SweetMagooMagoodle

Thanks -- that was my guess...

Howdy. The firethrower's gloves provide +1 for Evocation Power Levels. Does that work on the imbue missiles and imbue fireball spells that the arcane archer shoot? I tested it but cant really tell. Also, I assume it would work for any evocation scroll the AA read? Thanks!

Thanks! One more question -- is intelligence needed for an aa (SC or a multi with Paladin build)? Does Intelligence affect the imbues? Seems like might, dex, percare the best stats but wonder with imbue and even with use of scrolls if int matters...

Thanks Boeroer (you are always the go to around here.. My favorite run through of POE is still the Boar Druid build you recommended back in the day.) I also have read that you recommend spearcaster for AA Questions: for watershaper and Spearcaster looks like there are upgrades that deal elemental damage -- do those upgrades counter the malus on accuracy? And would you recommend watershaper for imbue shots and pierce resistance foes and spearcaster otherwise? Or forstseeker.? I am thinking SC AA as an orlan... but if I go the paladin mutliclass you have recommended would a fire godlike make sense? I am torn -- love the idea of the death rings and just concnetrating on ranger but the paladin multi sounds like fun (I would likely go kind wayfarer -- I cant play cruel) Last, isnt there armor that also provides a benefit for arcana skill points? THANKS!

Hi. About to replay after about 6 months away and thinking about an arcane archer. Some questions... Is there still a "loot bug" with essence interrupter? Are multiple projectile weapons, like frostseeker still bugged so that when you use imbue, only one projectile hits with the imbue and the other proejctiles disappear? And are the imbues still not scaling? Are there PEN issues? Anyway, I still may figure out a way to play with these bugs, but just want to know. Thank you! (as an aside -- any suggestions on a good pet? )

some partial answers: a. no right or wrong answer here, basically depends on what you want to do. I wouldn't pick more than a couple, though, because you'll just have so many other abilities to spend your guile on. b. ok, scratch the above, there is a wrong answer . i wouldn't recommend this. the most effective way to do that kind of backstabbery is repeat invisibility, and as a trickster your guile is going to be used for other things. if you want a backstabby type an assassin is a better choice. c. the answer to this question hinges on what do you want to actually do with this class? a trickster doesn't have the spell selection of a wizard/rogue multiclass, but what spells the trickster does have they can spam like no wizard can (e.g. a trickster can cast mirror image up to 11 times in one fight whereas a wizard is forever stuck at 2). like Verde said, a trickster can also cast freezing rake/wall of many color, which a multiclass wizard/rogue cannot, because those are ordinarily AL8 spells and thus inaccessible for a multiclass. e. single-weapon style is very close to a trap choice, unfortunately. unless you have really terrible accuracy or are specifically metagaming for crits for a specific crit build (i.e. because you have effects that care about crits and aren't just trying to do more damage), i would take any other weapon style over single-weapon style. rogues have even less need for single-weapon style due to Dirty Fighting. Thanks this is very helpful. I hear you on illusionist not being a backstabber -- just thought if I invested in stealth, i could get a first backstab off, then cast my guile spells, then stab away and maybe take, like those slippers that give you shadow form... sounds like you are suggesting just go debuffer stabber... and you are very convincing o going single class trickster, any thoughts on whether a single class assassin, though, is viable or is that a class that should be dualled with, say, devoted or steel garrote?

I am enjoying my shifter/monk (Nalpazca) run. You lose almost nothing with a shifter versus plain druid. I mean why would anyone cast a spell when shifted unless it is an emergency, and even then you are probably in the midst of melee and surrounded, so why stop and cast a spell and suffer interrupts. The only thing you really lose is taste of the hunt, since you can't cast that while shifted (so i didn't even take it). But otherwise, you could play a shifter like a regular druid with more forms to play with and easier and quicker self healing by shifting. ... I am the biggest damage dealer in melee in my party (ahead of swashbuckler Eder and Paladin Pallagina) and second damage dealer by spells (after aloth but ahead of cipher serafen and priest aloth). Of course my monk abilities hep a lot for survivability and damage dealing, but I think if I had gone single class shifter my play style and impact wouldn't be much different -- cast some buffs and healing spells, cast some storm spells, shift multiple times to kill weakened enemies and win. (Playing on veteran upscale all by the way). If you dont want to shift at all, then it doesn't make any sense to go shifter, but if you want to shift at least some, you lose nothing except for the very, very rare moments you would ever cast a spell while shifted.

I am finishing up my first run as a shifter/druggy monk and enjoying it, but I am ready to try my first rogue, and trickster seems like fun. (playing on veteran, upscale all). a) Since I already tried a multi-class, I am thinking of going singe class trickster as a death godlike. Given that the illusion spells use guile, I was going to rely on passives and just a few actives… any suggestions about which actives would be best if I only take a few? b) I am going to go stealth and as a backstabber, but does that make sense for an illusionist? To sneak and stab and then cast a spell? Or should I forgo the stealth and backstab and just debuff and stab? c) However… I was wondering if it would be even more effective to do a dual illusionist / assassin instead? For a similar character but using spells from my wizard side to debuff and stab away as an assassin? Thoughts on that versus a single class trickster... d) Last, I was also considering a trickster/devoted – if I went that route, what weapon is best for a melee backstabber? e) In terms of weapon style, I was thinking single handed to improve crit chance, but am i giving up too much by not going dual weapon or even two handed for any of these builds? Thanks for the help!

Thanks. I guess I need to finish my first play through to get a feel of the whole game including DLC before posing such a question. I was really just wondering out loud and it comes down to how much of a difference up scaling really makes... but as I am only level 8 on first play through I have a ways to go to figure it out for myself. My sweet spot is when I am powerful enough that most encounters are fairly easy and then I get lazy and get wiped out because some new, unexpected foe crossed my path that requires me me to refocus and rethink my approaches... until again, I am just cruising along until, bam, something unexpected takes me out. That s why BG and BG2 worked so well for me. By and large it was fun and not too challenging. Until those moments when it was... how did that scrawny mindflayer just kick my party's ass. What new devilry is this!?!? How'd that happen? -- Or should I say "vithrack" : )

In middle of my first play through and enjoying it. Veteran, upscale critical path shifter/nalpazca. At level 8 and finally left Nekata, which was surprisingly challenging ... definitely harder than I expected based on months of observing forum discussion. Though I am assuming as I get higher in level and go exploring off the critical path things will be much easier. Anyway, a somewhat random question part one .. which do you think would provide the bigger challenge, a) Classic, upscale all? Or b) Veteran not up-scaled? part two same question but for: a) Veteran upscale all? Or b) PotD not up-scaled? Thanks Just so you know where I am coming from I like a challenge but I dont like to be frustrated. I am a good strategist but not a great one -- played these games (eg infinity engine, Nerverwinter, etc) for twenty years and therefore know my way around an RPG. Played PoE 1 maybe 6 times. but I also have limited play time so reloading boss fights more than twice just becomes a headache. I am happy with my Veteran Upscale Critical for now, but already wondering what will be optimal for me down the road. Thanks!

Thanks, everyone, for your previous help with my many shifter questions. I have another... I am thinking of making my shifter/monk either moon or nature godlike. But... do the benefits (such as the healing for the moon godlike) transfer over while shifted? Please help me understand exactly how nature godlike's benefits work and would that be good for a shifter/monk? And am I right that helmets don't transfer abilities to the shifted form (so I wouldn't be losing much, minus any helms that would help me as a caster)? Or, any other recommendations for a race for this build? thank you!

Thank you!

Thanks for advice, everyone. Think I will go with veteran upscale all and learn the game, and then on a future run play around with some of the challenges and mods

Thanks -- I'd appreciate that!

Ha! I'm pretty good but it does take a little bit to learn things the first time through a game... which is why I am leaning toward Veteran scaled up... maybe save PotD and challenges for run 2. But folks seem to be saying go full PotD, so maybe...

Hi! About to start first run now that the last dlc and patch 4.0 is out. I have played Poe1 5 times and infnity engine games for 20 years. I know may way around these kinds of games. I like to be challenged but not frustrated. I like having to reload once and at most twice for boss fights. I like finishing off mobs with creativity needed but not grandmaster level strategy. I usually play on the veteran level of most games, even to start. Almost never the highest level, and almost never the normal level So, as I get ready to start a shifter/fighter run for Deadfire, I cant decide what to choose in terms of difficulty and scaling. I think veteran and upscale for critical path only is the way to go for a good challenge but not a headache inducing one (I am a completionist though, so I wonder if I should upscale all?) Any advice? Thank you!

Thanks for the replies and conversation. I am not interested in mods for a first plaything. But there are apparently so many great non-modded choices. Rogue, monk, fighter all seem great. I never considered a vanilla fighter ever in any RPG... could be time!... I really havent looked at fighter at all -- how would that benefit a shifter? What attacks / modes will help while shifted? Thank you!

Thanks, Boereor for coming through again. Any thoughts on rogue mutliclass with shifter? Is street-fighter viable? Trickster seems fun but a waste on a shifter. For a monk, which subclass ... or straight monk? intrigued by paladin but hoping to travel with pallegina and may want to leave her to Paladin duties

I have been waiting so long for my first play through, and now I am ready -- with the dlc all good to go. My last and favorite PoE 1 run was with a druid, playing as a boar using a guide by Boerer. Cast an AOE, then gore with my boar. Loads of fun. I want to take that character into deadfire, and since I played primarily as a shifter druid in PoE 1, I am very tempted to go as a shifter subclass for deadfire Seems like the only thing you lose is cast while shifted, which I hardly ever did in POE anyway. Seems like zero loss for a lot of flexibility. Yet I have seen almost no love for shifters here-- and very little written about them in a long while. (I am not -- yet -- interested in mods) I know I can make any build work, so I am not asking for advice in general about a shifter -- i am asking about whether it is good for my first ever PoE2 run -- I like not having to worry about weapons so much -- i can learn them through my companions and then make wise decisions about what to use on a second, non shifter run. Would you guys recommend it as a good first go? And I am very curious about multi classing.. a Shifter/rogue or monk or barb all seem cool. Any recommendations on those pairings ... again for a first go? Also, am I correct in thinking that gear (non weapons) now transfers to the shifted form? Thank you! Excited to get started

Wow, I never would have guessed that about alchemy. So sounds like you are suggesting that a single class shifter with lots of alchemy is a viable build even on hard difficulties? (I usually play on second hardest difficulty and not PoTD). But sounds like that would be true for any druid build and not shifter per se? Is there any way to make shifter forms truly effective in late game? barbarian multi?

Thanks -- the slime tidbit is interesting. Anyway, i knew about the loss to the taste of the hunt spell for the shifter subclass, but I assumed that's way the partial healing when shifting thing was added (for shifter only)

Hi, all. Thanks for those who have been playing both pre and post patch and posting your initial experiences & strategies. I am close to being ready to play and looking forward to continuing my POE 1 druid run (boar build, as per Boerer). I want to be a shift moslty and cast spella to set up fights or clean up. How are druids holding up in that regard? Shifter subclass interests me, especially, as I don't need to cast at all when shifted, so i feel like I only gain and don't lose with this build. Of course I am also wondering about single or multi (looking at monk or rogue options). Any thoughts, those of you have been playing post patch? not looking for perfect / power build, just a fun one with lots of strategic options. And I don't see a ton of love for druids so far... thanks!

Thanks, all, for the responses and continued conversation. I can see that I (and others) will suffer from a serious case of restartitis -- so many possible combinations, and nuances to figure out. I can see the argument, even for we experienced POE 1 and rpg players, to start pure class just to learn the tweaks from 1 to 2. The shifter still sounds like a blast -- I hated losing my form in PoE 1 and having to rely on my soulbound weapon to re-shift me... And quite frankly i rarely used spells in shifted form anyway except for Taste of the Hunt, a loss I can live with.

Howdy. So excited for Pillars 2, although I will probably wait a bit for further patches and dlc before I jump in headfirst. Or not -- I will likely at least tool around a bit but wait for a full playthrough Anyway, I really, really enjoyed Boerer's druid build for pillars 1 -- my favorite of my 4 playthroughs -- while I used my spells a lot, my primary identity was as a Boar dps-er, backup tank. The versatility was great, and while I could have done more damage as a pure caster druid, I had more fun as a sometime caster, oftentimes boar. i have looked at some of the deadfire threads on druid shifter abilities and the shifter subclass here but i am confused about a couple things still. Am I correct in understanding that a monk / druid build does't give the advantages one would assume while shifted? I seem to recall seeing some conversation about that. And are the shifted forms attacking with two weapons or one? Are they considered fists like with a monk, or claws? In other words, how do the shifted forms' attacks work and what skills / classes are they compatible with in case I go multi instead of pure druid. Also, in Pillars !, i made frequent use of Taste of the Hunt. If I take a Shifter sub class in 2 (something I am excited to try -- talk about versatility), is Taste of the Hunt off limits because you cant use spells while shifted in that subclass? I would assume so as they added the healing ability while changing forms maybe to make up for that. In sum: if one wanted to go into Deadfire as a druid who uses spells occasionally but is mostly a damage dealing animal dps-er or tank, what are some exciting, usable builds? Sorry for all the questions -- and thanks! Thanks, all!

Thanks for the advice (so far). I am really enjoying this game more than I thought. As a rabid BG fan (played dozens of times over many, many years), I was worried this would be a pale imitation. I am finding myself in Defiance Bay almost as confused and excited as the first time I wandered around Amn in BG2. This is a good thing. Where do I go, what do I do? So fun.. btu also I don't want to mess things up. First time I played BG2 I left for Spellhold way too early, not realizing until later how much I missed. ...