[CLASS BUILD] The Cunning Duelist

[Ascaloth]

As far back as he remembered, Joseph West has always been afflicted with wanderlust. This was what led him to take up with the Principi sen Patrena in his youth, where his stirring voice quickly gave him a reputation as one of the Principi's leading songsmiths, and his talent for bewildering cantrips and cunning schemes made him one of the most celebrated captains in the pirate fleet.

 

Despite a highly profitable stint plundering the waters of the Deadfire, even the open seas of the Archipelago soon proved too limiting for the intrepid Captain West. This led him to cut his piratical career short at its peak, and take a like-minded crew to embark on a brilliant years-spanning journey to see all of Eora. From the merchant nations of Old Vailia to the stormy seas of Rauatai, from the shores of the Living Lands to the coasts of Aedyr itself, Captain West and his crew pirated, privateered, and even (legitimately) escorted on occasion to pay their way through their great adventure.

 

But all good things must come to an end someday, and Joseph eventually reached an age where he felt the need to settle down. So, he parted ways with his old crew on amicable terms, sold his boat, scouted for the options available to him, and finally decided to take up the offer of land from some minor Dyrwoodan noble.

 

Of course, the rest was history. Although he somehow got himself involved in a lot of trouble, Joseph did finally get a home to settle down in, even if it was not exactly the way he thought it would happen. Which is all good in the end; after all, a landlubber adventure was still plenty good for a last one, and he did make so many good friends along the way. And now he finally had a place he could call home; something of a fixer-upper to be sure, but it gave him something to occupy his time with, as did the huge tracts of backyard he suddenly found himself responsible for. All good, really. It's not unlike being the captain of his own ship, if on a much larger and stationary scale.

 

At least, that was the plan. The original architect's decorative sculpture coming to life, and making a smouldering crater of the whole lot; how could anyone have foreseen that coming?

 

And of course, that statue just had to head in the direction of his old homeland. Now Captain West is going to have to embark on yet another adventure, chasing it all the way back to the high seas he... well, saying that he detested the Deadfire would be entirely the wrong sentiment, actually. In fact, Joseph had been entertaining the notion of returning to the land of his roots and seeing what has changed in his absence for some time, and this simply gave him a good reason to do so for once. Besides, it doesn't hurt that his good bro Eder had joined him once again on this adventure, and he looked forward to showing his farmboy pal the beauties of the Deadfire...

 

 

===================================
The Cunning Duelist
===================================
Difficulty: PotD v2.0.0.0030
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Class: Harbinger (Trickster + Skald)
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Race: Wood Elf
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Background: Deadfire Archipelago - Drifter
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Stats (char creation, no Berath's Blessings):
MIG: 10
CON: 10
DEX: 20
PER: 19
INT: 16
RES: 03
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Important Skills: Mechanics, Streetwise
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Abilities (a=auto, r=recommended, !=important)

 

PL1

Rogue

Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights (a)

Backstab ®

Defensive Roll ®

Escape (!)

Chanter

Blessed was Wengridh, Quickest of his Tribe ®

And Hel-Hyraf Crashed Upon the Shield (!)

 

PL2

Rogue

Mirrored Images (a) (!)

Blinding Strike (!)

Dirty Fighting ®

Chanter

At the Sound of his Voice, the Killers Froze Stiff (!)

Thick Grew Their Tongues, Stumbling O'er Their Words ®

Common

One Handed Style

 

PL3

Rogue

Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage (a) (!)

Confounding Blind (!)

Finishing Blow (!)

Chanter

The Shield Cracks (!)

The Fox from the Farmer Did Run and Leap ®

 

PL4

Rogue

Llengrath's Displaced Image (a) (!)

Persistent Distraction (!)

Shadowing Beyond ®

Chanter

The Long Night's Drink (!)

And Their Fear Followed Them into Foothills ®

The Lover Cried Out to the Beloved, "I Am Yours!" (!)

 

PL5

Rogue

Confusion (a)

Devastating Blow (!)

Chanter

Together They Slew Forth a River of Red ®

Common

Uncanny Luck ®

 

PL6

Rogue

Arkemyr's Wondrous Torment (a)

Slippery Mind ®

Deep Wounds (!)

Chanter

So Singt Thy Biting Winds o'Eld Nary (!)

Common

Improved Critical ®

 

PL7

Rogue

Gaze of the Adragan (a)

Deathblows (!)

Chanter

Boil Their Flesh from Skin to Bone (!)

Common

Lasting Empower ®

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Items (*=additional enchantments; !=important, r=recommended):

Weapon set 1: Squid's Grasp (Remove Calmo's Curse*!, Unseen Demise*!, Attempted Parley*!) (!)
Weapon set 2: Kapana Taga (All Comers*!, Champion's Relic*!) (!)

Chest: Gipon Prudensco (Fight Another Day*!, No Fool, I*!)

Helmet: Fair Favor (!)

Amulet: Precognition (!)

Trinket: Betrayal

Cloak: Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak ®

Gloves: Gatecrashers (!)

Ring: Chameleon's Touch (!)

Ring: Ring of Prosperity's Fortune (!)

Belt: Upright Captain's Belt (!)

Boots: Slippers of the Assassin ®

Pet: Frau Nils

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Meet the Cunning Duelist, a swashbuckler with all the tools at his disposal to go toe-to-toe with just about anything, make the brief remainder of their lives a difficult one, and come out of it (relatively) unscathed. This Harbinger build is designed to be well-rounded, able to get into the fray, utilize Rogue abilities to farm Critical Hits for Skald phrases, and use resource points from both the Guile and Phrases pools to hit his enemies with any of the six types of Afflictions as the circumstances demand, making him a very flexible Melee CC character.

This is how the Cunning Duelist is intended to work;

 

Build

 

My Watcher was a Meadow Human for RP purposes, but the ideal Race for the Cunning Duelist is actually Wood Elf; this is because they offer perfectly synergistic bonuses in +1 PER and +1 DEX, plus the Resistance to Dexterity Afflictions also helps.

 

The background I chose was Deadfire Archipelago, which apart from RP purposes also gives a useful +1 DEX bonus. Alternatively, you could choose The White That Wends for the +1 PER bonus instead.

 

Although I played the Cunning Duelist on Veteran difficulty, this was because it was my first playthrough, which I was using to get a grasp on the new mechanics. I'm fairly confident the Cunning Duelist build is actually PotD-capable, although I'm not especially inclined to put that to the test until after the difficulty level of PotD has been rebalanced; no point doing so until I'm certain PotD is tough enough to put this build to the test.

 

The Cunning Duelist build has been tested and completed on PotD v2.0.0.0030, with balance changes made to Trickster and Skald taken into account.

 

Offense

On offense, the intent is to farm Crits to build Skald phrases, but actually doing damage is a secondary concern. That is why the Trickster's penalty to Sneak Attack damage doesn't matter so much here.

The core of the Cunning Duelist's offensive capability is One Handed Style and the Rapier Weapon Proficiency. Wielding a single Rapier gives the Harbinger extra Accuracy, which can be boosted with the Rapier modal active. This in turn raises the chances for crits, which is then supplemented by the bonuses from One Handed Style. The Rogue passive Dirty Fighting also gives additional bonuses to Crit chances as well, as does the Accessories Fair Favor and Ring of Prosperity's Fortune. 

But the true bread and butter is At the Sound of his Voice, the Killers Froze Stiff; inflicting the Paralyzed Dex Affliction on enemies makes it significantly more likely for the Harbinger to crit those enemies, thus building more Skald phrases that can be used to reapply Paralyzed again. Rinse and repeat, until the enemies are dead. v2.0 edit: This remains the case even with the recent nerf to At the Sound of his Voice, for Paralyzed remains the best Affliction the Cunning Duelist can inflict for the sake of scoring more Crits. He just has a shorter window to get said Crits in before the Affliction expires.

Even though this Harbinger isn't intended to put out massive damage, that doesn't mean he isn't capable of such when necessary; Finishing Blow is the early go-to for when a final coup de grace is called for, and it can be upgraded to Devastating Blow later on for more damage. Deathblows significantly increase his damage in the late game. With the Precognition Amulet, the Duelist gets to hit even harder with each Crit he scores as well. Bounding Boots can be used for mobility in the early game, and in the late game, Rakhan Field Boots offers the Harbinger a Charge-like ability.

 

Defense

 

Mirrored Images is the core of the Cunning Duelist's defensive strategy, adding a significant amount of Deflection once the Harbinger has reached PL3. It should almost always be the first move the Cunning Duelist makes whenever a fight starts, for survivability's sake. v2.0 edit: the Trickster now learns Mirrored Images at PL2, down from PL3 prior to the balancing changes. This means the Duelist's defensive options come online that much earlier, and with Llengrath's Displaced Image taking its place at PL3, it's now viable to have both defensive buffs active during a fight. The Deflection bonuses may not stack, but the additional Reflex bonus and Hit-to-Graze that Llengrath's Displaced Image offers helps to keep Mirrored Images up that much longer.

 

The Squid's Grasp unique Rapier is the Cunning Duelist's weapon of choice, as it offers a significant defensive bonus in its Immunity to Flanking enchantment. v2.0 edit: For a backup weapon, the Kapana Taga is the ideal choice; it offers Slash/Crush coverage to compensate for Squid's Grasp's Pierce-only damage type, and can also be given a Flanking immunity enchantment to complement the rapier's. In additional, the Club modal Bewildering Blows saps the Will of the enemy currently being attacked by the Duelist, which can be especially useful for landing Intellect or Resolve Afflictions.

 

 

Outdated Information

 

Almost every build out there presently recommends the Devil of Caroc Breastplate as the armor of choice... which is fine, it is indeed an excellent armor with low Recover penalties. But I did not have access to it in my playthrough for obvious reasons, and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to the Cunning Duelist anyway; it's much better served on some other party member who's actually expecting to take hits for the team. To that effect, the Miscreant's Leather you get from Benweth is a plenty good alternative that you can get early game, and will serve you well enough all the way to the end. Another alternative is Swift Hunter's Garb, but that one doesn't come until somewhat later.

 

 

v2.0 edit: The ideal armor for the Cunning Duelist is now the Gipon Prudensco, since its progressive Deflection stacking upon getting hit synergizes well with Mirrored Images by replacing the latter's diminishing Deflection with its own growing Deflection with every hit. It can also be enchanted to give immunity to Disengagement, and combined with Upright Captain's Belt (for the Push/Pull immunity) and the Flanking immunity of both Squid's Grasp and Kapana Taga, the Cunning Duelist becomes a truly slippery target for his enemies, nearly impossible to pin down or back into a corner.

 

 

Outdated Information

 

The Entonia Signet Ring is another item that can be obtained early-game, and offers another good defensive bonus that synergizes well with Squid's Grasp. It should also synergize well with the Rogue passive Persistent Distraction, which also helps the Cunning Duelist's defenses against anything he's currently Engaging.

 

 

And for bailout options, the Cunning Duelist can use Escape to get to a less threatening position in order to regroup. Squid's Grasp also offers a Squid's Escape option for much the same purpose. The Harbinger can also help his entire party run away from a fight altogether, by combining The Fox from the Farmer with Blessed was Wengridh to disengage and flee at high speed.

 

Afflictions

 

The main premise of the Cunning Duelist is his access to all six types of Affliction-causing Abilities, allowing him to choose from various options to hamstring whatever opposition he faces. When playing the Cunning Duelist, it's worth paying attention to the enemy statistics to note their weaknesses and resistances. If a particular enemy has Resistances or Immunity to a certain type of Affliction, you should avoid targeting those; conversely, if said enemy displays a Weakness to any particular type of Affliction, it should be exploited without mercy.

 

Might: The Cunning Duelist starts with Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights for an early-game Might Affliction with the Dazed status, using the Guile resource. Alternative, if he has the Phrases to do so, he can opt for The Thunder Rolled and Stun his enemies instead.  v2.0 edit: The Thunder Rolled has been dropped, as it consumes Phrases which could be put to better use. Instead, the Cunning Duelist gets two additional options for inflicting the Stun status; Reeling Blow from the Gatecrashers gloves, as well as Shadowing Beyond when used in conjunction with Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak for the Stun on hit. 10/8/2018 update: The Slippers of the Assassin can synergize with Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak in the same way as Shadowing Beyond, once the Duelist has made his first Crit and procc'd the invisibility effect.

 

Constitution: The Long Night's Drink inflicts a consistent Constitution Affliction that refreshes, making it a good staple choice for the Harbinger to be chanting through each fight. Since it is a passive that does not cost resources, there's little need for an alternative to this. v2.0 edit: Prior to reaching the necessary PL, Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage offers a Constitution Affliction earlier in the game.

 

Dexterity: As mentioned earlier, At the Sound of his Voice is the go-to option for the Harbinger to inflict Paralyzed on his targets. But if he's low on Phrases and needs to stop one target in particular from taking any actions, he can spend Guile to Shadow Step in order to inflict the status personally. It doesn't hurt that he gets Gaze of the Adragan as a Guile-powered option in the late game, too.

 

Perception: As is similarly the case for CON Afflictions, the Cunning Duelist can inflict a Perception Affliction simply by engaging his target of choice, relying on Persistent Distraction as a no-cost, always-on debuff. And if he encounters an enemy with Resistance or Immunity to this, he's better served changing tack and going for some other type of Affliction anyway. v2.0 edit: Prior to reaching the necessary PL, Blinding Strike offers a Perception Affliction earlier in the game.

 

Intellect: The Cunning Duelist gets Confusion for free at PL5, allowing him to spend Guile to inflict the Confused status on multiple enemies. It's not exactly the most powerful option, but it's there if he needs it. More importantly, with enough Phrases he can inflict the more powerful Charmed effect with The Lover Cried Out. This is the second most powerful option for Afflictions that will serve the Harbinger well all the way to the final battle, if you know how to use it. v2.0 edit: In the late-game, the Betrayal Trinket from the Beast of Winter DLC offers an AoE Charm option, which can be utilized in a pinch if the Duelist happens to lack sufficient Phrases for The Lover Cried Out at a time when it would be useful.

 

Resolve: v2.0 edit: Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage is the Duelist's bread-and-butter for inflicting the Terrified status, and remains useful all the way to the late game. But if you're low on Guile, upgrading At the Sound of his Voice with And Their Fear Followed Them lets you also inflict the Frightened status on enemies after Paralyzed has worn off on them. In addition, upgrade Finishing Blow to Eliminating Blow, and you can also spend Guile to inflict the same status whenever the Cunning Duelist uses the move to kill an enemy.

 

Other Status Effects

 

Armor Rating: If you encounter an enemy with high AR, And Hel-Hyraf is a good option that's there to help you get through those defenses.

 

Deflection: While Blinding Strike loses some of its utility once Persistent Distraction comes online, upgrading it to Confounding Blind gives it a new lease of life altogether. Landing a Confounding Blind on an enemy drains its Deflection, which effectively gives the Duelist more Accuracy against that particular enemy... and consequently raises the Crit rate on that enemy as well, helping him build more Phrases even faster.

 

Attribute Drain: Arkemyr's Wondrous Torment is a powerful debuff that leaves targeted enemies vulnerable to Mind Afflictions, which leave them open to a follow-up with The Lover Cried Out and Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage, amongst other options.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Ascaloth

[gkathellar]

This is a very cool build with a very cool premise.

[QuiteGoneJin]

I like the build, and respect the effort in making it so tidy and detailed. 

[Ascaloth]

This is a very cool build with a very cool premise.

 

Thanks.

 

I like the build, and respect the effort in making it so tidy and detailed. 

 

Thanks. I'm actually copying a format that was used by the power builders for the first PoE, which indeed makes the content much easier to read. So, everyone can feel free to copy this format as well for your future builds.

[Boeroer]

I'm actually copying a format that was used by the power builders for the first PoE, which indeed makes the content much easier to read.

Hehe - thanks for the compliment.

[Darsi]

I finished my first playthrough a couple of days ago as Devoted/Skald and now I'm going to jump back in with this build. Looks like a ton of fun, nice work.

[Ascaloth]

I finished my first playthrough a couple of days ago as Devoted/Skald and now I'm going to jump back in with this build. Looks like a ton of fun, nice work.

 

Thanks.

 

Feel free to test this build in PotD, if you feel like it. If it proves viable, tell me and I'll update the difficulty rating in the OP.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

Interesting build and I was wondering myself about the skald / crit build / Killers Froze interaction. 

 

Did you run into issues with limited damage types? It seems like one big weakness of rapier builds is, just as with guns, the restriction to piercing damage type. 

[Ascaloth]

Interesting build and I was wondering myself about the skald / crit build / Killers Froze interaction. 

 

Did you run into issues with limited damage types? It seems like one big weakness of rapier builds is, just as with guns, the restriction to piercing damage type. 

 

Oh, yes. Unfortunately, there isn't another 1H weapon type with alternative damage types that possess a similar ACC-boosting modal like the Rapier does, so you just kind of have to pick an alternative for the second weapon set and hope for the best.

 

It didn't occur to me during my playthrough, but on hindsight the Kapana Taga would serve as the ideal backup weapon; it offers the Slash/Crush damage that rapiers don't, and you can upgrade it to offer the same Immunity to Flanking enchantment that Squid's Grasp comes with as well.

 

But ultimately, the Cunning Duelist is expected to deal with Pierce-resistant enemies the same way he does any other Resistances he encounters; by changing tack and going for a weak spot. In this case, it may mean popping a bailout and going for some other enemy he can poke, or otherwise inflicting an Affliction that particular enemy is weak to.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

Hrm, makes sense. I suppose the Singing Scimitar doesn't really have the defensive enchantment bonuses that keep the build survivable.

[Ascaloth]

Hrm, makes sense. I suppose the Singing Scimitar doesn't really have the defensive enchantment bonuses that keep the build survivable.

 

On top of that, Sasha's is not a great choice for Skalds in general, as its incentive for Chanters to retain a full stock of Phrases for increased Action Speed conflicts with the Skald's incentive to spam their low-cost Offensive Invocations. It's better off being wielded by Troubadours, who are disincentivized to spend their Phrases anyway.

[gkathellar]

Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason you run with Insight, rather than pumping History and going for the Giftbearer's Cloth?

[Ascaloth]

Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason you run with Insight, rather than pumping History and going for the Giftbearer's Cloth?

 

Well, mainly because this was the Watcher of my very first playthrough. I simply figured I needed high Insight to unlock as many dialogue options as possible. Also for the same reason, I just plain didn't know any better. 

 

If I ever rehash the Cunning Duelist for a PotD playthrough, I'll seriously consider doing just that. I'd still want high Insight for the dialogue though.

[Ascaloth]

v1.2 Changes

 

 

 

Rogue

• Trickster Gaze of the Adragan Guile Cost 3 -> 2.
• Trickster Wall of Many Colors Guile Cost 4 -> 3.
• Trickster Sneak Attack penalty -20% Damage -> -10%.
• Trickster now also acquires wizard illusion spells at PL 2, 4, 6, and 8.
• Eliminating Blow only applies Shaken to secondary targets, as suggested by its upgrade string.

 

Chanter

• The Lights Danced Across the Moor summons now use the appropriate wisp character stats (with distract attack).
• Seven Nights She Waited projectiles destroy after hitting a target.
• Her Tears Fell Like Rain projectiles destroy after hitting a target.
• Her Tears Fell Like Rain secondary damage 15 to 23 -> 6 to 12.
• At The Sound of His Voice The Killers Froze Stiff 6s Paralyze -> 4s.
• And Their Fear Followed 6s Paralyze -> 4s.
• And Their Fear Followed Phrase Cost 4 -> 3.
• Hel-Hyraf and its upgrade now target Deflection.
• And Evil Turned Away From The Sun now properly grants immunity to resolve afflictions and properly damages Spirits and Vessels, it now also no longer gains additional projectiles from PL scaling.

 

So what I'm seeing here is, for a small nerf to the Skald side of the Cunning Duelist, we're getting some pretty huge buffs to the Trickster side. Looks like now is as good a time as any to finally get started on a proper PotD run for this build.   

 

Due to these changes, plus a greater familiarity with the game from when the playthrough for this build was first completed, I'm thinking there's going to end up being quite a few changes to the Cunning Duelist. Stay tuned to this space for more details.

[hansvedic]

v1.2 Changes

 

 

 

Rogue

• Trickster Gaze of the Adragan Guile Cost 3 -> 2.
• Trickster Wall of Many Colors Guile Cost 4 -> 3.
• Trickster Sneak Attack penalty -20% Damage -> -10%.
• Trickster now also acquires wizard illusion spells at PL 2, 4, 6, and 8.
• Eliminating Blow only applies Shaken to secondary targets, as suggested by its upgrade string.

 

Chanter

• The Lights Danced Across the Moor summons now use the appropriate wisp character stats (with distract attack).
• Seven Nights She Waited projectiles destroy after hitting a target.
• Her Tears Fell Like Rain projectiles destroy after hitting a target.
• Her Tears Fell Like Rain secondary damage 15 to 23 -> 6 to 12.
• At The Sound of His Voice The Killers Froze Stiff 6s Paralyze -> 4s.
• And Their Fear Followed 6s Paralyze -> 4s.
• And Their Fear Followed Phrase Cost 4 -> 3.
• Hel-Hyraf and its upgrade now target Deflection.
• And Evil Turned Away From The Sun now properly grants immunity to resolve afflictions and properly damages Spirits and Vessels, it now also no longer gains additional projectiles from PL scaling.

 

So what I'm seeing here is, for a small nerf to the Skald side of the Cunning Duelist, we're getting some pretty huge buffs to the Trickster side. Looks like now is as good a time as any to finally get started on a proper PotD run for this build. 

 

Due to these changes, plus a greater familiarity with the game from when the playthrough for this build was first completed, I'm thinking there's going to end up being quite a few changes to the Cunning Duelist. Stay tuned to this space for more details.

 

 

I look forward to your changes.

 

Personally, I'm considering a tankier version of your build running Troubadour/Trickster, with a focus on the 4 Greatest Afflictions: Charm, Stun, Paralysis, and Terrify. Why worry overmuch about stacking defenses when the enemy can't do anything?

[Ascaloth]

v2.0 Change Log

 

General

• Changed first image to reflect change in armor
• Updated Difficulty from "Veteran v1.02" to "PotD v2.0.0.0030"
• Updated Important Skills to Mechanics and Streetwise

Abilities

• PL1: Added Backstab, removed The Thunder Rolled Like Waves on Black Seas
• PL2: Added Mirrored Images, Blinding Strike, removed Thick Grew Their Tongues, Stumblin' O'er Their Words
• PL3: Added Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage, Confounding Blind, removed Riposte
• PL4: Added Llengrath's Displaced Image, Shadowing Beyond, removed Shadow Step
• PL5: Added Devastating Blow, removed Eliminating Blow
• PL6: Added Arkemyr's Wondrous Torment, So Singt Thy Biting Winds o'Eld Nary, removed Its Crash Could Not Be Denied

Items

• Kapana Taga: Removed enchantment Unblockable, added enchantment Champion's Relic
• Armor: Removed Miscreant's Leather, added Gipon Prudensco
• Trinket: Added Betrayal
• Cloak: Removed Cloak of Greater Protection, added Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak
• Gloves: Removed Boltcatchers, added Gatecrashers
• Ring: Removed Entonia Signet Ring, added Ring of Prosperity's Fortune
• Belt: Removed Ngati's Girdle, added Upright Captain's Belt
• Pet: Added Frau Nils
• Boots: (10/8/2018) Removed Rakhan Field Boots, added Slippers of the Assassin

Edited August 10, 2018 by Ascaloth

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

Hey, 


Just wanted to thank you for pointing me toward your Cunning Duelist build. I've been looking at it, and to be honest with you it really seems to fit the aesthetic I'm going for - the idea of a "Man of wealth and taste," so to speak. I'm also a big fan of the one-handed style focus, and the lack of reliance on DoC Breastplate. It breaks a lot of the "rules" about builds in this game and, as you've said, offers a lot of options for debuffing enemies, especially with the Trickster buffs (Which render the 10% loss in Sneak Attack damage hardly a downside, really). 


It's flexible, can dish out Afflictions targeting all six attributes, as well as just flat out lower attributes with Wondrous Torment, and has access to AoE Charm. AoE friggen Charm.


Plus it uses the ring of money, which is kind of awesome. 


The only thing really stopping me is the super low Resolve (Purely from a roleplay perspective, though I could definitely see a suave and debonair swordsman being a bit of a coward as well) and, to an extent, the HP - though that mostly comes from playing a Barbarian multi and having almost twice as much HP as this character would at level 20. 


One of the biggest things I want to avoid is something like my PoE1 character, who was the epitome of a glass cannon. I could do some pretty cool stuff with him, but it seemed like all an enemy would have to do is sneeze in his general direction to cause him to crumple. So, whether I decide to go with this build or my, admittedly VERY overtuned, Marauder build, I just don't want to end up in that situation. 


((And, just to stroke my "I like big numbers" ego a bit, please tell me you managed to land some pretty nice crits with that badass looking rapier))

[Ascaloth]

@Cyrus_Blackfeather,

 

Much appreciated. 

 

Well, let's get real here; the Duelist is certainly no tank or meatshield. Taking hits is just not what he's designed for, since he's more of a flanker and an opportunist than anything else.

 

That said, that's the beauty of the Trickster subclass; Mirrored Image + Llengrath's Displaced Image is sufficient Deflection and assorted defenses to make up for his low Resolve, and he can stay on the frontlines quite a bit longer than you'd expect from a squishy Rogue. Plus, being exposed to melee often isn't quite as dangerous as it seems, especially when The Killers Froze Stiff or are spooked by Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage. 

 

And should things really go bad, that's also why the Duelist has several options for bailing out of a fight; Escape as the primary option, Shadowing Beyond for when he really needs a breather from getting molested so he can chug a potion, and The Fox from the Farmer Did Run and Leap + Blessed was Wengridh, Quickest of his Tribe for when he needs to help his whole party do the Yakety Sax. Plus Squid's Escape from the Squid's Grasp rapier for when things are going really bad, and once you have Gipon Prudensco with the Fight Another Day enchantment that gives Immunity to Disengagement, you can just run the Duelist out of a fight without all those fancy tricks if necessary.

 

On the RP side, I like to think of the Duelist's low Resolve as more of a "better part of valor" philosophy than anything else (after all, why take the hits when that's Eder's job?), which is also reflected in Gipon Prudensco as his armor of choice.

 

And yes, for a build that's not focused on DPS, the Duelist can actually put out some big numbers on a regular basis with the single Rapier, especially when the target has lowered Deflection from Confounding Blind. Deathblows and Devastating Blow lets him gib his enemies into bloody chunks at a disturbingly high rate. 

[anathanielh]

Change important skills to Mechanics and History and then change the name of the build to “The Cunning Linguist” (Yes, I am childish)

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

@Cyrus_Blackfeather,

 

Much appreciated. 

 

Well, let's get real here; the Duelist is certainly no tank or meatshield. Taking hits is just not what he's designed for, since he's more of a flanker and an opportunist than anything else.

 

That said, that's the beauty of the Trickster subclass; Mirrored Image + Llengrath's Displaced Image is sufficient Deflection and assorted defenses to make up for his low Resolve, and he can stay on the frontlines quite a bit longer than you'd expect from a squishy Rogue. Plus, being exposed to melee often isn't quite as dangerous as it seems, especially when The Killers Froze Stiff or are spooked by Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage. 

 

And should things really go bad, that's also why the Duelist has several options for bailing out of a fight; Escape as the primary option, Shadowing Beyond for when he really needs a breather from getting molested so he can chug a potion, and The Fox from the Farmer Did Run and Leap + Blessed was Wengridh, Quickest of his Tribe for when he needs to help his whole party do the Yakety Sax. Plus Squid's Escape from the Squid's Grasp rapier for when things are going really bad, and once you have Gipon Prudensco with the Fight Another Day enchantment that gives Immunity to Disengagement, you can just run the Duelist out of a fight without all those fancy tricks if necessary.

 

On the RP side, I like to think of the Duelist's low Resolve as more of a "better part of valor" philosophy than anything else (after all, why take the hits when that's Eder's job?), which is also reflected in Gipon Prudensco as his armor of choice.

 

And yes, for a build that's not focused on DPS, the Duelist can actually put out some big numbers on a regular basis with the single Rapier, especially when the target has lowered Deflection from Confounding Blind. Deathblows and Devastating Blow lets him gib his enemies into bloody chunks at a disturbingly high rate. 

 

That's actually quite fair. Why fight when you can run?

 

I think I'm definitely going to give this a go. I do love that once you get the Squid and the Gipon, you can literally just run away from combat. 

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

So what's the secret for getting your Vailian Trading Company rep that low?

[Ascaloth]

So what's the secret for getting your Vailian Trading Company rep that low?

 

I think you meant Principi rep, because dumping VTC rep would get you the ship that comes with Wicked Beast, as opposed to the Principi equivalent that comes with Gipon Prudensco.

 

And, I'm afraid I can't tell you for sure; I used the Vindictive Faction Ship mod for this one. This is a build, not so much a walkthrough.

 

That said, you could probably get a good start on dumping Principi rep by ****ing up the 'confront Benweth' quest, and end up having to kill everyone in Fort Deadlight.

[Verde]

Ahem TC, I think you mean *The Cunning Linguist*

[Manveru123]

I really like this one, was just looking for a Harbinger for my group.

[Walden]

Given the updates, would you tweak this build to include two weapon style and the use of sasha’s singing scimitar?