Anoregon

Oh interesting, didn't realize it was making phrases tick twice per turn. Not bad.

I'm a bit confused about chants, especially with Brisk Recitation activated. On a level 1 char with 18 int, chant phrase durations are 1 round with lingers of 1 round. However, with Brisk Recitation active they appear to just lose the linger but still last 1 round, as Turn-based mode doesn't really allow for things to last for half a round? Does BR have no benefit until you hit some breakpoint at 20+ int?

I must be missing something, how does Grave Calling synergize with beckoner? Edit: Do the "x happens when you kill a vessel" upgrades proc when one of your summoned skeletons dies?

I'm playing a Sage on my current run, not a brute, but just want to chime in with the morningstar love. I don't even have Willbreaker yet, but Saru-Sichr has been proving to be quite effective on anything with higher slash armor than pierce/bludgeon. For a non-devoted, you can pair it with something like Whispers of the Endless Path for AoE fun, or just a strong slash option like Karaboru or Sanguine Greatsword.

I see Forbidden fist as the Monk version of Soul Annihilation - you forgo the bulk of your class abilities to use your generated resource on a specific, repeated attack. However, the Cipher version of the mechanic works better because Soul Blade doesn't dramatically change or reduce focus gains. You are likely going to use the bulk of your focus on SA, but you still have your standard focus generation to use whatever cipher abilities you want as the situation dictates. Forbidden Fist has a much higher opportunity cost due to how it removes the primary form of resource generation from the class. You are locked into a cycle of casting forbidden fist.

My only problem with Shattered Pillar is that it's melee only. Not from balance concerns, but thematic ones. I'd love to make a bow-wielding monk character, but no variety of monk really supports it. Wound generation favors being in melee.

I never choose Shattered Pillar for Sage because the wound generation through Alacrity doesn't work then. I know there was a time when Pillar Sages could get crazy wound generation through AoE effects (like citzal spirit lance) but I believe those have sense been nerfed to only grant wounds from damage on the primary target? If that's the case then yeah, you are giving up a lot of potential wound generation on a Blood Mage Sage. Also, as you mentioned Alacrity - how does that stack with Swift Strikes from the monk side?

I'm still having a hard time deciding between Helwalker and Shattered Pillar to pair with Blood Mage. The former gets on-demand wounds and might (as well as rooting pain procs), but may be hard to keep alive in the thick of melee. SP doesn't benefit explicitly from Blood Sacrifice when it comes to wound generation, but SP already has high wound generation in a Sage build. hmmmm. Edit: Come to think of it, no-sub monk but actually be a better choice than Helwalker. I forgot that 1 might per wound is actually not that great of a boost for the penalty.

I'm definitely interested in the potential of Blood Mage with any subclass of Monk. Blood Sacrifice's raw damage is probably good for a wound or two (on a non-pillar), and the overall mechanics of it seem to just mesh very well with both shattered pillar and potentially Helwalker.

Ranged Streetfighter/Cipher (ascendant works nice) with blunderbuss modal is a decent option. You can have permanent streetfighter passive up due to blunderbuss modal keeping you distracted. It's a static -5 perception (and thus accuracy) but that can be worked around with other buffs.

Pallegina and Tekehu can both work as healers if you spec for it. Paladin/Chanter and Druid/Chanter both have a decent selection of buff and heal abilities.

They use form-specific weapons, so things that boost unarmed damage don't work.

Soul Annihilation damage was basically cut in half. I don't agree that they are now in "avoid" territory though, as soulblade with draining whip mixed with pretty much any martial class is still going to be a very effective damage dealer.

I don't think there really is a consensus yet. Personally, I think most of the changes/nerfs were warranted or at least understandable. There are a few I definitely don't agree with though, like the beckoner and wild strike nerfs. Either way, if PoE1 is anything to go by this is likely just the first of a few balance passes we are likely to see.

No. Best bet is to mod after the fact.