Best builds for story characters ?

[DivineKataroshie]

Hey guys ! Since I'm new to genre, and the PoE franchise an I would like to have some guidance from the start

 

What are some good builds for story characters, like Eder, Aloth and rest of the crew ? In terms of spells, some good weapon combinations, skills (mechanics, lore, etc) and everything else that might be important ?

[Boeroer]

Hi,

 

a comprehensive answer would be very long.

 

Maybe the build list is a good starting point:

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/85492-the-obsidian-boards-build-list-last-modified-25-feb-17/page-1

 

Most of the basic build ideas there can be applied to the official companions.

 

For example Kana makes a good "Drake's Ambassador" and Aloth works fine as "Hurtstacker" and so on. Iirc there's also a dedicated Pallegina build in the list.

[summatsupeer]

Really it depends what your main character does and how you want to compliment there abilities.

 

Eder - Since he has Knock Down even if you respec him I like to tank with a guarding weapon plus shield and take the Overbearing Guard ability.  Give some damage+accuracy and not just every tank ability+trait so he hits hard if opponents disengage.

 

Maneha - Since she has Barbaric Yell I tend to go more off tank + aoe.  Weapon + Bashing Shield with Heart of Fury later.  Abilities like Savage Defiance, One Stands Alone, Thick Skinned, Threatening Presence, Dragon Leap and Echoing Shout so debuffs and aoe damages groups.  Very similar to The Golden Dragon

 

Kana - I like him also as a tank so he is in front line using a build like Drakes Ambassador to use his Might + Int.  Bit squishy so early on i'd focus more on defense traits. Plate armour and defensive rings etc so he survives whilst letting the basic endurance drain chant work (front line so should hit lots of enemies and armour attack speed pen doesn't slow the chants down) then use paralyze/charm invocation.  I think if going ranged the chants like ranged attack speed can be nice with ranger etc but I find other ranged roles more interesting.

 

Pallegina - Very generic attributes, I tend to add her if melee heavy to buff those around her like The Rauatai Captain

 

Zahua - TBH I don't use very often since I find monks micro heavy but could use a build that just stacks wounds (Turning Wheel + Iron Wheel) or switch AI on.  I tend to go more off tank since he can move / displace opponents to help protect companions.  I like fists just for RP reasons.

 

Durance - Standard priest, I give him a weapon+shield just to deflect since most of time he will be casting spells from middle of the group.  Can do Fire Priest which fits Durances character.

 

Sagani - Fairly standard ranged damage though her DEX is low so want a good item to buff that so build like Storm & Plague Caller.

 

Hiravias - With a mix of attributes and Heals, CC and Damage spells can do pretty much anything.  I tend to use him as utility to add whatever is needed.

 

Aloth - Again a mix of attributes but good dex+int to spam spells.  I focus on CC + damage back line.

 

Grieving Mother and Devil of Caroc I never really use.  Both are really damage roles but attributes aren't great for it IMO.

 

 

For example my current game I have a ranged cipher as main damage dealer with CC. 

Durance is main healer + buffer to protect against paralyze etc.

Eder is main engaging tank.

Maneha is off tank debuffing + aoe.

 

Last 2 are typically 2 of Aloth, Sagani, Kana (as another OT in wide open areas) or Hiravias.  Mostly want damage and secondary heals/cc to round out the group.

[Xsanf]

Regarding skills (based on my own experience):

 

General advise: all tank characters usually go Athletics+Survival almost in 1:1 proportion to have decent self-heal and tier 2 / tier 3 Damage Reduction camp bonus. All other lads and lasses go 1 Athletics (for their own "oh, sh..." button), and mostly Survival for high tier Accuracy camp bonus. This principle does not apply if a character serves some special purpose (for example, a skillful Mechanics specialist is mandatory for any party, Lore MC/companion for dialogues/scroll reading, etc.). Specialists prioritize their speciality.

 

Personally, I play mostly for story/dialogues than for powerplay (even on PoTD it's possible, even with story companions - just pick Chanter or Paladin for your main), so I take Lore to about 10 on my Watcher (only Watcher handles dialogues in PoE1, no party assistance at all). Other points go to Athletics/Survival in proportions described in the general advise.

 

Mechanics usually goes to Aloth since he is the very first companion you meet + he already has a point at start + very RP for him. 1 point into Athletics gives him a chance to meet his faint in combat with dignity and to avoid broken bones in scripted interactions.

 

Eder is your very general Tank, Athletics+Survival, almost 1:1 proportion (or to get Damage Reduction III camping bonus, other points into Athletics), nothing else. Then his high Athletics will be helpful not only in battle, but in scripted interactions too.

 

I see Kana as ranged Chanter supporting my team with Sure-Handed Ila, and as an off-hand "wizard" (Aloth's Strength is rather pathetic for a pure DD-wizard), so I usually go Lore with him and give him an armful of scrolls (his only problem will be low Dexterity / frequent Interrupt of his actions).

 

Durance - 1 Athletics and Survival mostly. He, as well as other casters, does not need Lore since he has plenty of his own casts (the whole purpose of Lore skill is the usage of scrolls, and dialogue checks, of course). I give him an arquebus (to be Ila-supported+extra spell) enchanted with Fire Lash, and Scion of Flame talent (most of Priest's offensive spells are Fire-type).

 

Sagani - not so familiar with her, maybe, general 1 Athletics/Survival+ damage dealing build.

 

Hiravias - another caster, very good DD and CC, mediocre stats, general 1 Athletics/Survival+ category.

 

Pallegina - good tank companion, general tank category. Can go Lore a bit, but I already have Lore people in my party.

 

Grieving Mother - a caster (not Lore, certainly), needs to hit enemies frequently, so usual 1 Athletics/Survival+ scheme.

 

Maneha - didn't go with her much, she is DD mostly, so, maybe, Athletics+Survival in a somewhat tuned proportion.

 

Zahua - same as Maneha, I dressed him in soulbond staff and so Athletics+Survival in a tuned proportion.

 

Devil of Caroc - well, you know....a huge spoiler: somewhere in WM DLC there is a scripted interaction where you need a person with high Stealth skill. This is the only place in the whole game where I had a need for Stealth specialist. So I went Stealth with her, used her in this interaction, then she went back to warm her gears at the Keep. She could be a bow/crossbow ranged Rogue, so other points could go into Survival and 1 into Athletics as well. But she is fragile, and her damage output isn't impressive at all.

 

My usual party composition: Eder, Aloth, Durance have permanent positions, others are rotated according to the Watcher's own class + quests I want to do at the moment.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Xsanf

[jintegrity]

Pallegina is strongest as a variation of this: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/84940-my-favorite-pallegina-build-the-fire-general/?hl=%2Bfive+%2Bsuns&do=findComment&comment=1788267 Wrath of the Five Suns is a strong ability in this game, and building around her ability to burst down foes w/ Flames of Devotion by switching between pistols before spamming Fireballs from a certain sword...

For Sagani, I'm going to steal a Boeroer quote:

 

Give Sagani Persistance (lvl 4 Endless Paths) and skill the fox for max damage with Predator's Sense, Merciless Companion + Vicious Companion, Takedown and Brutal Takedown (only has to overcome 1/4th of enemies' DR!). Rest will go into talents and abilites for the (hunting) bow. Do not take Swift or Vicious Aim because they collide with Twinned Arrows which you want to pick later.

It's an easy setup and makes her (and her fox) a great single target destroyer.

Another Boeroer copypasta, this time for Devil:
 

 

Since you are near Durgan's Battery and thus in reach of Badgradr's Barricade you can skill her towards bashing shield rogue with stunning/overbearing main hand weapon.

Badgradr's Barricade procs Thrust of Tattered Veils on crits (unlimited per encounter) and that works with Deathblows. With the disabling main hand weapon (like Godansthunyr, Starcaller, Cladhaliath or We Toki) you can trigger Deathblows with one single strike: choose Blinding or Crippling Strike, the bash will come first. Blind will get applied and if you already crit the shield will proc ToTV. Then comes the main hand which will most likely crit as well because of the blind enemy, causing stun or prone. Next bash with crit will already trigger Deathblows with ToTV which is very deadly.

At the same time this setup makes a rogue quite sturdy (while not losing a lot of dps). This is a good synergy with the devil who has several immunities like mind control, sickened and others as well as against all poison and disease attacks. That combo makes her a good offtanking or "behind the lines" skirmisher. Your druid/wizard can even bombard her with friendly-fire poison/diseases spells like Noxious Burst or Malignant Cloud while she's fending off a group of enemies and she won't feel anything. Great synergy. If you want to make her even more sturdy give her Veteran's Recovery. Give her Weapon & Shield style as well and use Escape if you want and "dive" into battle with +25 deflection. Riposte works quite well with this setup as well. Another nice thing is Adept Evasion which lets her tank even dragons' Wing Slams for some time and makes her shrug off most non-poison/disease AoE attacks.

Besides that, every other build direction also works, like dual sabre and whatnot.

Fun fact: since the Devil is immune to poison and disease, the malus of Bittercut (or even dual Bittercut = double the malus) does nothing on her.

Kana should be built with Veteran's Endurance, Ancient Memory, bonus healing items, and Dragon Thrashed to just passively heal/kill everything in the heaviest armor you can find.