Reaper, CC & Destiny Choice

[Arlathen]

I've been looking at taking my Ranger into Reaper mode, after experimenting with my Paladin in there (with surprisingly successful results, I might add).

However, my toon is strangled in that he is Khopesh based, and thus must go STR-based as a character build. Before Reaper, I didn't bother with any CC on the build, and was quite happy in DC as a Destiny destroying things with outright DPS and some rather good defences since he's my main with umpteen past lives and is Epic Completionist.

I don't feel that's such a good option for Reaper, as my Paladin has the a huge advantage in that he has a working DC for Dire Charge in Reaper, and even Stunning Blow works. After working through the numbers, I'm at a (paltry) 103DC for Dire Charge enabled Ranger, in DC, even with KTA. Before any of these new fangled Reaper enhancements, of course.

This is making me want to swap destiny to FotW, to pick up some guaranteed-proc CC, but at the cost of a lot of the fun DPS and healing that is in DC.

I'm feeling all Sad-panda about it, and I'm wondering what to do

Ideas? Thoughts?

[the_one_dwarfforged]

fury isnt a bad idea. then again having sacred ground without having to twist it and the heal on kill aura for party members if pretty great.

obviously other classes have some pretty noticeable advantages when it comes to str over rangers, and to a lesser degree int as well, but judging the 103 dc you list based off of only that and the comment that you did not previously plan on having cc, i would say you havent invested in gear for it. slavers gear has access to very good str/int bonuses as well as stun/trip bonuses. also, you should be using trip for sure since its another layer of defense and generally doesnt require as high a dc as stun to be successful.

[EllisDee37]

One minor thing to consider is twisting in Balanced Attacks from Primal Avatar: Knock down enemies for 2 seconds on vorpal hit. Enemies knocked down by this effect are helpless.

[Arlathen]

fury isnt a bad idea. then again having sacred ground without having to twist it and the heal on kill aura for party members if pretty great.

obviously other classes have some pretty noticeable advantages when it comes to str over rangers, and to a lesser degree int as well, but judging the 103 dc you list based off of only that and the comment that you did not previously plan on having cc, i would say you havent invested in gear for it. slavers gear has access to very good str/int bonuses as well as stun/trip bonuses. also, you should be using trip for sure since its another layer of defense and generally doesnt require as high a dc as stun to be successful.

And Crusade is another 10% DPS too. Consecration is fun times even without any investment in Fire Spellpower or using it for direct damage.

I've chewed through my stats, and if I do a proper 'full DC or go home' approach I can get to this:

80 Strength (+35 DC)
50 Intelligence (+10 DC from KTA)

20 Base
35 Strength
10 KTA
03 Past Life: Fighter
02 Feat: Tactician
06 ED: Legendary Tactics
20 Item: Enhancement (Slavers)
07 Item: Insight (Cannith)
01 Guild Ship
04 Feat: Astral Plane
= 108DC

Hmm, that's getting more like it, but to get there I'm twisting Primal Scream, Legendary Tactics, and investing in +6 Str from DC destiny.

One minor thing to consider is twisting in Balanced Attacks from Primal Avatar: Knock down enemies for 2 seconds on vorpal hit. Enemies knocked down by this effect are helpless.

Yeah, this is an option, just its a little 'uncontrollable'. High skull Reaper will be the end of the toon before this procs, even on my character where I'm running almost 3.35 attacks per swing and keeping haste boosted as often as possible. This is why I love Dire Charge on my THF Paladin - a carefully used AoE stun is the end of a pack of mobs, it's as simple as that.

Still, your right, its still auto-CC, and something to consider.

[the_one_dwarfforged]

And Crusade is another 10% DPS too. Consecration is fun times even without any investment in Fire Spellpower or using it for direct damage.

I've chewed through my stats, and if I do a proper 'full DC or go home' approach I can get to this:

80 Strength (+35 DC)
50 Intelligence (+10 DC from KTA)

20 Base
35 Strength
10 KTA
03 Past Life: Fighter
02 Feat: Tactician
06 ED: Legendary Tactics
20 Item: Enhancement (Slavers)
07 Item: Insight (Cannith)
01 Guild Ship
04 Feat: Astral Plane
= 108DC

Hmm, that's getting more like it, but to get there I'm twisting Primal Scream, Legendary Tactics, and investing in +6 Str from DC destiny.



Yeah, this is an option, just its a little 'uncontrollable'. High skull Reaper will be the end of the toon before this procs, even on my character where I'm running almost 3.35 attacks per swing and keeping haste boosted as often as possible. This is why I love Dire Charge on my THF Paladin - a carefully used AoE stun is the end of a pack of mobs, it's as simple as that.

Still, your right, its still auto-CC, and something to consider.

i just said sacred ground because why would you twist consecration without it. i figured it would be shorter and simpler to say only the thing that implied the other. :/

108 dc with stun item...not exactly inspiring but not useless either. i was playing a fighter with really no investment in tactics and able to stun things in le shroud often enough with a 100 something dc. obviously you want as close as no fail as possible, especially for something you are COUNTING on...but its better than nothing.

im curious what your stun dc is on your paladin for comparisons sake.

id also definitely not dismiss balanced attacks out of hand for reaper because while i agree with you that its not something that can be relied on, if it works at the right time it could be quite advantageous in saving your life or saving a cd (dire charge) to be used shortly after.

[Arlathen]

i just said sacred ground because why would you twist consecration without it. i figured it would be shorter and simpler to say only the thing that implied the other. :/

108 dc with stun item...not exactly inspiring but not useless either. i was playing a fighter with really no investment in tactics and able to stun things in le shroud often enough with a 100 something dc. obviously you want as close as no fail as possible, especially for something you are COUNTING on...but its better than nothing.

im curious what your stun dc is on your paladin for comparisons sake.

id also definitely not dismiss balanced attacks out of hand for reaper because while i agree with you that its not something that can be relied on, if it works at the right time it could be quite advantageous in saving your life or saving a cd (dire charge) to be used shortly after.

Apologies, I've always referred to the Consecration/Sacred Ground/Crusade triumvirate as simply Consecration for simplicity, and yes I would twist both Consecration/Sacred Ground if I was in something other than DC destiny.

My Paladin has broken 110DC already, and I'm still a good +20 Strength left to gear out on him so I'm looking upwards of 120+ DC on his Dire Charge. Admittedly, that DC hasn't failed me anywhere, and my Paladin is in LE Raids quite often.

Some food for thought here.

[the_one_dwarfforged]

My Paladin has broken 110DC already, and I'm still a good +20 Strength left to gear out on him so I'm looking upwards of 120+ DC on his Dire Charge. Admittedly, that DC hasn't failed me anywhere, and my Paladin is in LE Raids quite often.

Some food for thought here.

so if your paladin is only at a 110 dc which from your personal experience is very effective, why is 2 or 7 points lower dc on your ranger something that would make you feel the need to change destinies? i get that 7 points lower would be 35% lower success rate on a d20, but thats assuming that all of the things you are trying to stun are within a d20 of your static dc number anyway.

[Vish]

Ideas? Thoughts?

I would let the fighters and paladins charge,
And run in dreadnought as a tempest
Stick to your dps role
And be the best at it

Or stay in dc if your planting.

[Arlathen]

I would let the fighters and paladins charge,
And run in dreadnought as a tempest
Stick to your dps role
And be the best at it

Or stay in dc if your planting.

"Planting" ?

Is that an obscure reference to 'flower sniffing' ?

[Arlathen]

so if your paladin is only at a 110 dc which from your personal experience is very effective, why is 2 or 7 points lower dc on your ranger something that would make you feel the need to change destinies? i get that 7 points lower would be 35% lower success rate on a d20, but thats assuming that all of the things you are trying to stun are within a d20 of your static dc number anyway.

Fair point.

I've also figured out I want another 5 Epic Past Lives to get to 6x Divine PRR passive PLs and pick up another 3 Primal Past Lives for Doubleshot and the HP passive PLs. More defense and options are never a bad thing.

I'm also having some issues over factoring in some worthwhile Ranged DPS as well on my Tempest, something else that benefits from either FotW (Burst Damage) or DC (Sustained RoF/Damage).

I think I'm just gonna have to test it out, instead of whining about it here

[the_one_dwarfforged]

Fair point.

I've also figured out I want another 5 Epic Past Lives to get to 6x Divine PRR passive PLs and pick up another 3 Primal Past Lives for Doubleshot and the HP passive PLs. More defense and options are never a bad thing.

I'm also having some issues over factoring in some worthwhile Ranged DPS as well on my Tempest, something else that benefits from either FotW (Burst Damage) or DC (Sustained RoF/Damage).

I think I'm just gonna have to test it out, instead of whining about it here

i discovered the same thing...all those initially tasty looking extra prr and hp past lives that i couldnt be bothered with because i hate tring? I NEED ALL THE HPZ.

personally i feel that dreadnaught is the best dual purpose dps destiny (besides just simply being the best destiny). high sustained mp, high sustained rp. dc is really more about burst than sustained dmg. but, to each their own, i wont try and bring you into the glorious light of truth that is ld.