dgray62

heldred, this looks like a wonderful party. Thanks for sharing it with us. I had a few questions about your "Tyrus" Wizard build. I understand that you wanted a melee-oriented party, and as a result you did not take the blast talents. As a result, I wonder why you keep Kalkoth's minor blights in your grimoire, since this spell really shines when you have the blast talents. Do you keep it for the rare occasions that you want your wizard to attack from range with a summoned weapon? Also, am I correct in assuming that you don't need the blast talents for Citzal's Spirit Lance to have its blast-like AOE effect? I ask because I have never played a melee-oriented wizard who didn't take the blast talents.

Thanks for the tip! I guess I'll just experiment and figure out which 4 spells are best for my current run, a blaster wizard who will occasionally wade into melee once he gets lvl 5 spells (Citzal's lance, in particular). While in theory I like the flexibility of priests and druids not needing the grimoire, in practice I rarely use more that 4 spells/level for any caster. It just seems that at each level there are few great spells that I use again and again.

I haven't played wizards very much in POE, and the reason is I have found the limited access via the grimoire to only 4 spells/level to be frustrating, particularly later in the game when you have gained most of the spells. Granted, there are some spells I never use, and I understand that you can have a backup grimoire in a quick slot and quick switch grimoires in combat. However, the cool down when you do this seems very long, at least in the heat of battle. I was wondering how those of you with more experience playing wizards handle this. Do you have one grimoire with buffs for use at the start of battle, and then switch to a grimoire with more damaging spells after buffing? I suppose if you do this, you'd need to auto-attack until the cool down clock runs down, right? I should add that, IMO, this problem is intensified by the fact that there are so many great wizard spells, definitely more than four per level for most levels. On the other hand, this wouldn't be a problem at all for druids. While there are some fantastic druid spells, I don't think I've ever used more than four spells per level (for some druid spell levels, just one or two) on my various runs with a druid MC. Druids just do not have as many great spells. Any advice regarding the management of wizard spells would be most appreciated. [Question expanded via editing]

I see that I misread the embedded series of quotes. It is your suggestion, daveyeisley, with which I was agreeing.

I agree with Torm51's suggestions. For most fights (for which you'll want the mastered spells, strong CC AOE spells are sufficient to win the day. The defensive buffs are most useful for the rare extremely difficult fights (bounties, dragon fights, etc.), so there's no need to master them. Web is a particularly useful spell if you also have a druid who can cast (as a mastered spell, ideally) Form of the Delemgan, as this makes your party immune to the stuck affliction. Infuse with Vital Essence is a great spell to top off your health when it gets low, but there's no need to master it, as you can rely on potions if you run out of level two spell slots.

You can also cast Disintegrate and other DoT powers/spells/abilities on the dragon, and then charm it; it will attack its minions while its health dwindles from those DoT effects.

Thank you! I didn't know such thread existed! Right now I'm on the pally, but will move to cipher next playthrough! You're welcome! It's an interesting thread, and especially useful if you're interested in cipher builds.

Boeroer's Hog druid idea is one of my favorites. It's so much fun to cast returning storm and/or relentless storm and then shift and destroy almost anything quickly. I used the following stat spread in my playthroughs: 16 MIG, 16 CON, 15 DEX, 10 PER, 16 INT, 5 RES. I drop RES to 5 to get DEX up to 15, and I typically give him the Ring of Changing Heart for +3 RES, and Steadfast (for +1 RES) and a hatchet in one slot, and the Gyrd whatever soulbound scepter for the Wildstrike renewal and +3. With this gear the low RES isn't a problem. [Edited for spelling]

MaxQuest gave some cipher builds with recommendations for the powers optimal to each one in a thread last year.

Ciphers are great with a cool mix of powers; in the early game, their charm, paralyze and dominate abilities make difficult encounters much easier, and once you reach level seven you'll use Silent Scream a lot; it a great AOE effect. I always like to have a ranger cipher who disarms traps in every run, and sometimes use a dual wield melee cipher MC. They also have some of the best DoT powers, which are particularly useful against powerful foes with high DR, like dragons. While ciphers have no limit on their powers, unlike Vancian casters, they cannot open up combat with them, but have to build up focus first. For this reason, I also like having a druid in my party, typically the boar-shifting build that Boeroer suggested in another post, with high MIG, CON, and INT. It's great to open up combat with a strategically placed Overwhelming wave, which is a great damaging and crowd-controlling AOE spell, followed by a returning storm or relentless storm, both of which are great AOE spells with great CC (stuns) as well. Then the druid can shift and deal massive damage to individual targets. I always like to have a Paladin and Chanter too, who are likewise great when they reach levels 13 and 9 respectively. Lastly, I like have a priest. They also have some great AOE spells. Shining beacon is great, and Cleansing Flame is great against foes who are already afflicted with various DoT effects, like the Cipher's disintegration, the Chanter's Dragon Thrashed, and Boar-shifted druids wounding attacks.

Unlocking Nightshroud is easy if you have a ranger; you can just auto attack the pet until the blind effect procs 13 times, and you don't have to worry about health. Perhaps the same would work with the Spike-flinger? I can't test this; I upgraded to 3.07 + the deadfire pack in the Macstore, but the new merchant hasn't yet appeared for me.

As Boeroer indicated, I seem to recall that to find the Black Pages, you not only need to get the map at Russetwood, but actually view it. Otherwise, you'll never find the book. I don't think that mechanics is a factor here.

Will the 3.07 patch and Deadfire pack be made available on the Apple App Store as well?

Yes, just because samurai bore two swords doesn't mean that they dual wielded. Dual wielding katanas was a devastating build in BG2, but it is fantasy, of course. But these are fantasy games. If you want to dual wield in POE you can, but you certainly don't have to do so. 2 handed builds are powerful precisely due to their ability to punch through high DR.

Keep in mind that the world of POE isn't medieval Europe. Dual wielding was more common in other parts of the world in medieval times, such as in the martial arts traditions of East Asia. I think that the fondness for dual wielding in D&D and video games (such as Baldur's Gate) goes back to fascination of Japanese samurai, who commonly wielded both a katana and wakazashi, although they didn't necessarily dual wield; these swords were more typically used for different purposes. As Madscientist wrote, POE gives you the flexibility to build whatever sort of character you'd like. POE might be criticized as being unrealistic in not giving you an accuracy penalty for dual wielding, as in older games such as BG. [edited for grammar]

Yes, a boar druid/barb spiritshifter would be insane! You could cast relentless storm, shift, and then mow down the stunned mobs in seconds.

Wow! I can't wait to see how this is implemented in Deadfire. The piled up lashed would be incredible.

Indeed! Just thought I'd summarize for the sake of those not following the various threads dealing with druid spiritshifting. BTW, I haven't been following the POE 2 news, but I am intrigued by the idea of dual classing. It seems that a spiritshift druid/monk dual class would be incredible, since neither class is equipment dependent, and both can specialize in unarmed strikes. I can't wait to see how this is implemented.

To expand on Boeroer's succinct answer, you lose access to all equipped items while shifting. This includes the armors DR (spiritshift forms have innate DR), any item related bonuses, as well as access to spellbinds like Angio's Gambeson's DAoM. The only exception is the Wildstrike Belt, which gives you the Wildstrike Burn effect, a 10% boost to your Spiritshift lash, while shifted. Also, spell holding items (like Sanguine plate) are generally good for Spiritshift druid builds, for effects that proc before you shift, such as Sanguine plate's frenzy, are maintained when you shift. The only exception seems to be consecrated ground from the Shod-in-Faith boots, as discussed above.

I got the Greenstained boots recently, and can confirm that, in 3.06, if Nature's Trek's is triggered, the effect carries over once the druid spiritshifts. So it appears that the Greenstained boots are superior to Shod-in-Faith for a spiritshift druid build.

That is a big of upside of DAoM potions. The downside of Time Parasite, in my experience, is that by the time you build up the the focus and cast it, easy fights are basically over or almost over. As it's really only practical for long, drawn out battles, you might as well as DAoM potion or 1/rest sources DAoM spellbound item.

I believe that Rain would be much better for a ranged cipher. I was referring to a melee cipher. I played recently with a melee cipher (a DW bittercut) build, and gave him Twin Sting as a ranged weapon for the second weapon slot. It's worth it just for DAoM use, but it's not a bad weapon, and doesn't require durgan ingots as you note. I wouldn't use it as a primary weapon for a ranged cipher, but it's a great option for the melee cipher. I originally gave him Lead Spitter, but like MaxQuest, I was lazy and rarely used it. Once it was fully unlocked, I mainly used it for the DAoM before tough battles.

That makes, sense, MaxQuest; thanks! I haven't used the cape although I have acquired it through the bounty quest a few times. I'll consider equipping my cipher with it. Why do you find that DAoM is so much better than Time Parasite? I can see that the former is theoretically better. However, with a cipher, you can use the latter every encounter, while the former requires consumables or use of a 1/rest item. I usually give my melee cipher twin sting both for an opening volley to build focus, as well as DAoM for tough encounters, before wading into melee. Is Time Parasite so mediocre that it's not worth the focus?

MaxQuest, do you favor Cape of the Master Mystic for the +12 deflection, to avoid attacks, or for the 1/encounter invisibility, to get her/him in place without being targeted or engaged, or for both reasons?

Rangers have high accuracy, so your DPS would be higher I think if you took the Doemenel's quest to get the Merciless Hand talent. The soulbound Stormcaller bow is most powerful with a ranger, and it has the added bonus of dual damage types, and also being one of only two weapons in the game whose damage is boosted by an elemental talent, in this case Heart of the Storm. This is the basis of builds such as L4wlight's Storm and Plague Caller ranger. A stormcaller ranger is great if you have a druid in the party, since the bow also lowers shock DR, making spells like Returning Storm and Relentless Storm even more devastating.