guidance/Help re class choice please

[Deeply]

Hi there

I've just returned after many a long time away - basically when level 12 was cap. ALOT has changed. WF have something called Healer's Friend(?), there are new races, new classes, new epic hero things, I dunno.

When I last really played, all my chars were on the EU servers, but I missed it (due to being in and out of hospital) when they sent a warning email about not logging in and losing all chars, so I umm lost all my uber level 12s heh.

I tried playing through as a Half Elf cleric, using the Dilettente feat for Fighter, and that worked well, until... well really any dungeon with traps and/or locks, and then I remembered why all my old solo toons were either rogues or had a rogue splash. I am OCD (both funny and non-funny) and I really struggle to deal with the fact I cannot properly complete a dungeon if I cannot clear the traps/locks/hidden doors etc. In fact I logged out of game last night incredibly frustrated, both with myself and my character, at being unable to get a lock.

So I realised if I was going to have a solo character, I needed to have one that could do search/disable - I don't care about sneak/hide - if I wanted to be happy with it. I am doing a Static Group with my guild, and we have a player with a char with rogue splash and that's enough for me, as long as someone can get it, I don't care, but for soloing...

I did try paying for the gold contract rogues, but because I have to afk alot due to disability/illness, I lost two contracts after having only used each for about 20mins. It's going to get expensive... Plus Ill be honest, I always loved the rogue I used to have, especially enjoyed the searching and disabling parts.


I have VIP, so I have the 32 champion builds. I don't have Drow or Favoured Soul as I am starting all over again and will have to open those up - I have the coins to buy them but seeing as Ill be having to earn the favor for the House stuff *shrugs* but I do have Artificer and Deep Gnome (is that a class or race or both? It seems both but I've been wrong before...).

I don't mind melee, but I prefer NOT to tank/MT. I do love me some archery tho, crossbow or bow, thrown, I don't mind.

I have Artificer open and it seemed to cover alot of what I needed, but most of the builds I see for that require you to take WarForged and I really dislike WF. The other thing is that it seems lately that Artificers, with all but Mechanic (and not sure what they mean by that - is that an AP tree?) is pointless, as a whole the class seems to be lacking. Like I say, I did alot of build searching and there seems to be a distinct lack of love for artificers.

I don't mind splashing, but I would need to have rogue very early on, level 2 at the latest.

So roundup
NEED search/disable locks
ENJOY ranged attacks, pref bows/cbows, soloing mostly
ACCEPT Melee, casting
DISLIKE Warforged, tanking (MTing especially)

Any advice would be great.

I am not expecting it to be uber, or to stroll through the dungeons in a breeze - don't get me wrong, that would be lovely but I'm a realist heh - just something that can generally survive soloing, even if it means taking it slightly slower than others would.

Thanks in advance.


Deeply

[giftie]

Given these premises, you can't really go wrong with Rogue Mechanic. For a new soloist build, I would recommend Self-Healing Halfling Mechanic For New Players ( https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...or-New-Players ), but you can check the Build Repository ( https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5759362 ) for more suggestions and advanced builds. Welcome back, and best of luck.