Looking for a high DPS Half Orc Tempest.

[glassesjr]

I've decided my next life will be a tempest and as stated in the topic I'm looking for a H-Orc STR based build. I've decided I will be using Long Swords as the Knight's Training feat seems nice and there are some good Long Swords in the game. My question is how much would it hurt the build DPS wise if I went something like 12 Ranger/ 6 Barb / 2 fighter or should I just stay pure if that's more DPS? I don't have a lot of experience with Tempest Rangers so I wasn't sure if not staying pure is a bad idea. I thought maybe the Barb splash would make it close in DPS and add a lot of survivability and higher tactics DC's as I planned on taking Stunning Blow and maybe Improved trip.

Thanks in advance.

[Kaboom2112]

Pure 20 ranger. Regarding DPS any splash makes you weaker.

[unbongwah]

Stay pure ranger. The last two Tempest cores add a lot to your DPS and boost survivability a bit too (+5% Incorporeality, +10 PRR/MRR). The only good reason to splash a ranger IMO is for trap skills, trading DPS for bonus XP.

The main downside to pure ranger is they don't get tactics bonuses like e.g. fighters. But honestly if you want to play a tactics-oriented build, you're probably better off with 2H fighter like Cetus' build particularly now that special attacks apply on Strikethrough.

[glassesjr]

Ok, I think I will stay pure. I would like to at least take Stunning Blow though. Will its DC be meaningful enough end game as a pure Ranger?

[Discpsycho]

Probably not, but it'll certainly help with leveling and you can always swap it later

Cetus' Stunning Blow Breakdown:
58 Str Modifier + 23 Stunning Item + 19 Deadly Instincts + 3 Fighter Past Lives + 8 Tactical Supremacy + 4 Quality Combat Mastery + 4 Reaper's Tactics +2 Kensei Capstone + 1 Guild Buff = 132

I've put problematic buffs in red
- Cetus' 126 Str includes 10 you won't be able to get, so your Str mod could be as high as 116, or +53 Modifier (-5)
- Between 41 points in Tempest and 21+ in Deepwood Stalker, you won't be able to get Deadly Instincts. You could snag KTA for ~+15 or run an insightful stunning trinket for +11, so let's call that a (-5)
- Rangers can't get fighter bonus feats or Kensei capstone, so (-10)

You could substitute the Ancient Tactics EPL for up to +6, if you've got it, but that'd mean your doublestrike takes a hit. Overall you're looking at ~110 DC (130 Dire Charge), which will be fine for leveling but not particularly competitive in endgame reaper content

[Assassination]

You can also grab another +8 to tactics from the LD tree, plus if you roll with KTA you could possibly grab another 10-14. So yes you can get a viable stunning blow. Aasimar rangers can also grab another +2 to tactics.

I roll with ancient tactics epl, because i can get my doublestrike to 70+ without the doublestrike epl. You have reaper boost and ranger's thousand cuts to boost to 100 doublestrike when you need it. I much prefer str tempest to dex tempest at this pt., but having heroic, epic, and racial

pastlives really makes this work well. And some really good gear.

Yes a fighter build would be much easier to go tactics with, and 2hf seems pretty strong at this pt.

[Coffey]

Yes a fighter build would be much easier to go tactics with, and 2hf seems pretty strong at this pt.

It would be awesome to make a build like Cetus' THF with strength wisdom i think its an awesome build. With 86 wisdom deadly instinct is definetly worth while to add DCs and the falconry bird attacks add an extra dimension to playing tactically that a lot would like to have at their disposal for dealing with reapers for example or knocking monsters down that otherwise couldnt be like spiders.

A ranger can use exposing strike vs reapers to buy four secs of CC and sneak attack / helpless damage. I like Kta for the cheap 8 AP buy in makes it perfect AP wise with 41 Tempest 21-31 DWS. But i like the Will saves from wisdom more and wish deadly instinct was lower down on the falconry tree for 8 AP like Kta. Dropping the the DWS tree to 11 AP frees up enough to get falconry comfortably if you could do w/o killer, 12 PRR, 60 HP, 1 SA and the biggie +1 crit threat.

Now if you could build a ranger like the Cetus Str / Wis fighter that could be awesome too