Kaylon

Edit: Changed the alpine dragon video and used a more optimized build (no healing potions used) based on the fact that his attacks don't target your deflection. Also I'm showing more details in the logs during combat for people who want to understand what really happens.

Each dragon has different vulnerabilities however Drawn in Spring is the best slash weapon and also the best weapon against high DR enemies (over 15DR), overall good vs everything but Earth Blights. Also it benefits from the Flick of the Wrist talent which gives another +4 accuracy to daggers/stilettos.

Not only that, but the alpine also has Sneak Attack and Death Blows which means even a graze does huge damage when you get flanked or/and prone (that's why I tried to find a spot to avoid flanking)

My biggest issue against the dragons was always to avoid getting petrified by the adds because a single graze means game over (and in PotD adragans have 100 accuracy...). With the ranger I killed all the adds before attacking the adra dragon and used summons as meat shields vs adragans and I suppose a rogue can do it too, however this tactic doesn't work vs the alpine dragon...

Yes, the alpine is immune to any kind of stun, but not to petrify. Maybe you can petrify him using a trap and try to finish him fast enough. And what about the adds, how do you deal with them? How do you avoid to get petrified?

Yes, fast mode + dagger + durgan enchantments + potion of alacrity. Yes, if you want to minimize the risks - for example I can't be petrified at all in the videos. Yes, I finished all the quests, but don't imagine you'll simply walk in the middle of the packs and kill everything. You have to split them to defeat them - especially in the expansion. PotD (you can see it at the beginning of each video). PS. I didn't use Concelhaut's spell because it's bugged and can one shot the dragons.

For people wondering if the dragons can still be soloed in 2.03 here are my new videos: - vs adra https://youtu.be/j5g_bmRfAIk - vs alpine https://youtu.be/TKrA1BvcQDI

Replace Mental Fortress and Unstoppable with Bear's Fortitude and Body Control. Body Control is better because it helps against stuns, paralysis and petrify which are fatal in a solo game since you can't heal/fight. VS other afflictions types you have items or you can use Liberating Exortation to supress them. Mind controlling afflictions aren't a problem because the enemies stop attacking you and fear isn't a problem anymore once you have Righteous Soul. At lvl13+14 you need Sacred Immolation+Scion of Flames which will transform the Endless Paths in a walk in the park. Once you're lv13 you can lower CON to 3 (with +3 from belt, +3 from resting at Caed Nua and+2 from food you'll have plenty of endurance) and increase your INT to 18 to be able to clear big packs of enemies at once.

Scale breaker should be used to lower enough dragon's defenses in order to be able to debuff him with your strongest spells. One of the best CC to use against him is blind - which can be cast by many classes (Sunbeam, Searing Seal, Curse of blackened Sight, Eystrike, Blinding Strike) - not only it will lower his defenses and you'll be able to hit him, but it will also root him in place. From here you can keep all your party out of his breath range and attack him only with long ranged weapons/spells. You could give to anyone in your party scrolls of stag horn and he will drop in a few seconds...

100% quest completion is certainly doable the pacifist way - vs the toughest enemies you can pick the right answers and avoid the fights (all dragons quests and other hard encounters can be completed without a fight). A dragon slayer achievement - where you kill alone a dragon - would make more sense to me.

There's however a quest which allows you to customize a weapon with some unique enchantments.

In Caed Nua you send your pet stealthed alone at the door near the throne (which will open) and you can use him to aggro all the room and pull them inside the hall while the ranger can pick only one to kill (from behind). When the pet is dead and if the ranger is out of sight (once you kill one of them you run back to the entrance) the fight will end, the mobs will return to their place and the pet will be revived (in the hall) and you can repeat the procedure. I believe you can't split the last 3-4 and you'll need a trap and 1-2 fan of flames scrolls to kill them. In general the pet shouldn't tank at all, you just send him forward to split groups and draw them one by one to the ranger who kills them while they try to catch the pet.

For a melee character I would pick crush for a two reasons: - common damage type - it helps in many fights (including tough ones) - there's no better enchantment vs crush - against any other damage type you can find at least one item type giving +5 DR against it For a ranged character I would pick pierce - common ranged damage type (archers) attacking deflection (low on ranged classes)

In PotD all creatures have their stats artificially boosted, thus it's not possible to replicate them with a normal build at the same level.

Defensive talents increasing defenses vs various kinds of disabbling effects (Mental Fortress, Body Control, Unstoppable, Berath's Boon) stop working after a loading screen (change area, reload save game).

Fenwalkers boots description changed (in 2.0?) and now they're supposed to cut also 2s from stuck, hobbled, paralyzed duration - which doesn't work. Is the new description wrong or the boots aren't working as intended?

If I remember well, frenzy doesn't stack with other speed buffs (potions included).

More were added with the WM.

Dexterity bonus isn't additive with the attack speed bonuses. Dexterity affects both attack and recovery, while all attack speed bonuses/penalties are affecting only recovery. Here's how everything stacks with a fighter as example: 1. Fighter naked with 10dex using a war hammer and shield: 1s attack and 2s recovery 2. Fighter adds 8dex (24% spd bonus) : 1/(1+.24)=.8s attack and 2/(1+.24)=1.6s recovery 3. Fighter adds also a plate (+50%recovery): 1/(1+.24)=.8s attack and 2*(1+.5)/(1+.24)=2.4s recovery 4. Fighter adds also Armored Grace (-20%recovery) and durgan steel enchantement on shield/armor: 1/(1+.24)=.8s attack and 2*(1+.5-.2-.15.-15)/(1+.24)=2.4s recovery 5. Fighter having Gauntlets of Swift Action (15% attack), using Strike Hard (20% attack speed), enchanted with durgan steel (15% attack speed) and using a Potion of Deleterious Alacrity of Motion (50% attack speed): 1/(1+.24)=.8s attack and 2*(1+.5-.2-.15.-15-.15 -.2-.15-.5)/(1+.24)=0s recovery 6. Fighter using Cautios Attack (-20% attack speed) and Vulnerable Attack (-20% attack speed): 1/(1+.24)=.8s attack and 2*(1+.5-.2-.15.-15-.15 -.2-.15-.5+.2+.2)/(1+.24)=.3s recovery PS. The fighter from (5) attacks as fast as a dual wielding fighter. However a fighter with Two Weapon Style talent can use Vulnerable Attack at the same time without penalty.

Playing with 18mig and 3per makes no sense to me either. Not only you can't be a real tank, but you're also gimping the ability to deal damage, to interrupt and to hold aggro. What's the point to have so much might when you're barely able to hit?

If you have a party minmaxing isn't needed. The purpose of a paladin in a party is tanking and support, thus investing heavily in might isn't needed. Personally I would let everything at 10 and then increase equally the stared stats like suggested by the developpers. More important than the stats are the talents you pick - ie auras, exhortations and defensive talents.

It's a matter of choice - personally I prefer to swing a little slower and to be stunned/knocked down less often. When a phantom or a xaurip starts chaining stuns you won't be able to swing at all...

I recommend max mig/con/res and rest in per (int/dex at 3) until your deflection is maxed. Having high fortitude will allow you to deal more easily with enemies using stuns and other disabling stuff. You can go to Raedric's hold rather fast and get your hands on belt of blunting, gauntlets of accuracy, gloves of manipulation and boots of stability. Besides the obvious items you should get fast (plate, worn shield, rings of deflection/protection) there are a few random ones which can turn the tide for some encounters - rymrgand mantle,spellward amulet and rotward amulet.

The game is more difficult than pre 2.0 because the deflection was nerfed and some monsters have increased accuracy (due to perception changes). Even the paladin needs potions to tank the adra dragon now (before you needed 171+ in all defenses to make him graze all the time, now you need 182+). Scrolls/traps were nerfed, immunities were introduced, AI improved and new fights are even harder. The alpine dragon can't be tanked for very long (his wing attack hits with 154 accuracy vs fortitude/reflexes) and since you're all the time flanked by the blights he does only sneak attacks on you (ie 100% dmg even for grazes). Probably the only way to kill him solo is with a petrify trap at the start of the fight while tanking all the blights around you... or blind him and try to kill him from the distance... PS. The paladin still is the most solid class and becomes very fun once he gets Sacred Immolation since you have the best tank coupled with some serious AoE damage. Also you can respec and optimize your defenses for big fights and the rest of the time play a more offensive build.

High resolve is required for tanks - ie paladin or fighter. Shieldbearers paladins are the easiest to play because they're not penalized unlesss they're agressive/cruel which is easy to avoid.