Need PotD party advice: Fellowship of the Ring 2

[Lampros]

Okay, just as with PoE 1, I am going to make my first PotD party themed after the Fellowship of the Ring, and I would like some build advice. I am going to try to juggle between lore fidelity and game-play effectiveness, so please bear that in mind as well. (Of course, ultimately game-play effectiveness wins out when it conflicts with lore fidelity: I have decided to use Arwen instead of Gandalf, because I am no longer certain I need a Wizard; and I have also decided to give Frodo gunpowder weapons, because I think both arquebuses and blunderbusses are too good to ignore.)

 

Anyways, here's the rough idea. Any kind of advice is welcome - whether it is the whole group composition or individual build.

 

Overall:

 

Composition-wise, I decided to use the group paradigm advised by one of the guides I saw: two melees, one support, and two ranged DPS. Melees are both Rogue-plus another class; ranged DPS are Ranger-plus another class; and support is Priest/Chanter.

 

I regret not having a second Paladin multi-class for Zealous Endurance for PotD, but I decided ultimately that a Chanter multi-class is better when I already have a Paladin multi-class; I also do not have Wizard for the first time in my PoE career, but I figured that 3 Rogues and scrolls will be enough.

 

Did I make mistake in either of these decisions? In particular, I am most concerned about missing the Wizard and his CCs: Will I have enough healing and CC for PotD? I am more than willing to drop a ranged DPS for the Wizard multi-class then.

 

Individual team:

 

*Melee 1 and main character: Aragorn (Paladin/Rogue)

 

14/10/14/16/16/8

 

A run-of-the-mill Holy Slayer melee build who is going to be both sturdy and do meaningful DPS. I plan on dual wielding Duskfall and Modwyer while encased in the Devil of Caroc armor. My only concern is penetration with what is inherently low-penetration weapon type without Devoted to boost it. I hope food and Priest buffs are sufficient.

 

*Melee 2: Gimli (Devoted/Rogue)

 

14/12/12/16/12

 

Another generic build that tries to be both tanky and capable of DPS. A variation of Haplok's version - https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/105365-class-build-armorbreaker/ - except that I plan on going warhammer instead of estoc. Am I losing too much base damage in doing so? Perhaps this is not the right decision, but I am way too traumatized from damage type resistances and immunities from PoE 1 to risk going single damage-type.

 

*Support: Arwen (Chanter/Priest)

 

12/10/16/14/16/10

 

As I said, I hotly debated making the support Paladin/Priest, but I thought a Chanter would bring more when I already have a Paladin. No Celebrant build on the board, so I am a bit on my own here. Consequently, advice even more welcome. For now, I am going to make her use some form of a shield and Sasha's Singing Scimitar. She's going to be primarily a buff/heal-bot, with some CC contributing.

 

*Ranged 1: Legolas (Ranger/Devoted)

 

12/10/18/16/12/10

 

Per Kaylon's advice in an old post, I decided that I have to go Devoted if I want to use a hunting bow, given the low penetration. I want to leverage Essence Interruptor right away, so I made this guy. My biggest question here is: Is Essence Interruptor worth upgrading to Soul Diplomacy (or whatever it's called when resurrected creatures become your allies) at the cost of 2 (!) Adra Bans? If not, then I will switch to Aamina's Legacy later.

 

*Ranged 2: Frodo (Ranger/Rogue)

 

12/10/16/16/14/10

 

This is the gunpowder counterpart to the bow-meister Legolas. The question is: Arquebus or blunderbuss? I really cannot decide at this point. Given the make-up of the group, what weapon serves the team better?

 

*Alternate Ranged: Gandalf (Wizard/Ranger?)

 

The alternate would have been to take a ranged DPS out in favor of a Wizard multi-class that would have been a ranged DPS/CC hybrid using the bouncing rod. But that rod has apparently been nerfed, so this is not a good idea? Or should I still go this way given the value of the Wizard CCs? Perhaps go Wizard/Ranger and leverage Driving Flight with the rod modal?

 

Edit: I guess the race is unlisted, but it's also obvious

Edited October 3, 2018 by Lampros

[Haplok]

For ranged 2: Why not both? Blunderbuss mortars when there are near enemy groups and/or enemies have weaker reflex then deflection; arquebus for singular targets, enemies further away and enemies with high armor.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Haplok

[Lampros]

For ranged 2: Why not both? Blunderbuss mortars when there are near enemy groups and/or enemies have weaker reflex then deflection; arquebus for singular targets, enemies further away and enemies with high armor.

 

Yeah, I will likely carry both, but I am not sure which one to use as a primary weapon.

 

Also, how much will I miss Wizard CC - and can rods do reasonable DPS if I add Driving Flight?

Edited October 3, 2018 by Lampros

[Haplok]

Well, seeinghow you plan to have another ranged char with a bow for single targets at range, I'd go with primary dual blunderbuss mortars (and Streetfighter subclass with Powder Burns modal active).

 

Rods aren't great IMO, except maybe for some alpha strikes from stealth. They need their modal active to do aoe damage - and they are damn slow then.

[Lampros]

Well, seeinghow you plan to have another ranged char with a bow for single targets at range, I'd go with primary dual blunderbuss mortars (and Streetfighter subclass with Powder Burns modal active).

 

Rods aren't great IMO, except maybe for some alpha strikes from stealth. They need their modal active to do aoe damage - and they are damn slow then.

 

Even with Driving Flight?

[Haplok]

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

[Lampros]

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

 

Well, good point. It really sucks that auto-attacking Wizard is no longer viable then.

 

By the way, I started, and PotD in PoE 2 is much harder than PoE 1 - at least in the beginning. To begin with, I had to re-start and dump everyone's Constitution and Resolve to 8 and push Perception up to 18-20, because I've had trouble hitting stuff consistently - especially with the arquebus.

 

Of course, that made my guys really squishy. I couldn't fight through Gorecci when everyone was level 3, so I stealthed through it. But now I am done with every "fedex" quest, I do not know how to progress. Everything in the Ruins is too difficult, it seems. I am wondering if I should start with the Berath's Blessing option that lets your main character start at level 4.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Lampros

[Haplok]

For an arquebus you don't need extra high Perception, just the modal proficiency ability. It provides.. +20 Accuracy, I think?

Way more then a few points of perception. Sure it's slow... but arquebus is slow anyways.. and that way at least the hits/crits do land.

Plus if you alpha strike from stealth, the first reload is almost free (80% reduced time).

 

And level 3 is kinda low for Gorecci. I usually do it at level 4, once I did all the other "fedex" quests. Ruins are also doable at that level, but the boar/drake encounter is pretty much the toughest fight in the game for me. You definitely want consumables: bombs, healing potions. Many people also recruit custom adventurers for help: max Perception Cipher for Whispers of Treason charm or maybe Druid to charm beasts. Alternatively you can simply sneak and evade the toughest fight.

But once you do beat it, you'll have an opportunity to recruit an extra character, which will strengthen your team.

 

Also there is solid challenge later on, but rarely as much as on the first island.

[Flucas]

 

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

 

Well, good point. It really sucks that auto-attacking Wizard is no longer viable then.

 

By the way, I started, and PotD in PoE 2 is much harder than PoE 1 - at least in the beginning. To begin with, I had to re-start and dump everyone's Constitution and Resolve to 8 and push Perception up to 18-20, because I've had trouble hitting stuff consistently - especially with the arquebus.

 

Of course, that made my guys really squishy. I couldn't fight through Gorecci when everyone was level 3, so I stealthed through it. But now I am done with every "fedex" quest, I do not know how to progress. Everything in the Ruins is too difficult, it seems. I am wondering if I should start with the Berath's Blessing option that lets your main character start at level 4.

 

 

My advice: make your comp more specialistic. Maybe you can turn gimli or aragon into a sword n board? Or maybe add boromir

Alternatively turn on of the two into a fighter/paladin class for more tankiness.

 

Also, you could change one of Arwen's classes to Lifegiver for better heals and versatility. Personally im a priesthater, too much casting time for too little effect.

[Lampros]

For an arquebus you don't need extra high Perception, just the modal proficiency ability. It provides.. +20 Accuracy, I think?

Way more then a few points of perception. Sure it's slow... but arquebus is slow anyways.. and that way at least the hits/crits do land.

Plus if you alpha strike from stealth, the first reload is almost free (80% reduced time).

 

And level 3 is kinda low for Gorecci. I usually do it at level 4, once I did all the other "fedex" quests. Ruins are also doable at that level, but the boar/drake encounter is pretty much the toughest fight in the game for me. You definitely want consumables: bombs, healing potions. Many people also recruit custom adventurers for help: max Perception Cipher for Whispers of Treason charm or maybe Druid to charm beasts. Alternatively you can simply sneak and evade the toughest fight.

But once you do beat it, you'll have an opportunity to recruit an extra character, which will strengthen your team.

 

Also there is solid challenge later on, but rarely as much as on the first island.

 

Hmm, let me try with modal on then. It does make a slow weapon even slower though! I may also just try to do with an arbalest or something until I get high level and more accuracy gear.

 

I am filling up my companion slots with custom characters as soon as I land on the first island - I am not using any story companions. This is why leveling is so slow, as I am going with 5 right away - and they are all sucking up XP. I have decided to re-start at level 4.

 

 

 

 

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

 

Well, good point. It really sucks that auto-attacking Wizard is no longer viable then.

 

By the way, I started, and PotD in PoE 2 is much harder than PoE 1 - at least in the beginning. To begin with, I had to re-start and dump everyone's Constitution and Resolve to 8 and push Perception up to 18-20, because I've had trouble hitting stuff consistently - especially with the arquebus.

 

Of course, that made my guys really squishy. I couldn't fight through Gorecci when everyone was level 3, so I stealthed through it. But now I am done with every "fedex" quest, I do not know how to progress. Everything in the Ruins is too difficult, it seems. I am wondering if I should start with the Berath's Blessing option that lets your main character start at level 4.

 

 

My advice: make your comp more specialistic. Maybe you can turn gimli or aragon into a sword n board? Or maybe add boromir

Alternatively turn on of the two into a fighter/paladin class for more tankiness.

 

Also, you could change one of Arwen's classes to Lifegiver for better heals and versatility. Personally im a priesthater, too much casting time for too little effect.

 

 

On getting a "real" tank: I thought having a real tank is actually worse, because there are no real aggro mechanisms, so you just end up with a character that does less DPS?

 

On Priest v. Druid: I have never used a Druid, and I have never played without a Priest. So I don't know the trade-offs involved all that much. Could you flesh out this issue more? What type of "versatility" does a Druid add? And aren't Priests generally considered "necessary" in PotD for their buffs?

[Lampros]

Oh, one more point:

 

To lessen my concern about missing Wizard CC's, I made two of my Rogue multi-classes (Aragorn and Frodo) Tricksters. I will lose 10 percent on Sneak Attack, but I am getting oodles of CC spells - including, most importantly, Gaze of Adragon. I am not sure if this was the right decision in retrospect though, because 1) Aragorn is in melee engagement almost always and most CC spells have long cast time; and 2) Frodo is too far away to really cast CC spells, because he is using an arquebus.

[Flucas]

 

For an arquebus you don't need extra high Perception, just the modal proficiency ability. It provides.. +20 Accuracy, I think?

Way more then a few points of perception. Sure it's slow... but arquebus is slow anyways.. and that way at least the hits/crits do land.

Plus if you alpha strike from stealth, the first reload is almost free (80% reduced time).

 

And level 3 is kinda low for Gorecci. I usually do it at level 4, once I did all the other "fedex" quests. Ruins are also doable at that level, but the boar/drake encounter is pretty much the toughest fight in the game for me. You definitely want consumables: bombs, healing potions. Many people also recruit custom adventurers for help: max Perception Cipher for Whispers of Treason charm or maybe Druid to charm beasts. Alternatively you can simply sneak and evade the toughest fight.

But once you do beat it, you'll have an opportunity to recruit an extra character, which will strengthen your team.

 

Also there is solid challenge later on, but rarely as much as on the first island.

 

Hmm, let me try with modal on then. It does make a slow weapon even slower though! I may also just try to do with an arbalest or something until I get high level and more accuracy gear.

 

I am filling up my companion slots with custom characters as soon as I land on the first island - I am not using any story companions. This is why leveling is so slow, as I am going with 5 right away - and they are all sucking up XP. I have decided to re-start at level 4.

 

 

 

 

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

 

Well, good point. It really sucks that auto-attacking Wizard is no longer viable then.

 

By the way, I started, and PotD in PoE 2 is much harder than PoE 1 - at least in the beginning. To begin with, I had to re-start and dump everyone's Constitution and Resolve to 8 and push Perception up to 18-20, because I've had trouble hitting stuff consistently - especially with the arquebus.

 

Of course, that made my guys really squishy. I couldn't fight through Gorecci when everyone was level 3, so I stealthed through it. But now I am done with every "fedex" quest, I do not know how to progress. Everything in the Ruins is too difficult, it seems. I am wondering if I should start with the Berath's Blessing option that lets your main character start at level 4.

 

 

My advice: make your comp more specialistic. Maybe you can turn gimli or aragon into a sword n board? Or maybe add boromir

Alternatively turn on of the two into a fighter/paladin class for more tankiness.

 

Also, you could change one of Arwen's classes to Lifegiver for better heals and versatility. Personally im a priesthater, too much casting time for too little effect.

 

 

On getting a "real" tank: I thought having a real tank is actually worse, because there are no real aggro mechanisms, so you just end up with a character that does less DPS?

 

On Priest v. Druid: I have never used a Druid, and I have never played without a Priest. So I don't know the trade-offs involved all that much. Could you flesh out this issue more? What type of "versatility" does a Druid add? And aren't Priests generally considered "necessary" in PotD for their buffs?

 

 

There is not really an aggro system, but there is engagement instead. It's not too hard to stick them to your tank, youll see.

 

Basically if you switch to druid you exchange buffs for cc and damage. I dont like the buffs because a)The ai often fails to cover the right partymembers with buffs b) they take forever to cast and if anything moves while casting... c) most classes dont need these buffs cause they have a version of it themselves.

[Lampros]

 

 

For an arquebus you don't need extra high Perception, just the modal proficiency ability. It provides.. +20 Accuracy, I think?

Way more then a few points of perception. Sure it's slow... but arquebus is slow anyways.. and that way at least the hits/crits do land.

Plus if you alpha strike from stealth, the first reload is almost free (80% reduced time).

 

And level 3 is kinda low for Gorecci. I usually do it at level 4, once I did all the other "fedex" quests. Ruins are also doable at that level, but the boar/drake encounter is pretty much the toughest fight in the game for me. You definitely want consumables: bombs, healing potions. Many people also recruit custom adventurers for help: max Perception Cipher for Whispers of Treason charm or maybe Druid to charm beasts. Alternatively you can simply sneak and evade the toughest fight.

But once you do beat it, you'll have an opportunity to recruit an extra character, which will strengthen your team.

 

Also there is solid challenge later on, but rarely as much as on the first island.

 

Hmm, let me try with modal on then. It does make a slow weapon even slower though! I may also just try to do with an arbalest or something until I get high level and more accuracy gear.

 

I am filling up my companion slots with custom characters as soon as I land on the first island - I am not using any story companions. This is why leveling is so slow, as I am going with 5 right away - and they are all sucking up XP. I have decided to re-start at level 4.

 

 

 

 

Driving Flight is nice, but it won't suddenly make a bad weapon into a good one. If you used a good one instead, it would be better with Driving Flight.

 

Well, good point. It really sucks that auto-attacking Wizard is no longer viable then.

 

By the way, I started, and PotD in PoE 2 is much harder than PoE 1 - at least in the beginning. To begin with, I had to re-start and dump everyone's Constitution and Resolve to 8 and push Perception up to 18-20, because I've had trouble hitting stuff consistently - especially with the arquebus.

 

Of course, that made my guys really squishy. I couldn't fight through Gorecci when everyone was level 3, so I stealthed through it. But now I am done with every "fedex" quest, I do not know how to progress. Everything in the Ruins is too difficult, it seems. I am wondering if I should start with the Berath's Blessing option that lets your main character start at level 4.

 

 

My advice: make your comp more specialistic. Maybe you can turn gimli or aragon into a sword n board? Or maybe add boromir

Alternatively turn on of the two into a fighter/paladin class for more tankiness.

 

Also, you could change one of Arwen's classes to Lifegiver for better heals and versatility. Personally im a priesthater, too much casting time for too little effect.

 

 

On getting a "real" tank: I thought having a real tank is actually worse, because there are no real aggro mechanisms, so you just end up with a character that does less DPS?

 

On Priest v. Druid: I have never used a Druid, and I have never played without a Priest. So I don't know the trade-offs involved all that much. Could you flesh out this issue more? What type of "versatility" does a Druid add? And aren't Priests generally considered "necessary" in PotD for their buffs?

 

 

There is not really an aggro system, but there is engagement instead. It's not too hard to stick them to your tank, youll see.

 

Basically if you switch to druid you exchange buffs for cc and damage. I dont like the buffs because a)The ai often fails to cover the right partymembers with buffs b) they take forever to cast and if anything moves while casting... c) most classes dont need these buffs cause they have a version of it themselves.

 

 

Ah, ok. Yes, trying to ensure everyone is buffed is indeed a major problem.

 

Update, by the way: I tried again without starting at level 4, and I succeeded in getting out of the first island; and I feel so "accomplished," LOL. Basically, the only difference is that 1) I actually "pulled" monsters into enclosed spaces, instead of just running into the fight headfirst without care (which often brought adds); and 2) I actually bothered to summon the pets on both Ghost Heart Ranger multi-classes.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Lampros