Halfing Ranger Archer

[Tenser]

Back when archery first came out and strength didn't affect RT, I made a halfling ranger archer. Then about 6 months latter, the strength -> RT changes were made and I was pretty much screwed. I finally enchanted up 4 crossbows to 6x and would fire, put crossbow away, pull a cocked one out, fire again, etc. This worked ok, but was aggravating. A couple months after that I acquired the elemental bow of fire and at the time it fired at a 3 second RT no matter what your strength was, so that carried me for awhile. Then when I left the game I sold the bow with all the rest of my stuff. I'd rather not go back to the backpack full of crossbows approach.

What I'd like to find out is can I resonably acquire some strength enhancives to make up the halfling strength? With 100 strength, Phoen's, and Strength his strength bonus is +30, so I'd only need another +10 to fire a longbow at 3 seconds (and another +10 on top of that to negate 1 sec of ambush or aiming RT).

How does the adventuring guild enhancive bonuses work? Can I get a +20 to strength that way to give me the +10 bonus I need? Also, how rare/expensive are other strength enhancives?

[Inspire]

You can get some of it through a badge but if you're just starting it's going to take you a long while.

Strength enhancives are fairly common though and not too expensive.

I suggest looking at playershops.com first.

[droit]

Your AG badge can give you +5 STR bonus. An extra +5 bonus from other enhancives shouldn't be too difficult to acquire, but an extra +15 might take some time. Composite bows really aren't that much less powerful than longbows, so I'd go for the 40 combined STR bonus and shoot aimed comp bow shots.

[Tenser]

Well, the character is 36th level, but hasn't been played since 2004. So, ya, as far as Adventuring Guild stuff I'd be starting from scratch. I will keep an eye on playershops.com too.

Thanks.


Edit: Ya, after looking at the DFs & AvD's of longbow vs. composite bow, the composite bow does look like a good option for my halfling.

[kookiegod]

Original Tenser??

[Donquix]

Original Tenser??

That's what i was thinking.

[Tenser]

Ya, the original. About a year after I sold out I got an email from someone who had acquired Tenser saying they wanted to give him back on the grounds that I either play him or deactivate and not resell. Considering the kindness, I respected their wishes.

I still don't know who the person was.

[Bhuryn]

Just go with a composite bow like droit said.

[Widgets]

You can now add enhancives to weapons via premie points i think, but i could be wrong. If not, there are some bows out there that enhance Strength, dexterity etc and can now be enchanted further

[Geshron]

Ya, the original. About a year after I sold out I got an email from someone who had acquired Tenser saying they wanted to give him back on the grounds that I either play him or deactivate and not resell. Considering the kindness, I respected their wishes.

I still don't know who the person was.

GS Secret Santa, heh. Awesome you're back.

[Belnia]

Welcome back and whatnot!

http://www.playershops.com/item_detail.pl?item=a%20pair%20of%20grey%20steel%2 0bracers%20trimmed%20with%20dark%20storm%20agate
+2 strength bonus there, but it requires 10 ranks of brawling to activate the enhancive. Still, you could consider that. Might also want to just go for some Haste imbeds.

[droit]

You can now add enhancives to weapons via premie points i think, but i could be wrong.

No, this isn't possible.

[Lord Orbstar]

i was there when the people you sold to ripped your corpse apart with their coterie of toons and scavenged all your items. It made me sick to my stomach to watch...literally ill. I made some comment I dont remember and left. I did take solace in how much fucking money they paid you. lol.
I was wondering how you got your character back!

[Widgets]

No, this isn't possible.

Ok, just non weapon items still then i guess

[Tenser]

i was there when the people you sold to ripped your corpse apart with their coterie of toons and scavenged all your items. It made me sick to my stomach to watch...literally ill. I made some comment I dont remember and left. I did take solace in how much fucking money they paid you. lol.
I was wondering how you got your character back!

To this day I still feel weird about selling out. Not because I regret the loss of items (especially at the price), but because I had made so many good friends playing the game and I feel like I let some of them down by doing it.

The money went towards the house I bought, so I don't second guess my decision financially.

[Tenser]

Welcome back and whatnot!

http://www.playershops.com/item_detail.pl?item=a%20pair%20of%20grey%20steel%2 0bracers%20trimmed%20with%20dark%20storm%20agate
+2 strength bonus there, but it requires 10 ranks of brawling to activate the enhancive. Still, you could consider that. Might also want to just go for some Haste imbeds.

Thanks Belnia. I'll start looking for things like that, but currently the character doesn't have brawling trained. He does currently have a haste imbedded item and I need to check it to see if it's mage rechargeable (I think it is, but it's been awhile since I played so maybe not).

[Belnia]

Rechargables are quite easy to find these days with the new and improved treasure system. If it isn't, I've got plenty that you're welcome to.

[Donquix]

Thanks Belnia. I'll start looking for things like that, but currently the character doesn't have brawling trained. He does currently have a haste imbedded item and I need to check it to see if it's mage rechargeable (I think it is, but it's been awhile since I played so maybe not).

Wouldn't even bother with rechargeables honestly. As a ranger you should be able to make some wearable wiregrass imbedibles with imbue and i'm sure you can find a wizard somewhere that will imbed them for you.

On a side note, i'm pretty sure I still have a set of plain "full leather" you enchanted to 1x during a mass enchant spree for whoever came by like 13 years ago, sitting in a locker.

[Tenser]

Wouldn't even bother with rechargeables honestly. As a ranger you should be able to make some wearable wiregrass imbedibles with imbue and i'm sure you can find a wizard somewhere that will imbed them for you.

On a side note, i'm pretty sure I still have a set of plain "full leather" you enchanted to 1x during a mass enchant spree for whoever came by like 13 years ago, sitting in a locker.

Well, Tenser is level 72, so I have my imbedding wizard. :p

I do recall the mass 1x enchanting spree. That was a lot of fun, so many low level characters were thrilled to get their armor enchanted for cheap. :) I'm trying to recall, but I believe it was something like 70 suits of armor enchanted at that event.

[Donquix]

Yeah it was a ton...i started playing in like 95 or 96? it wasn't long after, my first character. Might have been my first enchanted item, or i possibly somehow managed to buy an imflass broadsword and shield from the actual shops before that.

BOOYAH sword and board wizard back in the day.

[Jessaril]

Welcome back Tenser =)

You did a couple 10x enchants for me back in the day.

[droit]

Ok, just non weapon items still then i guess

EDIT: Wow, i'm an idiot. Total brain fart. There are totally enhancives available from PPs and you can totally get em put on a weapon. My bad, Widgets.

[Tenser]

Rechargables are quite easy to find these days with the new and improved treasure system. If it isn't, I've got plenty that you're welcome to.

Back when we had to walk to the hunting grounds through the snow (uphill, both ways) people didn't just give away rechargeables!!

And what is this 'wearable wiregrass' spoken of? How much mana do these imbeds hold?

[Tenser]

Welcome back Tenser =)

You did a couple 10x enchants for me back in the day.

Thanks.

10x eh? I didn't manage all that many of those before the system got changed.

[Tenser]

EDIT: Wow, i'm an idiot. Total brain fart. There are totally enhancives available from PPs and you can totally get em put on a weapon. My bad, Widgets.

Ok, I assume the PP costs are on the play.net site? I'm guessing it'll be awhile before I can buy a strength ehancement with PP points, but it's another option I'll look into.

[Anebriated]

http://www.play.net/gs4/premium/premiumplus.asp

about halfway down the page.

[Donquix]

Back when we had to walk to the hunting grounds through the snow (uphill, both ways) people didn't just give away rechargeables!!

And what is this 'wearable wiregrass' spoken of? How much mana do these imbeds hold?

Just like you could forage for sticks before to make imbedible wands/rods, now you can forage for treebark/wiregrass to make imbedible amulets/bracelets/anklets

I'm not really familiar with the system so i don't know what they hold on the low end, but the max for a properly trained ranger is pretty considerable.

http://www.play.net/gs4/info/spells/spelllist.asp?circle=9#614

[BriarFox]

Just like you could forage for sticks before to make imbedible wands/rods, now you can forage for treebark/wiregrass to make imbedible amulets/bracelets/anklets

I'm not really familiar with the system so i don't know what they hold on the low end, but the max for a properly trained ranger is pretty considerable.

http://www.play.net/gs4/info/spells/spelllist.asp?circle=9#614

Wiregrass is just a forageable in grasslands areas (the HS courtyard in WL has it, as one of the only spots in the area). Mezereon bark or tree bark (only the foraged kind - try the Dragonsclaw) make amulets. They'll hold about 40 mana. With enough summoning lore, you can get that up to 50 or so.

[Anebriated]

Wiregrass is just a forageable in grasslands areas (the HS courtyard in WL has it, as one of the only spots in the area). Mezereon bark or tree bark (only the foraged kind - try the Dragonsclaw) make amulets. They'll hold about 40 mana. With enough summoning lore, you can get that up to 50 or so.

I used to haul massive quantities of wiregrass in the rooms south of the bridge thats south of the landing.

[droit]

Wiregrass is just a forageable in grasslands areas (the HS courtyard in WL has it, as one of the only spots in the area). Mezereon bark or tree bark (only the foraged kind - try the Dragonsclaw) make amulets. They'll hold about 40 mana. With enough summoning lore, you can get that up to 50 or so.

Anklets, bracelets and amulets all have a base mana capscity of 50. Training in summoning lore can bump that up to 63. Rods have a base of 80 and a maximum of 93.

[Tenser]

http://www.play.net/gs4/premium/premiumplus.asp

about halfway down the page.

This is from that page:

"If you select two different types of bonuses to be applied to your item, then the total bonus may be no more than 10 altogether. If you only select one type of bonus to be applied to your item, the the total bonus may not be more than 7."

So if I only chose to put strength on an item I could only add 7, but if I chose to do strength and dexterity I could have the item add 9 strength and 1 dexterity?

"The effects of this enhancement will be temporary, but should last for a couple of months, depending on how often the item is used."

This doesn't sound that promising. What's so great about enhancement items if they only last a couple of months?

[kookiegod]

Ya, the original. About a year after I sold out I got an email from someone who had acquired Tenser saying they wanted to give him back on the grounds that I either play him or deactivate and not resell. Considering the kindness, I respected their wishes.

I still don't know who the person was.

Rockin' bro...

Paul/Avantos/some other guy who might know :)

Well, since the some other guy wrote the premium points system, even we didn't know how long things last. However, prem points items have the largest base charge depth so they'll last a lot longer than a few months unless you play 24x7 and anyways, can recharge them with the Adventuer Guild points.

And sheesh, we did a lot of enchanting in the old days, how you got me started and lost me lots of sleep. I got Thailor's staff now too.



Good to see ya back.

[Widgets]

EDIT: Wow, i'm an idiot. Total brain fart. There are totally enhancives available from PPs and you can totally get em put on a weapon. My bad, Widgets.

No problem, I was pretty sure that you could do that...But I was at work and posting that on the Iphone so I wasn't positive it was the case.

Glad to know I wasn't the one brain farting ;)

[Tenser]

Rockin' bro...

Paul/Avantos/some other guy who might know :)

Well, since the some other guy wrote the premium points system, even we didn't know how long things last. However, prem points items have the largest base charge depth so they'll last a lot longer than a few months unless you play 24x7 and anyways, can recharge them with the Adventuer Guild points.

And sheesh, we did a lot of enchanting in the old days, how you got me started and lost me lots of sleep. I got Thailor's staff now too.



Good to see ya back.

Ya, I remember Avantos. One of more reliable employees :) It's good to know the enhancives will last awhile and can be recharged.

Thalior's staff was an item I rented a few times like I did the private workshops. Back then blank rechargeables were tough to come by, and Thalior's staff was a great way to imbed rare and useful non-wizard spells. Every time Thalior came to get his staff after a few days, he'd stare at me with an untrusting gaze with that weird eye like I was going to run off with his staff or something. Fun times.

Edit: And yes, we did so much enchanting I think I would have been capped out instead of level 72 in GSIV if I had foregone those enchanting sessions...but those were fun in a strange torturous way. I'm actually surprised so many people would show up to help even though I paid for their help.

Edit 2: I have to say, good job on how far you've come. From part time enchanting helper to owning Thalior's staff and who knows what else.

[Jessaril]

Thanks.

10x eh? I didn't manage all that many of those before the system got changed.

Well I know you did at least a 10x waraxe for me =).

[Tenser]

Well I know you did at least a 10x waraxe for me =).

Oh yes, I wasn't doubting you. I'm just saying there was a limited quantity...maybe 30 10x total?

[Celephais]

So if I only chose to put strength on an item I could only add 7, but if I chose to do strength and dexterity I could have the item add 9 strength and 1 dexterity?
That's what I thought when I read it too, heh, but I don't think they'll allow that.

This doesn't sound that promising. What's so great about enhancement items if they only last a couple of months?
Recharging is easy if you just constantly do bounties (which from an earning exp prespective is the way to go once you get past the early levels that give you bounties you cant do all the time).

Does anyone happen to know how much extra mana/health/spirit/stamina is recovered from a rank 3 enhancive?

[droit]

That's what I thought when I read it too, heh, but I don't think they'll allow that.

Recharging is easy if you just constantly do bounties (which from an earning exp prespective is the way to go once you get past the early levels that give you bounties you cant do all the time).

Does anyone happen to know how much extra mana/health/spirit/stamina is recovered from a rank 3 enhancive?

The way PP enhancers work is by stimulating bloodflow to the genitals and/or inducing swelling. If you choose to get both effects, the total bonus split between the two is +10, but no single effect can be more than +7. You could get a +7 swelling/+3 bloodflow item or a +6/+4 or a +5/+5. If you choose to get just one effect, the maximum is still +7.

As for the stamina/mana/health recovery (bowchickabowboww), PP enhancers only give +2. There have been plenty of complaints on the officials about this and just recently GM Thandiwe said she'd "look into it" (BOWCHICKABOWBOWW!!). Spirit recovery is something different and usually involves visiting a priest the day after.

[StrayRogue]

Reading this thread reminds me just how much "balancing" has made GS stale. It's quite sad.

[Tenser]

The way PP enhancers work is by stimulating bloodflow to the genitals and/or inducing swelling. If you choose to get both effects, the total bonus split between the two is +10, but no single effect can be more than +7. You could get a +7 swelling/+3 bloodflow item or a +6/+4 or a +5/+5. If you choose to get just one effect, the maximum is still +7.

As for the stamina/mana/health recovery (bowchickabowboww), PP enhancers only give +2. There have been plenty of complaints on the officials about this and just recently GM Thandiwe said she'd "look into it" (BOWCHICKABOWBOWW!!). Spirit recovery is something different and usually involves visiting a priest the day after.

Great info, thanks Droit. I think I'll go with the +7 strength/+3 dexterity should I accumulate enough points....The +7 swelling/+3 bloodflow route seems too risky - something may burst.

[Tenser]

For the long term, would the Aspect spell (650) work? I did some searches but can't seem to figure out if I could use the lion aspect (for the strength boost) for the archery RT benefits.

[Celephais]

Assume aspect can't be used consistently... so you'd have bursts of reduced RT.

[Originate]

The aspect you pick only lasts 2minutes, and there is a 4minute cool down period until you can chose it again. In the meantime,you can pick other aspects and gain the bonuses from them though,which costs 25 mana I believe.

[Tenser]

Assume aspect can't be used consistently... so you'd have bursts of reduced RT.

Hmm, ok. This won't be easy, but with all the options out there available it looks like I could make something work.