ranger (hunter) - threat management/decreaser

grrowler

I am looking for general advice/information on how to decrease the threat meter.

on my cleric main, I feel like I have it easy to reduce threat meter when I am in a group -- I just use intercession, and it usually works great.

I was looking up "threat meter" on the neverwinter wiki for more information, and (even though the wiki is outdated) it says: "Opposing to the ways to increase threat as a Guardian Fighter there's at least one power or feat for every other class to decrease threat generation."

is that still generally true for all neverwinter classes that there is a power or feat to decrease threat generation in a way similar to the cleric's intercession power?

I have been playing a ranger alt lately. I prefer to play the ranger (hunter path) as ranged; I generally no longer switch to melee. I remember a long time ago when running this character that I used to range mobs from a distance, and then when they got up close, I would tab switch to melee. but now I just generally prefer to keep to ranged at all times... but in queue groups, sometimes a mob will spawn at my position and aggro entirely on me - I do not have the ability to shake them off and usually end up dying since my dps is just average.

(it is a pretty standard hunter ranger build:
daily = snipe
at-wills = rapid shot/aimed shot
encounters = longstrider shot/constricting arrow*/commanding shot*
class feature = crushing roots )
* these encounters have strong grasping roots should cc the mobs a bit, but I do not find them to be very effective

I recently just tried slotting in forest ghost as the second daily (originally I had disruptive shot as a secondary attack) - and I remember reading a long time ago that it was basically that hail mary ability to get yourself out of trouble.

1. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice for how to actively lower the threat meter on this ranger if I am at red 100%.

2. are there any artifacts/items in-game that have an effect on the threat meter? (or mount combat powers)

3. is there a companion that can somehow take threat away from me? (I feel like companions though would be more of a passive effect - I am looking for something that I could actively use that would work similar to cleric's intercession)

arazith07

No, there are no feats or powers that lower threat. Generally it's the Tank's job to manage it. You can always just stop DPSing until the Tank gets threat back, however they have tools to be able to get on the top of the threat list via encounter powers, they should be timing those based on the dps burst rotation. So as a DPS class, DPS away.

There are tank companions, generally you'll have to read the powers of each companion to see if the generate threat. Frost Mimic is one such companion

pitshade

DPS classes before mod 16 had the Battlewise feat that lowered their threat. However that wasn't left in the game with the complete rework to classes.

johnalansimmons

An easy and effective way to get out of trouble is to slot the encounter Marauder's Escape; you rapidly retreat 50 feet firing 3 arrows with a magnitude of 550 that add confusion.

grrowler

(I appreciate the information that people posted here)
hmm about the frost mimic, unfortunately, I do not have that one. I was looking at one on the auction house and did not see in the description that it would function as a tank, unless it is the taunt ability from ravening maw? if that is the case, I will see if I can get one, I forget if the frost mimic is no longer available to farm from the winter festival.

I did see marauder's escape, I will try slotting that. I actually really disliked using that encounter because it usually disoriented me, but yeah I did notice that it adds a confusion effect. I just hate losing an encounter attack as ranged, but I guess survivability is more important.

redchillismoke

grrowler#0622 said:

(I appreciate the information that people posted here)
hmm about the frost mimic, unfortunately, I do not have that one. I was looking at one on the auction house and did not see in the description that it would function as a tank, unless it is the taunt ability from ravening maw? if that is the case, I will see if I can get one, I forget if the frost mimic is no longer available to farm from the winter festival.

I did see marauder's escape, I will try slotting that. I actually really disliked using that encounter because it usually disoriented me, but yeah I did notice that it adds a confusion effect. I just hate losing an encounter attack as ranged, but I guess survivability is more important.

I Ranger main.

Use the Marauder's escape and see if you can get an adorable pocket pet. The threat is lowered and the pet sits in your tray. The Escape is your bff as a ranger always keep that slotted on Warden or Axe builds.

As for the three-eyed genius that wrote about tanks... Rangers will snatch agro from the best tanks. Especially with mobs. Tanks have been nerfed and mob agro doesn't work the way that genius thinks it does.

What does work, however, is mob dumping the tank. Even if you take the agro, you can deliver it right back, by simply sliding behind the tank then ME away when he grabs agro back.

grrowler

redchillismoke#2115 said:

Use the Marauder's escape and see if you can get an adorable pocket pet. The threat is lowered and the pet sits in your tray.

thanks for the additional information! yes, I have slotted marauder's escape and I am trying to get used to using it. I will definitely try that tactic of pulling mobs to the tank and ME away. sometimes though the tank in the group is not very survivable and/or does not draw aggro from the mobs.

I will check to see if I have an unbound adorable pocket pet! unfortunately, I might have only gotten one on my main, and not sure if that item is still available from the respen's event (which was unfortunately just a month ago). but yeah, that is I was hoping/looking for - items that would reduce threat. 5% is not that much, but if I can find it, I will try it out. thanks!

grrowler

oh I misread the item description for adorable pocket pet; now I understand that it only has a chance to decrease threat

Use: Petting your Adorable Pocket Pet will have one of the following effects:
Decrease Threat gained by 5%.
Increase Critical Severity by 5%.
Increase Regeneration by 250
Increase Action Point Gain by 250.

that is a shame, I will still look into getting it, but not sure it will be that helpful if it only has something like a 1 in 4 chance of helping me when I have mob aggro.

from my understanding, this item was added to the wondrous bazaar but only when the Day of the Dungeon Master event is active - would anyone happen to remember how many astral diamonds it cost?

plasticbat

grrowler#0622 said:

oh I misread the item description for adorable pocket pet; now I understand that it only has a chance to decrease threat

Use: Petting your Adorable Pocket Pet will have one of the following effects:
Decrease Threat gained by 5%.
Increase Critical Severity by 5%.
Increase Regeneration by 250
Increase Action Point Gain by 250.

that is a shame, I will still look into getting it, but not sure it will be that helpful if it only has something like a 1 in 4 chance of helping me when I have mob aggro.

from my understanding, this item was added to the wondrous bazaar but only when the Day of the Dungeon Master event is active - would anyone happen to remember how many astral diamonds it cost?

You can just buy it from AH.