Sock

There is a medium shield that has bashing on it as well. I don't remember where I found it, but it has Bash 1 while Larder Door has Bash 2. Also worth noting is that carnage works with bashing too.

This happened to me. I noticed it on a character I sent to launch an attack. She was trying to cast a spell from stealth, but was detected before the spell completed casting, and combat began. She was rushed, but managed to complete her spell and somehow not die. I play in Fast Mode, I was in scout mode, I ambushed a group of enemies by casting a long spell, was detected half-way through the cast. Did not die in the fight. Only that character is experiencing this delay.

Yeah. I just got stuck in the catacombs on trial of iron. And now we wait.

With the change on launch to stalkers' link, it's not longer capable of turning the ranger tank into a decent DPS too. I did end up completeing the game on hard difficulty with a ranger using a 2H weapon (thus taking an off-tank role), but my pet was dying all the time because the AI targets the weakest opponent, which will always be the pet. Still, topped the damage chart, rarely went down, and highest crit rate too. It would likely work equally well with dual wield, possibly better.

You can also try adventuring with a smaller party.

I uh... I used scrolls of paralyze and maelstrom. Paralyze -> Maelstrom (since it knocks the dragons' reflexes down to 17), thus all crits from maelstrom. Really, this combination is the ultimate cheese. Scrolls of paralyze are obscenely op.

Keep playing.

I hope that the first patch includes a nerf to scrolls of paralysis. They have a ridiculously large range, hit very frequently (I've only found two specific creatures that can resist it reliably), and has a very long duration. It's effect vs it's cost is ridiculously out of balance. My chanter can throw out screen covering paralysis fields that are superior in every way to class abilities of any kind.

Haha. "Arbitrary." Yeah, like HP limits, or finite weapon damage, or Quick Item slots, etc. Why game have limits?! *puppy head-tilt* I was going to say something here too. With the health/endurance mechanic, being able to rest unrestricted completely negates any and all risk of playing the game.

And have your ranged units target the one unit that you currently have engaged (you can tell by the blue/red arrows where engagement is).

If you think the lion adds CC by applying fear, you're mistaken. Fear is a debuff. I don't recall off the top of my head what it debuffs, but it doesn't provide any kind of CC.

I really like the idea of a tank ranger - I've long been a big fan of melee classes with pets, much more interesting fighting alongside my wolf than hiding behind him. How would I go about building one? Attributes, talents, etc. As a warning, I don't min-max, but I have experienced great success with the following build: 16 str, 8 con, 10 dex, 15 per, 14 int, 15 res. - Ranger tanks can deal damage, so they do benefit more than most tanks from str. Not only are per/int/res skills that boost defenses, but they are also conversation skills. The low con can be tricky, but with high enough deflection and with incoming heals either from spells, chanters, or regen items, make up for it. Due to the pet and ranger combo, you're actually able to whittle down opponents quicker on your own compared to other tanks, so they can actually mitigate some of the damage they take through DPS. Abilities: Marked Prey, Swift Aim, Predator's Sense, Stalkers' Link - Marked Prey is a given, since the other choice at creation is wounding shot. - Swift Aim increases melee attack speed, it is the only melee ability available at the level it is offered. - Stalkers' Link is received at level 5. - Predator's Sense was made for a melee ranger. This skill grants both ranger and pet +15 to fort/ref/will when they are being targeted by the same AoE. Talents: Weapon and Shield, Bloody Slaughter, Cautious Attack, Hold the Line - WnS: One of the only classes able to pull of sword and shield talent, due entirely to the pet which also contributes damage but enables high crit rate. - Bloody Slaughter: Taken before you have access to Stalkers' Link, it wont have as big an impact as Cautious Attack or even Hold the Line would at this level, but since the very next level gives you Stalkers' Link... it makes that ability even more powerful. Bloody Slaughter increases crit damage multiplier by .5, and also turns 20% of all hits into crits against low endurance targets. Since this build uses a 1H weapon, it will be in more situations where they are dealing with low endurance enemies. - Cautious Attack might have to be scrapped, unless it is intentional for Swift Aim's speed bonus to override Cautious Attack's speed penalty. Watch patch notes for this one. - Hold the Line is entirely optional, but it helps keep things pinned to the ranger as opposed to the pet, which is only good. The ranger abilities are pretty limited since you only get one that is valuable for melee per level grouping, but talent selection is a little more open.

It's no longer an issue. It was too complicated to make work and then balance, so it was scrapped. Now what happens is that if the pet dies, the ranger gets a combat long debuff that applies -20 accuracy, -4 resolve, and -4 something else. Might, maybe? Don't remember. And that goes visa-versa, if the ranger dies then the pet gets the debuff.

Something to also note. If your chanter is tanking, then why would he be using the archery chant, as opposed to something that debuffs his foes or buffs up his own defenses? The chanter can add +10 to all defenses except deflection, heal everyone near him (like the other melee units being hit too), and can cause the enemies to do less damage, be interrupted more easily, become terrified... And there are also the level 3 chants, like the flaming weapons chant. The chanter has great value even without Ila Nocked. Paladins are good, but really passive. With a fighter and a paladin, you'd be looking at a very boring front line. Which could be fine, most people don't like to play tanks anyways, but it's worth mentioning. Priests are the best of the worst suited for the front line. Mid-range with a pike or q-staff, sure. But not front line.

1H style is weak overall. It MAY be awesome with certain weapons that provide on crit effects, but that's a crutch for the style as a whole, and it's not clear yet if it would be that good when compared to someone dual wielding those on crit effect weapons. But when a ranger's pet dies, they lose 20 accuracy (there are other penalties too, but the accuracy is the painful one). If they switch to a single melee weapon, they make up half of that accuracy penalty (+10 accuracy when single wielding, without requiring a talent), and then flank... they could completely negate that accuracy penalty.

They provide less DPS than a rogue but are sturdier. However, as a ranged unit the sturdiness isn't as valuable. They provide more ranged-only buffs than any other class, but every other class has comparable abilities that work at both range and melee. Their pet is deceptively fragile, and if it goes down the ranger's DPS plummets. Since pets have to be in melee, this is a problem that's difficult to adjust to. Rangers have a palpable lack of specialization, so even though a rogue may provide more DPS, a ranger is far sturdier. Even though the fighter is a better tank, the ranger can deal out way more DPS while tanking than the fighter can. If anyone is the "jack of all trades" class when it comes to combat, it's the ranger. As for the complaints about the class... If they want to make the ranger stronger, I won't complain, but right now the whole class hinges on a single ability: Stalkers' Link. Without it, they are absolutely very weak. With it, they are probably the best off-tank there is. However, rangers are not nearly as bad as some of the complainers would have you believe. You just seriously have to remember: the pet and the ranger are 1 unit. If the pet dies, the ranger is no longer useful for DPS. If you're using your pet to "grab aggro" for the ranger, you're not playing effectively and the ranger will suffer. Ranged rangers follow their pet's target, and the pet should target stragglers, archers, or targets already engaged. Melee rangers tank for their pets, using the pet to flank where tactically viable. Just a thought, but, if playing a ranged ranger and your pet goes down, you'd probably be more useful to the party at that point switching to a melee weapon and going to flank whatever is still alive. That way you're providing -10 deflection and might have a chance to land a hit yourself. I've never tried that, but I know watching my damage go from 30-50 per hit/crit down to 15 for a graze cause my pet died, keeping them in range is why people think they suck. Would probably find great use out of single hand style then... hmm, I might consider trying that with Sagani on my second play through.

Just because I'm a broken record, but... Rangers also make surprisingly good tanks. Might be rough to get started as a main tank, but it is very doable. Rangers and Fighters are the only ones capable of having 4 engagement slots (pets have 2, ranger can get 2 with Hold the Line), and their defelection can easily reach 100 which is significantly high. Unlike other tanks, though, they can actually deal respectable damage compared to any other tanking class. I did a potd run with a tank ranger, and while the other tanks (both using 2H weapons) did more damage, it was only about 400-600 more. I know the trope for rangers is someone with a bow, but they work really well with a sword and shield too.

I agree with Cipher. Ciphers have damage, CC, buffs, and debuffs. And target Will (with additional +accuracy), which tends to be the weakest defense on most things. They are more specialized than wizards since wizards can switch out grimoires, but frankly the flexibility of wizard casting isn't as valuable as the reliability of cipher attacks.

If ranged, you need to keep this in mind: Your pet is the window through which all your DPS will come from. If your pet dies, that window is shut, and your ranger is worthless in a DPS role. Might, Int, and Dex will be very valuable, the other stats less so. As a ranged ranger, marked prey or wounding shot depends on if you want to focus on the pet or the ranger. Focusing on the pet? Wounding shot. Wounding shot opens up hobble (allowing sneak attacks, which the pet can access) as well as applies a DoT (there is a pet talent that improves it's damage by 1.5x vs targets suffering from a DoT). Marked prey would lead to higher damage by the end of the fight, though, for a ranger specializing in personally dealing damage. Vicious Aim/Swift Aim depend on weapon choice. Swift Aim's description mentions reload speed and melee attack speed, so it's unclear if it works with bows, but it would be a huge boon to take with guns and crossbows. Vicious Aim would take more advantage of Marked Prey, and works with any ranged weapon. Stalker's Link is almost a must-have, as it provides +20 accuracy so long as ranger and pet are targeting the same unit. No other ability gained at level 5 is close to as valuable. Due to +20 accuracy, bloody slaughter is a fantastic talent to take, since you will be critting frequently. You would likely also want to take the ranger ability that lets their ranged shots bounce, but I forget the name of the ability. As far as pet choice goes, it doesn't matter a huge amount. Bear is a pretty solid choice for a ranged ranger, since they're a little more durable. The main thing about making a successful ranger is that you cannot risk your pet. Your pet will most likely die quickly if it is engaged by two creatures, even if it is a bear. If your pet dies, you lose 20 accuracy. If you rely on Stalker's Link, then you're actually down 40 accuracy. It's a massive penalty and you will run into it from time to time. A stone beetle or two will burrow past, target your bear, and kill it. Sucks, but it happens. Rangers are decent DPS, but when being used at range they require a lot more micromanagement than other ranged classes. For example, a ranged rogue does more damage and is easier to manage. However, they do have more utility through the fact that they have a pet, which is what no one else has. So, it's a toss up on what is better and is based on play style.

Need more information. I've been one of the only advocates for the ranger, so I might be able to help you out. What's your planned role for the ranger?

I am the same way, I never use consumables. I usually just sell them for money. Same with traps. But I am planning to start this game on PotD, and I really want to beat it using everything I have on hand. I am even considering iron man mode, but am really hesitant to try that before the game has been out for a few months and is then stable and more officially balanced. So, for me, that survival will likely have more use than it has in past games. I haven't used potions in the BB because I know what to expect from the BB, and plan accordingly. I never *need* consumables, or food, or anything else. I barely even need buffs or healing anymore. But I'm not going to know the full game, and every combat, and power up, and level up, etc. I am going to run into situations where I am going to need a potion.

All skills, potentially. Although mechanics and stealth might be the less common two, IMO. I can see fewer situations for using those skills conversationally than compared to athletics, lore, and survival. That's pure conjecture on my part, though. Survival benefits anyone who would use a potion (and eat food? I don't recall), so it might be worth spreading around, and I doubt it would be useful at all maxed out on one character. Lore is worth being maxed out on someone for scroll purposes, but using it on your main character (unless you plan for that as being part of their combat strategy) might be a waste. Athletics can keep you going longer before needing to rest due to fatigue, and is worth having a little of on most characters. You can substitute this with gear for a few people (like if you want to max mechanics), but it's unknown at this stage if you'll have enough useful +athletics gear to provide for everyone. I am playing through with my main character taking equal levels of lore/survival and athletics/stealth in a 2:1 ratio (ie: if i have 4 ranks in lore/survival then i have 2 ranks in athletics/stealth). I'll eventually be able to use some scrolls, potions will be of greater benefit, I can position somewhat, and won't be tired too early. I will have my wizard maxing lore, and my priest maxing mechanics (using companions, and Durance apparently starts with 3 in mechanics). Everyone else will take a divide between stealth/athletics/survival.

The release version will not change considerably. The best we can hope for are minor adjustments. The entire current system favours heavy specialization and greatly awards min/maxing. While I share your wishes, I say curb your enthusiasm. Nothing will change considerably in 3 days. To say that the system isn't nice to hybrid builds or utility builds is probably the understatement of the century. That being said, it's also pretty hard to fail irrevocably. Even a really bad build should be able to finish the game. I disagree. I found several stat options that I could reach in conversation that weren't all 18+. Further, the skil checks for conversation and scripted events were reachable by a character that was split between 3 different skills. Combat, too, I am making hybrid, unoptimized characters and am taking out PotD difficulty with little struggle. The game encourages all types. There will be some instances where someone with superhuman might will be necessary to do something really cool, and that's great. That's what you get for being a specialist. But they will have had to drop a lot of stats to reach that high might, and would then miss out on dozens of different events. Generalist characters are absolutely viable. "Hurr durr dur duurr durf hurf hurr hurr durr hurr" My emphasis in teal. I 100% disagree. I have played hybrids and I have played min-max builds. If I am able to beat the beta, at the highest difficulty, easily, without min-maxing... then no, the game does not heavily favor specializing or reward min-maxing. I'm positive that it does, but not even close to the degree that some people make it out to be.

It's absolutely doable. Just be aware, that if you can't rely on heals to mitigate damage, then you need to find another way to do it. Your party doesn't have a lot of CC, but you do have options for a lot of front liners. You probably want to focus less on "pile up" tactics, and more on "everyone engages someone" and then use the wizard to help your unit with the weakest defense kill their target first, and then just move down the line like that. You could also plan to utilize choke points effectively, and use wizard and druid to AoE nuke the rear. I would recommend making all of your classes except the wizard and rogue as melee units, with the rogue being more flexible and having a melee weapon on the switch, so that you can send it in if needed, but it's primary role is to not get hit and deal damage at range. Druid heals are self-targeted AoEs, and are quite potent, but the short range means if you absolutely need a heal, you need your druid close by to get it off. They're not optimal for melee, but they are a solid mid-range class, so consider a pike or staff primarily, with a shield on the switch.

There's a reason that you can't smoke e-cigs indoors in most places. People are idiots and stuck in their ways, not able to adapt easily to change. This game is leaning very heavily on IE games in design and appearance and marketing. One of the core features from that game was being able to run away. Engagement is a huge change from how IE games handled combat. Huge.