Constentin Lévine

Monk and swashbucker are not the most tanky you can get but I dont think your frontline will be too soft with your composition : your main Cipher with Puppetmaster or Ringleader can transform some ennemies on "tanky distractions" that deal damages on top, and your Lifegiver-Chanter just behind the frontline could be really interesting with your party. As a lifegiver, the druid become tanky-by-healing, so he dont need to be hide, and as a chanter, he can turn a lot of ennemies into your side with the chant The lovers... for the same reasons that the cipher's Ringleader. Both sides of this multiclasse give acces to hard CC spells that stun or paralyse ennemies, but at the condition to stay at range of the ennemies (for most of those spells). Both sides have acces to summons on top, and some are tanky. A Lifegiver-Chanter is polyvalent and very nice to play. For Cipher, I dont know if during the story progression he will stay your higher DPS source, but he can be. At end level, Death of 1.000 cuts on an ennemy catch into the Antipathetic Field beam become really martyred. While ascended, Time Parasite can eventually turn the ascension to a Super Goku one, and if Xoti is also a priest, she can extend the duration of the ascension. It is fun to water ennemies with a succesion of MAJ-key Mind Blades, and most of your spells get an incredible AoE with Shared Nightmare. This last talent is the reason why investing in Arcana is good for SC Ciphers, since instant healing Scrolls have a small area at the base for exemple. I suggest to you to recrut Aloth, even if you dont want to use him : his robe can be very useful, +15% AoE is more than nice, and with the Ring of Overseeing, Loki cat, and good int, your main cipher will keep his central place because each spells will affect a lot of ennemies. AoE weapons like Mortar from Seraphen or Rod (especially Tekehu's one) with modal should make your cipher ascended very fast with all this stuff, + Shared Nightmare at end level. Abraham as a pet for Eder is great, and I think Eder is a man who like dogs. By the way, I'm asking myself about the Abraham's healing power if you kill your own skeletons..

After some reflexions I assume that should work even on body resistant ennemies : when I wear the Footsep of the Beast while confused with Frostfall and a dex resistance, my character is hit by the hobbled affliction (auto-hit) that is downgraded to nothing, and the 25% chance to apply an affliction when afflicted work. Then, even if Dorudugan cant be hobbled or sickened by this way, this is however a weapon hit when Hemorrhaging proc.

But Dorudugan is resistant to body afflictions isnt it? I dont know if a hit with Hemorraging's hobble or sicken that is down to nothing count however as an hit.. I think that count but I dubt. Avenging Storm and Spark of the Souls can be extented by SoT by the way

Spark of the Souls casted on allies only will either proc Least unstable Coil and Hemmoraging , like the Darcozzy flame shield will do when that reliatate : whatever the target (caster or allies) the spell triggered is from the caster

That work but the thing is the spell has a short duration (9s base), then except for the misses-to-grazes, I dont know if it is realy valuable for Follower of the Obscured. I tried with my SC druid empowering Avenging Storm, expecting a blade cascade effect with the wand, but that didnt work upon a crit left a seal : I didnt understand what happened clearly because that was very fast, but that was like each proc of the seal triggered a lot of lightnings, a deadly surprise for enemies too I imagine. During the seal, I got blade cascade effect on top.

I dont think any of them outperform others, they just correspond to different playstyle purposes : Sun and Moon greatly enhance the martial part, the weapon hit twice, meaning 2 avenging storm lighhning, 2 chances to swift flurry proc, 2 combusting wounds , etc per hand equipped. The war staff "prevent" interrupt when that crit, and at melee, it is not easy to cast any spell without the risk of failure, on top of the vulnerabily during the cast and fail time. But casting a spell grow the chance to crit, then to prevent interrupt for the next cast, and Monk-Skald is in my opinion a really nice Melee Caster class. Another good weapon for Monk is the Keeper of the Flame with Instrument of pain and Avenging Storm, the burn AoE deal poor damage but around the target (not around the caster) and proc avenging Storm etc. It is the same for Citzal's Spirit Lance, but with lesser range and one handing. Both of these AoE doesnt proc swift flurry or Heart of Drumming howhever. But initial weapon crit does, then (with Avenging Storm) the DPS is comparable I think since dual Keeper of the Flame is more faster than the lance.

Ngati's Tusk is really nice too, especially with CC support : you are in the melee but you are also a debuff! Pikes and Quaterstaffs get a really good reach with Monk's Instruments of Pain by the way , and I prefer Shea's War Staff rather than Chromoprismatic because I multiclass monk with caster and I have the impression that profit as well for both MC parts. Really good weapon with Forbidden First - Skald in my experience.

It is not bugged, simply each explosion for each bolt count as an empowered spell, then 3 phrases refound per explosions

Like noticed in comment from this topic, not all the on-death-AoE proc , I dont know why. https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/126180-class-build-beyond-the-veil/ This is probably why carnage dont happen in your test, maybe. That would mean with the other cape, Valiant Demise could work better, maybe again!

The Weyc's Items are principaly focus on empowerement, and like for Sasha's Singing Smitar (with The Ranga...) or the Least Unstable Coil, the enchantements are triggering on each proc from the empowered spell. Like for most of the "buffs" in the game, the duration is prolonged instead of stacking effects in the case of, for exemple, Muse of the Mystery (robes of the Weyc for Chanter) or Attuned Channel (The Weyc's Wand).. But there are some really nice effect that was not expected in first : Omnipotence (Robes of the Weyc) provide Brilliant to nearby allies on each proc. Follower of the Obscured (the Weyc's Wand) skip the recovery on each proc *. Wael's Sight (The Weyc Wand) convert 100% of misses to grazes for each proc. * : I tested with an Empowered Pollen Patch, this is like Blade Cascade ; I suppose that is also the case with Avenging Storm but at condition to attack with weapons. For other spells the recovery is skiped periodicaly. The Weyc's items are available at the end of the game, but because I finished many time the game, I export them to get Soulbounds Items early in the game : that dont break the challenge and offer some different perspective in combat. This is the link to the topic that list the spells concerned :

Oh I was surprised to never read this before when I got the idea this morning ( and I was also very surprised to never though about that before) !

That depend, switch to Effort while the Storm persist mean you loose the refreshing effect at each proc, the "ascendant" phase, until you switch again for Sasha's Smitar! You can unlock the subclass with that : https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/179

Refreshing Finale return 3 phrases and 1 empower point when a phrase is empowered, and for this side, Encore refresh all the amount of phrases ; that work only with invocations. But regular chanter's invocations are "instants" spells, triggering some other spells directely in the case of Her revenge. Tekehu have acces to The Ranga Meted Out the Fury of the Gods (Avenging Storm), wich trigger the spell for each weapon attack. Like for the Least Unstable Coil, each time the spell proc, each time the spell is empowered. That mean while The Ranga is empowered, each attack give 3 phrases and 1 empower point for Refreshing Finale, and restore all the phrases for Encore. Without the CP version of the spell (or maybe is just for avenging storm), staying in the middle of the battlefield and "tanking" grant for Tekehu a "permanent" 7 phrases, or, for safety reasons, just attacking with a blunderbust or mortar (in the other hand with Sasha's Singing Smitar) after casting a spell restore all the phrases.

A little bit like Thelee, my party is built in the same way I build a Magic Deck (blue and black or Esper, principaly), and if I have some redundantes classes (cipher, DoT druids etc) in the party, I dont have restriction for others. Except, because I never use "frontal" aproach or brute-force, for martial classes : never used in SC or martial-martial MC even for protect my party. Then once I create my watcher, I'm not searching to fill some hypotetic roles for a party-type, but the whole party as a role is determinate by the way my party take in fonction of the world around (if I am clear).

If I would change something about spiritshift, personally I'll just make some adustements : Switching the On-kill duration extention from the fury subclass and the healing from the shifter subclass, since the fury have not acces to healing spell, like a backup solution, and the shifter want to stay shifted. The shifter malus is really strong, an alternative like "Cannot cast spells while in kith form." make maybe more sens, since shifter can take another form when the first is over. This solution seems to me elegante, and keeping the actual False-modal is in accordance to the Extendable duration and Lifegiver mechanics. What do you think about that?

Well for most of classes, most of the most powerful spells and abilities are at tiers 8 and 9. But that depend of how are you playing I suppose.

Then, the reload animation seems to upset the skip, and for me that work as the same you find : Scordeo's Double Strike work well (except for reloading) (whatever the equipped hand) but not Sungrazer's Return Orbit. I think in my precvious test, that worked because I equipped both weapons. It is hard to remember correctely since I tryed a lot of things last week.

But crit prolonge the duration In other side, I always thought that if the +4s duration on kill worked for all beneficial durations instead of only the spiritshift duration, the Wildstrike Frenzy would be turn into a must-have but non-broken talent. The on-kill trigger only with melee attack from the spiritshift and at end level, ennemies are not like some twigs.

I think you cant attack with other weapon than the Claw when spiritshifted : if you could, the boar DoT would be applied and the Wildstrike Frenzy bonus too, in AoE with the minor blights. I tried but the druid fail to attack (Spiritshift fom the Mantle too). Modal is a good option mainly if you want to build around the Spiritshifted form. The on-crit is a little game breaking especially for Wildstrike Frenzy : the AoE proc on crit is over balanced, druid become one of the most powerful melee attacker with BPM

I had a similar problem when I was trying to hobble myself to proc Blessed by the Void (Frostfall enchantment) : that worked when Frostfall was in main hand but no in offhand. Yet, Dispersed Suffering from the same weapon is applied whatever the equipped hand. I dont know why. When I was testing Return Orbit, I got Sungrazer in main hand, that periodically skip my recovery in course when Venombloom pulsed.

Yes absolutely : the Attackfilter for the proc and the recovery are the same : no specific ID for the attack that is attached, no range and no source. In comparaison, the Static Charge from Lord Darryn's Voulge have no range and no source, but the ID attached to the attack from Lord Darryn's Voulge. That explain why a "spell" from Gathering Storm add a Static charge on hit, but not the same spell casted manually by the wearer.

The bonus is caped to 4 stacks, even if you equip two Sirkles. The damage bonus is cool for spells since only firearms, Veilpiecer and Beza's Blade give full damage and can crit a Spirit. Actually that work, my beguiler skipped 10 consecutives recovery time with big AoE spells the second time I tried.

Yes, Tempest and Blade Cascade only proc from Scordeo's Edge hits! Return Orbit and Double Strike are cool with VenomBloom since there is 3 rolls per ennemies per pulses

This is the complete list of weapon's enchantments that work with other things : Crossbow : hit-to-crit bonus is universal Kitchen Stove : Hurried (-15% reload time) for every weapon in other hand with a reload time Kitchen Stove : Wild Shot and Barrage (reload time and damage bonus) for every weapon in other hand with a reload time, damage bonus is universal Pukestabber : Mean Drunk (speed and damage) work on every Dagger Scordeo Edge : Double Strike (5% chance to recover instantly on scoring hit) is universal Sungrazer : Return Orbit (10% chance to recover instantly on scoring hit) is universal Sungrazer : Blunt Rock (-1 Crush AR on scoring crit) is universal The best Defense : Sickening to Watch (50% chance to sicken nearby ennemies on scoring kill) work with other weapon equipped The best Defense : Terrifying to Face (50% chance to terrify nearby ennemies on scoring kill) work with other weapon equipped Effort : Hemorrhaging (Hobble or Sicken ennemy on scoring crit) is universal Blightheart : Hymn of Decay (1 phrase per kill) is universal Engoliero do Espirs : Soul Devorer (and upgrades) (on kill) is universal Engoliero do Espirs : Cruel Blade and Blade Feast (cast Ghost Blade on kill) is universal The Twin Eels : Breath of Life ( Health restored to nearby allies on kill) is universal Azure Blade : Wrong Place, Wrong Time (25% chance to Interrupt on Hit against lone enemies with 3 or more allies within 2m) is universal Lover's Embrace : Lover's Quarrel (33% chance to apply Frenzy to self on scoring Crit) is universal Sun and Moon : Lunar and Solar Excellence (5% chance to repeat Frost or Fire attack) is universal Sanguine Greatsword : Thirsty Blade and Parched Blade (20% and 30% miss-to-graze) is universal Oathbreaker's End : Found Guilty (and Innocent) (Raw damage to nearby ennemies on scoring kill on ennemy under the Scale of Justice effect) is universal Frostfall : Dispersed Suffering (+20% duration of hostile effects on nearby enemies on scoring Kill) work with other equipped weapon (and his abilities) Dire Talon : Tooth and Claw ( +10 cc and damage against beast) is universal Aamiina Legacy : Slayer of Beasts (+10 Accuracy and damage against Beasts) is universal The Spine of Thicket Green : Purge Decay (+5 acc against Vessels) is universal Wicked Beast : Wild Heart (+15% damage against Beasts) is universal Amaliorra : Ash and Dust (+10 acc against Vessels) is universal Amaliorra : Innevitable Decay (+20% damage against Vessels) is universal Whispers of Yenwood : Soul Cutter (+20% Damage and +15 Acc against Spirits) is universal Xoti's Sickle : Soul Reaper (+5% sickle Damage until combat end on scoring Kill (stacks 4 times) (increases with Religion skill) on any kill The link to the original thread : I said "complete" but it is possible I missed something else.

Sadly that doesnt affect other things that the miss from Willbreaker itself