Build advice: Ranger - Arcane Archer

[Legacy_Ratapoil]

                I haven't played the game yet, it should arrive in the mail any day now (NWN deluxe, includes both exp packs).
I've been reading on wikia and guides about character building, tough I didn't find any talk covered specifically the class I want to create.
I want to have a chaotic good Sun-Elf Ranger / Arcane Archer.
I'm thinking of giving it  approximately the following stats:
Str  14
Dex  14+
Con  12-
Int  12+
Wis  14
Cha  10-

+ and - mean "maybe more, maybe less" because I'm not sure exactly how many points I will be able to allow and how the race modifiers actually work. My incertainty is especially about Int and Cha, as I don't know how much they would affect the Arcane Archer's special abilities (whether they're feats, skills or spells) and if I can expect to have useful spells from a low-level wizard subclass. Also even though guides suggest to keep charisma low I do not want it to be an impediment for getting varied talk options and a rich role-playing in the campaign.

The second class (needed to have arcane casting ability) would be a wizard, to avoid multiclass XP penalty. I would choose the evocation school because I like to cast offensive spells, however I think I will rather focus on the Ranger development. Therefore I would probably get it to 7/1 and then level up only the arcane archer class.

Could you enlighten me about the role of the level of charisma in the gameplay, would be worth it to bring it over 8? Would it be worth it to boost Int higher than 12 for AA/Wiz classes? (I don't want it to be lower than that for skill points)

Do you have any recommendations/suggestions/commentaries on Rangers and Arcane Archers I should find valuable?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               You want to play OC with this:?



If so, I must inform you that OC is playable with every build, so play what you like and do not worry about power building.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eurypterid]

               There are no subraces in the stock game*, so your character's racial adjustments will be the Elf standard +2 DEX and -2 CON.



*You can fill in the subrace field, but it will have no effect on the game play.



Choosing the Evocation school will have no effect on your spell's power, so don't go that route if you're doing so to boost your Evocation spells' effectiveness. Choose a school of specialization based on what opposing spell school's spells you'll lose.



Arcane Archer's special abilities are feats.



CHA helps in some dialog options, but it's not necessary to pump it really high. You can use items/potions/scrolls to boost it when needed. I wouldn't go more than 10 unless my character has SOR or Paladin levels. I'd only boost INT high enough to cast whatever level of WIZ spells you'll have access to. With one level of WIZ, that means you only need 11 (although I'd go for a minimum of 12 as well for the skill points).



Be warned that archers in this game are weak, although the AA is a viable option. But you won't find it terribly effective until you get a few levels under your belt, when you start getting the bonuses to hit and damage on your arrows.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               I haven't done a build like the one you describe (I have an elf rogue/wizard/arcane archer character I am taking through the OC, but the focus is on wizard advancement). I think ShaDoOoW's advice not to worry much about the perfect build for the OC is really good. Make the character to satisfy your sense of what's interesting and useful in a character; the OC is too easy to worry about power building.



It's good that you are interested in running the starting character through an actual campaign. There is quite a bit of building advice that seems to assume that all that matters is what the character looks like at level 40, but doesn't pay much attention to what makes a character playable and effective before that. (E.g. "Have your fighter save 30 skill points and take a level of rogue at 7th level to put 10 points in tumble, ten points in search, and ten points in UMD." Yeah, great, but that's like five levels of no skill advancement beforehand.)



Though I am interested in seeing what people with more experience have to say, but here are potentially a few interesting considerations that popped into my head. In no particular order:



* Why sun elf, even assuming you use a HAK or something to make it available? If you are focusing on the ranger and then  AA classes, you won't get much out of the sun elf's intelligence increase aside from the skill point bump. And, as AA will focus on ranged weaponry, you would benefit from the normal elvish dexterity for both ranged attack bonus and AC bonus with light armor (and medium armor, though that will cost you the dual-wield feat benefits). You might consider an elf with starting stats Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Wis 10, Int 12, Cha 10.



* You don't necessarily have to wait until level 9 to start taking AA levels, since you can have qualified after level 7 with Ranger 6 / Wizard 1.



* A 1st-level wizard isn't going to have all that much in the way of useful spells, but having a couple extra Protection From Evil, Resist Elements, or even Shield per day might be useful. Evocation is probably fine for a spell school, though there aren't any first-level evocation spells that are all that effective at level 7+. I would just make sure you don't lose access to a school that might be useful. E,g, don't choose necromancy because you won't be able to cast Identify or True strike, which are 1st-level wizard spells that can still be valuable at higher levels.



* Most first-level familiars won't be much help by the time you are seventh+ level, though a pixie might be useful for opening locks and disabling traps if you can keep it alive.



* I didn't find charisma to be all that important in the OC. There is a time early on when the extra gold one can persuade at quest completion is important, but it seems like you pretty quickly get to the point where you have enough money for most of what's worth buying. And, there is always Boddyknock's ring, Sharwyn's belt, and purchasable masks of persuasion and amulets of the master to help buff charisma and persuade skills.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_tmanfoo]

               I think the first time I played through NWN/OC was with a druid, wielding long swords, none of the feats for them, and a small army of pets.  It was great fun.  Play whatever you're happy with, Sometimes I think things are more fun when you're not trying to min/max.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               A few points, some of which may actually be useful (the blind squirrel effect, of course)...

On the abilities, determine how many levels of wiz you want and set Int at 10+([wiz lvl+1]/2 ). ﾃつ More if you need skill points. ﾃつ Unless you are emphasizing melee, I'd max Dex for the archery. ﾃつ Even so, with FE feats you can do well on damage with a ranger Dex build. Of course, depending on which feats interest you you may need move abilities a bit. So decide which feats and which skills and set them accordingly. ﾃつ Set the Cha for sorc similar to the Int for wiz. ﾃつ With Bard you'll need at least 2 levels to cast spells with Cha 12, 3 with less. You will also need at least 8 levels of ranger to get Cat's Grace with Wis of at least 12. ﾃつ really, that's the only reason to go ranger instead of rogue IMO. ﾃつ Personally, I'd rather shoot sneaks from across the screen than bump my Dex up a few points (and the +12 cap is easily reached with items in the campaigns anyway).

Your arcane level(s) will be totally ineffective offensively so stick to buffing. ﾃつ Unless you decide to use the AA just for support... not a good idea. Most non-epic AAs use just a single arcane level to qualify and place the rest into AA with rogue dumps into Tumble and UMD.

Keep in mind that for the campaigns, the OC ends at about level 18, SoU about 14 and HotU at about 28. ﾃつ The OC is a stand-alone character. ﾃつ But the SoU character is a good one to start HotU. ﾃつ So within the limitations of the final level range, you can easily spread yourself thin if multiclassing. ﾃつ As has also been mentioned, it's pretty tough to screw up a build in the campaigns which are more like introductory content compared to those that the community has created.ﾃつ 

Now is the time to just experiment and learn the ropes. ﾃつ Later on, will come the the tests of combat effectiveness.

So... have fun!ﾃつ '>
               
               

               

                     Modifiﾃδｩ par HipMaestro, 07 octobre 2010 - 04:13 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               I expected a lot once from that "elegant" class, but AA animations are the poorest and most disapointing animations around NWN. To be considered if you ever chose that class for its expected special effects, and even some feats... which are equal to none.

In my only opinion, of curse.

But still...
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Ratapoil]

               

HipMaestro wrote...
Keep in mind that for the campaigns, the OC ends at about level 18, SoU about 14 and HotU at about 28.  The OC is a stand-alone character.  But the SoU character is a good one to start HotU.  So within the limitations of the final level range, you can easily spread yourself thin if multiclassing. 

Do you mean after finishing SoU, you can continue playing with the same character in HotU, but in OC it stops there?

So if I cared mostly about shooting powerful magical arrows, I probably will not make it there until the very end of the game in OC. Maybe it wouldn't be that much worth it to level up a low-level AA instead of the higher-level ranger.
Maybe I'll just play a pure ranger then...

thanks for the advice
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eurypterid]

               

Ratapoil wrote...

Do you mean after finishing SoU, you can continue playing with the same character in HotU, but in OC it stops there?

The staories are written so that it's assumed your SoU character is the one playing in HotU (there are a few references to your character as being the hero of SoU). But it's only story references. It has no effect on the game play. You can take your NWN OC character into HotU if you want.

Ratapoil wrote...
So if I cared mostly about shooting powerful magical arrows, I probably will not make it there until the very end of the game in OC. Maybe it wouldn't be that much worth it to level up a low-level AA instead of the higher-level ranger.
Maybe I'll just play a pure ranger then...

thanks for the advice

If you're playing as a primarily ranged focused character, you're better off going with AA. You can still max out the pre-epic AA levels, since you cannot take more than 10 levels of a prestige class before level 21. And you get +1 to AB and damage on your arrows at every odd-numbered AA level. So it coould still be worth it to focus on AA in the OC.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Ratapoil]

               

Eurypterid wrote...
The stories are written so that it's assumed your SoU character is the one playing in HotU (there are a few references to your character as being the hero of SoU). But it's only story references. It has no effect on the game play. You can take your NWN OC character into HotU if you want.

Ok, but will I start the expension game at the same level I was with the previous game?

thanks
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eurypterid]

               Yes, you'll start at whatever level your character is when you import it. The game doesn't de-level you.

Some people even run their OC character into SoU, then HotU, but bear in mind SoU is intended to be played with a new level 1 character and the encounters don't scale, so SoU would be a massive (and likely very boring) cakewalk with a level 18 character.
               
               

               

                     Modifiﾃδｩ par Eurypterid, 07 octobre 2010 - 10:27 .