Haplok

Monk is a great multiclass option for every caster and Cipher is not different. Monk Intelligence (from Duality of Mortal Presence) will provide huge aoe sizes and long effect durations (including stuff like Cipher Ascendant Ascension), Thunderous Blows will help penetrate, Flurry will increase your action speed and provide a melee lightning lash (more Focus from melee), Turning Wheel will add extra fire lash, Helwalker will provide a large might boost if you go that way. And in general a monk will make gathering Focus much easier and faster. Stunning Blows are a nice Full Attack, which can stun in an aoe if you use a blunderbuss mortar weapon (or two) plus generate a lot of Focus. Blade Turning can be a pretty awesome defense/offense, when your under heavy melee pressure. But, you wrote you prefer a pure monk for now. I understand Shattered Pillar is not very good nowadays. Better go Nalpazca in this case.

So kind of like in DnD, where armor only helps with hit avoidance, but doesn't actually reduce incoming damage?

Many changes are debatable. I also don't particularly like the removal of vancian casting or the interesting Health/Endurance dynamic. But Enchanting changes (each item actually has unique and alternative enchantment paths) are a clear improvement IMO. Also the encounter design is pretty good in general. Like others have said, play on Path of the Damned upscaled. That should offer solid challenge, at least in the early levels and later in the DLCs.

How is this build? I´m new to game and since about 3-4 hours on character creaton screen and no clue I'll second the opinion that its VERY good. But a Streetfighter / Sharpshooter Ranger is a solid alternative IMO. A build similar to this: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/103968-class-build-the-deep-leap-deceiving-and-evading-aoe-boooom-scout/ only go Streetfighter / Sharpshooter and dual wield blunderbusses. I'd also change the ability order a bit and for party play take Confounding Blind rather then Gouging Strike. Get the Devastating Blow sooner and also add Binding/Thorny Roots. Primary reason: Driving Flight bouncing ranged attacks. The damage is greatly reduced, but that's still a lot of extra damage, in aoe in case of mortars. Also Powder burns are triggered multiple times and add up to a significant amount against mobs at later levels. Secondary reason: Unparalleled single target accuracy - useful for tough enemies/bosses. Also leads to more crits. Tertiary reason: Extra meatshield / body wall / distraction.

... also Soulblade. Edit: Meant Mindstalker of course.

Possibly. I think its a slightly smaller reduction, so depends on your priority. But generally Nalvi comes late game - unless you beeline for her.

Oh sorry, I was thinking about another poster.

I own props to Metaturtle for showing me the awesomeness of Grave Calling sabre vs vessels in his build. The friendly Chillfog it creates is awesome (it even paralyzes in aoe!) and even generates Focus if you're a Cipher. Thing is, a chanter can summon skeletons in every encounter.... You can even stack several chillfogs in one area (easier if you're confused... like a Berserker, but watch out for the hostile effect then)... The cool thing is that it can be done really early. Though individually smacking the skellies is quite micro-intensive, so probably not for you...

Sure! You actually want to use it to improve action speed - unless you have another source of Dex inspirations.

Why not both? Higher defense early, when it counts the most. Moderate defense throughout encounters.

Evasive Fire upgrade requires a ranged weapon to fire the free, static shot, yes. But you don't need one to use the mobility ability or gain the Quick Dex bonus. Just don't upgrade the ability if you don't plan for ranged (or find the single random static attack too weak to bother, as I did). You'll save 1 ability point that way.

Mirrored Image provides a much higher Deflection bonus (+30 at full power), but it diminishes with each hit. Displaced Image bonuses are static (+10, but also helps Reflex) . They don't stack. But once Mirrored is down, Displaced will take over. Mirrored might be really good if you can mostly avoid being hit. I guess usually use both as a Trickster? You'll have better defenses early, when it counts the most.

Captain Thaenic, I believe. And yeah, it's pretty cool that you can steal pretty much ALL their stuff. Though that's not exactly easy.

I think it's fine that Clear Out is primary. Mc Fighters are THE ONLY MC class with an actual aoe melee attack that procs on hit effects in the first place.

Rogue and Ranger moves do not actually attack your enemies like Charge does, no? I have to test the Barbarian moves though - thanks! So as I expected, the Ranger one does not close the distance and melee attacks the enemy? The ranger ability can attack the enemy if you upgrade it, but I strongly do not recommend upgrading it since it is static damage despite needing a ranged weapon. The rogue, ranger, and barbarian mobility moves are ground targeted so in that sense you can "close" the distance if you wish to or run away with it. Ah, so you cannot really script it then but must manually control it? Then I am not as interested, since I do almost no manual control in combat except when I need to use consumables or heal/BDD/etc to save a life. I'm guessing you can script it somehow. Enemy rogues Escape all the time (it's also cheap resource wise). But I wouldn't know how. I'm a micromanagement guy.

Yes, depending on build. Or for solo. Fighters probably don't need it. Neither do ranged characters. But it's great for Helwalker monks for example. Also quite good for berserkers.

Barbarian leap dazes enemies around the landing zone, which is nice. Rangers and rogues have very cheap skills with no recovery. The rogue escape is cool in that it temporarily gives a huge deflection boost, while Ranger gets the quick inspiration and can get upgrade which provides a free ranged attack at random enemy.

What's wrong with tanking as a swashbuckler? I'd say it's a better tank then a brute. In particular a trickster variant is extremely tanky. But a Streetfighter swash can tank just fine as well (and deal high damage).

I don't think Zeal stacks with Devotions either...

Well, it costs 2 Bond to use it once for a +1 bonus (or +2 if dual wielding and both attacks hit). So to get 20 stacks, you need minimum 20 Bond (provided that you dual wield and all attacks connect, which isn't particularly likely). Or 40 Bond for one weapon, if all attacks hit. That's a minimum of 2 (4) encounters, probably more. It is possible to improve the amount of stacks gained using Whispers of the Endless Paths aoe cone attack or Wahai Poraga while surrounded, but it's not exactly easy and probably not always possible. If you spend ALL Bond on minimum 2 encounters to get max stacks, then this hardly leaves Bond to use stuff like Concussive Tranquilizer, Accurate Wounding Shot, Evasive Fire, Thorny Spikes or companion abilities (Takedown Combo?). And it does not stack with Cipher's Borrowed Instinct (self only) and probably also Priest's Devotions of the Faithful (aoe), Paladin's aura, Monk's Enduring Dance and probably a few other things.

Or Streetfighter / Helwalker with party ranger and Takedown Combo/Devastating Blow/On the Edge Crit at max Wounds. Agree its a LOT.

What about skills though? First decide what you want to play. I enjoyed play testing the builds I wanted to try. Then refine it down. Still debating - I've narrowed it down to Ranger/Paladin (more likely) or Ranger/Fighter. I think Hunter's Claw may get nerfed, so I want to take advantage of it now I don't think it should be nerfed. It's cumbersome to use and has a huge opportunity cost (you don't use other Ranger active abilities). It only shines after several encounters... when you may not meet that many enemies from a given race anymore. Also it doesn't stack with other "big" accuracy boosts. Personally I'd probably use it with something like a monk (can capitalize on accuracy->crits with free attacks, provides speed, damage lashes, blade turning melee defense, decent special attacks) or trickster (can stack high defense, deal solid sneak+ability damage, terrify enemies and riposte) - to have more damage dealing capability in the other half of the character. Or go nuts and go pure for Whirling Strikes/Twinned Arrow/Heartseeker.

Eh, tough to say. Single damage type without a high base (like Amra) seems like it could be an issue sometimes. On the other hand in the first DLC you get another very good 2h battleaxe (Oathbreaker's) and now in the 2nd another nice one-handed. So there is a fair bit of choice. Pollaxes, you're mostly limited to LDV. Which admittedly is a very cool weapon in the hands of a Barbarian. Very atmospheric too. I'd advise you to make a custom adventurer in the tavern (as I understand you have a level 16 party, that's plenty, I test my chars at 13), arm him with both (upgraded) and get a feel which you like more.

But high Penetration won't matter versus pure immunes, no? By the way, how do you compare Darryn's Voulge vs. the Amra Axe as for PotD on a Barbarian/Fighter or Barbarian/Ranger hybrid? But you don't run into immunes much. When you do, it's not a huge deal to switch to a blunt weapon. As for the comparison, difficult to say. LDV is very cool on a Barbarian. But I also like Amra's effects a lot, particularly aoe killing enemies below 50 hp on crit. It's really nice to trigger on kill effects, such as fighters Cleaving Stance or barbarians blood thirst.

Yeah, I believe you're overthinking it. I've played trough a large portion of the game with a single damage type devoted (estoc) and it was fine. Sure Estoc has high Pen, but LDV should be fine.