Help me to get better and create my own builds

[TenZen]

Title says it all

 

I've grown up playing Gold Box and IE games (Champion's of Krynn anyone...) and loved POE I and all its expansions

 

However while i loved those games, i never really felt like i got to grips with how to create my old builds and party

 

That feels like a "Must address" issue for Deadfire 

 

The addition of sub-classes and multi-class here makes the potentials absolute awesome (and completely mind boggling)

 

So help me out here...

 

...don't just show me your favourite builds - but help me create a party and design it in the right way

 

I know there are few principles

 

- Mix of ranged and melee

- think about who can heal etc

- have a range of damage types 

- get a range of resists

 

But its when i get to the specifics that my mind starts to wander.  So.. I was thinking of the following party...  But not sure how to optimise the builds and the synergies?

• Main character - Stalker + something else - but what other class to do dps... 
• Aloth - battle mage as tank?
• Xoti - priest/monk (though not clear what the monk brings me)
• Eder - swashbukler? - he was my tank in Poe I - and i'm intrigued by the riposte build
• Serafen or pellagina - Serafen as witch?  For cipher goodness

 

I could do single class - but am intrigued by the idea of the multi class approach everywhere.  

 

How do you do it?

 

Rather than tell me the answer - help me with your thought process?  What do you do and why?  Help me get better at working things outmyself

 

Thanks in advance - and fingers crossed for an interesting discussion (this board can be hit and miss)

 

Ten

Edited May 21, 2018 by TenZen

[Noctaem]

[Climhazzard]

If you're going for PoTD then your party is probably lacking healing.  I would swap out someone for the druid, probably Serafen.  

 

With Contemplative (XotI) you have a character that when dual wielding fists can react very fast with priest spells like withdraw, but multi class priest healing is a bit lackluster imo.  It's still a good combination though, devotions for the faithful and later minor avatar really buff the monk class nicely, and you need the former for your team.

 

Swashbuckler can tank, Palegina isn't a shieldbearer so she'll be low on engagement slots until you can buff them with items, then she could tank as well.  I suppose Aloth might also be a tanking option but I don't recall what his stats look like for that.

 

For main healer druid is the most powerful, priest is alright, and paladin can offheal a bit.  There are exceptions if you make your own characters though, like my healing wall build https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/98968-class-build-the-healing-wall/ which might even be better as a Kind wayfarer dual wielding offtank.  That is to say, Paladin/chanter.

 

For dps options, Serafen can be ranged dps/debuffs, melee dps/debuffs, melee dps.  Maia is pure ranged dps.

 

Party composition will vary based on preference.

 

I use something like 1 tank, 2 melee hybrids, 1 ranged dps, 1 pure caster.

 

So for example.

 

My healing wall build as tank.

My MC, usually melee dps

Xoti, contemplative

Maia, scout

Aloth, pure wizard

 

If I used Eder or Palegina to tank I would take the druid as my pure caster because I would need more healing in that case.  Aloth has a lot of good spells but none of them heal.

[TenZen]

 

Thanks i'd seen this

 

While its a useful resource, it doesn't exactly go into much in the way of the thinking.  E.g. it just says "for hunter, either go paladin or fighter" - rest is not as good

 

That's not exactly "teaching someone what to look for and how to create their own build"

[Noctaem]

Oh I see, then I would suggest you check out the beta videos where he was playtesting all sorts of builds, learning mechanics etc..  It's all on his channel.  Those sound exactly like what you're looking for.

[Killyox]

On POTD for me, it's enough for my Paladin/Chanter to have Ancient Memory + Exalted Endurance as healing. Just that. Sometimes I use winds for a bit more. I still don't have the +100% healing chant but even now it's not really needed.

 

Atm 4 melees + Serafen chanter who rocks in range with gun/spells and in melee hitting every 1 sec for 40dmg

 

If you use many squishies, you may use more healing though.