Questions about gimmick builds (implement Ranger and low-Int Wizard)

[fiddlesticks]

Once patch 3.04 is officially released, I was planning to do another playthrough with various "gimmicky" builds to see how versatile PoE's classes are. Two ideas I have in mind are a Ranger who solely uses implements (Wands/Rods/Scepters) and a Wizard with the lowest possible Intellect, and I would like to hear some input from the community on them.

 

For the implement Ranger, the biggest question I have is what weapon I should be going for. There are a Rod and a Scepter with a speed bonus, which would seem to synergise nicely with Swift Aim. On the other hand, there's a Scepter which prones on a critical hit, which would probably benefit more from Vicious Aim. However, it comes quite late, and Stunning Shots seems to make it a bit superfluous. I've heard good things about Golden Gaze as well, but a mere 5% chance to proc Expose Vulnerabilities doesn't strike me as worthwhile.

 

I was also unsure about which abilities work with implements. I assume Stunning Shots do, but what about Driving Flight? And is the extra damage from Dangerous Implements worth the Endurance penalty?

 

Lastly, any good roleplaying ideas for the pet? None of them strike me as particularly wizard-like animals.

 

As for the low-Int Wizard, I'm mostly concerned about the spell selection. Almost every spell the Wizard has seems to depend either on AoE size, duration, or both. I suppose there are the various missile spells, but that pigeonholes you into a very specific niche. What are the best Wizard spells that still function decently with minimised Intellect?

 

I appreciate any responses. And if you have any other fun ideas for gimmick builds, feel free to recommend them to me as well.

Edited November 2, 2016 by fiddlesticks

[Ben No.3]

I'd go for the golden gaze and pentrating shot for the ranger. I think that would be worth it.

 

For the wizard... Focus on all pure single target damage spells. Three int wizard is not weak at all if you do that... Missiles could not care less about int.

 

How about an atheist Richard Dawkins priest who can not use any prayer and for the faithful spells, but he needs to focus on science (use scrolls and items with spellbinds from wizardspells, they are sort of scientists)? Or an Emo chanter who is only allowed to chant chants who's title sounds very depressing(Dragon chant is not depressing!)?

Edited November 2, 2016 by Ben No.3

[Boeroer]

Def. the Golden Gaze. I once tested a ranger with this and it's quite awesome. Outlaner's Frenzy + Vicious Aim + Dangerous Implements do quite a bit damage, and Driving Flight and the two projectiles trigger Expose Vulnerabilites pretty soon. It's only 5% in theory. You get two projectiles instead of one and both work with Driving Flight, raising your theoretical chance of 5% to ~20% per shot. You should take Penetrating Shot, too, because the two projectiles are a bit weaker than normal implement shots. Once Exp. Vuln. got triggered, you will have 10 DR bypass - combined with the damage bonuses it's quite awesome.

Implements with stun on crit or prone are redundeant once you get stunning shots. It also works with driving flight, meaning it also stuns the enemies behind the initial target. With Golden Gaze this can be two different targets (Driving Flight doesn't always choose the same target behind the initial one) and you also have a higher chance to hit/crit with the stun effect on the initial target (because you have two projectiles).

Marked Prey also works in a weird way with the Golden Gaze: the first projectile get the 20% damage bonus, but the second gets +40%. The damage bonus kind of stacks. This also works with magic missles with every projectile and also Missile Barrage (up to +180% damage for the last projectile). So you could also take Prestidigitator's Missiles and a cloak of Magic Missiles. Those all work with Pn. Shot and also Driving Flight.

It's a nice build.

 

For the wizard I'd also say that you should focus on missiles and other damaging spells.

Spells whch don't care too much about INT are:

- Jolting Touch

- Kalakoth's Sunless Grasp

- Minor Missiles

- Thrust of Tattered Veils

- Wizard's Double

 

- Necrotic Lance (the direct damage part)

- Ray of Fire

- Rolling Flame

- Concelhaut's Draining Missiles

 

- Crackling Bolt

- Bounding Missiles

 

- Essential Phantom

- Ironskin

- Writhing Tentacles

- Ninagauth's Death Ray

- Ninagauth's Bitter Mooring (the damaging part)

- Chain Lightning

 

- Concelhaut's Crushing Doom

- Ninagauth's Killing Bolt

- Substancial Phantom

- Thayn's Chaotic Orb (damaging part)

- Kalakoth's Freezing Rake (damaging part)

 

Some of those spells work with penetrating shot (all direkt targeted damaging spells like missiles or necrotic lance, all jumpers and all spells that go in a straight line like Rolling Flame and Crackling Bolt) - so I would advise to take that. It doesn't slow down your spell casting. That would be a "sniper" approach. You could even use Persistance as main weapon because it works really well with high MIG and low INT. The wounding damage will get applied nearly instantly with 3 or even lower INT (Dandy Hat of the Diseased Yak: -1 INT or Ultimate Head of Alluring Perfection: -2 INT).

Edited November 2, 2016 by Boeroer

[fiddlesticks]

Def. the Golden Gaze. I once tested a ranger with this and it's quite awesome. Outlaner's Frenzy + Vicious Aim + Dangerous Implements do quite a bit damage, and Driving Flight and the two projectiles trigger Expose Vulnerabilites pretty soon. It's only 5% in theory. You get two projectiles instead of one and both work with Driving Flight, raising your theoretical chance of 5% to ~20% per shot. You should take Penetrating Shot, too, because the two projectiles are a bit weaker than normal implement shots. Once Exp. Vuln. got triggered, you will have 10 DR bypass - combined with the damage bonuses it's quite awesome.

 

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. You've sold me on the Golden Gaze, I didn't know it had that funky interaction with Driving Flight and Marked Prey. Does the same apply for Blunderbusses and Twin Sting as well? Come to think of it, does Ennervating Blows work with Driving Flight? And do Vicious/Swift Aim have any effect on Missile spells?

 

Thanks for the spell selection as well. There are a lot more spells which work with low-Int than I thought. I definitely like the idea of a spellcaster built like a cannon, though I might give him a gun just for novelty's sake.

 

 

How about an atheist Richard Dawkins priest who can not use any prayer and for the faithful spells, but he needs to focus on science (use scrolls and items with spellbinds from wizardspells, they are sort of scientists)? Or an Emo chanter who is only allowed to chant chants who's title sounds very depressing(Dragon chant is not depressing!)?

 

I dig the idea of a Priest who either doesn't believe in his deity or intentionally tries to spite it à la Durance. Though selecting which spells are acceptable and which aren't sounds like a bit of a hassle. Maybe a selfish Priest who only buffs himself while ignoring everyone else?

[Ben No.3]

If we use an atheist priest, keep it simple and don't use any spells that have "faith" "prayer" or "holy" in them, I'd say

[Boeroer]

@fiddlesticks:

With Blunderbusses I didn't test and I can't remember what Loren Tyr said about it who looked it up in the code. But I assume it's the same with blunderbusses.

Twin Sting hasn't two projectiles per shot but shoots two times without reloading phase - but it's two seperate shots with recovery in between. So Marked Prey works normally with Twin Sting, giving 20% fo each shot.

 

Envenomed Strike (I assume you meant that, not monk's Enervating Blows?) works with wizard's Blast and the AoE splash of Citzal's Spirit Lance as well as druid's Rot Skulls - that's it. Sadly, not with Driving Flight (and not with carnage).

 

Vicious Aim does indeed work with several spells. Loren Tyr (again) said in a post which ones work with it, but I can't recall exactly which ones. I assume that those were all the ones which work with Pen. Shot as well, and some additional. Surely Missile spells were in that group, too.

[Boeroer]

I searched for the thread about Vicious Aim + spells but can't find it. But I found another one that says that my previous sayings about Marked Prey are not quite right. The stacking of the 20% damage with multi projectile tings doesn't occur on the initial target, but on the target that gets hit by Driving Flight - but still nice.

[Boeroer]

Also note that Twin Stones is quite hilarious with Driving Flight. Flying rocks everywhere, changing directions after hits.

I once tried to do a melee ranger build with The Grey Sleeper and tried to proc Twin Stones + Driving Flight often, but sadly 5% is just too bad without carnage to be worthwhile.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Boeroer

[fiddlesticks]

Yeah, I meant Envenomed Strike, my bad. Shame it doesn't work with Driving Flight, but I guess that would have been too much to hope for.

 

Incidentally, I found the post where Loren Tyr talks about Vicious Aim affecting some spells: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/83926-best-hunting-bow-for-ranger/?p=1836297

[Boeroer]

Ah great!