[Class Build] Eccentric Scepter-trick Shadowdancer

[Silvaren]

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will be afraid for I have low resolve

As I walk through the Fampyr's Crypt or Splintered Reef

I will be charmed and dominated for I have low resolve

But I will kill them all, eventually!

 

 

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Eccentric Scepter-trick

It's single target dps and good debuffer

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Difficulty = PotD v. 1.1

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Solo: no fraking way (spoken with Starbuck's voice)

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Class: Helwalker / Assassin

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Race: Hearth Orlan

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Background: The White that Wends - Hunter

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Base stats:

 

MIG: 15

CON: 10

DEX: 18

PER: 20

INT: 10

RES: 4

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Skills: doesn't matter really, I prefer Mechanics, Stealth, Streetwise, Bluff, Intimidate

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Talents (! - important, r - recommended)

 

Rogue:

Backstab ®

Crippling Strike (!) => Arterial Strike (!)

Dirty Fighting (!)

Smoke Veil ®

Deep Wounds (!)

Finishing Blow (!) => Devastating Blow (!)

Slippery Mind ®

Deathblows (!)

Slippery Mind (!)

 

Monk:

Swift Strikes (!) => Lightning Strikes (!)

Lesser Wounds (!)

Dance of Death (!) => Enduring Dace (!)

Soul Mirror ®

Duality of Mortal Presence - Mind (!)

Thunderous Blows (!)

Iron Wheel (!)

The Dichotomous Soul ®

 

General talents:

Two Weapon Style (!)

Tumbling ®

Uncanny  Luck ®

Improved Critical (!)

Potent Empower ®

 

Misc Talents:

Couldron Brew (+1 PER) - location with witches and inprisoned alchemist

Effigy's Resentment: Sagani - PoE 1 (+1 PER) - I didn't sacrifice anyone in Deadfire though ;<

Gift from the Machine - obvious

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Weapon proficiency: Destructive Channeling (Scepter)

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Items:

 

Weapon set: The Eye of Wael (!) & Keybreaker Scepter ® > Current's Rush (!)

Boots: Pathfinder's Boots ®

Head: Acina's Tricorn => Blackblade's Hood (!)

Armor: Miscreant's Leathers or Devil of Caroc Breastplate or Gipon Prudensco

Neck: Precognition (!)

Cloak: Cloak of Deflection or Cloak of Protection or Nemnok's Cloak or The Giftbearer's Cloth (if you invest in History skill)

Belt: Trollhide Belt ®

Rings: Ring of Greater Regeneration (!) & Ring of the Marksman (!)

Hands: Killer's Gloves (!) or Burglar's Gloves ®

Qucik slots: poisons ®

Pet: the one which restore health after kill ® for early game

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Strategy and tips:

 

You will be squishy at the start of the game, but later on - not so much. Damage output per attack looks like:

25-50 early game

45-70 mid game

75-140 end game

 

Destructive Channeling should be activated all the time (+20% dmg +2 Penetration). Always begin combat in stealth mod, use Swift Strikes with Dance of Death (or improved version of those abilities) and Thunderous Blows for Tenacious inspiration. Those should provide you accuracy and penetration to deal critical hits most of the time and overpenetration in every attack you score. Scepters deal blunt damage so there isn't much creatures with good damage reduction against blunt.

 

 

Assassination affects only primary attack even if you use full attack abilitiy. In the early game you can use Escape but I recommend to respec after a while. I tried to use Smoke of Veil but it is not worth for damage output, only for survival. Smoke Veil is bugged in the way that you won't benefit from inspiration casted by your party while you are invisible so no Blessing/Dire Blessing or Devotion of the Faithful. Smoke Veil has pretty long recovery time until it gives oportunity to deal more damage so I don't think it is good option for additional Assassination from stealth. And Smoke Veil is expensive (2 Guile).

 

I use Crippling Strike (Arterial Strike) because it's full attack and allow to deal huge damage in short period of time and it costs only 1 Guile. Other than that, it put affliction on the target. Then I use Finishing Blow (Devastating Blow) to kill the target. WIth 3 Guile you will kill almost every enemy in combat or bring them to near death status. I never really used Dichotomous Soul but it is probably good (I guess because it was really painful when fampyr dominated my char and kill 1-2 party members few times ;p ).

 

The Eye of Wael was nerfed in 1.1 but it is still one of the best scepter in the game:

Obfuscation: 10% chance to become Invisible for 8 sec. on scoring Critical Hit. It should give you Assassination bonus to next attack but it seems to be bugged and while the character become invisible, there is no Assassination indicator among other active effects. I didn't saw Assassination in attack/damage formula in case of attacks made from Obfuscation invisibility.

Illusive Spell: 5% chance to cast random Illusion spell on target on scoring hit (it's good).

Shourded Strike: 10% chance to cast random Affliction on target on scoring crit (awesome for sneak attack).

 

Keybreaker Scepter was nerfed. Projectile bouncing to nearby target among with Swift Flurry pre 1.1 patch could kill 3 targets after one critical hit. Not so awesome right now but it is still good weapon:

Frighten Kith targets on Crit.

+10 Defenses (escept Deflection) for 30 sec for nearby allies on scoring kill with Keybreaker.

 

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Party synergies

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I played with Serafen (Barb), Konstanten (Howler), Fassina (Sorcerer) and Xoti (Priest).

 

Druid's regeneration spells like The Moon's Light or The Moonwell are great to dminish unhealthy effect of Destructive Channeling. Devotion of the Faithful and Dire Blessing are too good to skip. I really love Symbol of Eothas as healing/damage AoE effect along with Minor Intercession. You will need Intellect and Resolve inspiration to deal with fampyrs and liches (it looks like they made charm/domination and fear effect to deal with characters with dumped resolve after 1.1). Seriously, if you don't break domination, your eccentric scepter-trick watcher will kill few party members. In battles against liches you will cringe in the corner throughout the entire fight.

 

 

Master your CC

I used Barbaric Yell (then Barbaric Shout, Dazing Shout) to put affliction on enemies in huge area. Druid's Returning Storm & Relentless Storm are great for sneak attack. The same with wizard's spell like still OP Chill Fog ;] The game gives you nice amount of options to use CC. Lightning Strikes stacks with Mith Fyr's burning lash. Prior to that  phrase, Ancient Memory is handy to diminish Destructive Channeling raw damage.

 

Some stats from Ukaizo:

Edited August 5, 2018 by Silvaren

[Frog Man]

Nice guide! Looking forward to playing it.

 

Put it on the poll, Guillermo!

[Sunistey]

Nice build. I was considering building something like this, but never went for it. I was thinking a Trickster scroll user instead of Assassin; akin to Boeroer's PoE build "Sorcerer's Apprentice". Thanks for posting!

[Silvaren]

I'm glad you like it!

[Vonmara]

Cute build and nice Starbuck reference

[Croko]

In general talents you said to pick Iron Will. Are you sure about it? I don't have such talent.

Btw this build is really cool.

[Silvaren]

In general talents you said to pick Iron Will. Are you sure about it? I don't have such talent.

Btw this build is really cool.

I will check it after work. If not iron will then the one that grants bonus against intellect or resolve aflictions.

 

 EDIT:

Yep, it's not Iron WIll, I picked Slippery Mind (power lvl 6 rogue ability).

Edited June 29, 2018 by Silvaren

[Silvaren]

Little update from Beast of Winter

 

I would pick this scepter instead of Keybreaker:

[Silvaren]

It looks like Current's Rush upgrade Flow if triggered by offensive ability applies its effect to additional AoE attack.

 

https://youtu.be/IlqEtd91-rw?t=83