Haplok

Same as WotEP I think. Full SA Focus dump on first target, little extra damage on following targets.

Yes, but the SA damage is low, except on the primary target (because you've spent all focus on the initial target and have charged back very little). Not worth giving up single target damage IMO, maybe unless you're always in a flanking position - or occasionally switch to WotEP.

It is. In fact all weapon abilities appear to be (such as Engoliero Ghost Blades). But why do you want WotEP for SA in the first place? IMO SA works much better as a single-target elimination tool. Sure, you can multi-hit with WotEP, but only the primary target will be hit with high SA damage. The rest will get hit with basic damage, with only as much Focus, as the (non-SA) attack part on the previous target generates.

Note that Crit isn't necessary only +25%. If you're using an effective weapon against enemy armor (like an estoc), it can often lead to Overpenetration for another +30% damage. If you're playing a Streetfighter who is On the Edge, that's another +100%. If you're playing an Assasin and it's an Assasinate crit, then +50%. Plus various on-crit weapon effect, such as aoe damage for Amra Axe, or elemental bursts for Acolyte's Frostbite handaxe or Magran's Axe. As for fighter's crit rate... it's almost the highest in the game. Berserker has a slight edge in sheer crit rate, but is much less dependable overall (no graze-to-hit unless externally buffed). Intuitive Strikes (which should be active always) provide 25% critical conversion. If you use sabers, swords or daggers, you can use Fair Favor hat for another 10%. Ring of Prosperity's Fortune can provide up to 15% if you're filthy rich. Now the other class can provide boosts also. Rogues get Dirty Fighting for another 10%. And there are natural crit rolls as well. But those obviously depend on your accuracy vs enemy defense.

Pure class? Not so great DPS-wise I guess. But they ARE prime multiclass material. They provide supreme survivability that lets you stand inside a horde of mobs and kick their butts and even nice aoe capabilities (cleaving stance early on, late game also Clear Out). Also pretty great dependability/Accuracy boosts (25% Hit-to-Crit, 50%+30% graze-to-hit). Work very well with something like a Streetfighter who majorly boosts the DPS, wants to be Flanked and/or blooded, but has trouble surviving it.

Unbending doesn't protect you from hostile afflictions/cc though. Vigorous Defense does. Also the Concentration point it provides is useful too.

Draining Whip. And the best class is Rogue IMO. Cause Soul Annihilation damage is modified by sneak attack/deathblow/streetfighter bonuses. Having 110-160% more damage is pretty significant.

That is sad. And warrants a refund or replacement IMO.

Thanks! That's pretty cool.

Have you tested SI with Engoliero under 2.1? I wonder if it still works. Espirs Ghost Blades aren't triggered by most spells/DoTs now. Maybe if SI is considered a weapon effect?

Did you try switching AI from Aggressive to Defensive/Passive Behaviour?

Sure, Devoted/Trickster should work well. That's a more cautious playstyle then a Streetfighter - but probably safer overall (although sometimes killing enemies fast is the best form of defense). You don't really need to max Strenght with either. Damage will mostly come from rogue damage boosts, a little from fighter specialization and crit bonuses. Some could be nice if you have spare points, as it will improve Constant/Rapid Recovery and Unbending. Per is important, Dex depends on weapon choice. If you go for duals, I think you can pretty much leave it at base. With a two-hander and a Trickster you'd want more. Streetfighter too, I guess, but a Streetfighter will get huge speed boosts in critical moments, so it's less important. Another important stat is Int, I'm afraid. Fighter active abilities have durations and they are pretty short. You want effects such as Unbending and Intuitive Strikes to last. So something like: Might: Base-to-Medium Con: Base-to-Medium Dex: Duals - Base; Two-handed Streetfighter - Medium; Two-handed Trickster - High Per: High Int: High Res: Now the question whether you plan to Deflection tank or you mostly ignore that stat. On a Trickster you probably want at least Base, maybe even High. A Streetfighter can risk a fast&furious playstyle with Unbending and this stat tanked.

I loaded up an old save, where I haven't visited Crookspur/enchanted Grave Calling with imps yet, got the sabre and went to the catacombs below temple of Berath to get the tables and maybe (locked) Engoliero. There were lots of weak skellies in the first encounter (with some elite skellies mixed) and... oh boy... that was crazy! Of course Grave Calling's huge Accuracy bonus vs vessels certainly also helped, because there were lots of crits. Like it a lot so far. Might continue playing with that char (a level 11, now 12 Helwalker/Ascendant), although he was supposed to be ranged. But always having more options is nice and he can snipe primary targets/stun enemy groups/spam cipher spells such as secret horrors/mental binding/mind blades/mind lance and now also create deadly, blinding/paralyzing hazard zones. Helwalker seems also a nice wielder of Grave Calling due to the high might bonus, easy access to Penetration bonuses, long durations, large aoes If the going gets hot, he can mental bind annoying enemies (or the fog might paralyze them). If he's mobbed in melee... I suppose I could try to fit Blade Turning... somewhere... That could be pretty cool, particularly with SoT from Xoti. I will retrain Pallegina to get the skelly invocation and also to try white worms again

Actually it doesn't even seem the Floating Hangman quest locks you on the Principi questline, at least not till you finish it AND come back to report to either Aeldys or Furrante. I'm rocking on the Fonferrus, swinging Engoliero de Espirs and doing quests for other factions (this is with Aeldys dead and quest given by Furrante).

Try killing some vessels with Grave Calling enchanted with Chill Fog on vessel kill... No skellies around? Use a Chanter to summon some for you to kill. It's a really potent combo. As the damage comes from a weapon ability, it even fills your Focus (when enemies are hit by the Chill Fog, not by killing allied skellies).

Not quite, as weapons don't count when shifted...

The helwalker/streetfighter might have the highest burst if you're using full attacks+scrolls and if you like to micro manage your character more than actually fighting. However for steady dps the best ranged weapons are Red Hand/Aamiina's Legacy. Also I don't see the point of using Wahai Poraga/WotEP at range when their AoE stays always near you. Instruments of pain works only with Citzal's Spirit Lance but it comes very late and isn't really required. PS. Also I'm not sure if most people are aware, but while Citzal's Spirit Lance does normal single target damage, its AoE damage isn't better than what WotEP does. Interesting, good to know. Good thing I never got around to playing a wizard martial multi then

Hmm, ok; how about Paladin/Rogue instead of Fighter/Paladin then? I want both of my front-liners to be able to simultaneously tank and DPS. Paladin/trickster is a very good offensive tank and can make also good use of the BotEP for AoE damage I think you meant WotEP

Really?! You need two dedicated healers? No you don't. But it's nice to have an off-healer for emergencies. Something like a Paladin. Or maybe a Cipher, Pain Block is really good, too bad you can't cast it on yourself.

Fighter/rogue is fine, that's a great tank. But Fighter/Paladin is defensive overkill IMO. Particularly for party play. Better do something like a Paladin/Chanter for great utility and support. Or well, something more offensive.

I don't think Brilliant is the issue. IMO it's linear Salvation of Time. It leads to other broken combos, like 30 second Blade Turning.

The issue with reach weapons in Deadfire is that most of them are not particularly good. They are.. serviceable. But the only really good ones is the Citzal's Spirit Lance, summoned by a wizard, and Chromoprismatic Quarterstaff, which is an end game weapon. You're better served by just going ranged. Note that some ranged weapons, particurarly blunderbusses, don't actually have that much range. 5m is not much at all. So they could be considered "mid-range" too.

AoE weapons are for trash mobs, it doesn't matter what defense u target, you will not use it for a boss with 150+ fortitude defense anyway. Sungrazer is pretty good on a rogue, although it's on kill & on crit, the damage is pretty high, also aoe from the on kill proc can trigger that 5% chance effect too, so it's not as low as u imagine. Same as the soulbound dagger, it has a 10% chance AOE effect which can trigger itself. I don't fully agree that aoe weapons are for trash only. Maybe not very suited for major bosses (although I'd still use the same estocs - Eager Blade for Accuracy & Attack speed buffs, penetration and occasional doublestrike; Engoliero for attribute buffs, penetration and 10% raw lash), but they work in groups with tough mobs IMO. You focus on weakest/lowest HP mobs first and the aoe splashes progressively weaken the stronger ones.

Nope, I mostly tried more... offensive configurations (often two-handed) and multiclasses. Oh, and I also didn't really use consumables But yeah, good point about large shield. I'm sure a pure monk with a large shield could do it. Still it would be a bit of a balancing act: getting enough wounds to keep blade turning up and surviving. Blade Turning is really nice with SoT though.

That's pretty sweet. I'm thinking of playing this (or maybe a Mindstalker with a Chanter in the party), but am somewhat worried about penetration issues. On PotD do you think that Penetration is sufficient? I guess you can get Tenacious from the Chanter's buff or from a Priest and you can also use Hel-Hyraf to lower enemy armor (but then you don't use skelly invocation or white worms). Do you find that's sufficient? I tried using upgraded White Worms a few times, but it seemed to do next to nothing. I guess maybe due to Penetration issues.