Cyrus_Blackfeather

I guess that's true... Hmm. Assassin COULD be interesting, and it's definitely more thematically appropriate for the kind of character I'm going for. Plus it's not that hard to get Invisibility going, especially with Shadowing Beyond. Plus the bonuses to Penetration and Accuracy are really nice, and don't you attack faster while invisible/stealthed anyway? Also, build-wise, do you prefer the CC focused or damage focused build? Since I wouldn't be using a Blunderbuss, I'd lean toward Strike the Bell -> Pierce the Bell rather than Blinding Strike/Confounding Blind.

Alright, I swapped it out for Arterial. I think most people recommend Debilitating for synergy with Deathblows - it's another way to set up Deathblows with one skill, especially if I don't go with Secret Horrors.

Hey guys, So after talking to a bunch of folks, stressing out over super low accuracy at the beginning of the game, and ultimately buckling down, I'd like to present to you my completed, for the moment, Mindstalker build. I'd also like to share a few observations from my initial testing, and my journey to get to this point. First and foremost, the first few levels SUCK because of the -10 Accuracy malus from Blunderbuss, plus the -5 Accuracy you're putting yourself under to use Powder Burns in order to properly make use of the Streetfighter's Recovery reduction and bonus Sneak Attack damage at range. This improves with Cipher Powers, party composition, and better quality equipment though. A carefully maintained party that's able to strip away at an enemy's defenses with weapon modals to allow the Cipher to land most of their important debuffing powers is essential for this build to operate well. Damage vs CC This is another really tricky debate. Cipher has some pretty awesome 'sounding' damage dealing powers (Disintegrate, anyone?) that can be fired off very quickly with the Streetfighter Recovery reduction, but some very crucial crowd control powers as well (Ringleader, Mental Binding, Secret Horrors), many of which help the Streetfighter to set up Sneak Attack and, later on, Deathblows. A lot of these powers target Will as well, which is usually on the lower side for certain enemies. Right now, I'm still unsure about whether to play the Cipher side of this build as damage or CC focused, so I've included two variants of the stat block and abilities, and would welcome input in the comments. Now on to the actual build. Blessings: +2 Attributes/+2 Skills/5000 Starting Cash/Either Fine Equipment (For some extra armor for your Fighters) or Unique Item Vendor (For early access to several solid pieces of gear for this build) Race: Human (My personal choice, for customization). Aumaua would work better, perhaps, for a pro-Rauatai (Coastal) or pro-Huana (Island) character, but I just... really don't like their customization. Culture: Rauatai/Aristocrat (Aristocrat for the bonuses to all talking skills, plus plenty of dialogue options. As for how I justify playing a human Aristocrat in a society dominated by Coastal Aumaua? I don't, really. Meritocracy? Generations of loyal service to the ranga nuis paying off? Something like that. Skill Focus: Stealth and Mechanics/Insight and Bluff. I'm still kind of working this out. Part of me wants to stick with Explosives and Stealth as my active skills, or maybe Stealth and Sleight of Hand (For the Marksman's Ring, though I don't think you need too much SoH to pickpocket that). Athletics would be another good option (Shame Rogue doesn't start with it) for Second Wind and passing certain Watcher-only checks. I also want to make sure to get Intimidate and Diplomacy rather high on my Watcher too. Party Comp: I'm a bit sad that I'll miss out on a lot of party companions, but honestly I'm not as fond of them in this game as I was in the first, which is really a shame. - Eder (Swashbuckler) MT with a Club/Shield: Eder will be built with engagements and Persistent Distraction in mind, using the club modal to lower enemies' Will as well as apply stacks of damage vulnerability on them with the Shards of Woedica. I'll have him focus on Athletics/Insight and Survival. - Herald tank: I wanted to take Rekke, but losing out on Paladin buffs is too bad. Herald also offers summons for additional targets for enemies to distract themselves with. The Herald will use a Morningstar for Body Blows in order to reduce Fortitude. I'd dump Might and bump up Resolve and Perception. That said, can you take Pallegina with you as a pro-Rauatai Watcher? I can't imagine you'd get very far, especially since you can't romance her. - Xoti (Priest): Healer, 'natch. The Herald can heal a little bit, too. - Maia (Ranger, or Scout): Additional ranged artillery. Has the Gun Hawk special class, and is the only 100% pro-Rauatai companion. Serafen, Aloth, Pallegina, and Tekehu will all be recruited and used in their personal quests. I will also recruit every Sidekick. Stats: Might: 20 (15 Base +1 Human +1 GotM +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Permanent Stat Boost) Con: 10 (6 +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance) +2 Berath's Blessing) Dexterity: 18 (15 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) Perception: 21 (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) Intellect: 20 (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) Resolve: 6 (3 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Human) Abilities... Level 1 - Crippling Strike/Tenuous Grasp Level 2 - Escape Level 3 - Lingering Echoes Level 4 - Blinding Strike/Draining Whip Level 5 - Mental Binding Level 6 - Dirty Fighting Level 7 - Secret Horrors/Confounding Blind Level 8 - Hammering Thoughts Level 9 - Puppet Master Level 10 - Two-Weapon Style/Shadowing Beyond Level 11 - Bear's Fortitude Level 12 - Finishing Blow Level 13 - Arterial Strike/Borrowed Instinct Level 14 - Rapid Casting Level 15 - Tough Level 16 - Ringleader/Devastating Blow Level 17 - The Empty Soul Level 18 - Disintegration* Level 19 - Ancestor's Honor/Deathblows Level 20 - Echoing Horror * Yes, Disintegration is in both primarily because I can't think of something better. Equipment: This part's easy - the equipment is consistent throughout Weapons: The Kitchen Stove(MH)/Scordeo's Trophy (OH) - The Kitchen Stove, upgraded, gives you a per encounter AoE attack that can generate enough Focus for you to immediately Ascend. Scordeo's Trophy with the Modal equipped gives 50% reload time with -15 Ranged Accuracy. Unfortunately the PoE wiki is a little sparse on what its enchantments do. Can someone fill me in? You can also use Thundercrack Pistol in your other weapon slot for Storm Rune shot for a quick Focus boost. Pet: Cutthroat Cosmo for the recovery reduction and party-wide effect of 5% bonus damage with guns. Every little bit helps. Armor: Miscreant's Leathers is my personal pick for the 5% chance to just ignore an attack. Furthermore, when used with Cutthroat Cosmo, it just... doesn't have a Recovery penalty. Plus it looks stylish, and Blow the Man Down is easily my favorite quest for all of the ways you can solve it. I'm definitely open to other suggestions though. Maia's armor seems like it'd be good for the 20% hit to crit on dodging a ranged attack, but that requires... dodging a ranged attack. Plus it's a % chance to happen, not a guarantee. Helm: Acina's Tricorn is why this build doesn't work with Godlikes unfortunately, as well as why Miscreant's Leathers is my favorite piece of gear to go with it for style points. Get it, love it. Rings: Chameleon's Touch and Ring of the Marksman. Chameleon's Touch can be acquired on Neketaka (Though the bounty to get it can be pretty rough) as can Ring of the Marksman (Though this is VERY important, and I'm putting this here so I won't forget. You must pickpocket it off of the Rauatai Sailors as part of the Valera portion of the Family Feud quest. As a pro-Rauatai character, obviously I can't kill them. As for... why I decided to steal their ring? Well, they weren't using it, I guess). Cloak: Cloak of Greater Protection - It's like Giftbearer's Cloth for people who A: Don't need the extra weapon/quick item slot and B: Don't overindulge in History. Neck: Token of Faith (+2 Resolve) or Amulet of Greater Health (25 max Health) - Lots of not unique items here, but I can't really think of many good neck slot items I've come across. The amulet brings us to 273 HP. Cipher's Shackle could also work for the +Con and Dexterity Affliction resistance. Gloves: Bracers of Greater Deflection - They're bracers that deflect things. Both this and the Cloak are taken in the event that you might be hit eventually and that if you are, you probably want to make sure you're at least not crit and killed before you can teleport away. Belt: Belt of Eoten Constitution - Mostly so that your 10 Con becomes 12 Con. That adds an extra 21 HP. I'm not entirely sold on this one, so other Belt options would certainly be welcome. Maybe Gwyn's Bridal Garter for the added resistance to Dexterity Afflictions? Boots: Boots of the Stone. If there are better boot options, please let me know. Areas of Focus for Comments are the points of the build that I'm still not entirely sure on. There aren't that many, thankfully! 1. Party: Can I make a workable party comp with all story companions/sidekicks? Pallegina is the only Paladin option I have, but I feel like she'll fly the coop (Haha, bird pun) if I side with Rauatai. I'm pretty sure the "Go it alone" option is the only one where no one is guaranteed to jump ship. 2. Skills. Thoughts on good actives to focus on now that Explosives and Drugs have both been nerfed (Or at least it seems to be that way, Alchemy doesn't seem to increase drug potency anymore). 3. Abilities: I'll make a poll for this as well, but do you think I'd be better suited focusing the Cipher half of the build on CC and leaving damage dealing to the Rogue half, or should I consider a damage dealing focused Cipher AND Rogue? Also, are there any abilities I've left out of both builds that you'd consider important/any way to better arrange them? I had Strike -> Pierce the Bell in my old build, but I more or less replaced it for Blinding Strike/Confounding Blind and the upgrade to Crippling Strike. Confounding Blind, I've been told, is really good for a Blunderbuss build for rapidly stripping away Deflection. I apologize for how long-winded this is, and I know this little disclaimer here is only adding to it, but the fact that there are two builds here, essentially, is probably a huge contributing factor. Please take the time to at least address the particular topics I've highlighted in the "Areas of Focus" section.

Hey guys, So, I asked this question in a sense over on the PvE side of the forums, but decided to ask it here because of the different focus. The character I really want to play for my pro-Rauatai Watcher is a gunslinger, either Pistol/Pistol or BB/Pistol (Since you can finally hold a gun in each hand). I figure it fits with the industrial aesthetic and... metric tons of gunpowder they've got going on (Seriously, what did they THINK would happen in the pro-Huana route?). I picked a Rogue because I like the idea of playing a covert agent character, a spy/assassin who collects information and eliminates key threats (Though this does kind of limit me in terms of the bounties I can take, unless I just decide to treat those as OOC). But I'm having a little bit of trouble coming up with a second class. Right now, I'm deciding between Chanter or Cipher. Both offer a fairly similar playstyle - weapon damage with spells worked in - but come across very differently RP-wise. Cipher, in both PoE1 and PoE2, has far and away the most unique dialogue choices of any class. Understandable, because of the heavy theme of souls involved in both games. It also makes sense for a character like this to know his way around his target's mind and soul, picking away the information he needs and vanishing without a trace. It also gives access to probably some of the coolest ability descriptions, as you're told exactly how you're destroying your target's mind, body, and soul. Aesthetically, I feel like it fits this kind of character the most, though perhaps not for a Rauatai playthrough because of their wariness toward animancy. That said, it's got a practical military intelligence use, so who's to say? Are there any Ciphers or Cipher multiclasses on any of the RDC ships you all have encountered? From the Wiki: A recent discovery in the Eastern Reach, ciphers were once called "brîshalgwin" ("mind hunters") by the Glanfathans. Ciphers have the ability to directly contact and manipulate another person's soul and psyche, using an ally's or enemy's essence as the focus for their magic. Though most ciphers are still found in the Eastern Reach, practitioners of the techniques have spread throughout the known world. They are gaining acceptance over time, but are generally distrusted, especially by the uneducated. Definitely indicates that there would be some in Rauatai, though I wish there was more of a description Chanter, meanwhile, seems to have a heavy significance to Rauatai, culture-wise. I've seen Chanter NPCs on plenty of Rauatai ships. That said, their lore entry also points to them being... everywhere, basically. Their magic works in a similar-ish way to Ciphers, albeit focused on the latent soul energy in the environment, rather than on current, living essence. It's described as a recitation. All of these events have happened before, in history or legend, the Chanter is just recreating them in his or her own image. I could see the potential for this working really well as well, simply because the Chanter has quite a few spells that affect targets' Will (Like Charms, or Paralysis), but as an overall package, it's less appealing than the Cipher. I'd be interested to hear your further thoughts on it, though. Ultimately, I'm /leaning/ toward the Cipher for being more of an overall package that's appropriate to what I want to do, but I acknowledge the Chanter as a solid choice as well. Gameplay-wise, both seem like they could be a ton of fun.

Hey guys, So, I'm really not a fan of melee DPS. I don't like getting up into the thick of things and having to worry about micromanaging heals on myself, as well as my tanks. So, for my pro-Rauatai watcher, I've been trying to think about a fun gunslinger concept (Plus, it suits their military industry focused society). I've been playing with a Mindstalker, but I've run into a few problems with it - namely, the very slow early game start before I get powers like Borrowed Instinct that let me take Accuracy from enemies to overcome the maluses associated with the Blunderbuss and Pistol modals. I know it clears up soon after that, but I just can't get over that aspect of it. Another option I've considered, and that I think might actually be fairly unique, is Harbinger (Chanter/Rogue). I probably would just go with vanilla Rogue in this case, and maybe Troubadour. Chanters have a pretty important role in Rauatai culture, too, so it's a little more fitting. Plus, does the DoC Breastplate grant extra Phrases? - The biggest concern I have with that option is getting Afflictions going on my enemies, as well as Recovery time/Reload time with Ranged weapons. I won't be making use of Streetfighter's incredible Recovery time, but I will have almost no Recovery time from armor, and will be making use of Sure-handed Illa. I also won't have the +1 bonus penetration from Cipher for weapons OR spells, but I hardly think that matters too much. - That said, compared to Cipher spells, Chanter invocations have significantly lower cast times (At least, most of them). So, depending on whether I use the DoC Breastplate or Miscreant's Leathers, Recovery time shouldn't be too bad. I've also considered a Spiritualist (Cipher/Chanter) but I'm not as big a fan of that one. It doesn't do much damage on its own without Rogue abilities, so it doesn't have access to a lot of really good Focus building strikes. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. I think a Harbinger could be really fun, but a Mindstalker has way more special dialogue choices than a Chanter does. Granted, I'm not sure how many of the Cipher-specific dialogues are just "You resist X mental effect placed on you."

You can use Powder Burns (Blunderbuss modal) to inflict Flanked on yourself. Do you mind if I send you what I have in a PM so we can discuss things in more detail? Just so I don't overload the forum.

Playing a pro-Rauatai character, so Pallegina will probably leave at some point or other. As far as staying flanked/bloodied goes, I can just use the Blunderbuss modal, but that includes a -5 Accuracy malus. My build as it is can be found here. I've also considered some different stat spreads, which are located in my last post on that thread. https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/103678-potd-build-mindstalker-the-company-man-heavy-rpnot-for-solo-needs-a-few-finishing-touches/ I've considered just going vanilla Rogue so I don't have to bother with setting up the Streetfighter conditional, but I'm not sure how bad the reload times would be for that. As Streetfighter, it seems like I can fire, reload, and then fire again almost instantly.

Party, with Eder and Rekke as frontline, Maia as ranged artillery, and Xoti as healing.

Hey guys, So, instead of posting my Mindstalker build in the forums with a bunch of different revisions and questions, I was hoping someone here who's had experience playing with the subclass would be willing to let me send them what I have, so that I can have a more focused discussion without adding entire pages to the builds forum by myself. What I'm looking for specifically: - A ranged character that works Cipher spells into a ranged Sneak Attack barrage, probably making use of the Streetfighter subclass and the Blunderbuss modal. - A good mix of Cipher and Rogue abilities. I've run into some multiclasses where it seems like you just take a few abilities from one class and mostly abilities from other classes (See, X/Paladin) - Someone patient, and willing to help sift through LOTS of different ideas.

Alright, I had a go at making a build more focused around Streetfighter damage than Cipher damage, which also freed up some more points for me to play around with. Stats: Either 15 Might (10 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Gift of the Machine +1 Permanent Stat boost Potion) 12 Constitution (8 Base + 2 Berath's Blessing +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance)) 21 Dexterity (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 21 Perception (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 20 Intellect (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) 6 Resolve (3 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing) Con is (Effectively) 14 with regards to max HP, which - with Tough - results in 290 HP. This does result in lower starting Fortitude, but I get a +10 boost from Bear's Fortitude and another +10 from the cloak (Does anyone know if a greater/lesser combo, like a Greater Cloak and a Lesser ring stack for +15?). Alternatively, if the extra Dexterity isn't necessary 15 Might (10 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Gift of the Machine +1 Permanent Stat boost Potion) 16 Constitution (12 Base + 2 Berath's Blessing +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance)) 17 Dexterity (14 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 21 Perception (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 20 Intellect (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) 6 Resolve (3 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing) Con is (effectively) 18 with the 10% max HP from Durance/GotM, which adds up to 332 (About 40 more HP) Unfortunately, short of playing Pale Elf and selecting WtW for my starting culture, there's nothing more I can do about base accuracy. Resolve is still low, but I was told that, as a Cipher, I'd have a special dialogue option regarding the various mind reading/mental intrusion checks. I hope that's the case. If it's not, I've considered this... 15 Might (10 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Gift of the Machine +1 Permanent Stat boost Potion) 8 Constitution (4 Base + 2 Berath's Blessing +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance)) 17 Dexterity (14 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 21 Perception (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 20 Intellect (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) 14 Resolve (11 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing) That's 4 extra Deflection (11 with the Bracers) and +8 extra Will as opposed to -8. That makes my starting Will 45. Obviously if I don't need Resolve to resist mental intrusion as a Cipher, I won't go with this. Might is dumped because, as a Streetfighter, it's really unnecessary for weapon damage. That said, I've also considered something like this... 19 Might (14 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Gift of the Machine +1 Permanent Stat boost Potion) 12 Constitution (8 Base + 2 Berath's Blessing +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance)) 17 Dexterity (14 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 21 Perception (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 20 Intellect (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) 6 Resolve (3 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing) 290 HP again for a ranged character, with a net gain to Fortitude of +22. This is only for if I decide to still go with Amplified Wave/Disintegrate though. I've been told those are the two major damage powers worth using. Abilities: I've been trying to, per suggestions, work in Debilitating Strike and/or Blinding Strike > Confounding Blind, but haven't quite found out how I could do so without losing something important from the Cipher tree. Are Strike -> Pierce the Bell really not worth keeping for a Ranged character?

So, basically, there's a lot of different ways I can approach this, I just need to find the right one. Also, if I decide to drop most of my damaging spells, I can drop my Might too (Down to base 10) and then have 8 points left over to put into Constitution for more HP. I can get up to about 300 HP that way.

He's a cipher so he gets a class option for resisting mind intrusions. Oh, do I? Nice!

Alright! I'll stick with Streetfighter then, though I might switch to Beguiler as my Cipher subclass. Who knows?

Well, I was planning on resolving Gorecci Street diplomatically, since it makes sense for the kind of character I'm playing. As for the Dig Site, I was thinking of sneaking it. As far as exponential increases go... does that mean that the Accuracy penalties from perma-Distraction and the -10 from Blunderbuss become a non-issue?

Yeah, honestly I'm feeling like Port Maje is going to be the hardest bit. I want to try to handle the Digsite properly, and then if I can do that, I think I'll be set. That said, there are a few more tweaks I want to try to make with this build, mostly to starting stats and to my "Level 0" picks. I also need to decide if I want to keep going with Streetfighter, because the penalties to Accuracy I'm getting by basically having to keep myself permanently Distracted are really hindering both my attacking and my spellcasting. Do the accessories/upgraded equipment you get later solve that issue, more or less, or is it just something I'm going to have to accept? I remember Blunderbusses in the first game were like that, and my Cipher did okay. The accuracy hit to Spells is going to be a problem though. I've also considered removing every damage spell from this build except Disintegrate (Since its base damage is so stupid high anyway) and dropping Might down to 10 (15 with all buffs). Then I can either put points into Resolve (Shock, horror!) to shore up my Will a bit, at the cost of Fortitude), or into Constitution for extra Fortitude and about 60 more HP. If I did that, I'd switch over to Beguiler and maybe pick up Biting Whip or something, who knows? There's only but so many options I can take, or ways I can allocate my stats. Something's going to give at some point.

Hey guys, So I'm working on a Cipher/Rogue that's a mix of Sneak Attack damage and Cipher spells, with a focus on heavy CC but three damage spells in particular worked in (Silent Scream, Amplified Wave and Disintegrate, which were really big for my Cipher back in PoE1). I'm wondering if that's worth it, or if I should consider rerolling to, say, Beguiler from Ascendant and just focusing on Streetfighter as my main damage source? I'm using guns either way, and my Recovery is actually really good, but I didn't want to have to worry about weaving in Disintegrate or Amp. Wave or Silent Scream casts (Since none of those cast terribly quickly) in between everything else. Thoughts?

That's the issue though, I really want to use some of those damaging powers. Otherwise it's just pew pew all the time with the occasional CC spell, and then how's it different from just playing a normal Ranged Streetfighter? Not quite. All you really need to remove the Streetfighter malus and give yourself a nice hefty boost to Sneak Attack damage is Flanked, which you can easily get with the Blunderbuss modal ability.

That's sort of how I was thinking of playing it. Not so much timid or weak-willed, more that he's broken by the experiences he's had to overcome.

Hey guys, So, for gameplay purposes, I'm playing a Mindstalker Gunner with low Resolve and Constitution (Since those stats aren't really needed for a ranged character), but I'm a little worried about the effect dropping my Resolve so low is going to have on my desired roleplay experience (A spy/interrogator/assassin type character working for Rauatai/the RDC). Resolve was a massively important skill in the first Pillars of Eternity 2, because it was effectively your Charisma stat (Your Intimidate, Bluff, and Diplomacy all rolled into one, essentially). The consensus seems to be that it's much less important now because of the new skill system, but that's the consensus of people who are largely interested in min/maxing their characters. The sort of character I'm trying to play (Rogue/Cipher, for those who don't have all of the multiclasses memorized) is going to have to: - Lie well - Keep his defenses up against mental intrusion - Coax information out of troublesome, sometimes uncooperative, people. - Not break under pressure Basically, when there are opportunities to do those sorts of things in the game, when is your Resolve tested and are there significant consequences for failure? Also, does being a Cipher counteract any potential failures in resisting mental incursions at all? I know they have the majority of dialogue checks in the game relating to class.

Mhmm... The Will hit's gonna hurt, a bit (37 to start). You're right though - having it at 8 or 6 really doesn't make a difference, I'm not passing Resolve checks anyway. Alright, updated. Edit: Also, I put the points into Dexterity, not Con, because the extra Constitution only gives 20 HP. In a situation where one or two hits more or less means I'm toast regardless, it doesn't seem worth it.

Alright. That's a fair point. I might go ahead and just get Escape then. Are Silent Scream and Amp. Wave still worth using? I mostly just wanted to have something to do to enemies at low levels that wasn't Whispers of Treason or Eyestrike, but that is kind of my lot, I suppose. As far as the weapons go, if the pure pierce from the Kitchen Stove, with penetration, won't be an issue, that's fine. Do my stats look okay, you think? That's the biggest concern. I can respec skills and such, but stats are forever.

Realized that I didn't actually HAVE Tough as a passive ability, but accounted for it anyway. That was my bad - it's since been corrected. I also realize that I didn't include a neck slot item either, so I've added that too.

Hey guys, Can someone tell me the maximum bonus you can get to party assist and whether it's per companion or across all companions? I'm assuming that you can't get a total of +20 from it, because then you could just keep going back to the tavern and respec every time you needed to pass a particular check. Furthermore, how many points do you need in a particular skill to get each point? I'm assuming it's divisible by two, rounded down... If that's the case, it kind of makes sense to have a party with a bunch of skills that they're 4, 2, 2, 2 on... but then the companions don't ever really excel in anything, so the Watcher can't use them if they're lacking needed skills - like Athletics for a Cipher/Rogue for example (Curse you, Athletics. Curse yoooooou).

So, over the last few days, I've had a vision of a character that evokes the ideal of the consummate professional. A company man through and through, with a specialty in espionage, interrogation, and assassination, he completes each mission assigned to him efficiently, with no loose ends. He's fiercely loyal to the cause that his faction fights for, and puts his unique set of skills to use daily to ensure that their goals are reached. After a lot of throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks, I think I've managed to come up with a Mindstalker build that evokes a lot of what I'm going for thematically. It's intended as a Gunslinger build, blasting foes from range to build up Focus to Ascend and set up Sneak Attack conditions, then repeat the process with additional damage once Sneak Attack ends. It uses Pierce the Bell later on in addition to Hammering Thoughts for pretty huge Penetration on ranged weapon attacks, as well as potent Cipher debuffs to lower the target's defenses and boost its own Accuracy. (Plus, did I mention that Secret Horrors sets up Deathblows on its own? Because it does) The only downside is that this character is pretty frail. He'll have a little bit more HP than base, but Cipher/Rogue is already on the bottom end of the HP pool, so 10% extra really won't do a whole lot for him. This build is intended to work with either the Streetfighter subclass, for more potent Sneak Attack damage and faster casting of Cipher spells, or the Trickster subclass for a slower, but sturdier, character. I'm personally partial to the Streetfighter myself, because setting up its conditional with a Blunderbuss isn't terribly difficult, but the Trickster could definitely work well here. Race: Human, though any race except Godlike would work. As cool as Godlikes are, Acina's Tricorn is VERY important for this build. Class: Cipher (Ascendant)/Rogue (Streetfighter) Culture/Background: Rauatai/Aristocrat (For the bonus to conversational skills, as well as additional dialogue options) Skills: Alchemy and Explosives (Actives)/Insight and Bluff (Passives) Stats: (Unfortunately, this has proven harder than expected). This is my best attempt at what I had in PoE1, but it's definitely open for improvement. 23 Might (18 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Gift of the Machine +1 Permanent Stat boost Potion) 8 Constitution (4 Base + 2 Berath's Blessing +1 Rauatai +1 Effigy's Resentment (Durance)) 17 Dexterity (14 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 21 Perception (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) 20 Intellect (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) 6 Resolve (3 Base +1 Human +2 Berath's Blessing) These are all subject to change, of course. High Perception is important to counteract the Accuracy penalty from using Blunderbusses - even with Borrowed Instinct, +15 bonus Deflection is still very much a thing. High Intellect makes your buffs/debuffs last longer (Including the one you want on yourself), your Ascension last longer (I'm assuming), and your AoEs much larger. Dexterity and Might may be a little low, but the -50% Recovery time from Streetfighter, as well as the fact that the armor you'll be using doesn't *have* a Recovery Time (Or if you decide to go with another option, it'll be negligible) means I feel like I can get away with a lower Dexterity. If I were to change anything, it'd be to take some points out of Resolve/Con and put them into Might. That'd be -2 Deflection that I'm not getting back (No Psychovampiric Shield), but the Con's a bit more significant. Total HP with 8 Con (10% from GotM and Durance) and Tough = 248 Starting HP: 33 Starting Deflection: 16 (Can someone tell me what determines how much Deflection you gain per level?) Starting Fortitude: 33 Starting Reflex: 50 Starting Will: 37 So, definitely starting out squishy. This build necessitates having at least two solid frontline units, and since Pallegina is probably going to be very very annoyed with many of the decisions we make throughout this playthrough, we unfortunately can't rely on her. I'm looking at Eder as a Swashbuckler along with Rekke as good frontline options. Obviously, players who support any of the other Factions will be able to keep the curmudgeonly bird-lady. Abilities: Level 1 - Crippling Strike/Eyestrike Level 2 - Soul Shock or Mind Wave (Respec to Escape at level 5) Level 3 - Penetrating Visions Level 4 - Two-Weapon Style/Draining Whip Level 5 - Mind Blades (Respec to Mental Binding at Level 10) Level 6 - Dirty Fighting Level 7 - Secret Horrors/Strike the Bell Level 8 - Hammering Thoughts Level 9 - Puppet Master Level 10 - Silent Scream/Shadowing Beyond Level 11 - Bear's Fortitude Level 12 - Finishing Blow Level 13 - Pierce the Bell/Borrowed Instinct Level 14 - Rapid Casting Level 15 - Tough Level 16 - Amplified Wave/Devastating Blow Level 17 - The Empty Soul Level 18 - Disintegration Level 19 - Ancestor's Honor/Deathblows Level 20 - Echoing Horror The only options I'm not sure on here are Finishing/Devastating Blow. My thought process was that they could serve as a nice way to quickly Ascend by serving as a coup de grace to an enemy, but I'm not sure if the Guile cost is worth it when I could be using it for Pierce the Bell with more penetration and bonus damage. Any suggestions on what I could swap those out for would be appreciated. A note on respecs. I've heard that losing your starting skills when respeccing only applies if you take upgrades to those skills (Like if I were to take Arterial Strike, I would lose Crippling Strike). So I ought to be okay respeccing as long as I don't do it after I unlock Finishing/Devastating Blow. 'Should' be. That said, I really don't want to be out an attacking power until level 10, so I suppose I'll risk it. Maybe I'll try resetting in the Kraken's Eye to see if that does it. Gear: Weapons: The Kitchen Stove(MH)/Scordeo's Trophy (OH) - The Kitchen Stove, upgraded, gives you a per encounter AoE attack that can generate enough Focus for you to immediately Ascend. Scordeo's Trophy with the Modal equipped gives 50% reload time with -15 Ranged Accuracy. Unfortunately the PoE wiki is a little sparse on what its enchantments do. Can someone fill me in? You can also use Thundercrack Pistol in your other weapon slot for Storm Rune shot for a quick Focus boost. - Can you get the "Anything and Everything" Enchantment for The Kitchen Stove with Thunderous Report? - How much of a hindrance is the fact that The Kitchen Stove and pistols only do Pierce damage? Armor: Miscreant's Leathers is my personal pick for the 5% chance to just ignore an attack. Furthermore, when used with Cutthroat Cosmo, it just... doesn't have a Recovery penalty. Plus it looks stylish, and Blow the Man Down is easily my favorite quest for all of the ways you can solve it. I'm definitely open to other suggestions though. Maia's armor seems like it'd be good for the 20% hit to crit on dodging a ranged attack, but that requires... dodging a ranged attack. Plus it's a % chance to happen, not a guarantee. Helm: Acina's Tricorn is why this build doesn't work with Godlikes unfortunately, as well as why Miscreant's Leathers is my favorite piece of gear to go with it for style points. Get it, love it. Rings: Chameleon's Touch and Ring of the Marksman. Chameleon's Touch can be acquired on Neketaka (Though the bounty to get it can be pretty rough) as can Ring of the Marksman (Though this is VERY important, and I'm putting this here so I won't forget. You must pickpocket it off of the Rauatai Sailors as part of the Valera portion of the Family Feud quest. As a pro-Rauatai character, obviously I can't kill them. As for... why I decided to steal their ring? Well, they weren't using it, I guess). Cloak: Cloak of Greater Protection - It's like Giftbearer's Cloth for people who A: Don't need the extra weapon/quick item slot and B: Don't overindulge in History. Neck: Token of Faith (+2 Resolve) or Amulet of Greater Health (25 max Health) - Lots of not unique items here, but I can't really think of many good neck slot items I've come across. The amulet brings us to 273 HP. Cipher's Shackle could also work for the +Con and Dexterity Affliction resistance. Gloves: Bracers of Greater Deflection - They're bracers that deflect things. Both this and the Cloak are taken in the event that you might be hit eventually and that if you are, you probably want to make sure you're at least not crit and killed before you can teleport away. Belt: Belt of Eoten Constitution - Mostly so that your 8 Con becomes 10 Con again. That adds an extra 21 HP. I'm not entirely sold on this one, so other Belt options would certainly be welcome. Maybe Gwyn's Bridal Garter for the added resistance to Dexterity Afflictions? Boots: Boots of the Stone. If there are better boot options, please let me know. So, there you have it... It's done! Well, save for a bit of feedback from you all. I've listed the two most important points here. 1. Stats - Is 23 Might too absurd? Should I drop it down and put the extra points into Dexterity, or even Constitution? Keep in mind, I know Streetfighter can live without high Might, this is mostly for the Cipher's damage powers (Which for me will be Amplified Wave, Silent Scream, and Disintegrate) 2. The Gear - Am I overlooking a really good piece of gear for this build? Please, let me know. Keep in mind, this is mostly gear from the early game because that's what I'm familiar with, and I'm looking for stuff that'll be good consistently throughout. 3. The fun factor. How fun is a build like this going to be right now? Provided they leave Cipher and Rogue as they are (Or buff Cipher some more, which would be nice!), is this build enough to at least see some really big numbers with Sneak Attack/Into the Fray? I know I won't be topping the DPS charts, but as long as I'm not plinking off of everything I try to hit, I can be happy with that. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm opposed to seeing huge damage numbers from time to time, but I'm also not silly enough to be thinking I'll outdamage my Streetfighter/Berserker Marauder any time soon. Thanks guys, and happy adventuring! Changelog: Edit - Swapped out Ringleader for Tough. Considering swapping out The Empty Soul for Ringleader , especially since Borrowed Instinct lowers enemies' Will by 16 anyway. Thoughts?

It's a really hard choice. Monk (Helwalker) gives a ton of Might, Stunning Surge, and Swift Flurry, but I can't use most of the other skills since they're melee only. Rogue (Streetfighter) gives an insane attack speed boost, has attacks that synergize really well with ranged weapons (Pierce the Bell), and really good additional damage (80% as long as I'm under the effects of the modal/the enemies are Sneak Attack vulnerable). I'm leaning toward Rogue for the thematic appropriateness for the character I want to play - Spy/Assassin.