Post by Balduvard on Jan 2, 2011 0:18:12 GMT
Some logs
Cania
Thanatos Part 3
Elysium
Suffice to say, if you aim to maximize the damage you do to achieve results like the above, you should be using the Play Guide for Arcane Archers in some capacity. The splashed Wizard level also allows this character an excellent party support role through the use of spell-casting rods and other consumables.
The design for this character draws heavily from ice's Defensive Strength Archer build, and in fact this character was using that build before I reincarnated it into what I have now. The goal of this was to push this class combination to its damage limit, picking up the power/superior critical feats and pushing the AB even higher, while keeping a decent amount of defense. Given the benefits and in some cases necessity of certain skills for survival (parry, discipline, concentration, tumble), I have increased the starting Intelligence to accommodate this, reducing the starting Wisdom in order to maintain a high dexterity for AB/AC.
That said, this character is extremely skill tight, as the only major skills that are class skills for Arcane Archers are Listen and Hide. In most cases, this means expending a 1st level feat in order to pick up LSA Tumble or Discipline at a later point. Devastating Critical focused AAs do not have such a critical requirement to take LSA Discipline due to their strength modifier. Even so, not having either of these skills (or many other key ones) as class skills drains a fair number of available skill points as characters must use the Able Learner ability of Elves to raise their ranks past 31. With the race and subrace decided, here's how the ability scores break down:
Elf - Erinyes
+6 Dex, +2 Con, +4 Wis, -2 Cha
Str: 16
Dex: 16 [22]
Con: 10 [12]
Int: 16
Wis: 8 [12]
Cha: 8 [6]
Feat Selection
For the feats, I focused on attaining most of the weapon related feats as well as pumping dexterity for AB. The remainder were chosen for defensive reasons.
Pre-Epic Feats (7):
Snake Blood
Power Attack
Great Cleave
GWF: Longbow
Improved Critical: Longbow
Power Critical: Longbow
Toughness
Epic Feats (7):
Armor Skin
ESF: Parry
Epic Fortitude
Epic Prowess
Overwhelming Critical: Longbow
Devastating Critical: Longbow
Superior Critical: Longbow
Arcane Archer Bonus Feats (5):
Great Dexterity 1-5
Legendary Feats (7):
Great Dexterity 6-10
LSA: Parry
LWF: Longbow
Skill Selection
Base Int modifier: 3
Monk: (4 + 3) * 4 + (4 + 3) * 8 = 84
Wizard: 2+3 = 5
Arcane Archer: (4 + 3) * 50 = 350
Total: 439
Class skills:
Listen - 63
Hide - 63
Parry - 63
Cross-class skills:
Concentration: 23 + 2*2 = 27 [25]
Discipline: 23 + 8*2 + 19*3 = 96 [50]
Tumble: 23 + 8*2 + 29 *3 = 126 [60]
=438
Summary
Ability Progression
Ability | Progression | Double Demi | w/ +14 gear|mod |
Strength | 16 + 10 Str = 26 | 30 | 44 | +17 |
Dexterity | 22 + 10 Great Dex + 10 Dex = 42 | 46 | 60 | +25 |
Constitution | 12 | 16 | 30 | +10 |
Intelligence | 16 | 20 | 34 | +12 |
Wisdom | 12 + 2 Artifact = 14 | 18 | 32 | +11 |
Charisma | 6 | 10 | 24 | +7 |
Attack Bonus
Monk: 3/4 * 9 ~ 6
Wizard: 1/2 * 1 ~ 0
Arcane Archer 1 * 10 = 10
-----
BAB: 16
EBAB: 10
LBAB: 9
Ability: 25
WF: 1
GWF: 1
EWF: 2
EP: 1
LWF: 3
Arcane Archer: 15
Max AB: 20
=103
Armor Class (BUR and Artifact)
Base: 10
Armor: 15
Dexterity: 25
Wisdom: 11
Natural: 17
Dodge: 20
Deflect: 20
Tumble: 12
Other: 2
Monk: 1
=133
Saving Throws
Monk: Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Wizard: Will
Arcane Archer: Fortitude, Reflex
Ability | Pre-Epic | Epic | Legendary | Epic Fortitude | Ability | Equipment | Total |
Fortitude | 6 + 0 + 7 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 62 |
Reflex | 6 + 0 + 7 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 20 | 74 |
Will | 6 + 2 + 3 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 20 + 4 | 61 |
Equipment
From the above, you can see that this build relies on equipment to give you Epic Will (currently in the form of Robes of the Dim Mak Master). Rounding out the remainder of the gear is any combination of the following depending on what immunities need to be covered and what gear is available. My ego item is currently on a rare ring.
Helmet: Visor of Vigilance
Boots: Clockwork Boots/Cloven Hooves of the Goat/Mordenkainen's Mockery
Cloak: Titan's Wrap/Wrap of the Dark Prince
Gauntlets: Chaotic Devotion/Gauntlets of Transposed Energy/Reaching for Damnation/Claws of the Obyrith Lord
Amulet: Divine Intervention/Ygrette's Evanescent Locket/Heavenly Haunt's Necklace
Belt: The Serpent's Coil/Coil of Grabduk
In addition, I make use of the Chameleon's Jewel, Silks of the Iridescent, To Reign in Hell, and various spellcasting augments (L40 Freedom of Movement, L40 Death Ward, L55 Energy Buffer) to provide some defensive benefits should I not have them available otherwise.
Level Progression
1 Monk
- Snake Blood
2 Monk
3 Monk
- Power Attack
4 Monk (Strength +1)
5 Monk
6 Monk
- Great Cleave
7 Monk
8 Monk (Strength +1)
9 Wizard
- Greater Weapon Focus (longbow)
10 Arcane Archer
11 Arcane Archer
12 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
- Improved Critical (longbow)
13 Arcane Archer
14 Arcane Archer
15 Arcane Archer
- Power Critical (longbow)
16 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
17 Arcane Archer
18 Arcane Archer
- Toughness
19 Arcane Archer
20 Monk (Strength +1)
Concentration +23, Discipline +23, Parry +23, Tumble +23
21 Arcane Archer
- Armor Skin
22 Arcane Archer
23 Arcane Archer
24 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
- Epic Fortitude
- Great Dexterity I
25 Arcane Archer
26 Arcane Archer
27 Arcane Archer
- Epic Skill Focus (Parry)
28 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
- Overwhelming Critical (longbow)
29 Arcane Archer
30 Arcane Archer
- Great Dexterity II
31 Arcane Archer
32 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
- Great Dexterity III
33 Arcane Archer
- Epic Prowess
34 Arcane Archer
35 Arcane Archer
36 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
- Devastating Critical (longbow)
- Great Dexterity IV
37 Arcane Archer
38 Arcane Archer
39 Arcane Archer
- Superior Critical (longbow)
40 Arcane Archer (Strength +1)
Listen +43
- Great Dexterity V
Feats not associated with any level:
Great Dexterity IX
Great Dexterity VI
Great Dexterity VII
Great Dexterity VIII
Great Dexterity X
Legendary Skill Affinity (Parry)
Legendary Weapon Focus (longbow)
Artifact: Wisdom
Pandect: Sneak Attack