An Archer build

[Terrytigre]

Well here is a suggestion for how to make an archer build.
Please note that it cannot compete with warrior builds that can kill 50 mobs or more with one extended charge, or Mage builds that can clear a room with one spell.

What it can do is attack mobs at long range without them doing much to you.
My current permadeath character is level 32, and I’m happy to report that rebirth works on permadeath characters…

Skills:
Military Weapon Proficiency needed for warrior skills
Magical implement Proficiency needed for Mage skills
Armor training for heavy armor
Basic Spell casting for mana shield. Lesser telekinesis is helping too.
(I have greater telekinesis but not everybody has that, so the build won’t assume you have it. In fact, I will only assume you have a bow/crossbow)
Hidden light. Keeps the monsters guessing where you are. Except telepaths.
Supernatural Silence. First of the Stealth Skills.
Supernatural Stealth second of the stealth skills.
Assassination the other benefit of the stealth skills. This one is crucial. As long as the mob is unaware you can assassinate him, and the damage may exceed your regular attack damage. It increases the more points you have in Mage skills, so this build concentrates on Mage skills.
So far 8 skillpoints have been spent.
Supernatural recovery an extra save at start is extremely important, even for this build that keeps its distance.
Stoneshaper. This allows you to set up kill zones, long narrow areas with you at one end and the target at the other. Doesn’t work against ghost types that blink beside you. If you are killing mobs with easy you don’t need killzones, but you still need this skill to deal with traps, by evading them or placing a wall and then diggin to erase the trap.
Increase range this works on stoneshaper too. Extended range digging helps to keep your distance.
Enlarge radius. Useful if your ranged weapon has a burst effect. Will help your Mage Spells too, but this is an archer build, not a Mage one.
Supernatural luck. Helps with the saves.
Unwavering focus. Stuns can kill you so protect yourself. Not needed if you have resist stun gear.
Heavy Armor specialization increases AC. Use medium if that is what you are wearing.
Armor mastery needed for impenetrable defense
Protective armor same.
Impenetrable defense. Helps with everything if it works.
Summoner. A golem pet between you and the mobs.
Fast summons. So it can keep up with you.
This is my current 20 skills. I avoided putting too many points in summoning as then the pet will take care of everything and you have a summoner build instead.
Another good option is QuickDraw particularly if you have weapons with free actions like hurricane, confound, wave of terror, etc.
Deadly advantage might work too, haven’t tested that yet.

Things to avoid:
Mage blink. Does not work with a range weapon.
Charges. Same.
Most of the warrior skills as they specify melee weapon.
Cloak of blades. Same.
Mastery skills as they need a magical implement.

Powers.
Here there is a difficult choice, go for second wind or not?
Second wind can be the only thing that can save you if you are surrounded by a horde, and you are too confused to teleport away.. but getting there requires 3 almost useless powers that could have been L15 Epic Mage powers…
In this build I will go for it, as permadeath character playing a sub optimal build, it never hurts to be prepared.
Precise strike. Usually useless.
Recuperating Strike. Might see use against harmless mobs when you need hp and can’t be bothered to drink a potion. Gets better with quick draw.
Tactical strike. Note that shifts benefit from the Mage extended range.
Second Wind. Confused and surrounded by mobs? Second wind and teleport away.
Amplify Damage. Works particularly well if your ranged weapon deals elemental damage as well.
Acid splash. Useful for blinding mobs that are too close. At this level it is a 5*5 area. Won’t do much damage as you are not wielding an implement.
QuickDraw will help here, but if you kill all mobs with spells it no longer is an archer build…
Phase door. You could also buy scrolls for this. Can be risky for a permadeath character so only use it when all spaces near are safe, and you just need some distance. Teleport with control scolls are a must have item, but they aren’t available at start. Also useful to escape a trap. Anchoring runes prevent teleports.
Keen senses. Useful to spot stealthy monsters. You can’t shoot what you can’t see.
Power drain 1. Marginal use, to regain some mana while killing minions.
Explosive retreat. Create distance. No line of sight required, so you could teleport to a 1*1 square surrounded by stoneshaped walls. This makes it impossible for non ghost type mobs to engage you and gives you the chance to restore second wind etc. against a single tough mob you can kite using only this.
Cloak of Shadows. Remember assassination? This makes it work.
Mind lock I. Usually overkill, and psychic daggers 2 is better. But still useful on mobs like greater dreadlords and the like that you don’t want free to acts, so you keep them stunned and confused.
Freezing cloud. Good range just what you need to keep them immobilized.
(Almost all other builds use charged bolts here)
Frozen armor. Can immobilize but more importantly has a graphic effect. If you activate all free action auras at the same time then you know it is time to renew when it disappears. This is especially important for cloak of shadows.
Psychic daggers 2. Confused mobs make easy targets. With regular mages this becomes about the only spell they use when facing only a few mobs.
Burst of speed. Critical when facing a tough room, combine with stoneshaping to prevent them from attacking in return. Combos particularly well with second wind as you can free yourself from confusion with a free action and then gain more free actions.
Defensive stance from the warrior powers. This improves your saves and gives you the warrior blink. The shift range is increased too.
The last power you get to choose is another tough choice.
Turn the tide is pet friendly.
Circle of protection gives saves, resists and repelling.
Aura of pain doubles your damage at short range.
Aura of madness confuses those near you stopping plenty of melee attacks.
Energy shield gives a chance to block without a shield.
If you did not take second wind then you could choose them all…
For now I will take circle, for protection.

Finally your weapon. Obviously it should have +Dice and +sides, but other than that +fire% and the like are extremely important. +90% fire changes a 100 damage shot into a 190 damage one, so 4 types of elemental adds means 5* the damage if all are near 100%.
Mana stealing will help feed your mana shield.
The burst effects will clear minions but won’t do much more.
Some interesting special stats are possible, I have found implements with reach, +CRIT chance + crit multtiplyers, telepathy, rebirth etc. I am still hoping for a +speed item that is not a ring or boots…

• This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Terrytigre.

[Terrytigre]

The previous post was eaten by the Forum, so I will repost it.

The archer build was even more survivable than I first thought. I used word of recall, and ended in a huge red room. When it was my turn to act I was down to 1100ish health after they had chewed through my mana shield.

It was only thanks to the archer build that I even got a turn, the armor class was 77ish instead of my normal 28 or so. The saves were also through the roof thanks to impenetrable defense, defensive stance and circle of protection.

There was an rune of anchoring preventing an easy way out, and I was mostly surrounded by mobs.

I still got out, thanks to defensive stance double shifts, and throwing everything and the kitchen sink at them from my free actions such as confound, sunshine etc.

Still it was a nail biter of an escape, with me thinking I’m dead multiple times…

Good thing my permadeath character survived too, because after clearing the room and the next ones I found great items like a Timely Respite one and immunity items for confusion, immobilization and paralyzation…

Thus I could make my next build, the Mage Warrior…

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