Lampros

Whoah, both look good. Maybe I did okay choosing swords!

What exactly is PoE 2's resistance system? Are there no 100 percent immunes any more? My first main is a using swords, because of the dual damage, but now I am wondering if sabres are better.

Elaborate please? Because he can shatter pillars Just kidding, Monk is pretty strong in the beta because they have best autoattacks, better when u pick Nature Godlike. Also once u upgrade Torment Reach it does aoe Stun, as a Shattered Pillar u generate wound by damaging enemy, so u can spam aoe Stun which is pretty cheesy. His ultimate is pretty strong too, Whipser of the Wind = 6 full attack against 6 enemy and as a Shattered Pillar u can also spam these. Monk also has nice modal and passive, but sine u usually spam all your wounds, it won't do much. A Nalpazca is pretty strong too because with high alchemy drug last very long. U can generate wound per 3 sec with drugs on. Pretty sweet when combine with 10 Int, 50% fire damage bonus from modal, u can also stack another 30% lightning lash from Lightning strike. Or pick Swift Flurry + Passive to stack 25+33% chance to do extra hit when crit. Overall Monk has good abilities from early game to late game. Is Shattered Pillar still strong - or has it been nerfed? It's literally the only thing that makes me think about playing Monks, because I really don't like the concept of taking hits to do damage.

Wait, you can use Cleaving Stance with a ranged Rod set-up?!

Thanks! P.S. What is more ideal for a ranged DPS character - single target DPS or AoE DPS?

I think I have a good grasp of bow builds, but I am not sure what a good gun build is, since I have never used them and do not understand the different mechanics involved. I don't want any hybrid ranged-melee builds - just straight ranged build, as I am lazy and hate to micro. Thanks in advance! P.S. If no pure gun build exists that you know of, I wouldn't mind a general pointer about how to build one - for instance, class(es) and essential skills and gear, etc.

Will make a note - thanks!

On Sleight of Hand: How high does it have to be to loot the real good stuff? Moreover, anyone try the Berath's Blessing that gives better items when you pick-pocket? If yes, is that worth it?

Ok, I got it to work by initiating convo - without fancy gear or Rogue skills. But the window of opportunity is very small from when detection goes off to when it goes back on. Like 5 seconds? Maybe less. So you have to be super fast. I don't think I'd employ this tactic in Ironman mode, due to the chance of mis-click.

JUST... LOL!

LOL, if this still works, then I can't believe I wasted so much money!

Does this exploit still work?

Hard to get it at level 9, no? My expenditures are so heavy - with little cash incoming that early! You can steal it really easily. Ok, I can't at level 7. Where is it? I cannot open any of the locked safes in Marhi's shop; and he cannot be pick-pocketed, because it says you cannot pickpocket "while being observed"

Got it, thanks! Perhaps I should use Wizard/Barbarian multi-class when I play with custom companions when I hit PotD after this run!

Hard to get it at level 9, no? My expenditures are so heavy - with little cash incoming that early! You can steal it really easily. You can?!!! Hmm, let me go try

I plan on using a pure ranged Barbarian - rather than weapons switch version. I don't like micro-ing too much; and having Serafan as a ranged/melee hybrid will also make the melee congestion worse. By the way, as I asked Boerer, do Blood Frenzy afflictions work with ranged weapons as well?

Do the afflictions from either Blood Frenzy or Spirit Frenzy work even if you are working with ranged weapons? I am now at level 7 - needing to choose between Blood Frenzy and Spirit Frenzy. Or perhaps I should choose neither - if the afflictions don't apply with ranged weapons? Not sure. I played him as a Witch - his Cipher powers are one of the main reasons I was able to complete the game. Never noticed any wild effects. Wild Mind effects is annoying at most in a normal playthrough. The worst that can happen is a quick reload. However, any modes with a Trial of Iron mode it can be a run ender waiting to happen. I had it happen to me once that floored 4 out of 5 of my party instantly. It dealt in excess of 300 lightning dmg at a point where my characters barely have more than 100hp. All you need is one proc. Exactly - and I suspect I will attempt Trial of Iron mode at some point - unless I run into game-breaking bugs in easier runs.

Hard to get it at level 9, no? My expenditures are so heavy - with little cash incoming that early!

Ah, got it. But how are they producing DPS now though? Go crit high build and spam FoD?

I noticed that most Paladin or Paladin multi-class builds did not include Sacred Immolation. Curious, I Googled it, and I hear people saying it's been nerfed tremendously in PoE 2 - just like Dragon Thrashed. One guy even claimed that you can easily do twice as much damage to yourself as to your foes - and that essentially the skill is now worthless. Is this really the case? My love of Paladins in PoE 1 was mainly based on Sacred Immolation, because I like low micro-management classes that are potent, too. (Hence, my love of Paladins and Chaters in PoE 1.) But now I am wondering if Paladins are worth it over the other martial melee classes or melee hybrids. So can Paladins still do other than take hits and survive now?

Not sure. I played him as a Witch - his Cipher powers are one of the main reasons I was able to complete the game. Never noticed any wild effects. I keep seeing posts where he supposedly one-shot himself or a teammate due to the Miscast back-firing. Anyways, even without it, I just hate Ciphers. Unfortunately, Serafan can only be either Barbarian or Cipher - or the combination thereof. And I don't want to use a Cipher again - ever. Technically you can, it's just sub-optimal because ranged weapons don't take advantage of carnage. If you went pure barbarian with Serafen you'd definitely want to use melee weapons or Melee/Blunderbuss or Melee/Pistol. Personally, it's probably best to run him as a Witch. If you use the new AI system, you won't need to micromanage as much. Actually, I think it can work. Carnage is almost worthless anyway. Rage is an excellent DPS ability. I am hoping that is the case Ah, I didn't realize Barbaric Blow works with ranged weapons. Hmm, this might not end up being so bad; and the Frenzy/low Deflection interplay isn't so bad from ranged either. I think this is what I will do instead of using him as a Barbarian melee (which I didn't like so much when I tried in the aborted run).

If yes, then how would one go about doing this? I ask, because I don't know what to do with Serafen. I hated the Cipher class to begin with in PoE 1 (you had to micro-manage every little thing); and Serafen adds the wild whatever thang to make it worse. So no way I want to play an entire game with Serafen as a Cipher.

Oops. Wrong forum. Please delete.

If yes, then how would one go about doing this? I ask, because I don't know what to do with Serafen. I hated the Cipher class to begin with in PoE 1 (you had to micro-manage every little thing); and Serafen adds the wild whatever thang to make it worse. So no way I want to play an entire game with Serafen as a Cipher.

Thanks so much for testing! I can more reliably test overall DPS throughout the game then! Yup. And that was really frustrating.