Cyrus_Blackfeather

You can do every fight so far when you play solo. Even as a Marauder? Is it even possible to split up the final digsite encounter with the drake and the wyrms and all into manageable groups? I think I managed to pull the panthers apart from the rest maybe once. Äh, you know, that you have smoke veil or? Just lure them away, up the stairs and there is a narrow path, where only one can attack you. When you are out of ressources, use empower and smoke veil out. So you can beat the whole encounter one by one. Oooh, okay.

Yeah, I have. The results from my most recent test were that the Marauder actually did pretty okay with Nemnok's Cloak and Savage Defiance for survivability, though I know that's just a stopgap (Nemnok's Cloak requires a rest after every combat, or at least every major combat). The Swashbuckler meanwhile could more or less be left to do his own thing because Unbending healed him up so much. This was without a party providing buffs and support, mind you. So in a party, Marauder would do fine. But then, of course, I made a thread about soloing versus playing in a party, and which provides the more rewarding experience, so I have to decide what I want to do there before I can really commit either way. I'll repeat my concern from that thread here. I'm worried that if I play with a party of companions/sidekicks or, even moreso, a custom party, it just annihilates all of the challenge.

Is it even possible to split-pull the digsite encounter? Like You can do every fight so far when you play solo. Even as a Marauder? Is it even possible to split up the final digsite encounter with the drake and the wyrms and all into manageable groups? I think I managed to pull the panthers apart from the rest maybe once.

I'd probably go with one of the fighter mixes if it is going to be one of your stronger tanks having to face tank a battle opener. Brute if you care about opening crowd damage burst which sounds more like the character you described and swashbuckler if you want more single target burst/sustain only because frenzy is finite. In a party you still can have a marauder tank to a degree granted you're not going balls out with frenzy, though it sounds like you're particular about a certain damage build. Yeah, I'm wanting one of the Barbarian multis because not a lot of companions have access to them. Serafen can be a Single-Class Barb or a Witch, but that's it.

Yeah, that's where I'm at. I can clear the digsite with a party, with some degree of challenge. But doing it solo? I'd likely either have to get really cheesy with mob-splitting, or skip the whole thing.

Hey guys, So, bit of a weird question, but I'm very much concerned with making sure that I have as much of the game to go through as possible, with some of the better equipment on my Watcher, at the very least. Essentially, I don't want to get the best stuff and then have nothing to use it on. So I was wondering what order I should do things in to ensure I have the biggest section of game left in order to use my fully realized build on? At least in terms of items. Probably the most difficult piece of equipment to get that I'm wanting to go for are the Boltcatchers, which drop from the Steel Preacher. So that's a good place to start. How much of the game would I have had to do to get to the level where I could tackle that challenge?

I'm definitely looking at the Principi at this point.

Depends on what you enjoy. If you care more for the combat and challenge then this is certainly true. I kinda like seeing how companions react to the way I roleplay a particular character. Hmm. That's hard to quantify. I'm mostly here for the story - I like seeing what sorts of interactions my characters can have with the world, and the people they meet. At the same time, I don't want to feel like the game is just bending over for me. I like feeling that I've /earned/ story progress, if that makes sense. Like I've figured out how to overcome a challenge.

I think my problem is that I'm trying to evoke a certain theme. I want to play the character who leads the fray, carving a swath through the crew of an enemy ship, or going toe-to-toe with a dragon. This is a problem because there are several different multiclass options that fit that theme, as well as several different roles that do as well. For the tanks, we have Swashbuckler and Brute. Swashbuckler brings Rogue's considerable DPS to the table, along with Fighter abilities to bolster defenses and generate an impressive amount of healing. Brute does much less damage than Swashbuckler does, but has better hit-to-crit (Especially against Near Death enemies) and access to Carnage as an AoE option. Plus, Berserker's Raw damage from Frenzy procs Unbending, which creates this feedback loop of self-healing. Both get access to Disciplined Strikes. Then from a damage dealing side, we have Marauder - which can take a few hits with things like Savage Defiance, but requires Nemnok's Cloak to reach its full potential (And the enchantments on that cloak are per rest). In exchange for that, Marauder can do insane amounts of damage. Marauder also (potentially) gains access to an affliction of all six types. And then of course pure Fighter and Barbarian work too, as do certain blends of Holy Slayer - depends on the Paladin Order.

We did, but then I just kept having a bunch of different ideas! I'm sorry. It should be mentioned that, leaving the Swashbuckler NPC I made to test things on autopilot, it took them FOREVER to die. And there's nothing saying I can't use Boltcatchers on Swashbuckler for extra lightning damage. It might actually do just as much as Lord Darryn's Voulge, if not a little more. And I don't even have to go Trickster, per se, I could go Streetfighter as well. My only real issue with it is that you can make Eder one. That said, Barbarian gets access to Savage Defiance, which - at the cost of 3(!) Rage, does a pretty good job of keeping it alive. And that's with every enemy focused on the Marauder. The biggest thing I don't like about the Swashbuckler isn't so much the lack of damage (Because there isn't really a lack of damage, really - it does great damage in its own right), it's the fact that it doesn't synergize as well with Lord Darryn's Voulge. Brute does, but then Brute sacrifices the extra damage that the Rogue gives to either Barbarian or Fighter. And to me, there's something incredibly satisfying about a bunch of lightning gathering along your weapon as you bring it down to strike your enemy. There's a lot to be said for optimizing, but then there's a certain element of style too, that can't be overlooked.

Oooh, it's base WEAPON damage. So not 33% of damage after all modifiers are taken into account. Yeah, that makes sense. That'd mean I'd be hitting 40 damage carnage with some of the hits my test Marauder was running. Edit: Plus Voidward gives +2 Corrode AR too, so that's nice. Umm I'm not sure it's possible to do 40 damage with carnage, like ever. Probably looking at ~20 per target max with decent might. No, no! Sorry, I misspoke. I meant that if my idea for Carnage math (That is, that it took Sneak Attack damage and stuff into account) was true, then the damage would be patently absurd.

Hey guys, So... I've been discussing builds a lot on these here forums, as you know. And some of the feedback I've gotten from people has more or less amounted to "Oh, it doesn't really matter what you play in a party, even on PotD. Anything works, the game's super easy." So I'm starting to wonder if I'd get a more rewarding experience playing solo, or if there are ways to make the game more challenging even with a party (Mods or something?). Some things to note... I haven't played the DLC yet. There's apparently a bunch of new content for Rekke and Ydwin in there, though I'm not sure if it's enough to make them qualify as full "companions." Still, I'd like to at least see it. That said, I am getting a little sick of most of the full companions, and feel like the Sidekicks all make for much more interesting characters, except for maybe Maia and Eder in the sense that he's your buddy from the first game. I also haven't seen most of the companion quests to completion (Pallegina's, Maia's, and Aloth's) Some of the perks of playing solo: - Not having to rate your decisions based on what will or won't annoy your companions. - Enjoyment of the sheer challenge of it. - Getting to use unorthodox builds, like builds that actually pump Resolve for some extra Deflection Disadvantages: - More limited in terms of class selection and weapon/gear use (Can't exactly be a heavy hitting, thin armored Marauder) - No companion quests. - Kind of quiet, with there not being any party members bantering. Though if you're getting sick of particular ones - like Xoti pining after Eder and/or wanting Pallegina to BURN AT THE STAKE, YOU FEATHERY HEATHEN, that might be a plus. Meanwhile, in a party, you're allowed more flexibility with what you might want to play, but I worry that the fact that you've got four other warm bodies to soak damage for you, heal you, help buff you, etc. takes the challenge out of it. Or at least, that's the impression I've been getting.

Oooh, it's base WEAPON damage. So not 33% of damage after all modifiers are taken into account. Yeah, that makes sense. That'd mean I'd be hitting 40 damage carnage with some of the hits my test Marauder was running. Edit: Plus Voidward gives +2 Corrode AR too, so that's nice.

Mhmm. I don't see myself ever going solo.

I agree that any Berzerker that isn't also Fighter isn't well suited to be the main tank. Low deflection + constant DoT + everyone focus firing you = quick death. Well, this is more of a DPS character anyway. Eder's going to be the main tank if I go with this one.

I'll likely do both - have a dual wield set and a two handed set. And I definitely like the idea of a super strong offense. Now it's just a matter of making sure the raw damage doesn't murder me. Also, people hate what the show did to Euron, but I love how over the top and ridiculous he is. He's so hammy.

Brute loses out on 160% Sneak Attack damage though, which is pretty significant. Pretty sure Carnage is a percentage of damage dealt to the main target, so having higher base damage is important for that at least.

Hey guys, So, I'm currently stuck between a Swashbuckler and a Marauder build for my pro-Principi character. I've listed the pros and cons of both here, and would like to get some feedback on both of them. They'd more or less use the same gear (DoC Breastplate, Boltcatchers, Defiant Apparel, Boots of the Stone, Upright Captain's Belt, Nemnok's Cloak, Strand of Favor, Chameleon's Touch/X (Voidward or the Ring of Prosperity's Fortune). 1. Marauder: Pros: - High damage, great critical hit capabilities (30% from Frenzy, 20% from Bloody Slaughter, coupled with hit-to-crit from Barbaric Blow), and access to all six different types of afflictions. - Savage Defiance regenerates health over time. - Synergizes well with both Lord Darryn's Voulge (Carnage spreads Static Thunder) and Boltcatchers (High hit-to-crit to proc the lightning strike chance on crit). Cons: - Low survivability even with high Con, so setting up the Streetfighter conditional is tricky. - Lord Darryn's Voulge/Carnage/Boltcatchers extra damage effects key off of high Might, which also increases the self-inflicted Raw damage that Frenzy does at higher Power Levels. 2. Swashbuckler: Pros: - High damage (Roughly equivalent to Marauder, except it doesn't have Blooded). Good Accuracy (+5 from Disciplined Strikes) - Unbending regenerates massive health on hit. - Some good weapon synergies; Eager Blade with Mob Stance for example. Cons: - Less hit-to-crit (25% from Disciplined Strikes, 10% from Dirty Fighting) - Less AoE potential.

So basically, it works fine in a group setting, just not solo? I mean, that's fine. I like playing with a party anyway, even if it's going to be mostly sidekicks. Unless you get rid of the confusion with caroc breastplate or svef / captains banquet. I recommend own crafted adventurers, they are far superior to sidekicks or npcs and for roleplaying purposes they are better, because you can make them a all pirate party. That is true, though I want to take Rekke and Ydwin at least since they have some interactivity with the new DLC.

So basically, it works fine in a group setting, just not solo? I mean, that's fine. I like playing with a party anyway, even if it's going to be mostly sidekicks.

I mentioned this in my second mod request, but feel free to disregard the multiclass name changing mod I requested some time ago in favor of the tweak to the DoC Breastplate.

Hey guys, Decided I'd post a quick update to my Marauder build. This includes an updated stats spread, factoring in gear/background changes as well as ability and equipment changes. Stats: Might: 20 (15 Base +1 Human +1 GotM +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Permanent Stat Boost) Con: 20 (16 Base +1 Upright Captain's Belt +1 Chameleon's Touch +2 Berath's Blessing) Dexterity: 10 (5 Base +1 Boots of the Stone +1 Deadfire Archipelago +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) Perception: 20 (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) Intellect: 20 (17 Base +1 Strand of Favor +2 Berath's Blessing) Resolve: 8 (4 Base +1 Human +1 Boots of the Stone +2 Berath's Blessing) Alternatively Might: 15 (10 Base +1 Human +1 GotM +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Permanent Stat Boost) Con: 20 (16 Base +1 Upright Captain's Belt +1 Chameleon's Touch +2 Berath's Blessing) Dexterity: 10 (5 Base +1 Boots of the Stone +1 Deadfire Archipelago +2 Berath's Blessing +1 Chameleon's Touch) Perception: 20 (18 Base +2 Berath's Blessing) Intellect: 15 (12 Base +1 Strand of Favor +2 Berath's Blessing) Resolve: 18 (14 Base +1 Human +1 Boots of the Stone +2 Berath's Blessing) 18 Resolve gets you most of the Resolve based dialogue tests in the game, and for the kind of character I want to play, it makes sense for him to be strong-willed, bordering on completely fearless. The loss of Intellect is definitely an issue though. The problems... My need for high Might, in order to properly use Carnage/LDV's Static Thunder effect, directly conflicts with the fact that high Might also augments the self-inflicted damage of Berserker's Frenzy. That being the case, high Might also increases the healing done by Savage Defiance. High Constitution (Over 500 Health while Frenzied and with Tough) also helps mitigate the impact of the Raw damage over time. Low base Dexterity. Yes, it gets considerably better in combat, but 10 Dexterity is still woefully average, with Streetfighter's Recovery malus before I can get properly Flanked or Bloodied. That being said, the speed bonuses from Frenzy, Dual Wielding (For single targets) and Bloodlust (In groups) mitigate this somewhat. Not wanting to dump any stats. I really don't like having a dump stat. I know the answer to that is simple - Just use the Unity console mod - but that feels just as cheap, especially since I'm already using Berath's Blessings. Abilities: Level 1 - Frenzy/Crippling Strike Level 2 - Blooded Level 3 - Escape Level 4 - Barbaric Blow/Two-Handed Style Level 5 - Thick-Skinned Level 6 - Blinding Strike Level 7 - Finishing Blow/Combat Focus Level 8 - Bloodlust Level 9 - Bloody Slaughter Level 10 - Spirit Frenzy/Persistent Distraction Level 11 - Gouging Strike Level 12 - Savage Defiance Level 13 - Barbaric Smash/Deep Wounds Level 14 - Devastating Blow Level 15 - Interrupting Blows Level 16 - Withering Strike/Brute Force Level 17 - Tough Level 18 - Perishing Strike Level 19 - Deathblows/Blood Thirst Level 20 - Spirit Tornado Might swap out Withering > Perishing Strike (3 Guile for a Constitution affliction) for Two-Weapon style and something else. Unfortunately I can't get the Rage cost reduction for Savage Defiance, since both Blood Thirst and Spirit Tornado are really good abilities. Gear: Pet: Abraham or Nalvi - Are the Recovery reductions the same on both pets, or is Abraham's higher? Weapons: Lord Darryn's Voulge for large groups/ship battles and the like - a heavy AoE weapon and thematic for a Barbarian character. Dual Sabres (Tarn's Respite and Grave Calling, then replace Tarn's with Scordeo's Edge) for single targets. Armor: Devil of Caroc Breastplate - +2 Guile/Rage, -10% Recovery reduction, pretty good armor for a DPS character, and resistance to Intellect afflictions to auto-cleanse Confusion. Gloves: Boltcatchers - Again, thematic. I like the idea of a pirate captain who seemingly has control over the storms themselves. Bit of a late-game get, though, so use something like Gauntlets of Ogre Might until then. Belt: Upright Captain's Belt for Concentration (Two stacks with Combat Focus?), +1 Constitution, and Immunity to Push/Pull effects. At least it SAYS it grants +1 Constitution. Neck: Strand of Favor Cloak: Cloak of Greater Protection and then upgrade to Nemnok's Cloak ASAP. The enchants on Nemnok's Cloak are per-rest, though. There might be better options. Rings: Voidward and Chameleon's Touch Boots: Boots of the Stone for resistance to Might afflictions and then upgrade to Rakhan Field Boots - MAYBE. Helm: Defiant Apparel - Resistance to Perception Afflictions or Helm of the Falcon for reduced Recovery with two-handed weapons. Thinking Defiant Apparel might be best (Immunity to pesky Rogues with Persistent Distraction). Thoughts? 1. Too squishy? Will I survive with micromanagement or do I have to worry about an enemy killing me just by coughing on me? 2. Fun factor? I tried to find some good synergies here. Do you think everything I've picked flows well together? 3. Are Berserker builds really that hard to manage? People have been saying that, unless you want to play a Brute (And sacrifice damage for survivability), playing a Berserker is more trouble than its worth at higher levels. Is this the case? Kind of a corollary to point No. 1

When I replayed with my first character to do the White March, I was surprised with the ending slide that showed that I didn't kill the sky dragon. I thought I had forced things so that I wouldn't miss a fight, but I probably did it and then reloaded to act as a benevolent character should. These encounters were interesting because you had more options than simply fighting and getting a treasure. Yeah. I also made a request of the mod-request guys to provide a slightly tweaked DoC Breastplate if you take the option to kill Harmke, that reflects her whole "Finding peace" ending, because... I don't know. I just really feel guilty about her winding up as a serial killer. And the fact that she lost her parents and home when she was a child because Cold Morn... Dared to not want to be razed to the ground by the Readcerans would have sparked some sympathy from this particular Watcher.

Yes, there has been plenty of discussion about Vela. Maybe they'll add some lines later. Dealing with Harmke later is a very good reasoning. You can always pretend it didn't work out after the game ended. I had murdered Adaryc's men and still convinced him to make an alliance when I played as a Bleak Walker (and I did the same with the ogres). I guess people do respect a strong Bleak Walker. And my good character used stealth. So when I played with my pirate I decided to murder everyone and imagined that the character wouldn't have the patience necessary to talk Adaryc into an alliance. That's why I killed him. I don't remember how exactly it happened, but I think my character didn't have patience with Llengrath either. And she was not very good with diplomacy... I mean, she pretty much starts out being fully prepared to kill you, and you have to essentially convince her not to. Llengrath has no chill. I do like that each of the Dragon encounters are a little different. The two Bog Dragons are essentially punk kids who're all about gaining power and basically making the swamp their home for the next thousand years. The Adra Dragon is tragic, in that she's trapped in the Endless Paths, but she's still incredibly arrogant and haughty. Meanwhile, the Sky Dragon just wants to raise her baby in peace after all of her other children were killed - that's why my character would have more of a reason to let her be. Yeah, someone else talked about how it makes sense for the Watcher not to want to kill a bunch of people who had literally nothing to do with the situation, if only to avoid unnecessary conflict with the people of Stalwart.

That is touching. We need more decent people like that in the Deadfire. It's important to care about children and family. Almost exactly what I did for my Principi supporting character. The differences were that I supported the Dozens (simply because I had supported the Doemenels in a previous playthrough), killed Adaryc and Harmke and I spared one of Concelhaut's apprentices. It might be a good idea to spare people or aim for the breastplate if you are not sure you'll play Deadfire another time. Otherwise, just do what feels right for your character in the moment. I was satisfied with my choices' reaction in Deadfire and I think your choices will be good too. Mandatory. This is the reason I'll use the legacy editor on every other pt I ever do. The only character I had that ended up with Vela is the one I'm playing now and I want to have her with the others if I ever play with them. Yeah. I just wish Vela had more interactivity, considering you're basically her father/mother at this point. I like having the Breastplate because it's a really good item for mixed melee characters. I'm not sure where the dialogue tree goes if you do decide to spare him - whether or not there's a reaction to tell the Devil "Hey, we'll deal with this later." I might want to look into modding the Breastplate into the game regardless of choice - Maybe altering the flavor text a bit so that it reflects the "good" ending for the Devil (Since someone else mentioned she winds up in the sea regardless). As far as Adaryc goes... I have seen his dialogue on other playthroughs and it didn't add a whole lot. So I might just go with killing him, but it'll be a sort of melancholy thing. How'd your Principi character end up handling Llengrath?