Curse

HerbalNine · Apr 07, 2005, 09:15 PM // 21:15

This is the build I have developed over the course of the beta events, and the one I will be using for my charcter Herbal Nine at release. It has served me well and my team mates better, dealing constant ranged damage while giving life to allies. I am looking to develop this further, perhaps with another line of attributes so please give me all yours suggestions! I am aiming this character more at being a useful part of a PvE team than anything else.

I would like most of all if anyone has any ideas of how i can ease the energy usage of this build PLEASE reply!

Ranger/Monk

Marksmanship 11 (+1)
Expertise 10 (+1)
Healing Prayers 10

Points used: 199

Barrage: All your preparations are removed. Shoot arrows up to 5 enemies near your target. These arrows strike for +13 more damage if they hit. This is an elite skill.

Power Shot If Power Shot hits, you strike for +25 damage.

Precision Shot If Precision Shot hits, you strike for +25 damage. Precision Shot cannot be blocked or evaded. This action is easily interrupted.

Hunters Shot If Hunter's Shot hits, you strike for +17 damage. If this attack hits a fleeing or knocked down foe, that foe begins bleeding for 21 seconds.

Heal Party Heal entire party for +63 health.

Healing Breeze For 10 seconds, target ally gains health regeneration of 8.

Heal Other Heal target other ally for 141 health.

Resurect

I know there are a million of these, but I am looking for simplicity; am I missing a way to make big damage?

--Herbal Nine

Kha · Apr 07, 2005, 09:35 PM // 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerbalNine

I am aiming this character more at being a useful part of a PvE team than anything else.

I would like most of all if anyone has any ideas of how i can ease the energy usage of this build PLEASE reply!

Ranger/Monk

Marksmanship 11 (+1)
Expertise 10
Healing Prayers 10 (+1)

Points used: 199

Barrage: All your preparations are removed. Shoot arrows up to 5 enemies near your target. These arrows strike for +13 more damage if they hit. This is an elite skill.

Power Shot If Power Shot hits, you strike for +25 damage.

Precision Shot If Precision Shot hits, you strike for +25 damage. Precision Shot cannot be blocked or evaded. This action is easily interrupted.

Hunters Shot If Hunter's Shot hits, you strike for +17 damage. If this attack hits a fleeing or knocked down foe, that foe begins bleeding for 21 seconds.

Heal Party Heal entire party for +63 health.

Healing Breeze For 10 seconds, target ally gains health regeneration of 8.

Heal Other Heal target other ally for 141 health.

Resurect

I know there are a million of these, but I am looking for simplicity; am I missing a way to make big damage?

--Herbal Nine

This is definately a PvE build. It looks pretty good.

To increase damage output you would need to increase arrow speed. This could be done with Read the Wind or Favorable Winds. Read the Wind won't work with Barrage though, and Barrage is a great damage dealer in PvE. Favorable Winds is a Nature Ritual, and with the new format (summoning spirits) I don't know how useful they are in PvE (haven't tried it.)

To ease up on energy strain, here's my suggestions: Replace Barrage and Power Shot with Read the Wind and Dual Shot. Then replace Heal Other with Word of Healing. Finally replace Heal Party with Essence Bond (so you can get more energy) or another ranger stance/attack (focus here is to have more ranger skills to get the best out of your expertise).

Restore Life might be better off than Resurrect. Sure rangers are distance fighters, but with your high armor you can go into the battle to revive (though usually better to revive after battle anyways). Plus brings back a good amount of energy so the person (especially caster or healer) isn't left "defenseless/useless" for a few seconds.

erotica · Apr 07, 2005, 09:38 PM // 21:38

Wow, and I thought I was the only person that thought of R/M combo... awesome. This will be great guidelines for me.

Loviatar · Apr 07, 2005, 09:57 PM // 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by erotica

Wow, and I thought I was the only person that thought of R/M combo... awesome. This will be great guidelines for me.

ranger/monk is one of the best survival PVE types while soloing with henchmen

HerbalNine · Apr 07, 2005, 10:14 PM // 22:14

Thanks very much Kha.

I am very keen on Read the wind and favourable winds, but i am not sure if i could replace anything other than hunters shot with them. Also i am unsure of the how useful they are exactly in damage output.

Barrage is so powerful against the groups you so often find in PvE i dont think i could ever remove it from the build, and consequently i sadly cannot incorporate Word of healing, though this would be very useful. I am intrigued by Essence bond, but as it depreciates your Energy regeneration by 1 arrow, how powerful is it?

Ideally i would have a skill which would generate energy to add to the benefits of expertise and allow me to repeatedly power and precision shot.

I have never used anything other than the Resurect skill for the simple reason that it has allowed me to revive entire parties, when i have been the last man standing, so many times i cannot remember. When most of your party is being camped on by hungry beasts you thank god you can do this from a distance and take your time. I always ensure that i have enough energy so that once the resurect has completed i can instantly bring them back up to health, and i generally just bring back a Tank first so they are not dependant on energy.

Kha · Apr 07, 2005, 11:22 PM // 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerbalNine

Thanks very much Kha.

I am very keen on Read the wind and favourable winds, but i am not sure if i could replace anything other than hunters shot with them. Also i am unsure of the how useful they are exactly in damage output.

Barrage is so powerful against the groups you so often find in PvE i dont think i could ever remove it from the build, and consequently i sadly cannot incorporate Word of healing, though this would be very useful. I am intrigued by Essence bond, but as it depreciates your Energy regeneration by 1 arrow, how powerful is it?

Ideally i would have a skill which would generate energy to add to the benefits of expertise and allow me to repeatedly power and precision shot.

I have never used anything other than the Resurect skill for the simple reason that it has allowed me to revive entire parties, when i have been the last man standing, so many times i cannot remember. When most of your party is being camped on by hungry beasts you thank god you can do this from a distance and take your time. I always ensure that i have enough energy so that once the resurect has completed i can instantly bring them back up to health, and i generally just bring back a Tank first so they are not dependant on energy.

I find Read the Wind very handy (Favorable Winds I have honestly never tried) and the extra damage along with the speed it adds is nice. Hunter's Shot is a GREAT skill. Good damage, possible condition, low cost and fairly low recharge. But you can do without it since you have Barrage.

I understand the power of Barrage in PvE. Even when there aren't a lot of enemies grouped together it is good to have. But doesn't hurt to try other combinations. Used properly, Essence Bond can be very handy and worth the -1 energy regen. Cast it on the warrior that is getting a lot of hits and you will be raking in the energy. As long as something is physically attacking your target, it will beat having that 3rd regen arrow.

Resurrect and Restore Life are just personal opinions to which to use. I've had more success with Restore Life and find the fact that it gives energy too a great bonus, but if Resurrect works for you then use it.

Skills you might want to replace are Power Shot (I think Dual Shot or Penetrating Attack are better), Hunter's Shot and Heal Party. Three heals is far too much for a ranger to have in a build. 1 is enough, 2 if you really arent comfortable with 1. It can be nice to have heals with a monk secondary, but too many and you are taking away from your main role. One main monk is more than enough for healing on missions as long as they know what to do. Ween yourself off of feeling you have to support your team with healing so much.

Maybe even try Smiting Prayers instead of Healing Prayers to see what your build can be like focused on pure damage output (or try a four attribute build).

Xellos · Apr 07, 2005, 11:53 PM // 23:53

I don't think you can have Healing Prayers +1 rune, since your a ranger primary, unless there's something else giving it....

Kha · Apr 07, 2005, 11:58 PM // 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xellos

I don't think you can have Healing Prayers +1 rune, since your a ranger primary, unless there's something else giving it....

Xellos is right. A ranger primary can only use ranger runes. The only other thing I can think of that could give it is a held item that gives +1 (x% while using skills) but obviously that wouldn't be since the build is based on using a bow.

HerbalNine · Apr 08, 2005, 02:36 PM // 14:36

You are right of course, and i have changed the original post accordingly. Using a Hunters Mask there is a +1 bonus to Expertise.

I have another possible alteration which i just found the notes for under a massive pile of papers:

Replacing Healing Breeze with Vigorous Spirit (For 30 seconds, each time target ally attacks or casts a spell, that ally is healed for 10 points. Cost of 5) would allow the character to support tanks without a high energy cost. Placing Essence Bond on the same tank would then give the character a steady supply of energy.

I will certainly try this out in 6 days time

--Herbal Nine

Jia Xu · Apr 08, 2005, 07:37 PM // 19:37

read the wind is ok, but in your build you are using barrage - which gets rid of it. Favourable winds is better in a combination with barrage, as barrage doesnt remove it - however, im a ranger noob so go with what your experience has taught ya!

HerbalNine · Apr 08, 2005, 08:42 PM // 20:42

thats right! i had completely forgotten that Barrage did that because i wasnt using and preperations. I would in that case use Favourable Winds instead for sure.

thanks Jia
--Herbal Nine

erotica · Apr 12, 2005, 11:37 AM // 11:37

So, favorable winds instead of healing breeze?