So...Mokune is on life 14 and to "celebrate" I give you the Gimpcher

HElf-Cleric Dille-9Monk/11Ranger
+4 Tome Con, +3 for all the rest.
10/11 EDs Capped, Plan on capping FoTW this life.
Starting Stats
Str-16
Dex-12
Con-14
Wis-17 + Level Ups
Int-10
Cha-9
Skills Max Ranks in UMD and Concentration, the rest assigned between Balance, Jump, MS, Bluff and Tumble
1-3 Ranger, 4 Monk, 5-7 Ranger,  8 Monk, 9-12 Monk, 13-17 Ranger, 18-20 Monk
Feats
1 Ranger WF:Ranged
3 Ranger PBS
4 Monk Zen Archery
6 Ranger PL: Sorceror
8 Monk Stunning Fist
9 Toughness
12 Monk Dodge, and Completionist
15 IC: Ranged
18 Empower Heal Spell
21 IC: Bludgeon
24 ??? Quicken, Quick Draw, idk really.

Or the Variant with level ups in Strength
15 PA
18 Cleave
21 Great Cleave
24 OC

I'm not sure which is gonna give better performance.

Option 1, Stronger 10k Stars + Good DCs for SF, Dark Monk Debuffs and ToD.

or

Option 2, Half-Ass Monk stuff but more damage output and AOE melee with Cleave/GCleave and OC on everything.
(Note: I *could* drop completionist and take IC: Ranged for option 2 but don't really want to do that)

I am leaning more to option 1 but option 2 seems tasty too.

What to do?

I have several goals for this character.

1-To play the build before the enhancement pass.
2-To have a build with many options to work with when the enhancement pass happens and I have to reroll
3-A ranger past life would be an nice if I am coerced to TR again by enh pass.
4-375 PDK Favor
5-Epic Elite survivabilty
6-Strong self healing
7-Light party support

I realize there are more focused ranged DPS builds.

9Monk = Improved Evasion, Ninja Spy, ToD is icing.
11 Ranger = Feats

I will be able to twist in whatever I need given the situation and should be able to roll with just about anything (even if it is a very ugly roll).

I am leaning heavily toward option 1 for my playstyle.  I am thinking Quickdraw for my level 24 Feat and possible dumping IC: Bludgeon for Magical Training.

I'd honestly go with option 2.

The support in EE's from a build like this comes from twisting Pin and possibly Whistler as well. The self-healing comes from twisting cocoon primarily...you can get it from other places but I find I rarely need more than cocoon offers and if I do I can always pop a couple cure critical on my build (yours could probably get heal scroll usage for more healing than I'm getting out of the cure crit right now).

Mine's a bit different (I LR'd my drunk 9/9/2 into an AA) but Cleave + Great Cleave give that aoe damage option and I've found I use that a ton any time I run things under EE. It sounds like you plan on running some sub-EE stuff as well and without Cleave/GClv it's a bit frustrating when you get large groups.

EE survivability is pretty good with solid gear. Getting prowess set bonus + 14 PRR gem is pretty key. At only 9 monk levels you'll probably run ocean stance which doesn't give you another option for some PRR that the 12 monk splashes take advantage of but 29PRR is much better than nothing. Blur w/ displacement clickies and Shadow Fade when shit gets real + whatever dodge you can muster makes for a tough to hit character and given that you're ranged you'll take very little damage once you get comfortable with the build.

I'm in the same place with soloing EE's on an AA. I'm learning. What I can say without hesitation is that Overwhelming Critical and to a lesser extent Improved Critical: Ranged are a huge part of what makes this build viable there. There are fights in EE that you just have to have done NOW. Furyshot with huge crit's is what makes that happen.

The only thing I question is whether improved evasion is worth some of the cuts the build has to make to get it. You could get 1 more strength and a mini-haste boost at the cost of ToD (which is AP expensive anyways) and Improved Evasion by going 11 ranger/7 monk/2 fighter. That buys you two extra feats so that you don't have to make as many either-or decisions. It takes away the ToD option but honestly ToD is there for spike damage needs only...we've got that more than covered with Furyshot. The Improved Evasion is more of a thing I'd miss but you can get to that point in practice by combining the right reflex twists with running GMoF if you absolutely, positively need to make all your reflex saves. I've never found the need for this but it's an option that's available.

Mokune wrote on Jun 11^th, 2013 at 2:07pm:


if you're dropping monk levels consider:

7 monk also gives you the next tier of monk improved recovery.
2 arti is effectively one free feat, longer displace scrolls, and easy umd.
3 arti is same as above, and lets you cast elemental weapons.

Personally, I love the 11/6/3 build, I've all but given up on wraps on my AA, it can't take a hit like the 12monk version can, but the versatility gained is great, even in EE.

That said, the biggest think 9monk gets you isn't tod, or improved evasion, it's the next tier of movement speed. That's something both  you and Darkrok are glossing over.

Yeah Munkenmo...that's right more run speed at monk level 9.  I hadnt completely overlooked it but it was off my radar.

Thanks for the reminder.

Sithali's build is Sithali's.  It may be tight but builds like that rely on play style as much as raw numbers.

Their really is no "endgame" in my book.

Nothing is final.

I *could* roll up whatever I wanted at this point whether it be a King of Burst DPS, Shiradi or Jugg on different toons.

but /shrug

Can't put any stock in any build with the impending Enh Pass.

I don't need to be a DPS 1%-er.

If I don't like build (slim chance) or don't like how it performs in EE (greater chance but don't know so /shrug) I can always TR and have +2 more on ranged damage.

I know for a fact I could build and enjoy whatever build of the month is on the OTHER forum.  But why would I want to play with someone elses sloppy seconds?

If you're interested in making it an end game, you might want to consider 2 pally.  Even symerith switched to 2 pally with his monkcher.

I'm debating the same things right now. I want to get 3 ranger past lives. I have all the nice heroic bows other than from Abbot so ranged is definitely an option.

I just can't decide whether I want to go through 3 ranger lives with no ranged option (running something like the 9druid/9ranger/2monk), something that uses manyshot but doesn't bother with 10k stars, or something that uses both.

I've got the stuff to make 2 deathnips so that's a pretty attractive option. I've toyed with the idea of doing a life starting 1 monk (early feat + handwrap option for skele's), then doing all 11 ranger, and finishing off the trip to 18 with 6 fighter levels. That would give kensei I for the love on crits for the deathnips, enough feats to fit in all the stuff for ranged and melee (including cleave/gclv for aoe damage), and of course the ability to run centered for extra healing amp and for faster bludgeoning damage on skele's with my mabar wraps.

Also considered going with 1 fighter over the 1 arti in a build that hits 18 as 11 ranger/6 monk/1 fighter. That one trades in the kensei 1 stuff for 10k stars. You also gain shadow fade and some sneak damage.

The thing I question, assuming you're tr'ing at 20, is 10k stars being worth it or not. Without ocean III or enlightenment it'd be tough to stay ranged all the time. Just some of the stuff I'm running through in my own mind before these ranger lives.

Honestly if you can do ranged damage and twist Pin/Otto's you can solo many of the EE's. Just about patience and cheesing things.

Meh, single pull Awaken Elemental Weakness is best.

Mokune wrote on Jun 24^th, 2013 at 10:07am:


I really go heavily in to bluff on my Druid mutts...and I ran some EE's with that heavy investment. It's hit or miss but you can definitely pull off bluffing in EE's on a decently regular basis.