Ophiuchus

I like going Borrowed Instinct -> Secret Horrors -> Mind Plague -> Mental Binding for some spicy tear down on my Seer.

If you're ok with modding, Checoden's Deadfire Tweaks has a module that adds Sharpshooter's bonuses/penalties to Ghost Heart. https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/72

I'd also like to add that Driving Flight + Tranquilizer Shot + dual blunderbusses adds some nice utility to such a build.

I like rogues, but I've always found ciphers underwhelming. I've not done a soul blade though. Is it just spamming Soul Annihilation? Do you guys have an idea on a multiclass paladin survivability? What class would you bring in for a big dps boost? I like the idea of going fire or decay themed from there, but I don't have enough game knowledge to plan it out. Spamming Soul Annihilation gets a bit tedious after a while, and you have so many Powers to choose from. I wouldn't invest in too many of them like your standard caster, but stuff like Mental Binding, Mind Blades, Secret Horrors, Recall Agony, and Borrowed Instinct work well on a Soulblade. I'm rather fond of going Soulblade/Trickster for the free Sparkcrackers and bonus defense/utility. For your Paladin, I'd recommend a Bleak Walker/Monk Votary (probably Helwalker; maybe Nalpazca), which grants you fire/decay damage via Flames of Devotion along with a fire lash through Turning Wheel. I main a melee Mindstalker (Assassin/Soul Blade), and I find that it's more about micromanagement. Stealth In, Perishing Strike or Gouging Strike -> Soul Annihilation -> Devastating Strike (You could also just do Devastating Strike -> Soul Annihilation but I like applying enfeebled or blinded) I'm wearing a certain pair of slippers, so I'll usually crit and go back into stealth. If they aren't dead, repeat. If you need some CC, replace Soul Annihilation with Whispers of Treason/Puppet Master/Ring Leader. If you need more damage- on single target replace Soul Annihilation with Disintegrate, on groups of enemies, replace with Mind Blades. Use Smoke Veil or Potion of Invisibility to get invisible again. Rinse, Repeat. If you need more Focus, just use rogue abilities (Perishing Strike, Devastating Strike) to generate it. I also usually have another cipher in the party for Ancestor's Memory to regen guile. I also use the other cipher to apply afflictions/debuffs For OP: Some variation of Monk or Paladin would fit your criteria. What weapons do you prefer? I just got my Soul Blade/Trickster to level 11, and Ranning's Wrath and Rust's Poignard are working well; I'll probably go Sungrazer and Sun and Moon Flail on the second set.

I like rogues, but I've always found ciphers underwhelming. I've not done a soul blade though. Is it just spamming Soul Annihilation? Do you guys have an idea on a multiclass paladin survivability? What class would you bring in for a big dps boost? I like the idea of going fire or decay themed from there, but I don't have enough game knowledge to plan it out. Spamming Soul Annihilation gets a bit tedious after a while, and you have so many Powers to choose from. I wouldn't invest in too many of them like your standard caster, but stuff like Mental Binding, Mind Blades, Secret Horrors, Recall Agony, and Borrowed Instinct work well on a Soulblade. I'm rather fond of going Soulblade/Trickster for the free Sparkcrackers and bonus defense/utility. For your Paladin, I'd recommend a Bleak Walker/Monk Votary (probably Helwalker; maybe Nalpazca), which grants you fire/decay damage via Flames of Devotion along with a fire lash through Turning Wheel.

I don't find Seer boring or mediocre at all. I play it like a tactician: sit back and tear down enemy defenses so my troops can do what they need to do.

A Nalpazca Sage is a fun, flexible multiclass that gives you great damage /w Citzal's Spirit Lance and Ninagauth's Teachings, and isn't too squishy. I prefer Berserker Warlock for the sheer action speed/recovery but like to keep him Bloodied. Seconded, especially the nasty tricks department. Secret Horrors is a great opener for bursting down a foe (lowers Deflection and max Health).

It only deals friendly damage if the wielder is Confused.

Seer's been my main since beta and I've finished PotD /w upscaling on it several times, and with different variations (Ascendant/Ghost Heart being my favorite). It has a rocky start compared to other multiclasses since your ability points are spread pretty thin but it really starts to shine at levels 10 and 13. Marksman + Marked for The Hunt + Borrowed Instinct + The Empty Soul + Marksman's Ring + the BoW helm that adds +10 to affliction accuracy makes you a CC and Charm machine (also works well with Beguiler Seer). Toss in Secret Horrors and Mind Plague to lower Will and Fortitude for additional CC and Disintegrate. Tranquilizer Shot combined with Driving Flight and dual blunderbusses or a bounce weapon gives you some nice utility to add to your array of debilitating effects. You'll be fine.

Hhh-HAH!

Does the weapon's information window show the stats for a base sword? If so it might be bricked. https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/105920-downgradingdisenchanting-of-quality-and-unique-gear/

The bricked items bug is making me paranoid that I'm not getting the right loot, which has put a stall on future playthroughs.

I had the same impression from that exact scene.

Whittle down her concentration with your melees' attack abilities and lower her Fortitude and Reflex (the morning star and flail modals work well, respectively). Make sure Aloth has an accuracy buff, then cast Slicken, then Combusting Wounds, and Wall of Flame. Slicken stacked on top of itself can lock the beast down for a good while, and you can use her big hitbox to avoid affecting friendlies. You'll also want to use effects that increase PEN and lower her armor, then follow up with Fire-based attacks. On my last run, I used the Wizard combo with Geomancer Maia wielding The Red Hand and spamming Tranquilizer Shot to nullify her buffs. Slicken ensured she couldn't get up to recast them, and she went down quickly. On the defensive side, you'll want to mitigate her strong DoTs. Scrolls of Moonwell and Consecrated Ground should do the trick (I think they stack unlike Pillars 1?). I typically don't bother to get the spirits' buffs since the walk there is a bit of a pain.

This the PoE1 thread. D'oh. That's what I get for subclassing Nalpazca again.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oy. That one. I had to use Withdraw on my casters and let the beefier units take the hits: not a glamorous way to do it, but it worked.

I'm only about 50 percent through the DLC and am enjoying it a great deal on PoTD. All those "too good so I'll squirrel it away forever" items have been getting some good use, and I find the enhanced mechanics above and beyond the base game encounters. Currently running: Eder (Swashbuckler off-tank) Konstanten (Howler tank and debuffer; kind of a weird build but it works) Mirke (Shadowdancer with dual daggers) Xoti (Priest) My Watcher (Seer (Cipher/Ghost Heart).

Yeah, the cost is prohibitive. I treat it as a per-encounter ability.

Leap is a bread and butter ability on my Berserker Warlock. After the buffs are nice and stacked, and my beefier characters positioned, I'll leap into the center of a group and follow it with Torrent of Flame or Death Ring. It's extra spicy during boarding battles.

Just out of curiosity, does Mirke have anything to contribute narratively? I know it's off-topic, but I've been avoiding sidekicks for this reason and would be interested to know if they're worth having along from a storytelling perspective. Konstanten was great in S/S/S and I hear Ydwin has some good BoW content; not so sure about Mirke and the others Mind I'm only a few hours in so there might be more.

An exp slider would do the trick.

Rime construct fluid, anyone? Even Mirke wouldn't touch that stuff (her words, not mine).

I'm rather enjoying the path of our favorite three-eyed, nihilistic bovine. On my current playthrough I hired a Rymrgand merc to get a feel for the subclass as it would progress, then swapped him with Vatnir at level 16. It starts off pretty clunky but once you get a good rhythm for lowering Fortitude (I have Rekke use Clear Out with a Morning Star (plus Enervating Blows) while Vatnir casts Interdiction) it's got some power behind it: Touch of Rot's DoT scales well with Power Level; Noxious Burst is a good spike; Death Ring is foe-only and is fine at cleaning up trash. Freezing Pillar, Symbol of Rymrgand, and Pull of Rymrgand offer solid crowd control and utility, and can be combined to make a frosty kill zone.