Build: Torrent of Flame (Paladin/Chanter)

[Katalmach]

Had an idea a few days ago, so I fleshed it out and put it to the test. I wanted to share, because he ended up being a tremendously useful damage support character 

 

The idea is pretty simple, the torrent of flame just stands there and kill everyone around him slowly while being largely untouchable due to his gear (not so much his stats) 

 

Race: Fire Godlike (or Human if you want some kind of helmet, but Fire Godlike's Battle Forged is very useful) 

Background: Any 

Culture: Old Vailia, or The White That Wends

Class: Goldpact Knight and Troubadour 

 

Stats (Stats w/ gear)

 

Mig: 18 (20)

Con: 10 

Dex: 4 (5)

Per: 18 (19)

Int: 18 (20)

Res: 10 (11)

 

Starting Abilities:

Lay on Hands

Sworn Enemy

Come, Come Soft Winds of Death

And Hel Hyraf Crashed Upon the Waves

 

Skills:

Athletics 

Any other 

 

End Game Gear:

 

Patinated Plate (with Constant Rebound and Burnished Joints) 

Nerian's Ward (Legendary, Father's Bastion, Father's Aegis) 

Magran's Favor (Blazing Core, Enduring Flames) 

Kuaru's Prize (Spell damage, bonus Intellect and Perception) 

Ring of Focused Flame (accuracy with fire attacks)

Greater Cloak of Deflection 

Boots of the Stone (+1 Dex, +1 Resolve, resistance to Might Afflictions) 

Woedica's Strangling Grasp (+2 Might, Garrot, +2 Burn Armor Rating) 

Strand of Favor (Reduce hostile effect duration, increase your effect duration, +1 Intellect) 

Reforge the Flesh (heal at low health, +1 Might, +1 crush armor rating) 

 

Abilities you MUST take:

 

The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed (use this with your Troubador modal so it constantly strikes nearby foes) 

The Shield Cracks (Lower armor, increase duration when enemies take damage, which is every few seconds) 

Their Champion Braved the Horde Alone (+5 Might, +2 Penetration, Attacks interrupt on Crit for 30 seconds)

Brand Enemy (Burn damage over time, and all your damage done to targets is increased, raising the effectiveness of Dragon Thrash, Dragon Wail) 

Scion of Flame (+1 Penetration with Fire) 

Inspired Defense and Stoic Steel (Bonus armor) 

Zealous Aura (Both Exalted Endurance and Exalted Focus are extremely useful, situation depending) 

Virtuous Triumph (25% chance to regain Zeal on kill) 

Weapon and Shield Style 

Deep Faith (especially if this character is your watcher) 

Snake's Reflexes (to counteract your low Dexterity) 

 

Everything else is up to you

 

Sacred Immolation would be good here for even MORE AOE fire damage, but it does deal damage to you, so unless you have a good healer or maybe switch the items around, perhaps add Constitution, it is dangerous to use in this build, especially because you can't upgrade it due to multiclass 

 

I would definitely also take Tough and Uncanny Luck if you can spare the points

 

So very little of the Chanter's abilities are used here. You set The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed as your only chant, put it on Brisk Recitation. Every few seconds, you'll launch that attack at everyone, doing the best of Fire or Slash damage. With such high fire penetration and power level, it's usually fire. 

 

When combat starts, hit everyone with Brand Enemy, adding more DOTs and boosting your chant damage. If you're positioned right, use The Shield Cracks on a large group of enemies and just watch them melt. Your high deflection, medium shield modal, and Goldpact Knight ability plus all that stacked armor you got should make you nearly invincible on even path of the damned

 

 

 

[Manveru123]

I always do something like this with Palegina. Difference is, I use Reckless Brigandine because Patinated Plate slows you down too much, take Sacred Immolation and Shared Flames, and grab a Chanter summon. Also Voidward as the second ring, and that medium shield with heal aura (forgot the name). I was also experimenting with Kapana Taga offhand, as it is a great tank weapon, but I like having at least one character with a shield in the group. I feel like the dragon chant is kinda poop in Deadfire so I was running fire lash/improved healing instead.

[Katalmach]

I always do something like this with Palegina. Difference is, I use Reckless Brigandine because Patinated Plate slows you down too much, take Sacred Immolation and Shared Flames, and grab a Chanter summon. Also Voidward as the second ring, and that medium shield with heal aura (forgot the name). I was also experimenting with Kapana Taga offhand, as it is a great tank weapon, but I like having at least one character with a shield in the group. I feel like the dragon chant is kinda poop in Deadfire so I was running fire lash/improved healing instead.

 

Sounds like your version of this build is more aggressive than mine, which is geared towards passive, unstoppable, steady damage 

 

I take Patinated plate because this build doesn't have any abilities that make him effective with weapons, and he doesn't need to cast quickly. Patinated Plate stuns enemies that attack you, pretty damn often, so I found it to be helpful in keeping the Chanter alive, especially if he's last man standing

[Metaturtle]

Having played a similar build as well, the shield cracks does not get extended from the fire brand or dragon thrash's damage. It does get extended from sacred immolation or other direct applications of abilities though.  Similar to chanter builds in POE1, I like to have the chanter run around in circles since the dragon aura is pretty big with the INT until the monsters are softened up. :D

 

With energize and shield cracks, dragon thrashed can effectively do its damage against armored types with an initial rating of 14 at level 20 without food, but will be pretty much stuck just casting between shield cracks debuff and energize buff to maintain that penetration level on a somewhat fire resistant group unless you got some aoe party buddies that can keep that shield debuff rolling though I don't think much trash should last long anyway .  Without it you will be reduced to even less chip damage in some PotD+ targets that have ****ty upscaled ratings of  like 15+ AR although the first tick of dragon thrash can crit and benefit from the +50% pen bonus so using flail modal to bring reflex low is kind of nice though don't expect it to be a crit monster .  Fire brand is a bit better on damage penetration with a base of 9 compared to dragon thrash's 7 so it will be the steadier source of damage on targets with a bit more armor. 

 

The Blackened Plate armor is a good option too since the AR debuff stacks on top of shield cracks and comes with a nice raw damage and heal aura that works well with the build though it is kind of annoying to get real early.

Edited September 3, 2018 by Metaturtle