Sal the Impaler (40 Ranger, Salamander, STR-based)

[Twilight Semner]

Rationale:

Wasn't happy with my Ranger CC Dex Lash so I figured I would go for something with a little more firepower. So I turned it into a Half-Orc Salamander STR CS Ranger. This thing is a hideous, gear-dependent glass cannon, but - and more importantly - it's effective.

Race:

Half-Orcs (+2 STR, -1 INT/CHA)
- All half-orcs receive the Toughness feat for free.
- All half-orcs receive the Blooded feat for free, which allows them to acquire Legendary Skill Affinity Tumble.

"Salamander" (secret Beyond UltraRare; changes Appearance)
- STR +6, DEX +2, INT +2, free feat: Dodge, free feat: Mobility, free feat: Armor Skin, +8 lore, 25% immune fire; can firewalk; speaks Ignan

Starting Stats:

Strength: 20 (26)
Dexterity: 12 (14)
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 10 (12)
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 6

Levels:

1 Ranger
- Armor Proficiency (light)
- Armor Proficiency (medium)
- Armor Skin
- Assist Other
- Blooded
- Command Targeter
- Darkvision
- Dodge
- Dual-Wield
- Favored Enemy (outsiders)
- Mobility
- Mount Actions
- Shield Proficiency
- Strong Soul
- Toughness
- Trackless Step
- Weapon Proficiency (martial)
- Weapon Proficiency (simple)

2 Ranger

3 Ranger
- Called Shot

4 Ranger (Strength +1)

5 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (aberrations)

6 Ranger
- Animal Companion
- Weapon Focus (spear)

7 Ranger

8 Ranger (Strength +1)

9 Ranger
- Improved Critical (spear)
- Improved Two-Weapon Fighting

10 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (magical beasts)

11 Ranger

12 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Great Fortitude

13 Ranger

14 Ranger

15 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (monstrous humanoids)
- Iron Will

16 Ranger (Strength +1)

17 Ranger

18 Ranger
- Lightning Reflexes

19 Ranger

20 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Favored Enemy (shapechangers)

21 Ranger
- Epic Character
- Epic Ranger
- Great Strength I

22 Ranger

23 Ranger
- Bane of Enemies

24 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Great Strength II

25 Ranger
- Epic Prowess

26 Ranger
- Epic Weapon Focus (spear)

27 Ranger
- Great Strength III

28 Ranger (Strength +1)

29 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (reptilian humanoids)

30 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (dragons)
- Great Strength IV

31 Ranger

32 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Favored Enemy (undead)

33 Ranger
- Great Strength V

34 Ranger

35 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (animals)
- Favored Enemy (vermin)

36 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Great Strength VI

37 Ranger

38 Ranger
- Favored Enemy (elementals)

39 Ranger
- Great Strength VII

40 Ranger (Strength +1)
- Favored Enemy (elves)

Feats not associated with any level:
Epic Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Great Strength IX
Great Strength VIII
Great Strength X
Improved Evasion
Legendary Character
Legendary Hardened Soul
Legendary Ranger
Legendary Reflexes
Legendary Skill Affinity (Tumble)
Legendary Weapon Focus (spear)
Paragon Character

Artifact:

The Orb of Dragonkind

Pandect of Darkest Secrets:

Disarm

Paragon Feats:

63: Paragon Balance
66: Extend Spell
69: Paragon Weapon Focus (Spear)
72: Paragon Levitation
75: Paragon Waterbreathing
78: Environment Adaptivity I

Skills:

At 60:
Concentration: +20
Craft Armor: +63
Craft Weapon: +59
Discipline: +47
Listen: +63
Tumble: +60


In Paragon levels:
Craft Weapon: +4
Discipline: +16
Hide: +40


Geared Stats:

At 60:
AB: +104
AC: 130 (131 with bard song, 133 with bard song and Girding)
Called Shot DC: 58 (with PoM bracers)
Saves:

• Fortitude: 64
• Reflex: 59
• Will: 58

At 80:
AB: +115
AC: 138 (139 with bard song, 141 with bard song and Girding)
Called Shot DC: 61 (with PoM bracers, and CS ego)
Saves:

• Fortitude: 73
• Reflex: 68
• Will: 67

Areas Needing Improvement:

If you want to build this character better than I did, drop Great Fortitude for Extend Spell pre-epic. Also be sure to swap Favored Enemy: Elementals for Favored Enemy: Humans. You can CS dustmen in Abyss and there is literally only one elemental in any of Abyss, Aboleths, Elysium, or Hells that you can called-shot (Marids in Aboleths). Optionally, if you want more AC/skills before demigod status, you could drop 4 Strength (and thus lose 1 CS DC, which I don't necessarily recommend) for 2 more Dexterity (1 more AC, 1 more Reflex), 2 more Wisdom (2 more AC, 1 more Will), and 2 more Intelligence (for another skill, probably Hide or Search depending on your preference).


    

[Deleted]

One thing you could note and change about the build, you can quite easily find or buy from someone a augmenter of spear work or something that gives you IC and Power Critical Spear. That would free up another pre-epic feat.

[chirality]

What feat would you need so badly that it deserves losing an aug slot on a trash like that? Assuming Ext is taken in lieu of Fort as recommended, you could still get GWF, but this AB really doesn't even need it (par for course, it's a ranger w/ max AB stat) w/ 104 @ 60 already, which is overkill for hells. I'd keep the potential gear slot for something more useful and lose 2 ab, but then again I was never one to consider building toon around an aug for those lowbie feats.

The best idea I can think of is take Disarm via feat, since pandect isn't very realistic if we're being honest about it. Of course that leaves the problem of lacking Improved Disarm which, even with a solid AB, is still if not required then at least hard to do without (I think 104 would prolly be bit low, specially without curse, lacking the -10 DC drop from Imp). In that case dunno, could drop 2nd pre-epic save feat for Imp and then the Leg save for leg disarm.

[Deleted]

Just tested this in the chamber w/ 62 str at lvl 60 w/ standard disarm and was getting 102 disarm ab +1-20 which is enough already for cursed hell mobs to be disarmed.

And as for using the trashy aug... well, its on a trashy BUR item already which you are most likely going to wear alot so i dont think it matters much Bale. You dont even need to wear the helm in gear tight situations as rangers dont rely on crits for CS anyway. But when you want the better crits, just put it on and anything that doesnt get CS's will be brutally critted. On my Wemic version i used the extra feat for saves and ended up with all of them at 60-62 at lvl 60 getting extend spell pre paragon aswell.

[chirality]

You said an aug or something that gives IC and power crit, but from your last post it sounds like you're referring to grazzt abyssal helm (which doesn't give either of the above but instead OCDC), or do you mean to recommend putting the aug on the helm?

I guess you're agreeing with my disarm feat idea + suggesting to carry around that helm w/IC aug and swap it on when you need to crit trash that can't CS..? If so:

a, what mob is that

b, if this toon is getting a chance to both CS trash and then swap on OCDC item for yet more trash that can be critted but didn't already die yet to his CS, he's either solo or the rest of the party is in limbo/afk (guess perfect toon for some parties ).

that item is indeed trashy (altho when i said trash i meant the IC aug since wasn't even considering this ultrafail abyssal helm idea), ffs it's worse than the anubis plate

in your defense, ranger is the one tank that easily afford flex helm slot. so i guess if you're ever gonna use it, a fugly spear ranger is the one...

[Deleted]

1. Yes.

a. Anything that isnt a favored enemy but is crittable

b. Possibly, but tbh if you're well geared the helm can stay on. (Yeah hahahah, although those parties are doing something wrong like you say)

At least we agree on something, the helm can be decent in terms of skills that it gives you, and hey... if you find one with a random added immunity or something, it quickly becomes a very decent helm.

On rangers that struggle to fit in oc/dc standard without making the build worse something like that helm is very useful. Stygian razor is good also, however you cant use two DB versions or abyss versions meaning you are stuck with the not so great dmg types of the second one. With spear, thats not the case.


Feb 16, 2015 22:03:31 GMT chirality said:

What feat would you need so badly that it deserves losing an aug slot on a trash like that?

Nothing is needed, but the extra saves feat i took on my wemic version pushed my last save up to 60+ like the others... and whats the point in taking it if you are going to wear that damn helm (which i bloody will ). 

[chirality]

Feb 16, 2015 23:36:43 GMT @m4l4dl3 said:

At least we agree on something, the helm can be decent in terms of skills that it gives you, and hey... if you find one with a random added immunity or something, it quickly becomes a very decent helm.

When I said ranger can flex helm slot, it's because in addition to the same option as any other tank to dodge VoV (by relying on high c/c ranks via PLs and/or sally aug), ranger can also wear heart of thorns, thereby eliminating any need for it anyway. I can't really comment on the decent-ness of the helm skills cuz I never have built nor can imagine building any toon that could wear it for that purpose ("close but no cigar" is basically this item). What, combine it with Ishard Enhancer +10 for uber universal skillz?

This thing would be more properly suited in some roleplay game. "A personal toy of the ever-crafty Prince of Demons, Grazzt himself, this mighty greater artifact is often dispatched to the Material Plane as a temptation for reckless, power-hungry jack-of-all-trade-guys, in order to draw souls into his Abyssal realm"--the powerful helmet shall be quested for by the upbeat rogue/fighter/bard protagonist that picks locks and makes perform checks in front of tavern patrons.

[fallenwizard]

Bale, Grazzt helm is generaly 2nd best tank bur helm after VoV, which you meantioned loses some value in rangers case if you obtain ESF listen elsewhere, but VoV is still +2ac to all non barb/dwd when getting flanked, so it has some defencive aspect there. However Grazzt helm has 5% (easily upped to 7~%) physical immunities. Especialy rangers that are light armor users this is quite a bit.

Overaly on many cases I'd rate grazzt with added salamander aug for ESF listen above VoV with ele imm aug because 15+% phys > 30% ele (ur aug as is salamander). But yes, it costs you 2 ac when tanking multiple targets at once. Skillwise both are somewhat mediocore, sure VoV has higher base listen by what 4? so it is easier to roll good listen on it, but I find that very minor factor. I'd never use a spear however, just ignore the feats it gives.

edit: Salamander aug has some elemental vulnerability on it iirc, so 15% phys vs 36% ele (or maybeb 38)

edit 2: Getting item with salamander aug and then ulith/serp blood isnt necessarely cheap route, but it is there.

[chirality]

hm, ok

I never heard of anyone using it or seeking/forging some uber one, if my tank doesn't need vov then i prefer something like good random scarf which can achieve far better exo resists than relying on asmo belt, and in addition the ESF Hide/Parry can be useful. I admit the cornucopia of +6 skill bonuses could be um, interesting and 5% phys is really nice but I just never considered wearing it, just seemed like there's a few more attractive choices so it never crossed my mind. i've never personally used a helm of zeal but with fear imm and potential for nice random i've heard of this being used, but again i see scarf as perfect application for a tank w/out vov, since there's only a couple helms anyway to pick from and might as well assign helm spot to cover exo resists, i just don't like wearing 20 exo resist so it works nice if i just have it all in one place worryfree and get the hide bonus too for camo (and parry for times when applicable). but 5 phys is indeed big like you say, especial lighter armor user, although i guess it seems like this hat just offers absolutely nothing except the 5 phys. w/ sick random definitely, would be really hard to not use with 7~ or more to all 3 phys.

[Twilight Semner]

You guys keep commenting on this thread and people are going to start looking at this build more closely and realize how fail of a builder I am.

[chirality]

don't be so self-centered, this conversation is about me being a noob, not you

[Twilight Semner]

Why not both? <insert meme>

[fallenwizard]

Old habbits of worshipping set-in-a-stone build/gear setup is what generaly keeps progress slow. By any means, I dont mean to say that Grazz't is best option, just saying with randomization it is worthy of concideration. I my self never use scint on a tank, even when I have one with something like 70% imm added to it, no room for a helm with exo resists. To me on tank gear it comes down to belt slot being the exo resist one. If it isnt asmo belt then it is coil of grabduk. In belts the bur options are even worse than they are in helms. For casters it doesnt matter since it is spellslot slot. Tank otoh have very little to gain, there being total 1 belt with immunities, and that is 5% elementals, totalling 25%. Now would I rather have exo resist on helm and 5% ele's on belt or exo resist on belt and 5% phys' helm, I'd surely pick phys.

None the less, almost pointless argument as VoV + asmo belt is still superior option in so many cases.

Small extra note to point out regen, sure Grazzt only has +6 as base iirc, but when you add some on all pieces of your gear you're suddenly looking at +80, which for AC tank is generaly enough to regen all the damage you take during run, without getting severly inflicted.