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cupkeyk
2007-09-13, 10:35 PM
maybe I was wrong with my choice of race(whispergnome) but I can't help that now. But I suck!!!. I am the totally suckiest in my party. The other party members are a bloodclaw master/ swordsage/ warblade/fighter and a swashbuckler/carmendine monk/eternal blade and a Lion Totem Barbarian/Fighter/Tempest with improved unarmed strike and a great sword. i am not even a competent skill monkey. What is wrong with me?

S10 D22 C14 I16 W14 C51

Sct1 +0 Skirmish (+1d6), trapfinding, Expiditious Dodge

2 Rgr1 +1 1st favored enemy(undead), Track, Spiritual Connection

3 Sct2 +2 Battle fortitude +1, uncanny dodge, Mobility

4 Sct3 +3 Fast movement +10 ft., skirmish (+1d6, +3 AC), trackless step

5 Rgr2 +4 Combat style(Rapid Shot)

6 Sct4 +5 Point Blank Shot, Swift Hunter 2nd Favored Enemy(Constructs), skirmish (+2d6, +1 AC)

7 Rgr3 +6 Endurance, skirmish (+2d6, +4 AC)

8 Rgr4 +7 Spiritual Companion, (Champion of the wild)Precise Shot

9 Sct5 +7 Evasion, Shot on the Run, skirmish (+3d6, +4 AC), Skill Trick: Acrobatic Backstab

10 Rgr5 +8 3rd favored enemy (Elementals)

11 Sct6 +9 Flawless Stride, skirmish (+3d6, +5 AC)

12 Rgr6 +10 Improved combat style(ManyShot), Greater Manyshot

13 Sct7 +11 skirmish (+4d6, +5 AC)

14 Sct8 +12 Camouflage, Improved Skirmish skirmish (+6d6, +7 AC)

15 Sct9 +12 Woodland Archer, skirmish (+6d6, +8 AC), 4th Favored Enemy(Oozes)

16 Sct10 +13 Blindsense 30 ft.

17 Rgr7 +14 Woodland stride, skirmish (+7d6, +8 AC)

18 Rgr8 +15 Swift tracker, Darkstalker, (Champion of the Wild) Blind Fighting

19 Rgr9 +16 Spell Reflection, skirmish (+7d6, +9 AC)

20 Sct11 +17 Battle fortitude +2, fast movement +20 ft., 5t Favored Enemy(Plants)

my_evil_twin
2007-09-13, 10:51 PM
Just off the top of my head, you seem to have systematically chosen as your favored enemies every type of creature that is immune to precision-based damage. Maybe this hasn't come up but technically that would make them immune to favored-enemy damage bonuses too. You'd do better to concentrate those bonuses on one or two favored enemies (in my opinion) that will take the extra damage. Dragons and goblinoids come to mind.

You mixed two classes with similar roles, which generally sounds like a good idea at first but doesn't pan out in the end. What you get is redundancy, and you tend to miss out on the high-level abilities of either class. You would have better luck specializing in one class or the other.

I'm not familiar with some of the PrCs you mention, but it looks like the other party members are optimized for combat, and high damage output. A support combat class like the ranger or scout often plays second fiddle to the fighter, and it looks like you're playing fourth fiddle to three fighters. To avoid this, you could focus in one of the other strengths of your class. If you focus on ranger, that would be supportive spellcasting. If you focus on scout, that would be skill points; scouts get 8 skill points a level, and are designed to take the place of a rogue.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-09-13, 10:56 PM
Actually, the Swift Tracker feat takes care of the first couple parts. First off, Favored Enemy damage applies to things that are immune to crits, as an exception to the general rule of precision damage. Swift Tracker both stacks Ranger and Hunter levels for favored enemy bonuses and skirmish damage, and allows Skirmish damage to apply normally to crit-immune enemies.

In fact, overall, the build looks good as far as I can tell. How are you fighting? What are you doing in combat? Ideally, you'd move, then Improved Multishot. That should deal plenty of damage. What's the problem?

Dr. Weasel
2007-09-13, 11:01 PM
Maybe this hasn't come up but technically that would make them immune to favored-enemy damage bonuses too.
No, it actually doesn't.


You mixed two classes with similar roles, which generally sounds like a good idea at first but doesn't pan out in the end. What you get is redundancy, and you tend to miss out on the high-level abilities of either class. You would have better luck specializing in one class or the other.
He has the Swift Hunter feat which essentially makes him a Scout with better base attack and all the prerequisites for Greater Manyshot

Cupkeyk- Beside taking Spell reflection, there doesn't seem to be any problem with your build. Most players would take more Ranger levels to get better base attack, but what you did looks fine. What skills have you focused on and what race are you referring to taking?

cupkeyk
2007-09-13, 11:02 PM
With Multishot at four arrows I am shooting at +9 BAB(plus dex and my bracers of greater archery). But most of the things that that are thrown our way have absurd reach including a changeling spiked chain tripper fighter warshaper that killed me when I got in range to use my skirmish ability. I am not hitting enough and I can't seem to get out of melee to deal my damage.

I failed to mention that I am a whispergnome.

I already have evasion, spell reflection seemed like an obvious choice. Had I been human or half elf, I would have taken more ranger levels only being a whisper gnome, I will suffer major xp penalties unless i keep them within two levels of each other.

I have max ranks in the scout and mobility skills: listen, spot, jump, swim, climb, sense motive, search, disable device and survival. Some ranks in knowledge (nature, geography, dungeoneering, local), balance, tumble, and cross class skills in open lock.

The Barb can track, the swordsage can scout and they survive traps and bash through doors

my_evil_twin
2007-09-13, 11:03 PM
Actually, the Swift Tracker feat takes care of the first couple parts. First off, Favored Enemy damage applies to things that are immune to crits, as an exception to the general rule of precision damage. Swift Tracker both stacks Ranger and Hunter levels for favored enemy bonuses and skirmish damage, and allows Skirmish damage to apply normally to crit-immune enemies.That'll teach me to disregard the feats. I'm currently trying to find where I got that idea about favored enemy damage, because I could've sworn I read it somewhere.

Iku Rex
2007-09-13, 11:30 PM
I'm currently trying to find where I got that idea about favored enemy damage, because I could've sworn I read it somewhere.(3.0 rule)

Crow
2007-09-14, 05:11 AM
Well, outside of changing your build and equipment options, I can offer you this;

You're a Scout.

So Scout.

Range far ahead of the party and use your class skills to the utmost. Gather as much information as you can about the enemy in as precise a fashion as possible. Make sure your party knows exactly what the battlefield will look like before they get there.

Once combat starts, hit-and-fade, staying well out of melee range. Play the sniper, picking off wounded enemies and those who try to flee.

Spiryt
2007-09-14, 05:27 AM
Well, in the first place I can say that you don't look so weak, instead things like

swashbuckler/carmendine monk/eternal blade sounds somewhat cheesy to me.

Crow
2007-09-14, 05:36 AM
Well, in the first place I can say that you don't look so weak, instead things like

swashbuckler/carmendine monk/eternal blade sounds somewhat cheesy to me.

Yes, nearly as cheesy as my Sorcerer/Fighter/Spellsword/Abjurant Champion/Eldritch Knight. He was supposed to be a Viking Battle-Mage.

How is your Viking Battle-Mage character affiliated with any of those groups?

"I don't know!"

How did your Viking Battle-mage character come to train in those groups?

"I don't know!"

How did your Viking Battle-Mage character even hear about those groups?

"I don't know!"

Why does your Viking Battle-Mage character use a spiked chain?

"I can solo the Tarrasque!"

Murderous Hobo
2007-09-14, 06:20 AM
You need to work on your bull****ting skills.

My Viking Battle-Mage comes from the Southern desert of Ice where in his nomadic life he's studied under a great number of different teachers learning the crunch equivalents of Spellsword, Abjurant Champion and Eldritch Knight.

Then you add in the stuff about a star falling from the sky, followed by bad-omens and going out on a quest to put the star back into the sky.

Of course it helps when DM is home brewing.

Kaelik
2007-09-14, 08:29 AM
Yes, nearly as cheesy as my Sorcerer/Fighter/Spellsword/Abjurant Champion/Eldritch Knight. He was supposed to be a Viking Battle-Mage.

How many levels of Fighter? Cause you could totally go for 3lvls of Duskblade, and probably go Wizard instead. Fewer CLs, but not too many fewer, and you grap some Duskblade spells, Combat Casting for Spellsword free, and Arcane Strike which does not specify Duskblade spells.

Combust on weapon for 10d8 Damage with every standard action? Maximized Combust for 80+1.5 Str+Weapon?

Crow
2007-09-14, 10:25 AM
How many levels of Fighter? Cause you could totally go for 3lvls of Duskblade, and probably go Wizard instead. Fewer CLs, but not too many fewer, and you grap some Duskblade spells, Combat Casting for Spellsword free, and Arcane Strike which does not specify Duskblade spells.

Combust on weapon for 10d8 Damage with every standard action? Maximized Combust for 80+1.5 Str+Weapon?

Just one level of fighter. For the feat and the proficiencies.

Duskblade would hedge out my higher level spells, and I just prefer Sorcerer (no mechanical reason, just like them better). He's got CL18, so not too bad. Though that Combust combo is almost too good to pass up!

Kaelik
2007-09-14, 12:33 PM
Just one level of fighter. For the feat and the proficiencies.

Duskblade would hedge out my higher level spells, and I just prefer Sorcerer (no mechanical reason, just like them better). He's got CL18, so not too bad. Though that Combust combo is almost too good to pass up!

Well be sure to grab Practiced Spellcaster. Especially if you use my build ever. CL 20 FTW.

Indon
2007-09-14, 01:16 PM
The Barb can track, the swordsage can scout and they survive traps and bash through doors

Your Barbarian has the "Track" feat?

Because you can't make any tracking roll over DC 10 without it. (Rangers get it for free)

cupkeyk
2007-09-16, 03:57 AM
Your Barbarian has the "Track" feat?

Because you can't make any tracking roll over DC 10 without it. (Rangers get it for free)

Better... He has scent.

I just got knocked out again. Redcaps monkey-gripping medium scythes. I couldn't even understand why they were chasing after me. And charging no less. And hitting for that matter. They were suboptimal except I had no cold iron arrows and was rolling abyssmally.

I do not know what is wrong. Honestly.

lord_khaine
2007-09-16, 05:00 AM
well scent alone isnt enough to track, you still need the feat.

and as for the redcaps, that really was your own fault for running around without cold iron arrows to start with.

The Glyphstone
2007-09-16, 05:08 AM
I think this sounds like your DM is out to get you, if every monster you fight is specifically tailored to negate your effectiveness and special abilities...