Boeroer

With dumped int you gimp one of the best abilities of the monk: Force of Anguish. And Torment's Reach, too.

Barb - carnage steals duration a lot faster than any other class could: The Leech

You could also chain Amplified Thrust + weapon attack + Amplified Thrust + weapon attack and so on.

Yeah, might be the case. The problem is that Ampl. Thrust generates focus when the enemy is hit and that can take some time (between casting and hit). So I think you need at least focus for two Ampl. Thrusts because once the first is cast the system wants to cast the second immediatley after - but the first one didn't generate focus yet. You haven't enough then and the actions get cancelled. Should work if you first fire a shot from a arquebus or blunderbuss, giving you lots of focus,and then start the command chain.

That's the usual approach.

Paladins were one of my favorite classes anyway - now there's no reason to hire one or make the MC a paladin: the official companion is the best you can get.

As I said: it works with penetrating shot, too.

I think it works with everything what also works with penetrating shot. So Mind Blades also should work, too. By the way Mind Blades with penetr. shot and Ryona's Vambraces is not sooo bad.

Have to test that. Only thing is: how do I get my teammates charmed first?

No, AI can't do that. But what you can do to reduce micro: build up a chain of commands with shift+spell choice+target choice. That way you can tell the cipher to cast amplified wave ten (or more) times in a row. Since it generates it's own focus you won't run dry and you can't aim it at enemies anyway.

With the coil of resourcefulness you can quick switch whenever you want. I have her in the front line but still use penetr. shot. She starts by firing off Wrath of the Five Suns and then starts tanking + Sacred Immolation. Whenever an enemy tries to sneak by I just switch to blunderbuss with it's 15 DR bypass and +120% burn damage and he goes *poof*. Then I switch back to tanking mode. The mail is great because it allows you to cast a good fire spell that also blinds in an aoe. The recovery penalty is nothing against that. The weaknesses of mail can be countered with crush-proofed a bit. If the three uses are gone I just put on another armor. I decide which armor to wear before difficult encounters anyway. For example against ogres mail doesn't work so well. Against drakes or dragons it's great.

Don't anybody say paladins are bad now just because their base deflection is a bit lower than fighters'. Still an awesome class. Just don't reduce it to tanking. Use chanter for that.

I always go for max prestige (esp. with hirelings that give a bonus) and I have to say I see him very often. The only thing is: who needs Wurmwull? Three times?

You should consider taking Penetrating Shot. Wrath of The Five Suns works with it as does a Cloak of Minor Missiles. I also put on Ryona's Vambraces for another +3 DR bypass and got Lead Spitter early on. Then I took Arms Bearer so that I can fire two FoD Blunderbuss shots: one with Lead Spitter and 11 DR bypass and the other with 8. Most of the time the damage is better than that of an arquebus. Wrath of The Five Suns has 18 DR penetration with this setup. Scolls of Missiles (like Missile Barrage) are totally devastating with her. DR bypass of 18 with 5 or 9 projectiles is just insane. After all the shooting is done I switch to Bittercut (Vile Thorns works with Penetrating Shot and Vambraces) and Outworn Buckler. Another good weapon for her would be the Sabre from the Endless Paths that you can get when you siphon knowledge out of Marwald. It has 3 fireballs/rest which will work with Scion of Flame. The Sun Touched Mail is a nice armor for her because it gives you Sunbeam (3/rest). It's nice because it also works with Scion of Flame and it looks awesome on her. I seldomly have to attack in melee with her because she's like a little fire wizard.

Absolutely. It gives you +15% damage per hit (as Appr. Sneak, but without the need to cause afflictions first) AND speeds you up. Only thing is you have to cast it first.

He had DEX 3 - so maybe it was that.

You're right. Forgot about that - despite the fact that I'm using that shield in my current playthrough.

Last time I did Olan's Hed with a chanter who had 20 PER and I lost 10 times in a row...

Maybe, but with that auras they would constantly uncharm allies that got charmed or otherwise mind controlled. If those aura work with Aegis of Loyality.

Schemer's Needler I would only take this talent if I planned to attack a lot. Supporters andthe like don't need it at all. Even for damage dealers there are better ones if you run short of talent points.

No, you damage yourself on every pulse. What I was wondering: There are some items now that provide some forms of offensive auras. Like the Excecutioner's Hood that frightens or that pollaxe that lowers concentration via "Zephyr" aura. Could it be that those auras (which also produce hit rolls) also turn around your charmed teammate with Aegis of Loyality? That would be pretty nice!

Right. That pretty much sums it up perfectly. Barb = carnage and you have to build around it.

Also funny that the forum censors the word c0ckroach.

Yep. Same with the bandits at Black Meadow if you try to beat them early. One of them is a fighter with Unbending. Or Mezla with that bounty at Durgan's Battery. You think you barely won and then this fighter a**hole just won't die.

I used Mabec's Morning Star on a interrupt-barb once and it was good.