Boeroer

Exactly. That's why a SC Rogue should bring lots of INT.

Afaik the version from Private Divison is just a key for the Epic Games Store. I want to repeat that I personally don't like this (semi)exclusive deal because I'm on Linux - and Steam did a really good job with Proton. It works like a charm with all non-Linux-native games I tried so far and allows me to play a ton of games without having to install Windows (which I really don't need otherwise). This is a very special case of course and not relevant when one looks at sales numbers. It just shows there might be more reasons than Stockholm Syndrome or being a fanboy. Complaining about Steam being a quasi monopoly is ok. But at the same time embracing Windows which is a quasi monopoly as a platform for PC games is a bit inconsequential. Anyway in this case it's not too bad because it will be on Steam after 1 year. At that point I guess it will run smoothly with Proton. Completely exclusive deals would disappoint me more. Just because I couldn't play the game at all then.

I once had Living Illusions who carried Spirit Lances summon some Essential Phantoms who also carried Spirit Lances... 😄

Maybe. But after countless playthroughs of PoE and Deadfire I still find the early game of PoE cool while the early game of Deadfire is kind of a tedium.

Maybe because it's worse than Plague of Insects - and because it is a direct competitor to Insect Swarm. Insect Swarm has the much smaller potential AoE. But is foe only (Autumn's Decy has firendly fire), removes Concentration entirely, does the same dmg per tick as AD but raw (!) and lasts 30% longer. And it can be boosted by +3 PL with the Spine of Thicket Green. Too bad there are no Decay boosts in Deadfire. That makes IS better than Autum's Decay in my opinion. AD can still be your favorite of course. Depends a lot on how one plays. Sometimes cone shapes are just better.

See my second sentence. Which was ironic. Implementing D&D rules into the Deadfire "Engine" would be at least as painful and drain resources even more than implementing a whole new set of mechanics (like they did). Not only do you have to implement everything anew but you'd also make sure that the implementation doesn't deviate too much from the original (else booohooo fanboy grognards) while being somewhat balanced and playable with a CRPG (else booohooo non-grognards), talking to WotC all the time to make sure you're not producing a sacrilege (else booohooo WotC) and cutting so much stuff (else booohooo producer and director). I mean all power to Larian for trying - but it's against overwhelming odds.

There should be. I also have no idea why that isn't a pickable condition. I think you can work around it (like I said the target with the lowest health is most likely the one you attacked before) but it would be easier to have that option.

There are several nice combos with Ciphers, Priests and Chanters. But I will concentrate on Wizard and Druid mostly: Goldpact Knight + Bear Form = superhigh AR and thus very sturdy while stacking lashes with FoD + Wildstrike. Use Ring of Focused Flame and Scion of Flame. Kind Wayfarer + Wizard + Sun and Moon + Magran's Favor + Fire PL pet (like Otto Starcat) + FoD. +5 PL for all your fire abilities including FoD. I suspect the White Flames healing scales with the increased PL as well...? Also works with Priest (of Magran) and Druid (if you stick to fire spells mostly). Rogue/Druid + Firebrand + Ring of Focused Flame + Scion of Flame does great melee dmg due to +10 ACC and +1 PEN while the many additive dmg bonuses multiply with the lash of Firebrand. Devoted with the same setup has +3 PEN with Firebrand and +10 ACC as well of course. Bleak Walker + Fury + Scion of Flame + Spirit of Decay + Heart of the Storm + Ring of Focused Flame = +3 PEN and +10 ACC with natural weapons. Eternal Devotion applies to spells as well. Paladin/Wizard + Blightheart + Eternal Flame = +10% corrosive lash and 10% burning lash for all your spells. Not really melee but worth noting since it's a big dmg increase for a spellcaster. If you use The Beacon for +40% dmg and then do something like Torrent of Flame or Death Ring you can see impressive dmg numbers. Tactician/Wizard + Dazzling Lights + Pull of Eora + Chillfog = Brilliant. Tactician/Cipher + Phantom Foes = Brilliant Clear Out with Spirit Lance alone is great. Same with Spirit Lance + Rogue's strikes. Steel Garrote/Blood Mage with Concelhaut's Parasitic Staff drains health like a champ. Whispers of the Endless Paths + Taste of the Hunt applies its DoT over the whole cone Area. It's strong. You need lots of INT though. With a Rogue you can stack several DoTs in an AoE then: Toxic Strike + Taste of the Hunt + Deep Wounds makes shirt work of most mobs. The low base dmg of the cone doesn't even matter. My favorite is: Stalker/Wizard + Willbreaker + Wolf + Takedown Combo + Concelhaut's Draining Touch + Essential Phantom. The setup-casting is a bit lengthy (I tend to start combat with a tank and keep the rest of the party in stealth mode to buff up secretly) but then you suddenly have a high AR melee Geomancer with two buddies who lowers fortitude by 25 with Body Blows and Will (with enchantment) so that his Wolf can apply Takedown Combo easily and then the Phantom does its *booom* with its non-dissipating Draining Touch which targets Will and weakens (lowers Fortitude even more) - and does +100% damage. Note that Draining Touch has the highest base dmg of all weapons so the hit from the Phantom can reach high dmg numbers. All the while the Geomancer casts some other single target spell (Necrotic Lance or Killing Bolt for example) that targets fortitude (by now fortitude is down by 35 points) and times it with Takedown Combo for the sweet +100% dmg. Or he casts Combusting Wounds. This combo is sturdy (high AR and three bodies), does tremendous single target damage and has a lot of options. You can also fall back a bit and use Blightheart for the +10% lash on spells (great with Takedown Combo since lashes are multiplicative). It's micro-intense but very strong. I guess it would be even better in Turn Based (since then the micro part and timing isn't so messy). I would use Bloodmage but I find I don't need that many spells with a party - and I like Empowered spells + Takedown Combo too much... I can solo the Beast of Winter and Dracolich with this - with zero consumables, food or resting bonuses - although it's not meant to be a solo build. I mean that's my favorite besides all kinds of Warlocks, Sages, Tempests and Ascetics which are the most fun due to the most useful synergies. Too bad you don't like Barbs and Monks. I never tried an Evoker/Priest who focuses on fire spells with Sun & Moon + Marux Amanth. It would be all about the somewhat stacked spell repeating effects and not about melee combat obviously, but still a melee weapon setup. I wonder if this would be fun or not... Honorable mention: Vatnir as Rogue/Priest with his summoned Battle Axes, stacking DoTs like crazy with his strikes. I found him to be a very good melee damage dealer (while still keeping all the advantages of being a priest). There's so much more but that's what just came to my mind while typing

The loot is just gone. It doesn't happen always. I suspect it happens when the summoned creature has its own loot that overwrites the original one. But I didn't look into it too much. I only tested it several times. Last time after the final patch came out. You can try it yourself: for example spawn Nomu the Marauder (drops Charmeleon's Ring) and kill him with Essence Interrupter. Often he will not drop the ring when he got transformed.

Also one of the "coolest" abilites: Chillfog. No really: lvl1 spell that contains a pulse effect that applies a tier-3 affliction on hit for 15 seconds every 3 secs. AND does pulsing damage.

I agree that Secret Horrors is really good.

Thanks! Body Blows is so useful because a lot of great and powerful abilities target Fortitude. And usually that's a high defense with most enemies. But Body Blows lowers fortitude by 25 points. And you can have it at lvl 1. -25 defense that early in the game is huge. And it keeps being useful because it stacks with MIG and CON debuffs (further reducing fortitude). Oh I forgot one: - Misama of Dull-Mindedness. Great debuff. Is no affliction and thus stacks with those. Tremendous loss of Will and Reflex and also Deflection. Low level, too. Stacks with flail and club modals.

It's a pity that the Blackbow is PL 8 and not 7. The SC Wizard is not cool enough with it. I would build a Ranger/Druid with Driving Flight, Avenging Storm + Twinned Shot who shoots dual hand mortars.

- Body Blows (not really an ability but a modal - but one of the most useful effects in the game) - Driving Roar (just sooo powerful and also so cheap). Best with Blood Thirst + Blood Surge. - Whispers of the Wind (especially with dual mortars). Combine with Resonant Touch. - Vanishing Strikes (with high INT and attack speed- because 100% Backstabs and Assassination is cool) - Pull of Eora (the best spell if you like AoE abilities). Especially effective when used with an Imbue **** by an Arcane Archer whose shot has 2 jumps (Watershaper's Focus or Fire in the Hole + Driving Flight): 3 Pulls with tremendous ACC = nobody escapes. - Concelhaut's Draining Touch + Essential Phantom (the combo is just fun and powerful)

I asked Josh on Twitter while commenting on @Decadency's "Thank you" tweet. Decadency then told me that he spoke to @Tenray : his run was finally validated.

Yes, it helps to speed things up BUT: you can't empower the abilites you added with AddAbility. Don't ask me why... If you want to test Empower (for example if you want to play around with a Bellower with Sasha's Singing Scimitar) you have to do it like you did (basically a reroll from level x to pick the ability via level-up).

Red Hand/Aamiina's Legacy: Depends on the class I'd say. For example I'm pretty sure that a Monk/Ranger, Berserker/Ranger or Cipher/Ranger can have higher dps on average with St. Omaku's Mercy than with Amiina's Legacy. Also depends on the target's defenses. But as a cipher you usually target the weaker enemies for faster focus gain I guess. Essence Interrupter is totally out for me because of its issues with the loot (that still persist even after several attempts to fix them). Red Hand is good, but pierce only can suck. However the modal is great in some cases. Also Double Tab is supergood as soon as vessels are involved. Even works against pierce immune vessels. But I guess in that case (destroy) you get no focus (?).

I simply spawn some different enemies somewhere on the map and try stuff out. You can spawn anything with the console using SpawnPrefabAtMouse <prefab name> Prefab names can be found with FindPrefab Characters <search string> . Search string can be "Xaurip" or Skeletal" or whatever the name of the enemy type you wish may contain. You can also spwan NPCs and bosses etc. In case of "Xaurip" you might find "CRE_Xaurip_Champion" and can then spawn it with "spawnPrefabAtMouse CRE_Xaurip_Champion". My first testing is always done with CRE_Dummy. It's a Rhotgast with low defenses but very high health that doesn't move and only does tiny damage. SO you can test stuff out without any worries. See how the mechanics work and so on. You can give yourself any item with giveItem <item name> . Item names can be found with "FindGameData <search string>". Usually the pattern is like this "pistol_U_scordeos_trophy" where the U stands for unique. You can enchant stuff for free if you use FreeRecipesToggle . To open the console look up which key is assigned to the console (don't know which one it is on US keyboards). In order to spawn stuff and all that you'll need to type in iroll20s first to unlock cheats. This will mark your current run as cheated (no achievements, blessings and so on). But no worries: You can simply save your game before doing cheating/testing, go wild and then simply reload the game afterwards: your playthrough will not be marked as cheated then. You can also switch classes and add abilites with setClassLevel and addAbility . Skills: skill , Attributes: attributeScore . You can always use <tab> to let the console guess/complete your command. It's very helpful. You don't need to know the exact names of commands/items/abilites/chars/etc. then, just how they start. I know no better way to quickly yet thoroughly test stuff out.

For that case you could make a "1B" condition that checks "NOT >= 2 Zeal" (mean if you have 1 Zeal or less) and then use auto-attack instead of FoD I guess? I haven't tested the above setup but just made a quick screenshot about something that I think would basically work (since that seems to be the faster and more efficient way of communicating the AI setting). Am not 100% sure that it leads to the desired outcome though. The edge cases (like Zeal or Guile is low) would need to be handeled seperately (like with a 1B and 2B condition and so on).

That makes good use of the own IP then. You'd only have to cramp the current pillars mechanics of miss/graze/hit/crit/inspirations/afflictions/stats/skills into a different setting which used to have its own rules - or quickly reimplement and fit the AD&D rules to the current game engine which is maybe intertwined with the rest. It all makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Wait... Now that I thought about it for a fraction of a second: it totally doesn't! 😜

Shouldn't this work? If you have engagement (e.g. through Persistant Distraction later on) you would change "threatening anyone" with "engaging anyone" I guess. That way you could make extra sure the AI doesn't switch enemies that often. You could also add another condition with target's health. Usually the target you attacked first has the lower health - it might be a way to keep the Holy Slayer focused on a single enemy...?

Edit: oh wow I totally had a brain fart and got carried away - messing up Helwalker/Ascendant with Streetfighter. Forget what I was rambling about down there. I'll let it sit here because there might be some tips that still are worth reading (like Thunderous Report, switching times, destroying loot with Essence Interrupter and cramping up enemies etc.). Just remove all the Monk talk! Easy! Sorry, it was early and I only had 4 hours of sleep. Jeeeez! ----------weird shyte starts now--------- The best dps will still be with dual mortars. At least if you can hit several enemies at once. INT (and other influences on AoE size) are important here. Duality of Mortal Presence (INT) boosts this a lot. So I'd always take it even if the burning lash of Turning Wheel doesn't apply to ranged weapons in the vanilla game (Community Patch mod corrects this so you can profit from the burning lash). Once you get Thunderous Blows + Hammering Thoughts PEN shouldn't be an issue. Also because mortars have pierce/slash damage. Fire in the Hole jumps with the AoE (!). And of course you don't lose dps by switching. That's 2.5 seconds of doing 0 damage and 2.5 seconds that get shaved off your "Heating Up" status. Enduring Dance will make sure you don't feel the ACC malus of mortars too much. Then Stunning Surge has a high chance of critting (again if you can hit several enemies at once). This means you can use it indefinitely with mortars if you can target several weak mobs at once. So: Pull of Eora and a tank (immune to push/pull effects) are the best friends of a mortar Monk(/something). You can start the encounter with Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights from stealth in order to lure enemies to one spot, then drop Pull of Eora while closing in with the tank (if it's an something/Trickster he can also be the one who uses Dazzling Lights). And then just use Stunning Surge on that crowd. Usually you get full focus right after one or two Surges. Also great that firih the opening shot from stealth will give you -85% reload time which means you can fire two Stunning Surges right away in a row and get ascended asap. Also try Flagellant's Path with dual mortars. It skips the reload and only has recovery... Another Blunderbuss that is worth considering - especially for the opening shot - is Kitchen Stove. It has the enchantment "Thunderous Report" which is a very high dmg cone attack (1/encounter). This alone (when placed smartly) can be enough to fill your whole focus and ascend you. Of course against single targets the mortars stink a bit. Against single targets Essence Interrupter is decent. One of the best options. BUT: it still destroys the loot if the enemies get turned into a summon on death. That's why I don't use it most of times. A neat alternative are St. Omaku's Mercy and Veilpiercer - if you tend to crit a lot (Enduring Dance!). You need to pick the enchantment that omits recovery 60% of times on crit. This can lead to great single target dps. Red Hand is also good. BUT: my go-to weapon against single enemies as a ranged Monk is the Long Pain. They work with two weapon style as well, have very high ACC and dps and do crush dmg (complements piece/slash just lovely). With decent action speed they even take less time to summon than switching does. So I would start with mortars and fire at cramped up enemies. Once only singular enemies are left I'd summon the Long Pain and finish them off. ---------------- Manmanman... but still: keep the mortars. With Crippling Strike and especially Arterial Strike (+2 PEN) and Toxic Strike they are great! But only if you have good INT. You can make them work better with Aloth's Armor and a ring of overseeing and the ring of the marksman. Valid alternatives to Essence Interrupter are still St. Omaku's Mercy/Veilpiercer. Rogue/Cipher has good ACC (especially once Borrowed Instinct is accessible) and ok crit conversion. If you are a Dwarf I also think Amiina's Legacy is very good. Even if you are not one - but then it's even better.

Speaking of Firebrand: quick reminder that Scion of Flame + Spirit of Decay + Bleak Walker's FoD will lead to +3 PEN with Firebrand. And plenty of lashes of course. Eternal Devotion adds its lash to direct damage spells as well (not DoTs). Unfortunately Fury's passive doesn't work with Firebrand (the weapon). Some smaller tricks for spell casters (including Druids): using Griffin's Blade for enhanced spell damage (10%). Chanter/Druid can use Shasha's Singing Scimitar to boost spell damage. It gives you +2% shocking lash per accumulated phrase (universally - also works for spells). The action speed bonus which stacks with phrases as well is also universal and works for spells. You can combine both in a dual wielding setup for more spell dmg and casting speed (Hound's Speed from Griffin's Blade only works for the weapon though ). I like Bellower/Druid for this. You tend to accumulate phrases with Bellower anyway and the PL bonus works well with the additive dmg bonus of Griffin's and then the added lash (up to 12% at 6 phrases). Troubadours and Beckoners can get to 14% (muticlasses) because they can collect 7 phrases due to their increased invocation costs. Troubadour's also nice because he can accumulate the phrases a lot faster. Wizard/Druid can bind Blightheart and add 10% corrosive lash to ALL spells (not only Wizard's). Paladin/Wizard can bind Blightheart and combine 10% corrosive lash + 10% burning lash from Eternal Devotion for their direct damage spells. Oops - no Druid involved. Not really Druid-exclusive but also works with Druids.

I guess I would go Devoted/Fury with the Voulge (non-shifting) and use the Fighter part for more sturdyness and self-healing (since Fury can't). I think I would use Tactical Barrage instead of Disciplined Strikes. +1 PL is +5% multiplicative dmg in all cases (except auto-attacks) and in my books that's better than 25% crit cinversion (which - if we think about 100% hit chance at best, would only lead to 0.25*0,25 = roughly 6% additive dmg increase). In reality you don't have 100% hit chance, so... Besides stuff like PEN and ACC and also the higher INT. For me Disciplined Strikes is only the favored pick if you do somethung special that's dependend on crits. The Voulge is better on a Barb since Carnage applies Static Charge, but it's still good - especially once you get Clear Out (and can apply static charge to multiple enemies at once). Another nice synergy between Fighter and Druid is with Clear Out and a Morning Star: you can apply Body Blows in an AoE which makes it a lot easier to land the next fortitude-based spells (like most DoTs). Same would work with Reflex and Will based spells and a flail or club of course.

It's ok but nothing I'm too excited about. The +5 PER and either +5 INT, +1 PL (Tactical Barrage) or +25% crit conversion (Disciplined Strikes) are nice for casting. Unbending and Clear Out are always useful of course. It's too bad that there's no way to bring the Devoted and Spiritshift together. That would be interesting. Also Clear Out + Avenging Storm would be very nice if only Avenging Storm wouldn't be PL8. I personally think a lot of multiclasses awesomeness was prevented by that spell being in the SC-only tiers. They should have done a PL6 version and an upgrade at PL 8 maybe. Also Wildstrike Frenzy needs a boost. In it's current form it is not very tempting. SC shifters are not good. They would be better if their weapons scaled with PL rather than char level (see Transcendent Suffering) and if Wildstrike Frenzy either came with an additive or even base dmg boost and/or a bigger lash.