The Devastating Bowman (Ranger 23/ Bard 2/ Arcane Archer 15)
I wanted an archer with dev crit and the ranger bane of enemies, but couldn't find one. I know the stats look awkward, an archer with dex/str backwards . Here is my attempt anyway, suggestions for improvements welcome!
I guess this is way more a PvM, but it might do ok in a group with someone buffing him.
Race - Half-Elf Alignment - Any Non-Lawful
Start/End stats ---------------
Str 16/25 Dex 13/14 Con 12 Wis 14 Int 10 Cha 11/12
Leveling --------
1 Ranger (1) - Favored Enemy, Power Attack 2 Ranger (2) - 3 Ranger (3) - Cleave 4 Ranger (4) - Str:17 5 Ranger (5) - Favored Enemy 6 Ranger (6) - Weapon Focus (Longbow) 7 Ranger (7) - 8 Ranger (8) - Str:18 9 Ranger (9) - Point Blank Shot, ITWF 10 Bard (1) - 11 AA (1) - Enchant Arrow I 12 AA (2) - Rapid Shot, Imbue Arrow, Str:19 13 AA (3) - Enchant Arrow II 14 AA (4) - Seeker Arrow I 15 AA (5) - Improved Critical (LB), EA III 16 AA (6) - Seeker Arrow II, Str:20 17 AA (7) - EA IV 18 AA (8) - Great Cleave, Hail of Arrows 19 AA (9) - EA V 20 AA (10) - Arrow of Death, Str:21 21 AA (11) - Great Strength I Str:22, EA VI 22 AA (12) - 23 AA (13) - EA VII 24 AA (14) - Str:23, OverCrit(LB), Called Shot 25 Ranger (10) - Favored Enemy 26 Ranger (11) - 27 Ranger (12) - Dodge* 28 Ranger (13) - Str:24 29 Ranger (14) - 30 Ranger (15) - Favored Enemy, Mobility* 31 Ranger (16) - 32 Ranger (17) - Str:25 33 Ranger (18) - DevCrit(LB) 34 Ranger (19) - 35 Ranger (20) - FE 36 Ranger (21) - Dex:14, Bane of Enemies 37 AA (15) - EA VIII 38 Bard (2) - 39 Ranger (22) - Spring Attack* 40 Ranger (23) - Cha:12, Epic Weapon Focus (LB)**
* Can change these I guess, since we end with high tumble, any ideas? ** This is a ranger bonus feat
Skills ------
1 Discipline (4), Listen (4) Save 8 ... 9 Discipline (12), Listen (12) Save 24 10 Discipline (13), Listen (13), Perform (3), Spellcraft (10), Tumble(13) 11 Listen (14) Save 3 ... 24 Listen (27) Save 42 25 Discipline (28), Listen (28) Save 30 ... 36 Discipline (39), Listen (39) Save 52 37 Save 56 38 Perform (6), Spellcraft (40), Tumble(40) 39 Discipline (41), Listen (41) 40 Discipline (43), Listen (43)
Max HP: 402 Naked AC: 20 Should wear light armor to retain ranger abilities
With plain long bow: 42/37/32/27 1d8+8 (Critical: 19-20 / x3) (+2d6+5 vs Favored Enemies)
With plain longsword: AB:36/31/26/21 Damage: 1d8+7 (Critical: 19-20 / x2)
All the above +2 to hit and +2d6+5 damage vs Favored Enemies (Bane of Enemies + Favored Enemy Bonus) Of course, you would want to make use of a highly mighty bow to make use of all the strength in this build. And, lets not forget dev crit and if they save overwhelming crit for +2d6 damage
Saves -----
Fort 24 Reflex 24 Will 20
+8 vs spells from spellcraft +2 vs mind affecting (halfelf)
He has level 4 ranger spells and ONE level 1 bard spell as well as the bard cantrips.
Fixed AB vs FE - Kail Pendragon
Edited By Kail Pendragon on 06/23/06 18:32
Your AB with a bow is acceptable but kinda low for an AA... might want to change 2 ranger levels for 2 AA levels, it'll net you another +1 to bow AB and damage.
You don't need 11 charisma to be a bard if you don't start as one. You can start with charisma 8 and put the points into dex at start-up (should let you start with 15 dex) and the levelling stat for charisma can go to strength and give you 26 strength at the end.
That'll increase your AB/damage with the sword, and AB with the bow, and AC. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
Drop Dodge, mobility and spring-attack for 1 Great Strength, Armor skin and Epic prowess. Or even 2 great Dexes.
Dropping 2 ranger levels will lose you a feat. Could be done if you drop the three mentioned feats for GrSTR, EP and EWF. That will net you +2 damage(With a huge mighty bow or else just +1), and +2 AB. Virtually for giving up NADA.
Two other problems I see is that the builds main abilities come mighty late, namely BoE and Dev Crit. At least one of them should show up earlier, at least before 30. _________________ Dragonlance ROH is back, better than before! and I spend a little time here WoG
Edited By Grimnir77 on 06/22/06 18:01
I'll be buggered
This build is a testament to one thing I have neglected to accept for a long time (mostly cuz i hate range attacks). That is to the power of the AA's! I can think of virtually NO builds on the epic forum that have their main stat (in this case its Dex, you are a bower!!) below 20! Yet, you manage, at least for a melee build, what would be an OK ab! it makes me think about those bard/rdd/aa builds and me thinks that I'll take a closer look at some... could be the "ultimate" build, those bard/rdd/aa's they are
jk thanks for the education
Thanks for the suggestions guys!
I didn't know you could take bard with 8 Cha. Oh! I forgot about the the +1 ab +1 dmg +1 Will bard song in the original post. We lose our level one bard spell and cantrips, oh well.
Devistating Crit at level 27 instead of 33 now. I opted for starting strength 17 instead of 16 and lower dex again so we can get devcrit by level 27. Earliest with 16 strength is level 30. If you take elf, you can get 16 str and 16 dex, but you'd be stuck with the 30 level devcrit and XP penalties.
Better naked AC, better AB, better damage. Can use a more meaty..err..mighty bow (+8) with no strength enhancing equipment.
I don't know why, but I just love the thought of hurling insta death potential, an unlimited number of times, ANYWHERE on the screen.
I think I'm going to try the "Get Bane of Enemies Fast" version next time. I'm tired right now though
Str 17/26 (orig 16/25) Dex 13/16 (orig 13/14) Con 12 Wis 14 Int 10 Cha 8 (orig 11/12)
Leveling --------
1 Ranger (1) - Favored Enemy, Power Attack 2 Ranger (2) - 3 Ranger (3) - Cleave 4 Ranger (4) - Str:18 5 Ranger (5) - Favored Enemy 6 Ranger (6) - Weapon Focus (Longbow) 7 Ranger (7) - 8 Ranger (8) - Str:19 9 Ranger (9) - Point Blank Shot 10 Bard (1) - 11 AA (1) - 12 AA (2) - Rapid Shot, Str:20 13 AA (3) - 14 AA (4) - 15 AA (5) - Improved Critical (Longbow) 16 AA (6) - Str:21 17 AA (7) - 18 AA (8) - Great Cleave 19 AA (9) - 20 AA (10) - Str:22 21 AA (11) - Great Strength I->Str:23 22 AA (12) - 23 AA (13) - 24 AA (14) - Str:24, OverCrit(Longbow), Great Strength II->Str:25* 25 Ranger (10) - Favored Enemy 26 Ranger (11) - 27 Ranger (12) - DevCrit(Longbow)* 28 Ranger (13) - Dex:14 29 Ranger (14) - 30 Ranger (15) - Favored Enemy, Called Shot* 31 Ranger (16) - 32 Ranger (17) - Str:26 33 Ranger (18) - Epic Weapon Focus (Longbow)* 34 Ranger (19) - 35 Ranger (20) - FE 36 Ranger (21) - Dex:15, Bane of Enemies 37 AA (15) - 38 Bard (2) - 39 AA (16) - Armor Skin* 40 AA (17) - Dex:16
* Changed these feats We could take Epic Prowess instead of Armor Skin, or instead of dumping the last two ranger levels for AA, we could keep the bonus feat and take Epic Prowess there. So, if we took ranger instead, we'd lose +1 dmg, break even on bow AB, +1 AB on all other weapons, +4 discipline and +4 HP. I'm not sure which is better, thoughts?
Skills ------
1 Discipline (4), Listen (4) Save 8 ... 9 Discipline (12), Listen (12) Save 24 10 Discipline (13), Listen (13), Perform (4), Spellcraft (10), Tumble(12) 11 Listen (14) Save 3 ... 24 Listen (27) Save 42 25 Discipline (28), Listen (28) Save 30 ... 35 Discipline (38), Listen (38) Save 50 36 Discipline (39) Save 53 37 Save 57 38 Perform (7), Spellcraft (40), Tumble(40) 39 Listen (42) 40 Listen (43) 3 left over (lose 4 points discipline)
Other Stuff -----------
Max HP: 398 (down from 402) Naked AC: 23 (up from 20)
With plain long bow: 44/39/34/29 (up 2) (+1 bardsong) (+2 vs favored enemies) 1d8+9 (up 1) (+1 bardsong) (+2d6+5 vs Favored Enemies)
This is the no epic prowess but with armor skin version.
Saves -----
Fort 24 Reflex 25 (up 1) Will 20
+8 vs spells from spellcraft +2 vs mind affecting (halfelf) +1 will (bardsong)
Fixed BoE effect on AB - Kail Pendragon
Edited By Kail Pendragon on 06/23/06 11:41
Quote: Posted 06/23/06 07:51:55 (GMT) -- slikster
With plain long bow: 44/39/34/29 (up 2) (+1 bardsong) (+7 vs favored enemies)
AB:37/32/27/22 (up 1) (+1 bardsong) (+7 vs favored enemies)
It's actually +2. _________________ "We keep our Feast of Feasts, sure of our bourne, Our aims self-same: The Guest of Guests, friend Zarathustra, came! The world now laughs, the grisly veil was torn, And Light and Dark were one that wedding-morn."
. Here is my attempt anyway, suggestions for improvements welcome!
or else just +1), and +2 AB. Virtually for giving up NADA.
thanks for the education
Thanks for the suggestions guys!