Favorite debuffer/disabler?

[Frog Man]

Feel free to include the new subclasses. I like to have a few distinct roles in my team and I could use someone who focuses on disabling enemies so that might nuker and dpsers can mess them up.

[Frak]

Wizard, druid and chanter most likely. I tend to use Aloth (first run), but running with a specialized designed debuffing chanter could be interesting. Either Bellower (for the increased power) or a troubadour.

[Ophiuchus]

Geomancer wielding dual blunderbusses or Citzal's Spirit Lance: you get a nice AoE teardown through Tranquilizing Shot (strips beneficial effects by 30 seconds iirc) along with the usual debuff and CC Wizard offers (Curse of Blackened Sight, Slicken, Pull of Eora, Freezing Pillar, Expose Vulnerabilities, etc.).

Cipher multiclassed with Ranger or Rogue can provide consistent afflictions and disables with some nice damage. Secret Horrors packs a lot of effects all in a 0.5 window and at a small cost of 30 Focus. I'm fond of a short bow Beguiler/Trickster for such a build.

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Ophiuchus

[MaxQuest]

Favorite debuffer/disabler?

My favorite cc spell in Deadfire so far is Repulsive Visage.

Having enemies not hitting you is nice, and even if you missed or they have some sort of resolve inspiration, visage is periodic, so it gets applied again after 3s. Also if the enemies have resolve resistance, you at least frighten them. This feels stronger than when you get a downgraded stun or paralyze.

 

I'm also eager to try the trickster/tactician in my next run instead, now that trickster also has also access to visage. Plus fighter gets a way to replenish resources and focus just on interrupting and messing with enemy actions. My only (and minor) gripe with tacticians are:

- they get the -5acc penalty with aoe spells (on enemy targets that are not being hit in melee by their allies)

- if the enemies are terrified (or stunned, or paralyzed for that matter) - tactician can't interrupt them, since they doesn't cast anything.

- mushy interaction between flanked status and charmed/dominated enemies.

 

Also, do really like a wayfarer/skald as a jack-of-all-trades character. With 15/10/15/19/16/3 stats and dual-wielding a rapier (with modal on) and dagger, he can spam FoD for really decent AoE heal, and built-up phrases quite quickly for low-level stun and paralyze invocations (or even charm if needed). All that while providing zealous aura, shared flames, chanting and offtanking.

 

That said, in Deadfire, I find it hard to justify having a purely hard-cc-dedicated cipher in party, when you can focus on having high AR, heals, terrify and just do damage; given that hard-cc afflictions no longer lower enemy defenses as hard as in PoE1, and Confounding Blind is often just more effective at lowering enemy deflection.

Edited December 6, 2018 by MaxQuest

[Archaven]

are there any melee weapon that does multi-hit except blunderbuss or frostseeker? 

or only way is the fighter clear-out with paralyze? hmm...

[Takkik]

you have the whispering greatsword that have a cone effect. And there is a polearme that do a short 360 aoe.

[Waski]

are there any melee weapon that does multi-hit except blunderbuss or frostseeker?

or only way is the fighter clear-out with paralyze? hmm...

That moon/sun flail hits twice.

[Silvaren]

Illusionist with that mask from Vihtrack and Eye of the Wael Scepter. Many illusion spells are great for hard CC or simply debuffing stats like penetration.

[AndreaColombo]

They showed a 3-shot crossbow during the stream—will be in the DLC.

[Boeroer]

Hm... if I remember correctly it was 3 projectiles per shot with lower base dmg (like Frostseeker), not 3 shots (like the Red Hand has 2 shots before reloading).

Edited December 7, 2018 by Boeroer

[AndreaColombo]

Ah, yes. Poor wording on my part.

[Boeroer]

No sweat! 

[Archaven]

They showed a 3-shot crossbow during the stream—will be in the DLC.

 

still a range weapon. i'd really like a melee multi-hit weapon. sun and moon for one i guess.

[Flucas]

Cipher/troubadour is my go to debuffer.

[Elric Galad]

Does sun&moon applies affliction twice ? That might be nice for a confounding blind skald build...

[Verde]

Trickster/Beguiler

[Boeroer]

Don't know if he's my favorite (dpends on the enemy of course), but at the moment I'm using a fun build with Konstanten as a Barbarian/Skald with WIllbreaker/Body Blows, Spirit Frenzy, Thunder Rolled upgrade, Ben Fidel's upgrade, Barb Shouts and the Weakening chant.

 

Fortitude drops so low... until now I haven't met a foe whose fortitude was higher than deflection after everything hit him. Brute Force pays off every time. I don't even know if the -2 MIG from the Weakening Chant stacks with the -5 MIG from Stunned/Staggered...

 

It's -45 -55 Fortitude (-25 from Body Blows, -10 from Stunned or Staggered, -10 from Weakened (-4 from Weakening chant maybe?) edit: and -10 from Ben Fidel's)

and -15 Deflection (-10 from Ben Fidel's upgrade, -5 from Shaken).

 

At the same time he interrupts on crit (Barb's passive ability) and 25% on hit (Willbreaker). And an occasional Eld Nary (targets Fortitude!) rounds the picture.

Edited February 19 by Boeroer
typos galore

[Elric Galad]

Ben Fidel upgrade -10 all defenses should stack with Mig, Con & Fortitude debuff for a -55 Fort

[Boeroer]

Oh, you are right. I just wondered why the defenses are SO low... Played him only for 2 hours or so now and am still finding stuff out with him. Ben Fidel is actuall way better than I thought. I took it because of Willbreaker (has good enchantments that trigger when enemies are shaken/frightened/terrified).

 

I have to admit I never used Konstanten before and only did so because I'm playing SSS again at the moment.

But after trying out a few things and coming up with this "debuffing" combo: the crit rate is astonishing (at this stage of the game where all his key abilites are online) - but the best part is that laughter. Jeez - I always find myself chuckling during fights because that guy debuffs stress so hard with his hysterical low timbre guffaw.

 

And my own MC has a similar voice and also likes to laugh from time to time in combat. Not as joyfully, but together it's so much fun. Like Barry White and his brother beating up some thugs in an alley while having the fun of their lives... 

 

My wife came over to my desk last evening and wanted to know what's so funny.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Boeroer

[Frog Man]

Oh, you are right. I just wondered why the defenses are SO low... Played him only for 2 hours or so now and am still finding stuff out with him. Ben Fidel is actuall way better than I thought. I took it because of Willbreaker (has good enchantments that trigger when enemies are shaken/frightened/terrified).

 

I have to admit I never used Konstanten before and only did so because I'm playing SSS again at the moment.

But after trying out a few things and coming up with this "debuffing" combo: the crit rate is astonishing (at this stage of the game where all his key abilites are online) - but the best part is that laughter. Jeez - I always find myself chuckling during fights because that guy debuffs stress so hard with his hysterical low timbre guffaw.

 

And my own MC has a similar voice and also likes to laugh from time to time in combat. Not as joyfully, but together it's so much fun. Like Barry White and his brother beating up some thugs in an alley while having the fun of their lives...

 

My wife came over to my desk last evening and wanted to know what's so funny.

LOL. Love that dude. Actually used him in my first playthrough for Deadfire bc I was drawn to him.

 

Going to give this build a go!

[Krowseph]

Don't know if he's my favorite (dpends on the enemy of course), but at the moment I'm using a fun build with Konstanten as a Barbarian/Skald with WIllbreaker/Body Blows, Spirit Frenzy, Thunder Rolled uügrade, Ben Fidel's upgrade, Bard Shouts and the Weakening chant.

 

Fortitude drops so low... until now I haven't met a foe whose fortitude was higher than deflection after everything hit him. Brute Force pays of every time. I don't even know iof the -2 MIG from the Weakening Chant stacks with the -5 MIG from Stunned...

 

It's -45 Fortitude (-25 from Body Blows, -10 from Stunned, -10 from Weakened (-4 from Weakening chant maybe?))

and -15 Deflection (-10 from Ben Fidel's upgrade, -5 from Shaken).

 

At the same time he interrupts on crit (ability) and 25% on hit (Willbreaker). And occasional Ed Nary (targets Fortitude!) rounds the picture.

 

 

I am interested in this as I have always gravitated towards "debuffing" type builds.  I know you are using a companion in your playthrough, but if using the MC what attributes would be considered priority?  Is is worth it to place many points in might due to you having the morning star modal on most of the time and suffering -25% damage?  In my opinion Int/Dex/Per should be priority or do you debuff fortitude so much that Per does not matter?

[Boeroer]

I also would put my focus on INT, DEX and PER. MIG is not that important for a debuffer.

 

My only gripe with Konstanten ist that he has lowish INT.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Boeroer

[Krowseph]

Would Furyshaper provide more synergy then a base barbarian?

[Boeroer]

Sure! The Fear Ward alone is super good and will work well with Willbreaker (who loves to hit enemies with Resolve afflictions).

 

Just remember that you can't have wards + chanter summons on the field at the same time.

[Frog Man]

This Konstanten build looks awesome, especially given that I’ve always had trouble making him useful. Which teammates benefit from the defense lowering the most? Maybe aloth throwing missiles due to fortitude debuff?