Ranger/bard/harper agent or Arcane archer

[Legacy_Naeryna]

               

Suggestions welcome, stats, feats, spells, should I choose harper agent or arcane archer....

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               

I like arcane archer, but usually omit bard levels - it requires little .2da manipulation to work because it is against the rules.

I have recently replayed SoU with Ranger/AA and Mischa* as Paladin and in the end it was quite easy due to extra xp from all ranger and paladin related quests.

So that one or few bard levels might not be such a stupid idea.

*needs to be unlocked again, but works superbly! They removed her from final game version.

 

Harper agent is thought to be weak - I have only chosen it in one module when it was fit for the story.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_icywind1980]

               

If you want to do it legally and not have to mess with files do AA/bard/ranger - but keep in mind you have to be either an elf or half elf to get AA. Elf's are favored to be wizard so that might be a better option, if you don't want to have an xp penalty. Harper scouts don't have a lot going for them, which is why many people don't bother. They can be fun to RP though.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Sachie]

               

I'd do ranger/bard/AA. Harper scounts sound interesting, but they don't seem like they have much going for them.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snowdog65]

               

Thats a pretty vague set of requirements.

 

Harper Agent is really only for role playing, they are mechanically just about useless.

 

AA/Ranger doesn't really have that good of a synergy. AA/Fighter is better.

 

Archery itself is very poor in NWN, so it doesn't come into it's own until quite high levels, and you really need a great bow, which you seldom find.

 

I played a Half-Elf Fighter/Bard/AA from SoU into HotU, and it really didn't become good until HotU.

 

But at Epic levels in HotU AA can be quite sweet.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

Best AA is Clc15/brd2/AA23. Travel give haste so make it ez to pull mob apart nd DP give extra full BAB attack.  Div dmg not resisted wen enemy wear archer belt.

 

Next best ED Rog 13/brd 1/AA26 hi-stelth for many sneak dmg.  Take Called Shot feat for all AA.  Rog AA does traps gud too so can pull mob into trap ez.

 

Harper give 2 Grt Dex for 5 epic lvls then stops. HS better for CHA build cuz only prestig class with Grt CHA for bonus. Asn AA better for DEX feats but evil.

 

Ranger ned too many levels to get BoE.  AA get +1 Ab/+1 dmg for 2 AA lvls.  FEs only add +1 dmg for sum race for 5 rgr lvls but not Ab so AA better archer.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snowdog65]

               

Best AA is Clc15/brd2/AA23. Travel give haste so make it ez to pull mob apart nd DP give extra full BAB attack.  Div dmg not resisted wen enemy wear archer belt.

 

Next best ED Rog 13/brd 1/AA26 hi-stelth for many sneak dmg.  Take Called Shot feat for all AA.  Rog AA does traps gud too so can pull mob into trap ez.

 

Harper give 2 Grt Dex for 5 epic lvls then stops. HS better for CHA build cuz only prestig class with Grt CHA for bonus. Asn AA better for DEX feats but evil.

 

Ranger ned too many levels to get BoE.  AA get +1 Ab/+1 dmg for 2 AA lvls.  FEs only add +1 dmg for sum race for 5 rgr lvls but not Ab so AA better archer.

 

People always trot out Level 40 builds, which essentially apply only on some online player worlds, which is almost never what the person is asking about. PW builds should be a separate topic, since they are subject to house rules anyway.

 

HotU and most other Module top out in the 20's, an here we are talking about SoU which tops out in the teens.

 

Also while Divine builds can work for Melee or Range fighter, a significant number of people don't want to have to buff up with spells to fight, and be hopeless when they run out.

 

I prefer a strength based Fighter/Bard/AA.  At almost any level you can fight melee about 95% as good as dedicated melee fighter with AA on top. Very handy at lower levels when Archery is particularly weak, as would be the case in SoU.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Empyre65]

               

Does anybody ever play SoU and then just stop? I always follow SoU with HotU (often with the Nether Scrolls bridge module in between), and after HotU, I play the Sands of Fate series to get all the way to level 40. My Rogue 17 / Wizard 1 /  Arcane Archer 22 did quite well.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snowdog65]

               

Does anybody ever play SoU and then just stop? I always follow SoU with HotU (often with the Nether Scrolls bridge module in between), and after HotU, I play the Sands of Fate series to get all the way to level 40. My Rogue 17 / Wizard 1 /  Arcane Archer 22 did quite well.

 

I only continued once.  Often I take a break after playing a campaign. So I don't feel the real need to continue, with the same character later when I play another campaign.

 

Also I often use breaks between modules to switch out characters. Plus I really liked HotU, and played it at least 6 times. I wasn't going to play SoU over and over just to play the module I really wanted to play.