Ascaloth

I like to think of Intellect for martial classes as the practical application of the "I studied the blade" meme. For example, any dumb Fighter can learn how to Knock Down an enemy flat on his arse. The high-Intellect Fighter on the other hand, instinctively groks centre of gravity to the extent that he knows how to hit the enemy just right to leave the latter winded for as long as possible. Similarly, any dumb Barbarian knows how to flail around his weapon and smack a few blokes all at once. But the high-Intellect Barbarian has the brainpower to figure out in a split second, just how to hack with his weapon - the exact angle, the exact amount of momentum - such that it hits as many enemies as possible. As such, I don't mind high-INT Barbarians that much.

There is a way to make Eder and Pallegina synergize well in the same party; have Eder take Guardian Stance, and Pallegina Zealous Focus. That's party-wide Accuracy and Deflections bonuses between the two of them, which will work well especially with a melee-heavy party. Or with a melee Watcher, such as the DW Barbarian PC I recently completed a PotD "canon" run with.

Alright, so if it doesn't have Spell Holding, it might as well not exist on a Spiritshift-reliant Druid. Got it, thanks. Guess I'll have to think twice about giving a Druid little more than a robe... EDIT: That said, this makes Raiment of Wael's Eyes looks like a good alternative to Sanguine Plate, if I want a Druid that can cast spells fast until it's time for Spiritshift.

Thanks for the rundown. So I assume armor DR doesn't carry over to Spiritshift then, making it pointless for Druids to wear heavy armor with the exception of Sanguine Plate. How about effects like Martyr from the Tidebringer robes, and Second Chance from the Ring of Wonder? If the Druid gets KO'd in Spiritshift, do those effects proc?

Specifically, as to whether armor DR carries over to Spiritshift form. I've read in other places that equipment attribute bonuses other than INT do not carry over to the Spiritshift, so I was just wondering whether it's the same for armor DR as well. I'm asking this because I'm pondering the viability of a Thundercat Druid variant that, most other things being the same, uses the Tidebringer robes. And is female. ...yes, I'm trying to out-anime Ydwin, how'd you guess?

I figured out a way to use scrolls that takes a lot of load off of the Priest. It basically involves giving everyone else in the party just enough Lore each to cast the respective Prayer Against scrolls. So the guy with the highest Lore in the party gets the Treachery scrolls, the next highest is responsible for the Restraint scrolls, the one after him handles the Bewilderment scrolls, so on and so forth until the Priest himself can cast Fear from his own repertoire. This means that at the start of big fights like the dragon battles, everyone in the party can simultaneously cast all of the Priest defensive buffs all at once. This frees up the Priest to get started on the offensive buffs immediately afterwards, and maintain everything with Salvation of Time spamming.

Thanks for all the tips, Boeroer. You've been a great help for me firming up my final party composition. One last thing; I've only just realized I overlooked the Blackwarden's Breast. Does it stack with Cloak of the Frozen Hunt?

Roger that. Dumping RES and bringing INT back up on the Ranger. I guess I'll have to rely on the Prayer Against Bewilderment and Treachery spells to cover against the mindwhammy effects. Didn't plan for a druid in the party this time around, but I'm actually set up to see well this works out soon enough in my current playthrough; I put Sagani with a maxed Stormcaller and a Shock-specced Hiravias together in the party for the WM2 run. Relentless Storm is a really awesome CC option. Perhaps next time around, if and when I build a party after this one. One last thing; should I keep the Wizard as a Wood Elf, or should I turn her Pale Elf as well to further benefit from Secrets of Rime? Her primary role in the party is ranged CC, but with the ability to flex to ranged DPS with the DAoM-KMB-CMP combo as necessary (and Caedebald's Blackbow for single-target work in the endgame). I'm assuming the Wood Elf's racial helps with that, but I want to be sure.

Works for me. So I think I'll retain Knockdown since my Paladin already has Zealous Focus, replace WS Knight with Confident Aim, and for the talents, I'll replace WM Knight with One-Handed Style for the increased crit rate. Does the math work out that way? Alright, I guess I'll stick with my original plan then. Maybe I'll put more Shock spells in the Wizard's grimoire, so he can exploit Stormcaller's Shock DR reduction with a follow-up. Alright, I'm convinced. I'll dump RES instead of CON on both casters. By the same logic, I might as well dump RES instead of INT on my Ranger, too.

Welp. That'll teach me to pick choices based on assumptions, instead of double-checking with the wiki to confirm I'm on the right track. Alright, so I guess I'm dropping WS Knight for Confident Aim after all, and I'll have to look at the talents again for a replacement to WM Knight. What about my thinking with Knock Down? Do you think I'll really need the extra tools for Proning enemies like I figured, or am I better off boosting accuracy with Disciplined Barrage instead? Noted on Persistence and Stormcaller. In the context of the rest of my party, which do you think would be the better choice as the regular weapon of my Ranger? I mean, I'm fixated on Stormcaller because I've heard a lot of good things about it, after all. Finally, is it true that it's not a good idea to dump CON on my casters? I didn't dump RES because I wanted the casters to have good Will saves, after all.

Reviving Exhortation: It's a lot more useful than you'd think; it heals for a hell of a lot more than a Revival scroll does. That lets me put a downed party member back into the fray immediately, without having to babysit the character with additional healing before sending him back in. Tall Grass Barbarian: At this point, you're just telling me to play the Barbarian the way you would play it. That's not the sort of advice I appreciate. If I wanted to play a CC Barbarian, I would have built a CC Barbarian. But what I want is a DPS Barbarian, supported by a CC Fighter and a off-DPS Paladin. And that's what I built; what I'm looking for is how to optimize them for their respective roles accordingly. Low Defenses of Barbarian: Covered by Outworn Buckler on the Paladin, plus Guardian Stance on the Fighter. I'm not building a bunch of solo operators here; I'm building a team that complements each other seamlessly. I'm actually playing a PotD game currently (except with the story companions instead of hired adventurers), and I have a similar setup on Pallegina and Eder. It's been working quite well so far. The Fighter: No Disciplined Barrage or Confident Aim, but I did stack WF, WS and WM Knight on her. Is that not enough accuracy to make the CC stick? And besides, she already has plenty of Fortitude from her superhigh MGT, it's her Reflexes that needs work. Wizard and Priest: It's necessary to enable them to cast the most powerful spells, at the greatest speed, that lasts the longest time. And they're backliners anyway, so why not? Ranger: Like I said before, he's the least teamwork-oriented of the lot; his Attributes are specced for single-target DPS after all. Stormcaller is just so he has some way to play nice with his own party when there's no tough enemies for him to burst with Persistence. Besides, I have two sources of CC in the Fighter and the Wizard anyway.

So I've rebuilt the entire party based on the suggestions and tips offered here so far, and have more or less finalized the stats and loadouts for the upcoming PotD run. So I'm posting it here for a final look for everyone, and last comments if anyone feels like it. The Watcher of Caed Nua Race: Ocean Folk Class: Paladin (Darcozzi Paladini) Culture: Old Vailia Background: Aristocrat (+2 Lore) Attributes MIG: 19 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 19 RES: 10 Abilities Flames of Devotion Zealous Focus Liberating Exhortation Aegis of Loyalty Righteous Soul Reviving Exhortation Sacred Immolation Coordinated Attacks Talents Fires of Darcozzi Palace Critical Focus Inspiring Liberation Weapon and Shield Style Deep Faith Scion of Flame Intense Flames Weapon Focus: Knight Weapons Shame or Glory (Valiant, Marking) - Outworn Buckler (Herald) St. Ydwen’s Redeemer (Soulbound, Destroys Spirits) Armor Argwes Adra (Grants Second Chance, Lore +2) Equipment Head - +3 MGT: Garodh’s Chorus (Retaliation) Neck - +3 RES: Shroud of Mourning (+3 DR against: Corrode, Freeze) Finger - Gathbin Family Signet (Overseeing, Lord’s Authority) Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation) Arms - Ryona’s Vambraces (+5% Misses to Grazes, 3 DR bypass, +5 DR: Slash) Waist - +3 CON: Girdle of Eoten Constitution Feet - Boots of Zealous Command (+20% Zealous Aura AoE) The Watcher is now a full Darcozzi Forward Observer worth the name, and has maxed MGT and INT to do her share of the AoE DPS once Sacred Immolation comes. Frankly, I was honestly tempted by the suggestion to put St. Ydwen's Redeemer on the Barb, especially given that he's the most likely member of the party to complete the criteria for the Redeemer's final upgrade. But I eventually decided that neither of my main melee guys should have to deal with weapon sets that aren't optimized for their talent list, and so decided against the Redeemer for the Barb in the end. On the other hand, the Paladin isn't so dependent on her weapons for what she does in the party, so she retains the Redeemer in the end. I also gave her Argwes Adra in place of He Carries Many Scars, so that now all three frontliners - the Paladin and Barbarian with Second Chance, the Fighter with Unbroken - are able to get up and back at it should they be taken down. Plus the Lore bonus helps the Paladin too, as I plan to develop her Lore so she can handle the scrolls. The Blood Will Fly Race: Savannah Folk Class: Barbarian Culture: The Living Lands Background: Colonist (+2 Survival) Attributes MIG: 20 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 18 RES: 10 Abilities Frenzy Savage Defiance One Stands Alone Threatening Presence Vengeful Defeat Heart of Fury Bloodlust Blood Thirst Talents Accurate Carnage Greater Frenzy Stalwart Defiance Weapon Focus: Ruffian Two Weapon Style Veteran’s Recovery Savage Attack Vulnerable Attack Weapons Resolution (Annihilation, Reliable) - Purgatory (Annihilation, Draining) Bittercut (Damage Types: Corrode/Slash, Spellbind: Infestation of Maggots, Vile Thorns - The Flames of Fair Rhian (Spellbind: Fireball) Armor Sanguine Plate (Spellholding: Frenzy, Survival +2) Equipment Head - +3 MGT: Tempered Helm (for 20s/kill, +5 DR and -5 Deflection for 20s/kill, +25 Defense against: Hobbled, Stuck, Paralyzed, Charmed, Confused, +10 Defense against: Dominated) Neck - +2 RES: Lost Periapt of the Winding Path (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground, +20 Concentration) Finger - +4 INT: Gwyn’s Band of Union (Blessing, Spellstamina: Instill Doubt) Finger - +1 CON, +1 RES, +1 MGT: The Ring of Wonder (Second Chance) Arms - Mourning Gloves (+20s/kill: All Defenses +5, +10% Attack Speed, +10 Concentration, +15 Interrupt, -1 RES, +15 Endurance) Waist - Ryona’s Buckle (+5 ACC when <50% Endurance, +20 Defense against: Disease, Poison) Feet - +4 DEX: Viettro’s Formal Footwear (+3 Lore, Grants Carouse) Now that I've firmed up the Barb's role as pure melee DPS, I've decided to remove all but one of his CC options so he can focus on doing damage; the Fighter can handle the bulk of the melee CC. He now packs quad unique sabers, which I plan to enchant to cover as wide a range of situations as possible; the two Annihilating sabers will be Durganized and enchanted to Superb, with Resolution getting Wilder-Slaying and Freezing Lash while Purgatory gets Kith-Slaying and Shocking Lash, serving as his main weapons. He also gets an 'undead hunting' set of Bittercut with Corroding Lash and Vessel-Slaying, and The Flames of Fair Rhian with Burning Lash and Spirit-Slaying, which can be used at points when the main set isn't doing the job. The Last Woman Standing Race: Coastal Aumaua Class: Fighter Culture: The Living Lands Background: Mercenary (+1 Athletics, +1 Lore) Attributes MIG: 21 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 15 RES: 12 Abilities Knock Down Guardian Weapon Specialization: Knight Overbearing Guard Armored Grace Unbroken Clear Out Triggered Immunity Talents Rapid Recovery Weapon and Shield Style Hold the Line Superior Deflection Weapon Focus: Knight Weapon Mastery: Knight Snake’s Reflexes Bull’s Will Weapons +1 RES: Steadfast (soulbound, Will +5) - Dragon’s Maw Shield (soulbound, Bashing 3, Guarding) We Toki (Overbearing) - The Last Tower (+1 Move Speed, Spellbind: Armor of Faith) Armor White Crest Armor (-1 Move Speed, Grants Overwhelming Wave, Dancing Bolts) Equipment Head - +4 MGT: Maegfolc Skull (Unbending when <50% Endurance) Neck - Swaddling Sheet (Spellbind: Recall Agony, Spellholding: Overwhelming Wave) Finger - +4 CON: Iron Circle (Burden, +15% Armor DR when <26% Endurance) Finger - Orlan’s Bramble Ring (+25 Defense Against: Stuck, Paralyzed, Hobbled) Arms - +4 RES: Siegebreaker Gauntlets (Spellbind: Clear Out) Waist - Arthek’s Cord (+1.8 Move Speed while Endurance >75%, +21 Interrupt while Endurance <75%) Feet - Boots of Stability (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push) Now that her role as the CC specialist has been firmed up, I changed up her Attributes, Abilities and Talents somewhat to reflect accordingly. She has slightly higher RES than the Paladin, and high enough INT to make her CC tools last reasonably long. Disciplined Barrage was replaced by Knock Down, for those times the Fighter needs to smack that one guy in particular down on his ass right now, but didn't want to waste a Clear Out just for that. And I really wanted to try and fit Charge in there, but finally decided that she needs as many Clear Out uses available as is possible. And since I didn't want to waste her W&S Style, that necessitated a 1H weapon with the Overbearing enchantment. Turns out there's only one of those in the whole game, necessitating the change to WF, WS and WM Knight. Doesn't hurt that it means I can give her The Last Tower as well, to offset the Move Speed malus from White Crest Armor. The only question is whether that would stack with Arthek's Cord, but more Interrupt is always helpful nevertheless. The Blizzard Wizard Race: Wood Elf Class: Wizard Culture: Old Vailia Background: Artist (+2 Lore) Attributes MIG: 17 CON: 3 DEX: 19 PER: 10 INT: 19 RES: 10 Abilities Spell Mastery: Spirit Shield Spell Mastery: Bulwark Against The Elements Spell Mastery: Llengrath’s Displaced Image Spell Mastery: Ninagauth’s Shadowflame Talents Arcane Veil Blast Penetrating Blast Hardened Veil Weapon Focus: Adventurer Marksman Dangerous Implement Secrets of Rime Weapons +3 RES: Gyrd Haewanes Stenes (soulbound, Raw Lash) Forgotten Tear of the Beloved (Spellchance: Dazing, Spellbind: Prayer Against Treachery, Suppress Affliction) - Ilfan Byrngar’s Solace (Preservation) Armor Elardh Dwr (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push, Fortitude +5, +3 DR: Crush) Equipment Head - +2 INT: Hermit’s Hat (Immune to Confused) Neck - Cape of the Master Mystic (Spellholding: Invisibility, +12 Deflection, Major Spellbind: Minor Arcane Reflection) Finger - Ring of the Selonan (Ring of Wizardry) Finger - Telda’s Ring (Ring of Wizardry) Arms - Bracers of Spiritual Power (x1.2 Spell Damage) Waist - +3 MGT: Girdle of Maegfolc Might Feet - Shod-in-Faith (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground) There weren't too many suggestions for the Wizard, which resulted in her being the least-changed of the whole lot. I did realize that I tended to favor Freezing spells with the Wizard - between Chill Fog and Ninagauth's Shadowflame - so I figured might as well go all the way and take Secrets of Rime, and use even more of the Freezing spells than I have already. I did consider making her a Pale Elf on top of it for the Freeze DR bonus, but she does need to cast offensive spells and contribute to the ranged DPS on occasion, so Distant Advantage may still be useful for that. The Slayer of Dragons Race: Wood Elf Class: Ranger Culture: The White That Wends Background: Hunter (Survival +1, Stealth +1) Attributes MIG: 18 CON: 9 DEX: 19 PER: 20 INT: 3 RES: 9 Abilities Marked Prey Wounding Shot Stalker’s Link Driving Flight Revive Companion Stunning Shots Twinned Arrows Defensive Bond Talents Resilient Companion Accurate Wounding Shot Weapon Focus: Peasant Marksman Beast Slayer Shot on the Run Bull’s Will Strengthened Bond Weapons Stormcaller (soulbound, Damage Type: Pierce/Shock) Captain Viccilo’s Anger (Dessicating) - Badgradr’s Barricade (Bashing 1, 10% of Ranged attacks reflected, Spellholding: Thrust of Tattered Veils) Armor Wayfarer’s Hide (Spellbind: Nature’s Vigor, +15 Defense against: Stuck, Hobbled, Paralyzed) Equipment Head - +3 RES: Argwes Adra’s Helm Neck - +4 PER: Mantle of the Excavator (+2 Survival, +25 Defense against: Poison) Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation) Finger - Ring of Unshackling (Spellbind: Suppress Affliction) Arms - Gauntlets of Swift Action (+15% Attack Speed) Waist - +3 MGT: Sentinel’s Girdle (Grants Indomitable, Spellbind: Watchful Presence) Feet - Boots of Speed (+3 Move Speed) Dragonslaying equipment: Persistence (Reliable, Wounding) +2 PER: Helmet of Darksee Cloak of the Frozen Hunt (+10% Ranged Damage, + 6 ACC against: Beasts, +3 DR against: Freeze) +3 RES: Kerdhed Pames Apart from going with WF Peasant for the hunting bows, I decided to split the difference between protection and Attack Speed, and give the Ranger the Wayfarer's Hide for his armor. And since this makes Fenwalkers obsolete, I replaced it with Boots of Speed; with that and Shot on the Run, the Ranger can now reposition and resume shooting as and when necessary. In addition, the Ranger gets an optional set of 'dragonslaying' gear, which will replace his normal gear before the Dragon fights; I'll Durganize and enchant Persistence with Beast-Slaying and Legendary, for that very purpose. But in the meantime, the Ranger will stick with Stormcaller for the most part, as it helps him be more of a team player during the times he's not hunting dragons. The Fiery Preacher Race: Pale Elf Class: Priest (Eothas) Culture: Deadfire Archipelago Background: Merchant (Lore +1, Mechanics +1) Attributes MIG: 18 CON: 3 DEX: 20 PER: 10 INT: 18 RES: 9 Abilities Holy Radiance Spell Mastery: Holy Meditation Spell Mastery: Consecrated Ground Spell Mastery: Dire Blessing Spell Mastery: Devotions for the Faithful Talents Inspiring Radiance Hope Eternal Weapon & Shield Style Superior Deflection Brilliant Radiance Aggrandizing Radiance Bear’s Fortitude Scion of Flame Weapons Starcaller (Stunning, Spellstriking: Minoletta’s Minor Missiles) - Little Savior (Herald, Preservation) Abydon’s Hammer (Soulbound, +4 MGT, Spellbind: Ring of the Ancient Forge, Abydon’s Labor, Echo of the Maker, Spellstriking: Abydon’s Power) Armor Angio’s Gambeson (Spellbind: Deletrious Alacrity of Motion, Athletics +2) Equipment Head - +3 INT: White Crest’s Helm Neck - +3 DEX: Finreah’s Grace Finger - Seal of Faith (Seal of Faith) Finger - +3 RES: Ring of Changing Heart (Spellbind: Dominate) Arms - Celebrant’s Gloves (Spelldefense: Holy Meditation, Overseeing) Waist - Looped Rope (Clarity: +20 Defense against all status effects) Feet - Echoing Misery (Spellholding: Ray of Pain, +15 Defense when Disengaging) Unexpectedly for me, it was the Priest who saw the most changes. Since I was made aware of the redundance of the Priest's role as a target designator with the presence of the Forward Observer, it also means she didn't necessarily have to be a Magranite anymore. I wasn't sure which type of Priest she should be, but eventually settled on Eothas so that she can wield the Starcaller the Ranger could no longer use to full effect. I also noticed that Priests have a surprisingly large number of options for Burning spells, and since the Priest doesn't need bonuses to ranged attacks nearly as much as the Wizard does, that clears the way for me to give her Scion of Flame, and make her a Pale Elf so she can get the bonus to Burn DR as well as Burn damage. She also gets Angio's Gambeson for superspeed casting, and I'm convinced of the utility of Abydon's Hammer for the Priest, so the lucky girl gets the Mythical instrument of the god's will. Finally, she gets all the upgrades to her Holy Radiance; Brilliant for the talent-boosted Burn, Inspiring for the ACC bonus, and Aggrandizing for stacking the Attribute bonuses with Minor Avatar. So. Comments?

Okay yeah, I got that the first time. Paladin is the better outright tank for bosses, yes? But I'm trying to build the Fighter to specialize in locking down the swarms of trash mobs, instead. Thanks. So if I rebuild the Paladin as a full Forward Observer, the Magran Priest's utility as a ranged Marker drops by that much. I think I'm starting to see why you'd recommend Abydon's Hammer for the Priest instead, but if that's the case, then there's no real need for the Priest to be a Magranite, or a Wood Elf for that matter. I wonder what I should go with instead... I'll like to be able to slot Clear Out into the Fighter's talent list, but first I'd have to find a vacant spot for it. That might not be so easy to do. Also, good to know about Confident Aim, would consider it if and when I'm planning for a DPS Fighter. Comtessa's Gage was one of the candidates I was considering for the Barb's gloves, actually. I eventually went with Mourning Gloves because Solitary seemed too conditional to be used used easily, but still. Thanks for the tips. I'm all but certain of what the new stats for my Paladin should be, now. Alright. But what if I want to build the Fighter as a CC specialist? I'm going for the concept of the Barbarian and the Fighter working together as a unit; the Fighter as the CC specialist, and the Barb as the DPS specialist. Basically the Fighter knocks them Prone, and the Barb takes the opportunity to wipe them out while they're immobile. That's why the Fighter has the Overwhelming Wave gear like White Crest and Swaddling Sheet, and Siegebreaker Gauntlets for the Clear Out amongst others. I also went with Coastal Aumaua with Boots of Stability so that she herself is resistant to being Proned, and maxed MGT so that enemies won't try to Disengage so easily, since I know they will do so if they don't see the Fighter as enough of a threat.

Noted. I'll be reworking the Paladin over the weekend, and will redistribute points from RES to MGT when all is said and done. In that case, what can the Redeemer do for the Barb that Abydon's Hammer can't? They're both 2H weapons after all, neither benefits from the dual-wielding talent. Or is it simply because the Barb can wield either one, while the Priest can only wield one of these? Excellent. That really narrows down the final loadout the Ranger will get when the time comes. Well, that much stacked interrupts could be useful for when the enemies are tough enough to withstand the first salvo from the Barb. I'll have to think on this one. Oh man, that's just bad. Looks like I'll have no choice but to drop Take The Hit from the Talents list. Yup, I knew I overlooked something like the redundancy of the Fearless ability with Steadfast. Thanks for catching it. That said, since Maegfolc Skull gives Unbending and Siegebreaker Gauntlets gives Clear Out, I think I'll go three for three, and keep Steadfast as the Fearless substitute. And since that means I'm not taking Fearless or Take The Hit, that gives me the space to take Armored Grace and Charge instead. Now I have a Fighter amongst Fighters, one with more of the Fighter Abilities than any other of her kind. Well, drat. I'm going to have to check that one over myself. By the way, another question. What happens if two weapons with the Marking enchantment - like say, Shame or Glory and Pliambo per Casitas - are used on the same target at the same time? Do they stack? So when all the numbers are in, the Paladin would still be better when it comes to face-tanking the big bastards than the Fighter ever will be. That's really good to know, thanks. I guess that's what she'll be doing when the time comes, while the Fighter goes back to her original purpose of turning the trash mobs around the big bosses ass over teakettle. And I'm well aware of how much damage the Chanter's Dragon Thrashed can do; I've had one of those in my previous Hard playthroughs after all, I've seen what it does. That said, this time round I have plenty of DPS between the Paladin and the Barb, but I know first-hand how enemies in PotD likes to go for the squishies, and I need someone who can stop them before they can get that far. What I'm saying is, maybe I wasn't being entirely accurate when I characterized the Fighter as the tank of the group; she's actually more of a CC Fighter, as evidenced by her having Overwhelming Wave, Clear Out, and Overbearing Guard. And now, thanks to Boeroer, I can add Charge to that list of tools as well.

Barbaric Retaliation does not actually work with Carnage? Wow, I must have been reading an outdated guide somewhere. Okay, I'm convinced about dropping it. So your recommendation is Dragon Leap so as to put the Barb in an optimal position for HoF... but should I consider Barbaric Shout instead, for the Terrify effect to complement Apprentice's Sneak Attack? Or Blooded, to complement Ryona's Buckle like you said? Or maybe even Blood Thirst, to make him something of a substitute for a zero-recovery build? Also convinced about Veteran's Recovery, so what should I remove in place of it? Maybe take out Apprentice's Sneak Attack, I guess? Didn't know that about Gauntlets of Swift Action, I'll definitely consider that. Although Mourning Gloves does come with buffs other than the attack speed bonus... eh, it's not a sure thing I'll get my hands on those in the next run though, so whatever. And here I thought the Priests of PoE can't pull CoDzillas like their D&D forebears. Goes to show what I know. Rain coming late isn't that much of an issue; it's a bounty reward, so I can save the Dragons for last and get my hands on it first. Noted on the early availability of Persistence though, so that's one point in its favor. On the other hand, if I'm planning to stay with Starcaller, I'd prefer to have a build which works optimally with every piece of gear; that means going with Rain, since it shares a WF with Starcaller. Hmm, decisions. Okay, my game plan is for the wizard to drop Ninagauth's Shadowflame on the Adra Dragon, and Gaze of the Adragan on the Alpine Dragon. When the Dragons are Paralyzed/Petrified respectively, which of these can drop the largest amount of spike damage in that short period of time? And clothing on a Ranger attracting rushers... yeesh. What if I were to split the difference and give him Elryn's Jacket? Would give him another contingency defense in the form of the Eyestrike Spellholding. If I replace Mantle of the Excavator with Cloak of the Frozen Hunt, would the Cloak stack with Beast-Slaying enchantments on the bows, and/or Beast Slayer talent taken by the Ranger? *checks* Huh, the Paladin only has 7 each, but the rest of the party has the full complement of 8 each. I'm dumb. Yup, Coordinating Attacks it is, and she's a proper Forward Observer now. As for Fires of Darcozzi Palace, I figured that since I'm already planning for Sacred Immolation + Scion of Flame, might as well throw it in there to benefit from the talent as well. And while I'm at it, maybe I'll throw in Intense Flames as the 8th talent. That should make her a Flaming Forward Observer.

So switch out Bloody Slaughter and Interrupting Blows for Vulnerable Attack and Savage Attack, and quad unique sabres are now a go. And now he's the Fuhrer King Bradley. Got it. Not so sure about switching out Barbaric Retaliation for Dragon Leap. I thought Retaliation items no longer benefit from Carnage like they used to? While Barbaric Retaliation does get Carnage, and I figured it'll help the Barb clear out the trash mobs that much faster. Also not too sure about Veteran's Recovery, given my Barb already has Stalwart Defiance and Consecrated Ground from the Lost Periapt. He might run out of Health before Endurance at that rate, which is a dangerous proposition with a Second Chance setup. But to upgrade it, that would mean I would have to tell the squishiest member of my party to step forward and whack all of the Eyeless in Cayron's Scar with it. That... sounds like a questionable proposition. As for the second part, that was the same reason why I initially gave Abydon's Hammer to the Barb; it has the same Destroys Vessels enchantment, and offers a Crushing damage option to boot. Eh, whatever; I guess the undead-slaying Bittercut-Flames combo will work well enough. Welp, I guess that settles it. I'll have to switch the Ranger over to WF Peasant, and find a good Hatchet or Spear to replace Starcaller as his last-ditch melee weapon for personal defense. Which should I go with, Captain Viccilo's Anger or Cladhaliath? While we're talking about the Ranger, what armor and gear should he be going with? That's been the biggest headache for me.

A Rogue can be awesome at ranged CC if you equip him with Borresaine. Does that count? Not really if you check my experience with ranged CC Rogue with Borresaine. On your Paladin Resolve question: If you look at the various Paladin builds posted, you will see most tank builds have 12-15 Resolve. Off-tank or DPS Paladins go lower. I run 12 Resolve "hybrid" Paladin myself. Edit: Paladins should really max both Might and Intelligence. Paladins should max MGT and INT in general, and can tank effectively enough with as little as 12 RES, got it. Since she has a Fighter bodyguard who can handle the main tanking duties, perhaps I can afford to have my Darcozzi Watcher go down to off-tank and focus on other areas? Hmmm. If Bloody Slaughter isn't going to cut it, then the other Talent I have in mind is Savage Attack. That's -5 ACC though, although I'm not sure just how much of a difference that makes in PotD. Also starting to rethink giving Abydon's Hammer to the Barb. I'm thinking that I should double down on his dual-sabre build, and give him an 'undead hunter' set of Vessel-Slaying Bittercut and Spirit-Slaying Flames of Fair Rhian as his second weapon set. In which case, who gets Abydon's Hammer? Giving it to the Fighter would let me spec her as a dedicated 2H build with Hours of St Rumbalt, but leave no place for the Dragon's Maw Shield altogether... hmm. As for Persistence, I thought that might be the case. Does the same hold true against Dragons, though? Has there been any tests I can look at, comparing Persistence and Rain of Godagh Field against the Dragons in the game? I'm thinking both Beast-Slaying enchanted, both Durganized, but Persistence enchanted only to Exceptional quality while Rain starts at the Superb quality you acquire it. These conditions are because I need something I can use against the Sky Dragon from the get go. Then again, if I complete WM2 before tackling the Dragons and acquire Kraken Eyes before then, either of the two could be enchanted to Legendary...

A Rogue can be awesome at ranged CC if you equip him with Borresaine. Does that count?

So 19 RES is far too much tank on a Paladin, even on PotD. Thanks, that's good to know, I'll have to look at and rework the attributes some. Should I bring her RES down to the base 10, then? And where would you recommend I put the extra points? I'm thinking MIG so that Sacred Immolation can hit like the conflagration it's supposed to be, but I'm open to suggestions. Is anything higher than base 10 RES still too much tank for my Fighter as well? Besides, there's a reason I built her so defensively; the Barbarian has AoE DPS covered, and single target DPS is handled by the Ranger. The concept behind this Fighter is that she locks enemies down, and sets them up for the meatgrinder with Prone sources; that's why she has Overwhelming Wave from both White Crest Armor and Swaddling Sheet, Clear Out from Siegebreaker Gauntlets, and the Overbearing Guard talent. That said, The Hours of St. Rumbalt does play into that theme nicely as well. Let's see... oh, We Toki also has the Overbearing enchantment. Perhaps I should work it in somewhere in her build. Plus, high MGT means she can do her fair share of damage. And should she need to deliver a damage spike at a critical point, the Dragon's Maw Shield can take care of that. But most importantly, I need someone who can facetank the Dragons so that the Ranger can do his thing. Steadfast, with its Frightened and Terrified immunities, is a critical component for that. IMO you should give her Angios Gambeson. With durgan enhancement the speed with which it lets you cast spells in the big boss fights is really amazing, with high base dex and Gauntlets of Swift Action starting a boss fight with instant-activation DAoM + Minor Avatar you're casting at about 3x the rate of a dex 10 unarmored character. Edit: Also the arquebus feels like it will really just be a cumbersome waste of time while leaving her vulnerable without a shield + hatchet, and you'd be better of dumping Weapon Focus, Marksman, and Gunner (in no serious fight should your priest ever be wasting time reloading an arquebus, casting priest spells is so much more powerfull than that ever will be), and instead taking Aggrandizing Radiance, Interdiction, and Painful Interdiction for a nice self buff and a great fast AoE debuff every encounter. Thanks! Will definitely consider Angio's Gambeson on the Priest, then. I'm not really sure I like Interdiction, I feel it brings too little impact to the table for the time I can use casting more buffs instead. And the thing about the arquebus is true, which is why my Priest will not be starting fights with it equipped; she will always go into the first seconds of each fight with Nightshroud+Little Savior instead. The arquebus only comes into play when the horde of trash mobs have been cleared, relieving the party of the need to stay on the defensive. That's when they can afford to go on the offensive, and finish the fight. And that's why Pliambo per Casitas is key to this build; it's not that I expect the Priest to do that much DPS with it herself, but the Pliambo's Marking enchantment lets her 'shine a laser', so to speak, on the toughest target for the Ranger and everyone else to focus on. By which I mean, dragons. And maybe Woedica's golems in the final fight. And maybe the Eyeless in WM2. Thanks for the feedback so far, is there anymore? Someone? Anyone? Bueller?

So I'm currently in a PotD run using the story companions, and once I'm done with that, I'll dive in for another run using a whole party of custom adventurers. To that effect, I've been planning ahead for the party composition and builds in advance, and at this point I think I've optimized it as far as my experience with the game can let me go. Thus, now is the time to put it forward so that the real experts at PoE can look it over. If you all can point out anything I've overlooked, or suggest better ways of doing what I'm planning, it'll be much appreciated. The Watcher of Caed Nua Race: Ocean Folk Class: Paladin (Darcozzi Paladini) Culture: Old Vailia Background: Aristocrat (+2 Lore) Attributes MIG: 10 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 19 RES: 19 Abilities Flames of Devotion Zealous Focus Liberating Exhortation Aegis of Loyalty Righteous Soul Reviving Exhortation Sacred Immolation Talents Fires of Darcozzi Palace Critical Focus Inspiring Liberation Weapon and Shield Style Deep Faith Weapon Focus: Knight Scion of Flame Weapons Shame or Glory (Valiant, Marking) - Outworn Buckler (Herald) St. Ydwen’s Redeemer (Soulbound, Destroys Spirits) Armor He Carries Many Scars (1.5x DR when <25% Endurance, Endurance Regeneration +1) Equipment Head - +3 MGT: Garodh’s Chorus (Retaliation) Neck - +3 RES: Shroud of Mourning (+3 DR against: Corrode, Freeze) Finger - Gathbin Family Signet (Overseeing, Lord’s Authority) Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation) Arms - Ryona’s Vambraces (+5% Misses to Grazes, 3 DR bypass, +5 DR: Slash) Waist - +3 CON: Girdle of Eoten Constitution Feet - Boots of Zealous Command (+20% Zealous Aura AoE) This Watcher is flexible enough to do almost everything to a decent extent. She can tank, she can increase ACC for her party members as necessary, she can get fallen party members back on their feet and fighting again, she can debuff the enemy with her Watcher abilities, she can laugh at enemy attempts to mess with her mind, and she can dope slap the dumbos on her side who did let themselves get Confused or Dominated. She can even make a significant contribute to the party DPS by the endgame. On the other hand, she can't contribute to the healing, and she falls just short of being a dedicated Forward Observer. But, she can handle every other contingency, and she makes the party better just by being there, as befitting the leader of the band. The Blood Will Fly Race: Savannah Folk Class: Barbarian Culture: The Living Lands Background: Colonist (+2 Survival) Attributes MIG: 20 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 18 RES: 10 Abilities Frenzy Savage Defiance One Stands Alone Threatening Presence Vengeful Defeat Heart of Fury Barbaric Retaliation Bloodlust Talents Accurate Carnage Greater Frenzy Stalwart Defiance Weapon Focus: Ruffian Two Weapon Style Bloody Slaughter Apprentice’s Sneak Attack Interrupting Blows Weapons Resolution (Annihilation, Reliable) - Purgatory (Annihilation, Draining) Abydon’s Hammer (Soulbound, +4 MGT, Spellbind: Ring of the Ancient Forge, Abydon’s Labor, Echo of the Maker, Spellstriking: Abydon’s Power) Armor Sanguine Plate (Spellholding: Frenzy, Survival +2) Equipment Head - +3 MGT: Tempered Helm (for 20s/kill, +5 DR and -5 Deflection for 20s/kill, +25 Defense against: Hobbled, Stuck, Paralyzed, Charmed, Confused, +10 Defense against: Dominated) Neck - +2 RES: Lost Periapt of the Winding Path (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground, +20 Concentration) Finger - +4 INT: Gwyn’s Band of Union (Blessing, Spellstamina: Instill Doubt) Finger - +1 CON, +1 RES, +1 MGT: The Ring of Wonder (Second Chance) Arms - Mourning Gloves (+20s/kill: All Defenses +5, +10% Attack Speed, +10 Concentration, +15 Interrupt, -1 RES, +15 Endurance) Waist - Ryona’s Buckle (+5 ACC when <50% Endurance, +20 Defense against: Disease, Poison) Feet - +4 DEX: Viettro’s Formal Footwear (+3 Lore, Grants Carouse) The Watcher's true weapon is not the sword in her hand, but this unstoppable force here. He's a pretty standard dual-sabre, Sanguine Plate & Shod-in-Faith Barbarian, except that the existence of Lost Periapt means I can leave his feet slot free for the best DEX gear in the whole game instead. For a Barb with base 10 DEX, that should be a significant upgrade to his Attack Speed. This guy is intended to be my main melee DPS, built to take on entire armies... which is necessary, because as I've learned recently, PotD does throw entire armies at you. Useful to have a guy who can cut a swathe through them, provided he's properly supported by the rest of his team. The Last Woman Standing Race: Coastal Aumaua Class: Fighter Culture: The Living Lands Background: Mercenary (+1 Athletics, +1 Lore) Attributes MIG: 21 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 13 RES: 14 Abilities Disciplined Barrage Guardian Weapon Specialization: Soldier Overbearing Guard Fearless Unbroken Take the Hit Triggered Immunity Talents Rapid Recovery Weapon and Shield Style Hold the Line Superior Deflection Weapon Focus: Soldier Weapon Mastery: Soldier Snake’s Reflexes Bull’s Will Weapons +1 RES: Steadfast (soulbound, Will +5) - Dragon’s Maw Shield (soulbound, Bashing 3, Guarding) Tidefall (Draining, Wounding) Armor White Crest Armor (-1 Move Speed, Grants Overwhelming Wave, Dancing Bolts) Equipment Head - +4 MGT: Maegfolc Skull (Unbending when <50% Endurance) Neck - Swaddling Sheet (Spellbind: Recall Agony, Spellholding: Overwhelming Wave) Finger - +4 CON: Iron Circle (Burden, +15% Armor DR when <26% Endurance) Finger - Orlan’s Bramble Ring (+25 Defense Against: Stuck, Paralyzed, Hobbled) Arms - +4 RES: Siegebreaker Gauntlets (Spellbind: Clear Out) Waist - Arthek’s Cord (+1.8 Move Speed while Endurance >75%, +21 Interrupt while Endurance <75%) Feet - Boots of Stability (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push) Optional equipment: The Grey Sleeper (Spellbind: Slow Spirits, Spellchance: Paralyze, Invoke Vessels, Twin Stones) If the Barbarian is the sword of the Watcher, this Fighter is her shield. She's quite literally a towering specimen of kith, who does her tanking by sweeping her enemies off their feet, while staying steady on her own like the immovable object she is. She's no slouch where actually fighting is concerned, either; she's designed to be able to use Steadfast at its full potential, and to only get harder to kill the more she is hurt. There's just one thing about her I have yet to decide; do I give her Tidefall as her second weapon, for when she's done tanking and needs to finish the fight? Or do I give her the Grey Sleeper instead, for the DR bypass? The Shadowflame Specialist Race: Wood Elf Class: Wizard Culture: Old Vailia Background: Artist (+2 Lore) Attributes MIG: 17 CON: 3 DEX: 19 PER: 10 INT: 19 RES: 10 Abilities Arcane Assault Spell Mastery: Spirit Shield Spell Mastery: Bulwark Against The Elements Spell Mastery: Llengrath’s Displaced Image Spell Mastery: Ninagauth’s Shadowflame Talents Arcane Veil Blast Penetrating Blast Hardened Veil Weapon Focus: Adventurer Marksman Dangerous Implement Lesser Invulnerability Spell Heuristics Weapons +3 RES: Gyrd Haewanes Stenes (soulbound, Raw Lash) Forgotten Tear of the Beloved (Spellchance: Dazing, Spellbind: Prayer Against Treachery, Suppress Affliction) - Ilfan Byrngar’s Solace (Preservation) Armor Elardh Dwr (+30 Defense against Prone, +15 Defense against Push, Fortitude +5, +3 DR: Crush) Equipment Head - +2 INT: Hermit’s Hat (Immune to Confused) Neck - Cape of the Master Mystic (Spellholding: Invisibility, +12 Deflection, Major Spellbind: Minor Arcane Reflection) Finger - Ring of the Selonan (Ring of Wizardry) Finger - Telda’s Ring (Ring of Wizardry) Arms - Bracers of Spiritual Power (x1.2 Spell Damage) Waist - +3 MGT: Girdle of Maegfolc Might Feet - Shod-in-Faith (Spellholding: Consecrated Ground) Tasked to support the offense, by throwing CC at the enemy forces so the Barbarian can take advantage of it. Ninagauth's Shadowflame is quite vital to this purpose, as Paralyzing a good chunk of the enemy forces in the first second buys a lot of time for the whole party to cast buffs and debuffs. Otherwise, your standard CC Wizard who's still capable of flexing to DPS with the combination of Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Kakaloth's Minor Blights, and Citzal's Martial Power, if it is absolutely necessary. Or even becoming the second shooter on the party with Caedebald's Blackbow, when the time goes. The Slayer of Dragons Race: Wood Elf Class: Ranger Culture: The White That Wends Background: Hunter (Survival +1, Stealth +1) Attributes MIG: 18 CON: 9 DEX: 19 PER: 20 INT: 3 RES: 9 Abilities Marked Prey Wounding Shot Stalker’s Link Driving Flight Revive Companion Stunning Shots Twinned Arrows Defensive Bond Talents Resilient Companion Accurate Wounding Shot Weapon Focus: Adventurer Marksman Beast Slayer Shot on the Run Bull’s Will Strengthened Bond Weapons The Rain of Godagh Field (Speed) Starcaller (Stunning, Spellstriking: Minoletta’s Minor Missiles) - Badgradr’s Barricade (Bashing 1, 10% of Ranged attacks reflected, Spellholding: Thrust of Tattered Veils) Armor Argwes Adra (Grants Second Chance, Lore +2) Equipment Head - +3 RES: Argwes Adra’s Helm Neck - +4 PER: Mantle of the Excavator (+2 Survival), +25 Defense against: Poison) Finger - +3 DEX: Ring of Thorns (Reflex +5, Preservation) Finger - Ring of Unshackling (Grants Suppress Affliction) Arms - Gauntlets of Swift Action (+15% Attack Speed) Waist - +3 MGT: Sentinel’s Girdle (Grants Indomitable, Spellbind: Watchful Presence) Feet - Fenwalkers (+7 Defense against: Stuck, Hobbled, Paralyzed, -2s duration: Stuck, Hobble, Paralyzed) Optional equipment: Borresaine (Draining, Stunning) Stormcaller (soulbound) Sabra Marie (Annihilation, Spellstriking: Confuse) +2 PER: Helmet of Darksee Cloak of the Frozen Hunt (+10% Ranged Damage, + 6 ACC against: Beasts, +3 DR against: Freeze) Angio’s Gambeson (Spellbind: Deletrious Alacrity of Motion, Athletics +2) +2 PER: Elryn’s Jacket (Spelldefense: Eyestrike) +3 RES: Kerdhed Pames This fellow is the least teamwork-oriented of the whole lot. Sure, he can make a pretense at contributing to fights from a distance, and he's equipped to take down the truly hard targets even the Barbarian has trouble with. But that's because he's built for a singular purpose, and is intended to only really shine in three, maybe four instances throughout the whole game. That said, as you might be able to tell, this is the same guy who's given me the biggest headache when it comes to gear. I like the look of Argwes Adra on him, and Second Chance doesn't hurt, but maybe it slows down his Attack Speed far too much even if I Durganize it? Should I go with Angio's Gambeson instead, and proc DAoM to complement the Rain's Speed enchantment? Should I replace the Mantle with the Cloak of the Frozen Hunt when the time comes, and does the Beast-Slaying enchantment on the Cloak stack with the same on the Rain of Godagh Field, should I choose to enchant it with the same? If I do so, should I replace Argwes Adra with Elryn's Jacket, so that the RES enchantment is covered while giving him less of an Attack Speed malus? Or should I go with the combination of Kerdhed Pames and Helmet of Darksee instead, and thus reducing the Attack Speed malus likewise without any frills? As for weapons, I'm planning to enchant Rain of Godagh Field with Beast-Slaying and Burning Lash. But is that even the best choice here? Should I go with Borresaine instead? Or even switch to WF Peasant and go with Persistence? So, yeah. Kind of need the most help here, guys. The Target Designator Race: Wood Elf Class: Priest (Magran) Culture: Deadfire Archipelago Background: Merchant (Lore +1, Mechanics +1) Attributes MIG: 18 CON: 3 DEX: 20 PER: 10 INT: 18 RES: 9 Abilities Holy Radiance Spell Mastery: Holy Meditation Spell Mastery: Consecrated Ground Spell Mastery: Dire Blessing Spell Mastery: Devotions for the Faithful Talents Inspiring Radiance Inspired Flame Weapon & Shield Style Superior Deflection Weapon Focus: Soldier Bear’s Fortitude Marksman Gunner Weapons Nightshroud (soulbound, Spellchance: Blind) - Little Savior (Herald, Preservation) Pliambo per Casitas (Marking, Disorienting) Armor +2 MGT: Gwisk Glas (Second Chance) Equipment Head - +3 INT: White Crest’s Helm Neck - +3 DEX: Finreah’s Grace Finger - Seal of Faith (Seal of Faith) Finger - +3 RES: Ring of Changing Heart (Spellbind: Dominate) Arms - Celebrant’s Gloves (Spelldefense: Holy Meditation, Overseeing) Waist - Looped Rope (Clarity: +20 Defense against all status effects) Feet - Echoing Misery (Spellholding: Ray of Pain, +15 Defense when Disengaging) She's your standard staff chick, the healbot/buffbot of the team, without whom the whole team would not last long enough in a fight. But as much of a valuable support for the frontliners as she is, she is just as valuable support for the shooter half of the party. The secret lies in her unique Marking arquebus; ACC boosted by the Wood Elf racial, Inspired Flame and WF Soldier, she can hardly miss her shot. And sure, it's just one shot... but it lights up the target for the Ranger, as well as the rest of the party. Oh, and since Nightshroud is a Soulbound weapon, it benefits from both Inspired Flame and WF Soldier as well. The question is; I gave her the unique Robe to reduce her downtime between casting buffs as much as possible, but is that cutting it a little too close for PotD? Should I give her something heavier like say, the Saint's War Armor? Or even something else?

Just a few ideas off the top of my head; 1) The Napalmdin: Darcozzi Paladin/Unbroken Fighter Crusader Frontline tank, strides up to the enemy and uses Unbroken's bonus Engagements to take on as many as she can, and then procs FoD and Fires of Darcozzi Palace. Fight her directly? Every time you touch her, you BURN. Try to get around her? Unbroken's bonus to Disengagement plus Overbearing Guard means she knocks you Prone, and pulls you right back Into The Fray anyway. And that's why she's the Napalmdin; she sticks to you like glue, and you BURN, BURN, BURN. 2) The Gunslinger: Island Aumaua Sharpshooter Ranger/Black Jacket Fighter Hunter Your standard Arms Bearer/Quick Switch Island Aumaua gun Ranger, now enhanced by the Black Jacket's reduced Recovery upon weapon switching, and bonus weapon proficiency means he can use a wider variety of firearms in his arsenal. Plus no Constant Recovery is no big deal; he's staying in the back and blasting targets in the face anyway. 3) The One Man Army: Berserker Barbarian/Streetfighter Rogue Marauder Your standard OSA/Vengeful Defeat/HoF Bombarian, now even deadlier when Flanked or Bloodied. A fire-and-forget WMD you send first into the enemy ranks and trust to do his job, letting you save your focus for micro-ing the backline. Despite the name, he works best with teammates providing buffs and CC, but either way he's the only melee DPS you're ever going to need. 4) The Batman Wizard: Conjurer Wizard/Trickster Rogue Spellblade Get around the Conjurer's ban on Illusion spells, with the Trickster's access to them! A weaker Sneak Attack is no big deal; she's there to cast spells, not to stab someone. That just leaves Evocation, but who cares about those when you have the right tool for every situation? 5) The Weather Witch: Priestess of Eothas/Fury Druid Universalist Mild-mannered staff chick at first glance, but you won't like her when she's angry. Because when she does, that means Minor Avatar + Relentless Storm + Storm Blight Spiritshift. And with the Eothas Priestess's access to extra Druid Elemental spells, plus the Fury's bonus with same, she can call down the thunder all day long. Hope you don't have anything valuable in the general vicinity.

Battleaxes kind of lose their point IMO, because the two best unique Sabres you can get both have the same +crit mod that battleaxes have, AND they have near-equivalent damage to individual 2H weapons to boot. Dual-wielding them is like DWing two 2H weapons, and if it's those two uniques, both are +crit as well... yeah. Buzzsaw, anyone? BTW, I've found a Shieldbearer Paladin complements my DW Sabre Barbarian nicely. I built my Shieldbearer as a Tank, and she's the perfect partner to my Barb's Spank. Shielding Flames deals with the Barb's deflection penalty from Frenzy nicely, and that's before Reinforcing Exhortation to make him tankier than he should be by right. Plus Hastening Exhortation to make him attack even faster. And when he falls, Reviving Exhortation to get back on his feet, and primed for yet another 'explosion'. (Of course, you have to make the Paladin your Watcher character if you want to get her full potential out of her, so eh.)

For my Barbarian, I picked WF: Ruffian and set him up to dual wield sabres. Each of these have just slightly less damage than a single 2H weapon, and dual wielding them seems to make them attack even faster, which means some serious DPS. With the right enchantments, you can even account for enemies wearing plate armor, as well as others with high DR against slashing damage. Mine could wade into a burly brawl, and quite literally blend the whole lot into mincemeat. WF: Ruffian also means I could set him up with a club+stiletto for his second weapon set, for the rare occasions that dual sabres weren't cutting it. Enchanted those with Vessel and Spirit slaying, so it's typically used as my Barb's anti-undead set.

Yup, I did that too!

Ever since Sanguine Plate had its Retaliation changed to Spell Holding: Frenzy, I've been wondering if that now makes it the armor of choice for Barbarians in particular. Specifically, I've been wondering if the Sanguine Plate's proc'd Frenzy; a) is affected by the Barbarian's INT stat. Does its duration last longer with higher INT, just like the Barbarian's own Frenzy? b) is affected by the Barbarian's Greater Frenzy talent. When proc'd, does it give +2 MIG and +2 CON as well, or is it merely the base version of Frenzy? c) stacks with the Berserker's Belt. Does the latter's 1.2x Frenzy duration apply to it as well? If all three applies, it could mean that a constant-Frenzy Barbarian build might not only be viable, but scarily effective to boot. (I had a Barbarian with Sanguine Plate and dual wielding the Purgatory/Resolution sabres in my latest Hard run, and he was literally the only damage-dealer my entire party needed for almost all of the game. He was a Human Bomb build, had Second Chance from the Ring of Wonder, and was supported by a Paladin with Reviving Exhortation, a Chanter with the "Rise, Rise" Invocation, a Wizard holding Revive scrolls, and a Priest. Simply hilarious, and he didn't even have to 'explode' all that often. Was thinking it's a viable party setup to duplicate for my PotD run.)