I'm curious into making a Ranged Character/Party, Most likely a Rogue Dalish Elf for RP background. And I most likely plan to take this character through the whole game(All DLC).
My original party plan was going to be : Me, Leliana, Shale, And a Melee Tank, Most likely Alistair or something. to keep things busy. Or maybe just 3 Range users and Shale.(Open to Suggestions really)
Just some other points so people know, Im on the 360, and I have all the DLC.
I don't really know to go for a dex build or a Cun build, so I need some suggestions here. Also if anyone can give me tips on how to build the party members to benefit the most from this. And also which equipment I should go for(Remember I have all the DLC).
So if anyone can help here please post, I'm open to all suggestions. And if you have any questions just ask.
How to set all this up [Ranged Party build]?
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Deadly Bytes
, févr. 10 2011 10:28
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#2
Posté 10 février 2011 - 11:00
electricfish
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Well. Leliana is initially geared towards a cunning build, which makes excellent use of her bard skills. The most valued song she has is Song of Courage, which increases damage, critical chance, etc. with higher cunning. This also means that she'll be able to get the essential rogue talents early, like deft hands, lethality, and stealth. This will also make her an excellent pickpocketer, since cunning has the most effect on chances of success.
If you don't care about min-maxing, you could do a dexterity focused build with your character so you can play around with the differences in builds. As a dexterity archer, you'll be initially doing more damage, but you'll be getting higher tier rogue talents later. You could go for stealth to maximize your damage/critical hits, since you won't be able to backstab.
If you'd like, you can also specialize in bard to give a little more boost, and ranger is always a popular choice for the animal summoning. You can have a pseudo tank (or two) so you won't feel pressured to take Alistair or Sten.
As for equipment...Sorrow of Arlathan is probably a good choice for later. Bregan's Bow can be used fairly early since it's a shortbow, and has a smaller dex requirement than longbows. You can give it to your Dalish since he may be a little less squishy than Leliana, and can afford to be a little closer to enemies. There's really not a lot of good bows, aside from Far Song (which you have to abandon Redcliffe for), and Marjolaine's bow which is Leliana specific.
Battledress of the Procateur (or however it's spelled) is an excellent choice for the boosts it provides, and only requires 20 strength to equip. Guildmaster's Belt, or High Regard of House Dace are good choices for cunning based rogue archers, and Leliana's Song of Courage could benefit from extra cunning.
If you take Shale, Nature based armor crystals are a good way to shore up its constitution and..armor I think. Lightning weapon crystals increase the attack score, which it will definitely need. It's also a good neutral element, and lightning damage saps mana. If you need to, you can always switch between fire and ice crystals to deal with specific enemies like undead or rage demons.
And despite what the icon may say, I'm fairly certain there's no actual item set bonus for Shale's crystals. I haven't noticed anything obvious, but it may be different on the xbox.
Anyway, this should at least give you some ideas.
If you don't care about min-maxing, you could do a dexterity focused build with your character so you can play around with the differences in builds. As a dexterity archer, you'll be initially doing more damage, but you'll be getting higher tier rogue talents later. You could go for stealth to maximize your damage/critical hits, since you won't be able to backstab.
If you'd like, you can also specialize in bard to give a little more boost, and ranger is always a popular choice for the animal summoning. You can have a pseudo tank (or two) so you won't feel pressured to take Alistair or Sten.
As for equipment...Sorrow of Arlathan is probably a good choice for later. Bregan's Bow can be used fairly early since it's a shortbow, and has a smaller dex requirement than longbows. You can give it to your Dalish since he may be a little less squishy than Leliana, and can afford to be a little closer to enemies. There's really not a lot of good bows, aside from Far Song (which you have to abandon Redcliffe for), and Marjolaine's bow which is Leliana specific.
Battledress of the Procateur (or however it's spelled) is an excellent choice for the boosts it provides, and only requires 20 strength to equip. Guildmaster's Belt, or High Regard of House Dace are good choices for cunning based rogue archers, and Leliana's Song of Courage could benefit from extra cunning.
If you take Shale, Nature based armor crystals are a good way to shore up its constitution and..armor I think. Lightning weapon crystals increase the attack score, which it will definitely need. It's also a good neutral element, and lightning damage saps mana. If you need to, you can always switch between fire and ice crystals to deal with specific enemies like undead or rage demons.
And despite what the icon may say, I'm fairly certain there's no actual item set bonus for Shale's crystals. I haven't noticed anything obvious, but it may be different on the xbox.
Anyway, this should at least give you some ideas.
#3
Posté 10 février 2011 - 11:20
Deadly Bytes
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Thanks for the great post Zorr Crew, So for weapons I'll be going for then, Would be Far Song for my Dalish, Marjolaine's Bow for Leliana. Nature Crystals for shales armor, And Lightning for attack.
If I do end up just using Ranger to summon pets to get some distractions in if needed, who should I use for my 4th party member?
And do you have any recommended Rogue Cun Archer builds? And Question,I know Bard songs can only have one at a time, But what about different characters? Like if my Dalish was a Bard too and used Song of Courage, Would they stack?
If I do end up just using Ranger to summon pets to get some distractions in if needed, who should I use for my 4th party member?
And do you have any recommended Rogue Cun Archer builds? And Question,I know Bard songs can only have one at a time, But what about different characters? Like if my Dalish was a Bard too and used Song of Courage, Would they stack?
#4
Posté 10 février 2011 - 12:07
Ferretinabun
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Exactly the party setup I'm just finishing the game with now (just got the final battle to do).
Me, (Dalish rogue), Leliana, Zevran (ranged, but not modded), Shale (Rock Mastery build).
A few pointers:
Rock Mastery is the best buff in the game. Get Shale ASAP. Try to stay in the circle of influence, though it can be hard when she's running all over swatting grunts.
Be a Ranger, and make Leliana one as a second spec. Between them and Shale, you won't be missing a tank at all.
I took Bard as a second spec for myself and Zevran purely to get Song of Courage. It requires some investment in Cunning to be effective, but three of those and you're laughing.
Set Alistair up as an archer. He can fill in whenever you need another shooter (you can't take Shale to Rescue the Queen, and you have to do a treaty mission to get Zevran). In fact, you could have him as a permanent companion instead of Zevran. The only really useful thing Zevran brings to the table is a third Song of Courage, and by the time you're able to get that your party will be a walking powerhouse anyway.
I've done quite a few party set-ups, and this one has the steepest difficulty curve. Initally it is very hard, and ends up very easy. Don't neglect traps, grenades and enchanted arrows in the early game when you find the going rough. You definitely do not need to stockpile them.
It's been fun though. And educational. I will never take Leliana for granted again.
Me, (Dalish rogue), Leliana, Zevran (ranged, but not modded), Shale (Rock Mastery build).
A few pointers:
Rock Mastery is the best buff in the game. Get Shale ASAP. Try to stay in the circle of influence, though it can be hard when she's running all over swatting grunts.
Be a Ranger, and make Leliana one as a second spec. Between them and Shale, you won't be missing a tank at all.
I took Bard as a second spec for myself and Zevran purely to get Song of Courage. It requires some investment in Cunning to be effective, but three of those and you're laughing.
Set Alistair up as an archer. He can fill in whenever you need another shooter (you can't take Shale to Rescue the Queen, and you have to do a treaty mission to get Zevran). In fact, you could have him as a permanent companion instead of Zevran. The only really useful thing Zevran brings to the table is a third Song of Courage, and by the time you're able to get that your party will be a walking powerhouse anyway.
I've done quite a few party set-ups, and this one has the steepest difficulty curve. Initally it is very hard, and ends up very easy. Don't neglect traps, grenades and enchanted arrows in the early game when you find the going rough. You definitely do not need to stockpile them.
It's been fun though. And educational. I will never take Leliana for granted again.
#5
Posté 10 février 2011 - 12:22
Ferretinabun
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On your second post:
Sorrow of Arlathan does just fine for your Warden. You can't equip it initially until you build a certain stat (dex???) but it won't take you long. You should have it equipped by the time you would have picked up Far Song anyway (and no need to go making smiths kill themselves
).
Shale's crystals should really be customised depending on who you're fighting. Different enemies will be immune to, vulnerable to, or dish out, different types of damage.
One drawback I forgot to mention about Ranger - your pet will disappear everytime you enter a new location. It's extremely annoying, and for that reason alone I tend not to summon one unless I'm pretty sure I'll need them. Maybe there's a mod to fix this...?
And you'll find good builds here:
http://www.cheatbook...sclassbuild.htm
Songs of Courage do stack, but oddly. Say you have a warden, Lel and Zev, all bards, all with Song of Courage. The first person to 'sing' will buff to all three characters. But the second person to 'sing' will only buff themself and the third character. While the third person to 'sing' will only buff themself. You end up with a buffed, a double-buffed and a triple-buffed character. It is a bit odd, and means Song of Courage is progressively less useful the more party members you have which have it, but that triple-buffed character is going to be a machine!
Sorrow of Arlathan does just fine for your Warden. You can't equip it initially until you build a certain stat (dex???) but it won't take you long. You should have it equipped by the time you would have picked up Far Song anyway (and no need to go making smiths kill themselves
).Shale's crystals should really be customised depending on who you're fighting. Different enemies will be immune to, vulnerable to, or dish out, different types of damage.
One drawback I forgot to mention about Ranger - your pet will disappear everytime you enter a new location. It's extremely annoying, and for that reason alone I tend not to summon one unless I'm pretty sure I'll need them. Maybe there's a mod to fix this...?
And you'll find good builds here:
http://www.cheatbook...sclassbuild.htm
Songs of Courage do stack, but oddly. Say you have a warden, Lel and Zev, all bards, all with Song of Courage. The first person to 'sing' will buff to all three characters. But the second person to 'sing' will only buff themself and the third character. While the third person to 'sing' will only buff themself. You end up with a buffed, a double-buffed and a triple-buffed character. It is a bit odd, and means Song of Courage is progressively less useful the more party members you have which have it, but that triple-buffed character is going to be a machine!
#6
Posté 10 février 2011 - 01:42
Deadly Bytes
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Thanks for the help Ferretinabun.
So how about this party set up.
Me, Lel, And Alistair/Zev And Shale.
I can't use the Sorrow of Arlathan, As I haven't done Witch hunt, And I don't want to do that till I beat Awakening, Which I will most likely do on this character.
About the pets disappearing, that doesn't sound too bad, As I only planned to summon them when needed.
I've read some builds out, And I think Im going to go for a mixed Dex/Cun build.
But I will be going over and mostly following what you guys have said :}.
So how about this party set up.
Me, Lel, And Alistair/Zev And Shale.
I can't use the Sorrow of Arlathan, As I haven't done Witch hunt, And I don't want to do that till I beat Awakening, Which I will most likely do on this character.
About the pets disappearing, that doesn't sound too bad, As I only planned to summon them when needed.
I've read some builds out, And I think Im going to go for a mixed Dex/Cun build.
But I will be going over and mostly following what you guys have said :}.
#7
Posté 10 février 2011 - 01:44
bri193
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My first complete playthrough was a fully archer specced rogue (ranger/assassin). She only used bows, never used daggers except for the rats in the pantry thing in the human origins story.
First your character:
I would suggest going human, cos they start with a better initial stat distribution for an archer. Elves start with a higher magic stat and this is wasted on a rogue archer. At low levels, you need all the DEX you can get so you can hit things. You need to pump DEX and some STR early to hit and do damage until you get Lethality for the DEX/CUN mix. Getting Lethality asap is critical to the build, then you pump DEX and CUN for the rest of the game. A DEX 60 / CUN 40 ratio is good. You can go 50/50 if you want or need more rogue skills/talents early on. For the archery talents, do the 1st and 3rd lines first .Arrow of Slaying is crap unless you know how it works. Either you or Leliana will need traps and stealth to set up ambushes
As for kit...
I cannot remember all the stuff... Best to check the wilki first to decide what kit you want to go after. And yes, Far Song the best in game bow, and available after you save Redcliff as long as you do not find a certain character in Redcliff Castle. Its 123 gold, make sure you get it before Landsmeet, otherwise it is gone from the game.
Ranged party
Leliana is a must for her bard songs. You build her much the same as your character, except you need her CUN much higher for her songs to work well. Consider a Dex 40 / CUN 60 ratio. Again Lethality is critical for her as well.
As for Shale, she has a 'ranged' mode (throwing rocks around) and a 'party buff' mode that helps with crits and attack (something like what Leliana does), and a 'tank' mode. She cannot do all modes at the same time, so which are planning to use? I would suggest 'tank' mode...
Sorry, but you need a mage... They are 'ranged' attackers anyway, and are the only thing that will keep you alive when the melee mobs close in on you. Unless you like re-loading your game a lot, a ranged party will not last long without a mage, particularly at lower levels.
First your character:
I would suggest going human, cos they start with a better initial stat distribution for an archer. Elves start with a higher magic stat and this is wasted on a rogue archer. At low levels, you need all the DEX you can get so you can hit things. You need to pump DEX and some STR early to hit and do damage until you get Lethality for the DEX/CUN mix. Getting Lethality asap is critical to the build, then you pump DEX and CUN for the rest of the game. A DEX 60 / CUN 40 ratio is good. You can go 50/50 if you want or need more rogue skills/talents early on. For the archery talents, do the 1st and 3rd lines first .Arrow of Slaying is crap unless you know how it works. Either you or Leliana will need traps and stealth to set up ambushes
As for kit...
I cannot remember all the stuff... Best to check the wilki first to decide what kit you want to go after. And yes, Far Song the best in game bow, and available after you save Redcliff as long as you do not find a certain character in Redcliff Castle. Its 123 gold, make sure you get it before Landsmeet, otherwise it is gone from the game.
Ranged party
Leliana is a must for her bard songs. You build her much the same as your character, except you need her CUN much higher for her songs to work well. Consider a Dex 40 / CUN 60 ratio. Again Lethality is critical for her as well.
As for Shale, she has a 'ranged' mode (throwing rocks around) and a 'party buff' mode that helps with crits and attack (something like what Leliana does), and a 'tank' mode. She cannot do all modes at the same time, so which are planning to use? I would suggest 'tank' mode...
Sorry, but you need a mage... They are 'ranged' attackers anyway, and are the only thing that will keep you alive when the melee mobs close in on you. Unless you like re-loading your game a lot, a ranged party will not last long without a mage, particularly at lower levels.
#8
Posté 10 février 2011 - 02:54
Ferretinabun
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I'll admit I used Morrigan in Lothering due to lack of companions to choose from at that point in the game, and I took Wynne with me through the Circle Tower just because you have to if you don't want to kill her off, but a mage isn't a must-have. They help, but a ranged party will get by without them.
#9
Posté 10 février 2011 - 03:15
Last Darkness
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#10
Posté 10 février 2011 - 03:42
bri193
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Ferretinabun wrote...
I'll admit I used Morrigan in Lothering due to lack of companions to choose from at that point in the game, and I took Wynne with me through the Circle Tower just because you have to if you don't want to kill her off, but a mage isn't a must-have. They help, but a ranged party will get by without them.
I found by lvl 15+ my archer could solo, so yes I agree any party can get by with out a mage ..
I play on PC and was using mods at the time that made archery a viable combat option. Unfortunately, the mods worked only with 1.02 .... I recently installed Awakening and 1.04, so had to remove the archer mods. When I imported my level 25 archer into Awakening, and went through the first battle at the Keep, I very quickly realised how crap 'vanilla' DAO archery is... Sad, cos I really enjoyed playing that character...
I went back to Origins, and started a dual-weapon rogue ....
