Soloing legendary elite

[Elindel22]

Hi.

I do not enjoy using paralyzing arrows, but I solo
all the time, often with a few hirelings un harder epic
content, and I do rather well without paralyzing arrows.

If I want to solo harder content in legendary, legendary
elite for example (I was told that the drop rate for named
items in legendary hard or normal was awful), can I get by
without paralyzing arrows ?

[blerkington]

The only person who can answer this question is you yourself. Try running some quests on LE and see how it goes.

Thanks.

[Enoach]

Paralyzing Arrows is only one of many tools a player can use to 1) Increase their DPS by utilizing the helpless state 2) Decrease their incoming damage because if it is paralyzed it is not hitting back.

I have been successful in soloing Legendary Elite without using a paralyzing arrow. But that does not mean I'm not using different tools.

You have to find what works for you and your build.

[Hjarki]

Paralyzing Arrows is only one of many tools a player can use to 1) Increase their DPS by utilizing the helpless state 2) Decrease their incoming damage because if it is paralyzed it is not hitting back.

Unless they've changed it, Paralyzing Arrows don't render enemies helpless.

[barecm]

Unless they've changed it, Paralyzing Arrows don't render enemies helpless.

They don't. Since you are solo, go fear arrows. Instakills and fear works regardless of the mob casting fom or whatever. There will still be undead and others that are immune to both, but less is fear immune in general.

The other option is to go pure ranged dps (ranged power) and use an element for extra damage. On lamannia I was able to do some serious damage just going pure ranged power / dps mode. I also made use of the oft maligned Void bow synergizing with the cold element from AA and building in some cold spell power type stuff. Use the quiver that makes your ammo blunted and run in LD taking advantage of pulverizer and the +70 boost to RP via blitz; which is easy to maintain solo. I was doing like 13K+ per crit on pinned mobs without having to do that fury shot nonsense and not having optimized gear (just whatever was available in the last two update chests). LD is simply better. That being said, I would not recommend going into reaper like that. Paralyze is pretty much the only way to survive long term solo in reaper.

[Enoach]

Unless they've changed it, Paralyzing Arrows don't render enemies helpless.

I had forgotten they removed the "helpless" from paralyzing arrows - Thank you for the correction.

So this leaves paralyzing arrows as a damage reduction tool, which still makes it a good tool to have. It is not the only tool as a previous poster mentioned Fear Arrows as another option as well as basically saying "or increase your damage" using elemental arrows.

Paralyzing, Fear and Extra Elemental damage does not work in every situation so having multiple tools available makes sure you have options.

[barecm]

I had forgotten they removed the "helpless" from paralyzing arrows - Thank you for the correction.

So this leaves paralyzing arrows as a damage reduction tool, which still makes it a good tool to have. It is not the only tool as a previous poster mentioned Fear Arrows as another option as well as basically saying "or increase your damage" using elemental arrows.

Paralyzing, Fear and Extra Elemental damage does not work in every situation so having multiple tools available makes sure you have options.

I think it comes down to the decision of:
1- do you want to deal subpar damage compared to throwers and great crossbows / repeaters and build a longbow dps type
2- even less damage but crowd control.

The bonus either way is that a ranger can do a decent job of keeping him or herself healed with cocoon, cure serious, and heal scrolls if you build it right.

I am trying to drum up some support of longbow help on the players council, but not much traction from any devs as far as any response.

[Enoach]

I think it comes down to the decision of:
1- do you want to deal subpar damage compared to throwers and great crossbows / repeaters and build a longbow dps type
2- even less damage but crowd control.

The bonus either way is that a ranger can do a decent job of keeping him or herself healed with cocoon, cure serious, and heal scrolls if you build it right.

I am trying to drum up some support of longbow help on the players council, but not much traction from any devs as far as any response.

I understand the position - I myself run a 12/8 Ftr/Wiz Elf AA/EK build - Dex based. Even with that I have many options for self-healing. I do run this mainly as a Non-SP based crowd controller. But a switch in EDs and I transform into a DPS engine.


For the most part I tend to increase my DPS via bypassing DR and increasing Critical Chances for both myself and my party.

[Rykka]

I think it comes down to the decision of:
1- do you want to deal subpar damage compared to throwers and great crossbows / repeaters and build a longbow dps type
2- even less damage but crowd control.

The bonus either way is that a ranger can do a decent job of keeping him or herself healed with cocoon, cure serious, and heal scrolls if you build it right.

I am trying to drum up some support of longbow help on the players council, but not much traction from any devs as far as any response.

Even as weak as archers are on the DPS front, they don't need much help. If I was going to change any one thing I would make Paralyze and Fear allow for Sneak Attack damage. It's kinda dumb that Sneak Attack damage doesn't trigger on a frozen foe or one that is running away.

[Elindel22]

Even as weak as archers are on the DPS front, they don't need much help. If I was going to change any one thing I would make Paralyze and Fear allow for Sneak Attack damage. It's kinda dumb that Sneak Attack damage doesn't trigger on a frozen foe or one that is running away.

Sneak attack does not work with paralyze or fear arrows ???

Then what good is DWS if you use fear or paralyze arrows ?

[blerkington]

Sneak attack does not work with paralyze or fear arrows ???

Then what good is DWS if you use fear or paralyze arrows ?

It's not that it doesn't work at all, it's that you don't get SA damage automatically. Like with every other imbue.

You can certainly get SA damage with those imbues if you don't have aggro or have a way of inducing vulnerability to sneak attack.

There are also other good things in DWS apart from SA damage.

Thanks.

[barecm]

Even as weak as archers are on the DPS front, they don't need much help. If I was going to change any one thing I would make Paralyze and Fear allow for Sneak Attack damage. It's kinda dumb that Sneak Attack damage doesn't trigger on a frozen foe or one that is running away.

I think it works on frozen, but maybe they changed it. Been a while since I ran a build that used frozen.

[Kaboom2112]

Best way to solo LE on a Ranger:

1. Put down the bow.

2. Grab some Khopeshes

3. Take Dire Charge

4. Something, something, underpants gnomes.

5. profit?

[Elindel22]

It's not that it doesn't work at all, it's that you don't get SA damage automatically. Like with every other imbue.

You can certainly get SA damage with those imbues if you don't have aggro or have a way of inducing vulnerability to sneak attack.

There are also other good things in DWS apart from SA damage.

Thanks.

Thanks for the response.

Yes, I know that DWS has great enhancements besides sneak attack.

I meant that the DWS cores were useless without SA proccing.

You mention that SA will proc on frozen targets if they are vulnerable.

Does sniper shot not induce vulnerability ?

And you mention that SA will not proc if you have aggro. That’s news to me. Does that
apply only to frozen targets while you have aggro or all the time ?

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[barecm]

Thanks for the response.

Yes, I know that DWS has great enhancements besides sneak attack.

I meant that the DWS cores were useless without SA proccing.

You mention that SA will proc on frozen targets if they are vulnerable.

Does sniper shot not induce vulnerability ?

And you mention that SA will not proc if you have aggro. That’s news to me. Does that
apply only to frozen targets while you have aggro or all the time ?

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Look here to see what qualifies. You are talking about inducing helpless:

http://ddowiki.com/page/Helpless

Also, add Pin from Shiradi Champion, however it seems that the helpless condition no longer prevents casting and attacking... which I am not sure it WAI or broken.

[barecm]

Thanks for the response.

Yes, I know that DWS has great enhancements besides sneak attack.

I meant that the DWS cores were useless without SA proccing.

You mention that SA will proc on frozen targets if they are vulnerable.

Does sniper shot not induce vulnerability ?

And you mention that SA will not proc if you have aggro. That’s news to me. Does that
apply only to frozen targets while you have aggro or all the time ?

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Sniper shot induces SA bonus, as does bluff. However, not sure about duration on LE or Reaper content at the highest levels. I would still go paralyze if solo is your goal. Take a look at my update 39 redesigned build and decide for yourself: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...-Ranged-Ranger

I have been running WPM on LE and Reaper and have not seen any major issues paralyzing things. For undead or whatever cannot be paralyzed, I still use LGS Salt to slow everything down, or dispelling shot where applicable.