Cyrus_Blackfeather

Honestly, I don't know. I really want to be a tank type character since I've never done that before in this sort of game. I also want to have high Might because of how Engagement works (Gotta do more damage than the rest of the party to keep the enemies focused on me), and high Perception (To hit things and to serve as a scout). After that, I'm not sure which stats would be best to emphasize though I DO know that I don't want to drop anything down to 3 or anything ridiculous like that. Still not sure what weapon to pick for my Devoted subclass. Modwyr looks like an awesome sword, honestly, but then there's sabres that are just as good looking, if not a little more. Is the damage difference really that noticeable in the end or are we only talking about a couple of points per hit? Right now, if I do anything, I'm probably going to either go for the more defensive build with Constitution or the Human build that emphasizes Intellect so that Disciplined Barrage lasts a little longer. Other than that, I'm really not sure.

See, that's the reason why the Hollowborn Crisis and the Companion quests are so difficult for me to properly judge on paper, without seeing the associated dialogues, because they don't have a clear cut 'aggressive' option because most of them, at that point, aren't conflicts. By the time you decide what to do with the Hollowborn, Thaos has been dealt with. He's no longer a threat, so you can opt to use your best judgment to decide how to resolve things. That's why I'm torn between Galawain and Skaen/Woedica. Both of them would seem to fit depending on which way you interpret your character's core philosophy and, working back, each informs the way your character 'would have' interacted with most of their companions/resolved quests.

I don't really want to go too crazy and drop stats for roleplay reasons (And to give myself just a wee bit of challenge by not min/maxing for PotD). Though if I can drop Constitution safely I might pump Dexterity a bit just to attack slightly faster. Also, I don't mind if they tweak it slightly, though I hope when they tune PotD they focus more on making the encounters harder rather than just nerfing everything. So with that in mind, how about... Might - 19 (8 + 1 Human Racial) Constitution - 10 Dexterity - 13 (2 + 1) Perception - 16 (6 points) Intellect - 10 Resolve - 10 (9+1) I might drop Dex for more Perception, but I dunno. I know this build is going to be super powerful, but honestly what I want most out of it is roleplay. Bleak Walker seems like it'd be a really interesting character to play, especially keeping to those particular dispositions. Fair enough, in that case however I'll let you know when I ran a 10 resolve character I think I failed most of the conversation resolve checks anyways, im not sure what resolve number you need to pass them is. Or maybe you just want to feel like your character isn't a resolveless coward, which I admit annoys me a bit about my 3 resolve characters If you're going crusader, fighter has good ways to buff perception/accuracy so you can favor dex a bit. You might want to consider slightly higher intellect for the disciplined barrage/vigorous defense skill trees and (if you want to use them) paladin exhortations. If it's anything like the Perception checks, you probably need something like 15+ Resolve to pass most of those checks. Honestly, I'm mostly doing it for flavor reasons. Having average stats is okay, but when you drop things down to five or below it starts to get a little too min-maxy and I want to try to avoid that where I can. It's also why I hope that when they do tune PotD they don't tune it with min/maxers in mind. It should be challenging but accessible to different character builds - as long as you're not, say, building a 3 Might 18 Resolve Priest of Eothas/Barbarian multiclass or something. Drat, I never really thought about Intellect. The issue is that there's so many stats that are important/worth keeping up for multiple reasons, either so that you can roleplay with them or so that they can provide a significant benefit in combat. Here's some more builds I've considered. Unbuffed, mind you. Godlike Variant (Either Nature or Death for RP potential) Might - 18 ( Constitution - 10 Dexterity - 9 (+1) Perception - 17 (6 + 1) Intellect - 14 (3 + 1) Resolve - 9 If I tried that as a Human, it'd be... Might - 19 Constitution - 10 Dexterity - 9 (+1) Perception - 16 (6) Intellect - 13 (3) Resolve - 9 (+1) Assuming it's really okay for me to drop Constitution that low on a tanky character. Granted, my starting health was still pretty low even with 14 points invested in it. There's also... High(er) Resolve Variant Aedyr Background Might - 19 (8 +1) Constitution - 10 Dexterity - 10 Perception - 16 (6) Intellect - 10 Resolve - 12 (+2) Then I'd buff Resolve a little more using things like Boots of the Stone.

So, rampant bird defecation aside, any other thoughts on the particulars of the PoE1 gamestate as I've laid them out? I'm more heavily leaning towards a Galawain/"Survival of the Fittest" type playthrough, as I think that could honestly lead to some more interesting character interactions, especially because Galawain has shown through his ending that he isn't above helping people to become 'fit.' (Giving the soul energy to the Dyrwood).

Hey guys, I'm wanting to start a Bleak Walker character as sort of a Neutrall/Lawful Evil character (Engages in absolute savage brutality on the job, but has some scruples about behaving himself in public). The thing is, since there's so many different subtle (and not-so-subtle) effects that your decisions in PoE1 can have, I wanted to start a thread brainstorming some of the ones that'd best suit this kind of character. 1. The Hollowborn Crisis: This sort of informs the rest of the game state in a lot of ways. I'm leaning towards either Galawain's or Skaen's/Woedica's options for the souls because all three of those gods embody aspects that I feel would suit a Bleak Walker well. Galawain is the god of the hunt, assassins, and pursuit - and he's also allied with Magran who represents power and trials. Meanwhile, Skaen and Woedica have a nice dichotomy between them with Woedica representing lawful rulership and Skaen representing resentment/vengeance. Others on this forum have spoken at length about their dynamic, and what their Engwithan creators originally intended them to embody. Note: In most of my previous playthroughs, I went with Berath as the "True Neutral" choice, but even though she essentially makes you her Herald (Whether you want her to or not) I don't feel like picking her choice really changes how she feels about you too much. Could someone inform me if you get anything out of being loyal to her beforehand if you're not a Death Godlike/Priest of Berath? I would probably destroy Thaos's soul, or imprison it, and I would absorb Maerwald's as well. Animancy would heavily depend on the god I opted to support - Woedica is against it, because the secrets of the gods have to remain secret, but if I went with Galawain I'd probably support it. Either way, I'd pick the Doemenels as my Defiance Bay faction. 2. Companions: Here's where things get difficult. The Blood Pool opens itself up immediately as the go-to cruel option for characters allying themselves with Skaen/Woedica, and obviously puts you plainly on the Evil spectrum. It's honestly been hard to bring myself to press that button, but frankly if I did I'd most likely sacrifice Maneha. The only other companion who gives Might is Eder, and... I just can't kill Eder. He's a bro. Obviously if I went with the more neutral route (Supporting Galawain's idea of survival of the fittest) I wouldn't do that. Not because I think it goes against Galawain's tenants, but I want these two options to be kind of distinct. Other than that, there's some variance among companion choices. Eder would either have his faith in the gods strengthened if I went with Woedica/Skaen or become a skeptic if I went with Galawain. If I went with Woedica, Aloth would become Grandmaster of the Leaden Key (Which I've honestly never seen him do, so that's another reason to go with that one). If I went with Galawain, he'd dismantle it. Durance would similarly have two different options depending on who I went with. Pallegina would either obey orders (Woedica) or disobey them (Galawain) - either option turns out well for her, not so much for the Dyrwood in the first case. Kana would similarly either become pro-isolationist or progressive, but I can't really think of the best option either way for the other companions, or even if my Watcher would bother recruiting some of them. This is where my lack of memory of the choices in the last game come back to bite me - I can't recall the exact context behind a lot of these companion outcomes. 3. White March: In either option, I'd probably keep the souls defending the Battery or bound to the Forge. In a Galawain centered playthrough, the Eyeless would begin restoring Abydon, but in a Woedica playthrough I'd probably destroy them. Though that's another point of contention - I'm not really sure where Woedica would stand on that. She probably hates Abydon as much as she hates the other gods, but could probably relate to the idea of being killed, essentially. Adaryc would get killed in either case - I'm a Bleak Walker, I'm not exactly about to sneak around into his command tent and try to negotiate with him. Similarly, Concelhaut and all of his apprentices will die, as will Llengrath and her dragons. 4. Gilded Vale: Easy enough. Shake down Wirtan for money, or just kill him. Woedicans would support Raedric (Rightful rule), while my Galawain Bleak Walker would kill him twice (Either way I love that Kolsc dies no matter what you do). I'd give Aufra the potion and tell her it wouldn't help. 5. Endless Paths: Reforged the blade, and then killed the Master. Does the Master show up in Deadfire if you let her take over the Dragonslayer? That might influence the decision if it's actually an important moment and not just her saying "Oh, hi." 6. Defiance Bay: Too many options here, but they've all remained pretty consistent. 7. Twin Elms: This is probably the second hardest section of choices to make next to Companions because they all seem pretty straightforward but also like they'd be really important. I've almost always gone with "Take the baby and kill Simoc" even though, in context, that decision makes very little sense (You wind up killing him AND the person who asked you to kill him in the first place). TL;DR: I'm trying to make a Bleak Walker character and I'm stuck between either a Lawful Evil Steel Garrote-esque character following Woedica and Skaen, or more of a free-spirited Neutral character who adheres to Galawain's ideals of the hunt and survival of the fittest. What choices in the PoE1 save editor would best reflect either of those options? Special consideration to Companion decisions. Furthermore, is there anything extra that Berath does throughout the game if you make her choice, aside from giving you the bell and commending you for it during your first convo? Also, is it possible to pledge the souls to Woedica without breaking a pledge to one of the other gods in the first game? (I'm assuming not, since it's Skaen telling you to do this and he's the god of betrayal). I hear that if you do break an oath, there's a detriment to you in game. Could someone tell me what those are and how to break them?

Oh, also. Sabers or Swords? I'm leaning towards swords for multiple damage types/Devoted penetration bonuses/Enchantments that just seem more fun. Plus Modwyr is a sword that's in love with you. That's absolutely incredible.

This exactly. I see Bleak Walkers as having the potential to be perfectly pleasant outside of most situations, it's just that when they decide to resolve situations they favor violence and directness.

I don't really want to go too crazy and drop stats for roleplay reasons (And to give myself just a wee bit of challenge by not min/maxing for PotD). Though if I can drop Constitution safely I might pump Dexterity a bit just to attack slightly faster. Also, I don't mind if they tweak it slightly, though I hope when they tune PotD they focus more on making the encounters harder rather than just nerfing everything. So with that in mind, how about... Might - 19 (8 + 1 Human Racial) Constitution - 10 Dexterity - 13 (2 + 1) Perception - 16 (6 points) Intellect - 10 Resolve - 10 (9+1) I might drop Dex for more Perception, but I dunno. I know this build is going to be super powerful, but honestly what I want most out of it is roleplay. Bleak Walker seems like it'd be a really interesting character to play, especially keeping to those particular dispositions.

The first game gives a little more context into their behavior. They're not 'necessarily' sadistic, the reason they solve everything violently is in order to spread their reputation - so that ideally, when their enemies learn that the Bleak Walkers have been deployed, they immediately surrender.

I'm just hoping there's a way to be a jerk to people while also getting an enriching story experience. I remember being Dark Side in KotR2 and convincing two people that the quickest way to get from point A to point B was to jump off of a ledge to their deaths. I technically didn't lie.

Hey guys, So, I'm finally starting a Bleak Walker/Fighter run (I've wanted to do something like this for a long time) and I was wondering how much mileage I'd be able to get out of it, story-wise? I know enough to know that I definitely want to side with the Principi (They seem to be the most chill faction, and Aeldys sounds like a bro. My Bleak Walker really appreciates her whole "Fort Deadlight's Dead Lights" thing). Now, I've played a lot of games where playing a cruel/aggressive route locks me out of a lot of stuff. I wanted to be sure that wasn't the case for this game - because honestly, that would really suck.

Hey guys, So, I've been brainstorming an idea for a Bleak Walker Paladin as a tank for PotD. I'm trying to decide between a Templar or a Crusader. I opted to list the pros and cons of each, followed by a build that I was intending to run. Then I was hoping to get some feedback from you guys regarding which you think would play better. Crusader - Pros: Much more defensive, access fo Disciplined Strikes/Barrage to improve accuracy. Interrupts, Armored Grace and Mob Stance to deal with heavy armor recovery time, and some really nice passives to boost damage with proficient weapons. Cons: No AoE to speak of until later (And that's on kill). Templar - Pros: Can run debuffing/damaging Priest spells while Xoti buffs, Magran Priests apparently get the most class specific dialogue choices of any class in the game. I'd have a nice AoE heal that also dealt with Vessels, which are fairly common earlier on. I get Scion of Flame for Penetration on fire attacks. Cons: I miss out on all of the cool stuff that Fighter has, and there's quite a lot of that. The Build: Race - Human Culture - Deadfire (For extra dialogue checks) Background - Mercenary Active Skills: Athletics/Alchemy Passive Skills: Insight/Intimidate Stats: Might - 18 (7 points + 1 Human racial) Constitution - 14 (4 points) Dexterity - 10 (9 + 1 Deadfire Culture) Perception - 16 (6 points) Intellect - 10 Resolve - 10 (9 + 1 Human racial) I'm open for recommendations regarding this build. I'm really nervous having such a low Resolve, but that doesn't seem to be the "Charisma" score of this game anymore, now that we can invest into Intimidate, Bluff, Diplomacy, etc. Deep Faith seems to have my defenses pretty well covered, my main concern is bolstering my hit points. TL;DR: What do you guys think of this build for either a Crusader or a Templar Bleak Walker, and which do you think would be a more enjoyable experience overall? Now that the disposition system has changed, I'm looking forward to playing a character that isn't necessarily a nice person most of the time.

Hey guys, So, I was wondering which two passive skills would serve me the best from a roleplaying perspective, or if they're all used fairly equally in conversations/quest resolutions? My character definitely leans more toward the insightful intimidation route - he's very good at reading people, but favors a blunter/more direct approach when dealing with them. I've also considered a small investment into Metaphysics, though I'm not sure where that pays off down the line. I feel like it'd be best to focus on the ones I already have points in from class/background first and then once I have those up to, say, ten or so invest in others.

So, because Priest doesn't really seem to offer a whole lot outside of roleplay potential (Super long cast/recovery buffs, mostly), I'm probably not going to play one. Still, since I figure that Priests of Eothas and Berath would probably get a lot of unique dialogue, considering the roles that those gods play in the story, I was wondering if anyone could share any particularly interesting bits? I've played far enough as a Priest of Eothas to know that... you don't really seem to know much more about him than anyone else, which is kind of funny. When Xoti tells you about Gaun, the only option you have is the same stock "He's an aspect of Eothas" response that everyone gets. Meanwhile, I'm fairly certain a Priest of Berath would be absolutely thrilled to get chosen as her herald. I was particularly interested if Priestly dialogue options affected the gods' councils at all.

Oooh, okay. Yeah, I'll probably wind up going with his choice then. It honestly seems to do the most good, especially considering how souls work in this setting.

Hey guys, So, most of the characters I've been testing have allied with either Berath or Hylea in PoE1, which both offer limited use items as rewards for honoring their deals (Berath's Black Bell and Hylea's Bounty). The characters I've made that have sided with Galawain and Wael haven't offered anything of the sort, so I was wondering if there just aren't any items for them or if their rewards are a bit less obvious (A new talent, perhaps)? Also, kudos to Obsidian for making the endgame choice in PoE1 actually stick in my craw a little bit. It's genuinely kind of tough to decide what to do with all of those souls; my character is a father, so Hylea's option definitely makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't address the problem of Hollowborn who've already been killed or who have grown up into teenagers/been turned into wichts. Berath's option is more of a neutral 'hard reset', it sucks to be the parent of a Hollowborn, and nothing's going to get better for you, but at least the Legacy has stopped. Meanwhile, Galawain's option is a much more True/Chaotic neutral choice that allows for people to gain the strength to better deal with grief (And definitely helps resolve Pallegina's quest in the best possible way for everyone involved), and it's honestly kind of a nice juxtaposition of Galawain's whole philosophy regarding culling the weak - he's giving people the 'capacity' to be strong instead of just letting them wallow in their grief. If I had to pick right now, I'd probably go with Galawain's option closely followed by Hylea's, and then Berath's - Those first two actually accomplish something good, even if they go about it in very different ways. Still though, does picking Galawain have any sort of affect on your Watcher? Also, does it only show up if you PLEDGE to him? Berath's and Hylea's didn't seem to require pledging to do what they asked - Berath even has special dialogue for not pledging to her but still making her choice.

Alright. And it kind of fits the Berserker theme, honestly. They weren't hulking musclemen ALL the time, in fact out of combat they were pretty unassuming. It's when they actually started exerting themselves and unleashing the blood frenzy that they became monsters.

Hey guys, I recently started a Ravager playthrough and I'm loving it - Monks' ability to remove the biggest negative associated with Berserker's Frenzy is an amazing synergy, and it's very nice to play a more straightforward sort of character than my Cipher from PoE1 and his million different ways to mess with people mentally (Oooh, alliteration!). Now, I've hit a little snag in buildcrafting for this guy. I have race and background down, but I'm at a loss as to what to give him in terms of starting attributes. I want to show you the two builds I've come up with, give my opinions on the one I've played through the tutorial, and hear your thoughts on both. The first build: Pure Striker Race: Human/Deadfire Might: 19 (29 with max Wounds) Constitution: 15 Dexterity: 14 Perception: 10 Intellect: 10 Resolve: 10 (9+1) Skill Focus: Athletics Civic Skill Focus: Intimidate/Insight or Streetwise I've played through all of Port Maje/the Engwithan Digsite with this build, and I have to say I really like it. As long as I set up flanks/used only one weapon or my fists when the Accuracy bonus raised, I hit most of the time and wound up doing very respectable damage - especially at 10 wounds. Perception received a slight bump from Gosha, the cat pet acquired fairly early on, and once I got the Monk Modal ability as well as some others, my Intellect and some gear would more than bolster my Will against things that could Charm or otherwise disable me. The only issue here is Perception which, while it didn't have too much of a negative impact in combat, still left me hurting in terms of certain quest interactions. Now, I know that Obsidian changed the way a lot of this works, so that your attributes are less important than your skills/background in conversations, but I did miss out on certain options regarding quests in Port Maje and I'm worried that I may miss out on resolving quests in a desireable manner in the future. Plus, I'm not sure when opponents' Deflection reaches a point on PotD that necessitates super high Perception, even with proper buffs/debuffs. So, we come to the next build... The Scout Might: 11 (21 with max wounds) Constitution: 15 Dexterity: 15 Perception: 17 Intellect: 10 Resolve: 9 This build is designed so that I A: Have enough Perception to pass most stat checks throughout the game B: Have a comfortable boost to Accuracy and can reliably find most traps/hidden items The immediate downside to this as far as I can tell is significantly less Might, but from everything I've seen on this board that doesn't really matter all that much for Barbarians or Monks. It makes sense - if you're attacking quickly and you're critting a lot, you'll output a lot of damage. I'm worried about flat might skill checks though - I see a lot of those pop up in scripted events where it'll be your Might plus your Athletics or Survival or something. Some of those are Watcher only, and can't be done with a tool in the Stash. Is the Athletics investment there more important than the Might investment? Also, where does the damage bonus from Might start to fall off? TL;DR: 1. Give your opinions on the two builds I've provided for a Berserker/Helwalker 2. Which two Civic skills would you recommend focusing on to cover the most conversation options? (I'm thinking Insight/Intimidate or Streetwise) 3. What's the fall-off point for Might? Assuming I can balance the high damage I'd take as a Helwalker, where do all of those extra +1s start to not really matter as much as Monk/Barbarian passive and active buffs? 4. Is Athletics checked before Might in checks requiring physical exertion, or is it added on to it? 5. How many quests can be resolved in a SIGNIFICANTLY different way through use of Perception? I don't want names or an exact number, just "Only a few" or "Maybe half." I can just pick up a companion/buff my Watcher in combat if I need to find traps or need Perception to hit things.

I'm a Helwalker, so in-combat Might shouldn't be a big problem. Plus there seem to be more items that give might than give Perception.

Hmm. So maybe 12/14/15/15/10/9 before racial bonuses? Or is that too conservative?

So, I made a Ravager, and I'm loving the high damage it gives, but I'm definitely hurting as far as traps and certain dialogue checks go. I have average Perception and high Dexterity, but I was wondering if it might be better to go for average Dexterity and high Perception, since I plan on wearing armour with less recovery time. Would 15 or 16 Perception be enough for most dialogues/traps, or am I better off sticking with high Dexterity and using food and items to get the Perception I need?

don't you have party members with high perception? You will have fun then, there is an island on the lower left corner of the map (which may or may not contain nice treasure) that may or may not have a bazillion traps ) ) Playing through with story companions. Eder, Xoti, and Aloth (For SOME reason) all have 12 Perception. Hopefully Serafen has more.

Alright. Though, I'm definitely hurting for perception at this point - I'm at the Engwithan digsite and not being able to spot the traps isn't particularly fun. Can someone point out some of the better Perception boosting items and where to get them (Vendors/Locations)? I don't really consider that 'spoiling' too much.

Hey guys, So, this might not be the right place for this discussion, but I suppose it is a sort of "Character Build" question when you think about it. I'm playing a Ravager right now and really enjoying the combat aspects of it (Will be even moreso once I get things like Barbaric Blow and the Monk Modals). I've even had a few neat RP interactions using my Watcher's Deadfire background (I was able to resolve the Mokeha quest in a new way). I'm heavy into Might, Constitution, and Dexterity but light in Intellect, Resolve, and Perception, and I've noticed I'm missing some of the more preferable dialogue options from my characters with higher Perception. For example, being able to solve the Ilari questline peacefully without paying him, and some dialogue options with Ikawha. Neither of those are necessarily required for full enjoyment of the game, but I was wondering about other potential choices down the line. How much is my lack of investment in these three attributes going to hamper my ability to roleplay, and are there items I can get somewhere that would allow me to boost these stats up to required levels?

Silly me, forgot to factor in the Resolve from Human. So it'd be 19/16/12/10/10/11. I can see dropping points in resolve and con to get more Dexterity. So 19/15/14/10/10/10. I just hope I won't be missing out on anything too dramatic by not having the RP skills up. Can someone let me know if/where you can get Perception buffing equipment early on? I know about the cat and the necklace in Gorreci Street, but that's it.