Boeroer

I assume the Naasitaq ranger is your main character. Because those checks only use the main character's values. If your main char's PER is 17 or higher the check should work (if it requires a value of 17). Your other party members will not contribute anything to this check. Items' bonuses like the one from Lilith's Shawl will work. Resting bonuses, temporary buffs from food, prostitutes or spells (if there's any that lasts outside of combat, can't remember) will also apply. Basically your PER value at the moment of the dialogue counts - no matter how you achieved it. What exactly do you want to achieve with the perception check? Because the PER check will not solve this encounter peacefully. It will just give you hints. Even if the PER check doesn't work for some reason (bug or whatver) you don't need it to move forward peacefully. To solve the encounter without fighting you have to read the logbook that you can find in the same room, then go to the woman who gave you the quest (Niah). She's waiting for you right outside the lighthouse. After that go to the Charred Barrel (upstairs) in Brackenbury and talk to Maerwith the pirate captain. Then return to the lighthouse and talk to Niah again.

Sneak Attack doesn't work with Carnage? Booh!

The spell summons a wand that "shoots" the blights when you attack with it. It's very simple and straightforward.

Like all summoned weapons (and soulbound, too), Kalakoth's Minor Blights is in the weapon category "universal" which means that it works with any weapon focus. You can check that while you have the char sheet opened (key C) and hover over your accuracy value. Whatever weapon focus you took, it will be applied to Minor Blights. Edit: druids' natural weapons when shifted don't count as summoned weapons and thus only work with Weapon Focus Peasant.

You can also run through the area with a lot of movement speed bonuses. You will have to lead the following Bannermen into the Alguls and Deathguards and while they fight you can run to the entrance of the tower and wait till encounter stops, then enter. Maybe you also have to use summons to stop followers. However, I only did this solo and I think it's nearly impossible with a whole party if you don't want to give everybody Fast Runner and use a party wide Zealous Charge or potion of Fleet Feet. And even then it will be a chore. But solo it' OK. Boots of Speed and a potion of Fleet Feet stack. Even if you get hobbled or blinded by a ranged attack you still will be fast enough. Just don't get engaged.

You know what? Now I got the joke!

Yes, it's because some cipher powers are really awesome and too good to not use them. Like you said: Mental Binding and Amplified Wave are two examples. But since mind control (confuse, charm, dominate) is one of the strongest CC effects in the game (and it's really cheap with ciphers) I use Whisper of Treason a lot - even at high levels. In fact I find charm so useful that I value Munacra Arret and Spirit Spiral as some of the best items in the game. With a rogue, paladin or fighter you can crit-charm a lot and it makes tough fights a lot easier if you can spam that on a per-rest-basis.

Nope. It's always fighting as far as I know. Maybe there is a way with a ton of RES, but I don't think so.

I think Torm meant the Witch's Hat and confused the creatures. As far as I know there is no item that summons a banshee nor is there an item or ability that lets you shapeshift into one.

Yeah - but you can use both. They are not mutually exclusive. But people treat them like they are.

MIG also makes healing via Ancient Memory, Beloved Spirits and Veteran's Recovery more powerful. And with a Dragon Thrashed chanter there are basically no "Oh sh!t"-moments.

Which innocent man?

No, being a godlike does not entail worshipping the corresponding god. Maybe some godlikes even despise the god who "touched" them - because usually being a godlike comes with some hefty (social) disadvantaves.

Why didn't I think of that?

@dgray62: No problem at all. Glad that you like the build. @hansvedic: You are welcome. Surely a hearth orlan would work. I honestly can't say if if it would be better or worse (it really depends on how you play your char and which targets you pick - like dgray62 said), but the difference would be marginal I guess.

Yes, I do. There is a bubble-animation when I cast it but then the blueish bubble is gone and I'm left with no visual effect for the rest of the duration. I don't mind though because I don't like all those fancy-shmancy glowing effects from all sorts of abilities and enchantments anyway.

? Really ? In my game I never saw anything (Linux with minimal settings). Aw man!

@MaxQuest: last time I checked (long ago) the damage of Sweet Winds and Dragon Thrashed didn't get logged properly in the char sheet. So it may be that your chanter did more damage than it is written there. Sweet Winds would be really neat if it transfered the endurance to the party...

If you concentrate on damage dealing via chanting (Come Sweet Winds of Death, later Dragon Thrashed) you can dump DEX completely and wear the thickest armor. If you want to use Invocations a lot (like debuffing with Killers froze stiff) you need low recovery which means light armor and high DEX in order to have a decent frequency. That's because using invocations will trigger a recovery phase which is influenced by both DEX and armor penalty. The first approach is better for tankish chanters. Because it combines awesome AoE damage with good sturdiness. High MIG and INT are mandatory for max damage via chants because both leads to higher damage numbers. INT also increases the area of effect a lot. You'll also need decent PER because that influences your accuracy of your attack rolls. With a shield and thick armor you can do without high RES, 10 would be enough. Put the rest onto PER and then CON. Chanters are not the kings of debuffing. That's because when you're in dire need of a crowd control effect the chanter usually hasn't build up enough phrases yet. And most debuffing effects are a bit weak. On the other hand they have good AoE healing (regeneration) which works great with the above stats and makes the whole party sturdier and The Dragon Thrashed is one of the best abilities in the game. It stacks with itself by the way. You don't need to mix in something else once you have it.

It has no fancy visual effect.

What would be the advantage of a summoned armor? That it's a lighter than plate while having the same protection value I suppose? And (better) conversion of crit->hit->graze? Sounds nice I have to say. Never thought about that, but it makes sense if we look at all the cool summoned weapons wizards can have. Basically things like Iron Skin, Woodskin and such are a bit like this - without the visuals of an actual armor. I guess what keeps OBS from doing this is that they'd have to create an armor model for every gender/race combination - instead of doing just one model for a summoned weapon. But still: the idea is cool.

Yeah, it's the same game engine, but a higher version.

Priests don't have a big variety of damage spells, true, but the ones they have are among the best in terms of damage (as I said: look at the damage done by Shining Beacon with high MIG and INT through Minor Avatar or other buffs and add Cleansing Flame to double the ticks) - also because they can buff themselves while buffing the party so well. Another reason why priests are the most powerful class for me are the prayers and litanies. They make most defense buffs against afflictions obsolete. Another trick with a priest: Inspiring Radiance + Devotios for the Faithful (+30 ACC combined) stack with universal ACC bonuses like Disciplined Barrage, Zealous Focus or Blessing. I can totally recommend building a priest who's focused on damage. The first two spell levels are a bit meh, but then the good stuff comes around. And of course: at the start of the fight both priests should cast a buff before the CC and finally the damaging part begins. That way you spare precious buffing time. For CC wizards, ciphers and druids are cool. Buff them with +30 ACC and watch how their CC spells crit. Then start the nuking...

Ah, ok.

Priests is the most powerful class in my opinion. When they don't buff they can deal awesome damage. They are only a bit short of CC, but there are other classes for this. So if you want to use Durance for buffing mostly I would skill your main character for (spell) damage. Then take the Doemenel faction for the talent "Merciless Hand". With a crit your spells will deal a ton of damage then (look at the damage of Shining Beacon if you have high MIG and INT AND score a crit). With the right dispositions, your Holy Radiance can one-shot most vessels. Healing is very situational so I wouldn't evolve a whole character concept around it. If you can deal a lot of damage (with high MIG and INT) you will also be good at healing. Actually I never tried if 2 Inspiring Radiances stack. If they do, that would be superawesome. Stacking MIG and INT into the sky is pretty easy with a priest. Little Tip: Aggrandizing Radiance's bonuses stack with everything. If you cast Minor Avatar and then Aggrandizing Randiance, you will have +10 to all stats and +2 Move speed. If you cast a damaging spell with those stats enemies get obliterated. Also nice for Envenomed Strike if you like that talent. You could even make your MC priest a melee one - berathian priest with great sword is actually pretty fun. So is a skaenite priest with stilettos or a priest of eothas with a morning star - but that's all a matter of taste I guess. Note that all soulbound weapons an summoned weapons (Firebrand) work with the special priest talent that gives you +10 ACC with certain weapons. They also work with EVERY weapon focus. So you are no necessarily stuck with the weapons which are mentioned (like for example long sword and arquenbus as a preist of magran or great sword and mace as a priest of berath and so on).