Building my character

[afox]

I'm building an Eternal Soldier and drew up a first draft skill plan. Tell me what you guys think:

Level 1 *Ranged Combat(Free!)
Level 2 (10cp)
Level 3 (10cp) Small Arms (20cp)
Level 4 (10cp) Search(10cp) Lvl 4
Level 5 (10cp)
Level 6 (10cp)
Level 7 (10cp) Advanced Small Arms(30CP)
Level 8 (15cp) Repair Item(10cp)
Level 9 (15cp) Planar Protection (10cp)
Level 10 (15cp) Enhanced Senses (20m)
Level 12 (15cp) Strong Attack (20m)
Level 13 (15cp)
Level 14 (20cp) Weapon Mastery (20m) Long Arms (20cp)
Level 15 (20cp) Strength (10cp), Dodge (10cp)
Level 16 (20cp) Super Reflexes (20m)
Level 17 (20cp) Improv Crit (20m)
Level 18 (20cp) Sense Magic
Level 19 (20cp) Advanced Long
Level 20 (25cp) Way of Ligthing (30ES)

[turkey]

perhaps, badges might be a good way to get engineering. While Im no expert, engineering will allow you to create ammo rather than find it and with a faction of animals willing to search things up for potions and such, I'm sure once you're hanging in the SH, you'll have components in the safe for just making your own ammo.

[afox]

I can actually make ammo with Repair Item and some gunpowder.

[Duck]

Looks like a solid build, and very similar to my ES, only I went Long Arms primarily, with Small Arms for backup/AoE. I don't see any problems, though you could get 5 exploration badges during your time as a mortal (use this map and just see if any are conveniently nearby when respawning) or during early T2-hood to get either Weapon Mastery or Long Arms a level earlier.

In fact, you may wish to leave out Advanced Small Arms (and maybe Weapon Mastery or Long Arms) for a while and get the full Gunsmithing tree first. The ability to maintain your weapons will be very important since none of us use ranged weapons, and with a little effort you can keep the +10% tohit bonus you would get from Advanced Small Arms through pristining your weapons (and earning a bit of XP as well, though it is quite AP-intensive).

The skill engineering should only be considered if you fancy doing a LOT of badge grinding (or for role-playing purposes, like my Evil Engineer ) for CP, which you shouldn’t really need as an ES. You can already craft ammunition with Repair Item (silly Turkey); and will be able to do it for less AP with the full Gunsmithing tree. Even if wiresnipping or carpentry does take your fancy, it would take a lot of time to get any benefit from it, CP-wise anyway!

So, taking the above into account, you could have a build like this:

Level CP Skill
1 10 Ranged Combat
2 0 -- Saved --
3 20 Small Arms
4 10 Search
5 10 Repair Item
6 0 -- Saved --
7 20 Gunsmithing
8 10 Planar Protection
9 -5 5 Exploration Badges
10 20 Enhanced Senses
10 20 Strong Attack
11 10 Strength
12 20 Long Arms
13 0 -- Saved --
14 30 Advanced Gunsmithing
15 20 Super Reflexes
16 20 Weapon Mastery
17 0 -- Saved --
18 30 Advanced Small Arms
19 0 -- Saved --
20 30 The Way of Lightning
20 30 The Way of Earth
20 -35 35 Exploration Badges (Way of Lightning makes this a lot easier, and you could incorporate a few badges everytime you hunt)
20 30 Elite Attack
21 30 The Way of Fire
etc etc

Feel free to fiddle around with the T2 skills a bit more, but that's how I'd do it

[Old McDonald]

I'd SERIOUSLY consider getting the full gunsmithing tree if you plan on using guns. For a start you'll be our only gunsmith, which is handy, and also you'll be able to keep your weapon of choice pristine instead of just average (as with repair item), which gives you a 10% to hit bonus.

Also go for repair slightly earlier and I can keep you well stocked for ammo (gunpowders is a good source of whatever ammo you need).

[afox]

Wait, does anyone else even USE guns?

I have taken your suggestions into account, thank you. Don't have my new plan quite pinned down, but we'll see.

[thing]

Personally I wouldn't pick up both advanced long arms and advanced small arms. Like the others said, pick up the gunsmithing tree and only get advanced on one of the firearm trees. I probably wouldnt get the dodge skills either (super reflexes and dodge) but thats because Im not too worried about being hit as you can get way of earth that will provide pretty good protection. You might also want to try and start saving from level 18 onwards, as that way you could get 2 ES skills at level 20. You can also always delay getting planar protection in your build as being in a stygian faction you'll be immune to stygian planar damage.

I would do something more like this:

1 10 Ranged Combat
2 0 -- Saved --
3 20 Small Arms
4 10 Search
5 10 Repair Item
6 10 Strength
7 0 -- Saved --
8 20 Long Arms
9 20 Gunsmithing
10 -5 5 Exploration Badges
10 20 Enhanced Senses
11 0 -- Saved --
12 30 Advanced Gunsmithing
13 0 -- Saved --
14 20 Strong Attack
15 20 Weapon Mastery
15 -5 5 Exploration Badges
16 30 Advanced Long Arms/or Advanced Small Arms
16 10 Sense Magic
17 20 Improved Critical
18 0 -- Saved --
19 0 -- Saved --
20 30 The Way of Earth
20 30 The Way of Lightning

[afox]

Oh, does the faction negate the planar damage? That would be excellent.

[Duck]

Hmm, I just realised it would have been helpful to have actually given out the badge map link, so here it is.

[afox]

Fragger, uh, whoever he is here, gave me the link, thanks. I am concerned, however, about dying. No big deal at my level now, but as I level up it will much more of a pain to respawn. Thing, this is my major concern with not taking any dodge skills. If I'm not going to worry about protection until level 20 (Way of Earth) then I'll often be spending almost half my AP on respawn, won't I?

[Duck]

The dodge skills are really useful, and won't break the bank, but you should probably leave them until you are very proficient at attacking, and can afford them. You could probably stage hunts from our stronghold easily enough - we are near to probably the best portals to Valhalla and Paradise, so you could stage hunts from here and not have to worry about dying so much. The return trips will probably cost more than respawning until you are mid T2, but at least your guns won't be suffering from death decay so much

[afox]

Hey, so that faction negating the stygian damage thing? Didn't work. Died before I even realized it. Looks like I'll be farting around valhalla for another 300xp so I can get Planar Protection.

EDIT: Turns out stygian factionry doesn't negate planar damage. Stupid Angels. This must be their fault. Will have to kill some of them to make up for it.

[Old McDonald]

Hmm, yes in Paradise your faction negates the planar damage, in Stygia the night time search nerf is negated (so, like in paradise, its always sunny for the purpose of searches).

[afox]

Problem all fixed! I'm in the stronghold now. Somewhat sad that Advanced Gunsmithing is another two levels away, but oh well.

So we don't have a faction enchanter, do we? Is it possible to purchase enchantments from other factions? Is this reliable?

[afox]

I wonder if anyone pays attention here anymore.

Do I get Way of fire or Way fo Void next? Do we have enough people with us on raids that Void will help significantly? I'm not sure.