Mhantra

I agree. It isn't for a sense of accomplishment or anything, I started a PotD because I wanted more challenge. On Hard I never used a scroll or food or laid a trap. Hell, I skipped finding the awesome equipment out there. That told me that Hard didn't require me to use all the game's systems. I wanted to have to think, build well and created a party that isn't niche or abusing some mechanic (actually very different theory of team makeup than I usually see, very much MY creation). The party needs the synergy I created to work on PotD, and from the very minute I started the campaig, I felt much, MUCH more connected to each moment in combat, to each stat, each piece of equipment. In short, I am completely absorbed in this campaign when I was not on hard. Sure, running fewer team members on hard would be fine, but it would just balance out because you would get more experience per quest/encounter, your people would be higher level, and still wouldn't have to THINK about how to debuff and work together to land a hit. Then there's the Shade fights...but that's a different story =D

I love me some Grace Jones! May Day. Badass.

In my new run through on PotD detting, my druid uses a war bow, my Cipher uses an Arbelest. The Cipher is a ridiculous damage dealing machine and DR doesn't scare me at all. The druid is more steady, less dramatic, but keeps it going. The above post makes a lot of sense because that is how they are most effectively played, supporting the whole fight strategy. Cipher obviously aims at the highest armored guy and tries to drop his HP massively right off. The Druid cleans up near death guys, or focuses on easy-to-hit weaklings (other archers) while my rogue sneaks over to wipe em out. Obviously, they both have magic as a large part of what they do, but they are built as range and their ranged comabt is extremely important to the party. In many fights their ranged damage is the highest damage in the party (which is designed this way) in menial fights (I save their spells for the big fights so I can manage my resources). But I need them both, I htink two of War Bow, or two of Arbalest would be no where near as efficient. Sure, this isn't taking into account sneak attacks and such, as the topic seems centered on, but it is valid nonetheless. I love them both. Also, depending on what melee weapon you want to give them, if you are choosing a weapon focus, it can help you choose. Estoc or spear? Makes a difference. Anyway, props to the combat sytem that let me make an arbalest cipher that works

I played on hard, so not sure how if differs, but the only one that was ridiculous to me was trying to beat Thalnos at lv 8...shouldn't have rushed..

My main character was a slave, and the Skaen guy had special dialogue for that and I really kind of wanted to go with the Skaen plan from a roleplaying perspective, but I just couldn't go through with letting the girl be a slave to serve Skaen's purposes, so I released her and killed the Skaen priest as well as her uncle. Now what I did try was to release her AFTER letting her return to her uncle that way I didn't have to kill the Skaen worshipers since I did agree with them in principle, but unfortunately the game didn't allow me to do that. Also for those of you who said that the Skaen priest might be lying and she was never raped, the Cipher option does go into detail about HOW you release her and it does show that her uncle did do all the things that the priest accused him of and you have to sever her memory of her uncle completely in order to free her. My main character on this playthrough is a Skaen Priest with slave background...lol I wonder what options I will have.

I find the world to be wonderfully designed, with great balance between the familar, the new, and the "familiaresque," which I think is what is bothering OP. Of course, I am, "that guy," who tries to pronounce the names of all the Spanish named streets and cities in their Spanish/Mexican pronunciation...and am considered a complete outsider by the locals even though I was a local (lol). But what has been said above by some rings true, try to learn the culture and then you will start to recognize the words as not abnormal at all. Sure, maybe this world is similar to past worlds, but it is a whole new world with different cultures and it takes some time learn it. But here is a quesion: How many of the history books did you read? I am totally fine with someone not reading the history books, I totally get that...but if you haven't, then perhaps you have lost a little of your credential to "review" the setting. Not that it is completely invalid, but I would be curious to see an honest review from someone who spent a lot of time reading and learning about the history of the world and where the modern (in game) world has come from.

Well said...lol Fair enough. Being male I can't imagine I have much perspective shift toward noticing the gender bias in video games, but I am sure it is still there.

I just finished my companion based run on hard, and created my party for PotD: Hearth Orlan Skean priest: Hearth Orlan gives 10% higher chance to crit when attacking an enemy who is being targeted by another teammate. On top of that, the baby backstab and +10 accuracy with clubs and stiletto round out this little melee machine. Oh, but that’s just a bonus, he’s still all about spell support. High STR/INT for massive AOE range and duration and high healing (and melee, incidentally, this dude pops weak minions hard). Interdiction will be raised to debuff enemy, and later weaken them which allows rogue to sneak attack more. Oh, and since priest is my primary mechanics skill, those Seals (the one that knocks them prone…lol!) seem amazingly (over)powerful! Laid out a group of 4 enemy for what must have been 15..maybe 25 seconds? They just laid there. Boreal Dwarf Rogue: Standard sneak attack duel wield damage build, high str/dex. Racial makes it so she destroys primordial and wilders. She rarely misses them. Much of the party is built around debuff to allow sneak attack. Took Blinding to try to survive when they turn on her after she lays the slap down (also enables sneak attack if she is in desperation solo). Wild Elf ranged based Cipher: High Might/int, a little dex. Uses Arbalest (after patch, a little more viable, tired of same blunderbuss build). Uses pike for melee if needed, will weapon focus soldier to cover both weapons. The Arbalest has knock down chance. Again, to help rogue sneak attack. Will take many ranged talents, but already is laying amazing alpha damage. At lv two have seen hits for 35. Will focus on the usual awesome paralyze and other status effects (to help rogue sneak attack) plus damage abilities. Wild Orlan Fighter: Orlan allows the 20 perception 19 Resolve build. Wild gives defensive stats when targeted by will (of which he has fabulous will deflection). Main tank, take all tank and defensive talents. Sword and Shield Style to buff his really poor reflex save, his main weakness. Will have high lore to drop fan of flame scrolls etc as enemies approach. Use whatever weapon is best, no weapon specialist. Moon Godlike Chanter Tank: Same as fighter, high perception and resolve, some INT. Talents focus on tanking, not even taking the regen for party (getting nerfed…). Invocations will be crowd control based to help control battlefield while enabling rogue sneak attack plus summons for a seventh party member. Wild Elf Boar Druid: High INT and MIG. Primary means of damage are ranged with War Bow and spells. Spells are a primary duty. War bow is secondary while boar is tertiary, great for when I need to help focus down an enemy (great to create flank with priest and rogue). Will carry Estoc since it is in same category as War bow, allowing her to take that weapon focus group. The Endurance regen from boar is ok, but also the raw damage over time helps. I am no expert, but put a lot of time into planning this from my own brain. So far, only lv 2 early game, it has worked very well, and the theory is sound so far (we’ll see how it works as I progress). I haven’t even gotten many of them their main equipment yet, and rogue needs escape badly. Right now, tanks hold line, Priest supports by aoe buff, aoe debuff/traps and healing, of course. If not doing anything, does flank damage to help focus. Of course the rogue is a massive damage machine. But early on, the real damage MVP is the cipher and druid using ranged weapons. That Cipher’s Arbalest can take easily half of this early guy’s health. Then she switches to whatever focused-based spell she wants to use. And the druid is close. She uses AOE spells early, but her war bow really lays out steady damage throughout the fight. Both of them are wild elves so stay back out of range, giving them accuracy to help against these PotD enemies with buffed stats. Talents will keep it relevant throughout the game, penetrating shot etc.