[Spoilers!] RP Build - Zorro

[zorroa]

[totally new to these forums so I apologize in advance if I'm missing any conventions about sharing builds or in the wrong forum with this post ]

Out of the night
when the full moon is bright

comes the Watcher known as Zorro!
 

 

The Huana huddle together in the center of their village, parents putting on brave faces as they hold whimpering children close. Cloaked figures with swords drawn advance on all sides, wicked intent written on their faces in the dim torchlight. Vailian mercenaries, Rauatai soldiers, Crookspur thugs - whoever they are, they mean to do evil on this night.

But just as they're about to strike, dancing lights suddenly appear in the night sky. The ruffians look up warily as the lights arrange themselves into a letter “Z,” then flit away to the roof of a nearby hut. There, silhouetted against the full moon, stands a figure in a brimmed hat, rapier in hand, their cape fluttering in the breeze.

"It is Zorro!" cries a Huana child, joy replacing the terror on their face. "Zorro is here!"

"SHOOT HIM!” cries the leader of the cloaked figures, but they might as well shoot at the moon. As they scramble to discharge their weapons, the figure has already disappeared amid the crack of gunfire and shouts of alarm. Through the smoke and tumult, his sword flashes here and there, felling foes in its wake like trees in a storm. Panicked, the soldiers scatter as the villagers erupt in cheers. The night rings with jubilant chants of "Zorro! Zorro! Zorro!"

---

I'm still getting a handle on the game's mechanics so I don't claim this as an optimized build at all, and it's only been tested so far through 9 levels, but I would love to hear people's ideas about how to make it more viable! The idea on offer here is to an Eoran Zorro: daring swashbuckler, champion of the oppressed and terror to tyrants across the Deadfire, who appears and disappears like a ghost leaving only the sign of the Z. Zorro fights one-handed with a rapier, and a pistol when necessary for his second set, emphasizing trickery, mobility and daring as he darts about. The accomplished swordsman easily maneuvers across the battlefield, deftly parrying his opponents' strikes and delivering ripostes to critical areas.

 

Diego de la Vailia, the Lord of Caed Nua, an idle dandy

 

the dashing swordsman ZORRO, unrecognizable behind his mustache!

By day, the self-absorbed and foppish Diego de la Vailia, Lord of Caed Nua, dallies in the courts of the Deadfire's various contending powers. By night, the enigmatic bandit known as Zorro steals medicine for the Roparu, infiltrates pirate forts and plunders Crookspur ships with his black sloop "Tornado." Diego's sharp, sometimes cruel wit suggests vanity and disdain for the problems of others, while Zorro acts with both passion and compassion for the downtrodden. To the Bardattos, Dereos and Hanzanuis of the world, he is a callous mercenary; to the Huana tribe who he's helped escape from a cruelly exploitative VTC contract, he asks for nothing in return.

 

Knave though he is, Zorro is not without his own sense of honor. He instructs his companions to stay out of his duel with Captain Benweth on the ramparts of Fort Deadlight, for example. And if he should pursue a bounty on any kith, he always announces himself before setting upon his quarry.

Name: Diego de la Vailia

Species, ethnicity, nationality, background: Human, Ocean Folk, Old Vailia, Aristocrat

Role: Rogue (Trickster) / Fighter (Devoted: Rapier if you really want to fit the role, but I went with Black Jacket for the versatility and because regen isn't too important for this build)

Voice: Percival de Rolo (lol)

Stats (after human & Old Vailia bonus, before Berath's Blessings):
M: 10
C: 9
D: 12
P: 18
I: 10
R: 19
(This was less about the stats perfectly fitting the roleplaying concept, and more about trying to fit the playstyle: accuracy, crits, high deflection & riposte. Thought about a higher Intelligence to fit the concept & for the Trickster's illusion spells, and it's hard to accept a Zorro who isn't Dexy, but I wanted to maximize that accuracy & deflection without dumping might or con.)

Top skills (you'll want the Berath's Blessings and paid trainers to really get away with Zorro's levels of mary sue-ism):
ATHLETICS - to scale the walls built to separate and control the people of the Deadfire!
MECHANICS - no lock can stop the cunning fox Zorro!
STEALTH - he appears and disappears like a ghost!
BLUFF - who is this masked renegade? Surely not the preening Vailian aristocrat Diego de la Vailia, who spends his days idling at the Luminous Bathhouse or shopping at Iolfr's Raiments!
INTIMIDATE - to address bullies in the only language they understand!

Secondary skills:
SLEIGHT OF HAND - for various shenanigans
DIPLOMACY - Diego is a Vailian gentleman, after all
INSIGHT - Zorro always seems to know what makes his enemies (and friends) tick

Maybe? skills:
RELIGION - Zorro has always found friends among those of the cloth
HISTORY - politics and culture aren't wholly separate from Zorro's purpose, after all

 

Gear: this is the least-developed part of the build, and where optimization clashes the most with the Zorro concept. I honestly did some googling to make some of these choices, since again I haven't even taken this build past level 9, so take them as a very gentle suggestion. I am also very keen on hearing people's ideas for better gear! (I did decline to pick up the Unstoppable fighter ability, which grants resistance to dexterity afflictions, because of Cipher's Shackle covering that resistance in this gear - so if you want a different amulet, you might want to adjust the abilities.)
Weapon: Rännig's Wrath, which Zorro somehow plundered from the Bardatto vault at the same time Diego helped foil the Valeras' heist...

Weapon set 2: Eccea's Arcane Blaster (crush damage option for piercing-immune enemies)
Armor: Miscreant's Leathers or Fleshmender will fit the look, Casità Samelia's Legacy doesn't so much but its bonus deflection, which benefits from intimidation, fits nicely with the riposte build - but for endgame, after Zorro's identity has been exposed and the Vailian Trading Company is out for vengiatta, the Gipon Prudensco is perfect for deflection against disengagement attacks, which you can then bait and turn into ripostes
Boots: Boots of Speed (disengagement defense and stride = totally Zorro's jam)
Rings: Entonia Signet Ring, Chameleon's Touch

Amulet: Cipher's Shackle
Helm: a tricorn hat is the closest you'll come to looking like Zorro; the broad-brimmed hat only comes in light brown. otherwise the Blackblade's Hood will give you +10% action speed for carving Zs with a rapier, and a hood's not terrible for someone who's supposed to be hiding his identity, or Fair Favor will boost your crit chance and damage with your rapier while vaguely fitting the rapier-duelist look. Cowl of the Piercing Gaze is creepy and doesn't give you the bandito look but it will at least hide your identity, if for some reason you feel the mustache isn't enough. sadly there's no brimmed hat with a bandit mask, at least not until this wildly popular build prompts Obsidian to create one!
Gloves: Burglar's Gloves fits the concept but maybe you want Killer's Gloves for the crit damage
Pet: Zorro, of course!      

Abilities: again I've only played this build through level 9, but planning ahead, these have been selected as an awkward balance the Zorro concept - more to do with evasion and controlling the battlefield than actually dishing out pain - and what I imagine will be more successful in a video game where you have to actually down enemies, not just carve Zs in their pants and disappear. So take this with about ten pounds of salt-
1- Escape, Disciplined Barrage
2- Fast Runner
3- Crippling Strike

4- 1h style, Fighter Stances

5- Confident Aim

6- Determination

7- Riposte, Disciplined Strikes

8- Smoke Veil

9- Strike the Bell

10- Shadowing Beyond, Tumbling

11- Persistent Distraction

12- Dirty Fighting

13- Uncanny Luck, Conqueror Stance

14- Superior Deflection

15- Vigorous Defense

16- Slippery Mind, Clear Out

17- Refreshing Defense

18- Sap

19- Deathblows, Power Strike

20- Coordinated Positioning

[Boeroer]

 

 

unrecognizable behind his mustache