Help me refine my idea

[Yonto]

Hey fellas! I have some questions about my character, companions and party composition in general for my first run, so, instead of opening 10000 posts I’ll just put everything in here and to the ones that have the patience to read through and answer: thanks!

 

MC - ghost heart ranger / ascendant cipher

 

In the back line with arquebuses and rods when needed. I went ghost ranger and not sharpshooter so the pet has no engagement and I can make use of all those cipher spells that require an ally to cast them on. So I can cast on the pet, having him positioned exactly where I want and use those spells that otherwise I would just never use.

 

Not sure about cipher subclass. Don’t know if in a couple of shots I can reach ascendancy. Maybe vanilla cipher would be better?

 

Pallegina - Paladin / chanter

 

Dual pistol - blunderbus staying in the middle of the party. Chants that would be useful the one for reload speed - for her and my guy in the back, and the healing one. I want her to be the healer - with lay on hands and the chanter invocations that heal - plus some alpha strikes with flames of devotion.

 

Is she going to be enough for healing? I’ll probably just play on veteran upscaled.

 

Eder - fighter / rogue

 

Kind of the tank of the party . Want to use the rogue side for riposte - even if it’s not great - and persistent distraction plus one or two full attacks abilities. Fighter side for the style, more engagements and more ways to punish who disengage. Charge and evade to move in place.

 

Better 1 handed + shield or 2 weapon fighting with dagger modal on?

 

Aloth - fighter / wizard

 

Want to try it this way. Wizard side for buffing spells and those spells that frighten so people is forced to disengage. Would it work also for disengagements on Eder side if hey are close? Fighter side.. not sure what would be helpful other than disciplined barrage.

 

Better one handed or there are good quarterstaffs for this?

 

The last member of the party I have no idea. Probably I’m gonna rotate members but I would like to stick with takehu. It provides some heals if bird lady is not enough and some damage spells too and can shift in melee if needed.

 

 

Sorry for all this text. I know that probably everything can work on veteran at the moment, just looking for suggestions to “perfect” the idea anyway.

 

Thanks for reading, if you had the patience!

[jakesmurf]

MC - I feel like this char is gonna be pretty weak.  Cipher and Ranger are two of what I consider to be the weakest classes in the game, personally.  Marginally above Druid and Priest, but pretty weak.  Cipher does have a couple OP spells above tier 7 but you'll basically have beaten the game before you hit that stride, and you'll never get the best abilities as a multiclass.  Ascendant becomes gradually better as the game goes later but I personally think Cipher spells kinda blow and Cipher is more about whip damage than anything, and Ascendant has lower whip damage unless ascended.  Ranger just doesn't offer a lot imo and Ghost Heart has to summon every combat start.  

Paladin/Chanter - Both very strong classes.  Make sure you have enough INT that your chants actually reach everyone, though, because being in the middle of the party risks failing to buff everybody.  Paladin and Chanter are both pretty strong healers imo so should be fine in that regard.  

Eder - Fighter is strong.  Can't really go wrong there.  Rogue has decent damage with deathblows.  I would go 1hand+shield, personally.  There are some really great shields and no daggers that really speak to me, as far as uniques go.  

Aloth - Fighter doesn't get you much if you're planning to chain cast spells.  Fighter aloth is probably most useful as a tank because Wizard gets some insane selfbuffs.  If you're chain casting then melee attacks get you nothing.  The crit conversion discipline might be better than power levels for a CCer, since CC crits have extended duration.  I think that works properly?  Weapon doesn't matter if you're chain casting.  If you're planning to melee, I would try using the summoned weapons.  They're pretty strong.  

Takehu - Druid is very meh but I understand the appeal.  If it were me I'd take pure Monk Xoti for DPS or something.  That'd probably leave you over budget for melee chars though.  

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by jakesmurf

[Yonto]

Hey, thanks for the input. 

 

MC - I feel like this char is gonna be pretty weak.  Cipher and Ranger are two of what I consider to be the weakest classes in the game, personally.  Marginally above Druid and Priest, but pretty weak.  Cipher does have a couple OP spells above tier 7 but you'll basically have beaten the game before you hit that stride, and you'll never get the best abilities as a multiclass.  Ascendant becomes gradually better as the game goes later but I personally think Cipher spells kinda blow and Cipher is more about whip damage than anything, and Ascendant has lower whip damage unless ascended.  Ranger just doesn't offer a lot imo and Ghost Heart has to summon every combat start.  

 

I get what you mean. I just have thought of too many different characters and so I'll try to stick with this one, since it fits the previous story of my character. Didn't remember the whip damage is less with ascendant, maybe the whip gain increas will be enough to reach the limit quicker, otherwise no subclasses.

 

 

Aloth - Fighter doesn't get you much if you're planning to chain cast spells.  Fighter aloth is probably most useful as a tank because Wizard gets some insane selfbuffs.  If you're chain casting then melee attacks get you nothing.  The crit conversion discipline might be better than power levels for a CCer, since CC crits have extended duration.  I think that works properly?  Weapon doesn't matter if you're chain casting.  If you're planning to melee, I would try using the summoned weapons.  They're pretty strong.  

 

Yeah, I play to use spells just to buff, and then melee. Forgot about the summoned weapons, I'll have a look

[Lokithecat]

You might be able to gimmick something with the Ranger / Cipher.  Haven't seen it but the upgraded Evasive Roll> I think its called, gives you an attack after the move, and its a 0 recovery (although it fires randomly into the crowd).  You could summon a pet (basically instant, but does cost bond) and bounce yourself around, getting Ascended before most mobs are even in melee range.  Assuming you're high enough Accuracy, using an Arbalest with Modal (Knockdown) could be funny with that.  The generic ones of high quality have Jump 4m, so you'd be knocking over a large chunk of the enemy forces.

 

Ascendant would be about getting your focus maxed, and then using all the free casting to wreck everyone, Beguiler wouldn't be terrible either with a Persistent Distraction tank, everyones going to be sneak attack vulnerable anyway, and Charms (available at level 1) are fairly over powered.

 

Palle can probably provide enough healing, if you have Teke around.  Her +Accuracy Aura makes life easier for everyone.  Teke isn't terribly amazing, but his 'Water / Frost doesn't hurt friends' really lets you use his spells pretty offensively.  And hes got a few that shove people, assuming that triggers a disengage attack from Eder.

 

I like Eder as X + Shield, loads of options for what to use.  I gave him a spear you get later in the game (although you could sail there early) which has a pull enemy to you + action speed thing, with fairly solid + damage based on survival skill.

 

I'm not sure about Aloth as a CC, especially if you go fighter.  Cipher should provide enough CC, and Teke has a bunch available as Druid also.  That said between Wiz and Cipher you should be able to cripple saving throws, just a matter of what you do with them at that point (charm?).  Could do CC style casting just as well as a /Rog and get +Sneak attack bonus (Does that apply on spells?) on enemies.  Summoned weapons can be interesting if you find the right build out for them, so Fighter is definetly possible.  It just tends to be a more defensive multi class.

[Yonto]

You might be able to gimmick something with the Ranger / Cipher.  Haven't seen it but the upgraded Evasive Roll> I think its called, gives you an attack after the move, and its a 0 recovery (although it fires randomly into the crowd).  

 

Forgot about that! The option definitively sold ascendant for me. 

Mark prey for accuracy > shots + evasive roll hoping it hits the next marked target if the first one dies > max focus > summon the pet and soul shock and stuff like that.

 

Beguiller is pretty good I agree, but I want to focus on other kind of cipher spells than the deception ones this time. Thanks!