Ascaloth

On the other hand, sticking with Nonconductive and Suppression sets you up against another megaboss, specifically Sigilmaster Auranic.

Wait. Boeroer recommends Barb builds that aren't the Brute Force Morning Star type?

@Boeroer Okay, so I fired the game up again, and I have to clarify; the 150 Health healing was a figure I somehow pulled out of my ass for I dunno what reason. The Twin Eels' AoE heal with max Religion is actually somewhere around 50-60 Health per kill... which, when applied to every party member in range, is still fairly substantial burst healing.

Oh, it's 3 wounds? For some reason I thought it was 4, maybe something's changed in the patches since I left off at BoW... Yes, Twin Eels because of the AoE heal on kill; with maxxed Religion it's a massive burst of health, about more than 150 for her and every other party member nearby. My Xoti build is not really DPS; she's more of a melee support and killstealer for fun and profit. I set her AI so that she always beelines for the Near Death enemy with the lowest Health.

As a Contemplative. I don't have to make her a pure Monk, because using Twin Eels means she's not using monk fists anyway... oh right, I gave her St Omaku's Mercy as her second weapon too, for the Sacred Sacrifice enchant. The other core piece of my build for Xoti is Furrante's Breastplate, with the Take The Hit enchant. That's the piece that helps her make the rest of the party that much more survivable, at the cost of self-damage... which fuels her Wound generation. Win-win all around.

Now, I don't know how you guys are using Xoti, but personally I always run her with The Twin Eels greatsword, and set her AI to behave like a killstealer. Every time she killsteals, she gains 4 wounds plus heals a tonne of health plus gets 4 rolls at proccing Rooting Pain, all at once. What's not to like? Everything else about my personal build for her is designed to make her better at killstealing, and to make her party tougher just by existing. She can be such a valuable party member if you know how to build her, guys.

I actually have a particular build with Xoti that optimised her subclasses' traits to the fullest, and has worked pretty well for me all things considering. Never really got around to writing it out, but since I recently picked this game back up to complete the DLCs I haven't gotten around to previously... give me a week or so, and I'll have a build thread up.

In my case, "completed" to me means "all side quests, all DLCs, critical path achieved". So yeah, it's going to take a while for me to mark this one as tested. Anyway, I have to take this build through a full playthrough in any case, since it's a Watcher-only build by virtue of its reliance on Neriscyrlas' Hope/Tooth of Toamowhai. I'll update when I'm done in a month or so; maybe I'll start a whole new thread?

Ack. I actually haven't touched Deadfire for about a week, now. I've been... distracted. I guess I really should get started on the playthrough for this build soon. On the other hand, I already have an idea of what the Purifier's gear loadout is going to look like... or I did, before the SSS DLC came out. No idea what new gear came with that DLC, or if any of it would work better with the Purifer than what I already have in mind. Guess I'll have to see how it goes. BTW, what's the general threshold for "tested" status anyway? I've been assuming it's "completed playthrough".

Thanks for the feedback. 1. Well yes, but what are you going to do for the first 18 levels in the meantime? That said, I have been tweaking this build ever since I first posted this thread, and I do have an alternative in mind to replace the blunderbuss at Level 19. Haven't yet posted it up though, and I'm wondering whether I should do so now or save it for after I'm done with the playthrough. 2. I have looked at Gipon Prudensco as an option, yes. That said, just as for point #1, I do have an as-yet unposted alternative in mind for the final version. 3. Sure, but it only applies in daytime. I don't like Sun and Moon in general because of its unreliable bonus, which is why I generally avoid it. If I wanted the +2 Fire PL I'd prefer Magran's Favor, but both of those alternative means I no longer have a weapon which benefits from the expiration of hostile effects, which an Irrepressible-enchanted Ball and Chain offers. 4. That's true, but I'd prefer to keep it all the same because of one simple reason; you don't start encounters at 35 Resolve, you have to build your way up to it as the fight goes on. That means the Outworn Buckler has its place in the opening stages of any fight, even if its utility diminishes towards the end. That said, going with Tuotilo's Palm does make variants of this build usable by other Paladin subclasses, although it entirely removes any rationale for going Darcozzi in the first place. 5. Now that's a great suggestion. Don't know why I didn't think of it beforehand, and I'm almost tempted to try it out... were it not for the alternative I mentioned in point #1. 6. I wish I could use those two rings too, but I kind of need Harmony + Solitary Wanderer in order to hit 35 Resolve.

Actually it doesn't even seem the Floating Hangman quest locks you on the Principi questline, at least not till you finish it AND come back to report to either Aeldys or Furrante. I'm rocking on the Fonferrus, swinging Engoliero de Espirs and doing quests for other factions (this is with Aeldys dead and quest given by Furrante). Indeed. It is entirely possible to be rocking both the Fonferrus and the Blade of Takowa within your fleet in an RDC playthrough. EDIT: Now there's an idea to possibly break the game. I wonder what would happen if I took the Fonferrus, threw in with the RDC to get the Blade of Takowa, then switched back to the Fonferrus and made for the Ofecchia Channel...?

*read last few posts* Well, nuts. Guess I'm going to have to get started on my Darcozzi Purifier playthrough sooner, rather than later.

You don't necessarily have to go on the Principi route to get Scordeo's Edge, or at least not all the way. It's entirely possible to win the Principi for Aeldys and have her give it to you as a reward, then bail on it before embarking on the Floating Hangman quest that really locks you into the Principi route.

Good to know, saves me time I would have otherwise wasted testing it. That said, it did work for the Echoes of the Godhammer AoE-on-death enchantment on the One Dozen Stood plate. So, I reckon it'd work for the Effigy's Husk and Effort as well. EDIT: Proof; here's Aloth going NIPPON BANZAI on the Beast of Winter;

Alright, let's see. Some of the unique weapons I've used the most; Early Game Lord Darryn's Voulge (Pollaxe, soulbound) - One of the few weapons in Deadfire to have an elemental damage type (Shock), like Bittercut in the first game. Has good synergy with Barbarian Carnage, and is a powerful stat stick for certain Druid builds. Wahai Poraga (Pollaxe) - One of the first uniques you can get that targets multiple enemies with each attack, works well with one-man-army builds. Rannig's Wrath (Rapier) - Probably the single most accurate melee weapon in Deadfire, having an additional Accuracy bonus on top of the innate Rapier bonus and the modal. Min's Fortune (Sabre) - One of the first unique Sabres you can find, it's a Crit-focused type of weapon. Think of it as the successor to Resolution. Duskfall (Sword) - Starts off good as is, and has enchantment options that make it very versatile. Whispers of the Endless Paths (Greatsword) - Likely to be the very first Greatsword you can get. Lower base damage than all other Greatswords, but hits multiple enemies and comes with very good enchantment options. Mid-Game Tarn's Respite (Sabre) - Has a Deflection-draining enchantment option, which is very useful. Pukestabber (Dagger) - Figure out how to work around its quirks, and it's integral to achieving the fastest attack speed in the game. Eager Blade (Estoc) - Pretty nice enchants, and probably the best AR-breaker you can get until late-game. Stalker's Patience (Spear) - Ideal for tanks due to the +Engagement modal, and Wounding gives it high damage potential. Modwyr (Sword, soulbound) - Not spectacular damage-wise, but it's one of the few ways to achieve Immunity from Intellect Afflictions (aka Confused, Charmed, Dominated). Squid's Grasp (Rapier) - Not as outright accurate as Rannig's Wrath, but comes with some very good defensive options. The Willbreaker (Morningstar) - An ideal option for Barbarian Brute Force builds. Grave Calling (Sabre) - Useful against Vessels in particular. Late Game Voidwheel (Greatsword) - One of the highest damage potential amongst 2H weapons, but watch out for the self-damage. Engoliero do Espirs (Estoc) - Excellent against crowds thanks to the Ghost Blades proc. Kapana Taga (Club) - Has the fairly rare Slash/Crush damage combo, comes with very good enchantments for One Versus Many situations. Oathbreaker's End (Battle Axe) - Does brutal damage, especially against crowds if given the right enchantment. Scordeo's Edge (Sabre) - Probably the single best 1H melee weapon in the game, if you opt for the enchantment option that gives the wielder a chance to straight up ignore Recovery for a set amount of time.

So, it turns out that there may have been a source of Resolve points I might have overlooked when I first conceptualized this build. In the NW part of the world map, there is an unnamed island with the Outcast's Respite area, where you fight Bipara the bog witch. When you've taken her down, you could potentially decipher a list of potions that can be brewed in the witch's cauldron, and apparently offers a permanent bonus to an Attribute of your choice; Among the choices at the end of the video, I think the "Potion of the Steadfast Hound" might be the one I'm looking for. And here's the problem; I am not able to test this at the moment, and there's basically no information to be had in the Gamepedia or Fextralife wikis regarding the cauldron potions. Could someone test it out? Depending on how it works, it just might be the final piece I need for my new approach to max-stacking Resolve.

Tested, and nope. Seriously, devs... I know you guys have a long list of bugs to swat, but I'd think this particular one should be right up there at the top.

On the bright side, Static Charge from Lord Darryn's Voulge no longer causes friendly fire ever since v1.2 either. So Fate is a much safer build to play these days, compared to her first iteration. Which abilities from that build still cause friendly fire? Storm of Seven Bolts, assuming you're not being especially careful with where you're aiming it. Only that? That seems like it'd be relatively easy to avoid firing at your own party members. If it's only that ability, then the build is solid as far as I'm concerned. Is it still a decent build in your opinion, or not? If I use it, I won't use Helwalker/Monk with any other characters. Still very much decent, and I'd dare say it's still one of the most powerful Shock DPS builds you can get. The other guy says Nature's Terror and Crackling Bolt also hit friendlies... They do, but as Manveru123 said, you could work around that simply by positioning Fate so she doesn't hit her own teammates. That wasn't quite possible with the old Static Charge, which had a huge and unavoidable AoE. But the current version is just a single-target effect (unless you bound the Voulge to a Barbarian, which is a whole other story), so Fate is nowhere near as much of a teamkiller as she used to be in the early days.

On the bright side, Static Charge from Lord Darryn's Voulge no longer causes friendly fire ever since v1.2 either. So Fate is a much safer build to play these days, compared to her first iteration. Which abilities from that build still cause friendly fire? Storm of Seven Bolts, assuming you're not being especially careful with where you're aiming it. Only that? That seems like it'd be relatively easy to avoid firing at your own party members. If it's only that ability, then the build is solid as far as I'm concerned. Is it still a decent build in your opinion, or not? If I use it, I won't use Helwalker/Monk with any other characters. Still very much decent, and I'd dare say it's still one of the most powerful Shock DPS builds you can get.

On the bright side, Static Charge from Lord Darryn's Voulge no longer causes friendly fire ever since v1.2 either. So Fate is a much safer build to play these days, compared to her first iteration. Which abilities from that build still cause friendly fire? Storm of Seven Bolts, assuming you're not being especially careful with where you're aiming it.

Just keep in mind that Fate can't quite put out the ****hueg nuke numbers that were shown in the images on the first page anymore, not since the v1.2 patch that nerfed Storm of Seven Bolts to no longer scale the numbers of thunderbolts produced to PL. There are images on the second and third pages of the thread which more accurately shows how well that nuke works ever since v1.2, and to be fair it still adds up to pretty high Shock numbers... but just so you know. On the bright side, Static Charge from Lord Darryn's Voulge no longer causes friendly fire ever since v1.2 either. So Fate is a much safer build to play these days, compared to her first iteration.

30 Might is still 5 points off the max cap of 35 that Helwalker can achieve, but otherwise it's still a fair bit of raw power. And Confused is not really a big deal either; you can neutralize it easily with the Svef Drug (if you're willing to deal with Drug Crashes), the Wael's Wind alcohol (in which case you may want to wear Drunkard's Regret in place of one of the other Rings in order to avoid Hangover maluses), or if you're feeling extravagant the Captain's Banquet food. The main question here is; what are you trying to achieve with a Berserker cross in place of Helwalker? I ask this, because that Barbarian subclass is more of a melee-focused one thanks to the bonus Hit-to-Crit of its unique Frenzy, while Fate is designed to be more of a DPS caster type. If you're trying to go for a melee version of this build, there's not really anything stopping you from binding Lord Darryn's Voulge to the Barbarian part of the multiclass; except that means you're losing out on the +3 Storm PL in this case. And if you bind it to the Druid part, you can get those PLs, yes... but you're giving up the Disoriented effect that the Voulge will apply to Carnage. Also, Berserker's Frenzy also causes Raw self-damage; that can usually be mitigated in many ways, but the thing about Fury is that they lose access to Rejuvenation spells; in other words, no self-healing to counteract the self-damage. As for Deltro's Cage Helm, there used to be several builds out there that involved inflicting Shock self-damage to power up the Helm's effect... but last I heard, Obsidian nerfed them all. So, sorry.

Oh, nuts. Thanks for the heads-up about consumables not stacking with Lay on Hands, that's good to know. Not being able to obtain Neriscyrlas' Hope until entering the Beast of Winter DLC content is... eh. Part and parcel of the experience, picking up better loot as you go. Also, I can stack a fair bit higher than 20 INT with the Purifier due to Duality of Mortal Presence, so the Courageous Inspiration should stick around somewhat longer than 12 seconds. Good point on Afflictions cancelling out Inspirations though; the Horns of the Bleak Mother grants Resistance to Resolve Afflictions, so I was hoping that would help. Probably wouldn't be enough even so, so I guess I'm stuck re-applying Lay on Hands each time. Looks like I'd have to make up for the last 5 RES somewhere else. Thankfully... Inn bonuses stack while resting with Food doesn't, because that makes so much sense. Thanks, Obsidian. Thanks for pointing out Eviee, I totally overlooked the pet slot! That's +2 RES made up for, and along with the additional +1 RES from using Lover's Bond from the Harmony ring, along with a +2 RES inn bonus I know I can get in Tikawara... yeah, I can still achieve max-stack RES with the Purifier. Thanks. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll probably jot that down as an early-game alternative, because that's the point in the game when you're most likely to be broke. So if the Cabalist's Gambeson doesn't offer that much benefit to a high-RES Watcher, I might as well go for some other armor? One of my earliest choices was Casita Samelia's Legacy for the additional Deflection, and this might mean I should look at that option again. Ah yes, that's... troublesome. Here's hoping the Purifier's high across-the-board defenses will mitigate it to some extent. Or worse comes to worst, that The Maker's Own Power belt will save her.

Gotcha. I've posted it up; here you go.

So, I wasn't planning to post this build until I've had a chance to test it throughout a complete run. But the more I worked on it, the more I realized I was going to need some help optimizing the build, and Boeroer suggested that I open this thread to get more eyes on what I've got planned. So, here we are. Putting together several ideas revolving around a specific Votary interaction, the effects of Resolve stacking, and some new items from the upcoming v2.1 patch, I've come up with a concept for a tank that not only laughs at any Afflictions inflicted upon her, but even uses them as fuel for her own powers. I would like everyone's opinions and assistance in perfecting this build, and I hope you guys have fun playing with it. I only ask that I be credited for this build at the end of the day. Okay, let's get started! =================================== The Darcozzi Purifier =================================== Difficulty: PotD v2.1 Beta Patch -------------------------------------------------------------- Class: Votary (Darcozzi Paladini + Helwalker) -------------------------------------------------------------- Race: Ocean Folk -------------------------------------------------------------- Background: Old Vailia (Aristocrat) -------------------------------------------------------------- Stats (char creation, no Berath's Blessings): MIG: 13 CON: 10 DEX: 10 PER: 10 INT: 16 RES: 19 -------------------------------------------------------------- Important Skills: Athletics, Intimidation -------------------------------------------------------------- Abilities (a=auto, r=recommended, !=important) PL1 Paladin Lay on Hands (a) (!) Sworn Enemy (!) Deep Faith ® Retribution Monk Swift Strikes ® PL2 Paladin Zealous Aura ® Monk Clarity of Agony (!) Dance of Death (!) Common Weapon and Shield Style ® PL3 Paladin Hands of Light (!) Sworn Rival (!) Aegis of Loyalty ® Monk Swift Flurry ® PL4 Paladin Exalted Focus ® Monk Enduring Dance (!) Crucible of Suffering (!) Duality of Mortal Presence ® Thunderous Blows ® Enlightened Agony ® PL5 Paladin Abjuration Practiced Healer ® PL6 Paladin Virtuous Triumph Monk Flagellant's Path Iron Wheel Turning Wheel PL7 Paladin Sacred Immolation (!) Stoic Steel Monk Heartbeat Drumming (!) --------------------------------------------------------------- Items (*=additional enchantments; !=important, r=recommended): Weapon set 1: Ball and Chain (Irrepressible*!, Subjugation*) (!), Outworn Buckler (Timeless Perseverance*!, Beacon of Inspiration*) (!) Weapon set 2: Xefa's Empirical Explication (Jagged Load*!, Open Choke*), Outworn Buckler (Timeless Perseverance*!, Beacon of Inspiration*) (!) Chest: Cabalist's Gambeson (Arcane Containment*!) (!) Helmet: Horns of the Bleak Mother Amulet: Neriscyrlas' Hope (!) Cloak: Shroud of the Phantasm (!) Gloves: Woedica's Strangling Grasp ® Ring: Harmony (!) Ring: Drunkard's Regret ® Belt: The Maker's Own Power (!) Boots: Boots of the Stone (!) ----------------------------------------------------------------- RES Stacking Before I get into the main schtick of the Darcozzi Purifier, let's start first with one of the foundations for this build; the attempt to stack Resolve to the maximum cap of 35 RES. Apart from fuelling the main purpose of the build, this also makes the Purifier the high-Deflection type of tank, which should go some way towards compensating for the increased damage she will suffer as a Helwalker. First, let's start with an Ocean Human, and pump her up to the initial maximum of 19 RES. I could make that 20 by giving her the Aedyr or Ixamitl Plains cultures... but as I've figured out the math, that is not actually necessary. So I prioritised lore in this case, and gave her the Old Vailia culture instead for a more fitting background, plus the +1 INT, which is always useful especially for what she's going to do. Now for the gear; for starters, I gave her Boots of the Stone (+1 RES), as well as the Harmony ring (+1 RES), which brings the total up to 21 RES. The thing about the latter is the Lover's Bond enchantment, which when used gives the Purifier another +1 RES as long as the party member she marked with it stays close to her. Which is nice especially when needed, but not always necessary. Next is the Neriscyrlas' Hope amulet, which gives up to 4 stacks of +1 RES for each ally that falls in battle. The easy way to do this is to bring a Beckoner and summon Skeletons to die for her sake, which makes the Lord of the Imps an ideal partner for the Purifier. That said, I believe it may be possible for her to activate the full four stacks of the amulet on her own if she's also equipped with the Shroud of the Phantasm; the Living Illusions enchantments summons many copies of the wearer which supposedly dies when an enemy breathes on them, and - assuming it works like I think it should - that should also count for the amulet's stacks as well. So now, we're at 25 RES. Then we come to the consumables; the Ripple Sponge drug gives +3 RES, and the Rice Wine alcohol gives another +2 RES. The latter does come with the Hangover debuff though, which is why I recommend equipping Drunkard's Regret as the Purifier's other Ring. With this, we have reached 30 RES. Last but not least, a Darcozzi automatically comes with Lay on Hands. While the mini Flame Shield that comes with it is weaksauce compared to the Shieldbearers of St Elcga's version, it's still helpful for self-healing purposes given the Helwalker half of the Votary build. More importantly, upgrading it to Hands of Light means it offers the Courageous Resolve Inspiration, and another +5 RES. And with this, we have reached the cap of 35 RES. Time for the other foundation of the Darcozzi Purifier build. MIG Stacking Just like with Resolve, we're aiming to stack the Purifier's Might score to the maximum cap of 35 MIG. And to start things of, we're giving her a starting point of 13 MIG. Isn't that rather low, you may ask? Well, yes... but apart from RES, Neriscyrlas' Hope also gives a total of +4 MIG for the full four stacks of its effect. That brings us up to 17 MIG, which with the Woedica's Strangling Grasp (+2 MIG) gloves and The Maker's Own Power (+1 MIG) belt, raises that to 20 MIG. After that, it's a simple matter to stack full Wounds on a Helwalker (+10 MIG), and the Tenacious Might Inspiration from Thunderous Blows (+5 MIG), to achieve the max cap of 35 MIG. Easy peasy. Now we're coming to the main purpose of the Darcozzi Purifier. Shrugging Off The Afflictions Which is, to stack multiple instances of Hostile Effect Duration reduction effects, such that the Darcozzi can shrug them off in a span of seconds measured in single digits, hence the 'Purifier' moniker. Which is the other point of max-stacking Resolve; with 35 RES, the Purifier starts off with -75% reduction in hostile effect duration, which is further bolstered by the Monk Ability Clarity of Agony, which adds -5 seconds on top of another -50% reduction. We then kick it up a notch with the Arcane Containment enchantment on the Cabalist's Gambeson armor, which is another -10% reduction. And now we get to why this build uses the Darcozzi subclass - arguably the weakest of the Paladin subclasses - instead of every other option; the return of an old favourite, the Outworn Buckler. Now, this small shield isn't quite as powerful as its PoE1 incarnation, but it does come with the Timeless Enchantment, which can be upgraded to Timeless Perseverence that gives another -5% reduction. That is, if wielded by anyone else; on the Darcozzi however, that goes up to -10% reduction instead. And that's an edge that Darcozzi have long lacked against the other Paladin subclasses, making the Outworn Buckler something of a stealth buff to the Darcozzi. If the reductions stack multiplicatively as I assume is the case, the additional -5 second reduction from Clarity of Agony still makes it such that the Purifier can outright ignore most hostile effects, and barely feel even those with long durations. If all goes according to theory, this should make the Purifier pretty much impervious to CC indeed. Except, that's not all. Affliction-Powered Asskickery By taking the Crucible of Suffering passive, the Darcozzi Purifier not only shrugs off Afflictions like they were nothing, but uses them to bolster her Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses. With high Deflection ratings thanks to the Resolve max-stacking, and the innate high defenses of a Paladin, the Purifier should - in theory- prove to be a most immovable object. But defense is not the only thing that is powered up by the expiration of hostile effects; the Purifier's offense is also fuelled as well thanks to the Irrepressible enchant on the Ball and Chain Flail, which gives +15% melee damage. And this is backed by Might max-stacking; meaning, the Purifier should hit like an unstoppable force as well. Best of all, the Darcozzi Purifier can initiate the Affliction-powered asskickery on her own; by starting an encounter with a Blunderbuss equipped, using the Powder Burns modal to inflict a Perception Affliction on herself... which is subsequently cleared by Clarity of Agony and used to power Crucible of Suffering. Ideally, I would not want the Affliction to expire too quickly... if only to give the Purifier time to switch to Ball and Chain so it can be empowered by the expiration as well. And now, we come to the tour de force. All Shall Be Ash There was a recent discussion on how Clarity of Agony, when used in conjunction with the Ring of the Solitary Wanderer, allows you to double-stack Sacred Immolation while removing the massive self-damaging part of the Ability altogether. Well, that's what we're doing here with the Darcozzi Purifier... except we're replacing the Ring of the Solitary Wanderer with the combined hostile effect duration reductions from Outworn Buckler, Cabalist's Gambeson, max-stacked Resolve... and backing the double-stacked Sacred Immolation up with the raw power of max-stacked Might. And for the cherry on top, the Purifier wielding Ball and Chain means she can use the Flail modal Unbalancing Strikes, which debuffs the target's Reflex defense... the same one being targeted by the double-stacked max-Might no-damage Sacred Immolation that's currently raging all around the hapless fool who's found himself right in the centre of the conflagaration. All shall be Purified in the Flames And in the End All Shall Be Ash